The Note: The Note
— -- WASHINGTON, Aug 8
NEWS SUMMARY
We thank those readers who have sent in condolences about Peter Jennings. As always, we will do our best to live up to the extraordinary standards of journalistic excellence he set throughout his career. And we miss him.
There are three political events to watch today.
President Bush will sign the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law in Albuquerque, NM at 1:35 pm ET. Just before the bill signing ceremony, the President will tour the Sandia Solar Tower Complex. The President will return to his ranch in Crawford, TX this afternoon.
At 11:00 am ET, NARAL Pro-Choice America is expected to release its first television ad in the Roberts nomination battle urging people to join the group's opposition to the nomination.
Also at 11:00 am ET, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) joins Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) for the grand opining of Rio Bend, a privately-funded foster care community in Richmond, TX.
Make sure to check out our complete look at the week ahead below.
Bush agenda:
If you have time to read any political story today, make sure it is Ron Brownstein's Los Angeles Times column looking at the successful Republican strategies both legislatively and electorally, but warning that the majority party may be in danger of overreaching. LINK
Newsweek was out with a poll over the weekend with the President posting his highest disapproval rating on handling Iraq since the war began. LINK
On the other hand, Greg Ip writes in the Wall Street Journal that the recent good economic news may help President Bush's approval ratings.
The New York Times' Elisabeth Bumiller writes that the duration of Mr. Bush's five-week vacation in the blast furnace of Crawford, Tex. is "not only the length of a classic French vacation, but grist for some Democrats." She sees the relatively busy start to his vacation as a desire to be in "purposeful motion" on the anniversary of the Aug. 6, 2001 "Bin Laden Determined to Attack United States" PDB that Bush received in 2001 while on vacation and that his critics still cast as a sign of the Administration's complacency. LINK
Time Magazine takes a look at the well-traveled Secretary Rice six months on the job: LINK
Roberts:
Mike Allen in the Washington Post writes that conservative support for Judge Roberts remains steady, as most give him the benefit of the doubt. LINK
Per the New York Times' Adam Liptak, Roberts has written "quite a bit in opposition to a constitutional right to privacy that has served as the basis for Supreme Court decisions protecting abortion and gay rights. But his writings, though distinctive and consistent, were always on behalf of superiors and clients and might not reflect his own views, then or now." LINK
The Post's Sam Coates picks up Roberts on "Capitol Conversation" from 2000, which aired on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" yesterday. Coates Notes that Roberts was well aware of justices who did not turn out on the Court as their presidential patrons had expected. LINK
The Wall Street Journal's Jess Bravin writes on the importance of law and order jurisprudence to Judge Roberts.
The New York Times' Robin Toner took a Sunday Week-in-Review look at Judge Roberts' Catholicism and the relationship between religion and the Supreme Court. LINK
Some Democratic Senators "clearly worry" that Pat Leahy, the "gentlemanly" ranking Democrat on the Judiciary panel, might prove too accommodating during the Roberts showdown, per the New York Times' Sheryl Gay Stolberg's Sunday story. LINK
The politics of Iraq:
The New York Times' Dick Stevenson attributes the media attention Cindy Sheehan has attracted to a "confluence" of forces: last week's deaths of 20 Marines from a single battalion, slipping poll support, and a White House press corps camped in Crawford, Tex. without much to do. LINK
USA Today on Sheehan's vigil outside Bush's ranch. LINK
The politics of national security:
"A Marine regiment that took heavy casualties last week in western Iraq -- including 19 killed from a Reserve unit headquartered in Ohio -- had repeatedly asked for about 1,000 more troops. Those requests were not granted," USA Today's Kimberly Johnson reports. LINK
Tom Kean, the former Republican governor of New Jersey who led the bipartisan Sept. 11 commission, is disappointed that the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, the CIA, and the FBI have failed to respond to requests made two months ago for updated information on the government's anti-terrorism programs. LINK
The Fitzgerald investigation:
Over the weekend, Murray Waas reported in the online version of the American Prospect that Scooter Libby and Judith Miller allegedly met on July 8, 2003. LINK
According to Roll Call's Mary Ann Akers, before Bob Novak flipped out on CNN's Inside Politics last week, Ed Henry, who had a copy of "Who's Who In America" in front of him, planned on asking Bob Novak, "'Is this where you got Plame's name? Or did it come from Karl Rove?'"
The Wall Street Journal editorial board reminds James Carville that it has defended Novak before.
(Novak's column today is about Colombia. LINK)
The Washington Post's Mike Allen will replace John Dickerson as one of Time Magazine's two White House correspondents in a move that the New York Times' Katharine Q. Seeyle seems to think could have implications for Time's other White House correspondent, Matt Cooper. LINK
The New York Times opines that the United States is sending the signal to the world that it's okay to go after journalists as long as you invoke national security. LINK
2008:
Roll Call's Chris Cillizza looks at the varied strategies being used by different '08 PACs.
2008: Republicans:
Roll Call's Paul Kane and Suzanne Nelson report that Sen. Bill Frist wants to allow leadership political action committees to transfer unlimited sums to the national party committees, a move which puts him at loggerheads with potential '08 challenger Sen. John McCain.
The Boston Herald reports that Gov. Mitt Romney (along with Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial candidate Thomas Reilly) is sifting through campaign donations, cleaning out any questionable money. LINK
2008: Democrats:
The Los Angeles Times' Janet Hook spent some Empire State time with Sen. Clinton and produces a front-page look at her perceived attempts to cultivate a centrist image both in New York and nationally. Be sure to Note how deftly Sen. Clinton avoids making any news in the interview with Hook. LINK
Bob Novak's weekend column had news of a Sen. Clinton fundraiser on Nantucket. LINK
Salon.com profiles Gov. Bill Richardson. LINK
2006:
In the wake of Hackett's strong showing, at least three other veterans of either the Iraq or Afghanistan military campaigns are running for Congress as Democrats next year, Roll Call reports.
The unions might be angry with Melissa Bean, but the Chamber is happy with her, per Bob Novak's Sunday column. LINK
2005:
The New York Times' Healy and Confessore on Gifford Miller's betting on a late surge, not unlike Kerry's homestretch in the Iowa caucuses. LINK
Michael Saul and Maggie Haberman's New York Daily News campaign column includes Anthony Weiner hoping that a Schumer endorsement of his campaign may be in the offing. LINK
Politics:
Tom Edsall wrote Saturday in a must-read on the $80 million promised to liberal causes by the Democracy Alliance. LINK
New DeLay spokesman Kevin Madden gets Houston Chronicle profile treatment. LINK
The week ahead:
On Tuesday, President Bush spends the day at his ranch, holding briefings with Al Hubbard, director of the White House National Economic Council and Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. The President and his economic advisors are expected to hold a press availability as well.
The President will head to Montgomery, IL on Wednesday to sign the highway bill.
Also on Wednesday, DNC Chairman Howard Dean attends a New Hampshire Democratic Party fundraiser in Concord, NH.
At 2:00 pm ET, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) discusses his new book "It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good" in Wilmington, DE. Expect a Q & A as well as a book-signing to follow Santorum's talk.
President Bush, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and Secretary of State Rice will hold a press availability at the Crawford, TX ranch on Thursday afternoon.
Friday marks the annual lunch at the Bush ranch in Crawford, TX for heavy weight Republican donors. Both President and Mrs. Bush will attend the closed press RNC event at the Broken Spoke Ranch on Friday afternoon.