The Note: The Frogless March

 

Share

0

DNC Chairman Howard Dean's unpredictable biorhythms were in a lull yesterday at the Capital Hilton during a speech to party loyalists. But somewhere between predictable platitudes about Democrats' new national message and Republicans' failed leadership, Dean gained a little energy when defending himself and the DNC's reinvigorated focus on all 50 states. "We are not just writing checks," he said to the spirits of DSCC and DCCC Chairs Schumer and Emanuel, "We're building outreach, absentee voting, and voter protections . . . and whatever we do in 2006 elections . . . is also going to benefit in the 2008 elections."

Rep. Kennedy pleads guilty:

The Washington Post: LINK

The New York Times: LINK

The Los Angeles Times Notes that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) was not at his son's side yesterday. LINK

The Providence Journal provides excellent courtroom color: LINK

Rep. Mollohan:

Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WVA) "acknowledged yesterday that he misstated more than a dozen transactions on his financial disclosure forms," reports the Washington Post's Jeffrey Birnbaum. LINK

The New York Times on same: LINK

Big Casino budget politics:

The New York Times' Robert Pear reviews some of the reasons why 48 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted against the supplemental in the House yesterday. LINK

2006: landscape:

The GOP is now cautiously optimistic of their political rebound, writes Roll Call's Ben Pershing and Erin Billings.

2006: Senate:

The Philadelphia Inquirer: "Laura Bush Praises Kean and Santorum" LINK

First Lady Laura Bush successfully raised nearly $1 million for the campaigns of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Thomas H. Kean Jr. (R-NJ) yesterday in their efforts to defeat aggressive Democratic opponents.

With the race between Sen. Jim Talent (R) and Missouri Auditor Claire McCaskill (D) in a dead heat, Roll Call observes that the outcome of the Senate Missouri race could reflect which party controls Congress. LINK

The Tampa Tribune's William March's profile of Will McBride, who is challenging GOP favorite Katherine Harris for the opportunity to run against Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) in November, shows the political novice to be a hard-line conservative except when it comes to immigration (he made his money as an immigration lawyer): "We need to welcome people into the country…We're basically all immigrants." LINK

2008: Republicans:

The New York Times reads former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's energy speech yesterday as "implicitly" accusing the White House of doing little to expand energy sources," in a rare public rift between Giuliani and the Bush Administration. LINK

The New York Post's Ryan Sager calls Giuliani's speech his "full-on Ross Perot" moment. LINK

Per the New York Post, Giuliani had a busy Tuesday, also raising nearly $2 million last night in a demonstration of his fundraising prowess. LINK

The New York Observer's Horowitz examines why Giuliani is in no rush to fully engage in the daily political to and fro. LINK

The New York Daily News has a review of the new website of Giuliani's PAC. LINK

The Daily News on the increasing rumors surrounding New York's current mayor -- Michael Bloomberg -- and his possible presidential ambitions. LINK

Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AK) seems to building a foreign policy resume. He will travel to the Far East on Sunday, and his Hope for America PAC hired President Bush's Iowa press coordinator from the 2000 campaign. LINK and LINK