The Note: We Read the News Today, Oh Boy

— -- WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 --

NEWS SUMMARY
The President is home, but he has no public events planned.

The governors are arriving in Washington, DC for four days of meetings, but Gov. Schwarzenegger isn't coming (Although you can see him Sunday morning on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos.").

If something fundamental has changed in the Social Security tug of war (really: it's more like tetherball), we haven't been able to detect it yet.

The date of the first televised Ken Mehlman-Howard Dean debate remains very much TBD.

It has nothing to do with politics (actually: it does), but the Washington Post's Robin Givhan does for Secretary Rice's boots what she did for Vice President Cheney's parka in the Style section. LINK

At 11:15 am ET, tireless First Lady Laura Bush joins Elaine Karp de Toledo, the first lady of Peru, for a tour of the exhibit "Peru: Indigenous and Viceregal" at the National Geographic Society.

At 9:30 am ET, Treasury Secretary John Snow takes his turn at selling President Bush's Social Security plan at the Jacksonville (FL) Chamber of Commerce.

At 10:00 am ET, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich talks about his new book at the American Enterprise Institute.

Gov. Howard Dean is in Lawrence, KS, for a rally and fundraiser this evening. He's in Chicago for a fundraiser tomorrow morning.

At the National Governors Association meeting this weekend, Bill Gates talks about education on Saturday morning, and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on Sunday afternoon.

The policy and politics festival that is the NGA meeting should delight and fascinate those who care about our laboratories of democracy all weekend long.

And, as we said above, on Sunday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sits down with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos to talk about his party and its future, his tenure as governor, the President's agenda, and even the Oscars.

And speaking of the Oscars: guess right now: what political figures will be the target of Chris Rock's humor?

It is, as they say at the Capital Grille, all about the zeitgeist.

Social Security:
Per John Harwood's Washington Wire, the GOP claims to see the ice breaking among some Democrats (but sans specifics), and some Democrats start to get nervous about Joe Lieberman:

"Despite White House courting, Democratic Sen. Nelson of Nebraska is unlikely to embrace Bush's private-account plan, an associate predicts. House Democratic campaign committee seeks donations to fuel 'caught-on-tape' drive to weaken Republican members by publicizing alleged flip-flops on the issue. Plan B? Republicans insist Bush could "win" without legislation by hitting "anti-reform" Democrats."

Noam Scheiber in The New Republic opines that Social Security will hurt the Republicans even more than some of them fear. Just look at how unpopular it is in marginal districts, he writes. LINK

The New York Times' Anne Kornblut on the travels of Social Security deputy commissioner James Lockhart, who has appeared on some town meetings with pro-personal-account GOP Members of Congress. Lockhart's defense is simply that no Democrat has asked him to accompany them to their district meetings. LINK

The Washington Post's Jeffrey Birnbaum follows up on the Roll Call story that that there's yet another group in town formed to attack President Bush's Social Security plan: the Hildebrand-Tewes-Woodhouse Americans United to Protect Social Security, a nonprofit "with close ties to organized labor" planning to raise $25 million to $50 million to pressure lawmakers to vote against it. LINK

Bush agenda:
The New York Times' Edmund Andrews and Elisabeth Becker report that a third of all top-level policy positions at Treasury are unfilled and suggest that the Administration is having trouble recruiting names of stature, in part because of the perception that policy is made at the White House. LINK

The Washington Post's Paul Blustein looks at the up side of foreign investment in the U.S. economy, and the downside of the ever-increasing trade deficit, which is approaching 6 percent of gross domestic product, "the highest percentage of any major industrial country in modern times." LINK

Governors' agenda:
Writes John Harwood in the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire: "National Governors Association chairman Warner, a Virginia Democrat, joins Republican colleague Huckabee of Arkansas in resisting White House plans to cut $60 billion over 10 years from the federal-state program. But Warner pushes fellow Democrats to back cost-saving changes, from improved information technology to new health-purchasing arrangements, to ease long-term budget pressures."

"A potential stumbling block: presidential aspirations by governors including Democrats Warner, Vilsack of Iowa and Richardson of New Mexico, and Republicans Romney of Massachusetts, Owens of Colorado and Barbour of Mississippi."

Chairman Specter:
Sen. Arlen Specter, on the Hill for the first time since announcing he has Hodgkin's disease, said yesterday that turmoil will rule the Senate if lawmakers don't come to some kind of an agreement over judicial nominees -- and it's not just the Democrats who have to give, the Washington Post's Chuck Babington reports. Specter said he will start confirmation season with appellate court nominee William G. Myers III, as he has 58 votes toward ending a filibuster on that one, and then he'll work his way through. LINK

The New York Times' Neil Lewis Notes Sen. Arlen Specter's advice for President Bush to reach out to Democratic potential SCOTUS candidates. LINK

Dana Milbank watched Specter's presser yesterday, Noting that the Senator stuck to his guns in not endorsing -- even criticizing -- the "nuclear option," and is looking toward his new term as a centrist, offering even-handed criticism of his own party. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Maura Reynolds calls Specter "unbowed and combative" -- and pushing hard the idea of compromise. LINK

The Washington Times says the Committee for Justice is "concerned" about Specter's remarks. LINK

Roll Call's Paul Kane looks at the personal and legislative agenda Specter laid out -- from managing a bill on bankruptcy to the Myers nomination to talks on the asbestos bill and then the nomination hearing of Terrence Boyle to 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Note well the different views of the key vote counts.

Chairman Dean, the Democrats, and liberals:
In Kansas, the AP ends its story on Dean's Jayhawk walk by stating that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius wasn't there to welcome Gov. Dean. LINK

But wait: she'll be there this morning at a breakfast fundraiser in Wichita.

Local coverage was generally balanced: LINK

The NRSC sent a long memo yesterday dredging up several of Dean's now-infamous quotes about gays, with the hoped effect of portraying any Democrat who stands with him as out of step with mainstream values.

Is there a national Republican plan to use the presence of Howard Dean atop the DNC to hurt the party? (Are we naïve to even ask that question?)

Is there a national Democratic plan to counter any Republican plan to use Dean to hurt the Democratic Party he leads? (Are we naïve to even think that that could be true?)

And will Dean comment tonight on Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline's attempt to obtain patient files of women who underwent late-term abortions? LINK

Paul Krugman summons, and endorses, Thomas Frank's "What's The Matter With Kansas?" in arguing that the right will do what it takes to get leverage on Social Security. LINK

Liberals are watching Dean with a cautious eye, too. LINK

So are conservatives in New Hampshire. LINK

The Washington Post's E.J. Dionne has high hopes and fingers crossed for the Democrats' commission to figure out -- or re-figure out -- the presidential nomination process, and the considerations of the big/state small state scenario in picking a nominee. LINK

House of Labor's Extreme Makeover:
John Sweeney, the president of the AFL-CIO, endorsed radical proposals Thursday to transform the stagnant U.S. labor movement and said there was a consensus among its leaders to put them into practice.

Sweeney's remarks on a conference call with reporters were designed to set the agenda for what will be a contentious debate of numerous reform proposals during a meeting next week of labor's top executives in Las Vegas.

Sweeney has been under intense pressure to endorse a course of reform and yesterday's remarks were what one of his aides called "opening thoughts."

But the nation's largest labor organization, the 1.8 million member Service Employees International Union, has threatened to leave the AFL-CIO unless Sweeney and the AFL-CIO agree to changes that go beyond what Sweeney hinted at yesterday.

For months, the union movement has engaged in a wrenching and public debate about how to grow its ranks and increase its relevance.

For the first time, Sweeney endorsed proposals to rebate union dues to national unions that promise to use the money to organize new workers. And he vowed to voluntarily encourage smaller unions to join larger ones. Sweeney would not say how large a rebate of dues he would support and said he opposes efforts to force unions to merge.

Sweeney is a former President of SEIU. His successor and friend, Andrew Stern, has become the movement's most vocal critic. It's unclear whether Sweeney's proposals yesterday, if fully fleshed out and approved by the executive committee when it meets again in July, will prevent Stern from taking his union out of the AFL-CIO. The proposals appear to be based on a reform plan submitted by the Teamsters union.

Privately, Stern has told fellow labor leaders that unless the AFL-CIO agrees to consolidate unions into industry sectors and commit the majority of its money to organizing new workers, he would leave. Sweeney indicated he was not yet willing to go as far as Stern wants but he refused to rule out Stern's proposals. Sweeney has several powerful allies on the executive committee, including Gerald McEntee of AFSCME, a public employee union.

Stern is a close confidant of DNC chairman Howard Dean and some Democrats believe that his political clout would rise considerably without the constraints of AFL-CIO membership. The SEIU spent more than $60 million on political action in 2004, more than any other AFL-CIO union.

An aide to Stern said that Stern will wait to read Sweeney's proposals before he comments publicly.

Sweeney, who was elected to the AFL-CIO presidency in 1995, also said he would seek a third term as President. John Wilhelm, a reformist leader of the UniteHere union, might challenge him. Stern and Wilhelm have similar views on labor reform.

Though Sweeney is widely admired within the union movement, he's been on the tailing end of the reform efforts.

During the 10 years he's been at the helm of labor's executive body, union membership rosters have lost millions of names, in part because of trade agreements with foreign countries, the rapid productivity growth in the U.S. economy, the advance of right-to-work laws in states, and the movement's own focus on political activity, rather than on recruiting new members.

Writes the Wall Street Journal's Jeanne Cummings: "But even as Mr. Sweeney has embraced some reform ideas, it remains unclear whether the 70-year-old labor president, renowned for his diplomatic skills, can implement sweeping changes fast enough to satisfy a coalition of union leaders threatening to create an alternative organization that would drain strength and stature from the AFL-CIO."

The Los Angeles Times' Nancy Cleeland sizes up Sweeney's comments on change and the union. LINK

The New York Times' Steven Greenhouse recalls that Sweeney said in 1995 he'd only stay in the job for 10 years. LINK

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Von Bergen Notes that Sweeney touted the AFL's opposition to Social Security private/personal accounts. LINK

And the AP's Christine Almeida Notes that Howard Dean will address the executive committee meeting next Tuesday. LINK

The Schwarzenegger Era:
The Los Angeles Times' Robert Salladay looks at the Governator's upcoming fundraising blitz, from Los Angeles ($89,200 gets you a private briefing) and Indian Wells, CA, to Ohio, New York, and Washington. He begins in Ohio on March 4. LINK

"Schwarzenegger faces increasing criticism for his fundraising, expected to top $150 million by the end of 2006. He has been holding policy briefings with donors to explain his agenda for change, but he has repeatedly said he would not trade contributions for specific actions. The law allows candidates to talk to donors about their policies but prohibits them from linking money to favors."

Might it come up this weekend when Schwarzenegger is a guest on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos"? Tune in and find out.

2006:
The New York Times' James Dao has a nice article on Democratic complaints about Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R), but did he really have to add (without elaboration of context) that Ehlrich is a "onetime ally of Newt Gingrich?" LINK

Former Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swann has formed a campaign committee to raise money for a run in the GOP gubernatorial primary, and yesterday he put his toe into the policy pool on abortion and a few other issues. LINK and LINK

Sen. John Kerry:
Sen. John F. Kerry will address more than 400 union leaders and other legislative activists at the opening session of the National Treasury Employees Union's annual legislative conference next Tuesday, March 1, in Washington, DC. The opening session will begin at 9:00 am ET Tuesday in Washington, D.C. NTEU endorsed Sen. Kerry's presidential bid.

2008:
In a shortish Wall Street Journal op-ed piece, James Taranto warns Republicans to check their hatred of the Clintons:

"They may help her in the general election, too. One reason Democrats failed to unseat President Bush was that they were blinded by their hatred for him. This made them overconfident, as they mistook their emotions for facts, assuming that because they couldn't stand him, he must be (as one candidate put it) a 'miserable failure.' They obsessed over nonissues (Halliburton, Mr. Bush's National Guard service), and they failed to realize that their totally negative campaign reflected badly on them, not on Mr. Bush. If Mrs. Clinton is the nominee in 2008, Republicans risk repeating these mistakes."

Not to take anything away from Mr. Taranto (quite the contrary) this strain of HRC thinking has become CW in some GOP quarters.

New York state legislators step up their pressure on Sen. Clinton to help Amadou Diallo's family's stay in the U.S. LINK

The New York Post's Niles Latham stirs up trouble regarding Sen. Clinton and Iraq. LINK

Former Sen. John Edwards visits St. Louis and other parts of the Show-Me State on March 5. LINK

Edwards makes Page Six, simply by lunching at Michael's. LINK

He heads to Fort Lauderdale, FL to keynote the Broward County JJ dinner tomorrow, then speaks at an African-American church on Sunday morning in Wilton Manors.

Politics:
The New York Times' take-out on experts with drug industry connections is bound to get attention, although one wonders if it's a bad thing for the FDA to consult with folks who have a good working knowledge of the industry they regulate. LINK

Ralph Nader came out to slam President Bush on Iraq yesterday, the Washington Post's Brian Faler reports, urging a withdrawal of U.S. troops within six month and replacing them with troops from neighboring countries, and declaring the election invalid and ordering a re-vote. He also slammed Howard Dean for not being more forceful on Iraq. LINK

The Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet has all the lawmakers' itineraries -- from House Speaker Hastert raising money in Hawaii and today in Hollywood and elsewhere in California, to Evan Bayh huddling with money folk in the Windy City, to Sen. Durbin in Chicago, Rep. Emanuel in Vegas, and Gov. Blagojevich looking to keep a low profile at the NGA meeting. She also Notes that Gov. Howard Dean will be at a high-end event in Chicago Saturday morning. LINK

Chairman Mehlman got good coverage from his visit to the Garden State. LINK

The Connecticut state legislature is warming up to establishing civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, the Boston Globe's Yvonne Abraham reports, making it the first state to act on the issue without prompting from court cases. There's also a possibility that a provision will be added to recognize the same-sex marriages performed in other states. LINK

King County (WA) prosecutors have not yet begun their investigation into suspect felon voters, the Seattle Times' David Postman and Cheryl Phillips report. LINK

For those distraught by Midwest Airlines' change from a direct flight from Reagan National Airport to Des Moines to transferring through Milwaukee (a lovely place though it is), fear no more: beginning on Tuesday, March 1, Northwest Airlines begins the only daily non-stop flights from Washington, DC to Des Moines. So when you start thinking about making reservations for scouting trips, JJ dinners, steak frys, and the best room at the Hotel Fort Des Moines, you are now ready to rock.

We who are about to fly salute you -- and thank Sens. Harkin and Grassley, Rep. Boswell, and the FAA lottery.

Media:
The Washington Post's John Mintz reports that a federal judge in New York ruled on Thursday that the New York Times cannot be compelled to turn over phone records to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in an investigation not of the Plame case but of the alleged possible ties of two Muslim charities to terrorism. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Johanna Neuman writes about the colorful characters that have populated the White House press corps over time -- not just Jeff/James Gannon/Guckert -- who prompt the question: What is a journalist? LINK

The Wall Street Journal's Cooper and McKinnon do pretty much the same thing on B1.

The pair review Washington's best stage-play: the White House briefing room.

"The question at the regular White House press briefing on Feb. 1 came straight out of left field: "Does the president believe in Commandment No. 6 -- 'Thou shalt not kill' -- as it applies to the U.S. invasion of Iraq?'" LINK

"White House spokesman Scott McClellan didn't miss a beat. "Go ahead, next question," he said to the roomful of reporters. Mr. McClellan's rebuff notwithstanding, the questioner, former Ralph Nader campaign volunteer Russell Mokhiber, got his first entry of the month for a Web diary he writes called 'Scottie & Me (formerly Ari & I).' The diary, made up entirely of exchanges between Mr. Mokhiber and the president's chief spokesman, is a standing feature for the Common Dreams News Center, an organization of self-described progressives."

And they continue: "Once the clubby preserve of big-name newspapers and networks, it has lately become a political stage where a growing assortment of reporters, activists and bloggers function not only as journalists but as participants in a unique form of reality TV."