Print This Page Email This Page See Most Sent

You Wanted Archives? You've got Archives.

NEWS SUMMARY

This Note always tries to be forward-looking, but sometimes in order to be forward-looking, you have to dwell on past events. Just ask Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Indulge us for a few moments as we pick over the president's news conference from yesterday — probably the biggest political event of the week outside of Texas — in order to make a larger observation looking ahead to the midterm elections.

Besides, there's not much other political news out there today, aside from budget dealings and the likely defeat of the Pickering nomination up on Capitol Hill, and they both play to this point, too.

The president's confident performance at his news conference yesterday (despite some gaps and glossing over that get minimal notice in the papers) demonstrated the current fundamental problem for Democrats that Republicans had during the Clinton years: despite Tom Daschle's odd moments and ongoing "obstructionism," Democrats have no single leader or voice to pit against the president.

This advantage for Bush, and the fruits it's bearing for his party in the polls, have been increased exponentially by the war and Bush's national security cudgel. The coverage of the news conference yesterday universally notes how Bush started off voicing support for his appellate court nominee, Judge Pickering, but "had" to spend most of his time on the war and the Mideast. Well, we doubt the White House really minded that.

By our count, the president took 15 questions on international matters to only 11 on domestic stuff, and his answers on foreign and military matters got almost all the headlines.

And his campaign-honed tactic of slopping out his nicknames for the reporters (honey) and showing flashes of intimidating anger when he doesn't like a question (vinegar) allows him to control that room pretty darn well, even as it makes many Democrats wretch.

Also contributing to Bush's sparkly-eyed ease at the podium yesterday was the administration's growing confidence that they're not going to face the midterm election bloodbath that many presidents suffer.

Some of this has to do with insider, micro political dynamics like the unusually small number of competitive House seats we're expecting to see this year, but a lot of it has to do with bigger factors like, say, the fact that House Democrats seem unlikely, per Roll Call , to offer their own budget proposal.

"Unable to reconcile sharp ideological rifts within the Caucus, the House Democratic leadership is leaning strongly against offering an alternative to the Republican budget next week for the first time since the party lost its majority in the chamber in 1995," Roll Call reports. ( http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2002/03/news0314f.html )

"Senior Democrats cautioned that a final decision on tactics may not be made until next Tuesday … The party failed to offer an alternative when the GOP budget was marked up yesterday, proposing only a series of amendments. But leadership sources also conceded that there appears to be little chance that Democrats will be able to produce a budget blueprint that would receive support from a significant majority of the Caucus."

"Without a budget, Democratic leaders would lose a key instrument used to underscore differences with the GOP. The budget typically gives Democrats a set of issues on which to run, and the 30-second ads that are run against Republican incumbents often refer to votes taken against the 'priorities' outlined in the Democratic blueprint."

Democrats tell us they plan to keep pressing Bush on his tax cut and his defense spending versus Social Security, prescription drug reform, and maybe now education. But we have a tough time seeing our way clear to how they can focus on those items without putting forth a budget proposal of their own, since most of those things cost money. And with the exception of Senator Ted Kennedy and a few others, they haven't come out in favor of rolling back the tax cut, nor gone further than nervously and abstractly questioning Bush's proposed defense spending.

So maybe the president's relaxed, masterful manner yesterday was an expression of his confidence that, for now at least, he is politically untouchable.

However, there's a darker side to Bush's strength, as well as limits to his power and influence at home. A lot has been written about this Administration's penchant for secrecy, pegged to the energy task force/GAO fight and other developments. But a boffo must-read USA Today story sheds a new light on the administration's seeming equation of loyalty and secrecy, and the dissension and discomfort this causes among some Republicans on the Hill.

In a story laden with quotes from unnamed Hill GOPers (members and aides) about "arrogance," Bush's tough words about the GAO yesterday "caused dismay on Capitol Hill, as even GOP supporters warned that he risked fueling a confrontation." ( http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020314/3939807s.htm )

"Using a disciplined management style and a bit of old-fashioned fear, Bush and his lieutenants are not just withholding classified secrets from Congress. They're also exercising tight control over what administration officials can say and even which invitations to black-tie dinners staffers can accept."

"Retribution is swift for those who violate White House rules or betray secrets. Republican insiders estimate that at least four people have lost administration jobs because they did not live up to the White House code of conduct: Never disagree with Bush in public, and don't talk about what you know without approval."

White House communications chief Karen Hughes "is seen as the chief White House enforcer. Hughes 'really controls the message and the flow. She's the 800-pound gorilla that everybody's afraid of,' says a veteran GOP insider who has worked for several presidents. 'She has people fired and sends some pretty strong messages of no toleration' for breaking ranks."

"Her control extends beyond just the message. White House officials who have been invited to the White House Correspondents' Association black-tie dinner in May say they are required to notify Hughes' office. If an official receives multiple invitations, which is common, she decides which one he or she can accept. That level of involvement over who attends the annual dinner appears to be unprecedented."

"Bush is as insistent that aides keep quiet about what others say to him in confidence as he is about leaks of his own private words. A White House official says one of presidential spokesman Ari Fleischer's biggest mistakes, in Bush's eyes, occurred recently when Fleischer told reporters what Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle said during a meeting with Bush. Fleischer was described as shaken by the rebuke."

Then there's the seemingly imminent demise of the Pickering nomination, and continuing conservative grumbling that the White House didn't do enough to save it. And network news and the morning papers barely cover Bush's opening statement yesterday calling for a floor vote on the nomination, even though it appears that Pickering might indeed win a floor vote, were he to get one.

" Roll Call reported yesterday that Senator John B. Breaux, Louisiana Democrat, had became the third Democrat to publicly back the nomination. He joined Sens. Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina and Zell Miller of Georgia." ( http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020314-22380548.htm )

There's also the strain that the tax cut and defense budget are causing among House Republicans as they struggle with their own proposed budget. As the Los Angeles Times ' Hook points out, "if even the GOP-controlled House, the strongest bastion of fiscal conservatives in Washington, cannot produce a balanced budget, analysts say there is virtually no chance that Congress can avoid running even deeper into the red." ( http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/
la-000018826mar14.story?coll=la%2Dnews%2Da%5Fsection )

"Democrats … see potential political advantage in the House budget resolution's call for tapping $831 billion in Social Security surpluses to pay for other government programs from 2003 to 2007. That would force Republicans to violate their oft-repeated promise to keep Social Security surpluses in a 'lockbox'--meaning the money is off-limits for other purposes."

"Republicans yesterday gamely touted their fiscal 2003 budget plan as a 'wartime' balanced budget. They reached this result in part by not counting the cost of the recently enacted $43 billion economic stimulus package." ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24025-2002Mar13.html )

"In another departure, House Republicans drafted a plan for only the next five years, compared with the traditional 10-year estimates."

"Privately, a few GOP lawmakers acknowledged that yesterday's budget gimmickry was not consistent with earlier pledges to protect the Social Security surpluses and rely on CBO estimates."

"Next week, the Senate Budget Committee will draft its own plan. Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said his plan will use CBO estimates … Democrats will be hard pressed to craft a plan that brings the budget into balance while also funding programs important to key Democratic constituencies."

The Washington Post noted that Bush put forth no proposals yesterday for resolving the escalating violence in the Mideast, and observed, as a lot of papers did, that the chaos there is causing problems for Cheney's trip.

"The vice president had anticipated that concerns about the Middle East conflict would arise at each of his 11 stops in the region, but the issue now consumes more time than he expected, according to a senior administration official. The escalating violence was the subject of extensive discussions with Jordan's King Abdullah on Monday and will figure prominently as Cheney heads to Arab Gulf countries later this week."

"The administration official said the attention being paid to the violence has not bumped any of Cheney's priorities from the agenda. The official, however, left little doubt that the timing of the Israeli escalation has not worked to Cheney's advantage."

President Bush today will give a speech at the Inter-American Development Bank and meet with Canadian Prime Minister Chretien, with Rose Garden remarks to follow.

It's been leaked out there for days, but a House committee will formally release its Clinton pardons report today. Here's the latest AP write up..

From the ABCNEWS London Bureau: US special envoy Zinni is scheduled to arrive in Jerusalem today for his third attempt to mediate an end to the violence. He will be briefed by intelligence officials upon arrival and then proceed to a working dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Sharon, Foreign Minister Peres and Defense Minister Ben Eliezer. Despite the latest peace initiative and harsh words from President Bush, last night violence continued unabated. At least three Israelis have been killed by a booby-trapped roadside bomb in the southern Gaza Strip, and the Israeli army kept up its assault on Palestinian areas … American, Canadian and Afghan soldiers combed through the rubble of smashed caves in Shahikot area on Thursday hoping to find documents left behind by Taliban and al Qaeda forces.

Vice President Cheney arrived in Yemen today hoping to win support for preventing al Qaeda from regrouping outside Afghanistan.

Budget Politics

The New York Times lays the budget fight bare: "The House plan differed from Mr. Bush's budget proposal in a number of ways, seeking less in tax cuts and more for Medicare and highway spending. But Republican aides said that the House leadership and the White House had agreed to close ranks around the House plan and that Mr. Bush would be willing to threaten vetoes against any Democratic initiatives that would push spending higher." ( http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/14/politics/14BUDG.html )

"Democrats have been wary, to the point of paralysis, of advocating rolling back or delaying components of the tax cut to make more room for their policies."

The New York Times ed board doesn't like the president's tax-cutting ways, or House Republican budget, but they give a mild back of the hand to Democrats, too: "Democrats are planning to run for office this fall by accusing Republicans of raiding the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. The theme has a certain familiar ring to it, perhaps because Democrats have been running on and off as defenders of Social Security since at least the 1960's. With the economy improving and Mr. Bush's popularity still very high, the Democrats have no choice but to make Social Security the centerpiece of their campaign to regain control of Congress this year." ( http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/14/opinion/_14THU3.html )

Bob Novak sees the budget fight his own way, caused by "congressmen-for-life, who are never challenged for re-election and are dedicated to bringing home highways, water projects and even anti-terrorist facilities." ( http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/rn20020314.shtml )

He's referring to why it took so long for the Senate to agree on a resolution supporting the war against terrorism. He blames appropriators of both parties, but saves special scorn for Robert Byrd, who, he says, is petulant and demanding in browbeating executive branch witnesses, and because of his desire for yet another Robert C. Byrd facility, highway, school, stop sign, or what-not in West Virginia.

Pickering

Of all the gruel on the plate of official Washington, conservative activists have been most upset and chagrined about what's happened to President Bush's nominees in general, singularly symbolized for now in the nomination of Pickering to the Fifth Appellate circuit.

They are upset, of course, because of what they view as Democratic obstructionism. But also chagrined because the White House, they believe, hasn't done enough to tunnel through it.

President Bush's call yesterday for an up or down vote in the full Senate was welcomed by these folks — but might not be enough for the stalwarts.

Remember, there are three main actors in the Pickering nomination, aside from the Judge himself: Democrats, congressional Republicans, and the White House. The latter two are allied, of course, but have different needs to fulfill.

The White House wants to balance its expenditure of political energy and high poll numbers. Should it strongly promote a nominee whom Democrats have deemed unacceptable, even when it knows that drawing attention to Pickering's not-uncontroversial past could draw them into a losing fight over issues they don't want to touch?

If they don't fight the fight, however, they risk widening the distance between 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and Capitol Hill's Republican leadership. Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott always will be a Bush man. But his willingness to follow the lead of the White House might fade if his good friend Pickering is sacrificed.

We could tell from the president's tone and attitude in his opening statement yesterday that he and his conservative aides are boiling mad over the liberal alliance that has gotten Senate Judiciary Democrats to march in lockstep over this. Under no circumstances does the White House want to allow the Democratic interest group machine to claim a victory in the media.

Pickering's defeat could galvanize liberals. Emboldened by their success, Democrats and progressives might wage campaigns against nominees who are only moderately ideologically unacceptable, including for any US Supreme Court fights, and the president saw how such battles sapped his father's mojo.

Al Hunt's The Wall Street Journal column cheers on Democrats' obstruction of the nomination and other Bush judge picks, and amazingly ignores years and years of liberal judicial activism in writing "[J]udicial conservatives basically disagree with the thrust of court decisions over the past sixty years and would reverse many federal protections in civil rights, women's rights, environmental protection, campaign finance reform, privacy and abortion rights, returning to the dominance of states' rights … Such an epic change rightly belongs in the political arena, fully aired in elections this year and two years hence."

Across the page, Virginia Thomas (spouse of SCOTUS' Clarence) pens a deeply supportive open letter to Pickering, which says exactly what those of you who are familiar with Ms. Thomas' worldview would think it would say.

ABC 2004: The Invisible Primary

The Raleigh News & Observer's Wagner updates the status of the Senator John Edwards/Pickering/Dickie Scruggs fight, first reported by Roll Call , with the Mississippi trial lawyer arguing anew that Edwards has hurt himself among some of his professional colleagues for his lead opposition of Pickering — which at the same time may have boosted his standing among Democratic circles in Washington. "In an interview Wednesday, Edwards said he has been taken a little aback by all the media attention the Pickering case has generated." ( http://www.newsobserver.com/thursday/front/Story/1104813p-1103790c.html )

Edwards is pulling a double-header during the first weekend in May, addressing the South Carolina Democratic party convention on May 4, then heading to Michigan to speak at the state Democrats' Jefferson-Jackson Dinner that night.

The Boston Globe , which gets read in certain parts of neighboring states, leads the story of Senator John Kerry's loss yesterday on tougher fuel economy standards with, "One of Senator John F. Kerry's signature issues — an increase in fuel-efficiency requirements for cars, light trucks, and sport utility vehicles — was rejected by the Senate yesterday … but political strategists said that his effort and high profile on the issue will win support for the Massachusetts Democrat among environmentalists and others concerned about energy and fuel efficiency." ( http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/073/
nation/Senate_rejects_mileage_rule_Kerry_backed+.shtml )

Boston Globe columnist Joan Vennochi pokes around on one of our favorite watch-list items while at the same time working in some wondering about Kerry's seemingly mixed approach to talking about the war. Calling Kerry's Monday night fundraiser in Boston a "friendly but self-indulgent hostage-taking," Vennochi writes about Teresa Heinz's "long and serious" speech at the event and notes, "Maybe Kerry cannot say this to Heinz, but somebody should. She must decide if Kerry's campaign for president is going to be about him or about her. It cannot be about both." ( http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/073/oped/
A_delicate_political_line_for_Kerry+.shtml )

And at the same time, the columnist sort of backs into noting how Kerry seemed to step on his own message from his recent New Hampshire outing, where he got a great reception for arguing that it's right to question the war. Whereas at the Boston event, he did not pick up on his wife's open invitation, or Senator Clinton's, to pursue the same line.

Noting how House Minority Leader Gephardt's travel schedule lately arguably looks like the itinerary of an aspiring president, Stuart Rothenberg looks at Gephardt's somewhat changed (for those of you who keep an eye on such things) relationship with the Democratic House campaign committee, and what his absence in the House may mean for it. ( http://www.rollcall.com/pages/columns/rothenberg/

"Gephardt doesn't exercise the day-to-day control over the DCCC that he did when loyalists David Plouffe and Erik Smith were executive director and communications director, respectively, and when Gephardt consultants Bill Carrick and Tom O'Donnell were also major players at the committee. But the Missouri lawmaker remains the party's big name … 'He's pulled back some from last cycle,' said one party insider, 'but he's still been incredibly active.'"

"Gephardt's role at the committee has changed because members criticized his strong control last cycle. But if this is his swan song … his party will need to find a new point person for the DCCC. And that's easier said than done because Gephardt isn't just another House Democrat."

Al Gore's bust will be the first vice-presidential (as in, President of the Senate) bust to be located on the first floor of the US Capitol, Roll Call Daily reported yesterday, because they've run out of space for them on the second floor (Dan Quayle's, when completed, will get the last second-floor spot). "Gore has yet to consider sculptors for his project, according to spokesman Jano Cabrera, which leaves unanswered whether Gore will opt for the bearded bust. 'He's bustless,' quipped Cabrera. 'He needs to bust a move.'"

Politics

The Senate Ethics Committee staff report on the Torricelli probe has now been shared with all the committee members. "With this latest move, the Torricelli case appears to be headed for at least another month without resolution," Roll Call reports. ( http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2002/03/news0314d.html )

Roll Call also reports that Senate and House campaign fundraising dropped off in 2001. ( http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2002/03/news0314g.html )

Democrats' "Winning Strategies" PAC will hold fundraiser with James Carville and Senator Tom Harkin tonight in DC.

Deborah Orin's New York Post column says 1) Rick Lazio is driving a harder bargain with House leaders trying to get him to run for his old seat; and 2) that the president will decide between Florida and New York for the 2004 convention. ( http://www.nypost.com/commentary/43540.htm )

Texas

The Washington Post 's Balz offers this Senate primary digestive: "Privately many Democrats see a Kirk victory as crucial to the party's autumn strategy of mobilizing substantial turnout among black and Hispanic voters in Texas, acknowledging that their nominees for Senate and governor will begin the general election as clear underdogs to Gov. Rick Perry and John Cornyn, the state attorney general who won the GOP Senate nomination on Tuesday. Republicans hold every statewide office in Texas and are poised to capture the state House for the first time in more than a century, thanks to a favorable redistricting map." ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23993-2002Mar13.html )

Texas Gov. Rick Perry talked about kids and chided his Democratic opponent, Tony Sanchez, for the "incredibly negative" tone of his acceptance speech Tuesday night. ( http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/politics/1295136 )

Tennessee

One Alexander source tells us that Lamar already is shooting TV spots for air, apparently, starting this weekend. We asked where the money came from and were told that the ads are being paid for with money coming in now. Guess Ted Welch hasn't lost his touch.

Democrats took one or two more steps toward avoiding a contested primary as Rep. John Tanner yesterday said "no" to the race and Rep. Harold Ford now seems to be suggesting he's deferring to Rep. Bob Clement. ( http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/02/03/14878942.shtml )?Element_ID=14878942 )

And after Democrats' gloating about a nasty primary fight for Alexander, Republicans might be heading in the same, single-candidate direction. Roll Call reports, "In an interview Tuesday, [Rep. Ed] Bryant … would not rule out dropping his statewide bid." ( http://www.rollcall.com/pages/politics/00/2002/03/pol0314b.html )

The story adds these pieces to the puzzle: "Sources said Ford and Clement, among others, called Gore's office to discuss the race minutes after hearing Thompson's decision Friday. Ford, who seriously eyed a 2000 challenge to Frist before opting to run for re-election, said he would continue to consider his own Senate bid this year. In an interview yesterday, however, Ford appeared to back away from the race by strongly praising Clement. He said his colleague has emerged as 'a solid voice and a strong choice' of members of the delegation."

New Hampshire

A columnist for the Manchester Union Leader writes that the executive council race loss of Democrat John Kacavas spells trouble for Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, because Kacavas ran a Shaheen-like campaign. ( http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_show.html )?article=9585 )

Massachusetts

The Boston Globe reports that Mitt Romney could declare his candidate for governor of Massachusetts, challenging acting Gov. Jane Swift in the GOP primary, as early as Monday. ( http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/073/
metro/Romney_edges_closer_to_a_run+.shtml )

After its Ed Thompson tour de force from Wisconsin, the Washington Post offers another pretty good profile of an aspiring governor: Robert Reich (D) of Massachusetts. "If elected, Reich would be the shortest governor in the nation, perhaps the shortest governor in U.S. history, although no records of exact measurements exist." ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24219-2002Mar13.html )

Former President Clinton yesterday campaigned for his Democratic National Committee co-chair, Steve Grossman, who is viewed as an underdog candidate for the party's gubernatorial nomination. Clinton offered this: "While saying he had nothing bad to say about the other Democrats in the race, Clinton frowned on Reich's public criticism of his administration's economic policies, and his comments to the press that Clinton had offered 'encouragement,' to his gubernatorial bid. ( http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/073/metro/Clinton_enters_fray+.shtml )

"'I like him fine,' he said of Reich, in an even, somewhat restrained tone. 'But I didn't like the implication that somehow I'd encouraged him into the race when you already had one guy in the race that had supported my policies and at critical points he didn't. He has a right not to support my policies and to leave and say whatever he wanted to, but I don't have any animus toward any of these people. Whoever the Massachusetts Democrats pick, it's fine with me and I'll support them. But Steve Grossman is my friend.'"

Iowa

The $75 billion farm bill is in conference this week, and the Des Moines Register spins out the latest for-experts-only chapter of the whole "ethanol/MTBE/Iowa vs. California/Gray Davis-phone-home" saga. If you don't know what we mean, don't even THINK of reading this one. ( http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/17610849.html )

Bush Administration Strategy/Personality

USA Today 's Keen, along for the ride with Cheney, looks at how the "Bush administration's most famous heart patient" is taking care of himself on the road — what he's eating, how he's sleeping, and how he's traveling with an exercise bike and an emergency medical suite. ( http://www.usatoday.com/news/washdc/2002/03/14/usat-cheney.htm )

The The Wall Street Journal has a must-read on the president's tempered "cherished" tort reform agenda in the Post -Enron era, pegged to the White House's "stealthy" support of yesterday's House bill curbing class action suits.

The story suggests some business unease over the White House's caution, with support for measures directed at small business seen as safer than anything that comes to the aid of big business.

And make no mistake: there is serious corporate muscle and K Street connections behind these efforts. "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in a campaign partly financed by seven-figure checks from corporations, lined up an army of lobbyists for the fight, including Ed Gillespie, a former top Bush campaign aide."

CAFE

The The Wall Street Journal describes environmental groups as "shocked by the margin of defeat," but anyone who is a student of the amazing long-running political impotence of much of the environmental movement would be anything BUT shocked.

Legislative Agenda

Some papers this morning follow up on ABCNEWS' Alexandra Stoddard's reporting last night that Daschle has officially started the process to bring up Shays-Meehan-McCain-Feingold next week, setting the stage for floor debate starting Wednesday and, possibly, going all night Wednesday and Thursday to break a GOP filibuster. In the end, Stoddard advises, both sides could suddenly achieve an agreement — stranger things have happened — so there may no filibuster at all. But as of now, there are 30 hours hanging out there starting sometime on Wednesday that CFR opponents have to mess with … and should they choose to, Daschle wants to make it painful.

The Los Angeles Times notes that Lott doesn't think there will be a filibuster. ( http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/
la-000018823mar14.story?coll=la%2Dnews%2Da%5Fsection )

On another CFR-related matter, Roll Call reports that House Ways and Means chairman Thomas soon will introduce a bill to change — opponents say weaken — disclosure requirements for 527 groups (a/k/a "stealth PACs"), but the measure isn't likely to survive on the other side of the Hill. ( http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2002/03/news0314b.html )

Roll Call offers a status report on where Congress is in planning that joint session in New York City. No date has been set yet, though it's looking like it would happen on a Monday ro a Friday, and no real legislative business would be done. "The most likely format for the event would be a joint House-Senate session that would be completely ceremonial in nature … 'There wouldn't be any votes,' suggested a House GOP leadership aide. 'We would probably pass a resolution in D.C. and read it or present it there.'" No comment yet from the White House on whether or not President Bush would attend. ( http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2002/03/news0314a.html )

Enron

Roll Call reports that House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Tauzin's Enron probe is posing a fundraising obstacle for his party. "Securities industry firms and banks targeted by Tauzin's investigators over their role in the creation of outside partnerships run by top Enron executives are balking at giving to an upcoming fundraising event in New York City being put together by the National Republican Congressional Committee … NRCC officials have quietly passed along these protests to House GOPleaders, including top aides to Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), although Hastert has made no move thus far to rein in Tauzin." ( http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2002/03/news0314c.html )