The Note
W A S H I N G T O N, Oct. 16 —<br> -- Today's Schedule (all times Eastern):
—8:30 am: Representative Dick Gephardt attends a closed meeting with the Bricklayers Union Executive Council, D.C.—9:30 am: Senate convenes for legislative business—10:00 am: House convenes for legislative business—10:30 am: Senator John Edwards has breakfast with Iowa County Democrats, Williamsburg, Iowa—11:30 am: Senator Joe Lieberman holds a town hall meeting with seniors on Social Security and Medicare, Pembroke Pines, Fla—11:45 am: Senator Edwards has coffee with Democratic activists, Sigourney, Iowa—12:30 pm: Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger introduces President Bush before he makes remarks on the war on terror, Riverside, Calif.—1:00 pm: Senator Edwards meets with Washington County Democrats, Washington, Iowa—1:30 pm: Vice President Cheney makes remarks at a Bush-Cheney 2004 fundraiser, Fort Worth, Texas—2:00 pm: Governor Howard Dean delivers an economic policy address at Georgetown University, D.C.—5:00 pm: Governor Dean attends the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 25 meeting, D.C.—7:30 pm: Governor Dean keynotes the annual Virginia Kennedy-King Dinner, Alexandria, Va.—9:00 pm: Congressman Dennis Kucinich speaks at the Josephine Butler Community Park Center, D.C.
NEWS SUMMARY
Insta-Pulitzers of the day ("must-read" has become so devalued):
1. The Boston Globe 's superstar Anne Kornblut's curtain-raising of today's Ted Kennedy's blistering Iraq Senate floor speech, complete with awesome blind quotes from both the Senator's side and the White House and the backstory of the declining relationship, complete with reporting on the recent scolding call from Andy Card (pronounced "Kaad," at Fenway) to the Senior Senator after the last outburst. LINK
2. The New York Times masterful G-Men — Johnston and Lichtblau — on how some at DOJ/FBI think Ashcroft needs a quick Wilson recusal to set things right. LINK
3. The New York Times Broder and Stevenson powerfully teaming up to curtain-raise 43/T3, including a staggering second-to-last paragraph: LINK
"Although officials in Washington have made no public commitments to additional aid for California, a request has been sent to federal agencies to scour the books for payments that California is eligible for but has not yet claimed. These would provide a no-cost way for the White House to claim credit for opening the spigot to California."
4. Amy Goldstein in the Washington Post on the possibility of Medicare means testing that is as explosive as they come. LINK
5. Because it is Thursday, the Union Leader's leader, John DiStaso's "Granite Status" is of course on our list — what with stuff on Pam Walsh's view of the J-J; Howard Dean being warned to "be careful" over his District flirtation; following on the Iowa hit someone in another campaign was nice enough to make, a New Hampshire ding for Joe Lieberman's past support for regional primaries; and, naturally, much much more. LINK
6. Donnie Fowler's tour de force letter, courtesy of Roll Call , in which the departed Wes Clark campaign manager dispenses some advice to the candidate, including (implicitly) that Mark Fabiani should give up La Jolla and the kids for Doe's and The Heights.
7. David Yepsen, writing up the AARP event, and treating Howard Dean as if he is, dear goodness, Tom Vilsack — calling him the "ultimate panderer"! LINK
Dynamics to watch today:
1. Does Governor-elect Schwarzenegger bring up the dual eligible issue with President Bush, or does he turn his back on his NGA colleagues, including the members of his own party, including the Governor of Florida? LINK
2. How mad do other news organizations get at the Clark campaign for giving the New York Times (and the Boston Globe ?) an early peeksie at The General's military files, and how much help is it in a Democratic nomination fight to have glowing reviews from Al Haig? 3. How many people in politics and covering politics will understand the comedy of Kerry and Clark still talking about going their own "busta caps" route, and the last vital paragraph of Ron Brownstein's Los Angeles Times story: LINK
"Anthony Corrado, a campaign-finance expert at Colby College in Maine, said that if Dean remains in the system, he can expect to get about $13 million to $14 million in matching funds. Because Dean has already raised $25 million, if he were to accept public financing, he might be allowed under the spending caps to raise as little as an extra $9 million or $10 million through next July's Democratic convention, Corrado said."
4. The Senate vote on Iraq money and the UN vote on international cooperation.
A Republican Senator told ABC News' Linda Douglass about Tuesday's meeting between President Bush and several Senators to make the case that the $20.3 billion requested for Iraq reconstruction be a grant, not a loan. Douglas reports:
"This senator said many of them were taken aback by his hardnosed attitude toward them. 'He was not charming. He was not diplomatic. His eyes were shooting darts.' The senator said the president did not seem to listen to the group's concerns and 'did not seem to care.' This senator and a second Republican senator told me that the meeting with Mr. Bush 'backfired' with some of them. It made them more determined to push to make the money for Iraq a loan. The second senator said 'No one likes being talked to that way.'"
"Vice President Cheney met with all Republican Senators [Wednesday] and made what one called 'a very direct appeal' to abandon the loan idea. Cheney 'listened' said the one senator and may have won some converts. But Cheney also made it clear the White House has no interest in compromising. No loan, period, was the message."
5. Howard Dean's tax vision thing.
Quotes of the day:
1. "This isn't as bad as [George] Shultz vs. [Caspar] Weinberger, is it?"
-- President Bush (reportedly) in a staggering must-read Philadelphia Inquirer story on both the president's reported demand that the leaking stop, and on his aggressive push for is Iraq package. LINK
2. "Stop the leaks."
-- Bush again (allegedly) from the same story. LINK
3. "That was a bad line. I shouldn't have said that."
-- Howard Dean in the New York Times regarding his "cockroaches" line, making one of his rare apologies. LINK
4. "For the grass roots to grow they've got to be watered."
-- Kerry spokesguy Robert Gibbs, doing a brilliant Chauncey Gardner imitation that is going to go RIGHT over the heads of the campaign's younger workers. LINK
5. "Obviously, it is important that we keep this letter internal and confidential until all the campaigns have signed on."
-- Josh Wachs, DNC COO, in a memo to each of the presidential campaigns, obtained by the Orlando Sentinel's cagey Mark Silva, about the Florida Democratic Party's still ascendant plans to hold an early December straw poll which the DNC is trying to crush. LINK
(Obviously.)
6. "This is one of those times when money actually reflects reality … . (The Democratic contest, he said, has come down to) Howard Dean versus 'fill in the blank.' "
-- Lieberman spokesman Jano Cabrera in the Washington Post . LINK
7. "I tell you what we need in America. What we don't need are middle-class tax cuts."
-- Dean (allegedly) at the Iowa AARP forum
8. "Was that an AARP forum or a Mark McKinnon shoot?? Governor Dean with just another example for why he is a nightmare general election candidate, and a jobs program for Mark McKinnon … ."
-- an adviser to another presidential candidate, whose campaign has more spunk than cash.
President Bush will meet with Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger today before delivering remarks on the war on terror in Riverside, California.
Vice President Cheney makes remarks at a Bush-Cheney 2004 fundraiser in Fort Worth, Texas. He attends another fundraiser at a private residence later in the day in Dallas.
Governor Dean campaigns in D.C. and Virginia today, including an economic policy speech at Georgetown University this afternoon.
General Clark is in Las Vegas with no public events scheduled for today.
Senator Kerry has canceled his plans to campaign in Iowa today in order to be in D.C. for Senate business.
Representative Gephardt has a private meeting with the Bricklayers Union Executive Council in D.C. today. He heads to Chicago tonight for a private campaign fundraiser.
Senator Edwards campaigns in Iowa today.
Senator Lieberman holds a town hall meeting with seniors on Social Security and Medicare in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
Representative Kucinich completes his announcement tour today in D.C.
Reverend Sharpton is in New York City with no public events scheduled.
Ambassador Moseley Braun has no public events scheduled for today.
ABC News Vote 2004: The Invisible Primary: the money:
Dean, Dean, Dean. He's The Lead. Not only is he outraisin', he's outspendin':
The New York Times Notes the Vermonter "paid at least $8.8 million for television advertisements, professional organizers in 13 states and maneuvers like an attention-getting plane tour to 10 cities." LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Brownstein reports on the Dean Green Machine and says:
--"as striking as Dean's fund-raising is his spending," which is going on at a "fevered pace." LINK
--the political tea leaves — and Donna Brazile's lips — point to a Howard's Song when it comes to public financing. (LINK)
Speaking of spending, the Washington Post 's Edsall bucks the Lead with Dean trend and smartly finds Kerry, Gephardt, and Edwards "spent more than they raised during the last quarter, depleting crucial resources as the Jan. 19 Iowa caucus and the Jan. 27 New Hampshire primary fast approach."LINK
"Jennifer Palmieri, spokeswoman for the Edwards campaign, sought to put the figures in the best possible light. 'We have what we think we need for an aggressive national campaign,' she said." Note to Washingtonpost.com — Graham's photo still graces your candidate graphic. Note to readers: the Washingtonpost.com's money graphic is REALLY informative, pie charts, full color and all!
