The Note
W A S H I N G T O N June 4—<br> -- To: 43@whitehouse.govFrom: SAOCc: Harriet MiersBcc: Mike.Allen@washpost.comSubject: OMG!
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Dear Mr. President,
We miss ya, cowboy. C):-)
You're doing great. The TV pictures are awesome.
But we bet you've got a hankering for some American food right about now.
Though we gotta recommend the shawarma in Aqaba. It's primo!
Hey — cool on the golf cart LINK
And not so cool on the Egyptian television thing, but at least you didn't throw up on anyone. LINKAll right: the big news.
This Sosa thing is JUST terrible. LINK
Some smart reporter is almost certainly going to ask you about it at the end of a photo op, so be ready.
Anyway, guess who's gay?
That's right! Richard Chamberlain. LINK
Yeah, we all knew it.
And did you hear about Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher? LOL. Lucky Ashton.
Yee-hah: Bob Smith is selling real estate. LINK
This op-ed is fun-ny. LINK
Gosh, you must be sooo happy you're not gonna have to get in your monkey suit for the Radio-TV dinner tonight.
All anyone there is going to be talking about is the leaked version of Senator Clinton's book, and we know how much you hate reliving the Clinton-Gore years, in which the lack of a dress code in the Oval Office was not even the worst thing going on in there.
And wouldn't you know it: they want to be fancy and all, so they're serving petit filet mignons.
Yeah, as if 100 grams of fat are really that different than 150!
Why would anyone ever order a petit filet? Get the big one! Sheesh. And they need to truck it in from Cattleman's Steak House in Midland.
None of that Hilton grub.
LOLROTF!
All right … Speaking of Midland … . We gotta get you to call Mike Conaway. Your ex business partner didn't win the run-off to be the new congressman from Lubbock and Midland. Randy Neugebauer is, we think we would all agree, a good man, as you would say.
Hey: our secret project to convince the world that Tom DeLay is our foil … . it's working!
We all know the score. Democrats didn't want a tax cut much at all. Now that their base is all riled up about this child credit thing (Marian Wright Edelman's birthday is Friday, for goshsakes.), they want a tax cut all of a sudden.
You wouldn't know it from the liberal media, but a lot of these folks don't pay any income taxes at all. And many get their payroll taxes zeroed out by the Earned Income Tax credit. (If it hadn't been for Ronald Reagan, that program would not be as strong as it is today.)
Yeah, Grassley wants a bunch of extra tax cuts now (YAY!). Yeah, the Dems want to cast the battle as one between Regular Joe and Joe Millionaire; do we off-set the new child tax credits by closing some "loopholes"?
Well, we might not have to make that choice anymore. Tom DeLay won't let it get to the floor.
What a great guy! He's sooo like Ashcroft (no matter what that Brill guy writes).
This is a great way out of a Texas-style ambush.
Inciden-tally, to use one of those David Gergen words, you remember all those discussions we had about big-spending states?
Well look at this: so what's the first thing the New Hampshire Senate did when it got its grubby hands on some federal cash?
Yep. A "feeding frenzy." LINKBut it was Democrats who INSISTED we give money to states. They wanted it more than they wanted the child tax credit.
We're not, uh, kissing your betoot, but we wanted to let you know that Ms. Lynne Cheney called you a "magnificent leader." LINK
And here's a rose that your daughters asked us to pass along to you: --They miss you and wish you well.
As do we.
l8tr, gtr.
Senator Clinton's book:
The AP's Calvin Woodward and Siobhan McDonough got a hold of a copy of Hillary Clinton's memoir, and disclose that the author "vividly describes her pain" over the Lewinsky scandal and the choice to run for SenateLINKThe skimming AP duo quote: '''The most difficult decisions I have made in my life were to stay married to Bill and to run for the Senate from New York.'"
The New York tabloids pick up the particulars with front-page stories.
The New York Post 's Kate Sheehy repeats the "explosive" details, with only a passing reference to the AP snagging an early copy. LINKThe New York Daily News's Leo Standora cites the AP story, and offers some reactions to Senator Clinton's candor. LINKThe New York Daily News' Paul Colford discusses how the leak will affect Simon & Schuster's rollout of the Clinton tome LINKThe Washington Post got it on the front page. LINKAnd in a related story, the Washington Post 's Lloyd Grove reports that former First Lady Barbara Bush is finishing up a little memoir of her own, and the (white) gloves are off, to the apparent consternation of libel lawyers. LINK
Big Casino budget politics:
The New York Times ' David Firestone trumpets Leader DeLay's view that the extension of the child tax credit to some low-income Americans isn't going to go anywhere in the House unless it is part of a much larger effort for more tax relief, and that leaves things still very much in the air. LINK
The Wall Street Journal 's Murray says that DeLay's pronouncements "dim" the "prospects" of any action.
The Los Angeles Times says it's because DeLay is uncomfortable with the idea of giving a tax break to people who don't pay taxes — Absolut Flesicher.LINK
USA Today 's take is slightly more optimistic about the credit being restored.LINKThe Washington Post front page is adorned with the work of Dana Milbank and Jonathan Weisman, who herald:
"Three successive tax cuts pushed by President Bush will leave middle-income taxpayers paying a greater share of all federal taxes by the end of the decade, according to new analyses of the Bush administration's tax policies." LINK"As critics of the tax cuts in 2001, 2002 and 2003 have noted, (sic), the very wealthiest Americans — those earning $337,000 or more per year — will be the greatest beneficiaries of the changes in the nation's tax laws. And, as administration officials have argued, low-income taxpayers will also enjoy a disproportionately lighter tax burden."
The Washington Post 's Goldstein and Dewar look at Medicare bill drafting in Senate Finance by tri-partisan centrist types. LINKAnd the Wall Street Journal 's pair of Lueck and Rogers get a little insider-y, behind-the-scenes at the administration's legislative strategy:
"Administration officials, who met Tuesday with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R., Iowa), remain concerned about elements of the moderates' plan. But the White House and the Republican leadership share a sense that the centrist approach is the best means to reach out to Senate Democrats and build momentum toward a Senate floor vote this month."
"If Mr. Grassley can close a deal with Montana Senator Max Baucus, the ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee, the White House is prepared to bite its tongue, at least for the time being. Conservative members of the Finance Committee, meanwhile, have pressed to offer drug coverage only to seniors who choose private plans, which they argue will make the program more financially sound and provide more-complete medical care."
The Wall Street Journal 's John Harwood interviews Dr/Sen/Leader Frist on the Medicare challenge.
Robert Samuelson says a big prescription drug benefit attached to Medicare is a horrible idea. LINKAlabama Governor Bob Riley considers increasing taxes, and somehow Grover isn't quoted in the New York Times story about it. LINK
ABC 2004: The Invisible Primary:
Today: Senator Graham is in San Francisco. Senator Lieberman campaigns in Detroit. Governor Dean is in New York City, as is Senator Kerry.
The Note has learned that Governor Dean has some pretty special hosts for his fundaiser tonight.
Break out the lemonade, the salad dressing, and the salsa: Democratic stalwarts Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman are holding this event for Dr. Dean.
While it isn't clear if this represents an official endorsement, that lovely couple can raise some serious money.
But Dean isn't the only candidate coupling with some prominent names today.
Political sources in Washington and New York tell The Note that Senator Kerry will publicly garner the endorsement of Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields today at his event in Gotham City.
