Morning News
From the Associated Press:
... President Barack Obama on Wednesday implored Democratic leaders to swing big, be honest with an angry public and expose any obstructionism by Republicans. "We still have to lead," Obama told Democratic senators in a pep talk that unfolded on live TV. Let policy be our politics, Obama told the senators, and make sure everyone knows about petty acts by the opposition. Obama's mission is to stiffen the resolve of his own party as he pursues an agenda that is consistent -- creating jobs, overhauling health insurance, regulating Wall Street -- yet is also cast in more personal, real-life terms.
From Reuters:
... Senate Democrats will unveil tax credits and other proposals on Thursday that aim to bring down the nation's double-digit unemployment rate.
The package will include tax credits to spur hiring and equipment purchases, along with incentives for states to ramp up construction projects, an aide said on Wednesday.
It could also extend soon-to-expire programs that provide unemployment aid and healthcare subsidies for the jobless, the aide said on condition of anonymity.
With Friday's jobs report expected to show a rise in the unemployment rate to 10.1 percent, Democrats in Congress say job creation is their top priority this year.
From the Wall Street Journal:
Republicans are stepping up their campaign to win donations from Wall Street, trying to capitalize on an increasing sense of regret among executives at big financial institutions for backing Democrats in 2008.
In discussions with Wall Street executives, Republicans are striving to make the case that they are banks' best hope of preventing President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats from cracking down on Wall Street.
From the Los Angeles Times:
In a stark reminder of growing costs, the government has released a new estimate that healthcare spending grew to a record 17.3% of the U.S. economy last year, marking the largest one-year jump in its share of the economy since the government started keeping such records half a century ago.
The almost $2.5 trillion spent in 2009 was $134 billion more than the previous year, when healthcare consumed 16.2% of the gross domestic product, according to an annual report by independent actuaries at the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, scheduled for release Thursday.