Politics Today: Obama in Italy, Dems Vs. CIA

Image by House Committee on Education and Labor via Flickr

(AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)PRESIDENT OBAMA: President Obama is chairing today's meeting of the leaders of the G-8, focusing on the economy, climate change, trade, among other issues. Also this morning, he will attend a working lunch of the leaders of the G-8, +5, Egypt, and six international organizations (United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organization, International Energy Agency, and Organiation for Economic Cooperation and Development). Later, he will attend a meeting with representatives of the Junior 8 and will also attend a discussion on world trade and a Major Economies Forum discussion on the environment. Tonight, Mr. Obama attends a dinner hosted by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. Earlier today, President Obama met with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and talked about Iran. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters that Mr. Obama pointed out Brazil's close trading ties with Iran and added that Obama told Silva that because of that relationship "they can have an impact on reiterating" the G-8's stance on Iran. "[That was a point the President wanted to stress," Gibbs said. The G-8 said Iran must not seek to create nuclear weapons and called its restrictions on Iranian news media "unacceptable." Agence France-Presse, "US highlights united G8 front on Iran" Meantime, "Rallying rich and developing nations alike, President Barack Obama wants the world's top polluters to keep driving toward a deal to halt global warming," reports the Associated Press' Ben Feller. "Nearing six months on the job, Obama has some momentum: a new agreement among developed and emerging nations to cap rising global temperatures, plus good will from his peers for repositioning the U.S. as an aggressive player in the debate. Yet when Obama helps lead a gathering of the world's major economies here Thursday, he will run smack into the same old problem: Neither the wealthy nor the countries in search of their own footing think the other side is doing enough. And only when the pollution emitters work together on a binding plan will a climate strategy work, experts say."