The Day In Politics, 7/21

Today, we learned that Americans trust President Obama to solve the nation's problems less now than in March; former Rep. Bob Barr supported the repeal of his own amendment; and Democrats are seeking to raise money for the health care fight.

We also debated whether Obama needs to define his health reform plan more clearly; from whence Obama's detention authority comes; the message obesity experts are sending in criticizing Obama's surgeon general nominee; the birthers; the plausibility of Ron Paul as a 2012 presidential candidate; and the ins and outs of health care reform.


Tomorrow: President Obama meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at the White House; OMB Director Peter Orszag delivers a speech on the economy; Education Secretary Arne Duncan appears with Marian Robinson (Michelle Obama's mother) in Washington, DC as part of a children's reading initiative; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Thailand's prime minister and foreign minister in Bangkok, then travels to Phuket, where she will lead the U.S. delegation to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Post-Ministerial Conference and Regional Forum.