Obama Letters Promised Gov't Workers an Overhaul

He wants to shift focus from ground troops to 'irregular warfare'

(NEWSER) - President Obama officially unveiled his plan for a slimmed-down military with a speech at the Pentagon today, promising that budget cuts and a reduction in conventional ground forces wouldn't harm the nation's security. "Our military will be leaner, but the world must know—the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with Armed Forces that are agile, flexible, and ready for the full range of contingencies," Obama said, according to NPR . More»

Says GOP proposal goes too far

(NEWSER) - President Obama issued a formal statement yesterday threatening to veto any spending bill the House GOP devises that doesn’t meet his specifications. “If the president is presented with a bill that undermines critical priorities or national security … the president will veto the bill,” the statement read, according to the Hill . It argued that the GOP’s current proposals would “sharply undermine core government functions” and reduce defense spending below levels “needed to meet vital military requirements.” More»

President loath to look weak, profligate

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s ability to control his image seems to be spinning out of control, with several damaging narratives taking hold in the public consciousness. Politico breaks down the narratives Obama is most threatened by:

• Obama the Big Spender: Though economists cheered on the stimulus, the backlash was severe among independents. Obama intends to stress fiscal discipline in his 2010 State of the Union, but actually clamping down on spending will be tough.

Federal workforce could expand by 100-250K, experts say

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s ambitious budget and stimulus plans will require the government to hire scores of new workers, the Washington Post reports. Analysts put the number between 100,000 and 250,000 spread among various agencies, the biggest expansion of the federal workforce since Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society days. Some agencies are already planning hiring initiatives; Veterans Affairs, for example, expects to add 17,000 to the payroll. More»

(NEWSER) - In his address to Congress, President Obama made it clear certain industries are in his crosshairs, from agribusiness to defense to health care. But those industries aren’t taking it lying down, the Wall Street Journal reports. They’re spending big on lobbyists, hoping to derail—or at least reshape—details of Obama’s budget. “It is in Congress where the rubber meets the road,” said a farming rep. More»