September 9th, 2011
05:04 PM ET
Friday fun: Presidential horoscopesWe all have guilty pleasures – some of us prefer curling up on the couch with tabloid magazines, while the rest of us are content with kicking back and catching the latest episode of our favorite reality show. There is one shameful indulgence that unites us all, however, and it goes by the name of astrology. And though some followers of the “science” are more, shall we say, invested in its words than those that simply read it in jest, there’s no denying that every person has heard of astrology, even if they don’t know their sign (but we’re betting you know yours!) What’s more, each of the 12 – or 13 if you’ve been reading recent news – zodiac signs carry weights and meanings to their names, and more often than not, the personality traits of the signs match up with their respective owners. This is all fine and dandy if you’re an average joe. But what if you’re the president of the United States? How close does your astrology sign meet your personality? Are more presidents likely to be Leos, which makes sense as the lion sign is born to lead? Or does the commander-in-chief tend to be more like a Taurus, known for their financial security? Let’s find out.  Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's reaction to the president's jobs plan was mixed. (Office of the Governor of MI)
September 9th, 2011
11:59 AM ET
GOP Gov. 'backs' president's jobs plan?! Not exactly... The White House press operation was hard at work following the president’s speech last night, sending out rapid-fire emails filled with endorsements of the president’s new jobs plan. Support came from all corners, everyone from California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer and St. Louis’ Democratic Mayor Francis Slay to the United Steelworkers union and the BlueGreen Alliance. More than 40 emails in all were sent by the White House between the time the president finished his speech at 7:40 PM and midnight last night. The emails kept coming this morning, carrying messages of support from Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and even Michigan’s Republican Governor Rick Snyder. You may be asking yourself in shock, ‘a Republican expressed support for the president’s jobs plan?!?!’ Well, not exactly…but that was the impression the White House initially gave when they sent out Gov. Snyder’s response to the president’s speech with this subject line: “Michigan Governor Rick Snyder Backs American Jobs Act.” Less than an hour later, the White House sent out the same email with a new subject line: “CORRECTED: Michigan Governor Rick Snyder on American Jobs Act.” FULL POST  Vice President Biden walks through the US Capitol's Statuary Hall on his way to the House Chamber for President Obama's speech on job creation last night. (Brian Yaklyvich/ CNN)
September 9th, 2011
09:57 AM ET
Vice President Biden talks terror on network morning showsVice President Biden made a tour of the network morning shows this morning and addressed reports of a “credible” terrorist threat to New York City and Washington D.C. on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. While he reiterated that he could not “confirm” the reports, Biden said that the threat was “real” and that this was “the first credible piece of information we’ve gotten” since Osama bin Laden was killed four months ago. On what the administration is most concerned about this weekend, Biden told NBC:
On reports that the threat includes a possible car bomb, Biden told ABC:
On what this means for average Americans, Biden told NBC: FULL POST  Moody's Mark Zandi on State of the Union with Candy Crowley Feb. 27, 2011. The White House is pushing Zandi's largely positive analysis of the president's new jobs plan as evidence of why Congress should get behind it. (CNN)
September 9th, 2011
08:41 AM ET
The morning briefing: White House points to ZandiThe 1600 Blog's daily roundup of what the White House is reading this morning online and in the papers: The White House would like to draw your attention to Mark Zandi’s report out this morning on the president’s jobs plan. Zandi – the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics whose economic analysis is often cited by both parties – calls the president’s plan “laudable” and writes that it “would go a long way toward stabilizing confidence, forestalling another recession, and jump-starting a self-sustaining economic expansion.” The whole report is behind a pay wall [Economy.com], but here Zandi's numbers:
Zandi is somewhat critical of the plan’s $450 billion price tag – “approximately $250 billion takes the form of tax cuts, while another $200 billion comes through spending increases” – and the president’s proposal that its cost be offset by as-yet-unnamed deficit reductions beginning in 2014. Zandi’s analysis also points out the plan’s failure to deal with the ”ongoing foreclosure crisis and housing slump,” which he calls “major impediments to the recovery.” But overall Zandi says the plan could go a long way in increasing confidence in the U.S. economy, and he lays out some reasons why the economy could benefit from the additional “fiscal support” proposed by the president. Here are some other stories the White House is reading this morning: US STOCKS-Futures down after Obama speech as investors uneasy [Reuters] FULL POST  President Obama's last visit to Richmond, Virginia was to discuss the economy with local families on September 29, 2010. Today the president will speak at the Robins Center Arena at the University of Richmond. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
September 9th, 2011
07:02 AM ET
The President's Schedule Friday Sept. 9, 2011Just one day after presenting his big new jobs plan before a joint session of Congress last night, President Obama will take his plan on the road with a speech at the University of Richmond at 11:35. He will then travel back to the White House to participate in an Ambassador Credentialing Ceremony. The press won't have access to the ceremony – which will take place in the Oval Office – but these are the ambassadors who are scheduled to attend:
Expect a gaggle from Press Secretary Jay Carney aboard Air Force One. Here’s the full schedule:
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