The Note
W A S H I N G T O N September 11—<br> -- Today's Schedule (all times Eastern):
—7:30 am: President and Mrs. Bush attend a memorial service at St. John's Episcopal Church, D.C.—8:30 am: Senate convenes for morning business, Capitol Hill
—8:46 am: President and Mrs. Bush observe a moment of silence on the South Lawn, White House
—8:46 am: Senate leaders gather at the Ohio Clock to ring the bell, Capitol Hill
—8:46 am: Governor Gray Davis attends a memorial service to lower the Capitol flag to half-staff, Sacramento
—9:03 am: Senate Armed Service Committee members ring the Ohio Clock bell twice and the Senate pauses for a moment of silence, Capitol Hill
—9:30 am: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld participates in wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.
—9:38 am: Members of the armed services ring the Ohio Clock bell three times and the Senate pauses for a moment of silence, Capitol Hill
—10:00 am: Off-camera White House press gaggle with Scott McClellan
—10:00 am: House convenes to authorize the establishment of a memorial to the victims who died as a result of terrorist acts against the United States or its people at home and abroad, Capitol Hill
—10:06 am: Members of the armed services ring the Ohio Clock bell four times and the Senate pauses for a moment of silence, Capitol Hill—11:30 am: United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals holds hearing on ACLU lawsuit concerning the use of punch card ballots in six California counties, Pasadena, Calif.
—12:00 pm: Secretary of State Colin Powell meets with the House International Relations Committee to discuss North Korea, Capitol Hill
—12:00 pm: House and Senate leadership make remarks on the anniversary of 9/11, Capitol Hill
—12:15 pm: Senator Bob Graham addresses the Council on Foreign Relations, New York City—3:00 pm: President and Mrs. Bush visit with wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital, D.C.
—3:30 pm: Governor Davis attend the Medal of Valor ceremony at the California Highway Patrol Academy, West Sacramento—5:30 pm: Governor Davis holds a bill signing ceremony for the "Hate Prevention Instruction" and "National Guard Education Benefits" bills, Sacramento
—9:15 pm: Arnold Schwarzenegger takes a private tour of the Simon Wiesenthal Center with the center's founder, Rabbi Marvin Hier, Los Angeles
NEWS SUMMARY
Bless and remember those who lost their lives or their loved ones two years ago.
And even as we mourn as a nation, celebrate the ability America has shown to remember and commemorate what makes this a great country.
Since so many of our readers are otherwise busy today, here are the basics:
The President and Mrs. Bush attend a memorial service this morning, observe a moment of silence on the South Lawn at the White House, and visit with wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital today.
The Democratic presidential candidates have pulled their TV advertising for the day, and mostly are down.
Senator Graham gives a speech called "9/11 Two Years Later: Are We Safer?" today to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City. He has a fundraiser breakfast and goes to a fundraiser at a Yankee game tomorrow. He's in Iowa on Saturday.
Governor Dean has no public events today. He campaigns in New Hampshire tomorrow and in Iowa on Saturday.
Senator Kerry will attend a memorial service in Boston today and help prepare meals at a veterans' homeless shelter. He visits Columbia, South Carolina, tomorrow. He'll be in Iowa on Saturday.
Senator Edwards has no public events today or tomorrow. He'll be in Iowa on Saturday.
Congressman Gephardt has no public events today. He is set to give what's billed as a major policy speech tomorrow in Iowa. He's in Iowa on Saturday.
Congressman Kucinich has no public events today. He's in Iowa on Saturday.
Senator Lieberman will attend a memorial service with firefighters in Miami today and attend a private fundraiser tonight. He has two fundraisers in Florida tomorrow. He's in New Hampshire and Maryland on Saturday.
Ambassador Moseley Braun is in Chicago today with no public events. She keynotes the Chicago Women in Government Relations meeting tomorrow in Chicago. She's in Iowa on Saturday.
Reverend Sharpton is in New York City with no public events today. He's in Delaware this weekend.
The newspaper stories you need to read are:
The Washington Post (followed by the AP LINK and the New York Times LINK) on the talks between Howard Dean and Wes Clark, which don't add up to quite as much as the tone of the story suggests. LINKThe New York Times and Washington Post on how the Democrats on the Hill and the hustings have been emboldened by the president's Sunday speech to ask questions and try to make political points. LINK and LINKThe Washington Post 's Mike Allen on how the president talks about 9/11 in many contexts. LINKThe Boston Globe on John Kerry's musings on not taking federal matching funds if Howard Dean opts out of the system, with the former having some tough words for the latter, and Trippi (interesting … .) holding his tongue. LINK
Anything on Howard Dean's troubles with statements about the Middle East (where he has expressed regret about using certain language) and race (where he and his staff are taking an apparently dangerous "no apologies" strategy), such as these: LINK and LINK and LINK and LINK.
More on all these below.
In the recall:
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena holds a hearing on the ACLU's lawsuit concerning the use of punch card ballots in six California counties.
Governor Davis observes a moment of silence this morning at a ceremony to lower the Capitol flag to half-staff in honor of 9/11. He also attends a Medal of Valor ceremony at the California Highway Patrol Academy in West Sacramento. He also holds a bill signing ceremony at the Capitol later in the day.
Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante has no public events today.
Arnold Schwarzenegger will tour the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles today.
State Senator Tom McClintock does one radio appearance today on Los Angeles KFI.
Dean and Clark:
Read the Washington Post story about Saturday's meeting between presidential candidate Howard Dean and possible presidential candidate Wes Clark closely and you will find that there is less there than meets the eye.
Yes, the two men met again on Saturday (They talk regularly.).
Yes, Dean asked Clark to support him if he ends up not running himself (What else would you expect him to do?).
Despite the article's suggestive language, we are told that the notion of running together was NOT the focus of the meeting, and it is unlikely to happen anytime soon, if at all.
Most signs point to Clark getting in the presidential race himself in the next week, but there are still sources who say they believe in the end he won't run.
So this was all set off by the Washington Post 's Jim VandeHei and Dan Balz, telling the world that Dean and Clark met privately in California over the weekend, and Dean asked Clark to join him if Clark decides not to mount his own bid for the White House. LINKClark played coy about the meeting — the fourth time they've sat down mano a mano.
"Asked about reports that the two men had discussed a wide range of issues, including endorsing Dean, joining the campaign, possible roles in a Dean administration and the vice presidency, he said only, 'It was a complete tour of the horizon.'"
Some think this could be a political dream team, with ads, money and a devoted following — not to mention that whole Internet thing.
But then there are the downsides. Clark's never run for office and at the moment — despite talks with strategists like Gore 2000 communications guru Mark Fabiani — doesn't have an organization.
VandeHei and Balz remind us all that Clark's scheduled to speak Sept. 19 at the University of Iowa, and maybe then he'll announce his intentions and let us all exhale.
It was up to the AP's Fournier to add some perspective back in:
"Officials close to Dean said there is no such agreement in the works." LINK
The Times ' Wilgoren is forced to write last-minute about the Burlington-and-Brass connection with a Trippi Note that the two men have "been meeting for months … They've had these conversations over the phone. Every time they're in the same city, they meet."LINKABC News Dean campaign reporter Marc Ambinder reports that in fundraisers when Dean is asked about his vice presidential pick, he demurs and says it's too early, but then ticks off points about how he and Clark might be a good fit.
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