The Note: War President, Part IV
— -- WASHINGTON, July 31
President Bush has already made some remarks about the Middle East today, and you can expect more throughout this Monday, including at the top his 10:00 am ET Miami speech on the economy and in his numerous media interviews.
The POTUS also participates in a tour of the Port of Miami at 10:55 am ET. He then attends an RNC reception in Coral Gables, FL at 1:15 pm ET which will raise $1,000,000 before returning to Washington, DC. He will speak with Secretary Rice about the situation in the Middle East tonight.
President Bush is scheduled to be interviewed by Neil Cavuto of Fox News to discuss the economy and the conflict in the Middle East at 4:00 pm ET. He is also doing sit-downs while in Miami with the local ABC and Fox affiliates.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals hears oral arguments to decide whether former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's (R-TX) name must remain on the Texas ballot as the Republican candidate in the state's 22nd congressional district.
More from the Houston Chronicle. LINK
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) delivers a major policy address on rural issues at 12:00 pm ET in Lockport, NY. She also joins in hosting a Pfizer-sponsored conference in Buffalo, NY intended to enable New York state's emerging biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to familiarize themselves with Pfizer's Research & Development pathways and external relationships.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) participates in a 6:00 pm ET roundtable with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the Port of Long Beach on ways that California, Great Britain, and individual companies can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (The Wall Street Journal Notes the lack of participation from the White House). LINK
Former President Bill Clinton makes remarks on the role of schools in promoting healthy eating and physical activity in Little Rock, AR. He then heads to the left coast. On the heels of Katherine Lister's dramatic shift from Sen. Maria Cantwell's Senate staff to her campaign staff, Mr. Clinton touts Sen. Cantwell's work "putting Washington first" at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center at 8:30 pm ET.
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) discusses a "common-ground" approach to preventing unintended pregnancy at the Center for American Progres at 12:30 pm ET.
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) pushes his health care plan at a 12:00 pm ET Faneuil Hall speech in Boston. Per Kerry spokesgal Amy Brundage, "Kerry will stick to his guns on health care, refusing to walk the timid path of Washington incrementalism, and instead fighting to guarantee universal health care by 2012, starting immediately with all of America's children, and putting soaring health care costs first and foremost on the agenda."
Sen. Kerry will characterize the Republican "failure" on health care as a "slow-motion Katrina." For more, check out his op-ed in today's Boston Globe: LINK
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the point man for Senate Democrats on national security, addresses the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies on "Iraq: The Road Ahead" at 6:00 pm ET.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich addresses the Young Americas Foundation convention at 1:00 pm ET. LINK
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) stumps for the no-longer anonymous Lt. Gov. Michael Steele in Owings Mills, MD. LINK
With the House in recess, at 3:00 pm ET, the Senate resumes consideration of an offshore drilling measure (S 3711) that would hasten oil and gas exploration in a section of the eastern Gulf of Mexico known as "Lease Area 181." A roll call vote is expected at 5:30 p.m. on the motion to invoke cloture on the measure.
Weekend must-reads:
In Saturday's New York Times, in her piece about the relationship between 2008 frontrunners McCain and Clinton, Anne Kornblut reported that Sen. Clinton "astonished her traveling companions" on a congressional trip to Estonia "by suggesting that the group do what one does in the Baltics: hold a vodka-drinking contest." LINK
"Delighted, the leader of the delegation, Senator John McCain, quickly agreed. The after-dinner drinks went so well -- memories are a bit hazy on who drank how much -- that Mr. McCain, an Arizona Republican, later told people how unexpectedly engaging he found Mrs. Clinton to be. 'One of the guys' was the way he described Mrs. Clinton, a New York Democrat, to some Republican colleagues."
Philippe "The Kicker" Reines declined to elaborate on the rounds of vodka, saying: "What happens in Estonia stays in Estonia."
"Atlas Group Strives to Map Out Success for Democrats" - Sunday's Washington Post on the comprehensive effort by Steve Rosenthal, Michael Whouley and Mary Beth Cahill to devise a roadmap to victory in 2008, in a story that raised more questions than it answered. LINK
In a reminder of how he plans to use his state's health reform package in 2008, Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) said in Iowa over the weekend that he could envision being on a panel with Sen. Clinton and being asked how his health plan differed and saying: "That's easy. Mine got done." LINK
Weekend GMA:
On the Saturday edition of Weekend GMA, ABC News' Kate Snow asked DNC Chairman Howard Dean how Democrats can take back control of Congress if he and DCCC Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) haven't spoken in months.
"That stuff is mostly press gossip. We work very well with the DCCC. . . I do think that's mostly inside the beltway gossip," said Dean.
Snow persisted: "So you have spoken to him?"
Dean, dodging the question, said: "What really matters is, can we really change. We work the the DNC, the DCCC every single day."
Snow also reminded Dean that when he was arguing against going into Iraq - back in 2002 before the war began - Dean used to suggest that if you go into Iraq you've got to stay for 10 years to build a democracy.
Asked if he still thinks that, Dean avoided addressing his own 10-year assessment, saying, "I think if the president had his way, we would. . ."
While anchoring Weekend GMA on Sunday, ABC News' Jake Tapper interviewed RNC spokesman Brian Jones. As Tapper chronicles on his Political Punch blog, when Jones was asked how GOPers will try to keep control of the House and Senate this November, Jones said Republicans would run local races and argue that a Democratic Congress will raise taxes, "cut and run" from Iraq, and proceed with impeachment proceedings against President Bush.
Tapper writes that the Republican campaign "might accurately be called negative campaigning. Or, in a conservative's view, an accurate reminder." LINK
Click here for the free video of Tapper and the RNC's Jones: LINK
Bush Administration agenda:
"Bush's Focus in Florida Is on Domestic Agenda," Washington Post. LINK
"President to linger in Miami area today," Palm Beach Post LINK
"Crisis Could Undercut Bush's Long-Term Goals," Washington Post's Peter Baker warns that US defense of the Israeli response could leave the United States "more isolated than at any time since the Iraq invasion three years ago." LINK
"Rove Critical of Media's 'Corrosive Role' in Politics," Associated Press on Rove's commencement address to GW's GSPM. LINK
"Bolton In, Chuck Says," the New York Post on Sen. Schumer. LINK
"Alaska: Cheney Weighs In," Newsweek on the Vice President's effort to prod Alaska lawmakers to approve a "controversial" $20 billion natural-gas pipeline. LINK
Politics of the minimum wage:
"Senate's Pension Push May Snag On Split Over Estate Taxes, Wages," the Wall Street Journal's David Rogers. LINK
"Estate Tax, Wage Hike Teetering In Senate," Sunday's Washington Post. LINK
"House Approves Wage Increase Linked to Tax Breaks," Sunday's New York Times. LINK
"House approves minimum wage increase," USA Today in a story that describes the wage hike as "likely to die at the hands of Democrats opposed to the costly estate tax cuts." LINK
Politics of Iraq:
"Report on Prewar Intelligence Lagging," per Sunday's Washington Post: "information Democrats want most might not come out until after election." LINK
"Partisan Divide on Iraq Exceeds Split on Vietnam," Sunday's New York Times. LINK
Politics of Medicare:
"Medicare Beneficiaries Confused and Angry Over Gap in Drug Coverage," Robert Pear in Sunday's New York Times. LINK
Sen. Lieberman's primary politics:
Calling into Imus' radio show this morning, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) refused to make any wagers on Lieberman's prospects in his primary next week. "I don't know … honestly I don't have a feel for it," and/but "Whatever happens, the Democratic Party will go on."
Newspaper endorsements typically don't matter. But the New York Times' Sunday endorsement of Ned Lamont over Sen. Lieberman might matter in certain parts of Connecticut. LINK
In delivering its endorsement to Lamont, the New York Times accused Sen. Lieberman of becoming "one of the Bush administration's most useful allies as the president tries to turn the war on terror into an excuse for radical changes in how this country operates."
"For Experience, Mr. Lieberman," Sunday's Hartford Courant. LINK
"Mr. Lieberman's Strength: The Democratic Party needs his ability to bridge the partisan divide," editorial in Sunday's Washington Post LINK
"'A Terrible Tug' for Democrats," Washington Post's David Broder LINK
Be sure to Note Broder writing: ". . . no one knows how a three-way race would evolve; there is talk of Republicans substituting someone of stature for their current weak nominee, Alan Schlesinger."
"The Putting of First Things First," Newsweek's Jonathan Alter counsels Democrats to focus their ire at vulnerable House Republicans, not Sen. Lieberman. LINK
Be sure to Note the vintage Monica Lewinsky quote on what politics is supposed to be all about.
"Lieberman's Eroding Base," Sunday's Washington Post. LINK
"For Rivals in Connecticut, a Dash to Pick Up Votes," New York Times. LINK
"Democrats and Defense," U.S. News in a piece that has Lieberman adviser Dan Gerstein saying: "The left has been so consumed by opposition to Iraq that they've left the impression they don't care about the jihadist threat or ... that our party is opposed to the war on terror. If that's the message the broad middle takes away, hope of becoming the majority party is shot." LINK
"Big Names In A Big Race," Hartford Courant. LINK
"Democrats Fear Backlash as Lieberman Stumbles in Senate Race," Bloomberg News. LINK
GOP leadership:
"'It's my job to ensure that our members get a good bill,'" Washington Times interview with House Majoirty Leader John Boehner (R-OH). LINK
On why he insists on calling the McCain-Kennedy bill "Reid-Kennedy" despite the fact that "Senate Republicans were far more instrumental in passing" it than Democrats were, Boehner says: "Hey, we all have a job to do, and I'm doing mine. And it's the Reid-Kennedy bill."
On Social Security, Boehner says: "If I'm around in a leadership role come January, we're going to get serious about this."
Politics of immigration:
"Boehner has change of heart on immigration bill," Washington Times.LINK
"U.S. Puts Onus on Employers of Immigrants," New York Times. LINK
"More Hearings, More Stalling, Say Democrats," Los Angeles Times on the House Democratic "eye-rolling" that greeted the GOP's recent announcement of its immigration field hearings. LINK
"Lawmakers plan another lame-duck assembly," USA Today. LINK
"Immigration Bill Outlook Still Hazy," Roll Call on the unlikely passage of the Pence-Hutchison proposal by the end of this year. LINK
2006: landscape:
"A Gang Under Siege," Newsweek writes that the Gang of 14 "may pay a price at the polls." LINK
"Democrats see minimum wage, stem cell as hot issues," Washington Times. LINK
"GOP Strategy Losing Impact," The State's Lee Bandy on the on the "tax-and-spend" liberal charge. LINK
2006: House:
"Blunt Says Candidates `Will Have to Decide' on Bush Appearances," Bloomberg News. LINK
"NRCC Polling Extensively," Roll Call on the extensive and expensive polling by House Republicans that will likely never be released.
"Reynolds Concedes Colleagues Vulnerable," Roll Call on the 14 Republican House members that NRCC Chairman Tom Reynolds (R-NY) thinks will face the "toughest time getting re-elected."
"Dean Stumps for Altmire in 4th Congressional District," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Democratic effort to oust Rep. Melissa Hart (R-PA). LINK
"First Lady, Carville Aid Fundraising," Cincinnati Enquirer on scheduled stumps this week by prominent party figures in Ohio's first congressional district. LINK
2006: Senate:
"Poll: Sen. Allen Leading in Virginia," the AP on Sen. Allen's 16-point lead in a Mason-Dixon poll. LINK
"Bill Clinton gets behind Ford's race," Knox News. LINK
"Santorum Links Casey to Wrong Al-Jazeerah," Philadelphia Inquirer. LINK
"Candidates at Odds over Drug Benefit," Columbus Dispatch. LINK
2006: Governor:
"Swann Brings in a NY Strategist to Lead Campaign," Philadelphia Inquirer on Swann's tapping on Walter Breakell. LINK
"Blackwell Delegates Job Duties to Deputy," Columbus Dispatch. LINK
"Nation's Governors to Meet in Charleston," The State. LINK
2008:
"It's August? Let's Go to Iowa!" Time magazine. LINK
"Presidential Hopefuls Spar Over Health Care," New York Sun asks whether a Democrat other than Sen. Clinton could "own" the health care issue in 2008 by looking at recent health care moves by Sen. Kerry, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), and former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) as well as the "unusual dynamic" presented by Gov. Romney. LINK
2008: Republicans:
"Like Father, Like Son," Time magazine on Sen. McCain's son Jimmy "heading to boot camp and, maybe, to battle." LINK
The AP on the same: LINK
"Conservatives' Love-Hate Relationship with John McCain," RealClearPoliticsLINK
"Romney apologizes for use of expression, to some, `tar baby' is racial pejorative," Boston Globe. LINK
"At Iowa rally, low-key Frist connects offstage," The Tennessean on Dr./Leader/Sen. Frist looking presidential while campaigning for local candidates. LINK
Iowa weekend:
The Des Moines Register covers the visits of Romney, Frist, and Kerry from every angle:
"Kerry: Don't change primary calendar Iowa first" LINK
"Romney says Iowa visit not a distraction" LINK
"Frist talks health care in swing through Iowa" LINK
"Cancer mars lives of some weighing '08 run" LINK
"Kerry: Elect Democrats for a safer United States" LINK
"Romney makes fifth trip to Iowa" LINK
Clintons of Chappaqua:
"Bill Clinton Charms, Stands Up for Hillary," the New York Post's Cindy Adams on Sen. Clinton's latest fundraiser. LINK
Clinton told Adams: "We'll probably get away for some vacation somewhere but for now, for the month of August, I'm going wherever Hillary tells me."
"Bill and Hillary: Getting the blood boiling," the Associated Press on "the Clintons as campaign weapons." LINK
The Schwarzenegger Era:
The Los Angeles Times runs an excerpt from Joe Matthews' new Schwarzenegger book:
Politics:
"Mayors of L.A., San Francisco So Alike, They Deny They May Be Rivals," Los Angeles Times on a potential future showdown between Antonio Villaraigosa and Gavin Newsom. LINK
"A one-month ghost town," Washington Times on a deserted DC. LINK
"The president of Iceland showed up at Cafe Milano the other day in shorts -- and didn't have to wait for a table."
ABC News' Jake Tapper wraps quotable moments from the weekend in his Political Punch blog. LINK
Week ahead:
On Tuesday, President Bush is scheduled to undergo his physical examination at Bethesda Naval Hospital today. President Clinton headlines a dinner for Phil Angelides in Los Angeles. All six creationism-supporting members of the Kansas state board of education faces challenges. DNC Chairman Howard Dean attends a grassroots fundraiser for the Delaware Democratic Party at 4:00 pm ET. Edwards travels to the 2006 Iowa State Education Association Summer Conference. Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) makes remarks at the Healthy Schools Forum in Little Rock, AR. New York Senate candidate KT McFarland hosts a Young Professionals cocktail party in her struggle to unseat Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY). The NHLA releases its Latino Leadership Report and hosts a news conference at the National Council for La Raza Headquarters at 11:00 am ET. As discussions on immigration continue, the Cato Institute hosts a presentation themed "Comprehensive Immigration Reform for a Growing Economy" with Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez at 12:00 pm ET.
On Wednesday, President Bush attends a closed press fundraiser for Ken Blackwell, the state's Republican gubernatorial candidate. Democrats continue stumps across the nation as Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA) attends the Aladems County PAC Fundraiser in Birmingham, AL while Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and fellow Democrats attend a fundraising event for congressional candidate Angie Paccione in Denver, CO. The Conservative Student Conference hosted by the Young Americas Foundation continues, with a scheduled dinner banquet featuring Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) at 7:30 pm ET.
On Thursday, Tennessee is scheduled to hold its primary election. This primary will determine which Republican will square off against Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN) in the race to succeed Dr./Leader/Sen. Frist. President Bush participates in a 3:20 pm ET tour of Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector before making remarks on comprehensive immigration reform at Anzalduas Park in Mission, TX. RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman and White House political director Sara Taylor hold an open press strategy session for RNC members attending the party's summer meeting in Minneapolis, MN. Also on Thursday, Edwards and Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) begin their trek across the Granite State in support of New Hampshire State Senators and senatorial candidates. Richardson's first stop is a luncheon for State Senate candidate Betsi Devries at 12:00 pm ET in Manchester, NH. At 2 p.m., Richardson attends another reception for Devries in Manchester, NH. Richardson keynotes a reception for State Senate candidate Harold Janeway at 4:40 p.m. in Concord, NH. Later Richardson travels to Tilton, NH, for a fundraiser for State Senate candidate Kathy Sgambati at 6:45 p.m.
On Friday, RNC continues its summer meeting. Also, there's First Lady Laura Bush's trip to the Helping America's Youth Second Regional Conference, at which she delivers the keynote address and observes discussion panels at 2:00 pm ET in Denver, CO. In Keene, NH, Richardson keynotes a reception for State Senate Candidate Molly Kelly while Edwards campaigns for New Hampshire State Senator Peter Burling in Cornish, NH. Gov. George Pataki (R-NY) and former Gov. David Beasley (R-NC) host a cocktail reception for South Carolina's GOP to kick off the NGA weekend, as the National Governors Association is scheduled to host its annual meeting in Charleston, SC over the weekend. The President RONs in Crawfod, TX.
On Saturday, Edwards attends an event for State Sen. Dave Gottesman at 1:00 pm in Moultonborough, NH. At 3:00 pm ET, Edwards stumps for State Senate candidate Jackie Cilley in Rochester, NH.
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