The Note
W A S H I N G T O N September 18—
, 2003 -- Today's Schedule (all times Eastern):
—9:00 am: Representative Dick Gephardt addresses South Carolina business leaders, D.C.
—10:00 am: President Bush meets with the King of Jordan, Camp David
—10:15 am: Vice President Cheney addresses the Small Business Administration's 50th Anniversary National Entrepreneurial Conference for Women in Business Awards Breakfast, D.C.
—11:00 am: Reverend Al Sharpton addresses the New England Government Finance Officers Association, Starbridge, Mass.
—12:00 pm: Governor Howard Dean attends a garden party, Londonderry, N.H.
—12:30 pm: Senator Bob Graham attends a campaign fundraiser, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
—12:30 pm: California Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante attends an endorsement rally with Equality PAC, Los Angeles
—2:00 pm: Senator John Kerry holds an environmental press event at Pace University, New York City
—2:30 pm: California Governor Gray Davis and Reverend Jesse Jackson attend a rally against Proposition 54 and the recall, Los Angeles
—3:30 pm: California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley addresses students at Santa Monica College, Santa Monica
—4:30 pm: Lieutenant Governor Bustamante attends a rally with supporters, Oxnard, Calif.
—5:00 pm: General Wesley Clark attends a rally at the Deli Den, Hollywood, Fla.
—5:00 pm: Arnold Schwarzenegger unveils his "political reform plan," Sacramento
—5:00 pm: Representative Dennis Kucinich attends a rally for St. Michael's Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio
—6:00 pm: State Senator Tom McClintock campaigns against the increasing of the car tax, Anaheim
—6:30 pm: Senator Graham attends a campaign fundraiser at SkyBar, Miami Beach, Fla.
—9:30 pm: Senator Kerry attends a "Kerry Core" fundraising reception with Moby at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, New York City —10:00 pm: Governor Davis holds a fundraiser, Los Angeles
NEWS SUMMARY
How many times can Christine Iverson and other Republican spokespeople describe the Democrats running for president as left-wing, tax-raising, intra-party-fighting, peaceniks who are offering no solutions to America's problems?
And how many times will reporters put those quotes in their stories?
And — most fundamentally — how long with the Democratic Party play right into Ken Mehlman's hands by offering no breakthrough positive agenda that extends their criticism of the president's economic and foreign policy record to something people can believe in?
Day II of AmericansforClark is not expected to bring any new policy positions or clarity — for him or the party.
Speaking in the Washington Post , the aforementioned Ms. Iverson gets to celebrate the Clark candidacy with this rote:
"While some Republicans worry that Clark could pose problems for Bush, Christine Iverson, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said the retired general's candidacy only 'means more noise, more discord and more Democrat-versus-Democrat disagreement on Iraq policy, taxes, trade and other issues.'"
Meanwhile, there is still plenty of Democratic conflict going on — with names being named — with some phony (and some not) fights on taxes, foreign policy, and style.
So: how much is the Democratic Establishment moving toward Clark?
The Los Angeles Times outs Rahm Emanuel, but in Bos-Wash salons, are people moving (on their own or by being herded) en masse to Clark?
The Note doesn't know, in part because everyone is scattering like frightened kittens over a little rain.
And so today's parlour game is watching to see if Clark takes flight heavenward, or never gets off the ground.
With the Wall Street Journal quoting Mark Fabiani saying that the General will stay on his corporate boards for now, we wonder what other outside income he has still streaming in.
Like, for instance, with a book coming out, does he have any more paid speaking engagements coming up? And might any of those conflict with key campaign events?
Also, when did he get his last CNN check?
As anyone who is anyone knows, General Clark is exclusively represented by Greater Talent Network for his paid talks. LINK
So if DiStaso or the Rauhs want to see him in the Granite State, they might consider doing it the old fashioned way: pay for it.
Call 'em up: 1-800-326-4211
President Bush will meet with King Abdullah of Jordan at Camp David this morning.
Vice President Cheney will speak this morning to the (deeeep breath) Small Business Administration's 50th Anniversary National Entrepreneurial Conference for Women in Business Awards Breakfast at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
General Clark will be fundraising in Florida today. He is scheduled to fly to Iowa tonight.
Governor Dean campaigns in New Hampshire again today. He'll attend a garden party with supporters in Londonderry.
Senator Kerry is in New York City today. He will hold an environmental press event at Pace University this afternoon and attend a reception with his pal Moby at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum tonight.
And The Note has learned he is getting the endorsement of a(nother) Kennedy! (See our Kerry section below.)
Congressman Gephardt is in D.C. today, where he will address members of the Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina, Chambers of Commerce. According to a campaign release, he will "discuss the challenges posed to South Carolina's economy and its workers by unfair trade agreements like NAFTA and China PNTR."
Gephardt also has private fundraisers in D.C. today and tomorrow, though the campaign won't say with whom or where exactly.
Reverend Sharpton addresses the New England Government Finance Officers Association in Starbridge, Massachusetts, this morning.
Senator Graham attends a pair of Sunshine State fundraisers today in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach.
Congressman Kucinich attends a rally today for St. Michael's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. Yesterday, we incorrectly reported that Kucinich would attend a rally with Ralph Nader and Patti Smith on Wednesday night. That event was actually scheduled for Thursday, but it has been cancelled due to the hurricane.
Senator Lieberman has no public events today and is scheduled to travel to Chicago.
Ambassador Moseley Braun and Senator Edwards have no public events scheduled for today.
Consider this fair warning for presidential campaigns, the ABC News zoological staff, the Boston Globe 's Webmaster, and anyone else who interferes with the Googling because this USA Today headline says it all:
"Researchers find monkeys have sense of fair play, getting ripped off." LINK
And more monkeys! LINK
In the recall:
Governor Davis and Reverend Jesse Jackson rally in Los Angeles against Proposition 54 and the recall.
Arnold Schwarzenegger travels to Sacramento to "unveil his political reform plan."
Lieutenant Governor Bustamante receives the endorsement of the L.A.-based gay and lesbian group Equality PAC and then rallies at a park in Oxnard.
Tom McClintock hits the TV studios — three of them — and then stumps on a corner across from the Anaheim pond to protest the increasing of the car tax.
Secretary of State Kevin Shelley addresses students at Santa Monica College.
The Note wishes a hardy "happy birthday" to the Wirey Jackie Calmes.
Clark, the announcement:
Most everyone takes Note of Clark's finely orchestrated (signs and all) announcement in the lead — and then moves on to the myriad challenges facing Clark as he takes to the electoral battlefield. (We can't resist all the military/political turns-of-phrase, we confess with glee!)
From ABC News Clark campaign reporter Deborah Apton:
"Legions of press flocked to the Clark announcement at the Boys and Girls Club in Little Rock. Clark picked the location because the Boy's Club organization influenced him greatly as a child growing up in Little Rock, said Skip Rutherford, a volunteer with the Clark campaign and president of the Clinton foundation in Little Rock. A crew from Japan and supporters from Iowa, Texas, and Washington D.C. populated the crowd, waiting for him to announce. 'My name is Wes Clark,' he said. 'I am from Little Rock, Arkansas. And I'm here to announce that I intend to seek the presidency of the United States of America.'"
The Washington Post 's VandeHei found Clark's speech to be "choppy and lack(ing) rhetorical flourish"; says Donnie Fowler might run the campaign, and says of the competition:
"The other candidates are likely to give Clark time to lay out his ideas, but several are gearing up to hit him for his lack of domestic experience and his refusal to declare until only a few weeks ago that he is a Democrat." LINK
The Clark camp would have you believe that Wesley's start is Howard's End. (LINK)
Adam Nagourney lays this out, writing the General's "relatively brief announcement today — just 11 minutes long — contained unmistakable assaults on the more unconventional foundations of the Dean candidacy. From the moment he took the stage, General Clark served notice that he would not let Dr. Dean seize the advantage in drawing new voters into the system, something that has been a critical part of the Dean phenomenon." LINK
Joe Trippi kindly offers some advice in the last graph to the Clark camp on what he sees as its snake-iest potential pitfall.
And the Boston Herald's David Guarino has Dean commenting on Clark's entry, "'Wes is a good guy, he's a bright guy, he's going to make a great candidate'" and "'I'm taking a lot of flak from all the four Washington guys (in the race) who voted for the war and here we have a four-star general who takes the same position I did on the Iraq war.'" LINK
Same idea in the Union Leader: LINK
"'It's nice to have a four-star general validating my position on the (Iraq) war, as opposed to these other guys,'" Dean said.
In an interview with The Associated Press shortly before his announcement, "Clark called the (Iraq) conflict 'purely an elective war' and criticized Bush for waging it without better justification," Ron Fournier reports. LINK
"In echoes of wartime President Harry S. Truman, someone shouted to Clark, 'Give 'em hell, General,' as Clark was shaking hands with the crowd. He pumped his fist, smiled and replied, 'We're going to give them the truth, and they'll think it's hell,' which was Truman's oft-repeated response during the 1948 campaign."
Ron Brownstein (from Washington) and Johanna Neuman (from Little Rock) have Wesley Clark playing "catch up." (No pun intended there concerning Senator Kerry's financial arsenal.) LINK
"Some of those advising Clark agree the late start will probably force the campaign to make tough choices in its use of time and money. For instance, these advisers say Clark may place more emphasis on making a strong showing in New Hampshire's Jan. 27 primary than the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 19. Doing well in the caucuses requires enormous organizational effort. Also, New Hampshire historically has also been more hospitable than Iowa to outsider and centrist candidacies."
"'He will compete in Iowa in terms of going to debate there but probably focus on New Hampshire and beyond that,' one of his advisers said. 'Where I think he breaks out is South Carolina, Oklahoma and Arizona.'"
USA Today 's Andrea Stone writes, "In a sign that he is still learning economic issues, Clark has not decided whether to join the next Democratic candidates' debate in New York on Sept. 25. The topic: the economy. He is likely to be more comfortable Friday, when he will give a speech on foreign policy at the University of Iowa." LINK
And Stone reports that, by the way, "''He's going to create a big splash,' said Donna Brazile, who managed Al Gore's presidential campaign in 2000. 'But it will be a brief honeymoon.'"
The New York Times ' Rosenbaum returns Tony Coelho to the fore to remind us how much it takes to get a proper ground operation in place under the headline "Timing in Seen as a Handicap." LINK
The Des Moines Register 's David Yepsen thinks that Clark is a "little late," has a "semi-famous name," is "not a politician," "faces a special challenge in the caucuses," and is a "smart guy." LINK
But … "While he has a great deal of expertise on military and foreign-policy matters, the economy is the single most important issue Iowa Democratic caucus-goers want addressed. He has no special portfolio on that subject. Nor does he on health care or the environment or ethanol subsides and farm price supports," Yepsen writes.
The Des Moines Register 's Tom Beaumont is anxious for Clark to bring his "non-traditional campaign" to Iowa. LINK
Clark told Granite State reporters that he'll be in New Hampshire "very soon" but first its Iowa and Florida.LINK
Former U.S. Ambassador George Bruno will "call the shots" for Clark in New Hampshire.LINK
Clark's New Hampshire backers are waiting for their "marching orders." LINK
In Roll Call , Stuart Rothenberg suggests, "Instead of asking how former Gen. Wesley Clark's entry into the Democratic race affects the nine candidates who have been in the race for months, try turning that question around."
We love the New York Post 's hilarious last-graf understatement of the months-long tease preceding Clark's announcement. LINK
Clark, background:
Dan Balz of the Washington Post has a brilliant and fair must-read on how Clark might affect the race, with GOPers enjoying the diminishment of the field. LINK
The Wall Street Journal 's Schlesinger/Schaefer/Hitt skim the surface of Clark's post-Pentagon private sector dealings, without finding much all that good or bad — yet.
The Wall Street Journal 's ed board darkly hints that Clark is vague and waffley, and, worst of all, a puppet of the Clintons — although they opt for the "Hillary's Favorite General" headline (avec unflattering dot drawing) over "Who is Wesley Clark?" (avec shadowy silhouette).
The New York Post 's Deborah Orin comes up with a fantastic conspiracy theory about General Wesley Clark's candidacy and how it helps Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential ambitions. LINK
Dick Harpootlian and Lee Bandy turn up in Arkansas, with Harpootlian saying of Clark, "He may be just the right candidate in the right place at the right time." LINK
The New York Observer takes readers gently by the arm and walks them through the fledgling-but-Noteworthy Clark fund-raising circuit, giving the upside (candidate charisma and Clinton-backing) and the downside (said candidate's late start). We especially enjoying seeing the words "smitten" and "hand-holder" in the same graf! Note Note: Some readers might think they are back in the era before "the era of personal responsibility," what with the story's mentions of Democratic-star-studded Gotham fetes, Bruce Lindsay, Karenna Gore, and the Hamptons. LINK
The Globe's Joan Vennochi ponders Candidate Clark. LINK
An editorial in the New York Daily News gushes about Clark and puts out a warning to "Deanie Weenies."LINK
"As for the thunderous Howard Dean, it may be observed that Candidate Clark's opposition to the Iraq war resonates with more authentic four-star conviction than his ever can. Don't look now, Deanie Weenies, but your man just lost the strongest card in his hand."
The Concord Monitor's editorial from Wednesday comments, "Normally, from a New Hampshire perspective, our response would be the more the merrier. Certainly Clark is an articulate, interesting candidate with stellar credentials. But we wonder if the panic among Democrats isn't premature." LINK
They go on to say, "This year's Democratic field has been disappointing, but it is not without promise." Go read the whole thing please.
Richard Cohen columnizes on Wes Clark in a Cohenian manner, taking the pulse of those who find some unappealing traits. LINK
John DiStaso's column quotes a 1981 Washington Post article in which Clark said he chose West Point over Harvard and Yale because it's "A southern thing, to be drawn to the concept of service to country . . . something they don't understand much in the Northeast." DiStaso "wonders what Northeastern vets will have to say about that." LINK
Edwards:
From ABC News Edwards campaign reporter Gloria Riviera:
"The Edwards campaign tried to brush off the Clark impact yesterday (particularly painful given the General's big-footing evening news coverage) and, in addition to releasing the Grasso statement, hit the trail in Concord, New Hampshire, with a noon-scheduled town hall meeting on the steps of the State House building."
"Staffers said the town hall was somewhere around 31 out of the promised 100 such gatherings around the state before the primary. About 150 people showed up to hear Edward answer questions for about half an hour, though it wasn't exactly an electrifying scene. The audience was about 3/4 full when Edwards took the mike, with shirt sleeves rolled up and seeming much more relaxed than yesterday. "
"One question in particular got a laugh: audience member Paul Stillwater asked Edwards if he supports the re-legalization of hemp to be used as a textile. After a laugh and a pause Edwards responded, 'Let me look at that; that is something I have never heard of before.' Afterwards a campaign staffer duly recorded his information and promised Stillwater he'd hear back from the Edwards campaign on the issue."
On CNN's Inside Politics, Edwards stuck to his stump speech, rising to the Clark bait only briefly, saying, 'Wes Clark's a fine man.'"
The Raleigh News and Observer's John Wagner reports that Edwards took his re-launched campaign to New Hampshire just in time to be asked about Wesley Clark, whom Edwards called a "'nice man.'" LINK
Kerry:
The Note has learned that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will endorse John Kerry this afternoon in Gotham City. RFK and JFK will team up to hit Bush Administration on their handling of environmental risks immediately after 9/11.
The Riverkeeper should help Kerry tap into a new cash network and may help him with enviros who have been flirting with Howard Dean. (We do wonder if Mr. Kennedy, Jr., will wear one of his favorite fishing-inspired ties!)
Despite the swirling winds of a campaign finding its sea legs, the Kerry effort has picked up some impressive endorsements this week and sources say there are more to come in the next few days.
Kerry finishes the night with Moby on the Intrepid. Yes, Kerry will play guitar. And yes, we look forward to hearing this Moby-Kerry duet on C-SPAN radio, too.
More from ABC News Kerry campaign reporter Ed O'Keefe:
"Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry put his pursuit of the Democratic presidential nod in Iowa and New Hampshire on semi-hold today as he journeyed to Los Angeles to share a stage with embattled Governor Gray Davis.
"The dynamic duo briefly toured New Directions, an impressive veterans center which offers housing, job training, and general assistance to homeless vets. Kerry and Davis, both Vietnam Veterans, spoke in front of a huge American flag, standing on crisp red, white & blue bunted stage, before roughly 150 fellow vets, all on a picture perfect clear fall day, making the scene truly worthy of a Hollywood set."
"Kerry, the 6'3" perfectly-coiffed white-haired politician wearing a dark suit and blue tie, offered his outrage at the recall, 'This is a real abuse of the democratic process.' Kerry said that if Californians want to get mad at a politician over the energy crisis and budget deficit, they should focus their angst at President George W. Bush. The analytical intellectual candidate concluded, 'There is a cynicism in our country about our democratic process. Californians have an opportunity to do what Californians usually do: set the real trend in defining the difference between good and bad, right and wrong.'"
Kerry and Dean clashed again on the issue of middle-class tax cuts, the AP's Holly Ramer reports.LINK
"In an exchange with a Saint Anselm College student about college costs, Dean again argued for repealing them all, saying the cuts left little money for grants and loans that could help pay tuition."
"'That's why it's so ridiculous to say we'll keep the middle-class tax cuts,' Dean said. 'There were no middle-class tax cuts.'"
"That was the opening Kerry's camp needed."
"'This is simply another extraordinary gaffe from Howard Dean,' the Kerry campaign responded. 'Democrats in Congress fought to give millions of American families more than half a trillion dollars in much deserved tax relief and somehow Dr. Dean seems unaware.'"
Curse that Isabel!!!
Fox News Channel gets a rare, live, in-studio interview with unembattled Kerry campaign manager Jim Jordan — and it lasts about as long as a Lehane-Fabiani conference call (which are, if you don't know, really short) because they felt compelled to go back to weather news.
Dean:
"Howard Dean holds a 10-point lead over John Kerry among likely voters in the New Hampshire primary, according to a poll that suggests the race is tightening between the two New Englanders," the AP reports. LINK
"Dean, the former Vermont governor, had 31 percent in the poll by the American Research Group of Manchester, N.H., while Kerry, the Massachusetts senator, had 21 percent. The remaining candidates were in single digits; 27 percent were undecided."
The Boston Herald's David Guarino reports that Dean was bashing Kerry left and right yesterday in New Hampshire, even accusing him of using "fuzzy math." LINK
Roll Call 's Mort Kondracke writes that "Dean is furiously revising and extending his remarks on the Middle East, but they have hurt his party and helped President Bush among Jewish voters."
While in the Granite State Wednesday, Dean said he is not looking for "a clone of Howard Dean on the bench."
"'(Former New Hampshire justice) David Souter has done a terrific job and we need more people like that' on the Supreme Court." LINK
How long will it take the other campaigns to comb through Souter's decisions?
The Note loves waffles, both literally and figuratively speaking, as well as amusing fake photos, and this site — www.wafflepoweredhoward.com — has all of those things. We're not sure who's behind this site yet, but we're assured by the site itself that it's "Not authorized or paid for by Gov. Howard Dean, or any candidate or committee."
Basically, this site puts into a big spread sheet your normal Buchanan/Hannity/Carlson/Novak rundown of things Howard Dean said one to ten years ago versus things he has said this year.
Lieberman:
From ABC News Lieberman campaign reporter Talesha Reynolds:
"It's yes on Bustamante … and no on the recall. Lieberman will soon join the pack of Democratic candidates stumping with Gray Davis. But Lieberman will campaign with Bustamante first. Lieberman will appear with Bustamante on September 22 in San Francisco and head to San Diego the next day to campaign with Davis. Bustamante is reaping the rewards of having endorsed Lieberman months ago. Other Democrats initially shied away from the No, Yes strategy but Lieberman has backed Bustamante as an alternative early on."
We look forward to asking the Senator what he makes of Bustamante's very tepid support for his candidacy at Wednesday's Los Angeles Press Club debate with Arianna Huffington, State Senator McClintock, and Peter Camejo (there was an empty chair for Schwarzenegger, by the way).
ABC News' David Chalian reports Lieberman's name came up at Wednesday's exchange when Bustamante said one way to fix the problem of California sending $50 billion more a year to Washington than it gets back would be to put a "progressive president" in office. To which Huffington responded by asking, if Bustamante is looking for a progressive in the White House why is he serving as the California chairman of the Lieberman campaign?
Bustamante replied with nary a word of support for Lieberman's candidacy, simply answering, "Joe Lieberman is a friend of mine and I'm not going to desert him when he's running for president."
Is it really all about the new guy?
The Hartford Courant's David Lightman thinks it's simple, "Lieberman now has a problem." LINK
In a New York Post op-ed criticizing Clark, Ralph Peters writes: "Lieberman would make a great president, bringing together the best of the moderate left on domestic issues and the rational right on foreign policy. But he's unlikely to be selected as his party's candidate."LINK
Gephardt:
Gephardt has Dean "on the defense" over trade, DiStaso reports. LINK
In response to a Kerry op-ed accusing him of turning his back on Clinton's economic legacy, the man Richard Ben Cramer dubbed "Mr. Eagle Scout" has an op-ed in the Manchester Union Leader arguing that "if you want to exchange the Bush tax cuts for guaranteed health care that can never be taken away, then you should vote for me." LINK
Kucinich:
From ABC News Kucinich campaign reporter Melinda Arons:
"If Edwards' headquarters has the feel of a college dorm with overly optimistic students prepping for finals and drinking the Kool-Aid, Kucinich's is that scene flashed forward 30 years, where the students went to Berkeley and Oberlin and have grown into idealistic middle-aged social activists drinking the spiked herbal tea, as idealistic as ever."
"Campaign headquarters is housed in two low-slung buildings, one of which looks like a converted house similar to the English department at a small college, separated by an alley in Kucinich's quiet Cleveland neighborhood. Pictures of Kucinich line the walls, along with posters of peace icons like Gandhi and an ode to 'crazy people' and their ability to change the world."
"Campaign manager Dot Maver credits Kucinich for the serene atmosphere, claiming the campaign tries to practice his holistic work model, one of positivity and shared responsibility … The paid staff is small and dedicated, and many key players quit jobs in other states to move to Cleveland for the duration of the campaign. The rest are die-hard volunteers. The most elite call themselves the A-Team, a group of about 15 senior citizens who have volunteered for Kucinich on every election he's participated in since he ran for city council in his 20s. They wear their affiliation to Kucinich like badges of honor and were offended when I mistook Sue Walters, a tiny, 70-something spitfire who's been volunteering for Kucinich since he was Cleveland's mayor in the 1970s, as one of their members. 'Ha, she's not one of the A Team. I didn't know who she was until the presidential campaign!' the team's 76-year-old leader Claire Lacey informed me. Another A-Teamer, John McKain, scoffed when I pointed out his famous namesake. 'Tsk," he said. "He's a Republican and that's baaaad.'"
Slate chronicles the flip and the flop of Kucinich's positions on abortion and impeachment. LINK
Moseley Braun:
The Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet Notes the Begala compliment to Ambassador Moseley Braun on last week's "K Street" and previews Monday's still-in-the-works official candidacy announcement. LINK
ABC 2004: Taste of the Campaign:
It's not just family members who have been enlisted to help the candidates bake their way to victory in next Wednesday night's Culinary Clash in the Capital.
Dennis Kucinich has submitted campaign supporter Jennifer Shearer's recipe for a vegan chocolate cake. Ms. Shearer served up this cake to Kucinich on his first visit to Iowa city back in February.
The only vegan presidential candidate loved the cake and Ms. Shearer renamed it New Deal Vegan Chocolate Cake in honor of her candidate.
Talk about your grassroots support!
But can that support be translated into a victory in the David Westin/Peter Jennings hosted bake off that is the month's hottest DC bash?
How many of our tasters will really vote for a butter-free cake? Stay tuned, The Note promises full coverage of election results in next Thursday's edition — the first time the candidates (or, at least, their sweet-tooth satisfiers) will face the voters.
Big Casino budget politics meets the politics of national security:
The Washington Post 's Jonathan Weisman totals up the president's war-time budget request. LINK
The politics of national security:
Fresh from the statement, "No, we've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th," the president takes another hit in the New York Times as an analysis piece focuses on the "rocky path" of his Iraq policy. LINK
First sentence of the last graph: "The Bush team does not like to change policy drastically."
Andrew Kohut's work can't be making the White House happy. Writing in the New York Times op-ed page (always a favorite with those breakfasting at 1600), Kohut argues the president "now faces at least two problems politically.
The first is "the effect of the war in Iraq on the fight against terrorism. The second is the declining importance of terrorism on the public agenda as the attacks recede and the election approaches." And if the Democrats can find a candidate who actually can take advantage of the opening, "and the war in Iraq continues to create controversy, then they might find that the debate over America's response to terrorism isn't so lopsided after all." LINK
The Christian Science Monitor antes up with Kohut, writing about recent poll numbers under the headline, "Bush Support Softens." LINK
"Opinion experts have taken particular note of the public's negative reaction to Bush's request for additional funding for Iraq. John Mueller, a political scientist at Ohio State University, says he cannot recall a previous US war in which the public registered broad concern over the cost."
The Monitor offers this blind quote as well:
"For Bush, the clear strategy is to hang tough and appear resolute. 'The nature of this administration is to never admit to wrongdoing,' says a senior Republican Senate aide."
Confidence is slipping in Bush's handling of Iraq according to a new CBS News poll.LINK
"The CBS News poll, released Wednesday, found that people are evenly divided now on whether they approve President Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq, with 46 percent approving and 47 percent disapproving. That's down from just over half who approved his handling of Iraq in recent polls."
But wait — those nice folks at the Quinnipiac (one of our favorite words to pronounce) Polling Institute reported yesterday that "President Bush leads all Democratic challengers — and even some who have not entered the 2004 presidential race — in a national poll released Wednesday. The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute found that Bush outdistanced his rivals by at least 10 points or more in the survey conducted Sept. 11-15." LINK
But wait again — (yes, we know, red light-green light is not so much fun in the early morning), the poll says "sixty-seven percent of those polled said the economy will matter more to them than the U.S.-led war against Iraq when they go to the voting booth in November 2004."
We will wait for word from one Mr. Dowd on just how to spin these flying numbers.
Knight Ridder's Ron Hutcheson writes about the increasing talk of comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam. LINK
For once, Washington isn't getting blamed for a shortfall in anti-terror funding — now it's the states!LINK
And from the Note to You:
Neatly echoing recent Democratic criticism of Vice President Dick Cheney and his former employer Halliburton's ties to post-war Iraq contracts totaling nearly $1 billion, American Family Voices is going up with an ad in several key political primary markets.
The ad is set to launch on WMUR, as well as on stations in Des Moines, and Madison, Wis., among others. We are told this buy PLUS an earlier, similar ad buy will total "several hundred thousand" dollars over the next week.
ABC 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:
In USA Today , Rutgers Prof. Ross Baker writes about the benefits of being a nimble president. LINK
Deborah Orin looks at the "drubbing" Bush is giving the Dems. LINK
Bush Administration strategy/personality:
USA Today 's Kenworthy, Watson, and Keen report that Utah Governor Mike Leavitt can expect a thorough grilling when his hearing is rescheduled post-Isabel. LINK and LINK
California recall, the courts and the chaos:
The Sacramento Bee's Claire Cooper writes about election officials' efforts to have the court maintain October 7 as election day. LINK
"California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, joined by county registrars of voters in Los Angeles and Sacramento, urged the court to reconsider a decision by a three-judge panel that would put the election off until March."
"They said about 2 million absentee ballots had been mailed statewide, 375,000 of them had been returned and as much as $50 million in special election costs incurred."
The Los Angeles Times and the New York Times checked in with a couple of county registrars about why they think more chaos will ensue if the election is delayed.LINKand LINK
The New York Times ponders what the political climate would be like if the election were delayed. LINK
Larry Tribe defends the 9th Circuit ruling in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.
USA Today 's Martin Kasindorf explains all the legal stuff that's going on. LINK
Kasindorf also gives a step-by-step look at what will happen in the courts. LINK
Mark Z. Barabak writes that the possibility of a court delaying the recall election serves as "a national rallying cry for partisans on both sides." LINK
"To Republicans, the decision underscores the wanton will of the activist judges they rail against, suggesting judicial appointments could become a higher-profile issue in next year's presidential campaign."
"To Democrats, the mere thought of the Supreme Court stepping into yet another election fight is enough to incite outrage and, potentially, boost voter turnout next year."
Garry South tells Mr. Barabak there could be ramifications for the 2004 White House hopefuls if the recall election is delayed until March.
"'If this thing expands out to March, although the fever-pitch coverage subsides pretty quickly, it does to some degree affect the dynamic of the presidential campaign, because it's the one big thing out there everyone wants to talk about,' said Garry South, a strategist for Davis as well as Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, another of the 10 Democrats seeking the White House."
One can only hope the court will announce their intent as to whether or not to take up the case while Governor Davis is standing side by side with Al Gore tomorrow.
California recall, Arnold:
The San Francisco Chronicle's Marinucci writes up Schwarzeneggers talk show strategy and wonders if it might be hurting his credibility. LINK
Joe Matthews of the Los Angeles Times writes up Schwarzenegger's day from Howard Stern to Larry King. LINK
"The interviews came as the Schwarzenegger campaign appears to be pulling back slightly from a recent effort to be more accessible to the political press and is concentrating, instead, on venues where he is assured of a friendly reception."
USA Today 's Martha Moore recaps Schwarzenegger's appearance on the Howard Stern show (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz … ..), and ends up writing more about the political influence of Stern than the candidacy of Schwarzenegger. LINK
Mike Murphy becomes a Navigator. LINK
In the midst of rounding up the legal briefs and the day's events, the San Diego Union Tribune includes Schwarzenegger's take on the CPA debate, and why it's the only one he's agreed to. LINK
"'These other things are just warm-ups,' Schwarzenegger told King. 'This is the Super Bowl of debates.'"
ABC News' Schifrin reports: Maria Shriver actually made more news than her husband today when she launched what the campaign is calling "Remarkable Women for Arnold."
Every day beginning Monday (today was a trial of sorts) Maria will be traveling throughout the state touring businesses that are run by women and having lunch with female businesses leaders. She described it as a "listening tour" today: "actually not that different from what I do normally [journalism]."
She will, of course, not be a wallflower. She will try to represent Arnold to the women she meets (and to the people who watch and read about her appearances), and will undoubtedly try to soften his image. But as of now, she has no plans to appear at traditional events to stump for her husband (the campaign, though, has not finalized her schedule, so all of this could change.) The WalMart debacle --a stumping event that was cut to 15 minutes because of the dozens of hecklers waiting for her arrival --seems, for now, to have put an end to those types of appearances.
California recall, the governor:
Michael Finnegan wraps up Governor Davis' Wednesday and has John Kerry calling the recall "an abuse of the democratic process." And none of you will be surprised to hear that Senator Kerry appeared with Governor Davis at a veterans event. We wonder whether that was a condition for the presidential hopeful to appear with the embattled governor. LINK
The Boston Globe 's Glen Johnson reports that John and Arnold are still friends, even though John's friend Gray doesn't like Arnold and Arnold's friend George doesn't like John, and vice versa of course. LINK
Salladay and Collie of the San Francisco Chronicle watched Davis' seventh own hall forum of the campaign. LINK
"Gov. Gray Davis, returning to the site of his two inaugural ceremonies, acknowledged Wednesday he had isolated himself over the past five years by talking exclusively with lawmakers, lobbyists and his staff at the expense of real people."
"He said it was a mistake. 'Yes, there is no question about it,' Davis told reporters at the Memorial Auditorium after his seventh town hall meeting since the recall campaign began. 'I'm not going to leave people out of the equation. . . . It was a mistake on my part not to consult with them on a regular basis.'"
California recall, the Democrats:
Are we all so angry? It is that hard to play nice, isn't it. Democratic anger benefits one Democratic Governor who, without it, might be singing to empty pews, Maureen Dowd Notes.. LINK
"The unappetizing Mr. Davis has managed to take the edge off the appetite for a recall by tapping into the eternal torch of Democratic anger over the 2000 election, the belief that the Republicans hijacked Florida, allowing the neocons to hijack foreign policy and the rich to enrich the rich."
And Slate agrees under the headline "The 9th Circuit moons the Supreme Court." LINK
The Boston Globe 's Anne Kornblut reports that Democrats are going West "not just to help Davis but also to rile the liberal Democratic base to defeat George W. Bush … " LINK
The Christian Science Monitor offers Paul Maslin and Dan Schnur giving their take on why Democratic anger still matters. LINK
"As the candidate who most directly challenged President Bush's legitimacy early on, with a call to reclaim the nation's democracy, Dean's advisers say he tapped into a well of resentment among Democratic activists.
'I think there's been a festering sore there for three years,' says Paul Maslin, a Democratic pollster who works for Dean. 'And that's where Howard Dean got the jump on this field. It wasn't just the war: He's giving voice to millions of Democrats who want someone to stand up not only to the wrongheaded policies of Bush, but [for] a sense that this guy shouldn't have been there in the first place. I think it's been unbelievably important.'"
And from Dan Schnur: "The Florida recount is the Democratic version of the Bork hearings … It may have moved off the front pages, but it's going to be a Democratic motivator for … years."
California recall, the rest of the field:
While Arnold Schwarzenegger was across the street at CNN, Cruz Bustamante, Tom McClintock, Arianna Huffington, and Peter Camejo duked it out at the Los Angeles Press Club recall debate.
Mr. Bustamante hammered away at Mr. Schwarzenegger's absence from the debate and proposed that they all boycott next week's CBA debate as planned and instead hold an unscripted debate in the parking lot outside the CBA debate location in hopes that Arnold and the press will follow along.
Drivers licenses for illegal immigrants, gay marriage, budgets, and public financing for campaigns were the big topics of discussion. Here is the Los Angeles Times' account: LINK
"Bustamante, the best known Democrat in the race, suggested that they 'leave Arnold in there with his movie-script answers and have the rest of us go outside' and hold a debate with spontaneous give-and-take."
The Los Angeles Times' "Ad Watch" on Cruz Bustamante's first three television ads of the campaign: LINK
The Morongo Band of Mission Indians will launch television ads Friday to support state Senator Tom McClintock, the Sacramento Bee reports.LINK
The tribe, which supports Davis and has given to both Davis and Bustamante, runs a casino in Riverside County. Schwarzenegger supporters have accused the tribe of doing this to support Bustamante on the sly.
NationalJournal.com's Christy Setzer brings us an interview with the man who got the ball rolling: Rep. Darrell Issa. LINK
Ronald Reagan's letters:
Among the things former First Lady Nancy Reagan discusses in this Sunday's exclusive interview on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" is the former president's love of writing and reading letters — immortalized with the publication of "Reagan: A Life in Letters."
Mrs. Reagan says President Reagan wouldn't have been a fan of e-mail.
" … If you actually have the letter in front of you and you can read it, like I can read those letters of Ronnie's, it means a lot," she said.
The Clintons of Chappaqua:Keying off a story that ran in yesterday's Californian in Monterey, The New York Daily News reports that "Clinton loyalists were startled yesterday to hear former President Bill Clinton suggest that his wife hasn't made up her mind yet about running for the White House." LINK
"A national poll yesterday found Senator Clinton would trounce the field of presidential wanna-bes in a Democratic primary and run as well as or better than any of the Democrats against President Bush."
"The Quinnipiac survey — taken before Clark entered the race — found Clinton would snag 45% of the primary vote and leave her rivals in single digits." LINK
Politics:Is it fair to use the slogan "Four More Years" if you've already had a decade? John Sweeney asks his AFL-ers for four more years at the helm. LINK