The Note: "I Say Veto, By The Way, Quite Frequently. . ."
— -- WASHINGTON, Feb. 22
Remember when recess actually meant something? 497 members of the Gang of 500 are busily calling their bookies this morning to place bets on how/when/if President Bush's line in the sand gets erased.
(Stevenson, Bonjean, and Madden are too busy drafting statements -- for release next week -- describing their bosses' satisfaction (or lack thereof) with the Administration's (belated) outreach.)
The totality of the morning show and newspaper coverage appears to have gone the way the folks at 1600 would have hoped. They knocked the lead from 'Republican leadership defies the President' to 'President Bush is strongly defending. . . .'
(There is, of course, that man-in-charge photo of Sen./Dr./Leader Frist above the fold on the New York Times' front page, though.)
Of course, final bets won't be placed until the Gang gets a hold of some data. (Anyone have a sense of Dubai's name ID?)
Until then, expect more talk from the White House about "running security" versus "running operations," a "by the book" review process, and concerted efforts over the next few days to provide Congress all the information they need.
And expect Democrats to keep hitting this national security freebie in an effort to strut their post-9/11 worldview. (Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), for one, released a letter to Secretary Snow today mentioning the reported ties between Administration officials and DP and requesting full documentation "relating to contacts between Administration officials, CFIUS members and staff, and DP, including any lobbyists or registered foreign agents working on behalf of DP.")
And expect Hill press secretaries to work a bit harder than they anticipated this recess week. As one congressional staffer topped an email to The Note this morning, "I'm sure this this the 10,000th 'look what my boss did on the Dubai port issue' email that you have received this morning."
Be sure to Note that there is one Republican governor from a port state (Florida) who is standing firm with the President.
"In Florida, Gov. Jeb Bush defended his brother's position, putting him at odds with Republican and Democratic House members in his state as well as Republican governors from New York and Maryland, which also would be affected." LINK
More from the Orlando Sentinel: "'On the surface, it does give one cause for concern, but I'm not sure the reality matches what's been covered' in the media, the governor said. 'I have full confidence that the president of the United States will make the right decision as it relates to our national-security interests.'"
And perhaps the Senator from Arizona my prove to be helpful to the Administration in assuaging concerns on Capitol Hill. "I will not reject out of hand the decision of the commander in chief," said McCain in response to the deal. LINK
White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan gets his shot at dispensing the Administration's talking points first at his 9:45 am ET morning gaggle and then on-camera at his 12:30 pm ET briefing.
The Senate Armed Services Committee will be briefed tomorrow at 11:00 am ET by at least a half-dozen federal departments and agencies about Dubai Ports World's planned takeover. Sen. John Warner (R-VA), the chairman of the panel, will participate. It's unclear, however, how many members of the committee will be in attendance since Congress is not in session this week.
The State of New Jersey is expected to file a federal lawsuit that seeks to stop the UAE's Dubai Ports World from taking over operations at Port Newark. New Jersey is seeking access to documents used to review the company's applications to take over seaport operations, and wants the deal halted until its security concerns are satisfied.
President Bush previews the goals and themes for his upcoming trip to India and Pakistan during his 10:40 am ET remarks to the Asia Society at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, DC.
The President speaks again at 3:00 pm ET when he marks the celebration of African-American history month and participates in the presentation of the President's volunteer service awards in the East Room. (The President and First Lady participate in a stills-only Oval Office photo-op with crew members of the Space Shuttle Discovery at 2:40 pm ET).
The Supreme Court meets for decisions and arguments at 10:00 am ET.
The grand jury looking into the CIA leak was scheduled to meet at 9:30 am ET in Washington, DC.
Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu (D-LA) is expected to announce at 3:00 pm ET today that he will become one of several candidates running against New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. Landrieu's entry into the non-partisan race has been expected for some time but he will make it official today at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside. LINK
Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) addresses the Commercial and Commonwealth Club of Cincinnati, OH at 6:30 pm ET.
Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA) will be joined by representatives from the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association to discuss recent legislative action taken on renewable use standards at 2:30 pm ET.
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) delivers a "major address" on competitiveness at Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) holds a 4:45 pm ET media availability in Sacramento, CA with members of California's congressional delegation after touring Central Valley levees.
From Decatur, GA to Wichita, KS, MoveOn.org is holding 200 vigils today calling on Congress to hold the President accountable for what they view as his "illegal wiretapping program."
Port politics: analysis:
Bloomberg's Bliss and Fitzgerald have Republican political consultant Rich Galen saying that the GOP's intra-party battle over the Dubai deal was "entirely preventable." LINK
"The controversy is 'another example of the White House not having the capacity to see over the horizon when it comes to the public-affairs piece of what they are doing,' Galen said. 'Too few senators and congressmen knew anything about this program, and so they are upset about not being informed.'"
The Los Angeles Times' Richard Simon and Peter Wallsten write that the port security dispute "threatens to undermine the one area where Bush remains popular with the public -- protecting the U.S. from terrorism -- and could give Democrats a political weapon to use against him during this year's congressional campaigns."' LINK
Port politics: editorials and op-eds:
The Washington Post ed board raps politicians of both parties for "spontaneously" uniting "around an issue that none of them had known existed a week earlier." The Washington Post ed board argues that the deal "cannot 'outsource major port security,' because management companies that run ports do not control security. The US Coast Guard controls the physical security of our ports." LINK
The Wall Street Journal's ed board hopes that President Bush makes good on his veto threat, believing that the notion that the Bush Administration is farming out port security to hostile Arab nations is "alarmist nonsense." The Wall Street Journal's ed board further argues that the work is already being outsourced to "a foreign-based" (British) company and that "discriminating against a Mideast company offers no security guarantees because attacks are sometimes homegrown." LINK
The Los Angeles Times ed board calls the brouhaha over the Dubai deal a "hissy hit" and opines that members of Congress are pandering to the "terrorism-rattled xenophobe in us all." LINK
The New York Times ed board, by contrast, writes that Congress is right to resist the deal. LINK
The New York Post's usually Bush-friendly editorial page takes the President to task for the "fundamentally foolish position the administration has taken" on the Dubai issue. LINK
The Hill weighs in advising President Bush to drop his veto threat and thus "curtail the pain of yet another public-relations black eye." LINK
Maureen Dowd (who may, apparently, use the same headline writers as the New York Daily News editorial board) is almost gleeful about the Dubai firestorm in her pricey New York Times column. LINK
"Mr. Bush is hoist on his own petard. For four years, the White House has accused anyone in Congress or the press who defended civil liberties or questioned anything about the Iraq war of being soft on terrorism. Now, as Congress and the press turn that accusation back on the White House, Mr. Bush acts mystified by the orgy of xenophobia."
"Lawmakers, many up for re-election, have learned well from Karl Rove. Playing the terror card works."
The Washington Post's Harold Meyerson opines that "even in the current security-conscious zeitgeist, security concerns do not loom that large in our government's attitude to things economic." LINK
Port politics: news of day:
The White House, reports the New York Times, seems to have considered the ports deal "routine," and possibly for good reason: the Times finds that opposition to the deal brought "expressions of befuddlement from shipping industry and port experts." LINK
The Washington Times gives play to Sen. Schumer's criticism of the Dubai Ports World issue, but gives more play to President Bush's defense of it. LINK
"In recent days, Hastert and other GOP leaders had sent word to the White House that conservative lawmakers and voters are furious over the notion that a country with terrorism links -- even if indirect ones -- would be managing U.S. seaports. On C-SPAN, Fox News and conservative talk radio, Republicans from across the country are criticizing Bush with an intensity rarely seen by this White House," write the Washington Post's Jim VandeHei and Jonathan Weisman. LINK
More from the Washington Post: "GOP leaders are also fuming that they had not been consulted on an issue with such obvious political implications. 'It's strange that the administration didn't consult Congress,' a Republican leadership aide said. 'They might not have had to, but it was going to be a big deal on Capitol Hill. To not know that is mystifying.'"
The Washington Times' Bill Gertz has a security official who prefers to rename nameless: "They are more vulnerable to compromise and penetration by terrorists, even if they are just managing the port." LINK
The Wall Street Journal Notes that "a successful move to block the deal could send a chilling signal about some foreign investment in the U.S. at time when such investment has been critical in sustaining growth."
GMA interviewed Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) who said there is a, "lack of confidence in the Administration." Sen. Biden made a direct connection between Dubai Ports World and the UAE, saying that the UAE has a hurdle to get over considering its history of allowing nuclear material to pass through its ports and recognizing the Taliban. GMA also featured parts of a taped interview with White House spokesperson Dan Bartlett who emphasized that the UAE is a strong partner in the "war on terror."
On CBS's Early Show, Bartlett said that the United States should not differentiate between countries only because some are from the Middle East. When asked if the President thinks the opponents' position is biased, Bartlett said that they should "explain for themselves."
Bartlett also gave a determined reply when asked for a "yes or no" on the President's willingness to delay this deal: "The President wants this deal to go forward," he said.
The New York Daily News talks with dock workers confused by the ports kerfuffle. LINK
Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) issued a strongly worded statement via his campaign on Tuesday opposing the Bush Administration's action on the port operations.
Santorum says in the statement that after learning of "this troubling situation last week" he took immediate action, calling for an investigation to stop the transfer of control of the ports, which includes the Port of Philadelphia.
Republican candidate for the US Senate from New Jersey, Tom Kean, Jr. offered this written statement: "In a post 9/11 world, it is an outrage that President Bush would allow the sale of American ports to a foreign company based in a country with ties to terrorism. The White House has turned a deaf ear to the Congressional uproar over the decision to allow a state owned United Arab Emirates shipping firm to pay over six billion dollars to acquire six major United States ports - including one right here in New Jersey."
Port politics: 2008 angle:
The Los Angeles Times coverage of the port fracas Notes that Sen. Frist was visiting the port of Long Beach on Tuesday when he said the port deal should be put on hold until the Administration has conducted a "more extensive review" of it. LINK
The Los Angeles Times also Notes the way Sen. McCain hugged President Bush on this issue by urging his colleagues to "take a moment and not rush to judgment."
"'The president's leadership has earned our trust in the war on terror, and surely his administration deserves the presumption that they would not sell our security short,' McCain said in a statement."
Lauri Harvey of the NWI Times reports that Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) announced Tuesday he will introduce legislation requiring the, "director of National Intelligence to approve sales of domestic companies to foreign interests to ensure homeland security is a priority before sales are finalized." LINK
Port politics: congressional response:
Leading with "Showdown over Ports," the Hill's Elana Schor writes up a comprehensive summary of unfavorable congressional responses to the ports deal. LINK
Per Schor: "Boehner echoed Hastert's push for heightened congressional oversight: 'Congress has an essential oversight role that should and will be exercised with regards to this transaction. Our national security is of vital interest and concern when it comes to the operation of our nation's ports and borders,' he said."
The New York Post claims the port issue has brought to the surface the "simmering rivalry" between New York's two senators, with each trying to outdo the other in making the biggest splash in opposition to the ports deal. LINK
Politics of national security:
According to a court filing made public this week, the Bush Administration said journalists "can be prosecuted under current espionage laws for receiving and publishing classified information but that such a step 'would raise legitimate and serious issues and would not be undertaken lightly,'" writes Walter Pincus of the Washington Post. LINK
Politics of domestic surveillance:
Per Reuters, Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) says White House Chief of Staff Andy Card nixed a planned December briefing of the House Intelligence Committee by Gen. Michael Hayden regarding the domestic surveillance program. LINK
Bush agenda:
The Chicago Tribune's William Neikirk reports that President Bush's long-term energy strategy begins with short-term cuts to energy efficiency research programs. LINK
The Washington Post's Jim VandeHei on Bush's continued push for alternative fuels: LINK
Politics of abortion:
The New York Times' Linda Greenhouse reminds readers that while lobbying groups and politicians were excited by yesterday's Supreme Court decision to hear the "partial-birth abortion" case, given the circumstances in this case, it "would have been highly unusual" for the Supreme Court to turn down the appeal. LINK
David Savage of the Los Angeles Times writes that a "victory" for the Bush Administration in the late-term abortion case would signal that the reconstituted court is "more willing to regulate and restrict abortion." LINK
The Washington Post's Charles Lane Notes that the oral argument in Gonzales v. Carhart, the late-term abortion case, is "likely to take place during the run-up to the 2006 congressional election." LINK
On the same day the Supreme Court took up that case, South Dakota's legislature passed a bill that would outlaw nearly all abortions in the state. The New York Times has legislators there saying they hope the bill makes it to the Supreme Court in a direct challenge to Roe. LINK
SCOTUS:
USA Today's Joan Biskupic takes Note of the Justices' ruling on that other hot-button issue: the use of hallucinogenics by a small religious sect in New Mexico. LINK
The Washington Post's Dana Milbank Sketches Justice Alito's "first day of school." LINK
The Fitzgerald investigation:
Keying off the launch of www.scooterlibby.org, the Washington Post's Carol Leonnig reports that a "who's who of Republican heavy hitters and Bush Administration supporters are lending their names to help raise $5 million" for the criminal defense of Scooter Libby, the Vice President's former chief of staff. LINK
The New York Daily News explains Dennis Ross' involvement with scooterlibby.com. LINK
2006:
The chairman of New York's Conservative Party endorsed former state assemblyman John Faso yesterday, in what the New York Times reports is a blow to William Weld's campaign to become New York's next governor. The move came on the same day that a federal prosecutor said Weld may still be a target in the investigation of student loan fraud at Decker College, of which Weld was formerly chief executive. LINK
The New York Post and New York Daily News on the same: LINK and LINK and LINK
The Des Moines Register reports that Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Mike Blouin got a boost from the Iowa Council 61 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, who have picked the winner in the Democratic primary every year since 1986. LINK
David Yepsen columnizes on it as well: LINK
The Washington Times highlights Fred Barnes' optimism for Mike McGavick. LINK
2007:
Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) has taken himself out of the running for the Bayou State's 2007 gubernatorial election, reports the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza. LINK
New Hampshire:
The Union Leader reports on New Hampshire's jumping on the ethics reform train -- its House and Senate passed a new ethics bill yesterday. LINK
The New Hampshire Democratic Party recently launched a barebones, no frills primer on keeping the Granite State "Blue" in 2006 and beyond. LINK
2008:
In addition to fundraising for party candidates and reelection, 2008 hopefuls are filling "war chests" of their own in what Alexander Bolton of the Hill calls "Would be Presidents' Day[s]." LINK
Per Bolton, "Two senators considered front-runners for their parties' nominations in 2008, however, are keeping significant parts of their schedules under wraps."
2008: Republicans:
Sen. John McCain told reporters he wishes the President would do more to push through a guest-worker program, per the Associated Press. LINK
New York Gov. George Pataki's spate of recent health problems has forced the Republican presidential hopeful to cancel trips to New Hampshire, California, and the National Governors Association's winter meeting, reports the New York Times. LINK
2008: Democrats:
G.O.P. operative Roger Stone writes in the New York Observer about the "uncanny parallels" between Al Gore in 2008 and Richard Nixon 40 years earlier. LINK
His touting of global warming over the last years, Sen. Clinton's position on the war in Iraq, and the popular perception that he was "robbed" of the White House, might just be what it takes for Al Gore to make another go of it, writes Dick Morris in his column in The Hill. LINK
Thomas Beaumont's must-read in the Des Moines Register looks at what Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA) needs to do (and is doing) if he wants to be a contender in 2008. LINK
Steve Jarding, John Norris, David Broder, and Joe Klein all make important appearances in this one.
The New York Observer's Smith, Horowitz, and Brydson write a "marriage of convenience" has developed between Hillary Clinton and the White House, with both sides benefiting from Republican attacks on her. LINK
The New York Observer has an internal e-mail from the head of a New York gay rights group in which Sen. Clinton is called a "complete disappointment" because of her stance on gay marriage. The e-mail also encourages the group not to support an LGBT fundraiser for her. LINK
Politics:
Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) said yesterday that he would veto a bill that would require voters to show identification at the polls, because he believed it would disenfranchise some of Pennsylvania's "most vulnerable residents." LINK
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