VZCZCXYZ0221
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0070/01 0262101
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 262059Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0367
INFO RHMCSUU/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000070 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC 
CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO KMDR PREL AR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: COUNTDOWN TO STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS; 
1/23-26/10; BUENOS AIRES 
 
SUMMARY 
 
------- 
 
 
 
¶1.   Argentine newspapers are reporting growing expectations over 
President Obama's State of the Union address, portraying it as an 
effort to regain political momentum and regain initiative. Despite 
one opinion article critical of U.S. foreign policy in Latin 
America, the speech is expected to concentrate on U.S. domestic 
policy without significant changes in foreign policy. Most media 
also focuses on the recent Democratic defeat in the Massachusetts 
Senate election and its impact on the President's political 
ambitions. End summary. 
 
 
 
CRITICAL OF U.S. LATIN AMERICAN POLICY 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶2.   Leading circulation daily Clarin published an opinion article 
(1/24) noting that President Obama's foreign policy view toward 
Latin America is based on a homogenous view of the continent, 
creating blanket foreign policy for all. It also says the U.S. 
Government has failed to address the needs of the region, while 
focusing primarily on world affairs. Clarin's analyst claims the 
region is disappointed at President Obama for failing to keep his 
promise of multilateralism at the Summit of the Americas in April 
¶2009. The U.S. misconception of the region and its desire to talk 
only with world powers (such as China), or regional power players 
(such as Mexico and Brazil) when U.S. or world interests are at 
stake is leading to "diplomatic errors." Among those errors, 
Clarin's journalist singles out remarks made by Assistant Secretary 
of State Arturo Valenzuela, when he referred to "legal 
uncertainties" in Argentina, sparking criticism from the Argentine 
authorities. 
 
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/24/opini on/o-02126070.htm 
 
 
 
STATE OF THE UNION PREVIEW 
 
-------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶3.   Pagina 12, Clarin, and second-largest daily La Nacion (1/26) 
reported that the President's will talk about helping the middle 
class with a series of new relief measures, about shrinking the 
federal budget deficit, and about creating public programs reducing 
unemployment during the State of the Union address.  Clarin's 
Washington correspondent framed these ideas as part of the 
President's adoption of former President Clinton's "triangulation" 
approach to win back public support from the Republicans, while La 
Nacion's correspondent wrote about the President's new title of 
"populist," which will be a theme of the address.  Additionally, 
the Pagina 12 and Clarin articles mentioned President Obama's 
previous hope to have health care reform passed before the State of 
the Union address and the uproar in the Democratic Party's radical 
wing that President Obama was too cautious when Democrats had 60 
seats in the Senate. 
 
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/26/elmun do/i-02127319.htm 
 
http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elmundo/4-1 39042-2010-01-26.html 
 
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 225977 
 
 
 
¶4.   On January 25, Clarin reported on President Obama's recent 
setbacks, including the Republican victory in the Massachusetts 
Senate election, and how this might affect the President's 
political ambitions.  The article reports that President Obama is 
planning to focus his speech on job creation and the difficulties 
facing the middle class. Clarin's correspondent in Washington 
highlights the President's recent promises to step up efforts to 
defend the "original agenda" of his administration in a move to 
"reconnect himself with the Democratic Party's disillusioned base." 
In addition, Clarin discusses the impact the "Tea Parties" will 
have on the upcoming Mid-Term elections, drawing parallels to Newt 
 
 
Gingrich's 1994 revolution and the possible danger it has for 
President Obama. 
 
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/25/elmun do/i-02126527.htm 
 
 
 
¶5.   La Nacion's Washington correspondent wrote an opinion article 
(1/26) saying President Obama's new strategy targeting the American 
middle class will be the dominant theme of the State of the Union 
Address. The opinion states that the President should try to 
recapture the magic of his election by "feeling the same pain" as 
voters, former President Clinton's famous phrase. La Nacion's 
correspondent believes that President Obama's "populist" State of 
the Union address could "seal the style and mark of his 
presidency." 
 
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 225982 
 
 
 
¶6.   State-owned Telam on January 26 released a news wire detailing 
talking points President Obama expects to discuss during his State 
of the Union speech. Telam notes that the President will request 
Congress to increase funding for various public programs that 
"could only increase inflation."  In addition, Telam writes that 
President Obama will address one of the main worries for both 
Republicans and Democrats: the "runaway government deficit." 
Finally, Telam writes that the President will introduce other new 
measures regarding the economy that should be "relatively easy to 
approve" by Congress, as opposed to the President's health care 
reform and climate change laws. 
 
http://www.telam.com.ar/vernota.php?tipo=N 
 
&idPub=175680&id=337587 
 
 
 
CHALLENGES AT HOME 
 
------------------ 
 
 
 
¶7.   A Clarin editorial (1/26) describing how hopes of change and 
progress President Obama brought with him have collided with 
political obstacles over the past year, leading the President to 
not have succeeded in reaching his goals.  While at first the 
President had large support bases in the United States and abroad, 
the editorial suggests President Obama must reflect on his fall in 
popularity and the electoral reversal in Massachusetts and 
reevaluate himself. 
 
http://www.clarin.com/diario/2010/01/26/opini on/o-02127193.htm 
 
 
 
¶8.   La Nacion published an opinion article (1/25) headlined "Three 
elections with world impact," one of which is the Massachusetts 
Senate election.  The author believes the election shows "voters' 
dissatisfaction with the country's direction" and President Obama's 
administration's activism and health care reform.  Proof cited 
includes a poll showing 65% of Senator Brown's voters chose him as 
a way to express their opposition towards the President's agenda. 
 
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 225618 
 
 
 
¶9.   On January 23, La Nacion's U.S. correspondent wrote an article 
about the "power war" inside the White House for President Obama's 
advisors to see who can get the President to reconnect with the 
country's voters soonest.  While it is unthinkable, according to 
the correspondent, the fashionable term right now is "populism," 
and includes the President's assault against the banking system. 
Even though Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said this "may not 
be the right thing to do," he changed his mind after Paul Volcker, 
former Fed Chairman, proclaimed "fight, fight, fight" against the 
banks.  Now, in an about-face, Geithner considers himself a 
populist. 
 
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 225130 
 
 
¶10.  On January 25, financial newspaper Ambito Financiero, 
pro-government Pagina 12, and La Nacion printed articles stating 
that after the loss in the Massachusetts Senate election, President 
Obama has asked his former campaign manager David Plouffe to come 
back and be part of his consulting team.   Plouffe's job will be to 
"design political strategies with the Congressional elections in 
mind" and to give President Obama "a powerful defender within the 
political machine." 
 
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1 225543 
 
http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elmundo/4-1 39012-2010-01-25.html 
 
 
 
To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our 
 
classified website at: 
 
  
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires 
MARTINEZ