The Note
W A S H I N G T O N August 18—
, 2003 -- Today's Schedule (all times Eastern):
—11:15 am: Senator John Edwards has coffee with Wapello County Democrats, Ottumwa, Iowa —11:15 am: Senator Joe Lieberman tours a fiber optic factory, Belmont, N.H. —11:30 am: Governor Howard Dean holds a press conference with Congressman Raul Grijalva, Tucson, Ariz. —12:15 pm: Senator Bob Graham addresses the Rotary Club, Manchester, N.H. —2:30 pm: Senator and Mrs. Bob Graham hold a roundtable discussion on seniors' issues, Salem, N.H. —3:30 pm: Senator Dianne Feinstein delivers a "report from Washington," San Diego—4:30 pm: Federal court hearing for ACLU's request for temporary restraining order to postpone the recall election until March, Los Angeles—5:15 pm; Congressman Dennis Kucinich holds a press conference and rally, Indianola, Iowa—5:30 pm: Senator John Edwards meets with Democratic activists, Norfolk, Va.
NEWS SUMMARY
There was lots of intraparty squabbling on the talk shows and on the airwarves over the weekend. And given all the moving parts this week, we're expecting some significant news.
Today in the recall:
-- A federal judge will hear the ACLU's request for a temporary restraining order to postpone the election based on the ACLU's claim that punchcard ballots disenfranchise voters.
--Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante made a national television plea for more support from those in Governor Davis' camp on what he calls his "win-win" strategy. His chief adviser asserts team Davis is asking Democratic contributors not to donate to Bustamante. The Davis camp denies the charge.
--Bill Simon launched a radio ad attacking Arnold Schwarzenegger for Warren Buffett's comments about property taxes. The Simon campaign refuses to divulge where the ad is running and how much money is being spent on it.
Governor Davis has no public events scheduled for Monday. Later in the week, he may make a statewide address appealing to Democrats and independents to oppose the recall.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has no public events scheduled for Monday. He will hold an economic summit at UCLA on Wednesday, Newsweek reports — time and exact location TBD.
Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante will meet with a group of Latino lawmakers today who will endorse his candidacy according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Tomorrow, Bustamante intends to announce his economic recovery plan.
Bill Simon, Tom McClintock, and Peter Ueberroth have no announced public events for Monday. Ueberroth is expected to begin campaigning in Los Angeles tomorrow, according to his campaign.
Arianna Huffington does a couple of radio interviews today with Lila Garrett on KPFK and another one on KPFA in Berkeley.
Senator Feinstein delivers a series of "reports from Washington" to constituents/supporters this week in several locations across California: Monday in San Diego, Tuesday in San Gabriel, Wednesday in Los Angeles, Friday in Sacramento, and next Monday in Alameda.
Correction: Former Secretary of State George Shultz is NOT drawing a salary from the Schwarzenegger campaign, as we incorrectly Noted on Friday. He is an unpaid adviser.
President Bush is at the ranch today. He travels to Oregon and Washington state on Thursday and Friday.
Senator Edwards wraps up his "Real Solutions Tour" in Iowa today. He and the fam will have coffee with Wapello County Democrats this morning and a barbecue with Polk County Democrats. He then goes to Norfolk and Hampton in Virginia to meet with area Democrats. He'll be in Richmond, Virginia on Tuesday. The tour heads to New Hampshire on Wednesday, where Edwards will campaign a bunch and hold two more of his New Hampshire town hall meetings, Wednesday in Manchester and Thursday in Salem.
Governor Dean campaigns in Tucson, Arizona, today, where he'll take part in a press conference with Congressman Raul Grijalva. Dean campaigns in New Hampshire from Wednesday to Saturday. He kicks off his "Sleepless Summer Tour" this Saturday in Falls Church, Virginia.
Senator Graham campaigns in New Hampshire today. He appears on New Hampshire public radio's "The Exchange" this morning, addresses the Manchester Rotary Club, and then holds a roundtable discussion on issues facing seniors in Salem. Mrs. Graham is also campaigning in the Granite State today. She will be in Portsmouth, Dover and Exeter. Senator Graham will campaign in New Hampshire again tomorrow.
Congressman Kucinich campaigns in Iowa today and tomorrow. He'll hold four public meetings, two press conferences and one farm rally today. He appears on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Thursday.
Senator Lieberman campaigns in New Hampshire today through Wednesday. This morning, he tours a fiber optic equipment factory and meets with employees there.
Congressman Gephardt campaigns in San Francisco on Tuesday.
Senator Kerry and Reverend Sharpton have no public events announced for the week.
Ambassador Braun has no public events announced for this week yet, but her campaign does have an slightly redesigned Web site.
President Clinton and Tipper Gore both celebrate their birthdays on Tuesday.
Plaintiffs' reply briefs in the consolidated BCRA cased are due on Thursday.
The rest of the political world, in other news:
The recall has obscured several potentially significant developments in the presidential race. Temporarily blacked them out, if you will.
1. The occasionally iffy reviews of Senator Edwards's political coming out; the durability of the 'lack-of-experience' theme; the new South Carolina ads LINK; the candidate's language to the Times ' Adam Nagourney about the next few months being a proving ground for his presidential candidacy; his seeming openness, as scribed by Nagourney, to the possibility that he'd give up the game and run for Senate. LINK
For the record, campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri told ABC News: "As Senator Edwards has said many times, he is running for President. "
2. Are two apparent Dean semi-waffles-one on Social Security, the other on public financing- building the candidate a rep for changing his mind? On public financing, Dean says some campaign advisers are "chomping at the bit" for him to refuse it. LINK and LINK
When the campaign first raised this possibility a bit ago, we were told (and reported faithfully) that Dean's March 7 statement stood. Even now, Dean says he personally still wants public financing; the drive to forgo it, it seems, comes from unnamed campaign people.
Clearly, Dean For America is flirting with scenarios where it'd be in a better position to forgo the primary match. But not remembering having told the AP in March you'd hold the other candidates accountable for opting out … … well, that sounds self-exonerating, but it doesn't forgive us from posing the operative question: if not accepting public financing was bad back then, why, except for self-interested reasons is it less bad now? Or why does the candidate feel one way, and his campaign, another?
For the record, Dean spokesperson Courtney O'Donnell echoes her boss: "We are focused like a laser beam on September 30."
Public financing is something about which reasonable people can change their minds.
However, it may add to a debate litany of allegations, voiced by a Kerry or Lieberman or Kucinich … "You've flip-flopped on Social Security … you've flip-flopped on public financing … . etc."
(Lest we be reminded: Senator Kerry has said some interesting things about Social Security, too) …
Watch this …
Now to the top stories of the day:
1. Glen Johnson on John Kerry's road traveled.. and his big month ahead: "Dean's first-place poll standing has surpassed early concern about Gephardt as the Kerry campaign's main worry in Iowa. Gephardt had been expected to win the state, given that he lives next door. Now the Kerry campaign's disaster scenario is to have Dean win in Iowa and then catapult from that to victory in New Hampshire, which will be the nation's first primary, on Jan. 27. Such a one-two punch would surely raise questions about Kerry's viability, although his aides believe they could still overcome early losses with strong performances in later primary states, including South Carolina and Michigan. That may explain why Kerry has decided to make a Sept. 2 public announcement of his candidacy, a made-for-TV moment, not in his home state of Massachusetts, but in South Carolina. He will take his entourage, including a group of national and state political reporters, to Iowa, before returning east on Sept. 3 for a speech in New Hampshire and a rally in Boston." LINK
The Kerry campaign's Kelley Benander tells ABC News that the announcement tour will begin in the Charleston, South Carolina area, move on to Des Moines, Manchester and will end up at Faneuil Hall.
2. The Des Moines Register 's Tom Beaumont on the week that was. LINK; Beaumont on the life and times on Senator Kerry LINK
3. USA Today 's Lawrence on Joe Lieberman's hopeful centrism. LINK
4. The Charlotte Observer 's serious, multi-part profile of Edwards. Check out the first two parts of the series: LINK and LINK
The Observer also runs a collection of "Scenes from a senator's first term" LINK to go along with a psychological examination of "What makes him run?" LINK and an article on the senator's relationship with banks. LINK
5. ABC News' Deborah Apton summarizes Wes Clark's performance on Late Edition: "Gives another time frame for possible announcement (2-3 weeks), backs down on a question about Hillary's statement that perhaps Mrs. Clark isn't too enthusiastic about her husband becoming a candidate, and then Clark fights the good fight against allegations from Tom DeLay that Clark had his own agenda when appearing as a commentator on CNN during the war in Iraq."; see also the WSJ's Schlesinger on Clark, replete with favorable comments from a certain Mr. McEntee.
Please also read:
--The New York Times ' Janofsky on job-losing South Carolina and the potential for Mr. Bush to lose support there. LINK
--Electricity coverage in the WSJ;--Another Karl Rove sighting: LINK
--WE LEAD, a new fundraising group for Democrats. LINK
-- On a non-recall, book-selling Note, spies in Martha's Vineyard were strolling by the bookstore in Vineyard Haven on Sunday and saw a long line of people waiting to buy Senator Hillary Clinton's book. The rules of the signing: To be admitted, customers had to commit to buy a MINIMUM of TWO books. And no personal incriptions.
California recall, the Democrats:
The San Francisco Chronicle's Mark Martin does a superb job in breaking down the disconnect within the California Democratic party. LINK
"Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante attacked Gov. Gray Davis on Sunday, accusing the governor on national television of undermining his campaign by urging key Democratic backers to withhold support for Bustamante's run in the recall election."
"'If some of the governor's minions would stop trying to undercut my efforts, I think we could have a very coalesced opportunity for Democrats. . . . We have a possibility of having a win-win position on this ballot,' Bustamante said on NBC's 'Meet the Press.'"
Matea Gold had Sunday duty at the Los Angeles Times and wrote a splendid recap of the day's recall news. Highlights include: Lieutenant Governor Bustamante's "Meet the Press" plea for more cooperation from those in the Davis camp, Bill Simon's radio ad attacking Arnold Schwarzenegger for being "liberal," and a look ahead to a possible statewide address this week by Governor Davis aimed at keeping Democrats and independents firmly against the recall. LINK
The Associated Press' Beth Fouhy also writes an overview of the intra-party squabbles developing within the recall campaign. LINK
And here's Gary Delsohn's take in the Sacramento Bee. LINK
"Later in the day, Bustamante's chief consultant charged that Davis aides are calling Indian tribal leaders and others to urge them not to support Bustamante."
"'They're contacting potential supporters and contributors and telling them don't give (money) and don't support Bustamante's effort,' said Richie Ross, Bustamante's consultant."
"'They're trying to shut it down. We think that is selfish and irresponsible,' he said. 'They want it to be all or nothing, them or no one.'"
More Delsohn:
"The Davis campaign quickly denied Bustamante's allegations."
"'The governor and Mrs. Davis have been very complimentary toward the lieutenant governor,' Gabriel Sanchez, a spokesman for the Davis campaign, said Sunday afternoon. 'There is no ill will here. It's just not true. We're focused on urging voters to vote no on the recall, and we welcome the lieutenant governor's support in that effort.'"
The San Jose Mercury News' Laura Kurtzman, Mary Anne Ostrom and Dawn Chmielewski look at the latest Field Poll results, which show Bustamante statistically tied with Schwarzenegger among the recall candidates. Bustamante appears to benefit greatly from being the only Democrat on the ballot, while Republicans are splitting their vote. LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Glenn Bunting and Dan Morain yesterday took a look at how much influence Native American tribes operating casinos in California are likely to exert in the recall — and the whether or not they'll bet on Bustamante. According to Bunting and Morain, "Since 1998, tribes have spent more money on state political campaigns — in excess of $120 million — than any other interest group." LINK
Rene Sanchez of the Washington Post takes a look at Gray Davis' fight for survival and floats the idea of Senator Feinstein appearing in a no-recall ad coming soon to a television near you. LINK
"The politically cautious, often aloof governor of California has gone missing. Or at least the newly reinvented Gray Davis (D), fighting to save his political life, no longer resembles him."
"Shadowed by the threat of being thrown out of office in a historic recall vote, Davis is constantly bounding into public view these days to court stalwart but disenchanted Democratic constituencies across the state with a relentless, and rare, charm offensive."
The San Francisco Chronicle also looks at the governor's battle for his base. LINK
Governor Davis said he'll sign a domestic partners bill and by doing so thrust the issue of gay rights into the middle of the recall campaign. LINK
California recall, Arnold:
The Wall Street Journal 's Scott Thurm looks at the aftershocks over Warren Buffett's remarks on property taxes in California among the gubernatorial contenders. Over the weekend, Schwarzenegger's campaign released a statement emphasizing the actor's staunch support for Proposition 13.
And speaking of that interview, it played a starring role in the Bill Simon radio ad that hit the airwaves this weekend. The spot, which was launched on Friday and re-cut to include this Schwarzenegger slam: " … and now Arnold Schwarzenegger's team wants to triple our property taxes, which just goes to show you, don't send a liberal to do a tax-fighter's job."
The Simon campaign will not divulge the size of the ad buy, saying only that it will run statewide for about a week — making it obviously difficult for the media to track its impact.
The New York Daily News asks "Where's Arnold?" in response to his paucity of speeches and television interviews since declaring his candidacy.LINK
Well, you'll find him paying a visit to Oprah soon, according to Newsweek. LINK
Laura Kurtzman of the San Jose Mercury News looks at some Schwarzenegger poll numbers and determines name ID isn't everything. "Despite Schwarzenegger's celebrity, voters appear to be evaluating him in much the same way they do other candidates." LINK
Product placement has long been a key ingredient to Hollywood marketing strategies, but what about product pitches strewn throughout political speeches? The Los Angeles Times' Joe Matthews writes up another ramification of a silver screen action hero running for governor. LINK
Cindy Adams writes for the New York Post that Arnold better be careful not to lose the California gubernatorial race or else he will suffer from "the Kennedy curse" that leads his wife to look at him as a loser. LINK
Andrea Peyser writes in the New York Post about her experience helping a homeless boy bypass Arnold staffers to secure the star's autograph. LINK
California recall, the rest of the field:
The Wall Street Journal 's Jackie Calmes comes up with a great read on the role of special interests — from teachers to environmental groups — in the California recall. The 335,000-member California Teachers Association has invited the top six contenders in the race to participate in a test about education Monday "before a specially picked panel of seven teachers. The prize: The endorsement of one of the state's big powers — 'the 800-pound gorilla,' in the words of more than one political observer here — and one that is rich in funds and votes."
The Los Angeles Times' Paul Pringle goes beyond the colorful and the kooky to explore some of the other candidates running for governor. LINK
Child actor Gary Coleman and adult film actress Mary Carey have signed on for the Game Show Network's "Who Wants to be Governor of California?" The remaining three candidates will be announced in the not too distant future. LINK
George Skelton of the Los Angeles Times writes about the recall thusly. "This is direct democracy run amok during a public tantrum." LINK
How's this for a beautiful double byline? Dan Balz and David Broder of the Washington Post checked in with those governors attending the National Governors' Association meeting to see how they felt about the use of the recall and got at least one republican (South Carolina's Mark Sanford) to say that it wasn't what the founding fathers had in mind. LINK
"Governors said they see no signs of a brewing national recall movement similar to the term-limits movement that caught fire in the 1990s. But many have been examining their own statutes just in case something begins to take root."
"'Every Democratic governor with a recall provision asked legal counsel to go look at the law,' said Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D)."
With Schwarzenegger taking up so much space, Simon and McClintock are doing battle over who gets to claim the "conservative alternative" mantle.LINK