The Note
W A S H I N G T O N July 21—
, 2003 -- Today's Schedule (all times Eastern):
—12:10 pm: President Bush and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi hold joint press conference, Crawford, Texas—1:00 pm: John Kerry conference call with reporters on Iraq—2:30 pm: Senator Bob Graham has lunch with the League of Conservation Voters, San Francisco—5:50 pm: President and Mrs. Bush arrive at the White House—7:15 pm: Vice President Cheney speaks at Bush-Cheney fundraiser in Omaha
NEWS SUMMARY
MOST IMPORTANT POLITICAL EVENTS OF THE DAY
1. President Bush's midday press conference.
2. John Kerry's press conference call on Iraq.
3. DNC/RNC uranium ad tussle.
4. Dick Cheney fundraises in Nebraska.
5. What Walter Pincus does for lunch.
MOST IMPORTANT NEWSPAPER STORIES OF THE DAY
1. Dan Balz in the Washington Post on the leader-less Invisible Primary. LINK
2. Janet Hook in the Los Angeles Times on the Republicans trying to move to hegemony. LINK
3. Steve Thomma on the president's "trifecta of bad news." LINK
4. David Rogers in the Wall Street Journal on Chairman Thomas' temperament.
5. The New York Times David Sanger deconstructs the Bush stump speech. LINK
BEST STORIES OF THE WEEKEND
1. The Washington Post 's Jonathan Weisman on why the president isn't paying that much of a political price with some voters on the economy. LINK
2. Anne Kornblut in the Boston Globe on the change in the Democrats nomination calendar that makes Iowa and New Hampshire at least a little less important. LINK
3. Mike Allen in the Washington Post on the president's economic plans. LINK
4. The Washington Post 's Ann Gerhart hanging out outside a Bush Texas fundraiser. LINK
5. (tie) The Washington Post 's profile of Dick Gephardt and the piece on sushi in DC. LINK and LINK
THE NOTE'S "PERSPECTIVE" (Note to Washington Post Company counsel: please sue us (just kidding); we need the free publicity, but in the future, we will probably call this "Note's Quotes," ripping off the concept — a la Time — but not the name, from Newsweek.):
1. "I've done focus groups in three cities this past week, and I think this is already adding up to something quite big … There is an erosion of trust."
-- Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg in the Washington Post
2. "I voted for the president, and I think he's done a great job. As for the economy, he inherited it more than caused it. Eight years of [Bill] Clinton got us to where we are. Nobody I know blames President Bush.'"
-- Economically hard-hit Janet Wood of Michigan in the Washington Post
3. "Is there ever a bad-looking Secret Service agent?"
-- Mary Kay gal Nancy Brock of Alabama in the Washington Post
4. "If Bush doesn't get us into another war, and that's a big "if," and if the Democrats can stay on message about the economy, and if soldiers [in Iraq] continue to be picked off once a day, maybe … "
-- Lana Boldi, a retired United Auto Workers representative, her voice trailing off in frustration to the Washington Post in discussing the chances of beating President Bush
5. (tie) "Art majors and theater majors support Howard Dean … .They dress a lot less formally. It's the hippie-style, I guess."
--Andrew Woods, a political science major and supporter of Senator Joseph Lieberman in the Charleston Post and Courier
"The best pork chop I ever had in 1988 was in Amana."
-- Howard Dean as quoted in the Des Moines Register from "Iowa Press"
MOST IMPORTANT POLITICAL DYNAMICS TO WATCH
1. Where do the press, the Democrats, the polls, events on the ground, and the evidence take the Iraq story this week?
2. Can the White House get a truce with the CIA?
3. Could the Gray Davis recall actually be in September or October?
4. How will speakers at this week's Republican National Committee meeting in New York talk about going "to the country" on national security "because they trust the Republican Party to do a better job of protecting and strengthening America's military might and thereby protecting America"?
5. Will Democratic presidential candidates fire more on each other or on Bush?
In California recall news today:
-- Court proceedings haven't been going Governor Davis' way, setting the stage for a recall election that could take place as early as September 30th.
-- Governor Davis rallied his base in San Francisco over the weekend with the help of Nancy Pelosi, Terry McAuliffe, and Mayor Willie Brown.
-- Senator Feinstein's personal history battling a recall may make her less likely to change her intentions about running as a replacement.
President Bush holds a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi today at the ranch in Crawford, Texas. President and Mrs. Bush will return to the White House tonight.
The president meets with the Argentine and Palestinian prime ministers on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. He has a full day of stumping, campaigning, and fundraising on Thursday in Philadelphia and Michigan.
Vice President Cheney attends a fundraiser at the Durham Western Heritage Museum in Omaha, Nebraska tonight, which is open press.
The Republican National Committee meets in New York from Wednesday through Saturday.
The Congress' 9/11 report is due out Thursday.
Senator Lieberman campaigns in California and Arizona today through Wednesday. He'll visit Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Phoenix, and Window Rock, Arizona as part of "Joe's Jobs Tour."
Congressman Gephardt will speak about Iraq tomorrow in San Francisco.
Governor Dean has no public events scheduled for today. He'll campaign in New Hampshire on Tuesday and Wednesday and in Iowa on Thursday and Friday.
Senator Graham raises money and has lunch with the League of Conservation Voters in San Francisco before traveling to Beverly Hills to meet with the "Democratic Leaders of the 21st Century" in Beverly Hills.
Senator Edwards has no public events scheduled for today, but he'll be in South Carolina to campaign tomorrow and Iowa later in the week.
Senator Kerry has no public events scheduled for today, but he'll be campaigning in Texas and Iowa later in the week.
Reverend Sharpton is in Ghana and Liberia this week.
A number of leading Democrats, including presidential candidates, have spoken or will speak to the trial lawyers out in San Francisco.
Politics of national security:
The AP's Jennifer Loven has a very unwirelike look at the changing White House tactics and stories on the uranium matter. LINK
It traces things in a quite lovely and orthodox chronological fashion, and we only subtract two points for the (apparently NOT tongue in cheek) "only time will tell" conclusion.
The AP's Will Lester couldn't reach any Madison, Wisconsin TV station reps over the weekend, so the status of the DNC's attempt to run their "ad" at low levels (and the RNC's attempt to stop it) couldn't be determined. LINK
The Note finds nothing harder in politics than tracking the attempts of one side to get stations to not run the ads of the other side.
The Washington Post 's Pincus flies high today with a look at the implications of some of the interstices of Friday's declassified intelligence report (very un-Cheney-like, that release). LINK
With a Pincus assist, yesterday the Washington Post 's Dana Milbank went onto the front page to at least partially debunk the "ready in 45 minutes" claim the administration made on occasion about Iraqi WMD attack preparedness. LINK
Same paper, same day, same first name, same Pincus assist, different gender: Dana Priest did more work on the uranium claim timing. LINK
The New York Times long Sunday story about the intelligence leading up to the war could make one wonder (if one were the type to wonder about such things) if the White House ever saw polling data that led them to believe that making the nuclear argument strengthened its hand, and it certainly keeps the CIA/White House feud alive. LINK
Of course, it's possible they made the decisions about which arguments would work best not on research, but just gut and consultation with, say, Capitol Hill.
The Los Angeles Times' Ron Brownstein filed yesterday on the political stakes for the three camps and the war: the White House, the pro-war Democrats, and the former Vermont governor. LINK
Do Republican pollsters have data to counter the Greenberg experience?
"'I've done focus groups in three cities this past week, and I think this is already adding up to something quite big,' said Democratic pollster Stanley B. Greenberg. 'There is an erosion of trust. And whereas before people were almost unwavering in support of the direction he was taking the country in fighting terrorism, now I think people are unsure about the direction he is taking on terrorism.'"
The Hartford Courant's Tara Weiss addresses the White House's lurching spin control, in a piece peppered with some fine Tony Snow quotes, to wit:
"The way they're handling this, it raises the B.S. radar … This is the story of damage control gone bad. The White House has not been sure-footed. When they act like that, reporters think they're trying to hide something. They should have said, 'The statement was true. Britain told us it was true. The British are standing by their intelligence, and we trust them.'" LINK
The Miami Herald runs a grim op-ed by Senator Bob Graham, who condemns what he considers to be a host of shady war-related White House practices. LINK
AP's William Mann reports on Democrats' latest Sunday talk show attacks on the White House. LINK
While Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) talked credibility, Senator Bob Graham dragged in Vice President Cheney.
"'You cannot tell me that the vice president didn't receive the same report that the CIA received, and that the vice president didn't communicate that report to the president or national security advisers to the president.'" Graham said.
Our favorite two parts of the Katie Couric/Howard Fineman Today colloquy: Katie asking Howard what advice he would have given if he were Karl Rove (Ah — the GLEAM in Howard's eye!), and Howard's repeated reference to what people inside the Beltway are obsessed with.
Big Casino budget politics:
When David Rogers of the Wall Street Journal says that Speaker Hastert has a Bill Thomas problem, well, then, Speaker Hastert must have a Bill Thomas problem.
The Courant's John MacDonald wades into the Medicare morass, after a weekend of stories suggesting that getting a Medicare compromises might not be so easy. LINK
The economy:
The second best story about the Mitchell-Greenspan household to appear in the paper yesterday was a tour de force by the formidable team of Jonathan Weisman and John M. Berry, and it was about the aiding and abetting of the Bush tax cuts by the Fed chairman. LINK
This is the best one: LINK
Wall Street Journal lead story headline: "Laid-off Factory Workers Find Jobs Are Drying Up for Good."
ABC 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:
The New York Times ' David Sanger brilliantly deconstructs the president's current political stump speech, complete with Barbara Bush joke (which the president knows will always get a laugh, and, not coincidentally, also reminds people of the Bush Brand), and deft handling of the economy and national security. LINK
Basically, though, we are all just waiting for Slate to do a fuller version of this — or, maybe, investigative reporter and linguist Dana Milbank.
The Los Angeles Times' Janet Hook looks at the Bush machine's attempt to build an enduring GOP majority, with the usual indices and subjects rounded up. LINK
Steven Thomma assesses a "shaken" but not "flattened" (or stirred) President Bush, as the White House faces a "trifecta of bad news": Iraq, the $455 billion deficit, and "angst about the economy." LINK
Indeed, Thomma, Noting the president's recent dip in approval ratings, opens with some warranted dramatic language: "Problems in Iraq, a soaring federal budget deficit and a sluggish economy are turning political superman George W. Bush into a vulnerable politician who could lose his reelection contest next year."
Thomma expands on the Big Three Threats, and adds the menace of an increasingly unifying Democratic party, spurred by tangible issues and tangible White House weaknesses, yet takes care to point out the polls aren't that bad, the Democrats aren't that unified, and Bush has got all that fundraising money and time to keep latent challenges from becoming legitimate.
Thomma also offers a few quotes from analysts, and Republican strategist Dan Schnur gets to sum it up: "'Iraq is on the path to democracy and the economy is gaining strength next year, George Bush will be reelected … If either or both of those situations go bad, then it's going to be awfully difficult.'"
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Times' Ed Chen rounded up the president's homecoming, complete with the notion that Mr. Bush "has fumed" about the uranium stuff. LINK
Nothing annoys us more about the current White House-White House press corps tarantella than when reporters buy the notion of an angry George W. Bush when it is so obviously being handed out for effect.
Mike Allen of the Washington Post spent his weekend fielding phone calls from Democratic presidential candidates and tying together all the string he had collected about the administration's plans to highlight their tax cuts and job-building efforts into the fall. LINK
McClellan and Bartlett agree with Don Evans (whose got a report a'coming): it's about jobs, jobs, jobs, and/but the White House has no additional plans beyond what is in place or already announced to create an environment in which the entrepreneurial spirit can flourish.
The Washington Post 's Jonathan Weisman hauled his butt to Grand Rapids to find that Bush supporters just don't blame him for the most part for the economic slump. LINK
Hard-hit supporter Janet Wood: "'I voted for the president, and I think he's done a great job,' said Wood, who now works far longer hours to eke out the living she once took for granted. 'As for the economy, he inherited it more than caused it. Eight years of [Bill] Clinton got us to where we are. Nobody I know blames President Bush.'"
Music to the ears of Ken Mehlman, that.
As is this:
"Jean Kimmel, an economist at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, said her students are 'just dismally depressed' about their near-term job prospects, while a growing number of discouraged, out-of-work Michiganians are not even showing up in the unemployment statistics because they have given up looking for jobs. Yet Bush remains remarkably popular, she said, in part because people believe the current economic stagnation is a mere pause in the go-go growth they grew up with in the 1990s, in part because the president has gained voters' confidence during the war on terrorism, and in part because they blame their troubles on the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."
Joker, joker, and the triple (kicker):
"But as Democratic activists huddled in the back room of the El Sombrero restaurant, they sounded anything but confident about unseating Bush next year."
"'If Bush doesn't get us into another war, and that's a big "if," and if the Democrats can stay on message about the economy, and if soldiers [in Iraq] continue to be picked off once a day, maybe,' said Lana Boldi, a retired United Auto Workers representative, before her voice trailed off in frustration."
Some Republicans are so frustrated with the president's strategy to delay big Social Security reform plans until after the 2004 election that they're freelancing, writes the Chicago Sun-Times's Bob Novak. LINK
ABC 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect, the money:
Washington Post Stylist Ann Gerhart stood outside the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas where the president fundraised over the weekend and produced a must-read about the comings and goings and guests. LINK
If you are one of the many Note readers who just happens to be in the United States Secret Service, you are gonna wanna read this one.
David Firestone of the New York Times quotes Fred Wertheimer as being unhappy with bundlers in his look at the Bush uber fundraisers, but with full disclosure and all those small donors and no support for public financing in the populace, move along, folks, there's nothing to see here. LINK
Still, David's interviews with some Pioneers and some Rangers are a joy to behold.
President Bush raised another $7 million in his Texas fundraising swing this weekend, bringing his total fundraising numbers since May 16 to a staggering $41.4 million, AP reports. LINK
Vice President Cheney heads for Columbia, South Carolina this week for another fundraiser. LINK
ABC 2004: The Invisible Primary:
The Washington Post 's Dan Balz nicely overviews the front-runner-less fight for the Democratic nomination. LINK
The plotlines and themes won't be new to Note readers, but Mr. Balz sums them up well:
-- the Gephardt and Lieberman struggles
-- the lack of a dominating or compelling economic message by anyone
-- the Dean Factor: an insurgent's rise without a frontrunner
-- Kerry's failure to consolidate
-- the fact that any of "four or five" people can still be nominated (in the view of Ron Klain, the Anita Dunn of his gender)
If we were the type to use sports metaphors, we would say that the Boston Globe 's Anne Kornblut is swinging the bat real well.
Yesterday, she had what seems like her fifth or so must-read in a row, this time writing the best piece by anyone to date (Yes, yes, start e-mailing us your complaints with old links … .) on how the nomination calendar for the Democrats has "fundamentally changed" right before our eyes. LINK
It's actually a great accidental compromise, with the attentive voters of Iowa and New Hampshire still getting to play a big role, but the states following quickly afterwards seeming to have a chance to play as well.
Anne's only failure was that she doesn't quote representatives from national news organizations, who — and we don't welcome all the power, but we wear it inevitably — decide what states matter and which ones don't.
It is unjust, but still the case, that fourth or worse in Iowa, and representatives of most news organizations will only ask candidates variations on one question: "When are you getting out of the race?"
Ms. Kornblut also quotes the chairman of the Democratic Party as saying the nomination should be wrapped up by the first week of March, to which we would say:
1. Don't be so sure of that (could be sooner, could be later).
2. Even if true, that is barely earlier than usual.
3. If true, doesn't that defeat the whole front-loading-to-get-an-early-nominee plan?
Congressman Dick Gephardt and Senator Joe Lieberman have lengthy careers as public servants, legislative records that convey what they believe in, and — in theory — the name recognition at least within their own party to get some traction among nominating voters and all-important donors.
In fact, they're struggling with money and apologizing to the NAACP. The Boston Globe 's Glen Johnson looks at how tough it is to start a fire without a spark. LINK
Ron Brownstein uses his Los Angeles Times column (and a day with Joel Klein) to point out that none of the Democrats is really hitting education as hard as, say, Al Gore did. LINK
USA Today 's Susan Page looks at local power brokers in New Hampshire, Iowa, and South Carolina, and has Joel Maiola talking about kissing. LINK
Where there are trial lawyers, there are Democratic presidential candidates. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Senators Edwards, Kerry, and Graham as well as Congressman Gephardt are all expected to address the Association of Trial Lawyers annual convention this week. LINK
The Washington Times Donald Lambro is excessively reliant on John Zogby in saying that it is a Kerry-Dean-Gephardt world. LINK
The USA Today editorial board denounces the "wealth primary" in the presidential race. LINK
The front-page New York Times story on an internal Justice Department review of alleged civil rights and civil liberties violations is required reading for all those Ashcroft-bashing Democratic presidential candidates. LINK
Dean:
Yesterday, Kathleen Hennesy of the Charleston Post and Courier disabused any of you who doesn't think Howard Dean can do well in South Carolina of that notion. LINK
Her lead was this:
"Behind their backs they're called Deanheads.'"
"Arty, lefty, young, and angry — or so the stereotype goes — they flip-flop their way around the College of Charleston handing out fliers and looking for a miracle called a Dean administration."
But, Hennesy, makes clear, Dean's states rights and fiscal conservative leanings are getting through to some.
Dick Polman wrote over the weekend about the fear that some Democrats have that Dean will be nominated and lose over 40 states. LINK
Memo to the Kerry family: are you aware that Mary Anne Marsh is reportedly "neutral" in the race?
Bloomberg has a great story on Dean's success in raising small donations, and they are smart enough to quote the granddaddy of 'em all, young Max Fose. LINK
Mr. Andrew McKeever of the Bennington Banner looks at the lack of surprise of all those Vermont politicos who now spend their days fielding phone calls about Howard Dean from national (and international) political reporters, who want color and dirt. LINK
Howard Dean tells the New York Post 's Hamptons gossip column that he is now recognized in the 'hood. LINK
The Des Moines Register 's Lynn Okamoto takes a quick hit at the highlights of Howard Dean's appearance this weekend on "Iowa Press." LINK
And in his story on Joe Lieberman, John DiStaso of the Union Leader gets Dorie Clark to go on the record about Dean's (under-reported) position on trade: LINK
" … Dean has said NAFTA 'should be re-negotiated to include provisions for fair trade and environmental protection,' said campaign spokesman Dorie Clark."
Edwards:
Who leaked (allegedly) John Edwards' e-mail to Tim Russert to Bob Novak, and what does it mean for the prospect of Edwards doing "Meet" again? LINK
John Wagner reports for the Raleigh News & Observer that Edwards is planning bus trips with his wife and three kids to stir up support in Iowa and New Hampshire. LINK
Sunday, the Raleigh News and Observer looked at John Edwards' capacity to raise cash $2,000 a pop. LINK
According to Chris Cillizza of Roll Call , "A July 10 meeting between Senator John Edwards and former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles ended in a stalemate and did little to clear up the question of who would represent North Carolina Democrats in next year's Senate race."
Sources "privy to the conversation" said "Edwards offered Bowles — and any other interested Democrats, including former state Rep. Dan Blue — the opportunity to begin raising money for a bid even as the freshman Senator continues to mull a decision about whether to simultaneously seek the presidency and a second term."
"The only catch is that the prospective Democratic candidates would have to promise to drop out of the Senate race if Edwards chose to stand for re-election."
Speculation in Democratic circles is that Bowles rejected the offer because he figured an Edwards Senate run would draw cash away from his own campaign, Cillizza writes.
"Bowles has publicly, but politely, urged Edwards to make a final decision on the race by Labor Day in order to allow him adequate time to raise the funds necessary to conduct a top-tier campaign."
"Edwards has not publicly announced a deadline for deciding whether he will run in both races or choose one. When confronted with the possibility of allowing other candidates to open Senate campaign committees while he ponders his future, Edwards has said it is not a prospect he has thought about."
Gephardt:
Jim VandeHei's profile of Richard A. Gephardt in Sunday's Washington Post had perfect pitch LINK
And check out Photo 4 for a picture of Ranit with the only two men she knows who are more powerful than Joel Johnson and Pete Rouse. LINK
Glen Johnson might never write another John Kerry story again; Saturday, he hung out with Dick Gephardt in the Granite State, and he wrote about it for Sunday's paper. LINK
What the AP's Mike Glover giveth, he can taketh away. As Dan Balz points out today, some opposing camps are trying to take out Gephardt now.
"Weakness draws attention as much as strength," is Balz's brilliant phrase.
Glover has recently written some lovey-dovey stuff about Dick Gephardt, but in the last few cycles he has gone super-brutal.
First with this: LINK
And then, this, in an overview of the caucuses, including the nearly pornographic invocation of "hot, sweaty candidates" at the state fair:
"Given the large and active field, the media has great difficulty dealing with nine contenders, and there will be heavy pressure on candidates who don't live up to expectations to get out of the race."
"That pressure is being exerted on Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt right now. The conventional wisdom in media circles right now is that there is questioning about whether Gephardt's campaign has lived up to expectations. That, in turn, makes it more difficult to raise money and make the case with important party constituencies who are mainly interested in finding a candidate who can win."
The Kansas City Star's David Goldstein peers through Congressman Gephardt's disappointing fundraising totals to assess the state of his candidacy. LINK
"Presidential politics is a game of expectations. Fail to meet them and it can be like trying to run a marathon with a broken leg. Start fitting Richard Gephardt for a cast."
"The St. Louis congressman's disappointing fund-raising report last week for his Democratic presidential campaign is suddenly triggering doubts about his staying power."
Graham:
Are Tom Beaumont's editors making sure he gets some days off this year?
Over the weekend, he followed Senator Graham around and wrote up his foreign policy and economic views with his usual admirable attention to policy. LINK
James Gordon Meek was a busy man watching all that Sunday morning television. Senator Graham was previewing the soon to be released portions of the report on pre-September 11 intelligence failures. LINK
William E. Gibson of the Florida Sun Sentinel writes up Senator Graham's NASCAR strategy but makes the important point that Florida's senior senator will need more cash in his campaign coffers to fully implement that strategy. LINK
"He needs the millions of NASCAR racing fans to rally to his campaign. He needs to lure disaffected Democrats back to the polls. He needs a strong showing in an early primary, such as in Virginia or South Carolina. And to keep this rural strategy going, he needs to raise a whole lot more money than the $2 million he collected in the past three months."
Kerry:
The AP's Nedra Pickler has a Roger Mudd moment with John Kerry (as Ted Kennedy) that will surely have them chuckling at some of the other campaigns. LINK
The Senator's inability to tout a deep legislative record is not a handicap in a presidential race, many analysts say, but the AP seemed to find it humorous enough (or, at least, Notable enough) to run a sidebar with Kerry verbatim. LINK
Miami Herald powerhouses Peter Wallsten and Jason Grotto run the numbers and find John Kerry raising steady cash in the Sunshine State. LINK
We think we can match Joe Trippi chuckle-for-chuckle over the scramble by the non-Dean candidates to borrow from his success, but this paragraph is really over-the-top funny:
"Graham campaign officials say their fundraising will pick up in the coming months, thanks largely to Rosen and heightened media attention to the campaign's sponsorship of a pickup in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series."
"The head of the state's largest teachers union has personally endorsed U..S. Senator John Kerry in the Democratic presidential race," the AP's Kathy Barks Hoffman reports. LINK
George Weeks of The Detroit News writes up Kerry's "coup" in scoring the personal endorsement of the MEA President and Notes Battaglieri's role in engineering early support for Gov. Jennifer Granholm "even though he liked ex-Gov. Jim Blanchard and U.S. Rep. David Bonior, who had the support of much of organized labor." LINK
"Michigan Democratic Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow are neutral in the presidential race and likely to remain so at least through this year. Levin says he may endorse before the caucus 'if someone emerges' as the clear choice as Al Gore did in 2000."
"The most coveted individual endorsement is that of Granholm. She is neutral, but her husband, Dan Mulhern, is for Kerry. So are (ex-Gov. Jim) Blanchard and state Senator Buzz Thomas of Detroit, the former House Democratic leader who says he has recruited at least a dozen legislators who will announce for Kerry."
Kucinich:
Ed Henry of Roll Call writes in his Heard on the Hill column that Rep. Dennis Kucinich appeared to have been caught by a video camera "snoozing away" during Tony Blair's speech to the joint session of Congress — as semi-foreshadowed in The Note.
"But Kucinich called HOH to insist he wasn't sleeping and stressed that there's another side to the story. It turns out that Senator Bob Graham (D-Fla.) isn't the only White House candidate who carries around a notebook."
"'Let me just tell you, it's stupid,' Kucinich said Friday of the speculation that he had slept through the speech. 'I heard this same thing on the floor today from a Republican Member.'"
"The Congressman insisted that he was buried in his notebook. 'When I take notes my head is down, just like reporters,' he said. 'In fact, during every State of the Union I've taken close notes.'"
Lieberman:
It's South Carolina or bust for Lieberman, the Greenville News's Dan Hoover writes. LINK
Lieberman's challenge is a big one: survive Iowa and New Hampshire and beat or finish second to a regional favorite on Feb. 3, Hoover writes. To do that, the Connecticut Senator must try to get moderate to conservative Democratic Southern voters to latch onto his positions on national security and values while not alienating the liberal base. Last week's NAACP mea culpa spelled that lesson out in capital letters.
"'He needs to find a place where he can win,' said Earl Black, author and presidential scholar at Rice University. If it's not South Carolina, Black said, Lieberman's campaign may be over."
The Hartford Courant's editorial page leaves Lieberman dangling on the hook for his NAACP misstep, the Senator's apology notwithstanding. LINK
Lieberman says it's "George W. Bush's fault that 'American manufacturing is in the emergency room' but warns" that Gephardt's "anti-NAFTA 'protectionism' stance is not the way to mend it," the Manchester Union Leader's John DiStaso reports. LINK
Lieberman ticked off his plans: get tough with China; write worker rights and environmental protection into trade agreements; push for a working group on labor in the WTO; an "American Manufacturing Tax Credit" and investment tax credits for small and mid-size manufacturing firms; grants to communities that lose manufacturing jobs; more federal trade monitors abroad; and promote American-made goods.
Before repeating his call for CIA Director George Tenet to resign, Lieberman disagreed with Senator Bob Graham's suggestion that President Bush's actions warrant impeachment, DiStasio writes. LINK
"'No way,' he replied. 'There are orderly processes of government in this country. It's not the right thing to do. We elect people, and if we disagree with them, we should say to the American people why we do, and the way to handle the problem is to vote those people out of office.'"
Moseley Braun:
Senator/Ambassador Moseley Braun got the Los Angeles Times profile treatment yesterday. LINK
Sharpton:
Reverend Sharpton launched his Liberian fact finding mission. LINK
Biden:
Senator (candidate?) Biden met the press on Sunday and urged President Bush to engage in bilateral diplomacy with North Korea. LINK
Greens:
The Washington Post 's Brian Faler finds that the Green Party meeting in DC ended with the tentative decision to run a candidate for president. LINK
Wearing his Washington Bureau Chief crown proudly, John Aloysius Farrell went one-on-one with Ralph Nader in Sunday's Denver Post. LINK
Iowa:
Scott Shepard did the "Field of Dreams" thing in a very nice overview of "whither the Iowa caucuses?" over the weekend. LINK
David Yepsen sees jobs going to South Dakota because Governor Vilsack isn't as charming as David himself, which, you gotta think, is only going to make the Governor angrier and angrier, leading to more job loss … . LINK
Jeff Link and Tom Harkin are loyal as heck (We aren't as potty mouthed as Senator Harkin … ), which means RAFAEL "RAFI" RUTHCHILD IS BACK ON THE PAYROLL!!!! LINK
Over to you, Chairman Chuck.
South Carolina:
Despite the hype for the first-in-the-South Democratic presidential primary, South Carolina Democrats until recently didn't know whether they'd be able to have one, The State's Lauren Markoe writes. LINK
Having dug themselves out of the $70,000 hole left by bruising races in 2002, the South Carolina is looking to raise $500,000 to hold its primary on Feb. 3. That's about the budget — including money for lawsuits — that the state GOP raised for its presidential primary contest in 2000. South Carolina is one of the few states where the parties, not the taxpayers, finance the primary contest.
Southwest:
With New Mexico Democrats having voted to move their primary earlier LINK, the Arizona Republic's Elvia Díaz yesterday look at the influence that state and Arizona just might have in the process, although Ms. Diaz smartly points out that those Western results might not make the early editions of those influential Eastern papers. LINK
Boston:
The Boston Globe 's Corey Dade has the latest edition of Terry McAuliffe's L.A. nightmare: the fundraising for the convention is still sputtering. LINK
So as the convention approaches (just a year from now), Senator Kennedy has a new person in place to protect his interests, both Fleet and slow.
Robert Rosen has joined his staff as the new national political director. Rosen served as an Assistant to the president and Director of the Office of Advance in the Clinton White House.
Showing the normal level of courage and honest, a Kennedy aide said, "We are quickly rounding the corner to 2004, and Rob's national and strategic political experience will be enormously helpful."
New Hampshire:
There's a lot of campaign softball to be played in the New Hampshire field of dreams, and here's our first dispatch from Team Lieberman, recapping the weekend action:
"Softball or Hardball? Well it was mostly softball on Friday evening as the Lieberman staff defeated the Dean staff 22-12 during a friendly and competitive game of campaign softball in NH. There were a few tense moments — most NOTABLY a contentious play at the plate which nearly cleared both benches (whoa Dean team, we're not the Kerry team!); a lot of good plays — two triples in a row from Lieberman old-timer and MVP Bob Quinn; and tons of obnoxious cheering — 'The Doctor is ooouuuttt!' Though energized by the late-game heroics of Steve Gerenser, the Dean Team was no match for the Lieberman Team."
"Lieberman staffers taking a swing included Peter Greenberger, Emily Silver and Darden Copeland (Ray Buckley swung his red and white pom-poms) while Dean staffers up to bat included Mike Weissman, Dorie Clark, and Rachel Sobelson. The teams made nice at the end of the game with the Lieberman team sharing GO JOE cupcakes with the Dean team — and yes, at least one Dean staffer could not resist. So what explains the lop-sided victory? I think Team Lieberman's ability to hit to both sides of the field overwhelmed the Dean Team … who continually popped out to left field."
Politics:Offering the beginnings of what is quite obviously going to be a doctoral thesis, the New York Times ' Jennifer Steinhauer (still writing for two) discovers that race is an issue in Gotham City politics. LINK
Must-reading for the Republican National Committeeman and woman from Montana, in advance of this week's RNC meeting.
Bill Clinton's tapping the New York Gen-X and Y crowd for presidential library funds. LINK
Cindy Adams introduces the world to maestro Orrin Hatch. LINK
Ed Henry's wet dream: the Wall Street Journal writes about the Hill tab wars between Roll Call and the Hill.
Here's one for the strange bedfellows category. Reagan will be played by Brolin who is married to Streisand. LINK
A lot of the sushi made in Washington is made by people who aren't Japanese, the Washington Post 's investigative team reported Sunday. LINK
Which is why anyone who works at the RNC who is coming to the meeting this week should eat a lot of New York sushi while you are there.
Legislative agenda:
David Broder hit on AmeriCorps and the child tax credit in Sunday's paper, and Tim Russert took up the charge with Hastert and Biden. LINK
The governors are also pushing for more AmeriCorps money, the Washington Post reports, although, rejecting poetry, Broder doesn't write the story. LINK
California recall:
Newsweek's cover story comes right on time for this week's possible certification of the recall measure. In addition to the masterful write up of the recall by Howard Fineman and Karen Breslau, the "California in Crisis" package provides a complete picture of the state's budget crunch and Ms. Breslau's one-on-one with Governor Davis (web version) where we learn about his battle with his wife over their one copy of Hillary Clinton's memoir.LINK
The New York Post wrote up the Newsweek story. LINK
Among the many things one learned in yesterday's Los Angeles Times recall story is that Governor Davis has been chatting up a certain Chappaqua-based Democratic political strategist about how to fight this thing.LINK
The Sacramento Bee's Dan Walters focuses on Governor Davis' centrist ways and his need for the liberal base to help him beat back the recall. LINK
Robert Salladay and James Sterngold of the San Francisco Chronicle looked at how last week's court losses for the anti-recall groups could bring an election as early as the end of September.LINK
Today, Mr. Salladay explores the stated basis for the recall and asks if Governor Davis deceived Californian's about the state's fiscal crisis last year. LINK
Jim Puzzanghera of the San Jose Mercury News predicts those who are waiting for Senator Feinstein to change her intention and declare her candidacy in a recall election may be disappointed. LINK
"Like the state's other leading Democrats, Feinstein has declared she has no intention of running as a replacement for Gov. Gray Davis. And, although she is expected to get the most pressure to run should Democratic Party leaders fear a Davis loss, she's highly unlikely to change her mind, according to analysts and those who know her well."
"The main reason: her bitter memories of facing a recall as mayor of San Francisco 20 years ago."
"'I'll be candid, it's humiliating,' Feinstein said of the episode in an interview last week. Feinstein overwhelmingly won that election — a victory that transformed her political career by giving her national stature — but only after suffering through an episode she has described as the most 'mortifying' of her public life."
"Feinstein said her experience in 1983 makes her even less inclined to consider running in the recall if approached by party officials than she normally would be. And there are additional reasons why Feinstein is a long shot to jump into the race."
Once Mr. Puzzanghera dispensed with the likelihood of a Feinstein candidacy he pondered Leon Panetta's gubernatorial intentions. LINK
You gotta get yourself a hard copy of the Los Angeles Times to see the Rich Pedroncelli photo of Davis, Speaker Wesson, and Senate Republican Leader Brulte gnawing on "a pippin — or is it a Granny Smith?" (In the national edition, it's on B2.)