The Note

W A S H I N G T O N, Oct. 8 —
, 2003 -- Today's Schedule (all times Eastern):

— 9:45 am: Off-camera White House press gaggle with Scott McClellan —11:00 am: Governor Bill Richardson speaks at a youth political rally at Bunker Hill Community College, Boston

— 12:30 pm: On-camera White House press briefing with Scott McClellan

— 1:30 pm: Senator John Edwards has lunch with Scott County Democrats, Davenport, Iowa

— 1:35 pm: General Wesley Clark visits a school for homeless children, Phoenix

— 2:00 pm: Senator Joe Lieberman visits an adult English as a second language class, Phoenix

— 2:45 pm: Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun makes remarks at Parker High School, Birmingham, Ala.

— 3:00 pm: President Bush makes remarks on domestic violence prevention and signs a Proclamation for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, White House

— 3:00 pm: Senator John Kerry attends a private campaign fundraiser, San Francisco

— 3:30 pm: Senator Lieberman attends a luncheon with veterans, seniors and local leaders, Phoenix

— 4:00 pm: Ambassador Moseley Braun speaks at a voter registration drive at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, Ala.

— 4:30 pm: Senator Edwards has coffee with Democratic activists, Fort Madison, Iowa

— 5:00 pm: Senator Lieberman speaks to the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, Phoenix

— 5:00 pm: Senator Kerry meets with the International Association of Fire Fighters, San Francisco

— 5:45 pm: Senator Edwards attends a community gathering, Keokuk, Iowa

— 6:00 pm: Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger announces Congressman David Dreier as the head of his transition team, Los Angeles

— 6:30 pm: Senator Lieberman makes remarks to an interfaith group, Phoenix

— 7:00 pm: President and Mrs. Bush attend the 2003 Republican National Committee Presidential Gala at the Washington Hilton Hotel, D.C.

— 8:00 pm: Senator Edwards meets with Davis County Democrats, Bloomfield, Iowa

— 10:00 pm: Senator Kerry attends an event with Arizona fire fighters, Tucson, Ariz

NEWS SUMMARY

What matters now:

If David Broder is up to competing against Mary Hart and Finnish TV covering this winter's National Governors Association meeting.

Todd Harris' bachelor party.

Pete Wilson.

Joe Wilson.

Rice v. Rummy LINK, the economy, Bonjean's jobs jobs jobs mantra, and Cabinet surrogates.

The continuing inability of all the Democratic presidential candidates to impress Ed Gillespie with an optimistic message of hope, growth, and opportunity (or, even, of opportunity, responsibility, and community).

$200 million and whether Howard Dean busts the caps.

If the Los Angeles Times is still allowed Capitol credentials.

Next week's presidential trip to California.

The drive time from Hoover to Sacramento (and the flight time from SFO to LAX, to meet with the governor-elect where he will actually be..).

Whether Governor Schwarzenegger sides with Tommy Thompson or Bill Thomas on dual eligibles. LINK

If Tucker Eskew can sell Iraq success through and around The Filter (that's us!) at least as well as Mindy Tucker sells the new GOP and Carter Eskew sells..everything. LINK

What Scott McClellan meant when he said it is "absurd to suggest that this White House would seek to punish someone for speaking out with a different view."

If the breathless political press corps and caffeinated morning show producers can realize that the vast disorganization and growing pains in the Clark campaign are scarcely revealed -- with all due respect -- by the departure of Californian Donnie Fowler.

Will Jay Leno ask Chris Matthews about Karl Rove?

Will Dan Rather get his Schwarzenegger interview?

Will the press be able to record the Bush-Schwarzenegger phone call today?

If we can make it through this election cycle without James "Jimmy" Pindell and others misusing and misunderstanding the difference between a "push poll," an advocacy call, and a telephone survey meant to test which negative messages will work. LINK

Governor-elect Schwarzenegger will announce Congressman David Drier as the head of his transition team today at a press conference in Los Angeles. Five advisers are expected to help Schwarzenegger pick candidates for posts in his new administration.

At this writing, Governor Davis has no public events scheduled.

The President makes remarks on domestic violence prevention and signs a Proclamation for Domestic Violence Awareness Month at the White House today. Tonight, he attends the 2003 Republican National Committee Presidential Gala at the Washington Hilton Hotel.

Senator Kerry campaigns in San Francisco and Tucson, Arizona, today.

Senator Lieberman and General Clark both campaign in Phoenix today.

Senator Edwards is on the second day of his three-day "Real Solutions Tour" swing in Iowa.

Ambassador Moseley Braun delivers a pair of speeches and has a fundraiser in Birmingham, Alabama.

Governor Dean stops by the New York Times for an editorial board meeting before heading to Phoenix.

Congressman Gephardt, Reverend Sharpton, and Congressman Kucinich have no public events scheduled for today - maybe they are doing debate prep.

The recall:

The B Boys tell us all What It Means:

Balz: LINK

Barabak: LINK

Berke Replacement: LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: The Invisible Primary:

Six Democratic presidential hopefuls plan to attend a South Carolina NAACP forum Friday. Kerry, Dean and Clark are "the only candidates in the nine-way field who have not yet accepted an invitation to Friday's round-table discussion on minority issues," the AP reports. LINK

If only they (we!) could bottle this stuff and sell it, we'd be flush enough to send our fun-loving monkeys off to camp for the summer!:

The New York Times' Sheryl Gay Stolberg on "How to Be the McCain of '04, by John McCain" LINK

Any piece that has Irving Kristol, Grover Norquist and the word "dappled" is a favorite of ours by definition. We especially enjoyed the Chuck Hagel quote..and Senator McCain's reminder to his aspiring imitators that, well, he lost.

From ABC News' Graham campaign reporter Tarana Harris:

"Tuesday night in Pensacola, Florida, 100 supporters put on a good face to greet Senator Graham at the home of prominent trial lawyer Fred Levin and bid farewell to his candidacy. The fish-fry fundraiser, Graham's first public appearance since his announcement, was originally scheduled for September but was rescheduled because of the last candidates' debate."

"Graham told the crowd, 'I thought tonight was going to be a little different mood than it is.' Explaining why his campaign couldn't get off the ground, and joked, 'I will tell you, when you're planning your race for the presidency, I would not recommend a detour through open heart surgery.'

"Graham said he was proud of his campaign, but he also admitted having trouble communicating his message. He closed by saying, 'This has not been the happiest period of my life. But I will have a different attitude, be a different person, and I'll be ready to start the next chapter in my life after this wonderful evening with you.'"

"The fundraiser brought in about $50,000 for the campaign. Graham said that the money raised would be used to pay outstanding expenses, and that he wasn't so sure that there would be enough resources left over to wrap it up."

Clark:

For the day after The Historic Recall, that guy Wes Clark is sure getting a lot of coverage.

First, the news:-- Donnie Fowler is out, Eli Segal and Jamal Simmons come in for Team Clark.

From ABC News' Clark reporter Deb Apton:

"The Clark '04 Campaign blog wrote this evening of Fowler's departure: 'Please use this thread to discuss the resignation of our campaign manager, Donnie Fowler. The press will obviously spin this as negative, but in reality it's just a natural growing pain of any fledgling campaign. Things like this happen in every political campaign as organization is put into place and processes are established. Donnie was a great guy to work for and we will miss him. What he has accomplished in the past three weeks will not go for naught.'"

And looking ahead, Apton reports:

"Foreshadowing a future with the Clark campaign, Lara Bergthold is along for the campaign trips this week that began in Little Rock Sunday evening and will end in San Francisco (where another big fundraiser will be held) on Friday. Bergthold, a former DNC fundraiser who now works as a political adviser to Norman Lear, most recently helped Lear set-up an LA fundraiser for Clark held last week."

Lots of stories on this shake-up:LINK

(Complete with a Note that Ron Klain and one Joel Johnson will prep The General for Thursday's debate.)

LINK

LINK

And in the papers:

The Washington Post's Jim VandeHei notes that General Clark's paid appearances may have violated FEC laws by talking about presidential campaign topics in the course of his speeches. The paid appearances could "amount to 'illegal contributions.'" LINK

Amazingly, there is no reaction from the campaign in this story.

In his interview with the New York Times, John McCain offers Clark this free advice:

"'People will come and listen to you on the basis of what you've done for the country,' Mr. McCain said, twirling a pen in his left hand as he spoke. 'But they only will vote for you on the basis of what they believe you will do for the country.'" LINK

A Des Moines Register editorial urges The General to build it AND come:LINK

And in Jules Witcover's Baltimore Sun piece, one Ms. Kathy Sullivan has words that won't be welcome in Burlington:LINK

"Kathy Sullivan, the current state party chair, says she thinks Mr. Clark's entry 'has kind of stopped the Dean momentum' in New Hampshire. 'There were signs of Dean pulling away here, and I think Clark had something to do with that. You know New Hampshire,' she says, 'we've got to see them [the candidates] three or four times.'"

And more than one paper says Clark's up now that Graham's out:

The Des Moines Register quotes Graham Iowa guru Shelia McGuire Riggs as saying Clark would be wise to pick up on the Florida Senator's operation there, gets Fabiani to say they are looking at Iowa, and offers Steve Hildebrand stating "'General Clark is the only candidate running for president who polls ahead of President Bush..It gives them incredible clout to pick up staffers who are interested in winning back the presidency'." LINK

And the Charlotte Observer says that now that one Southerner is out, the one with the military experience is going to benefit. LINK

Dean:

Dean unveiled a $200 million program for "Welcome Baby" visits. LINK

Kerry:

New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell endorsed Kerry's presidential bid Tuesday and said he would co-chair Kerry's campaign in the Garden State. LINK

Gephardt:

The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) will endorse Dick Gephardt for president today.

The Hill reports of corporate agricultures discontent with Gephardt. LINK

Edwards:

The Des Moines Register's Tom Beaumont has more on Edwards' plans for taxes and job growth. LINK

Wilson:

The Washington Post's Dana Milbank gets this:

"A legal source close to the case said White House officials are not panicked because they believe that even if officials revealed Plame's name and occupation to reporters, they may not have known she was undercover or may not have intended to expose that fact." LINK

"'Someone probably did screw up,' the source said. 'But in terms of a violation of criminal law that could lead to a criminal indictment, that seems pretty far-fetched.'"

Hamburger and Hitt of Dow Jones fame break a bit of news for those too close to the story about how Wilson got his Niger assignment.

The Los Angeles Times' Maura Reynolds has a comparable account from Wilson and writes up what she and her editors see as the Administration's "more combative approach" in dealing with the leak investigation. LINK

Pointy-headed academics and Democratic partisans (not, as Mike Collins would have you think, exactly the same thing) think the President's words and White House actions are chilling the leak investigation, the Chicago Tribune's William "Bill" Neikirk reports. LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:

With around $80 million in the campaign chest, the Bush-Cheney campaign is now deciding how and when to spend it, the Los Angeles Times' Ed Chen reports. LINK

The BC04 team has decided -- after considering the alternative -- to hold off on putting up television ads at the moment, and instead continues to focus (some would say like a laser) on achieving that $170 million fundraising goal.

Karl Rove "insisted those talks were not inspired by the drop in Bush's job-approval ratings."

"'We have discussed an appropriate point [to launch political ads], but the idea of doing that now is just totally not true,'" Rove said.

How DOES Ed Chen get these White House cats on the record?

The Washington Post's Mike Allen reports that the White House will launch a "public relations offensive" to convince Americans that progress is being in made in Iraq and combat what the administration views as a public relations problem. LINK

The Pennsylvania BC04 "campaign leadership team" outlines a plan for President Bush to carry the Keystone State next year, after losing by just over 200,000 votes in 2000. LINK

And in more Pennsylvania news: The Hill looks at the possibility that Rep. Pat Toomey's aggressive challenge of four-term incumbent Senator Arlen Specter could hurt President Bush's chances to win the state in 2004. LINK

John DiStaso of the Manchester Union Leader reports that "with his job approval in New Hampshire at a low point," President Bush is coming to the Granite State tomorrow to seek public support for "his economic program and his $87 billion proposal to secure and rebuild Iraq." LINK

Politics:

"House Republicans expected to raise about $1.5 million at a two-day event" that will include a "dinner headlined by Vice President Dick Cheney," the AP reports. LINK

In today's edition of the ForeShadow Knows, we urge you to look for Mr. Bai's piece in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine on John Podesta and his quest to do what Paul Weyrich does -- only Lefter.