The Note
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2004 — -- 65 Days Until Inauguration Day
In the Powell/Rice/etc. Cabinet shuffle, look for a Rice announcement midday from the Casa Blanca.
In the meantime, you can read all this:
The New York Times' poetic Todd Purdum on Rice's belief that Bush's second term could restore American diplomacy to the forefront of the diplomatic agenda. LINK
But as the Wall Street Journal's Robbins and Hitt point out, "She has often expressed impatience with traditional diplomacy and slow-moving diplomats, and her appointment could be seen as an effort to whip the department closer to the president's hard line. Suggestions last night that State Department nonproliferation chief John Bolton -- a favorite of Vice President Dick Cheney and a nemesis of Iran and North Korea -- could be named her deputy also support that view. "
A point that Purdum also makes.
"Republican officials said the selection of Rice reflects Bush's determination to take personal control of the government in a second term, especially departments and agencies that he felt had undermined him in the first four years," writes the Washington Post's Mike Allen. LINK
The New York Times' lead story on the Powell resignation and Rice ascension includes this interesting nugget: "As a Russia specialist, she has also told the president that she was concerned about a recent crackdown on business and civil liberties by President Vladimir V. Putin." LINK
The Boston Globe laments the departure of a "moderate voice." LINK
The Washington Post's Glenn Kessler calls it a decisive turn toward the hard line. LINK
The Los Angeles Times on Powell/Rice and the wrap of the Cabinet resignations thus far. LINK
The Washington Post's Kessler and Ricks look at Rice's NSC tenure. LINK
Read all the way to the end of Deb Riechmann's story -- which mentions Condoleezza Rice's top deputy, Stephen Hadley, as her successor -- for rumored exits by Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson. Ridge's spokesman tells ABC News that reports that Ridge is stepping down are untrue. LINK
At least, not stepping down yet -- but the smart money still says he will be leaving soonish.
The CIA situation:
The New York Times. LINK
The Washington Post's Dana Priest and Walter Pincus on Porter Goss' move to keep the lid on the CIA after the two top clandestine officers resigned Monday. LINK
The Los Angeles Times. LINK
Specter's big meetings today with his Senate leaders and his Judiciary colleagues will likely tell a lot of the tale -- after he cancelled last night's appearance before the Monday Meeting in New York.
Post-meeting stakeouts? Cable appearances? Leaks? Only time will tell . . .
The hidden hand in opposition to Arlen Specter: his opposition to tort reform? Alan Murray of the Wall Street Journal Notes that "He supported the class-action bill and worked hard to reach an asbestos settlement, but he also is one of the rare Republicans who enjoys support from the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Lawyers and lobbyists were the top contributors to his Senate campaign this year, providing nearly $1.8 million in campaign cash." Murray hints that Specter is getting the message.
Sen. Specter is expected to meet behind closed doors today with Senate Republican leaders and his fellow Republicans on the Judiciary Committee to nail down his chairmanship.
The Washington Times reports he will likely take the post on schedule. LINK
Hearty congratulations to Ken Mehlman -- the man Ron Fournier writes is "widely credited as the organizing genius who turned White House orders into action" (LINK) -- on the new job.
An honor for the man, the greater Baltimore metroplex, and hard work.
Tom Edsall has the Washington Post's look at Mehlman as RNC chair, Noting that "Mehlman must win the approval of the full RNC when it meets in January, but the vote will just be a formality barring an extraordinary turn of events." LINK
Ron Brownstein of the Los Angeles Times quotes Gary Bauer saying nice things about Mehlman's understanding of the party and where it needs to go, and suggesting he (Bauer) hasn't heard any controversy over the choice. LINK
And, as they say in the White House political shop, if even Gary Bauer can't find any controversy . . . !!!
And speaking of Mehlman, you will recall that in New York this summer at the Republican convention, his proud law firm colleagues threw a boffo party for him in Bryant Park one evening, at which his kvelling parents were overjoyed (Imagine how they feel today!!!).
That party was H-O-T, but it competed with many others all week for "top party" honors.
In contrast, in Little Rock this week, as the "other" party gathers to party, there seems to be only one event that is truly in contention for "top party," although the undercard events could be good too.
The "pent-up partying in Little Rock" unleashes tomorrow night with a Clinton-Gore celebration featuring a whole host of political glitterati -- but not the former VP, and with the former President a question mark, writes Rich Leiby in today's Reliable Source. LINK
But the main event is Thursday night's gala bash:
WHAT: The Glover Park Group and The Dewey Square Group team up to host a Thursday night cocktail reception.
WHO: The "special guests" (per the invitation) are Paul Begala and James Carville (Note the order!!!), but there will be others, if you know what we mean . . .
MORE WHO: Invites went out late last week; if you don't already have one, you are out of luck (unless, of course, you at some point in your life saved a table for Mike Feldman at Lauriol Plaza, in which case you might still have a chance to slip in . . . ).
WHERE: The old campaign headquarters for the 1992 Clinton campaign (not the Bruce Lindsey paint shop storefront; not the non-descript office building where Richard Mintz dreamed about being the State Department briefer -- the real (final) one in the old Democrat Gazette Building . . . ).
WHEN: As we said, Thursday night (after the day's formal ceremony, and years after the main thing that Paul and James had to worry about in The Rock was whether Patrice at the front desk of the Capital Hotel would have "accidentally" lost their faxes . . .).
WHAT FOOD: Doe's, of course (will the hosts be smart enough to request chicken sandwiches with spicy cheese be part of the catering order???).
WHY: Because the sharpies at GPG and DSG make a lot of money from the corporate world, and one can only buy so much red wine, so many yoga classes, so many trips to Italy, so many cupcakes, and so many compact discs.
And now: some DNC chair items:
What's this we hear about some Democrats trying to clear the field before the contestants have been fully announced? Some of us were looking forward to a real election! The DNC chair will be, after all, the party's veritable standard bearer (or, at least, placeholder) until a 2008 nominee is chosen.
Eventually, the most consequential endorsements will come from John Kerry, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, John Edwards, and Bill and Hillary Clinton, in no particular order. (We wonder if Al Gore thinks he is in this game too . . .)
Democrats believe that Kerry is encouraging Vilsack's candidacy and will eventually go public with it (some Kerry aides say such talk about who Kerry might support is premature.); Reid is inclined towards Vilsack, sources say; Edwards is, well, biding his time but would support a governor (Barnes? Vilsack?); and the Clintons want someone who will help his legacy and her national aspirations.
-- Harold Ickes told reporters yesterday that he had yet to decide whether to take his hat off his head and throw it into the ring. So he's a "maybe," rather than a pure "no." (We still think it's more likely that he'd agree to become a COO or CEO who would serve a boldface chair of the party).
-- New York businessman Leo Hindery, as we reported yesterday, will decide within two weeks whether to try for the job. Tom Daschle has begun soliciting support for his bid.
The state party chairs will meet in mid-December, and their chief, Mark Brewer of Michigan, wants them to keep their options open until then. That gives DNC members who are concerned about the nomination calendar a chance to define the parameters of the debate. Vilsack favors the calendar pretty much as is; Dean "supports what the Democratic Party thinks is best," says an aide.
Until we get to that fight (which has real meaning to the actual voting members of the DNC roster), it's easy to see this as a "Dean wing versus Vilsack wing" battle --liberal versus centrist, reformer versus chosen-by-the-establishment-figure. In reality, both Dean and Vilsack have attracted support from:
-- the Internet-reformist-largely liberal activists who think Ivy St. SE needs a grounds-up razing and a change in priorities (more in Dean's camp than in Vilsack's, but if you look closely and forget about the calendar, it's not that easy to distinguish one governor with a "record of results" from another!)
-- members of Congress (more in Vilsack's camp than in Dean's, at this point)
-- party consultants (more in Vilsack's camp in part because they dislike Dean)
-- fundraisers (they don't want to be taken for granted)
-- labor (organized AND disorganized)
-- the Clintonites (would Vilsack necessarily serve their interests better than Dean?)
Stay tuned!! A leave room on your scorecard for more names . . .
USA Today's Jill Lawrence on Kerry's return to the Senate today, with plans to speak on the debt ceiling and hints about a possible Kerry PAC. LINK
The Boston Globe's Peter Canellos gives credence to the idea that Sen. Kerry may be among the Democratic presidential contenders in 2008. LINK
Is John McCain's concern for global warming really that new? LINK
The New York Times' James Dao on the Democratic exodus from West Virginia. LINK
The Washington Post's Chuck Babington looks at Sen. Harry Reid as Minority Leader. LINK
Instead of running for Governor of New York, Sen. Chuck Schumer is taking up the reins at the DSCC. LINK
On the GOP side, Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Norm Coleman are duking it out to lead the NRSC. LINK
Washington state Attorney General Christine Gregoire pulled ahead of Republican Dino Rossi in the gubernatorial race Monday as thousands of outstanding ballots turned up in King County, giving her a 158-vote lead by evening. Counties must certify their vote counts with the state by tomorrow. Who's up for a recount? LINK
Geoff Earle of The Hill reports that Dem lobbyists are queasy about the possibility of having trouble finding work on K Street and fear a conspiracy -- including a theory that House Majority Whip Tom DeLay is urging firms not to hire them. LINK
DeLay's office scoffs. "DeLay spokesman Stuart Roy said, 'Tom DeLay has been the subject of more urban myths than Karl Rove, Elvis and Mikey from Life cereal combined.'"