The Note: Not That There's Anything Wrong With It, Part IV
— -- WASHINGTON, Sep. 20
President Bush meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at 9:30 am ET at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City before returning to the White House at 12:55 pm ET.
And that interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer we mistakenly told you about yesterday, happens today. It airs at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm ET. According to a source familiar with Blitzer's thinking, he plans to ask the President if any of his grandparents are Jewish.
The President's UN hallway buddy, former President Bill Clinton (a/k/a: America's first Jewish president), kicks off the second annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative today with the help of First Lady Laura Bush, who is scheduled to deliver remarks at 10:00 am ET in New York City.
Other headliners at the CGI today include: Thomas Friedman, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Pervez Musharraf, Javier Solana, and Alvaro Uribe Velez. (And that's just one panel!) The opening reception takes place tonight at 7:30 pm ET at the Museum of Modern Art. Get all your schedule info here: LINK
ABC News' Jessica Yellin hears that "when the First Lady speaks at the Clinton Global Initiative today she'll announce a new partnership with the Case Foundation (Steve and Jean Case) to help bring clean water to sub-Saharan African countries. They're investing in a system that uses merry-go-rounds. When kids play on the merry-go-round it powers septic systems to clean the water."
More Yellin: "Also expect the First Lady to highlight the Bush Administration's work on AIDS. Mrs. Bush will also address literacy, poverty, and global health."
The House is in session today with Voter ID legislation on the floor. The Senate is in session today and tackles the border security/fence legislation recently passed by the House.
The House GOP leadership talks national and border security at a 10:00 am ET post-conference meeting stakeout. The House Democratic leadership talks national and economic security at its 10:00 am ET post-caucus meeting stakeout.
The Senate Democratic leadership holds a 10:45 am ET press conference announcing plans to embark upon (partisan) oversight of the Iraq war.
According to excerpts "obtained" by ABC News, Sen. Reid plans to say: "Since the Republicans who run the Senate won't fulfill their constitutional duty. Democrats will take it upon ourselves. We will hold a series of oversight hearings into the war in Iraq. We will bring real witnesses. We will ask tough questions. And we will get the truth."
Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) was scheduled to deliver an 8:30 am ET speech on his plan for the way forward in Iraq at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was scheduled to discuss technology-related issues at 7:45 am ET as part of the Northern Virginia Technology Council's Titans Breakfast at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) delivers a speech on energy independence at 12:30 pm ET as part of MoveOn.Org's "Progressive Vision" speech series at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Later today, Sen. Obama campaigns with Jim Webb (D-VA) in Alexandria, VA.
Gov. George Pataki (R-NY), a potential 2008 opponent of George Allen's for the nomination, makes remarks at an Israel solidarity rally at 1:00 pm ET in New York City.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) was scheduled to speak at 8:30 am ET as part of the 2006 National Long Term Care Symposium along with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC.
Ohio gubernatorial candidates Rep. Ted Strickland (D-OH) and Ken Blackwell (R-OH) face off in a debate in Cleveland, OH.
Young Voter Strategies unveils the results of a new poll showing the voting attitudes of 18-30 year olds in the 2006 election cycle at a 10:00 am ET news conference at George Washington University in Washington, DC.
The Center for American Values releases the results of its survey on religion, values, and politics today.
RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman travels to Minnesota where he is expected to make remarks at a closed-press fundraiser for Michele Bachmann in Minneapolis. Mehlman also plans to attend a grassroots volunteer rally for Bachmann in Woodbury, MN.
Former fellow Clinton strategists Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and Bruce Reed sign copies of their book "The Plan" at 7:00 pm ET tonight at the Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, DC.
Clinton Global Initiative:
In an interview with the Financial Times, Bill Clinton says "Americans will tolerate Democratic differences on Iraq because the current situation has not worked." He adds, however, that Democrats won't win just by criticizing Iraq. LINK
He says that the Bush Administration's strategy has been complicated because Sens. Warner, McCain, and Graham "believe in the rule of law."
He also says of the Swift Boat attacks on Sen. Kerry: "That was disgusting."
In the New York Sun, Nicholas Wapshott writes that behind closed ballroom doors, the secret world establishment "is busy doing what it does best, congratulating itself on its concern for those lesser mortals who rely on mere democracy to try to get things done." LINK
The Washington Post's Michael Fletcher looks at the First Lady's "major role" on the World Stage including her address to the Clinton Global Initiative. LINK
The Way to Win:
The Way to Win, the Random House book by Mark Halperin of ABC News and John F. Harris of the Washington Post, out October 3rd, explores how presidential candidates such as Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have won the White House. One big factor: they learned to keep control of their public images and to define their opponents.Today, on the book's website, thewaytowin2008.com, you can attend the world premiere of two videos which demonstrate this theme.
Click here to see how the Bush political operation turned John Kerry into an effete Frenchman and to watch the before-to-after transformation of Hillary Clinton from beleaguered FLOTUS to commanding Senator. LINK Go to the "videos" page.
