The Note: The Interpreters
— -- WASHINGTON, April 20
NEWS SUMMARY
To generalize to the point of near absurdity, Washington knows in its head that the "real" country cares about gas prices. So much "feel your pain" effort is being applied to the issue.
Now to follow the advice of Karl Rove, there is no need to impugn the motives of those speaking out for energy policy changes. Three of the loudest voices on the issue -- President Bush, John Kerry, and Howard Dean -- all ran for presidency talking about the importance of having a new/strong/independent national policy.
At 1:15 pm ET, the President will talk about energy at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Legislative Conference, trying to spur long-stalled congressional action. Kerry plans remarks on the Senate floor. And Dean intends to hit the gas peddle hard at his morning appearance before the Building and Construction Trades Dept. of the AFL-CIO Legislative Conference.
It's almost as if the Democrats have a Message of the Day on an Issue Voters Care About!!!
But from Dan Bartlett on the White House lawn this morning on FNC, to the President's speech, the battle is fully joined.
Reuters frames the debate today as the House of Representatives begins debating an $8 billion energy bill that would boost U.S. oil and natural gas supplies over the long term. Democrats and Republicans will take up issues like the water-polluting gasoline additive MTBE as well as oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic Refuge. Democrats may also attempt to add language to boost fuel efficiency of U.S. cars and trucks. LINK
Sen. Kerry's floor speech will allege that the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress have failed to do anything about the biggest economic issue right now, gas prices, and the dependence on foreign oil as a national security issue, and contend that the bill they're stumping for makes the problems worse.
All of this energy stuff is well and good, but until The Note is written by people who have to choose between prescription drugs, Los Lonely Boys tickets, and filling up the SUV, finding the answers to the following questions will be a greater preoccupation of ours: (Note to Howe Kurtz and Tom Rosenstiel -- WE ARE KIDDING!!!).
1. Do the sherpas of the Bolton U.N. nomination know all the facts of all the allegations out there that are going to be looked at over the next few weeks? Did they know them before the hearings started? Are they gathering them now? (Because this thing might actually turn on -- egad -- the facts.)
2. Is this account in the Washington Post's Bolton story accurate: "On Monday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told her senior staff she was disappointed about the stream of allegations and said she did not want any information coming out of the department that could adversely affect the nomination, said officials speaking on the condition of anonymity"? LINK
3. If that account is right, how high is the high dudgeon that Sens. Biden and Kerry can get in over it?
4. What is the worst outcome for Senate Democrats in the filibuster fight?
5. What is the best outcome for Sen./Dr./Leader Frist in the filibuster fight?
6. Can the Democratic leadership read all the comments from their flock about the new Pope and not cringe?
7. What is Leader DeLay's problem, exactly, with Mister Justice Anthony Kennedy looking for information on the Internet?
8. What does Mister Justice Kennedy think of Leader DeLay's views?
9. Who is the intermediary -- if any -- these days between Leader DeLay and Jack Abramoff?
10. How many of the previous nine questions could the White House senior staff answer?
Beyond his energy speech, the President has a full day. At 11:10 am ET, President Bush, with First Lady Laura Bush, speaks to the 2005 National and State Teachers of the Year in the Rose Garden. At 3:10 pm ET, he signs the bankruptcy bill (S. 256) in the EEOB At 4:20 pm ET, the President presents the Commander-in-Chief's trophy to the United States Naval Academy football team in the East Room.
Also speaking at the Chamber of Commerce's conference: House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) at 8:00 am ET; Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) at 11:00 am ET; Sen. James Talent (R-MO) at noon ET; and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, and Sen. Orin Hatch (R-UT) speak at the legislative awards dinner at 7:30 pm ET.
Mrs. Bush delivers remarks at the National Park Foundation's Junior Ranger campaign event at the Jefferson Memorial at 11:00 am ET.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Moscow today for meetings with President Vladimir Putin in preparation for President Bush's May visit to Russia.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay holds a pen-and-pad briefing today at 1:25 pm ET.
At 10:30 am ET, the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee holds a hearing on the FY2006 budget for DHS. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff testifies.
At 10:00 am ET, the House Administration Committee holds a hearing on regulating 527 groups. Reps. Christopher Shays (R-CT), Martin Meehan (D-MA), Mike Pence (R-IN) and Albert Wynn (D-MD) are among those testifying.
At 12:30 pm ET. Sens. Joe Lieberman (D-CT), Ken Salazar (D-CO) and Mark Pryor (D-AR) hold a news conference to discuss the possibility of changing Senate rules to ban filibusters.
At 10:15 am ET, Senate Minority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) join Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Max Baucus (D-MT) for a news conference on how the President's Social Security plan to include personal accounts would affect Americans with disabilities.
The Building and Construction Trades Dept. of the AFL-CIO holds its Legislative Conference. Speakers at the plenary session from 9:00-11:30 am ET: Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) , DNC chair Gov. Howard Dean; Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL); Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO); and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.).
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) holds a press conference to talk about energy at 2:00 pm ET.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Travel Business Roundtable host the third annual Travel and Tourism Summit, called "Redefining America at Home and Abroad" today. The speakers: Thomas Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Interior Secretary Gale Norton; Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL); Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Evan Bayh (D-IN); Reps. William Delahunt (D-MA) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Frances Fragos Townsend, assistant to the president and Homeland Security adviser; and Jonathan Tisch, chairman of the Travel Business Roundtable.
At 11:00 am ET, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA.) and Reps. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Mel Watt (D-NC), and Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) hold a news conference to talk about the impact of the budget on minority families.
At noon ET, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Senate Veterans' Affairs Chairman Larry Craig (R-ID) and Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) join 14 of their House colleagues and union representatives hold a news conference to discuss opposition to the Central American Free Trade Agreement scheduled for a hearing Thursday in the House.
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) holds a pen and pad briefing at 10:30 am ET.
RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman returns to his native Baltimore today for a "Conversation with the Community."
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) delivers remarks at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies' annual dinner and celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act at 7:00 pm ET.
Stanford University and the Economist co-sponsor a conference on legislation values, with Sen. Joe Lieberman as a speaker.
Sad because you'd have loved to see former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at his ed board meeting with the Manchester Union Leader? Fear not: it'll air Sunday, April 24 on C-SPAN's "Road to the White House" at 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm ET. And if you miss Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) live on Friday evening delivering his speech to the South Carolina Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Columbia, it'll re-air on Sunday after the Gingrich event.
By the way, the former House Speaker is in Salem, OR, today to talk about health care.
Pope Benedict XVI:
Julie Mason from the Houston Chronicle writes that President Bush welcomed new Pope Benedict XVI yesterday, but it remains to be seen if the two will see eye to eye, Noting that the President won 52 percent of the Catholic vote in 2004, up from 47 percent in 2000. LINK
Reax from the American political community, courtesy of the Washington Post: LINK
Bolton:
Now, no one knows what is going to happen.
Douglas Jehl in the New York Times Notes, "Until Mr. Voinovich spoke up near the end of the session, he had not figured in speculation about wavering among Republicans. Mr. Voinovich had not attended either of the committee hearings last week on the Bolton nomination, citing the press of other Senate business. The only doubts expressed in public by Republicans on the panel had come from Mr. Chafee and Mr. Hagel." LINK
The Wall Street Journal's Smith Notes that the delay "will give Mr. Bolton's opponents more time to gather evidence against him and could imperil his chances of making it to a full Senate vote sometime next month."
The Washington Post's Chuck Babington and Dafna Linzer offer a blow-by-blow outline of how Bolton's nomination ended up delayed yesterday with Sen. Voinovich's comments, and Noting Sen. Chafee's reaction that Voinovich had ushered in a "new day" with different dynamics as a result. LINK
Writes the Los Angeles Times' Sonni Efron: "The delay, a victory for Senate Democrats, was the latest sign that Republican moderates in Congress might be starting to bridle at their party leadership's strong tilt to the right and insistence on party discipline." LINK
"Voinovich's surprise move relieved the pressure on Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., a Republican moderate who had been wavering on the nomination. Chafee said after the meeting that he also would have voted for a Democratic motion to delay a vote to consider more information. That would have meant a 10-8 loss for the Republicans," writes USA Today's Barbara Slavin. LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Richard Simon examines Sen. Voinovich's "maverick tendencies." LINK
"President Bush's nomination of John Bolton to become United Nations ambassador began as an embarrassment and is ending as a disgrace," writes the Los Angeles Times' ed board in a scathing argument that Bolton should step aside over allegtions that have cast doubt on his ability to the job that snidely suggests that with Bolton's temperament, he might be suited to be the ambassador to France. LINK
It turns out, however, that Rhode Island Secretary of State and Democratic Senate candidate Matt Brown wasn't paying very close attention to the vote, as his office sent out an e-mail with this statement on Sen. Lincoln Chafee's "vote confirming John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations."
"The people of Rhode Island spoke loud and clear with hundreds, if not thousands, of calls to Senator Chafee urging him to oppose John Bolton's nomination as the next United States ambassador to the United Nations. They are right, yet Senator Chafee yielded to pressure from the Bush White House."
"John Bolton is one of the most extreme of all of Bush's nominees. He opposed the nuclear test ban treaty, he criticized the universal declaration of human rights. He even said 'if the U.N. Building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference.'"
"Voting for John Bolton to represent our country at the UN, a position that is so critical to protecting our national security, was simply wrong."
"The people of Rhode Island have it right. John Bolton is not qualified to do the job. It was wrong for Senator Chafee to vote for such an extreme nominee for a position that is so important to our national security."
Note to Brown: save it, because you might need to re-issue it later.
Leader DeLay:
The Washington Post's Mike Allen Notes Leader DeLay's complaints about "journalistic activism" as he did talk radio from his home district and talked about judges. "'We have the opportunity to set up courts; we can also dismantle courts and reorganize them,' DeLay told Tony Snow on Fox News Radio." LINK
Carl Hulse writes of DeLay's comments, "In the interview, Mr. DeLay said many Democratic members of Congress had quietly approached him to tell him that they believed he was being treated unfairly. 'Very many of them,' he said." LINK
He had a particular problem with Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, for his looking at international precedent and the Web. LINK; LINK
Hulse gets another byline for an article about House energy legislation, Noting that "A little-noted provision backed by Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the majority leader and an ally of the oil industry, would bypass Congress's normal spending process to funnel up to $2 billion over 10 years into research for recovering oil and gas from the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico." LINK
Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) is the Democrats' new point person in the House on criticizing the changes to House ethics rules, Roll Call's Erin Billings reports.
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones blames "human error" on her staff for reporting a trip she took in 2001 that she disclosed (erroneously, it turns out) by a lobbying firm that helped the actual payer set it up, which for mysterious reasons only the Washington Times writes about. LINK
Filibuster showdown:
The New York Times' Sheryl Gay Stolberg lists the undecided GOP Senators as Warner, Smith, Snowe, Specter, and Hagel. Sens. Sununu and DeWine have privately committed to vote one way or the other but won't say what it is. LINK
People for the American Way is up on national cable and in targeted states with a new 30-second ad today, part of its $5 million ad and grassroots campaign featuring firefighter Ted Nonini talking about preserving the filibuster, and talks about recent statements against judges.
Bush agenda:
"In a stinging rebuke of President Bush's signature education law, the Republican-dominated Utah Legislature on Tuesday passed a bill that orders state officials to ignore provisions of the federal law that conflict with Utah's education goals or that require state financing," the New York Times' Sam Dillon reports from on site. LINK
"The bill is the most explicit legislative challenge to the federal law by a state, and its passage marked the collapse of a 15-month lobbying effort against it by the Bush administration. Federal officials fear Utah's action could embolden other states to resist what many states consider intrusive or unfunded provisions of the federal law, known as No Child Left Behind."
AP offers an overview of the bankruptcy bill the President will sign today. LINK
The Washington Post's Michael Fletcher recounts President Bush's eloquence on the legacy of Abraham Lincoln yesterday at the new Lincoln museum and library in Springfield, IL. LINK
The Chicago Tribune's Mark Silva captures the atmosphere of the day. LINK
The New York Times' Edward Rothstein writes of the new Abraham Lincoln museum that it "enshrines a notion that the best way to know anything about politics and history is to understand personality, and even then only in a simplified fashion." LINK
The Wall Street Journal's Tom Herman turns in a fascinating look at how President Bush and Vice President Cheney's tax returns demonstrate a quirk in the law that allows some wealthy tax payers to avoid paying the alternative minimum tax.
"President Bush intends to name Marine Gen. Peter Pace the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, officials said yesterday, replacing Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, whose term ends this autumn," reports the Washington Post's Bradley Graham. LINK
The Washington Post's Roxanne Roberts wraps First Lady Laura Bush's appearance last night at the National Fatherhood Initiative awards gala, promoting the importance of fathers in children's lives. LINK
Dana Milbank of the Washington Post turns in his take on Karl Rove's comments about the media at Washington College in Chestertown, Md., on Monday night, calling the DCoS' argument "nuanced, nonpartisan and, to the ears of many journalists, right on target" as he said reporters see their role as adversarial to all in power, Republican or Democrat. LINK
"His indictment of the media -- delivered as part of Washington College's Harwood Lecture Series, named for the late Washington Post editor and writer Richard Harwood -- had four parts: that there's been an explosion in the number of media outlets; that these outlets have an insatiable demand for content; that these changes create enormous competitive pressure; and that journalists have increasingly adopted an antagonistic attitude toward public officials. Beyond that, Rove argued that the press pays too much attention to polls and 'horse-race' politics, and covers governing as if it were a campaign."
Social Security:
Democratic House leaders are offering their colleagues "how-to" instruction on hosting electronic town meetings and putting together e-mail newsletters in an effort to reach out to young people about Social Security, as well as coordinating with Rock the Vote, Roll Call's Erin Billings reports.
Speaking of Rock the Vote, for our money, there's never been an e-mail subject line that made you want to open your wallet more than "We Can't Rock Sh*t Without You!" Thanks and happy 15th anniversary, Rock the Vote.
Congress:
"The Senate yesterday turned back a proposed amnesty for up to 1 million illegal immigrant agricultural workers and their families, though it gained support of more than half the chamber," the Washington Times' Stephen Dinan reports.
"In the first major vote on immigration policy in almost a decade, the Senate fell seven votes shy of the 60 required to proceed with the amendment, which would have offered the illegal immigrants a three-step path to citizenship. A vote on a guest-worker program with no path to citizenship also failed, by an overwhelming margin." LINK
But the pro-"amnesty" forces say they are happy because they garnered a majority plus some.
Former FDA commissioner David Kessler weighed in on a Senate plan to allow Americans to buy cheaper prescription drugs outside the United States yesterday, saying that safeguards in the bill proposed by Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) would protect consumers from counterfeit and substandard medications. LINK
Check out the Washington Post's account of the hearing, in which New England Sens. Gregg and Snowe (both Republicans) seemed to go at it. LINK
Advancing today's hearing on regulating 527 groups, Roll Call's Suzanne Nelson takes a closer look at how House members may approach the issue, Noting House Administration Chairman Bob Ney's distaste for BCRA and willingness to look at legislation introduced by Reps. Mike Pence (R-IN) and Albert Wynn (D-MD) to give the parties a little room on soft money. The Senate, on the other hand, is poised to mark up the bill introduced by Sens. McCain (R-AZ), Feingold (D-WI), Lott (R-MS), and Schumer (D-NY) to prohibit 527s from raising and spending soft money to influence federal elections.
Speaking of Ney, Roll Call's John Bresnahan reports that he failed to declare a February 2003 fundraising event hosted for him by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians -- which has since been corrected with an amendment to fundraising reports for 2003.
2006:
Frank Phillips of the Boston Globe looks at the revelation yesterday that Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Deval Patrick sits on the board of directors of mortgage giant Ameriquest, which donated millions of dollars to conservative political groups in the 2004 presidential campaign and has been accused of taking advantage of low-income minorities. Patrick told the Globe he joined the board to help the company deal with the allegations of predatory lending and to put in place policies that would protect low-income consumers. LINK
Two follow up questions from us: how did Phillips get onto this story and was Patrick compensated for his service?
The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey with 49 percent to Sen. Rick Santorum's 35 percent, and Santorum's approval rating at 48 percent. According to the release, "Voters reject 55 – 37 percent President George W. Bush's plan to privatize Social Security and 38 percent say they are less likely to vote for Santorum because of his support for Bush's proposal. Another 15 percent say they are more likely to vote for Santorum and 43 percent say his Social Security position does not make a difference. . . . Only 14 percent of Pennsylvania voters are more likely to vote for Santorum because of his highly visible role in the Terri Schiavo case, with 34 percent who say they are less likely and 47 percent who say it does not make a difference."
2008: Republicans:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich comments on a presidential run at Dartmouth College: "I'll think about it in the summer of 2007," he said. "I'm in New Hampshire, and I'll be in Iowa, and I'll be back in New Hampshire and I'll be back in Iowa." LINK
Gov. Mitt Romney is expected to veto the Massachusetts Legislature's stem cell bill, which he has called radical.LINK
The Hill's Geoff Earle reports that Sen. Trent Lott's not putting his money on any of his Senate colleagues to win the White House in 2008 -- unless there is a "Senator v. Senator" general election match up. LINK
2008: Democrats:
The New York Post's Ian Bishop writes that Rep. Peter King may have given Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton a campaign slogan: "'When it comes to New York, Sen. Clinton is always there,' crowed King at a Washington breakfast with the New York State Building and Construction Trades Council." LINK
USA Today's op-ed page is just full of advice for Democrats today.
Rutgers Prof. Ross Baker tells Democrats to buck up -- they didn't do so badly in 2004, and they're only going to get better if they just be who the are as opposed to twisting into knots trying to reconfigure. LINK
James Carville and Paul Begala write that Democrats need to change their approach on everything, and become "the party of reform, change and a new direction." Their list: urging fiscal responsibility on the economy, demanding a health care overhaul rather than focusing on the specifics of a case like Terri Schiavo, fixing how the U.S. conducts foreign policy, and hammering (no pun intended) an agenda to revamp ethics rules and address charges of corruption. LINK
The Schwarzenegger era:
Gov. Schwarzenegger told editors at the Newspaper Association of America Tuesday that he thinks the country's policy on illegal immigration is too lax, and can be fixed by closing the border with Mexico -- softened later by spokeswoman Margita Thompson, who said he supports greater security along the border, not closing it. LINK
Iowa:
Gov. Tom Vilsack yesterday signed into law (somewhat reluctantly) the speed limit of 70 in rural Iowa, to go into effect on July 1, as reported by Jonathan Roos and Thomas Beaumont in the Des Moines Register. Motorists will now have to monitor their acceleration carefully, as Vilsack made it clear that there will be an aggressive crack-down on lead-footed drivers. LINK
Writing solo in a sister article, Thomas Beaumont, delves into specifics on a review of speed limits across Iowa. At Vilsack's request, a study will be performed by Iowa state transportation officials to ensure that the more heavily trafficked, and hence more hazardous, rural portions of highway will not make the jump to a 70 mph speed limit. " 'I will ask them to designate for me the areas where the limit won't be increased,' Vilsack said, adding that he will ask engineers to 'err on the side of caution.' " Although urban highways will likely remain at their current postings of 55 mph, they will also be evaluated. LINK
In the Sioux City Journal, Dan Gearino announces that "The increased fines and fees will raise an estimated $7.6 million, which will be devoted to the court system and the replacement of high-mileage State Patrol vehicles." Vilsack is an enthusiastic supporter of stricter penalties for hurried drivers. "He said this will end the current 'wink and a nod at the law' in which few tickets are written for drivers going just a few miles per hour over the limit." LINK
2005:
Jim Rutenberg had fun writing his Bob Kerrey story today. "Mr. Kerrey had provided some of the oddest moments of the mayoral campaign so far, with 'contradictory musings" that his former hometown newspaper, The Omaha World-Herald, called 'classic Bob Kerrey.' (On NY1 News last night, he discussed with the host, Dominic Carter, whether he was 'flaky')." LINK
Free Matt Cooper and Judith Miller:
A federal appeals court rejected a request for a new hearing and set the stage for Time magazine's Matt Cooper and the New York Times' Judith Miller yesterday, leaving open the possibility that the reporters could face jail time as early as next week. Both news organizations said they would seek a stay of the order. Next stop: the U.S. Supreme Court. LINK
Buy your T-shirt today: LINK
Wal-Mart:
In case you missed the full-page ad in today's New York Times announcing Wal-Mart Watch, we'll fill you in. The ad accuses the retail giant of paying its employees low wages and giving them meager health benefits while benefiting from $1.5 billion in federal taxpayer money on top of profits exceeding $10 billion, which they coin the "Wal-Mart Tax." Tens of thousands of Wal-Mart employees turn to public assistance like Medicaid and food stamps to supplement insurance with large deductibles -- meanwhile communities kick in millions for new roads and utility lines to stores, Wal-Mart Watch alleges.
"Wal-Mart may say 'low prices' but we're here to ask 'at what cost?'" goes the quote by Wal-Mart Watch Executive Director Andy Grossman.
The effort is a campaign of Five Stones, a 501(c)(4) founded alongside the Center for Community and Corporate Ethics, a 501(c)(3) last December, and aims to be a clearinghouse for Wal-Mart data and resources, coordinate activities among groups already conducting their own efforts against Wal-Mart's practices, and to be a political leader in such efforts.
Politics:
The Chicago Tribune's Jill Zuckman offers up an interesting profile of former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, whose new book, "One Soldier's Story," is a vivid look at his experiences in World War II. LINK
