The Note: Don't Be Offended By Frank Analysis

ByABC News
June 10, 2005, 9:49 AM

— -- WASHINGTON, June 10

NEWS SUMMARY
What we wonder:

-- With national security -- in the form of the USA PATRIOT Act (which, the Washington Post's Jim VandeHei reminds the world, the public supports), very tough reports on the conduct of the FBI and CIA with relation to 9/11, and an emphasis on foreign policy with foreign leader after foreign leader showing up for meetings with the President -- how the White House will react to the second bad batch of poll numbers this week.

The new Associated Press/Ipsos poll shows it's one ugly time to be in a position of power in Washington -- at least according to voters. The survey shows President Bush's approval rating at 43 percent, approval of his handling of the war in Iraq at 41 percent, and just 35 percent of American adults saying they think the country's on the right track. Bush scored low among those polled on a variety of issues, from foreign policy (45 percent approval) to Social Security (37 percent approval), and the economy (43 percent approve). Congress didn't do any better: 64 percent of those polled say they disapprove of the job lawmakers are doing. LINK

--Will Democrats decide there is value in the draw-the-fire-away-and-complain-that-the-media-is-distracting-from-issues strategy of Dr./Chairman/former VT Governor/2004 presidential candidate/Democrat/Christian/father/husband Howard Dean; be successful in toning it down now that they're actually managing to hold together on a variety of issues; and/or rally around a proactive agenda after all? And how will all that affect next week's Bolton vote?

-- Does Dean read his press clips and does he think he ever should calibrate his behavior accordingly? (OK: we don't really wonder about that . . .)

The Washington Post's E.J. Dionne offers up a must-read, clip and save reminding Democrats that while it's fun to harp on John Kerry for being a less-than-perfect candidate, they have a whole bunch of bigger problems that they need to face and address instead of being distracted by finger-pointing. In short: get over it and then get to it. LINK

--What form of all the fracas over public broadcasting finally take? LINK

And by the way, if you haven't been watching the historic original reports from ABC News' Bob Woodruff from North Korea, do yourself a favor and catch up with them on the Web. LINK

Today . . .

At 9:50 am ET, President Bush tours the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean, VA and talks about the USA PATRIOT Act at 10:15 am ET. He meets with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun in the Oval Office at 11:25 am ET (pool at bottom), and they hold a joint media availability at 12:15 pm ET.

Vice President and Mrs. Cheney are at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL, today, where Mr. Cheney will present medals and deliver remarks at a heroism awards ceremony at 2:00 pm ET. At 3:05 pm ET, Cheney delivers remarks at the closing ceremonies of SOCOM's International Special Forces Week at the Tampa Convention Center.

At 8:30 am ET, the House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to hold a hearing on the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act.

BRAC Chairman Anthony Principi visits Walter Reed Army Medical Center, slated to close in the latest report on base closings, at 10:30 am ET.

The Washington Post's John Harris, author of "The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House"; Andrei Cherny, author and former member of the Clinton Administration; and Chuck Todd, author and editor-in-chief of the Hotline, will join Progressive Policy Institute president Will Marshall for a "Friday Forum" on the topic of "Democrats and the Clinton Legacy" from 9:30-11:00 am ET at PPI in Washington, DC.

(Note preview: the "curse" whereby Washington Post reporters historically get negative reviews of their books in the New York Times -- surely coincidental -- is broken in this coming Sunday's Times Book Review, right on the front page, with an unambiguous rave for Harris' "The Survivor.")

Also at 9:30 am ET, Susan Page of USA Today and Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald join Mark Feldstein of George Washington University for a panel discussion on journalists using unnamed sources at the National Press Club.

Rep. John Boozman (R-AZ) holds a news conference to discuss "National Military Families Week" at 4:00 pm ET -- made more TV-friendly by the participation of singer/actress Hilary Duff.

On Saturday, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove delivers a lecture at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA.

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) heads to Concord, NH for a breakfast sponsored by the New Hampshire Republican State Committee.

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) headlines the Wisconsin Democratic Party's 2005 state convention in Oshkosh tonight.

Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) keynotes Florida Democrats' Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow night.

Be sure to tune in to ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" on Sunday when Robert Reich, Linda Douglass, and George Will join George on the roundtable to discuss the latest military recruitment numbers, General Motors big announcement about its future, and whether Howard Dean is hurting or helping his Democratic Party.

The politics of national security:
The Washington Post's Dan Eggen looks through the report issued yesterday by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine concluding that the FBI's inability to detect the Sept. 11, 2001 plots to hijack airliners and attack New York and Washington, DC was a massive failure on the agency's part, resulting from "widespread and longstanding deficiencies" in the agency's approach to terrorism and intelligence cases. LINK

But while the FBI was taking fire, the CIA certainly had a role in blocking the bureau's ability to do its job, reports the Los Angeles Times' Josh Meyer, highlighting a frightening detail in the DoJ report about an Agency employee blocking a CIA memo intended to warn the FBI about al Qaeda operatives entering the country. LINK

Dave Moniz of USA Today reports that the Army wants to double the top cash bonus for new recruits to $40,000 in an effort to stem the months-long recruiting slide during the war in Iraq. Officials are also considering a pilot program to give up to $50,000 in home mortgage help to enlistees who sign up for eight years of service. LINK

Social Security:
Blunt talk from Republicans in Congress about the future of Social Security reform proposals. " . . . the second-ranking Republican on the committee, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, said the Senate was unlikely to approve legislation that included investment accounts financed by Social Security taxes." LINK

"Another indication came on Wednesday when, for the first time, Representative Tom DeLay, the Texas Republican who is the majority leader, hinted that action on Social Security might not be in the cards in the House this year."

"Key Senate Republicans privately reviewed suggestions Thursday for raising the Social Security retirement age while limiting future benefits for upper-wage earners, officials said, as they sought momentum for legislation atop President Bush's second-term domestic agenda," AP reports. LINK

The President heads to Pennsylvania to talk about Social Security next week.

Bush agenda:
The Washington Post's Jim VandeHei recaps President Bush's pro-Patriot Act lobby in Ohio yesterday, and takes a look at the data in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll that shows the public supporting the President's view that the law should be renewed. LINK

". . .Taft was asked if he spoke to President Bush during Bush's 38th visit to Ohio Thursday about the investment scandal or a federal grand jury investigation of campaign contributions Noe made to an October 2003 fund-raising lunch for Bush in Columbus," writes the Cincinnati Enquirer's Jon Craig. LINK

"Taft told Statehouse reporters, 'I was with the president today, and we talked about something that was even more important: It's how proud we both are of our daughters.'"

For the first time, U.S.-based AIDS organizations must promise that they oppose prostitution and sex trafficking in order to receive federal funding for their overseas work, reports USA Today's Steve Sternberg. Critics say that such a "loyalty oath" could hinder the groups' abilities to work with prostitutes. LINK

Dean's Democrats:
The New York Times' Anne Kornblut says Chairman Dean received a "private scolding" during his closed-door meeting with Senators.

"'I've always been very cautious and careful to deal with my Democratic friends, my independent friends, my enlightened Republican friends, so I'm very concerned about anything that is unnecessarily divisive,' said Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, a Democrat in a red state, after attending a closed-door lunch with Dr. Dean in a conference room near the Senate floor." LINK

She Notes: "Past chairmen of both parties have unleashed cutting remarks against their opponents: the former Democratic chairman Terry McAuliffe in particular was known for off-the-cuff slams about his Republican counterparts. And although Ken Mehlman, the current Republican chairman, is far more cautious than Dr. Dean, he also has the luxury of a Republican-controlled Congress and White House, reducing his need to make news."

Several sources in the meeting yesterday tell ABC News that the tone was generally cordial. Several Senators did tell Dean directly that his comments weren't always helpful, but a larger number expressed their support for Dean and hinted to their fellow Senators to tone down their anti-Dean rhetoric.

The Washington Post's sly Mark Leibovich pays witness to the "media circus" surrounding the Hill meeting yesterday between Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Dick Durbin, and Dean, the apparent dominance of Brian Wilson of Fox News, and the fact that it's allegedly the media's fault that Dean's comments are posing a "distraction." LINK

But maybe the Big Top isn't such a bad idea after all. The "media circus" -- as Howard Dean calls the past several days -- has been a boon for the DNC financially (At least in the short term: the party reports that traffic to its Web site is up 50 percent and says it has taken in more than $100,000 in the past 24 hours on the Web.)

RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman described what he has heard from the Democrats of late as "hateful rhetoric" while keynoting at a Pittsburgh area fundraiser. LINK

The Manchester Union Leader editorial board dubs Howard Dean "a liar and a slanderer" whose most enamored audience is himself. LINK

The economy:
The Washington Post's Nell Henderson and Kirsten Downey look at Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan's remarks before Congress yesterday, concerned that interest-only mortgages are helping to push home prices to unsustainably high levels in some markets. LINK

William Neikirk of the Chicago Tribune has more on Greenspan's testimony that the housing situation is "froth," not a bubble. LINK

Judicial nomination battles:
The Washington Post's Chuck Babington Notes the bit of drama that accompanied the confirmation of Judge William Pryor, one of the three appellate court nominees who won Senate approval yesterday, with Sens. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) voting with the Democrats against Pryor's confirmation. LINK

Carl Hulse in the New York Times quotes Eric Ueland as saying "'We are moving into 'here there be dragons' territory' . . . . referring to the uncertainties and potential dangers for both parties that lie in the unexplored Senate waters ahead." LINK

"Democrats concede that the past few days have belonged to President Bush and the Republicans. But they say they will benefit in the long run by the compromise that preserved their ability to filibuster future nominees if they choose."

The Los Angeles Times' Maura Reynolds Notes the uncertainty ahead in trying to gauge how moderates will react to the nominations of Terrence W. Boyle to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit and Brett Kavanaugh to the District of Columbia appellate court. LINK

SCOTUS:
Impressed by Justice Thomas' originality in his dissent in the medical marijuana case, Charles Krauthammer says he hopes President Bush nominates Thomas to succeed Chief Justice Rehnquist. LINK

SEC Nominee Rep. Christopher Cox:
"The Cox nomination raises questions about how he would address regulation and enforcement cases that involve accounting and securities firms, which have been among the largest donor groups to his political campaigns over 16 years in Congress," the Washington Post's Carrie Johnson writes in her examination of who has donated to Cox and the lack of ethics guidelines addressing the unusual situation. LINK

Two writers in the Wall Street Journal preview Cox's confirmation hearings, writing that "In Washington, another drama is playing out behind the scenes over Mr. Cox's nomination. Some Senate Democrats are hinting they may try to block Mr. Cox's nomination until the White House agrees to formally nominate Annette Nazareth and Roel Campos to fill the two open Democratic seats on the five-seat commission."

Congress:
The Wall Street Journal's John Harwood writes in Washington Wire that conservatives are split on how to proceed with an estate tax repeal: "National Federation of Independent Business pushes Senate conservatives for vote on full, permanent repeal, even if they can't clear a Democratic filibuster. A business lobbying coalition presses Frist of Tennessee . . . "

"Kyl of Arizona wants more time for talks with Democrats, including Minority Leader Reid of Nevada, on a deal leaving tax in place for fewer than 1% of all estates. Forcing Democrats to vote on full repeal now would ruin negotiations, he says. Under current law, the tax would end in 2010 but return in 2011 unless Congress acts."

Mary Curtius of the Los Angeles Times looks at the House vote yesterday that further illuminated the hardened partisan positions over the ethics committee, shutting down the resolution by Minority Leader Pelosi to rebuke committee chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA) for trying to make his staff director the panel's chief of staff. LINK

Alicia Mundy of the Seattle Times examines Hastings' role -- and the role he's trying to stay out of -- in the ethics morass. LINK

The Chicago Tribune's Jeff Zeleny looks at the platform Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) appears to be trying to carve out for himself on the issue of race, as he questioned Henrietta Holsman Fore, director of the U.S. Mint and a nominee to be an undersecretary of state, about racially insensitive comments attributed to her more than a decade ago. LINK

The politics of PBS:
On A1, the Washington Post's Paul Farhi looks at the slashes to public broadcasting proposed by the House Appropriations subcommittee on labor, health and human services, and education that would eliminate all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in two years, and cut the taxpayer money underwriting shows like "Sesame Street" and "Reading Rainbow." LINK

Farhi Notes, "The subcommittee's action, which came on a voice vote, doesn't necessarily put Big Bird on the Endangered Species List. House members could restore funding as the appropriations bill moves along or, more likely, when the House and Senate meet to reconcile budget legislation later this year. The Senate has traditionally been a stronger ally of public broadcasting than the House, whose former speaker, Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), waged a high-profile but ultimately unsuccessful campaign to "zero out" funding for the CPB a decade ago."

The politics of same-sex marriage:
From Washington Wire: "Former Republican Sen. Danforth of Missouri, who cautioned his party recently about influence of religious right, joins board of Republican Unity Coalition, which opposes constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Danforth's successor Jim Talent has joined 26 other Senate Republicans in co-sponsoring a proposed amendment, which Bush favors."

House of Labor:
Kim Chipman and Kristin Jenson of Bloomberg profile AFL-CIO president John Sweeney and fill their story with news nuggets, such as Sweeney's weekly meetings with Andrew Stern, and these closing paragraphs: "Looking ahead to the 2008 presidential race, Sweeney said Senator Hillary Clinton of New York is considered the front-runner for the Democratic nomination and praised her: `Hillary's doing a great job as a member of the Senate.''"

"He said it's too soon to adequately assess the Democratic field and predicted former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, last year's vice presidential nominee, will run, and probably Kerry as well. Others such as New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson may also jump in, he said."

The Schwarzenegger era:
USA Today's Jill Lawrence offers a comprehensive look at the often bumpy gubernatorial tenure of Gov. Schwarzenegger, detailing his fights with the state legislature, the issues on the ballot in this fall's special election, and Schwarzenegger's determined optimism (sound familiar?) through it all. If you haven't been paying close attention to what the Governator has been up to, this is an excellent primer on everything you need to know. LINK

2005:
The New York Times' Jim Rutenberg assesses the week of Mayor Mike Bloomberg, writing that "Mr. Bloomberg has kept his game face on this week, vowing to push through his trash plan yesterday and promising not to let the stadium loss obscure the rest of the good work he says he is doing. He has made a show of joviality in the past few days." LINK

"In each case, the mayor failed to build the political support he needed for passage. And, in each, he was accused of trying to circumvent the usual governmental approvals only to bump up against leaders who ultimately blocked the plans because of what they said were the negative effects of the proposals on their home districts. In the case of the West Side development plan, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver worried that it would draw commercial tenants from the ground zero area, and in the case of the waste transfer plan, Council Speaker Gifford Miller, a Democrat running for the mayor's job, opposed his plan to place a waste transfer station in Mr. Gifford's East Side Council district."

The New York Daily News' Dave Saltonstall writes of reporters' (largely unsuccessful) efforts to put Michael Bloomberg on the couch after suffering a couple of political defeats this week. LINK

2006:
New York Republicans are hoping a Bank of America broker's courtroom victory against Eliot Spitzer may have put a chink in the gubernatorial hopeful's armor. The New York Post's Fred Dicker got these colorful quotes from the New York GOP Chairman. LINK

"'Looks like the 'Sheriff of Wall Street' had a gun full of blanks,' crowed Stephan Minarik, Gov. Pataki's handpicked state GOP chairman."

"'This jury of New Yorkers exposes Spitzer as a politician whose ambition has steamrolled too many hardworking men and women of our state,' Minarik continued. 'Eliot Spitzer finally found a headline he's not going to like.'"

The Wall Street Journal's editorial page celebrates the Theodore Sihpol not guilty verdict with a big "In yerrrrrrrr face" to Eliot Spitzer.

The Boston Globe reports that Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Lt. Gov. Kerry Healy have been talking about Romney's planned endorsement of Healy for governor in 2006 if Romney decides to bow out in favor of the 2008 presidential race. LINK

Boston Globe columnist Scot Lehigh lays his bet that Romney will pursue the presidential nomination in 2008, and urges Bay State Republicans with gubernatorial aspirations like Lt. Gov. Healey and Harvard Pilgrim CEO Charles Baker to start up their campaigns and start fundraising. LINK

2008:
The Manchester Union Leader has launched its 2008 New Hampshire primary section, proving that it's never too early. LINK

2008: Democrats:
The AP reports that Ret. Gen. Wesley Clark is urging the White House to follow through properly on rebuilding Iraq and that he expects the Army to announce a "substantial pullout" of troops in Iraq. Clark is in New Hampshire this weekend, the featured speaker at a Democratic fundraiser. LINK

2008: Republicans:
Geoff Earle of The Hill profiles Sen. John McCain and Sen. Chuck Hagel as possible presidential contenders in 2008. LINK

Politics:
Slate's hyper-talented Alexandra Starr calls Dick Wadhams the possible Karl Rove of 2008. LINK

W. Mark Felt talked to lots of reporters, not just Woodward -- so nyah nyah, writes USA Today's Mark Memmott. LINK