The New Yorker: “Since no one knew which way the election was going to go, I was trying to come up with as many cover ideas as I could, which was also just a great way to distract me from worrying about the election,” says Mark Ulriksen, the artist of this week’s cover “Rhapsody in Blue.” “And as I was sketching … I heard that CNN was going to light up the Empire State building according to whether it was a blue or red victory. I thought it was wonderful…
…. If it had been lit up red, I would’ve been disappointed …. I’m grateful that, as my mom says, ‘my team won.’”
Tuesday: The President will attend meetings at the White House, including meetings with union and progressive leaders –
Mary Kay Henry, SEIU * Lee Saunders, AFSCME * Dennis Van Roekel, NEA * Rich Trumka, AFL-CIO * Neera Tanden, Center for American Progress * John Podesta, Center for American Progress * Bob Greenstein, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities * Laura Burton Capps, Common Purpose Project * Max Richtman, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare * Justin Ruben, MoveOn * Deepak Bhargava, Center for Community Change
Wednesday: Holds a news conference in the East Room. Will also meet with more than a dozen CEOs representing major corporations
Thursday: Travels to the New York City area to view the storm damage, talk with citizens who are recovering from the storm and thank first responders who put their lives at risk to protect their communities
Friday: Meets with Congressional leaders of both parties at the White House
NYT: Having helped President Obama win re-election, labor leaders will meet with him on Tuesday and intend to offer their robust support for what they view as his mandate: stand tough against cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and keep pushing to raise taxes on the wealthy.
…. “We expect to have the president’s back on the agenda that the voters just declared support for,” said Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, which spent $75 million in backing Mr. Obama and various Democrats this year. “The president has always said he needs a movement behind his mandate.”
Mr. Obama has talked of going beyond the Beltway to stir up support for his plans, including increasing taxes on households with incomes of more than $250,000. Union leaders have made clear that they are happy to turn out the troops to – in a tactic from the Franklin D. Roosevelt era – “make him do it.” Union members held rallies in 100 communities last Thursday as a first step in promoting the president’s budget plan.
The Obama Diary 
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