The Note: Rule Of Three
— -- WASHINGTON, June 13
NEWS SUMMARY
In honor of the fact that the pace of political news has us all suspecting that the Gang of 500 is treating June as a series of three-day weekends:
Three things political analyst/veep Dick Cheney said about Howard Dean on FNC that gave voice to what some Democrats are (still) saying:
1. "I've never been able to understand his appeal. Maybe his mother loved him, but I've never met anybody who does."
2. "That's not the kind of individual you want to have representing your political party.
3. "I really think Howard Dean's over the top."
(Lynn Sweet in the Chicago Sun-Times writes, "Why a vice president would throw out juvenile taunts that are so beneath him could take up a whole column." LINK
Three things you missed if you didn't read the papers (closely) this weekend:
1. The Washington Post reporting that some Notable (unnamed) Democrats wanted Howard Dean to step down as chair last week.
2. The Boston Globe reporting that Mike Murphy says he will sit out '08 of Sen. McCain and Gov. Romney both seek the presidency.
3. Tom Edsall's byline over a fabulous CAFTA explainer in the Washington Post: LINK
(We'd add Rep. Walter Jones' change of heart on Iraq (from Freedom Fries to withdrawal timetable), but we know you watched "This Week.")
Three stories that will keep Americans tuned in more than anything coming out of Washington, DC this week:
1. Michael Jackson jury deliberations.
2. Natalee Holloway disappearance in Aruba.
3. "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" boffo box office take/ NBA Finals. (tie)
Three bills that still might draw the first historic Bush 43 veto:
1. Stem cells.
2. Highway.
3. None -- the majority whips won't let it happen.
Three outside-the-Beltway political developments that merit your attention:
1. Tom Noe, the state workers' compensation fund, and the potential severe damage to the Ohio Republican Party.
2. Ongoing vote fraud investigations in Wisconsin, covered by an aggressive Journal Sentinel there.
3. The Western Governors Association and a laser-like focus on immigration: LINK
Three key excerpts from Roll Call articles:
1. Ben Pershing on Social Security: "Despite dozens of high-level meetings and strategy sessions on the topic, GOP leaders have not decided whether the House or Senate should pass a bill first, whether the House should press forward even if the Senate is unlikely to act and whether the White House should provide more specific guidance or step back and let Congress take the lead."
2. Chris Cillizza on a running, running, running Gov. Mike Huckabee: "'When asked about his ambitions for national office in an interview last week, Huckabee demurred' 'I think it's a little early,' he said. 'It is not the big focus of my life right now.' A source close to the governor, however, acknowledged that as of now, "he is planning to run for president.'"
3. Kate Ackley on the Ripon Society: " The Ripon Society, a moderate Republican research and public policy organization dating back to 1962, is weathering some changes this summer, both internal and external."
Three places "celebrity"-seeking Republican tourists should go when visiting DC:
1. The Exchange.
2. The Hay Adams for lunch or breakfast.
3. Expensive Nats seats at RFK.
Three places "celebrity"-seeking Democratic tourists should go when visiting DC:
1. Café Milano.
2. Whole Foods on P Street.
3. Expensive Nats seats at RFK.
The Senate agenda this week boils down to three items, listed here in opposite order of perceived importance:
1. Judges (floor debate on the nomination of Thomas Griffith combined with Rehnquist retirement watch).
2. Energy, energy, energy -- the floor debate.
3. And CAFTA.
The House has lots of appropriations bills to deal with, including the DoD's. And watch for lots of GOP grassroots and Astroturf activity on UN reform, which will be debated later in the week.
On energy, Senate Democrats continue to -- and take your pick here -- (a) justify their existence , (b) roll out their reform agenda, (c) distract the world from Howard Dean by promising to reduce by 40 percent dependence on foreign oil in 20 years, increase the production of renewables and force action on global warming. Minority Leader/Boxer/Sen. Harry Ried has a newser at 2:00 pm ET today and there are numerous Democratic energy-framing events all week.
President Bush's big energy speech is on Wednesday.
A first test vote in the Senate Finance Committee on CAFTA could come as early as Tuesday.
At 10:05 am ET, President Bush meets today with the leaders of five African nations -- Botswana, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, and Niger -- to talk about HIV/AIDS, debt relief and trade.
The President also delivers remarks to students in the State Department's Partnerships for Learning, Youth Exchange and Study Program at 1:05 pm ET.
At 12:30 pm ET, Vice President Cheney speaks on behalf of former president Gerald Ford today at the Ford Foundation's annual journalism awards luncheon at the National Press Club.
Sen. George Allen (R-VA) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) hold a news conference and other events on the Hill to discuss the passage of a Senate resolution that apologizes for the Senate's failure to pass federal anti-lynching laws between 1882 and 1968. This bill is getting an enormous amount of press coverage.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff speaks to the 73rd Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Chicago at 9:00 am ET today.
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to call for a special election today on his initiatives to change state government -- even as critics charge that by pushing for a November vote, the California governor is warping the process that allows citizens to take issues to the ballot," write San Francisco Chroniclers Wildermuth and Marinucci. LINK
The AFL-CIO's executive committee meets in Washington today to begin discussion on reform proposals.
Tuesday, the President travels to Pennsylvania tomorrow for a series of events, including an 11:00 am ET appearance at a fundraiser for Sen. Rick Santorum in Bryn Mawr. He'll also make an appearance at Penn State tomorrow to rev up his Social Security campaign.
Bush heads back to Washington tomorrow night to deliver the keynote address at the NRCC-NRSC presidential dinner.
RNC Co-Chairman JoAnn Davidson delivers an address tomorrow to the New Hampshire state Republican Party at a graduation lunch in Bedford, NH.
Virginia voters go to the polls tomorrow to pick candidates for the state's 2005 gubernatorial race. Voters will decide whether GOP candidate George B. Fitch or Jerry W. Kilgore will face Democrat Lt. Governor Tim Kaine in the election later this year. (If Fitch gets more than, say, 15 percent, will Kilgore be wounded for the general?)
Five Democrats and 11 Republican candidates square off in tomorrow's primary for Ohio's 2nd Congressional district seat. The candidates are vying for former Rep. Rob Portman's seat, who vacated his post after President Bush appointed him to be U.S. Trade Representative. State Sen. Pat DeWine, son of Sen/Compromiser Mike DeWine, is among the favorites on the Republican side. The special election is scheduled for Aug. 2. LINK
On Wednesday, President Bush delivers remarks on energy at an event in Washington. He will also schmooze with members of Congress at a picnic reception on Wednesday afternoon.
Five AFL-CIO unions form their own coalition for growth, possibly foreshadowing what a post-SEIU AFL-CIO would look like.
Thursday, the President attends the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast in Washington.
He's also scheduled to discuss his plan for Medicare in Washington.
Former Attorney General John Ashcroft makes an appearance in Davenport, IA, on Thursday to raise funds for the GOP. When asked about the event earlier this month, he told the Des Moines Register: "I want to make it clear I'm not running" for president.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is in Delaware on Thursday to keynote the state GOP's second annual Pete du Pont awards dinner.
"SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival" boasts an all-politics night on Thursday that includes screenings of "Street Fight"-- a film about the Newark mayoral race-- and "Our Brand is Crisis"-- a documentary of the 2002 Bolivian presidential race. The screenings begin at 5:00 pm ET and 7:15 pm ET, respectively, at the AFI Silver theatre in Silver Spring, MD. You won't wanna miss 'em.
The National Right To Life conference begins on Thursday in Minneapolis, MN. The 22nd Annual Campaign Training Seminar "The Art of Political Campaigning" begins on Thursday at the Washington Marriott.
Friday, President Bush visits Minnesota for the first time since winning re-election. He'll convene a town hall meeting in Maple Grove to tout his plans for Medicare and Medicaid.
DNC Chairman Howard Dean heads to President Bush's home state for "DemocracyFest 2005" on Friday, sponsored by the group "Democracy for Texas."
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) delivers the commencement address Friday for the Northwestern University Class of 2005 in Evanston, IL.
Bush agenda:
Mark Preston of Roll Call reports that President Bush will host Republican senators for a White House lunch on June 21 to discuss strategy on his policy priorities, focusing particularly on appropriations measures and Social Security.
Charles Hurt of the Washington Times writes that Senate Democrats are hoping that their filibusters against executive nominees, based not on ideology but on on demands for information, are more effective than those they mounted against the President's appointments to the federal bench. LINK
On Sunday, the Washington Post's Paul Blustein reported that the finance ministers of the Group of Eight major industrial nations agreed to cancel more than $40 billion in debts held by some of the world's poorest nations -- the most significant debt-relief measure yet, because it cancels the debts owed to the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the African Development Bank. LINK
On Saturday, the Washington Post's Jim VandeHei and Nell Henderson reported that President Bush, in reassessing U.S. policy toward Africa, has agreed to forgive billions of dollars in international debt, plans to announce more direct aid to Africa next month, and is sending two of his top domestic policy advisers, Michael Gerson and Kristen Silverberg, to Africa to review American relief and humanitarian efforts. LINK
On Sunday, the Washington Post's David Broder found great warnings for President Bush and his party in the latest poll numbers showing public discontent with the White House and lawmakers. LINK
Bob Novak writes that the Administration is under pressure from lobbies aboard and at home to "force reduced emissions." LINK
"While Blair mobilizes pressure on Bush at Gleaneagles, efforts will be made the next two weeks in the Senate to amend the energy bill to force reduced emissions. The global warming bill of Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman, estimated by the energy industry to cost more than 600,000 jobs and ruin U.S. coal production, was easily defeated in 2003. However, thanks to possible defections by several Republican senators, a mandatory climate change amendment by Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman might pass."
"Bush is surrounded by hostile friends. Old bull Republican Sen. Pete Domenici, manager of the energy bill, may support the Bingaman amendment. Within Bush's own administration, the departed mole Rick Piltz has many allies. And in the lakes and glens of Scotland, he will find dear friend Tony Blair winning points with the Labor left and his fellow Europeans."
Elisabeth Bumiller on Donald B. "Enzo" Ensenat, the White House protocol chief, and yes, another friend of the President's from Yale: LINK
And, yes, more Brad Freeman quotes!!!
CAFTA:
"The North American Free Trade Agreement's tarnished reputation has become one of the biggest impediments to President George W. Bush as he starts his final push to win approval of a similar accord with Central America," writes Bloomberg's Mark Drajem.
"House members such as Democrat John Spratt of South Carolina and Republican Howard Coble of North Carolina, who both supported the 1993 agreement to cut trade barriers with Mexico and Canada, say they are leaning against the Central American Free Trade Agreement because their constituents keep reminding them what a mistake Nafta was."
"'Nafta was grossly oversold by its advocates, and as a result, when people see pain going on in the economy, they are quick to attribute that pain to Nafta,' Republican Representative Phil English of Pennsylvania said in an interview."
Social Security:
Robert Pozen makes the case for progressive indexing to fix the solvency problems of Social Security on the USA Today op-ed page. It's not a benefit cut, he says, because there's no legal entitlement to Social Security benefits on the current schedule; benefits would gain purchasing power over the course of the next century; and we can't afford the current benefit burden anyway. Under that rationale, Pozen argues, why not raise the retirement age, boost the cap on wages subject to Social Security tax, and place a 2.9 percent surcharge on all earnings above $90,000. LINK
On Sunday, Jane Norman reviewed the Greater Des Moines Partnership's D.C. visit with Iowa's Washington congressional officials. It is worth Noting that -- after his own impassioned Social Security colloquy had ended -- Senate Finance Chairman Charles Grassley watched from the sidelines as three of his colleagues raucously attacked a question (and each other) on the subject. LINK
The economy:
"The jittery markets are likely to get a welcome summer break with new data showing that wholesale prices aren't rising as sharply as expected, a good sign for the U.S. economy," writes Paul Tharp of the New York Post. LINK
"Worries that inflation is taking a much bigger bite out of both corporate profits and consumer spending have had economists and investors taking few chances on a recovery from sky-high oil prices."
Congress:
Shailagh Murray of the Washington Post walks through all the sticky negotiations on the highway bill, from the House sticking to the ceiling imposed by President Bush's veto threat, to the Senate's additional $11 billion, and lawmakers' apparent willingness to deal if they can persuade the Administration to get on board with the bigger number. White House Chief of Staff Andy Card was tasked with leaning on negotiators to back away from the higher number last week, Murray reports. She also looks at the unusual (for these days, at least) bipartisan support for the energy bill in the Senate. LINK
Here's a succinct explanation of the political problem facing Douglas Johnson and the National Right to Life, courtesy of, well, Mr. Johnson: "'A lot of people have been convinced that stem-cell research is going to bring cures in the near future and that somehow the pro-life movement and religious conservatives in general are standing in the way. That's a perception problem that we recognize,' says . . . . Johnson of the National Right to Life Committee, who complains that the coverage has been one-sided and celebrity-driven, the potential of the research oversold, and the debate caricatured as 'science vs. religion.' LINK
Roll Call's Mark Preston looks at the . . . somewhat intemperate remarks Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) made to the Heritage Foundation recently regarding why he thinks lawmakers should hang up their careers on the Hill by age 68 -- and his "Dear Colleague" letter to his fellow Senators last month apologizing for what he said. Preston also looks at Coburn's remarks at the Cato Institute in April calling Congress a "good old boy network" that needs to get control of spending for the sake of the future.
House of Labor:
On Sunday, the Washington Post's Tom Edsall reported that the SEIU authorized its union leaders to quit the AFL-CIO, taking the first step to breaking up the labor federation, and said that the Teamsters, Unite Here, the United Food and Commercial Workers, and the Laborers could follow, taking with them 5 million of the group's 13 million members. LINK
Steven Greenhouse writes that the five unions mentioned above will create a new coalition aimed at fostering growth. LINK
Cox:
On Sunday, George Will assessed the criticisms being leveled against SEC nominee Rep. Christopher Cox that he's "anti-investor" and too pro-business. LINK
Politics of national security:
Paul Richter of the Los Angeles Times wraps the increasingly negative comments and concerns of Republicans including Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Sens. Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE) about the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. LINK
The Wall Street Journal has two must-reads about overhauls at DoJ and DHS on page A-4.
The Los Angeles Times' David Kelly takes a look at how the potential closing of Ellsworth Air Force Base will affect South Dakotans. LINK
2008 Republicans:
The Romney/Schwarzenegger/McCain strategist Mike Murphy (who apparently will one day be played by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the movie version of his life) got Sunday Boston Globe profile treatment courtesy of Brian C. Mooney. LINK
The Boston Globe's Scott Greenberger attended Mitt Romney's 40th high school reunion with him this past weekend and attempted to draw some parallels to George W. Bush's educational track record. LINK
Dan McLean reported in Sunday's Manchester Union Leader that Rep. Tom Tancredo is looking for someone to watch over the borders -- as illegal immigration begets illegal immigration. If no other candidate pledges to satisfactorily halt the influx, he might have to enter the '08 race. LINK
2008: Democrats:
On Saturday, the Washington Post's Michael Shear had the details of the new federal PAC that Virginia Gov. Mark Warner is forming for a possible 2008 presidential bid, and has hired Monica Dixon, former deputy chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore. Shear also looked at Warner's recent travels and fundraising ability, and threw in an extremely strong quote from Jim Jordan about Warner's viability as an alternative to Hillary Clinton. LINK
Shear knows Warner better than just about any reporter in Virginia, so expect to read his byline regularly in the next four years.
Speaking in New Hampshire yesterday, Wesley Clark decried Bush for employing that malignant four-letter word -- "fear" -- in steering the U.S. to war with Iraq, and thus damaging the military's enrollment (not to mention its rapport with Americans). Oh yeah, and by the way (Carl Forti), he's "proud of Howard Dean." LINK
The New York Post's Ian Bishop cross-referenced a list of Hillary Clinton's donors with a list of overnight guests from the Clinton White House years and (somewhat breathlessly) reveals that the Senator has tapped into her husband's donor base for her own political plans. LINK
Nut graph: "And the money she's raking in now - $3.8 million in the first three months of the year to bring her Senate war chest to $8.7 million -- can be converted down the line for a presidential run."
Dean's Democrats:
Newsweek's Howard Fineman and Tamara Lipper take a closer look at the firebrand Dean, the way he's approached the travel and grassroots appeals to party members and activists, and his assets in terms of fundraising. LINK
"Early in the last 'cycle,' in 2001, the Republican National Committee out raised the DNC by a 3-1 margin. So far this year, that ratio has been cut to 2-1. More important is the way it was raised. In the past the party relied on 'soft money' from millionaires. But such donations are now illegal. Officials estimate that $12 million of the $14 million the Dean regime has collected so far this year has come from those who gave less than $250."
But if the negatives on one side of the coin are actually quite positive, the duo write, Dean's energy in trying to gin up his base and his characterization of the other side in those fundraising efforts also put him at a disadvantage, not only with a certain tone deafness as to how his remarks are received, but also in the way his personality and approach to politics leave him with a considerably different infrastructure and party mechanism.
The Chicago Tribune's Brendan McCarthy and Jeff Zeleny were at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Conference in Chicago on Sunday, where Dean told the crowd that until they confirm their support for the Voting Rights Act, President Bush and Republican leaders should stop courting black voters and campaigning in black churches. Sen. Obama talked about education to the group on Sunday, and former Sen. John Edwards and former President Bill Clinton are scheduled to address the conference today, McCarthy and Zeleny report. LINK
On Sunday, Mike Allen of the Washington Post had the details of Dean's comments to the party's executive committee meeting Saturday, saying that Democrats can succeed if they cast traditionally liberal issues in moral terms, and update their party apparatus to allow them to succeed. LINK
The Des Moines Register's Thomas Beaumont rehashed the unapologetically sonorous DNCC's weekend Iowa speech. Howard Dean knows what he says and says what he means, and that seems to be A-OK with Iowa Democrats. Reiterating the major parties' allegedly disparate ethics, Dean dreams of bursting onto the Red State scene and rounding up Blue-blooded allies. Meanwhile, NRCC spokesman Carl Forti is nostalgic over the recent Democratic second opinions to the Doctor's diagnosis.LINK
In the Mason City Globe Gazette, Todd Dorman also picked up on the message that Dean and his Democrats won't be caught idling while the Republican engine is revving. LINK
Ethics/DeLay:
The Los Angeles Times' Ken Silverstein and Richard Simon report that the Pentagon appropriations bill passed last year, which Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) seized as a point of pride because of the jobs it created in his district, also benefited at least 10 companies that his brother, Robert "Kit" Murtha, represents as a senior partner in the lobbying firm KSA Consulting. Murtha's brother said he did not lobby the Congressman's office. Silverstein and Simon also take a closer look at the Murtha family and how the KSA clients fared in the spending bill. <LINK
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Times' Scott Gold examined court documents in Austin that suggest that Majority Leader DeLay might be closer to the activities of his controversial PAC than he had admitted. LINK
The New York Times' Ralph Blumenthal on the Tiguas' tale of woe. LINK
If you don't know why the biggest thing going for Tom DeLay right now is Ena Feinberg, you haven't been paying close enough attention. LINK
Glen Justice writes that 214 members of Congress have recently revised their travel filings. LINK
2005:
Maggie Haberman and Michael Saul lead their New York Daily News "Campaign Countdown" column with all four Democratic mayoral wannabes refusing to criticize Howard Dean for his recent controversial remarks, but not quite embracing him either. LINK
Fred Dicker of the New York Post floats the possibility of Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver jumping into the New York City mayoral race, which Silver immediately knocks down. But Note how Dicker continues to stoke that Nadler fire. LINK
Covering those candidates who are actually running the race for mayor, Stefan Friedman's New York Post campaign column Notes some (sorta kinda) Wal-Mart related contributions to anti-Wal-Mart candidate Anthony Weiner. LINK
2006
Lee Bandy of The State says both Democratic contenders will have a hard time beating Gov. Mark Sanford in 2006.LINK
Oh Noe
The Toledo Blade continues its in-depth Tom Noe coverage with a look today at whether or not Noe may have used his influence as chairman of the Ohio Board of Regents to get the University of Toledo to sign off on a licensing agreement which would have been a financial boon for a company in which Noe invested. LINK
"The manager of a hedge fund that lost $215 million at the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation acknowledged yesterday that his firm had no experience with hedge funds but insisted that the bureau was fully aware of its actions," the Columbus Dispatch's Mark Niquette reports. LINK
Politics:
In a New York Times op-ed, Ted Koppel warns of subtle invasions to your privacy. LINK
The St. Pete Times' Adam Smith wonders whether his column about Florida political blogs will get primo placement on Sayfie's Review, which it does. LINK
"Spokane Mayor Jim West said he's found a new relationship with God and has redoubled his effort to manage the city in a new e-mail made public on Friday," the Spokesman-Review reported Saturday. LINK