(Update: There is a condensed summary of the event discussion [with as little commentary as humanly possible from me, despite my strong desire to lay into Evan Bayh] at the end of the diary in a final summary update. And full video is now available at C-Span, with a h/t to hey mister for providing it in the comments section. C-Span will also rebroadcast the program in its entirety at 8PM EST.)
The idea is to get a liveblog diary going for the Dem caucus conference happening live now on C-Span 2.
http://cspan.org/...
I've never hosted a liveblog here on DKos, so I'd be more than willing to delete this diary in the event that another more familiar liveblogger wants to take the reins and post a diary of his or her own.
Jump...
10:00 AM EST: Conference begins. Reid makes opening remakrs reciting legislative accomplishments last year.
10:05 AM EST: President Obama making his opening remarks.
10:25 AM EST: Question time, Specter first.
11:25 AM EST: Following Evan Bayh as the final questioner, the President closes with brief remarks and event ends.
***NOTES**
I hope I did a decent enough job in my first go as a liveblog host. Any transcription errors are clearly mine, and are obviously paraphrasing.
I've noticed when doing this update that it has hit the Rec List.
Thanks to those who have helped or are helping to make that possible.
I'll go back and try to do a wide-ranging recap in an update that addresses some of the meat of the discussion at the conference. This way, you can get it all in one spot in an update as opposed to culling comments (which I still would suggest doing, as others willl surely pick up on things I missed, or interpret things differently).
Update soon...
***UPDATE*** 12:15 PM EST
Okay.
So, what I've done is gone back through my real-time posts during the Q & A to bring them up here for compact viewing.
For any corrections or add-ons to my paraphrasing, please go to the question or answer in the comments section, and add it there.
You can find them more quickly through my comments page.
Before getting into that, some real-time summaries as highlights of President Obama's opening remarks:
President Obama points out GOP obstruction, reminding viewers and attendees that legislation had to passed in the face of more filibusters in one year than in many prior years combined.
...
President Obama on GOP inclusion:
Makes the point that he reached out to Republicans on health insurance reform, pushing back against Republican claims of no involvement, and incorporated some of their ideas.
Asks: how many of our proposals have they supported?
...
President Obama: "I have little patience for short term politics that says if I lose, you win."
Has A Suggestion for Dems: the answer in the face of MA is not to do nothing.
...
President Obama: "I didn't get in this for fame. I got in this to fight for something."
Reminds Dems why they chose the Democratic Party: helping the middle class, working for people, etc.
Reminds Dems they campaigned on reforming the health system, and says: "Here we are, with a chance to change it."
...
And so as to drive the point home, he follows it at the end of his opening remarks with:
"As we think about moving forward, I hope we don't lose sight of why we're here. We have to finish the job on health care, regulatory reform, etc. Even if it's hard. And we have to do it transparently, open to other ideas, but not willing to give up on the idea that government can help people achieve their dreams."
And now, on to the Q & A:
Specter (PA): Lost jobs to China, remedies are ineffective, would you support more effective remedies by endorsing judicial remedies in US or international courts? Will you support efforts to revise bilateral treaties?
Obama: not in favor of revoking trade agreements. all for enforcement. trade must be reciprocal. approach is tougher enforcement, pressure to open markets in reciprocal basis, must address currency rates. do not want us to shy away from prospects of international competition, with a bigger focus on export promotion.
Bennet (CO): What are we gonna do differently to fix the institution of Congress?
Obama: A: Senate in particular, Republicans, if you wanna govern, then you can't just say no. Filibuster record causes institutional problem. Democrats do better with transparency, even if it takes longer. Health care as an example. Time made the bill better. But transparency got lost. And we paid the price.
Also, Turn off the TV, and go talk to folks on the street instead of being in an echo chamber. Americans don't care about process, they want us to deliver for them.
Blanche Lincoln: What can we tell people in terms of predictability about the economy? How can we push back against Republicans and people within our own Party to find common ground in process of bipartisanship?
Obama: people still feel uneasy. trends are positive, providing some stability, but it doesn't quell unease. moving forward, we cannot go back to doing what we were doing before the crisis, as Republicans continue to suggest. if the price of certainty is adopting Republican proposals for eight years (tax cuts, no health reform, no bank reform), the result will be the same. why would we expect a different outcome? people are hurting, are more vulnerable, and if our response is taking the easy way out and doing the same thing, then what makes us different than Republicans? Why would people want to elect us? Point is: we can't be ideological. We can't just go back to the New Deal and expect it to work in the 21st century. We need to find out what works, and do that. The things we were doing before don't.
Gillibrand: health care for 9/11 responders, etc.
20,000 people sick or dead from exposure. Would you committ today to working with congress to pass comprehensive 9/11 health bill that's paid for?
Obama: Yes. and it's not talk. My budget includes increases in funding for it.
Boxer: What you're doing now, getting out there and fighting, is needed and desired by constituents. Thank you.
Small businesses: can you increase lending by Executive Order putting funds to work?
Obama: everywhere I go, small businesses say they experience credit crunch... even if making profits and paying on time. Two reasons they cite: 1) bankers tell them regulators are over their shoulder at every turn and 2) big banks aren't really in this market.
Meantime, better to do through legislative process than executive order. easily. banks repaid money. apply that money to community banks to provide greater lending. tax credits for hiring to speed up process.
Pat Leahy: you've had many quality judicial appts that are being obstructed. leading to judicial crisis. will you continue putting names up quickly so we can fill these vacancies?
Obama: priority. and it's not just judges. it's other appointees. and they get obstructed, for entirely non-related issues. only to be confirmed overwhelmingly later. people supported by both Dems nd Repubs in the state. if government is gonna work for the people, then the appointment for GSA administrator shouldn't be obstructed for no reason. that must end. and the american people want it to end.
Sherrod Brown: cites OH school building with solar power, with technology created by germany and other countries. how do we rebuild manufacturing combined with energy policy that gets us to these jobs?
Obama: risk falling behind to Chinese (cites China's advantage in being able to move forward without obstruction, snicker). ron bloom, manufacturing task force, issuing report to me presently about a path forward. it's figuring out how to coordinate businesses, government, universities on the same page to compete with other nations. whoever figures out first clean energy is going to lead the new century, and that should be our goal. incentives. open-minded about ranges of technologies (clean coal, nuclear, etc.). make existing technology better. incentivize clean energy while discouraging old sources that won't work going forward. bipartisan work being done (lieberman, graham, kerry). and we can't give up and just give tax credits to companies. pricing needs to be addressed, so companies see it's more expensive to be dirtier.
Final Question....
Evan Bayh: Why can't Washington sacrifice like the American people are? Do we have the backbone to make tough decisions? You did my freeze, and the lefty blogs kicked you? Why should we be trusted?
Obama: because the last time a budget was balanced, it was done by a democrat... without republican support. we're the Party of fiscal responsiblity. though, we should admit our mistakes in going along with the previous unpaid for Republican policies (tax cuts, wars, medicare prescription). admit we may have lost trust. way to regain any lost trust is to persue better policies. explain to the american people that we can't get out of the hole overnight. but we should move toward paygo. look at the freeze on spending. including defense as well. every dollar counts. and over time saving piles up while creating good habits of spending smarter. because there is a structural deficit that needs to be addressed. called for commission to address long term problems. and i hope republicans will join along in that commission. explain clearly, act openly, speak honestly, i'm completely confident we'll thrive in the future.
That Evan Bayh. What a charmer...