A Day in the Life of the Obama Administration

All around, not a great day.

Unemployment:

Applications for unemployment benefits rose to a seasonally adjusted 429,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was the biggest jump in a month and marked the 11th straight week that applications have been above 400,000. Elevated jobless benefit claims signal a worsening job market.

New home sales:

And it was followed by a Census Bureau report that new-home sales fell 2.1 percent to an adjusted annual rate of 319,000 in May, a month that is normally popular among home-buyers. Weak demand for new homes means weak demand for construction workers. Since the beginning of the recession, some 2 million construction jobs have been lost. Residential construction is usually a main driver of growth after a recession. But this financial, credit-driven recession isn't usual.

The stock market:

Reports showing nagging weakness in the labor market and fewer home sales helped send the Dow tumbling more than 200 points early Thursday, plunging it back below the 12,000 mark.

Some Republicans, not so happy with President Obama’s drawdown in U.S. surge forces from Afghanistan:

But President Obama's announcement that he intends to withdraw 33,000 of the 100,000 US troops deployed in Afghanistan by the end of next year – reversing the surge he ordered at the end of 2009 – could finally precipitate a public clash. Champions of the war are now protesting that the president is wimping out, while opponents are complaining that the drawdown is too slow to bring US involvement in the war to an end. Contenders for the Republican presidential nomination reacted to the president's announcement in different ways. Afghanistan, it seems, might finally become a political issue.

Some Democrats, not so happy with President Obama’s drawdown in U.S. surge forces from Afghanistan:

Barring another major terrorist attack, Democrats say, Mr. Obama has to show at least a significant reduction in troops overseas by Election Day.

“Today’s announcement is a start, but not enough. Retaining most of our 100,000 troops in Afghanistan is simply delaying the inevitable,” said Representative Earl Blumenauer, Democrat of Oregon. “Given the recent death of Osama bin Laden, our budgetary constraints and the questionable effectiveness of our nation-building efforts in Afghanistan, now is the time to begin a significant withdrawal of U.S. troops.”

And sadly, on the night that the New York State Senate is on the verge of voting on marriage equality, President Obama gave a large speech at a LGBT fundraiser in NYC. And no, he could not say he supports gay marriage. From the text of his remarks. The emphasis is mine:

Now, part of the reason that DOMA doesn't make sense is that traditionally marriage has been decided by the states. And right now I understand there’s a little debate going on here in New York -- (laughter) -- about whether to join five other states and D.C. in allowing civil marriage for gay couples. And I want to -- I want to say that under the leadership of Governor Cuomo, with the support of Democrats and Republicans, New York is doing exactly what democracies are supposed to do. There’s a debate; there’s deliberation about what it means here in New York to treat people fairly in the eyes of the law.

That’s it.  That's all.

A note to President Obama – one can believe the issue of gay marriage is best decided by the states, and still be in favor of marriage equality. Oh yeah, and say it out loud.

I hope tomorrow is a better day.