By Monica Brady-Myerov (WBUR)
Massachusetts Democrats are in Washington gearing up for the inauguration of Barack Obama.
Although the early speculation about Patrick and other prominent politicians joining Obama’s cabinet did not come to fruition, Massachusetts as a state is well positioned to influence legislation — and the new president. WBUR’s Monica Brady-Myerov reports from Washington.
From our sister site, On Point:
Martin Luther King said “I Have a Dream” at the Lincoln Memorial, where Obama’s inauguration kicks off Tuesday. On Point, we’ll look at the speech that moved the world.
Guests: Mike Allen, chief political correspondent for Politico.com
Eric Sundquist, professor of literature, UCLA. He is author of “To Wake the Nations: Race in the Making of American Literature.” His new book is “King’s Dream.” (You can read the introduction.)
Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, pastor of the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va. He is a fourth-generation Baptist preacher.
Read the text of King’s speech.
The results from this historic election are in. NPR hosted a live chat with NPR’s Ken Rudin, Dick Meyer and Beth Donovan about the results. You can replay the discussion here.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain hit the campaign trail yesterday calling for Congress to go right back to work on a bailout plan. McCain blamed Democrats and his rival Barack Obama for the legislation’s failure. (NPR)
Campaigning in Colorado, Obama blamed the crisis on Republicans, charging President Bush, the party and McCain with pushing a culture of deregulation. (NPR)
Also today NPR looks at Obama’s health plan, which he says would make insurance available to all Americans, but policy analysts say would cost far more than the campaign is saying. (NPR)
Plus, Ohio holds same-day voting today. (NPR)
Sen. John McCain wants to postpone Friday's presidential debate.
John McCain and Barack Obama are meeting today with the president (NPR), who told the nation “our entire economy is in danger,” (NPR) to address the mess on Wall Street. But will the candidates meet again tomorrow for a presidential debate?
McCain stunned political observers, including those of us in the WBUR Newsroom, when he announced Wednesday a suspension of campaign activities (NPR) to focus on the economic crisis. McCain asked his Obama to agree to postpone Friday’s debate. WBUR’s political analysts say McCain is making a big political gamble, just as he did in selecting Sarah Palin as a running mate. Slate’s John Dickerson says it’s “McCain’s latest crazy, brilliant, desperate campaign tactic.”
Video: Obama wants to debate now.
Obama, meanwhile, says he wants to debate now (AP):
This is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who, in approximately in 40 days, will be responsible for dealing with this mess. I think that it is going to be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once.
Despite the disagreement, debate preparations continue (Washington Post) at the University of Mississippi, where the event remains on the schedule. If Obama shows up and the cameras are rolling, what happens if McCain is a no-show? Even Republican strategist Karl Rove, in today’s Wall Street Journal, says the first debate could be decisive for the election. And the Christian Science Monitor has proposed 15 questions for the first debate.
WBUR’s senior media analyst says this year’s ad campaigns by “527″ advocacy groups are not quite political advertising as usual.
Meanwhile, Stephen Hayes of The Weekly Standard says the media is Barack Obama’s not-so-secret weapon.
Speaking of media, both candidates have new political ads out today (via RealClearPolitics blog). Obama attacks McCain on healthcare.
McCain links Obama to the “corrupt Chicago political machine.”
As Obama and John McCain meet in the first debate of the presidential campaign later this week, NPR’s Steve Inskeep and Cokie Roberts look at how the huge Wall Street bailout is likely to play out in the political sphere.
Bloomberg’s Albert Hunt says Obama, not McCain, is showing the steady hand as the financial markets implode. But Republican strategist Ed Rollins says both candidates are botching the response to the crisis.
John Edwards, most prominent purveyor of a populist message this election cycle, speaks with On Point. His message seems to be resonating, at least in Iowa where “there’s evidence of new momentum.”
And in WBUR’s continuing series, “Gateway to the Primary,” Bianca Vazquez Toness reports on the saliency of immigration as an issue in one small New Hampshire town.
John Edwards chats with some Derry, New Hampshire voters:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLl9qq-ziRM[/youtube]
WBUR’s special series continues with residents of Derry, N.H. weighing on the economy as an election issue.
