The Note, 4/13/09: Of Pups & Pirates -- Obama as action hero (this time), as two sides of presidency emerge

April 13, 2009 8:07 AM

By RICK KLEIN

Not a bad weekend, all in all. President Obama rescued hostages from pirates while finding time to deliver a puppy to his daughters -- and go to church for Easter. (What have you been doing with your congressional break?)

Now that we know Bo, and now that even Bo knows that these “pirates” are really terrorists who like the water, consider how much of the Obama presidency is being directed by puppies and pirates. 

The puppy side of the presidency represents what the Obama White House can control -- and, nearly three months in, the fascination with President Obama and his family remains as strong a force as ever.

John McCain was right: There is a celebrity aspect to this president that President Obama can smile at right through the moment where his press shop offers the puppy as an exclusive to The Washington Post, to save a scoop on the new vegetable garden for The New York Times. 

(And fresh off his victory overseas, there’s the White House Easter Egg Roll at 10 am ET Monday, with the new First Dog set to make his debut Tuesday. Could you write a better postscript scene for the movie?)   

The pirate side of the presidency represents what the president can’t control -- the great number of crises, foreign and domestic, large and small, that jump onto his radar screen daily.

Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden were right, too: 3 am phone calls happen, and the world is testing this new young president -- who looks like an action hero today, but maybe won’t tomorrow. (And by the end of the week, the testing will involve Cuba and Venezuela, too.)

Yes, the standoff with the Somali pirates was a blip on the national-security radar -- the kind of thing that wouldn’t draw more than a few sentences in the papers if it happened to American contractors on land in, say, Iraq.

But then the White House had to get involved. And imagine if it didn’t work out . . .

“[Bill] Clinton's efforts to land a small contingent of troops in Haiti were rebuffed, for the world to see, by a few hundred gun-toting Haitians. As the USS Harlan County retreated, so did the president's reputation,” Michael D. Shear writes in The Washington Post.

“For President Obama, last week's confrontation with Somali pirates posed similar political risks to a young commander in chief who had yet to prove himself to his generals or his public,” Shear writes. “But the result -- a dramatic and successful rescue operation by U.S. Special Operations forces -- left Obama with an early victory that could help build confidence in his ability to direct military actions abroad.”

“For Obama, the benefits were instantly clear: an American life saved and a major victory notched against an increasingly worrisome scourge of the seas off the Horn of Africa,” per the AP’s Jennifer Loven. “Obama's handling of the crisis showed a president who was comfortable in relying on the U.S. military, much as his predecessor, George W. Bush, did. But it also showed a new commander in chief who was willing to use all the tools at his disposal, bringing in federal law enforcement officials to handle the judicial elements of the crisis.”

He wasn’t just talking about housing last week, after all: “In fact, aides said yesterday, Obama had been briefed 17 times since he returned from his trip abroad, including several times from the White House Situation Room. And without giving too many details, senior White House officials made it clear that Obama had provided the authority for the rescue.”

ABC’s Jake Tapper, Luis Martinez, and Kirit Radia:  “From the moment Obama was first alerted about the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama, until the daring rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips on Sunday afternoon, White House officials say Obama was carefully monitoring the situation and twice gave the Pentagon the authority to use the special forces who eventually saved Phillips and killed three of the four pirates.”

It’s “going to make a great movie,” a senior U.S. official tells ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.

“It was a drama that could have been written in Hollywood,” USA Today writes of what headline writers call the “Easter Surprise.”

“The president's deep involvement in the hostage situation is a recognition that seemingly small events can grow into massive crises in a matter of days, catastrophes that can do significant political damage to even the most popular of presidents,” Washingtonpost.com’s Chris Cillizza writes. “It's a public relations disaster dodged -- one of many Obama will have to avoid as he seeks to retain political momentum and keep his agenda on track.”

What it means: “While the outcome was a triumph for America, officials in many countries plagued by pirates said it was not likely to discourage them. Pirates are holding a dozen ships with more than 200 crew members, according to the Malaysia-based International Maritime Bureau,” Robert D. McFadden and Scott Shane write in The New York Times.

“Somali pirates are vowing to retaliate for the deaths of three fellow pirates at the hands of U.S. Navy snipers,” per ABC’s Kirit Radia and Michael S. James. “One of the pirates told the Associated Press that, ‘In the future, America will be the one mourning and crying.’ ”

“The U.S. military's moves to crack down on high seas piracy have done little to deter the epidemic of ship ransoms that preceded Sunday's Indian Ocean rescue, a top Navy official said Sunday,” the AP’s Lara Jakes writes. “Instead, pirates have merely headed elsewhere to avoid a growing armada of U.S. and international warships, said Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.”

“Mr. Obama said the U.S. is ‘resolved to halt the rise of piracy.’ But [Vice Adm. William E. Gortney] also said that the rescue ending in the pirates' deaths could ramp up hostilities in the growing wave of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia, in which crews and pirates have seldom been harmed. ‘This could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it,’ he said,” per The Wall Street Journal’s Sarah Childress and Peter Spiegel.

But consider: “Until Sunday's rescue, the Obama administration was facing two seemingly unattractive options for its first national-security crisis: either negotiate with hostage-takers or open fire on them,” Childress and Spiegel write.

What does he do for an encore? It’s a stimulus/transportation day (and week) for the administration.

The president and vice president visit the Transportation Department Monday. “President Barack Obama says two rare phrases describe how his administration is spending billions in stimulus money on roads: ‘ahead of schedule’ and ‘under budget,’ ” per the AP’s Philip Elliott. “Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood planned Monday to highlight the administration's 2,000th project funded through the $48.1 billion allocated for transportation infrastructure in the stimulus package. Administration aides note the six-weeks-old law is already producing jobs nationwide, including the day's highlighted project in hard-hit Kalamazoo County, Mich.”

From Biden’s prepared remarks: “The Recovery Act is being implemented with speed, transparency and accountability.”

Some concerns for the near term: “On Arizona highways, federal stimulus money isn't expected to restore even one construction job in 10 lost in a brutal downturn that has hit the state's construction workers harder than those in any other state,” Sean Holstege writes in the Arizona Republic.

“The key is new jobs vs. sustained jobs,” said David Martin, president of the Arizona chapter of the Associated General Contractors. “When you are talking about new construction, contracts like the I-10 widening, they employ more people than pavement-preservation jobs.”

Some concerns for down the road: “Two prominent governors, California's Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pennsylvania's Edward G. Rendell, sent a memo to President Obama saying he needed to assert more political leadership instead of leaving it to Congress to draft a plan for improving the nation's aging highways, bridges and ports,” the Los Angeles Times’ Peter Nicholas writes.

“In particular, Rendell said he was concerned that Congress -- left to its own devices -- would load up a future infrastructure plan with ‘earmarks’ and other narrowly focused spending priorities that undermined its credibility and effectiveness,” Nicholas continues. “Rendell cautioned in an interview that if the bill was larded with earmarks, it could jeopardize the political consensus needed to modernize the nation's network of roads.”

The man in the middle: “When President Obama needs to reach out to the political opposition, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood often gets the call to be the go-between,” Tribune Co.’s Mike Dorning writes. “Although the administration has not had much success recruiting Republican support for the president's signature initiatives -- not a single House Republican voted for the stimulus package -- efforts at bipartisan outreach are still promoted heavily. And LaHood is a key player in the White House strategy.”

“He's our ambassador beyond his portfolio,” said White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Then there’s Rahm himself (kinder, gentler?): “Emanuel's theatrical style, ballet training and ‘Rahmbo’ nickname, along with the well-worn story about a dead fish he sent to a rival, are duly noted on his Wikipedia page. But in his new job, Emanuel is overhauling his image, becoming more valet than hit man, and his formula for moving Obama's agenda through Congress is beginning to resonate,” Shailagh Murray writes in The Washington Post. “Even Republicans concede that given Obama's early victories, thornier tasks such as landmark health-care, energy and education bills may not be out of reach.”

Said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.: “There's a consensus among Republicans who can be objective that the president did a good thing in picking Rahm.” (Makes it a little harder for the next Republican to attack Rahm, no?)

Checking in with Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska, on the home front: “With just one week left before the Alaska Legislature adjourns for the year, the conflict between Gov. Sarah Palin and lawmakers over taking federal economic stimulus money is the dominant issue left,” Sean Cockerham writes in the Anchorage Daily News. “Palin herself will be leaving Alaska this week to attend the Vanderburgh County Right to Life dinner in Evansville, Ind. on Thursday, as well as an event for special-needs children. Fairbanks Republican Rep. Jay Ramras questioned her leaving town right at the end of the session, when critical decisions are being made.”

Said Ramras: “There are some concerns [in the Capitol] about the focus of our chief executive because she's taken a speaking engagement in Indiana for a 36-hour period with only 72 hours left in the legislative session.”

For your 2012 files: “In a move almost certain to fuel fresh speculation about his national ambitions, Gov. Bobby Jindal said Friday that he has agreed to write a book for a conservative publishing house about his life and policy ideas,” Jan Moller reports in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Catching George Stephanopoulos’ eye this morning . . .

Watching Cuba developments: “President Barack Obama plans to tell Latin American leaders later this week that the U.S. is willing to discuss how to improve relations with Havana, but wants Cuba to take steps toward democracy before it is reintegrated into the Western hemisphere's economic and political institutions,” report The Wall Street Journal’s Bob Davis and José De Córdoba. “Cuba is likely to be at the forefront of discussions at the Summit of the Americas, a gathering of 34 heads of government that has always excluded Cuba, starting April 17 in Trinidad. Cuba's main ally, Venezuela, as well as other countries, have said they want to use the summit to press for closer relations between Washington and Havana.”

Democrats, relax: Paul Krugman aims his fire at Republicans, and Wednesday’s coming “tea parties.” (With a preamble: “Republicans have become embarrassing to watch. And it doesn’t feel right to make fun of crazy people. Better, perhaps, to focus on the real policy debates, which are all among Democrats.”)

Krugman: “These parties -- antitaxation demonstrations that are supposed to evoke the memory of the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution -- have been the subject of considerable mockery, and rightly so. But everything that critics mock about these parties has long been standard practice within the Republican Party.”

Bloomberg’s Al Hunt takes on the former geniuses of finance: “Used-car salesmen, lawyers and journalists can relax; they’ve been replaced as America’s favorite villains by corporate executives, or at least investment bankers. Hailed only a short while ago as masters of the universe and princes of perpetual profits, they now are reviled,” Hunt writes.

“Much of the damage to the financial industry’s reputation is self-inflicted. Characterized by greed, risk-free rewards with abject failures being obscenely enriched, the culture of Wall Street is neither capitalistic nor admirable. To laid-off auto workers or struggling nurses it seems criminal.”

It’s a week for gun-violence anniversaries. Monday, in Arlington, Va.: “New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will join Omar Samaha and other family members of victims of the Virginia Tech massacre in a news conference Monday to launch a new television ad. The ad calls for the Commonwealth of Virginia to close a loophole which allows so-called ‘occasional sellers’ at gun shows to sell weapons without conducting a background check of the purchaser. The ad coincides with the second anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre, which claimed thirty two lives on April 16, 2007, and the tenth anniversary of the Columbine massacre in Colorado. The ad will air statewide next week.”

But wait -- who are we fooling? Will anything break through this week that isn’t related to a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog with that soft fur and so-cute lei?

It’s now the top story on the White House’s official blog: “In case anybody is wondering, Bo is a boy.”   

“Bo will probably be more liked by staff then the last first hound, Barney, the Bush White House dog, who famously took a bite out of a reporter,” ABC’s John Berman writes.

“When the Obama girls met Bo a few weeks ago, Malia had no allergic reaction,” per ABC’s Jake Tapper. “Because the dog is a pure-bred, and not from a pound, the Obama parents will also be making a donation to the DC Humane Society.”

Who blew the lid off the story? The pictures at firstdogcharlie.com look like the real thing.

Manuel Roig-Franzia, in The Washington Post: “The mystery of the Web site's provenance has displaced the quest for the identity of the First Puppy as a Washington obsession. Late yesterday, the site's operator responded to an email from The Post. ‘Who am I?’ the e-mail reads. ‘I am simply a friend of Charlie's. I think we all kind of are.’ The Web site operator said he still has ‘more work to do here before I drop the curtain. This isn't about fame, fortune or notoriety (maybe just a little notoriety.)’ ”

This might have been a bigger story . . . “The Obamas’ church visit to St. John’s, just two blocks from the White House, caused less of a stir. Parishioners had to pass through metal detectors before entering the sanctuary, but there was only one mention of Mr. Obama during the service, when the congregation prayed for the president, Congress and the Supreme Court. All four Obamas took communion,” Helene Cooper writes in The New York Times.

And there will be more: “A source with knowledge of the White House's thinking believes that President Obama will visit several other congregations before making a final decision on where to attend Church. No church names were given but a White House source does tell me that being an imposition on Churches is a concern,” David Brody reports for the Christian Broadcasting Network.

The Kicker:

“I'm a fairly charitable person . . . but I have to tell you -- I hate the Yankees.” -- Rev. Luis Leon, at St. John’s Church, with the First Family in the pews for Easter.

“By the way, it would be over my dead body that a kid would live with my teenage daughter.” -- Gov. Sarah Palin, asked about Levi Johnston’s claim that he moved into the governor’s house a few weeks before Bristol Palin gave birth to their child.

Don’t miss “Top Line,” ABCNews.com’s new daily political Webcast, hosted by Rick Klein and David Chalian, at noon ET. Monday’s guests: ABC’s Ann Compton, and political comedian Baratunde Thurston.

Follow The Note on Twitter: http://twitter.com/thenote

For up-to-the-minute political updates check out The Note’s blog . . . all day every day:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/