March 2007 - Posts
From NBC's Mark Murray
The White House and the Democratic-controlled Congress have continued their fight over the Iraq emergency spending bill -- by press release. White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino fired off this "Setting the Record Straight" statement earlier this afternoon: "Fifty-three days after President Bush submitted his Iraq war emergency supplemental funding proposal, Democrats in Congress have not yet sent the President a bill he can sign. General Pace has made clear that there will be real consequences if we do not fund the troops by mid-April, and it is troubling that House Democrats have not even appointed conferees to resolve the differences between versions passed by the House and Senate. Instead of playing politics, Democrats should fund the troops with a bill that does not force retreat, handcuff our commanders, or contain billions of dollars in pork spending."
Yet Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid countered with his own press release, which attached a Congressional Research Service report concluding that the Army can meet its financial needs well into July. “This study confirms that the President is once again attempting to mislead the public and create an artificial atmosphere of anxiety. He is using scare tactics to defeat bipartisan legislation that would change course in Iraq… Instead of holding press events to score political points, I call upon the President to tone down his rhetoric, stop the veto threats of a bill he has not yet seen, and sit down with the congressional leadership to discuss how our two co-equal branches of government can get an emergency spending bill passed."
From NBC's Mark Murray
The AP is reporting that Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., will announce that he's running for president on Monday. A Tancredo spokesman wouldn't confirm that news to us, but did say that the congressman will "make a big announcement on his intentions" on Monday -- at a Des Moines, IA radio station.
If he jumps into the race, Tancredo wouldn't be considered a front-runner for the Republican nomination. But he and his staunch opposition to immigration would certainly influence the GOP race. At least two Republican candidates -- John McCain and Sam Brownback -- support comprehensive immigration reform, something that Tancredo vehemently opposes.
From WHO-TV's David Price
Tom Vilsack runs for President. Tom Vilsack drops out. Tom Vilsack's in debt. Tom Vilsack endorses Hillary Clinton (let's forget about the whole Iraq difference for now). Hillary Clinton's peeps say she'll help Vilsack pay off debt. Tom Vilsack says no, she won't. Now, what?
I sat down with Iowa's former Gov [on Thursday]. He told me Mrs. C is not going to help with his red bank account ($430,000 or so in debt). Monday night, Clinton's camp said she would help Vilsack find some money. The campaign emphasized the endorsement didn't come with a price; no payback here.
But Vilsack maintains he's taken out a personal loan to pay off his bills, and he will pay it back in whatever time it takes (he wanted to make sure he paid his staff a final two weeks' pay and benefits after he closed down his campaign).
CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
*** Back to Walter Reed: Bush makes his first visit to the Army hospital since the Washington Post exposed the poor living conditions there. But what story will be the bigger headache today for the White House -- this one or the fallout from yesterday’s Kyle Sampson testimony?
*** Giuliani’s Tough News Day: Judith Giuliani will sit in Cabinet meetings; Bernie Kerik is back on the front page; and there’s another look at people who are upset with Giuliani’s handling of 9/11. Ouch.
*** Anchors Away: At the end of this week, the presidential candidate most identified with the Iraq war -- McCain -- heads to Iraq. Biden, Clinton, Rudy, Dodd, and Obama also hit the campaign trail as Congress begins its Easter recess.
*** Countdown to March 31: Paranoia about the other campaigns is in the air. We're 24 hours from a game of chicken. Expect candidates like Edwards, Giuliani, and Dodd to be releasing their totals first. Neither is contending for top honors in their respective money primaries, but all three will raise hefty sums that if they are out first, they will earn decent early press. Clinton, Obama, Romney, and McCain will all be playing a waiting game on releasing totals until their hand is forced.
*** The Expectations Game: Other things we expect with the 1st Q fundraising deadline this Saturday: 1) that the Democratic field, collectively, will out-raise the GOP field; and 2) that all Big Six candidates could raise at least $20 million each, raising the likelihood that the entire ’08 field will rake in more money in ONE quarter what Bush and the Democratic presidential candidates raised in ALL of ’03.
*** Get Ur Freak On: Hillary Clinton’s Saturday fundraiser with hip-hop impresario Timbaland -- who produced that Missy Elliot classic -- closes out her 1st quarter haul, which will be anywhere between $25-$50 million. Also in the money chase: Obama raises cash in Florida today, while Giuliani hits Utah.
*** And Do the Math: Obama’s campaign is holding 5,000-plus house parties tomorrow. If it raises just $1,000 on average at each event, that's an additional $5 million the campaign may raise.
The Los Angeles Times says Sampson's testimony "could be a major blow to Gonzales, who is struggling to hold on to his job in the face of growing criticism from Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill"
The New York Times adds that the White House repeated its support of Gonzales yesterday, “while acknowledging disappointment with [his] handling of the dismissals. ‘The attorney general has some work to do up on Capitol Hill,’ said Dana Perino, a White House spokeswoman, adding that President Bush “wasn’t satisfied with incomplete or inconsistent information being provided to Capitol Hill.”
Fired Arkansas US attorney Bud Cummins spoke out yesterday at the University of Arkansas, where he said Gonzales was remiss for not placing a ‘firewall’ between politics and the work of the Justice Department.
The Washington Post covers yesterday back-and-forth between the White House and Congress over the Iraq spending bill. "The dueling events on opposite ends of Pennsylvania Avenue left the executive and legislative branches hurtling toward a high-stakes collision, with neither side showing signs of backing down. Both sides, in fact, appear to be relishing the confrontation to some extent, gambling that they can outmaneuver the other, galvanize the most passionate forces within their parties, win over public opinion and force an eventual resolution on their terms.”
The Post article also adds this: “In appearing with Republican lawmakers yesterday, Bush was following a tactic employed by President Bill Clinton during his own moment of political peril. On the day he was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice in the Monica S. Lewinsky case in 1998, Clinton summoned the entire House Democratic caucus to the White House to dispel the impression that the incident had left him isolated politically."
With Bush’s veto threat looming, Democrats are considering approving money for Iraq on a month-to-month basis, the Boston Globe says. “That would put the president's conduct on a short leash and allow opposition to the war to build, which could compel reluctant lawmakers to the point where Democrats gain enough votes to defeat a presidential veto and force Bush's hand.”
In his latest National Journal column, NBC political analyst Charlie Cook writes about some new polls showing that opposition to the Iraq may have bottomed out. “This is not to suggest some dramatic turnaround in public opinion… But the newest survey results suggest that opposition to the war is no longer growing, support for it is no longer in freefall, and public opinion may have steadied.”
Tomorrow's the 1st quarter deadline, and we're not 100% sure we're going to get leaked estimates quickly. There are too many events happening, which could delay the counting by a few days. We shall see. In talks with the campaigns, none of them wants to release their numbers first, but all have acknowledged that once one major campaign cracks, they all will follow. (We're doing our best to get the campaigns to crack!)
The New York Times curtain-raises tomorrow’s deadline. “This hurricane of money-raising is testimony to the importance of what has become the first contest of the 2008 presidential race: the first fund-raising period of the campaign, which ends at midnight Saturday. To a large extent, the candidates are responding to a changing political dynamic that has made running for president more expensive than ever and in a year when major candidates are declining public campaign financing.”
Another interesting nugget in the piece is that the 2nd quarter fundraising is starting immediately for Obama, who is inviting major donors for a retreat on April 11.
Obama attends fundraisers in Florida today before heading to Iowa this weekend for a series of campaign events there. Clinton, meanwhile, travels to New Hampshire to address the NEA-New Hampshire Delegate Assembly. On Saturday, she will hit fundraisers in Florida -- the most prominent of which is one in Miami headlined by hip-hop mogul Timbaland, who has produced music for rappers Jay Z, Ludacris, and Missy Elliot.
Per the AP, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) will endorse Clinton on Monday. They two were elected to the Senate the same year, in 2000.
Biden has named his state director in Iowa, Bill Romjue.
The Washington Post examines the social networking boom happening among the campaigns, and it notes how Edwards is part of more social networks than any other rival.
CONTINUED >>
At its conference in Florida, the conservative Club for Growth today hears from Gilmore (in the late morning), Brownback (in the afternoon), and Gingrich (tonight). Giuliani speaks to the group tomorrow at lunch. And as we mentioned above, McCain heads to Iraq at the end of this week.
Not a good clip day for Giuliani… First, there’s his vow -- to be broadcast in his interview tonight with Barbara Walters -- that he will allow his wife to sit in on Cabinet meetings if he’s elected president.
Second, there’s the New York Times report on Giuliani’s grand jury testimony from a Bernie Kerik investigation from last year. Apparently, Giuliani may have known about Kerik's questionable background before promoting him.
And third, the AP does its not-everyone-in-New-York-thinks-Giuliani-was-a-hero-on-9/11 story. He’s dogged by a small group of New Yorkers who aren't happy with him on 9/11-related issues.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Andrew Merten
Those of us who are regular "South Park" fans would have to admit that Hillary Clinton got off relatively easy when the often-tasteless cartoon program made her a character in last night's episode. The show, in fact, was more of a spoof on the TV show "24" than it was on her. In it, Clinton -- referred to as "Hill-Dawg" by the animated supporters, staff, and even President Bush in the episode -- unknowingly carries a nuclear weapon inside her body, and officials have to rush to locate it.
For political junkies, the only noticeable parody of Clinton was her immediate change in accent upon arriving in the fictional town of South Park -- a spoof of the southern drawl she displayed earlier this month when speaking to a church congregation in Selma, AL.
From NBC's Mark Murray
A new Time magazine poll has plenty of bad news for President Bush and his party: His approval rating is just 33%; 68% support withdrawing most US troops no later than August 2008; and a plurality of 48% believe the fired prosecutors were dismissed for political reasons.
But in a twist, the poll has the leading GOP presidential candidates defeating the Democratic front-runners in hypothetical match ups. McCain tops Clinton, 48%-42%, and Giuliani beats her, 50%-41%. Obama, who trails Clinton by 7 points in the Democratic trial heat, fares a bit better: He loses (within the margin of error) to McCain, 45%-43%, and to Giuliani, 45%-44%.
Time takes a stab at what may be going on: "It's hard to know exactly why respondents who are generally unhappy towards — and in many cases fed up with — the GOP might still prefer a Republican for president over a Democrat. Much of it has to do with the individual candidates involved. In Clinton's case, as TIME pollster Mark Schulman points out, 'with Hillary the Democratic front-runner, most voters have made up their minds about her, both pro and con. She may have limited upward potential against Republicans. The emerging anti-Hillaries, Obama and Edwards, suffer from low awareness at this point.'"
From NBC's Mark MurrayJust before the Iraq spending bill cleared the Senate, President Bush -- flanked by GOP leaders at the White House -- once again repeated his threat to veto the legislation. "Yesterday I gave a speech, making it clear that I'll veto a bill that restricts our commanders on the ground in Iraq, a bill that doesn't fund our troops, a bill that's got too much spending on it," he said. "We stand united in saying loud and clear that when we've got a troop in harm's way, we expect that troop to be fully funded. And we've got commanders making tough decisions on the ground, we expect there to be no strings on our commanders."
From NBC's Ken Strickland and Mark Murray
Ignoring President Bush's veto threat, the Senate just passed the Iraq emergency funding bill, which requires the start of some troop withdrawal within four months of enactment -- with a goal of removing nearly all combat troops from Iraq by March 31, 2008.
The Senate bill must now be reconciled with a slightly different House bill. After that merger, the new legislation will be sent back to both the House and Senate for another vote of approval. Only then can it be sent to Bush, who has promised to veto it because of the deadline for withdrawal and because it contains about $20 billion worth of non-war-related items.
In short, it could be at least a couple of weeks before the president gets the bill -- maybe even longer.
From Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
*** Sampson Speaks: Beyond his prepared remarks, how heavily will Gonzales’ former chief of staff fall on his sword? Some expect a full hari-kari, others think he might nick a White House aide or two before fully protecting his old boss. Meanwhile, did Pat Leahy save Gonzales' job by promising his investigation would go on regardless who the attorney general is? Rove still has Luskin on retainer, right?
*** The Replacements: If you’re betting Gonzales' days are numbered, you might want to revisit that list of possible replacements for Gonzales: Michael Chertoff, former deputy AG Larry Thompson, Frances Townsend, Ted Olsen, John Danforth, and even Fred Thompson. By the way, if Bush decides to appoint a Democrat as a face-saving move, who comes to mind? (We'll let your mind wander but there's one fascinating idea swimming in our heads).
*** Iraq Showdown: Are congressional Democratic leaders preparing to back down slightly and pull some of the pork from the Iraq spending bill? Anyone else studying the Clinton-Gingrich showdown in ’95?
*** In Da Club: Romney tonight kicks off the Club for Growth’s conference in Florida. See who’s attending (Brownback, Gilmore, Gingrich, Giuliani), and who’s not (Huckabee, McCain). Unfortunately, it’s closed to the press.
*** More Oh-Eight: Did we see Giuliani yesterday back a flat tax -- an idea he rejected in ’96? And why did McCain single out Obama on Iraq yesterday? Is he trying to pick a pre-March 31st media fight?
*** Speaking of: There are just two days until the March 31st fundraising deadline.
Kyle Sampson, Alberto Gonzales’ former chief of staff, voluntarily testifies today before the Senate Judiciary Committee. NBC’s Ken Strickland says that Sampson may hold the keys to two critical questions in the fired prosecutors controversy: 1) what and when did Gonzales and the White House know about to plan to dismiss the US attorneys; and 2) were the firings politically motivated?
NBC’s Pete Williams has a copy of Sampson’s prepared remarks. In them, Sampson says none of the fired US attorneys was replaced "for an improper reason," and says that includes any "effort to interfere with or influence the investigation or prosecution of a particular case for political or partisan advantage." Sampson adds that he compiled the list of those to be fired by asking senior political and career officials at the Justice Department about who should be moved out. As for judging their performance, he says politics counted in one sense: He believed that a US attorney should be a good leader, work well with local federal agents, and follow department policy. For that reason, he says, "the distinction between 'political' and 'performance-related' reasons for removing a US attorney ... is largely artificial."
CONTINUED >>
The New York Times looks at the upcoming showdown between the White House and Congress over the Iraq emergency spending bill -- and the withdrawal deadlines it contains. “While they are hoping to capitalize on Mr. Bush’s unpopularity, Democrats acknowledged privately that they were uncertain how the finger-pointing would play out. Some recalled President Clinton’s success in putting the blame on Republicans for a 1995 government shutdown.”
The article adds this: "Democrats also say they intend to pare down some of the nonwar spending in the bill to quiet Republican accusations of pork-barrel politics."
The Wall Street Journal fleshes out that history from ‘95. “Some veteran Democrats say the situation is beginning to bear an uncomfortable resemblance to the partisan clash that led to a shutdown of the federal government in late 1995 and politically damaged the new Republican majorities in Congress. Back then, Republicans allowed a budget dispute with President Clinton to escalate to the point that federal employees were furloughed and many basic government services were halted, such as renewing passports and issuing veterans' disability checks. The standoff -- in which many observers say Republicans overreached -- helped Mr. Clinton regain his political momentum, setting him up for re-election the next year.”
CONTINUED >>
USA Today examines Bill Clinton’s impact on his wife’s presidential campaign. “In a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, 70% of Americans say Bill Clinton will do more good than harm for his wife's campaign.” (Speaking of Bill, it will be interesting to see how much Hillary refers to Bill once the first quarter fundraising deadline is out of the way. Will he suddenly go into a hiding for a few months?)
The AP's Pickler notes that since the announcement of Elizabeth’s cancer, John Edwards has been more open in talking about his late son, Wade -- something he was hesitant to do in the last presidential race. Bill Richardson did Jon Stewart last night, where he acknowledged that he still hasn't "announced announced"; he says he's "unofficially" running for president.
And Al Gore's planned "Live Earth" concert might be too political to get congressional support in allowing planners to use the Mall for the event. The Senate GOP’s biggest global warming critic, Jim Inhofe, is behind the effort to prevent "Live Earth" from coming from the Mall. Organizers are now looking at another venue that just exudes American patriotism: Shea Stadium.
McCain makes remarks tonight at the annual Congressional Fire Services Institute Reception & Dinner and also hits a closed-press fundraiser in McLean, VA. Giuliani visits with voters in Oklahoma City, OK. Brownback stumps in South Carolina. And after already making an appearance this morning at an open-press breakfast in Blufton, SC, Romney kicks off the start of the conservative Club for Growth’s winter conference in Florida.
The conference, which is closed to the press, will also hear from Gilmore (Friday late morning), Brownback (Friday afternoon), Gingrich (Friday night), and Giuliani (Saturday at lunch). As we mentioned yesterday, two people who have received criticism from the Club -- Huckabee and McCain -- won’t be attending the conference. Per his campaign, McCain travels to Iraq at the end of this week.
Barbara Walters taped an interview on Tuesday with Rudy Giuliani and his wife that’s set to air tomorrow on 20/20.
CONTINUED >>
With so much talk of acrimony between congressional Democrats and the White House, the Los Angeles Times reminds us about one issue the two sides agree on: immigration. "For a month, White House staffers and Cabinet members have met three to four times a week with influential Republican senators and aides to hash out a consensus plan designed to draw a significant number of GOP votes. With that effort largely completed, Republicans were hoping to present their proposal Wednesday to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who would lead the Democrats in any attempt to move a bill through the Senate. The intense effort — conceived by the president's chief political strategist, Karl Rove — is intended to ensure that Bush will achieve at least one crucial policy victory in the last two years of his presidency."
The San Francisco Chronicle looks at Nancy Pelosi’s tenure so far as speaker. “Even Republicans conceded that Pelosi, whom they have derided as an out-of-touch San Francisco liberal, has done a good job of keeping the 233 House Democrats together through some tough votes -- although few of their bills have made it through the Senate and onto President Bush's desk.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Carrie Dann
While Washington politicos and journalists have been finalizing their outfits for tonight's black-tie Radio/TV Correspondents' Dinner, the presidential hopefuls on the Democratic side have also used the last few days to try some new things on for size. Yet it's not chiffon and pinstripes that the oh-eighters are eyeing -- but rather new campaign catchphrases. At back-to-back labor conferences in DC (hosted by the Communication Workers of America yesterday and the Building and Construction Trades folks this morning), the candidates tweaked some of their tried-and-true stump stories and threw in some brand-new lines as well. John Edwards rolled out "the bleeding sword" Tuesday as a new way of describing the war in Iraq. (He must have found the phrase suiting, judging from his repetition of it again to the heavily Democratic crowd at today's conference.)
Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, did not re-run the imagery she tested yesterday, when she joked "When I inherit all these big holes that have been dug over the last eight years... I'm gonna hand everybody in America a shovel and we're going to start digging our way out." Obama also appears to be experimenting with some material; in the two speeches this week, he's lambasted the Bush Administration for its "you're on your own" attitude on domestic issues, but today he backed off from the label of "social Darwinism" that he used on Tuesday.
From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
We noticed that Hillary Clinton's office didn't release a statement last night after the the Senate narrowly defeated a GOP measure to strip a non-binding withdrawal deadline from the Senate's emergency spending bill. But speaking at an event today where she picked up the endorsement from the National Organization for Women's PAC, Clinton attacked President Bush's veto threat. "He is willing to veto the will of the people who elected this Congress to start bringing troops home. The president should listen to the will of the people and the experience of those who have been working on this for years -- and start redeploying our troops." She continued: "I challenge him to withdraw his veto threat and accept what has been obvious to us all." (Clinton critics would point out, however, that it hasn't exactly been obvious to her until recently.)
Also the endorsement event, Clinton also spoke on health care, education, and -- of course -- women in political power. Throughout her entire speech, you could hear chants from the other side of the wall, as about 15 Code Pink ladies (and one man) protested outside. They chanted, "Hillary lead us out of Iraq now." One woman held up a sign that asked: "Would you send Chelsea to Iraq?"
From NBC's Mike Viqueira
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is asking President Bush to "calm down with the threats … there's a new Congress in town."
Asked about Bush's promise to veto the war spending bill that calls for a timeline for withdrawal, Pelosi replied, "I wish the president would take a deep breath and respect our constitutional role." She went on to accuse the president of getting the military into a situation where the funds were urgently needed. At his speech this morning, Bush had warned that the blame will be laid squarely at Democrats' feet if troops don't get this money in time.
"We are going to give him everything he asked for, and more," Pelosi said, before concluding, "take a deep breath, Mr. President."
From NBC's Mark Murray
The White House has just announced that its nomination of Sam Fox to be ambassador of Belgium has been withdrawn. As we mentioned earlier, Fox had come under criticism for donating $50,000 in 2004 to the infamous Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee was set to today to consider Fox's nomination, and Sen. John Kerry -- the Swift Boat's target in 2004 -- had been leading the opposition.
From NBC's Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
Today, Steve Forbes -- the fiscal conservative who ran for president in 1996 and 2000 -- has endorsed Rudy Giuliani's White House bid. Forbes will serve as Giuliani's national campaign co-chair and a domestic policy adviser. "Steve and I share an economic vision that embraces supply-side economics, tax relief, and spending restraint," Giuliani said, per a release. "I look forward to working with Steve and am proud to have him as a member of our team."
From NBC's Chuck Todd
Perhaps more than anyone else, Terry McAuliffe -- the former DNC chair who's now serving as Hillary Clinton's campaign chair -- is probably the guy most responsible for the very high expectations Clinton has for her first quarter fundraising. So it is only fitting that he tries to spin his way out of it: He actually told a supporter this week, per
Bloomberg, that Obama would outraise Clinton. Nice try, Terry.
From Chuck Todd and Mark Murray.
*** What did Senate Democrats win with yesterday’s vote on Iraq? Will a Bush veto continue to make this a “Republican” war? Then again, aren't Senate Republicans tired of carrying Bush's water so they actually let Bush be the decider on this one? And what does it mean for the senators running for president and re-election in ’08?
*** Swift Boat redux: Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today could sink the nomination of Sam Fox to be the ambassador to Belgium because of a $50,000 donation he made in 2004 to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Three current Dem presidential candidates are on the committee.
*** Another day, another Democratic cattle call: Why aren’t the GOP presidential candidates appearing at as many forums sponsored by party interest groups? Or are they, but the press just doesn't know about it?
*** Strings attached: Can Hillary Clinton secure a major endorsement without having a follow-up story that includes the "price" of the endorsement? (First it was the campaign contracts for those South Carolina black leaders; now there are allegations that Tom Vilsack and Bill Shaheen endorsed her to help retire campaign debt and possibly win an ambassadorship.)
*** Packing heat: Did Sen. Jim Webb’s (D) comments yesterday about his aide’s arrest for carrying a gun (possibly Webb’s) on Capitol Hill suggest that the senator is somehow above the law?
More on these topics below…
So what did the Senate Democrats win yesterday? One could argue that the Republicans finally allowed the Democrats to lay claim to some ownership of the Iraq issue. But Democratic ownership, of course, will be short-lived since Bush plans to veto the bill because it includes a specific withdrawal date. Politically, a Bush veto may be the best thing for Democrats since they can tell voters that they tried to get the troops out of the unpopular war -- but that the president and his party wouldn't allow it.
Per NBC’s John Yang, President Bush is slated to address the National Cattlemen's Beef Association later this morning. The White House has released excerpts dealing with yesterday’s Senate vote. "The bottom line is this: the House and Senate bills have too much pork, too many conditions on our commanders, and an artificial timetable for withdrawal,” Bush is expected to say.” As I have made clear for weeks, if either version comes to my desk, I will veto it. And it is also clear from the strong opposition in both houses that my veto would be sustained. Yet Congress continues to pursue these bills - and as they do, the clock is ticking for our troops in the field. Funding for our forces in Iraq will begin to run out in mid-April. Members of Congress need to stop making political statements … start providing vital funds for our troops … and get a bill to my desk that I can sign into law."
More Bush: "Some Democrats believe that by delaying funding for our troops, they can force me to accept restrictions on our commanders that I believe would make withdrawal and defeat more likely. That's not going to happen. If Congress fails to pass a bill to fund our troops on the front lines, the American people will know who to hold responsible."
CONTINUED >>
Regarding the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s consideration of Sam Fox -- who donated money to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth -- to be the next ambassador to Belgium, apparently John Kerry has been whipping today’s vote. There are three Democratic presidential candidates on the committee: Biden, Dodd, and Obama. Yet Fox could survive. Two Democrats/Independents on the committee support him publicly, including Joe Lieberman and Claire McCaskill.
We must sound like a broken record, but for the second-consecutive day -- and the third time in the last five days -- a herd of Democratic presidential candidates steps in front of a key labor group. This time, it’s this morning’s Building and Construction Trades Department’s annual legislative conference in DC. The speaking order is: Edwards, Richardson, Clinton, Kucinich, Dodd, Biden, and Obama. (The GOP presidential candidates were also invited. But the only one who accepted, Hagel, later declined due to a schedule conflict.)
On Tuesday, Clinton, Edwards, and Obama addressed the Communication Workers of America. And last Saturday all of them, save Biden, participated in a health-care forum that the powerful Service Employees International Union. Now liberal MoveOn is the latest to announce a Democratic presidential forum, this one a “virtual town hall” on Iraq to be held April 10.
By comparison, the Republican field so far has had less exposure to GOP-leaning interest groups. And when these candidates actually do meet with these groups, it’s sometimes closed to the press -- like the conservative Club for Growth conference that begins on Thursday, featuring visits by Romney, Giuliani, Brownback, Gingrich, and Giuliani. (McCain and Huckabee, whom the Club has criticized, won’t be attending.)
CONTINUED >>
After leaving fundraisers yesterday to vote on the Iraq emergency spending bill, McCain returns to Florida today, where he holds a town hall and then a media availability. Giuliani, in New York, opens the NASDAQ market and then heads to Las Vegas.
Giuliani’s campaign tells CBN News that the former New York mayor won’t seek to change the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal funding of abortion in most cases.
More Giuliani: He's hired key South Carolina GOP aide Jason Miller, who ran the successful re-election bid of Gov. Mark Sanford (and who some thought was in South Carolina to help George Allen's then-fledgling campaign). His title is deputy communications director, but he will focus on South Carolina for now.
CONTINUED >>
Countdown to the March 31 deadline… According to the Washington Post, Edwards' online donations have skyrocketed since the announcement of the return of Elizabeth Edwards' cancer. Said former Kerry finance director Tracy Sturman in the article: “What clearly happened last week is, he made a connection. But after that point, the question is whether donors will start asking, ‘Why am I backing this person when there's this doubt about whether he'll still be running?’” Edwards top finance person, Fred Baron, said "that people may have been ‘too embarrassed’ to approach him at fundraisers with such a pointed question, but so far no one has asked him about the campaign's long-range fundraising outlook." More Baron: "I know it's delicate, but I think if people had these kinds of feelings -- that they were working for a campaign that was doomed -- I would think they would express that to me."
Two new Iowa polls -- one by Zogby and the other by the University of Iowa -- confirm the conventional wisdom that John Edwards is leading in the state. Remember, however, that caucus polling is difficult and expensive. And, frankly, the best surveys may be those that are conducted by the campaigns.
Speaking of Iowa, AARP CEO Bill Novelli today begins visiting three cities in the Hawkeye State, where he’ll unveil a new poll on health care and long-term financial security.
And, yes, we know it's early, but this could have gigantic repercussions in Iowa, which has become an important swing state in presidential elections. The governor there is likely to sign legislation which will allow same-day voter registration, meaning that an unregistered voter can go to the polls on Election Day, register, and then vote. Only a couple of states now allow this -- most notably Minnesota. Generally, the C.W. says that Democrats are helped in situations like these since it allows younger voters to procrastinate before voting.
The
Washington Post writes that Sen. Jim Webb (D) expressed support for his aide who was arrested for carrying a gun on Capitol Hill. But he declined to confirm what the aide told authorities: that the gun was Webb’s. Said Webb: "I have never carried a gun in the Capitol complex, and I did not give the weapon to Phillip Thompson, and that's all that I think I'll say.” Asked whether he feels he is above D.C.'s gun laws, which are among the strictest in the country, Webb replied, "I'm not going to comment on any level in terms of how I provide for my own security."
From NBC's Mark MurrayIn a 50-48 party-line vote, Senate Democrats -- with one key GOP defection, Sen. Chuck Hagel -- defeated a Republican effort to strip an Iraq withdrawal timetable from wthe emergency spending bill the Senate is considering. That means that both the House and Senate spending bills have withdrawal provisions in them. But President Bush has promised to veto any such legislation if it reaches his desk.
From NBC's Mark Murray
With Fred Thompson's third-place showings in a new USA Today/Gallup poll and a recent Iowa survey by the American Research Group, the Draft Fred Thompson committee that's chaired by two Tennessee GOP congressmen is now flexing its muscles. "Fred Thompson has not even entered the race and his polling seems to be growing stronger every day," said Dean Rice, the committee's treasurer. "There is truly a grassroots phenomenon out there with real momentum."
For us, however, the real news in these two polls isn't that Thompson finishes third -- but that the well-financed and well-staffed Mitt Romney finishes fourth (in the American Research Group one) and tied for fifth (in USA Today/Gallup).
From NBC's Carrie Dann
The magenta-clad Code Pink protestors who dog Hillary Clinton along the campaign trail were back this morning -- this time at the Communication Workers of America's conference in DC. During a break in the program, TV cameras swiveled to catch shots of a group of five demonstrators sporting pink shirts that spelled out "NO WAR." Event organizers glumly took to the microphone to announce that "CWA has been outspoken in its criticism of the war... It is sad that [the protestors] aren't extending the same respect to us that we did to them."
Hotel management escorted the protestors out before Clinton took the stage, sparing her the tension of having to speak over their chants -- as she did during a similar disruption at the DNC's Winter Meeting last month. But they didn't leave before their shouts were drowned out by a collective tongue-in-cheek response from the union delegates at the event, who chanted at them "Go See Bush!"
In her remarks, Clinton chose to respond with pep rather than annoyance, although she mentioned the standoff only indirectly. Thanking one of the event organizers who helped to defuse the situation, she said, "You've done a lot to keep people in good spirits this morning... We're on the march! Let's be in a good humor!"
From NBC's Mark Murray
Democrats are already salivating over the prospect next year of picking up Colorado's open Senate seat, which is being vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Wayne Allard. Maine (Susan Collins' seat), Minnesota (Norm Coleman's), and New Hampshire (John Sununu's) are other potential pick-up opportunities for Democrats. But what about Oregon? The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has just released their own poll showing that Oregon Sen. Gordon Smith (R) isn't a shoo-in for re-election next year. While the survey finds that 56% view him favorably (versus 25% unfavorably), just 46% think he's doing either an excellent or good job -- compared with 43% who believe he's doing a poor or only fair job. And in a potential match-up against Rep. Peter DeFazio (D), the poll has Smith trailing, 42%-38%.
Of course, in order for Democrats to defeat him, they'll need to find a candidate -- DeFazio or someone else -- who is up to the task.
From NBC's Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
In recent days, the Iraq war has largely disappeared as an issue on the presidential campaign trail (where health care and Elizabeth Edwards’ cancer has dominated the discussion) and in the buzz around Washington (which has focused mostly on the US attorneys controversy). But it remains Topic A on Capitol Hill. Late last week, the House narrowly passed an emergency spending bill that sets a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. And this week, the Senate is working on its own emergency spending/withdrawal measure.
NBC’s Ken Strickland says that as early as today, Senate Republicans hope to hold a vote that would strip the withdrawal language from the bill. And recent history, he notes, suggests the GOP should be successful: Two weeks ago, Democrats couldn't muster 51 votes to pass identical language in their highly touted Iraq resolution. While the Senate rules usually require a filibuster-proof 60 votes for controversial bills to pass, both sides appear reluctant block any part of this bill -- which provides emergency money for troops in the field. So under that strategy, all that’s needed is a simple majority. Yet even if the withdrawal language is removed, the Senate bill will have to be reconciled with the House bill, where it could be added back in before it goes to the president. Bush says he'll veto any bill with withdrawal dates included.
CONTINUED >>
In an exclusive interview yesterday, Alberto Gonzales told NBC’s Pete Williams that the prosecutor firings were not improper.
The news that the Justice Department aide, Monica Goodling, invoking the 5th Amendment is leading to all sorts of speculation that Kyle Sampson's upcoming testimony on Thursday may be a bit more interesting than some expect.
In response to Goodling taking the 5th, Sampson's attorney released this statement: "Kyle plans to testify fully, truthfully and publicly.” More from the New York Times: "People briefed on Mr. Sampson’s view of events say he believes there were clear errors in communication about the dismissals, including some misstatements by Mr. Gonzales, but no deliberate effort to mislead Congress."
CONTINUED >>
Another day, another Democratic presidential forum in front of a labor group. This morning, the three front-runners -- Obama, Clinton, and Edwards (in that order) -- address the Communication Workers of America conference in DC. Biden spoke at the conference on Sunday, and Kucinich made a stop there yesterday.
The New York Times front-pages Clinton’s attempt to build a positive relationship with the military -- something she apparently believes was one of her husband's early mistakes/problems. Among the other things we learned from the piece, Chris Dodd is the only major presidential candidate on the Dem side with any military experience; he was an Army reservist.
Already struggling with the under-30 crowd, Clinton is going to see herself lampooned -- possibly tastelessly -- by the South Park gang tomorrow.
CONTINUED >>
In the GOP field, McCain holds a media availability this morning in Tallahassee, FL before heading back to DC. Giuliani, meanwhile, visits Teaneck, NJ.
Fair or not, the tone of the coverage for McCain continues to be glum, even in the Christian Science Monitor, which sports this headline: "Can McCain recover in race for GOP nomination?"
Giuliani’s campaign fixed a flaw in his Web site after the AP discovered the ability for hackers to get personal info of volunteers and contributors. "The vulnerability affecting Giuliani's site, JoinRudy2008.com, could have exposed confidential information stored in the campaign's databases. The Web site failed to block commands that can instruct it to improperly display sensitive information, a popular hacking technique known as ‘structured query language injection.’”
So how many reporters will call former RNC chair Ed Gillespie now based on the news that he had lunch with Fred Thompson?
CONTINUED >>
The USA Today/Gallup poll shows Edwards with a small bump (up 5 points) since the news came out that his wife’s cancer had returned. Clinton leads at 35%, followed by Obama at 22%, and Edwards at 14%. Moreover, 58% say they support Edwards’ decision to stay in the race. In the GOP field, Fred Thompson debuts in double digits (12%) -- behind Giuliani and McCain. Thompson appears to take most of his vote from Giuliani and Romney, as McCain's number actually went up a couple of points from the last Gallup survey.
Countdown to the March 31 fundraising deadline… As we’ve already mentioned, McCain is skipping a fundraiser to come back to DC for the Senate Iraq debate; Obama raised approximately $500,000 in Atlanta yesterday (rapper Ludicris was in attendance); and Brownback said this of the coming deadline: “These things take time… Candidates should not be discounted because in their first reporting period or two, they don't have the same amount of numbers as somebody who has been a national candidate for some time."
The Clinton folks are trying to lower the expectations of their fundraising a bit. Over the weekend, press reports had her weekend haul at over $10 million; however, the campaign said yesterday it was closer to $6 million. The likely discrepancy is the amount of money the campaign is raising in general election dollars -- which should NOT be counted when assessing how much money she raised compared to the rest of the campaigns.
And speaking of fundraising, today is the fifth anniversary of when President Bush signed the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance reform into law.
From NBC's Ken Strickland
Democratic Sens. Pat Leahy and Chuck Schumer expressed disappointment upon learning today's news that Monica Goodling, counsel to the attorney general, will plead the Fifth Amendment and not testify before the Judiciary Committee regarding the US attorneys controversy. "It is disappointing that Ms. Goodling has decided to withhold her important testimony from the Committee as it pursues its investigation into this matter, but everybody has the constitutional right not to incriminate themselves with regard to criminal conduct," Leahy, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. "The American people are left to wonder what conduct is at the base of Ms. Goodling's concern that she may incriminate herself in connection with criminal charges if she appears before the Committee under oath."
Schumer added, "We are disappointed that we won't hear Ms. Goodling's testimony at the Judiciary Committee hearing, particularly given her two roles as senior member of Attorney General's team and liaison to the White House. Each day brings new developments making it even more imperative to find out what happened."
