The Note
W A S H I N G T O N, March 25—<br> -- TODAY SCHEDULE (all times ET)
FUTURES CALENDAR
NEWS SUMMARY
John Kerry is back on the trail -- in Washington.
Howard Dean is endorsing Kerry -- in Washington.
President Bush is out talking jobs, raising money, and blocking traffic -- in New Hampshire and Boston.
Paul Maslin is writing wild stuff about Dean -- in the Atlantic. LINK
The Googling monkeys are lined up, 1000 strong, outside the formal wear store, waiting to return their tiny little tuxes -- in Chevy Chase.
Democrats show off unity, fundraising, and a spanking new HQ at events from this afternoon until dawn -- in Washington.
Josh Wachs and Co. will watch amazing body language and eye contact as Clinton, Gore, Carter, Kerry, and many others mill around various receptions and holding rooms -- and much history will be left on the cutting room floor.
For us, the key moment of the political day will come when those members of the Gang of 500 who are at the DNC event make a silent, collective judgment: with all those DNC BSD bigshots in the room, does John Kerry ineffably take over as the leader of his party?
Ralph Nader is debating . . . . Alan Keyes!!!
Ken Mehlman rode the morning show circuit, sounding like a cross between James A. Baker 3d and, well, James A. Baker 3d.
The Washington Post's Dan Balz and Jim VandeHei have written one of the most important political stories of the spring -- about the Bush and Kerry budget schemes (You decide if we mean "schemes" in the British or American sense after reading the story.). LINK
The Boston Globe's Mike Kranish and Pat Healy layer in another Forrest Gump moment for John Kerry -- peeling back another layer of the Vietnam-era onion. LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Ron Brownstein wraps his big brain around the potential political implications of Richard Clarke. LINK
Francophile Dick Morris wrote the perfect "Bush ads define Kerry; Kerry loses big" scenario LINK; Barabak and Gold supply supporting material. LINK
Sen. Kerry is back in Washington, D.C. with several events planned. He addresses newspaper publishers this morning and is expected to receive the endorsement of Howard Dean and AFSCME today and will attend the DNC Unity Dinner tonight.
President Bush visits Nashua, N.H. this afternoon to speak about home ownership before traveling to Boston to attend a Bush-Cheney fundraiser.
The Senate today considers the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, or the "Laci Peterson bill." A vote is expected about 5:00 pm ET. Will John Kerry vote and how?
The House debates the budget today.
Ralph Nader is in North Carolina today, speaking at NC State and debating Alan Keyes.
Today on "Good Morning America" ABC News' John McWethy had a sneak peek of his boffo look into the life and times of Don Rumsfeld which will air tonight at 8:00 pm ET on "Primtetime Thursday."
With all due respect to David Martin, John McWethy is an unmatched superstud.
The unparalleled McWethy will describe a man in motion who has a pace counter on his belt, is the oldest man to ever hold the job and is called "tough" by all of his peers. Watch it!
Democrats Unite!:
Kit Seelye of the New York Times Notes just how big tonight's DNC unity dinner truly is: LINK
"Mr. Carter, Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore have rarely come together except on official occasions. The three last gathered in September 2001, attending the National Cathedral memorial service for victims of the terrorist attacks. They met nine months before that, at President Bush's inauguration. Before then, Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore had not seen each other for months, and Mr. Clinton and Mr. Carter had not met since the funeral of former President Richard M. Nixon in 1994."
Be sure to read to the bottom for as complete a star-studded roster as we've seen in print.
Except . . . wherefore art thou, Leo?
We hear that the "special guest" at the dinner -- and if we're lucky enough, the after par-tay, is none other than Leonardo DiCaprio. We're guessing that in between chatting up big-name Dems, he might drop a hint or two about his portrayal of Howard Hughes in the Martin Scorsese-directed biopic "The Aviator," which we eagerly await this year.
And if for some reason young Leo doesn't show (fickle Hollywood schedules and all), our hearts will go on . . .
USA Today's Jim Drinkard and Jill Lawrence preview the Democrats' big day of reopening, unity, and Kerry love. LINK
The AP's Genaro Armas looks at the delegate situation and finds originally committed supporters for other candidates ready to line up behind Kerry. LINK
ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:
The Los Angeles Times' Brownstein turns in yet another must-read (two in a row!), this time looking at how the two days of testimony at the 9/11 commission may shake the public's "unwavering sense" of the President's leadership dealing with terrorism.
"The allegations from former advisor Richard Clarke -- that Bush slighted the war against terrorism to focus on Iraq - dovetail so closely with so many Democratic criticisms of the president that some party strategists believe this week's events could mark a turning point in public attitudes about the administration's national security record."
Brownstein Notes "But most Republicans remain cautiously optimistic that this week's events won't significantly erode public approval of Bush's handling of the terrorist threat." LINK
The New York Daily News' DeFrank also considers the "Clarke effect" on the President's re-election campaign. "Clarke's accusations go to the core of Bush's main reelection message: that he is the wartime commander-in-chief doing everything he can to keep America safe from terrorists."
"'This guy popped up at the wrong time for us,' one Bush counselor complained. 'We had [John] Kerry on the run, and now we have to deal with this distraction.'" LINK
While the BC04 campaign says that the two key issues this election year are winning the war on terror and continuing economic growth, "cultural issues are emerging as an important subplot in a campaign dominated by national security and the economy," writes the Washington Times' Sammon.
The culture wars in the presidential election are "much to the delight of Republicans," Notes Sammon.
One BC04 campaign official:
"The problem the left has had for, frankly, 30 years is their positions on these cultural issues have essentially said to the American people: A) we don't trust you because we think we know better, and B) we are obsessively worried about some fringe argument or some fringe element, at the expense of the people." LINK
The AP's Pete Yost previews the trip to New Hampshire and Boston. LINK
What happens when children get left behind because of campaign fundraisers?
Today in Boston the President is expected to take in up to $1 million for his re-election fund but the Boston Globe's Greenberger and Abraham report that "The president's visit unexpectedly canceled classes for 1,425 children at the Boston Renaissance Charter School, a K-8 institution on Stuart Street a block away from the hotel" where the fundraiser is to take place."
The Boston Public Schools system "could not guarantee timely pick-up of students at dismissal time," and there were concerns that "the 300 parents who pick up their children would not be able to reach the school."
"'It's a sad situation that you have to close off school because of a fund-raising event,' said Roger F. Harris, Renaissance headmaster."
The Globe duo sums up the trip quite nicely: "Bush can bank on a loss in Massachusetts in November, but he has been able to bank on impressive donations." LINK
The Boston Herald's Ellen Silberman reports that Mayor Menino has "slapped a gag on the Boston Fire Department Acappella Quartet, banning the group from singing during tonight's visit to Boston by President Bush." LINK
The local businessman chosen to meet the President in Nashua, N.H. today describes Bush's tax relief as "instrumental in allowing [his company] to grow and succeed." LINK
The Nashua Telegraph finds that one automotive student attending today's Bush event "doesn't know what she would like to hear Bush talk about, but is glad to be able to attend no matter what he discusses." LINK
In a potential blow to one of the top priority issues of the BC04 campaign, "Fourteen states asked the Bush administration on Wednesday for permission to use alternative methods for showing academic gains under the No Child Left Behind law," reports the New York Times' Schemo.
"The appeal comes as more and more states have passed resolutions criticizing No Child Left Behind, and the federal Education Department has moved to give states greater flexibility in carrying out the law," Schemo writes. LINK
The New York Times' Eric Schmitt reports that Vice President Cheney will take a week long trip next month to China, Japan and South Korea during which he will discuss North Korea's nuclear arms program, operations in Iraq and trade policy.
This will be Cheney's third trip overseas since taking office. "Traveling to Asia in mid-April would allow Mr. Cheney to demonstrate his foreign policy expertise at a time when he is also assuming an increasingly visible role in the nascent presidential campaign," writes Schmitt. LINK
Sen. Zell Miller launched the "Democrats for Bush" yesterday in Washington and expressed his support for President Bush's re-election.
Washington Times Curl Notes "While Mr. Miller has been a vocal supporter of the president throughout his term, voting for the war in Iraq and supporting across-the-board tax cuts, it is unusual for a Democrat to categorically denounce a presidential candidate from his own party." LINK
The AP's Jeffrey MacMurray writes up Sen. Miller's formal kickoff in support of the President. LINK
The AP's Siobhan McDonough reviews the President's comedy bit at the RTCA dinner. LINK
ABC News Vote 2004: Bush vs. Kerry:
In case you missed it (and if you did, stop and go read it right now), the New York Post featured a must-read article by none-other than Dick Morris yesterday asserting that the Bush team's ads are working. LINK
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