Day 42
March 2, 2009
"We cannot afford more setbacks or delays — or regrets about what might have been, had different decisions been made."
—Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, using an international donors conference aimed at helping rebuild Gaza in Egypt to declare U.S. commitment to Middle East peace
Clinton plunges into Middle East politics, committing the Administration to seeking a "comprehensive peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors." The Secretary of State pledges more than $900 million in U.S. aid to the Gaza Strip, and she is joined by officials from about 70 other countries and international organizations in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheik.
Back at the White House, President Barack Obama picks Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as former Senator Tom Daschle's replacement to be Health and Human Services Secretary. Ironically, the mistake that determined Daschle's fate strikes another one of Obama's nominees: reports surface that his pick for trade representative, Ron Kirk, owes roughly $10,000 in back federal taxes.
And the government unveils a revamped rescue package for struggling insurer AIG, offering it an additional $30 billion "as needed" — a move that comes back to bite them soon.