Every day we ask influential politicos to send us their top three bullet points that are driving the day’s conversation inside and outside Washington.
RedState.Com Editor Erick-Woods Erickson:
- What exactly is the objective in Libya and why did the President wait until after it was over to notify Congress? Neither of these two questions have been answered very well by the White House.
- Don’t forget about Japan. The death toll continues to climb. If there is one good thing about the Libyan situation it is that the sensational coverage of the nuclear reactors in Japan has lessened.
- The debt ceiling vote approaches. Joe Manchin (D-WV) says he won’t support it without a substantive plan to reduce the deficit.
Senior Political Columnist for TheDailyBeast.com John Avlon:
- Libya - As airstrikes escalate, questions are increasing at home about our definition of victory. Admiral Mike Mullen’s statements on State of the Union show the military’s concern about mission creep, while the president has reiterated his condition that Gadhafi must go. But is the president’s original condition of engagement - “days, not weeks” and no troops on the ground - realistic to achieve that objective?
- The Left is Angry Over Libya - It’s deja vu all over again - Dennis Kucinich calling for impeachment; Ralph Nader calling the president a ‘war-criminal’ and Michael Moore huffing about illegal wars - but now the president’s a Democrat. With some conservatives joining the pile-on, expect plenty of pointed questions where congress re-convenes next week, asking why the Obama Administration seemed to consult with the UN over air-strikes more than congress. Also, on a side note - Libya marks the first military intervention encouraged by a female dominated diplomatic team - Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice and Samantha Power - a first in U.S. history.
- Tim Pawlenty - T-Paw’s path to the nomination seems to be everyone’s second choice and the last man standing, but let the record show that he was first out of the gate in announcing a 2012 presidential exploratory committee. His slickly produced video which accompanied a Facebook announcement compensated for a charisma deficit with an applause track while tying Pawlenty’s character narrative to the core issue of jobs and economic recovery. Plenty of ‘Morning in America’ imagery alongside the obligatory Reagan cameo. And it might be the first presidential campaign ad to feature the candidate playing hockey since Bob Kerrey’s “defense” ad back in 1992.
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