Community Organizing as a White House Strategy
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President Obama turned community organizer once again today, trying to rev-up last year's grassroots army of volunteers. Will they use email, Facebook, phone calls and local meetings to help him govern the way they helped him campaign? Also, GM bondholders accept a government deal to help ease the company into bankruptcy, and allied forces have increased alert levels in response to what they call "a grave threat" from North Korea. We talk with a veteran of 11 visits to North Korea about this week's nuclear test and threats of escalation.
Banner image: Barack Obama's presidential campaign headquarters in Berkeley, California. Photo: Paragon
Making News
GM Bondholders Accept Deal, Bankruptcy Still on the Table ()
Some holders of General Motors bonds have accepted a government-brokered deal to ease the company into Chapter 11 bankruptcy early next week. The Treasury Department will provide more than $50 billion and end up owning 72.5% of a new, much smaller GM. Rick Newman reports for US News and World Report, where he is chief business correspondent.
Guests:
- Rick Newman: Chief Business Correspondent, US News and World Report
Main Topic
The Obama White House and the Permanent Campaign ()
After winning the White House, President Obama said his volunteer army of 13 million would play a crucial role in his administration. Reincarnated at the Democratic National Committee, his campaign apparatus is now called Organizing for America. Today, the President took part in a conference call designed to mobilize his volunteer army around healthcare reform, and asked for grassroots efforts to pressure Congress to support his proposals. Will they respond with emails, phone calls, local meetings and door-to-door visits or leave it up to the man they succeeded in sending to Washington?
Guests:
- Mitch Stewart: Executive Director, Organizing for America
- Lynn Sweet: Columnist, PoliticsDaily.com
- Carol Zachery: former Volunteer, Obama Presidential Campaign
- Stacy Deck: Volunteer, Organizing for America
- David Winston: Republican pollster and strategist, Winston Group, @dhwinston
- Peter Kastor: Associate Professor of History and American Culture Studies, Washington University
Reporter's Notebook
Missile Tests and Tension on the Korean Peninsula ()
The US and South Korea have raised their alert levels to counter North Korea's recent underground nuclear test and test-firing of short-range missiles. When the UN Security Council responded with tough talk, Pyongyang threatened "military action" if South Korea joined other nations in trying to stop North Korean shipping. Long-time Washington Post Northeast Asia Bureau Chief Selig Harrison heads the Center for International Policy's Asia Program and says he's "in touch" with North Korean diplomats at the UN.
Guests:
- Selig Harrison: Director of the Asia Program, Center for International Policy
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