Looking toward the prospects that Michigan may adopt an early presidential primary date (1/15), a large plurality of Democratic Insiders—44 percent—said that would benefit their frontrunner, Hillary Rodham Clinton . Some of those Insiders reasoned that as the candidate with the most extensive organization and broad support from the Democratic political establishment she was best equipped to handle the challenge of another early contest. Coming in second with 20 percent was Barack Obama. John Edwards, whose ties to labor would theoretically make him a stronger caucus candidate, took just 13 percent.
A clear majority of Republican Insiders—60 percent—said that Mitt Romney would be the biggest winner on the GOP side. Most cited his roots in the state and the fact that his father, a one time presidential candidate himself, had been governor there in the 1960s. Rudy Giuliani came in a distant second at 19 percent.
National Journal’s Political Insiders were divided as to how recent developments in the war would affect the political equation at home. A hefty majority of Republicans—71 percent—thought the military progress reported so far would strengthen President Bush’s hand. As one GOP Insider put it: “Now he has an argument.”
Democrats were more uncertain, with a plurality—45 percent—saying that the developments pro and con had not had significant impact on the overall debate. Even so, you don’t get the sense that Democrats who feel that way are worried that they are particularly vulnerable. As one Democratic Insider who said that the developments in Iraq had not yielded a significant impact said:: “It will take far more dramatic improvements than the current incremental progress to change the American people’s strong anti-war views."
CNN's Bash: "Privately, influential Idaho Republicans tell CNN they think Craig will be forced to step down. ... Several Idaho Republican sources say Craig's problems here are compounded because many supporters are already angry about his stance on immigration" ("Lou Dobbs Tonight," 8/29).
ABC's Stephanopoulos: "No one I spoke to in Washington today thinks Senator Craig can survive this. The top Republican leaders have decided he just has to go. They don't want another scandal" ("World News," 8/29).
NBC's Myers: "Republicans clearly are trying to force Senator Craig out of the Senate. The leadership has stripped of his committee assignment and Republican colleagues are now demanding his resignation" ("Nightly News," 8/29).
MSNBC's Olbermann: "Larry Craig last night endured a fate politically worse than becoming a convict. He became a punch line" ("Countdown," 8/29).
NBC's Viqueira: "Someone's going to come forward angered by Craig's denial and say I have had sexual relations with this man, if, in fact, he's lying. I'm not saying he is or isn't. But rumors being what they are, that's the fear here among Republicans" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 8/29).
Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), asked if Craig should resign: "I think we have done so far what's appropriate. I don't we know all of the details. I saw Senator Craig yesterday say that he had not done anything wrong and that he shouldn't have pleaded guilty to resisting arrest. The leadership team has already called on this matter to be sent to the Ethics Committee to clear up what has actually occurred. And also today we did ask that he step aside from his ranking committee positions while this is being resolved. And I think based on what we know now that is appropriate. It's s very unfortunate situation, very sad and very serious. And I think we had to pay very close attention to it as we work on finding out what really went on."
More Lott: "I am shocked and I am disappointed at ... this turn of events ... but I also have learned the hard way that before you jump to conclusions or call on people to do one thing or another at least know all of the facts and ... take advantage of an opportunity to hear what ... really happened" ("Money & Politics," Bloomberg, 8/29).
CALLING FOR CRAIG TO RESIGN
John McCain sat down with CNN's J. King:
Asked if his new ad is saying the others aren't fit to be commander-in-chief: "No. ... But the fact is that I think that I am the most experienced and the most prepared. And my family, long generations of service to this country. And I'm proud of that. But I am the most prepared and most experienced and ready to serve."
Asked about John Warner's idea to start with drawing troops: "It is a bad idea, a terrible idea. And I will fight it every step of the way. John Warner and I are very close friends, but that sends the signal to al Qaeda and the bad people in Iran -- in the neighbor -- in the region that we are leaving. And that is not our position. Our position is we are going to succeed."
On Larry Craig: "I believe that he pled guilty and he had the opportunity to plead innocent. So I think he should resign." More: "My opinion is that when you plead guilty to a crime then you shouldn't serve. And that is not a moral stand. That is not a holier-than-thou. It is just a factual situation. I don't try to judge people. But in this case it is clear that it was disgraceful."
Asked if he'll take matching funds: "If we make that decision -- and I guess we will have to fairly soon, I have never won a campaign on the basis of money. I've won campaigns because I can out campaign everybody else. And I can do that in the nomination and I can do that in the general election. You get coverage and earn media by going out there and working on a campaign, having the town halls meetings, doing the kind of things that are necessary to win campaigns. So it's not going to be money that win or loses any campaign of mine" ("Situation Room," CNN, 8/29).
ALSO GETTING THE CRAIG QUESTION
And Chris Dodd was in the "Situation Room":
On Larry Craig: "I've never agreed with Larry Craig on much. I mean, we don't serve on any committees together. I don't know him terribly well. But I must say -- I think the Republican leadership obviously has to fulfill its own responsibilities, but I at least want to give him a chance to hear his side of the story here. I don't know all the facts here. I've been reading a bit about it, not that much. I'd like to see all the information come out before deciding you're going to absolutely believe one side of this. Again, I'm a Democrat. He's a very conservative Republican. We don't agree on much, but give him a little space here to defend himself -- that's my reaction to it."
On Edwards saying Congress shouldn't fund Iraq without a timetable: "I wish John were back in the Senate here to be of some help to us on these issues here. And it's sort of easy to sit out in the country here making these pronouncements."
On the firefighters endorsement: "I think it's both past and future. I've worked with them. ... These are great people. The firefighters are probably the most respected public servants in America. They're trusted. They're people of deep values. They serve their communities well. And I'm deeply honored to be associated with them. ... But also something else about them here. They didn't sit around and decide that whoever was winning today was going to be their choice. They said, it's not about who's winning today, but who ought to win. It's not about who is leading in the polls today, but who should be leading our country. And so they're not motivated by polls. They weren't four years ago with John Kerry. He was at four percent in the polls."
More: "When are the national media going to start recognizing that winning the poll in August does not guarantee what's going to happen in January or February?" (CNN, 8/29). [EMILY GOODIN]
ABC's Woodruff reported on Sen. Ted Johnson's (D-SD) recovery for "Nightline":
Johnson, on the day of his stroke: "I remember that time, and all the way to the emergency room -- ambulance ride, the emergency room. And then I become vaguer. I don't remember anymore."
Woodruff: "Johnson was unaware that the scene outside George Washington Hospital quickly became a media circus, much to the dismay of his worried family and staff inside."
Barbara Johnson: "To look outside your hospital window and see five or six satellite trucks lined up and 60 or 70 members of the press -- God bless you for what you do -- but it was just overwhelming." More Barbara Johnson: "One of our oldest sons said it best, he said, 'It's like our dad is a poker chip.' And The control of the Senate rested on him."
Woodruff: "Johnson had brain surgery that night, and what doctors found was not the effects of a stroke, but rather an arteriovenous malformation, or AVM. ... An estimated 300,000 Americans are born with AVM. Most go through life never knowing they have it, but for those who suffer a bleed, the effects can be devastating. Johnson was fortunate that he got to the hospital so quickly, and that once there the neurosurgeon on duty just happened to be an AVM expert."
Johnson, on how he's improved: "Across every dimension, my right leg, my right arm, my speech, is all improved. Not, not much, but, all improved."
Barbara Johnson: "I thought we would be much further along than we were today. ... The brain heals slowly, at its own pace."
Johnson therapist Paul Rao: "He's ready to return to the Senate." More: "He is a functional senator." Rao: "His comprehension is virtually intact. When he has complex sentences or paragraphs, sometimes a challenge. But in terms of day-to-day conversation and communication, he's 100 percent."
Johnson: "You constantly improve. Bit by bit, but constantly improve."
Johnson, on the '08 election: "I plan on it." More: "I expect to run and to win" (ABC, 8/28).
THANK YOU FOR A BEING A FRIEND
John McCain was on the "Tonight Show" last night:
Asked if he has a tattoo: "I almost wish I did."
On Gonzales resignation: "It should have happened long ago." More: "Well, when you're hurting the person you're supposed to be loyal to, then obviously I think it's up to you to leave. And I don't know why he waited."
On Larry Craig: "I don't know, except that it's disgraceful. ... It's great fodder. I've enjoyed your opening comments, but it harms our reputation with the American people, which is also -- already badly tarnished. I don't know if you saw a poll lately. It showed the approval rating of Congress was at 18, I think an historic low since Gallup has been taking polls. You get down that low, you're down to paid staffers and blood relatives. You can't get much lower than that."
More: "You know, Senators, believe it or not, do not socialize much. We're gone on the weekends. Usually we only work three days a week when we're not voting ourselves a pay raise."
Jay Leno: "So the only chance to meet people is in the men's room at the airport?"
McCain: "No, ... I have friends in the Senate, but they don't have the kind of club that they're used to be when they would all stay in Washington and socialize on the weekends. It's just not like that anymore."
McCain, on his campaign: "Well, we're doing so poorly, I thought maybe I would announce on this show that I'm running for president of the United States. But I love being the underdog. I have been all my life. We have, obviously, made mistakes, but I'm very enthusiastic."
Leno: "Do you think that Fred Thompson will get into the race before Election Day?"
McCain: "Maybe Fred shouldn't have to because he's already been president two or three times, as you know. He's been head of the CIA. He's been an admiral. He's been a president." More: "Fred's a good friend of mine, and he's a fine guy. And I sat next to him in the Senate, and I wish him will. He's a great guy, and he's a very attractive, articulate person."
Asked how important the internet is to a campaign: "I think every politician's worst nightmare is YouTube."
Leno: "Will there be a McCain Girl?"
McCain: "Bea Arthur" (NBC, 8/28).
CALLING WASHINGTON "DISGUSTING"?
Mitt Romney was on "Kudlow & Company" last night:
On Larry Craig: "Well, very disappointing. Once again, we've found people in Washington have not lived up to the level of respect and dignity that we would expect for somebody that gets elected to a position of high influence. Very disappointing. He's no longer associated with my campaign, as you can imagine. He resigned just today. And you know, he was one of those who was helping my effort, and I'm sorry to see that he has fallen short."
Asked if he'll call on Craig to resign: "You know, I haven't made a call on that at this stage. You know, I haven't seen the allegations yet, I just heard that there was a guilty plea and he submitted a resignation as my liaison in the Senate. And you know, I'm very disappointed that he's disappointed the American people."
More: "I think it reminds us of Mark Foley and Bill Clinton. I think it reminds us of the fact that people who are elected to public office continue to disappoint, and they somehow think that if they vote the right way on issues of significance or they can speak a good game, that we'll just forgive and forget. And the truth of the matter is, the most important thing we expect from an elected official is a level of dignity and character that we can point to for our kids and our grandkids, and say, 'Hey, someday I hope you grow up and you're someone like that person.' And we've seen disappointment in the White House, we've seen it in the Senate, we've seen it in Congress. And frankly, it's disgusting."
Asked why he's not calling on Craig to resign then: "I don't know the circumstances right now of his setting, and so I really can't call without having reviewed it. ... I will review that, and we'll give you a call on that. I certainly felt that Bill Clinton shouldn't have stayed in office. But you know, with regards to this setting, why, we'll take a close look at it."
More: "Expecting people to live a life consistent with the dignity of the office to which they're elected is something which the American people should be able to count on" (CNBC, 8/28).
THIS STORY'S GOING TO BE GETTING LOTS OF TV TIME
And there was plenty of talk on Sen. Larry Craig's (R-ID) presser and whether or not he will resign:
ABC's Stephanopoulos: "Every Republican in Washington is hoping he'll decide not to run again. Idaho is one of the reddest of red states. If Craig decides not to run again he'll certainly be replaced by a Republican who can win. If he tries to hang in there, Democrats could make this race" ("World News," 8/28).
NBC's Russert: "Republicans ... have a simple answer -- they just want Senator Craig to exit, to leave. Why? Because they believe the Senate seat in Idaho is a safe, Republican seat. ... Any Republican can hold on to it except maybe Senator Craig" ("Nightly News," 8/28).
WashingtonPost.com's Cillizza: "I think he's leaving the Senate one way or another. I think this issue is, is it on his own terms in terms of a retirement or is it on someone else's terms, in terms of a resignation?" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 8/28).
Washington Times' Sammon: "I do not know whether or he is gay or not, but I think he is guilty of this crime, and I think I think they are going to hound him until he leaves office ultimately" ("Special Report," FNC, 8/28).
CNN's Toobin: "The circumstances when you can withdraw a guilty plea are extremely narrow: You were on drugs and didn't understand what you were doing. You didn't speak English. You were being physically coerced, threatened with death or if you didn't plead guilty. This situation, where you have a highly educated, highly sophisticated United States senator making a conscious decision to waive an attorney and plead guilty, I don't see any circumstances where the Minnesota courts will allow him to withdraw this guilty plea" ("AC 360," 8/28). [EMILY GOODIN]
Talk of AG Alberto Gonzales' resignation dominated the airwaves last night.
CBS' Schieffer, on who will be the next AG: "No decisions have been made. It may take them two weeks to come up with a successor" ("Evening News," 8/27).
FNC's Baier: "Senior aides tell FOX a nomination will likely not be announced before Labor Day, and this White House is preparing for yet another confirmation battle no matter who the nominee is, simply because of the political environment" ("Special Report," 8/27).
CNN's Bash: "What lawmakers are looking for on both sides of the aisle is someone with impeccable legal credentials" ("Lou Dobbs Tonight," 8/27).
CBS' Plante, on what the admin is looking for in the next AG: "Someone with credibility to spare and who can be confirmed quickly" ("Evening News," 8/27).
NBC's O'Donnell: "Advisers that I've been talking to say they have a list that is working right now. They say it numbers more than two, fewer than five. And there are names being floated about, but at this point they say that the president has not been given any recommendations from his top advisers" ("Tucker," MSNBC, 8/27).
WH counselor Ed Gillespie: "The president is going to put forward a nominee who is consistent in his views about the policies of the Department of Justice. ... I don't think the Democrats would want to stall the confirmation of a qualified nominee just because that person doesn't agree with Ted Kennedy" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 8/27).
More Gillespie: "We are taking calls. We are making calls here. Both sides of the aisle, on and off the judiciary committee, in the leadership hearing from people about ideas of who would be a good potential nominee. We'll weigh those and pair down the list the president will consider and hopefully have a nominee soon for consideration that we get in place for the rest of the term. ... I don't think months. I don't think days. You know, somewhere in between days and months" ("Situation Room," CNN, 8/27).
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL): "Clearly the next move that he makes should not be bringing in another Bush loyalist. An example that I would use is, the name of Secretary Chertoff has been thrown around today, which is particularly egregious on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. This is not a person who did a stellar job in the aftermath of that tragedy, and having him step in and add insult to injury would not be the best move that the president could make" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 8/27).
CRAIG'S LIST
The Larry Craig story broke late enough to garner a mention on all the network newscasts but the anchors merely read the Roll Call report. That was the similar situation on most of the cable shows but there were some new details:
Roll Call's McArdle was on MSNBC to respond to Craig's statement: "The incident happened on June 11th, and he pled guilty on August 8th. So he had some time to think about this, and he said that he should have had the advice of a lawyer. But 11 days after this incident occurred on June 11th, on the 22nd, according to the police documents again from the airport, he goes back to the airport, to the police office, and said he needs somebody to contact about the incident so that he can give the contact information to his lawyer" ("Live with Dan Abrams," MSNBC, 8/27).
Idaho Statesman's Barker, on allegations against Craig last year involving other inappropriate behavior: "At the time, a liberal gay activist guy by the name of Mike Rogers came out and outed Senator Craig, said that he knew that Senator Craig was gay. And several newspapers and other publications followed his allegations and Senator Craig at the time flatly denied it. Our newspaper did not run even the allegations and instead began an extensive investigation" ("Situation Room," CNN, 8/27).
CNN's Toobin: "My sense is, this was more a political judgment by Senator Craig than a legal one, hoping that he could get rid of it in Minneapolis, no one would ever find out. Obviously, if he went to trial, he would have exposed the accusation. Now he's got the worst of both worlds. He's got the accusations but he pled guilty to it. ... I think he miscalculated, to put it mildly" ("Situation Room," 8/27).
CNN's Tatton, on a video of Craig posted on Mitt Romney's website: "Senator Larry Craig shares thoughts on Mitt Romney, but you can't get to it. It was posted five months ago. ... It had disappeared. ... Craig in May was named by Romney a state co-chair by his Idaho leadership team. We got a response about what had happened there from the Romney campaign. This is from Matt Rhodes, the communications director of the Romney campaign. 'Senator Craig has stepped down from his role with the campaign. He did not want to be a distraction and we accept his decision'" ("Situation Room," 8/27). [EMILY GOODIN]
John and Elizabeth Edwards were on "Face the Nation":
Edwards, on saying HRC was making a political calculation about terrorism: "I don't agree that the Republicans would have an advantage. I would never cede that. ... I think we're less safe, not more safe. We have fewer allies and, according to Bush's own State Department, there are more terrorists in the world. So I think we are not safer than we were when George Bush took office or just prior to September 11. And the second issue is, I think when you're talking about something as serious as an attack on the United States of America, particularly if you're a presidential candidate or a president, the focus should not be on politics and on votes. The focus should be on what's going to have to be done to unite America and keep the American people safe. So that's what I was talking about."
Asked if Maliki should resign as PM of Iraq, Edwards: "That's something for them to decide, not for us to decide. But at the end of the day, the real test is, are they moving toward a political compromise? Because there cannot be stability in Iraq without it."
Edwards, on what action cong. Dems should take on Iraq: "They should not submit a single funding bill to the president for the war that doesn't have a timetable for withdrawal. And I think they should use whatever legislative tool is available to them, including a filibuster ... to do everything -- this is not politics. This is about life and death."
E. Edwards: "I have been pretty disturbed about the trend in the political dialogue. If we are arguing about policy and I am saying somebody's health care policy doesn't do this and John's does do what is missing, that's different than the name calling, and that denigrates the whole process, turns people off. We have less people voting, and it's very important to get those people engaged."
Edwards, on what role Elizabeth would play in the WH: "The way we do things and the way we interact is so natural that I would not want to change that. I think titles and specific charges is not the way that we do things together, and I think because of that it doesn't make sense."
E. Edwards: "I presently respect the way things are done, and John has people who speak for him and I'm really supposed to be just a mirror for people to see him. And what I have to say about it honestly is not very important. People will be voting for John. The extent to which I can shed a light on who he is as a person, that's great. I never practiced law with him, partly for some of the reasons that you mentioned, but it doesn't mean that he didn't talk to me about his cases. He always did. I think that the first lady gets a megaphone. She doesn't get a job; she gets a megaphone to talk about the things she cares about. I care about veterans' issues. ... I care about after-school programs. ... I care a great deal about what happens with respect to breast cancer and treatment and research. So I mean, I have a lot, and that doesn't even mention a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old at home."
Asked about a Cabinet post, E. Edwards: "Not only -- I will not accept nor will I ..." (CBS, 8/26).
HOPING FOR A HOT SUMMER
Mike Huckabee was on "Fox News Sunday":
Asked how much money he's raised since Ames: "Three point two million hits to the website. We've scheduled fundraisers in about 16 states now through the middle and end of October. ... I don't know the exact figures and, of course, if I told you, I'd have to take your life, so I couldn't give you that, but it's substantially more. And I think the thing for us is we're seeing a momentum that we just weren't seeing before, people sort of holding back, wondering did we have the traction. And now they have truly begun to understand that our campaign, even with limited resources, had a spectacular showing in Iowa. And they know that with resources there's no reason we couldn't catapult to the front."
Asked why he's still down in the polls: "So far, we've been everything from no shot to long shot now to slingshot. And I think we're at a point where as we look for the next level, is our message is connecting, and it is. The polls really don't reflect the core voters. It reflects name identification, which improves with each debate. It improves with each showing, like Iowa. But what really is showing up -- when we were in New Hampshire last week, everywhere we went we were expecting certain numbers of crowds, maybe 50 people. We'd have 200. So we're seeing anywhere from two to four times the number of people come out and enthusiastically receiving the message that I'm giving."
On where the Club for Growth got their info to run ads against him: "I have to think it may be one of the other candidates. I don't know who and I don't even know why." More: "They essentially operate when people give them money specifically targeted toward someone that they want to take out. They hide behind the anonymity of the organization."
On Fred Thompson: "Let's just hope Fred decides it's just too hot this summer to even do this. Maybe he won't get in. But if he does, I think he's going to suck a lot of the oxygen out of the room when he first comes in. But I'm not sure I'd want to be in his position where the expectations are simply just sky-high for him to be able to perform. You know, I'd rather be in a position to over perform than to get in and then underperform the expectations. And so far, that's what we've done. No one expected us to do as well in Iowa. We've done it. No one was expecting us to draw the kind of crowds and momentum in New Hampshire. We're doing it. People are expecting him to basically come in and be the fifth head on Mount Rushmore. Whether he can live up to that -- I think there's a real challenge for anybody to live up to that, including if Ronald Reagan were to come back. I'm not sure he could live up to Ronald Reagan's persona and image at this stage."
Asked about the VP slot: "I'd like to think I'm presidential material. You know, the point is I've never seen a guy say, 'I'm going to the Olympics and, man, my goal is to be the silver medalist.' Nobody says, 'That's what, you know, I spent my whole life working toward, is being number two.' So, no, I'm not sitting around thinking about, 'Gosh, what if I could be vice president?' I'm thinking about, 'What would happen if I could become president,' how I would lead this country, what I would do to reform taxes, what I would do to try to bring a domestic agenda that builds this country back so we have some strength. And I think the voters are still going to respond to me when they get a chance to hear the message. That's what we're saying and that's what I'm confident they're going to continue to see" ("Fox News Sunday," 8/26).
AGREEING TO DISAGREE
Bill Richardson was on "Late Edition":
On Iraq: "You cannot start a peace process, a reconciliation, a peacekeeping force in Iraq that rebuilds the country without getting all of our troops out with no residual forces."
More: "The Maliki government is falling apart. They're doing very little about bringing reconciliation. The training of the Iraqi troops is at an alarmingly slow pace. You've got Maliki flirting with Iran right now. I mean, is this guy our ally? This is an incompetent government, and now we're starting to shift the blame to the Maliki government. So I believe the best step is a withdrawal, but with a diplomatic plan that brings the three Iraqi entities together in a possible partition, in an all-Muslim peacekeeping force, in division of oil revenues, a sharing of power. The Maliki government is doing nothing, and we are increasing the violence there, making our troops the top targets. This is making no sense."
On HRC saying the surge is working in some areas: "I totally disagree with her. I don't see how she can say that, because the level of violence has increased, particularly in the northern provinces. The number of Iraqi deaths has doubled, almost 62 per day. This has been the deadliest summer on record for U.S. troops. The Maliki government is falling apart.I don't see how she can say that" (CNN, 8/26).
OH THAT ROMNEY
Sam Brownback was also on "Late Edition":
On Iraq: "What you're going to see out of General Petraeus' report middle of September is that there's been very good military progress and little to no political progress. And it's now time, it's past time, that we need to take advantage of the military situation for a political surge and deals to be made in Iraq for stability."
More: "Maliki is a product of the system. I think you've got to look at that systems change is really the key here for us to look forward to the future, get something that's more durable."
Asked what he thinks of the late "nuance" in Romney's abortion position: "I'm not sure what to really make of it. I'm appreciative of his changes on life issues. My point of view has been ... that it's hard to lead a nation on such a tough social issue, moral issue, if you don't have conviction on it yourself" (CNN, 8/26).
SOON TO BE SEPTEMBER
Sen. John Warner (R-VA): "I put this out as a suggestion and put it in the public domain. It's drawn a lot of controversy, I recognize that. But this will help the American people better understand the complexity of the many issues that are going to be brought up to the president first by the ambassador, a very able man, coming back from Iraq; General Petraeus, the overall on-scene commander; General Jones, who is preparing a special report on the status of the security forces; and, indeed, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is going to come forward with his views."
More: "What I'm trying to do ... is to get the attention of our president, those making a decision and, indeed, the American public of the necessity to bring some type of decisive pressure upon this government to deliver on the reconciliation. Reconciliation ... can bring about a greater cessation, a greater stability .... throughout Iraq, than all the bullets and the arms together."
Asked if Bush does not set a timetable, if he'll break with him and begin to set one: "I'm going to have to evaluate it and then, as all other senators -- we're an independent branch of our government, co-equal in many respects with authority and responsibility -- we'll have to make our decision as to what we'll do."
More: "I don't say that as a threat, but I say that is an option we all have to consider."
Asked if Sens are worried about Iraq and '08: "Every one of those senators is worried. ... Now, we will see, after we get back in September and we get together in groups and talk amongst each other, we'll have a consensus. ... Maybe others will speak out, as I have done, on options. But we should wait till the president speaks. After he speaks, then we'll have to make our own assessment."
Asked if Bush recommends a status quo in Iraq, if Senate GOPers will rebel: "I'm not going to bite on that one" ("Meet the Press," NBC, 8/26).
Senate Min. Leader Mitch McConnell: "I think the big news in August, frankly, is that the critics of the surge are now going to Iraq over this past month and admitting that the surge is working. So we've had military progress. There's no question about that. ... The Iraqi government is still pretty much a disaster. I mean, they haven't done any of the things at the central government level that we had anticipated."
More: "Senator Warner called me Friday afternoon to underscore that he still supports the president, that he is not in favor of a surrender date. And even though he made a recommendation that we begin to draw down some level of troops, frankly, I think a lot of my members would be surprised if there was not some level of draw down over the next coming months. So I didn't find that all that newsworthy" ("Fox News Sunday," 8/26).
Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), on Warner: "I think that this was a bold step forward, and he's trying to send the same signal that ... you can't rely on us forever. We need American combat troops off the streets in Iraq, and we need Iraqis to replace them" ("This Week," ABC, 8/26).
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX): "I support the surge because I believe the surge is helping to make us safer, given us a chance of success rather than a guaranteed failure which a rapid redeployment or withdrawal would guarantee" ("This Week," ABC, 8/26).
TURNING THE TABLES ON RUSSERT
Warner also discussed whether he's going to run for re-election:
Asked if he's going to run for re-election, Warner: "Well, what do you think I should do?" More: "Yeah, how about that? Come on. You put yourself up as the number one nation's political pundit."
NBC's Russert: "Never do."
Warner: "What would you do if you were 80 years old?"
Russert: "I just ask the questions."
Warner: "You do? Well, I'll give you the answer. Wait till September."
Russert: "That's five days away."
Warner: "That's all right. Wait till September."
More: "I made a commitment. This is serious business. ... Five terms, the people of Virginia have stood with me strongly. Now I've got to go out and assess, and each day for six months, I've kept a little diary. I feel this way -- not physically, but mentally -- should I stay, should I not. But the Senate requires you to go full-bore six or seven days a week, tremendous energy. Go to Iraq, jump in and out of helicopters, get on the cargo planes, no sleep. And that's in different things we've got to do all around. And I've got to assess at this age whether it is fair to Virginia to ask for a contract for another six years."
Russert: "That sounds like a lot to ask a man between the ages of 80 and 86."
Warner: "That is correct." More: "But anyway, I'm going to make that decision, and I'm going to do what's right for my state and my country in terms of running again. I'm confident that I can run a good, strong campaign. But then I've got to also say to Virginia, 'On the eve of my 88th birthday, I'm still going seven days, seven nights with full steam.' I might be able to do it" ("Meet the Press," NBC, 8/26).
ROUNDTABLE ROUNDUP
The "Fox News Sunday" roundtable discussed WH '08 and Iraq.
The "Meet the Press" roundtable discussed the situation in the Middle East.
The "Late Edition" roundtable discussed WH '08.
The "This Week" roundtable discussed the situation in Iraq and WH '08.
LOS ANGELES - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday expressed distaste for a Republican-friendly ballot initiative created by two of his former advisers who want to alter the state's electoral voting process.
"In principle, I don't like to change the rules in the middle of the game," Schwarzenegger said about "The Presidential Election Reform Act."
Created by the governor's former attorney Thomas Hiltachk and ex-advisor Marty Wilson, the '08 ballot measure would move the state's electoral votes from winner-take-all to allocation by congressional district plus two statewide votes.
The governor's comment came two days after Dems submitted paperwork in Sacramento for their "National Popular Vote" counter-initiative, which would have the state's electoral votes go to whoever wins the national popular vote.
The dueling electoral vote initiatives, both aiming for the 6/08 state primary, now must compete also with Schwarzenegger's renewed interest in reforming California's selection of state and federal legislators. The governor may push his own ballot proposal for the 2/5 presidential primary to create an independent commission to draw up fresh district boundaries.
Without such reform, "there's no competition," Schwarzenegger said at a Los Angeles press conference with former CA GOP Gov. Pete Wilson and ex-CA Dem Gov. Gray Davis, whom the actor ousted from office in a 2003 recall.
Schwarzenegger's remark could hinder his two ex-advisors in their current attempts to raise $2 million for the initiative's ad budget. However, the authoritative Field Poll this week said that 47% of Californians polled support the initiative's district-based electoral vote counting over winner-take-all, with 35% opposing such a change.
If their initiative passes next June, Republicans could secure between 19 and 22 electoral votes since 19 of California's 53 congressional seats usually vote red. Maine and Nebraska (with a combined 9 electoral college votes) are the only other states to do proportional allocation.
Dems are attacking early here to quash a measure which might swing a national election.
"It's much better to be on the offensive and deal with this from the front end and hopefully stop it from even getting off the ground," said Dem initiative spokesman Chris Lehane, an early Kerry '04 communications director/Gore '00 press secretary. His group, Californians for Fair Election Reform, competes against the GOP-driven Californians for Equal Representation.
The Republican proposal's qualifying petitions could start circulating after the state attorney general gives it a ballot title and summary on Sept. 5. Opposition funding is expected from San Francisco hedge fund master Tom Steyer and Hollywood millionaire movie producer Steve Bing, ex-boyfriend of English rose Elizabeth Hurley. In 2005, more than $4 million from Bing helped Cal Dems defeat Schwarzenegger's redistricting initiative.
GOP initiative spokesman Kevin Eckery - a onetime Pete Wilson press secretary - is nonchalant about Dem attacks since so many states must pass their popular vote measure for the idea to work nationally. "The small states will never turn their back on the electoral college," he said. "So you might as well make the electoral college work better. It's not going anywhere." [DAVID FINNIGAN]
As of recently, Barack Obama's rhetoric has been hovering dangerously close to that of John Edwards on various issues, including org. labor and lobbyist campaign contributions.
In the Aug. issue of Progressive magazine Elizabeth Edwards goes so far as to call Obama an outright copycat, accusing him of "lifting her husband's best lines." E. Edwards: "You listen to the language of what people say, particularly Obama, who seems to be using a lot of John's 2004 language, which is maybe not surprising since one of his speechwriters was one of our speechwriters, his media guy was our media guy. These people know John's mantra as well as anybody could know it. They've moved from 'hope is on the way' to 'the audacity of hope.' I'm constantly hearing things in a familiar tone."
We still weren't convinced. But last weekend's AFL-CIO labor forum in Cedar Rapids, IA, 8/18 p.m. changed that.
Barack Obama appeared on the "Daily Show" last night:
Asked if the "insanity" of the process has sunk in yet: "Every day it reveals itself in new way. I think that's part of what people are looking at our campaign to see, just some normalcy and some common sense. ... We had an 8 o'clock in the morning debate in Iowa. ... It's always a shock to the system when Sunday morning you wake up and you're face to face with Mike Gravel. ... So we're preparing and one of my staff said, 'The thing you've got to understand is, this isn't on the level.' And I think that really strikes to what people are frustrated with in politics, is that so much of what we talk about, so much of what we say, it's not true, people know it's not true, all the insiders understand that we're just game-playing -- and in the meantime you've got these hugely serious problems, which are true."
Jon Stewart: "With the experience thing, have you thought about running a smaller country first?"
Obama: "What I did think about, though, was invading a smaller country. ... Grenada."
Stewart: "That's a gaff."
Asked if it's hard to run as a SEN, Obama: "It's paralyzed and it's designed for you take bad votes. A governor is more likely to be able to set the terms of the debate. They can give a speech, they can say, 'This is my initiative, this is my proposal. I won't sign it unless I agree with it.' You know, with senators, you end up, you know, having to actually vote on stuff that has no relevance whatsoever but can be used later on to attack you."
Stewart: "Where's the whole meaning that Hillary Clinton is very experienced? She's been in the Senate a few years longer than you and then she was the first lady. Are they counting that? Does that going on the resume?"
Obama: "She's a very capable senator. She's very smart. I think people rightly give her credit for having been a participant in the Clinton administration, and that she was doing some heavy lifting on issues. I do think that, increasingly, what Americans are looking for is not Washington experience, but do you have life experience that is gonna lead you to make good decisions, and are you in touch with what's happening on the ground."
Asked if he admires any of his GOP opponents: "I think some of these folks are decent people. ... I think there are guys like Huckabee, who, I think are sincere and decent" (Comedy Central, 8/22).
JINDAL FIGHTS BACK
And LA GOV candidate Bobby Jindal (R) was on "Hannity & Colmes" to talk about a Dem campaign ad claiming he's insulted LA Protestants via articles he wrote in the '90s describing his conversion to Catholicism:
Jindal: "I thought I'd seen every dirty trick in Louisiana politics. To attack me for being a Christian is ridiculous. I actually became a Christian in a nondenominational church, later became Catholic. You actually look at the writings, they actually have just made up these allegations. The only time I talk about other denominations, I talk about what my own church could learn from those denominations. What I talk about is the fact that we, as Christians, are united in the belief in the risen Lord Jesus Christ, the truth of the Bible. What's amazing to me -- it's no coincidence. We're ahead in the polls. We've put out a detailed policy on how we can end corruption in Louisiana. They're trying to distract the voters. It's ridiculous they would do this."
More: "We've called on the state Democratic Party to pull down this ad. Our lawyer have sent letters to the stations running this ad. ... I'm proud of my Christian faith. I've got nothing to hide. I've talked to hundreds of congregations about my personal decision to become a Christian, to accept Christ. Ironically, the church founded by a Billy Graham disciple. I've got nothing to hide. I'm not embarrassed. If they would simply tell the truth, I'd be proud."
Asked about reports John Edwards is invested in companies who are foreclosing on people in New Orleans: "You know, on one hand, I'm glad he's focusing attention on New Orleans and Louisiana. We need the attention as we rebuild. ... But for having invested in these firms that may have engaged in predatory loan practices, I think the reason he gets into so much trouble is the hypocrisy. On one hand, here he is, trying to say we should act and be better. And he holds himself up as an example. I'm grateful he's focusing attention on Louisiana. Don't get me wrong. But the hypocrisy, I think, is what is so offensive" (FNC, 8/22). [EMILY GOODIN]
How heavily will Karl Rove play in WH '08? Consider this tea leaf. Or, to be more precise, this postage stamp.
Shortly after announcing his WH resignation, Rove penned a quick letter to his old nemesis, Gore '00 camp. mgr Donna Brazile. "I love Karl, because when you receive a letter from Karl, you don't automatically go and read the letter," Brazile said. "You look at the stamps."
On the corner of Rove's envelope: a 15-cent stamp with the words "We've just begun to fight."
"I love that man," Brazile said, "because he knows how to fight."
On Iraq: "Whether it's Prime Minister Maliki or someone else, you need leadership in the country that has the capacity, both religious and political leaders, to bring these elements together. I'm not confident that's ever going to happen, but certainly, under this administration of Prime Minister Maliki it's been very anemic, at best."
On his meeting with the Fed: "That's my major concern today, that we keep people in their homes here. I was pleased to see Hank Paulson say the president cares about that. That's the first time I've heard that statement come out of anyone in the administration. But that ought to be a major focus of our attention, getting these lenders -- which they can do, by the way -- to rework these loans in a way so that people can stay in their houses. That ought to be our primary responsibility right now" (MSNBC, 8/21).
He was also on "Money & Politics":
Asked if he felt reassured after his meeting with his Fed: "I felt sort of mixed emotions. ... And while I have been vocally critical of the Fed not responding as early as they should of regarding the regulatory arm here, they are now doing that. My hope is that they will continue to move at a fast a pace as you might expect the Fed to move in dealing with some of the underling causes that have created this problem. I was less enthusiastic with the administration's response."
Asked if there's a risk of recession: "I wouldn't go that far at this point at all."
More: "I have confidence in Ben Bernanke. ... He's new at the job so I'm going to give him more of an opportunity here" (Bloomberg, 8/21).
ALL ABOUT OBAMA
There was a lot of talk about various developments in the Barack Obama campaign:
Dem strategist Donna Brazile, on if Michelle Obama was taking a swipe at Hillary Clinton: "I don't think ... she was taking a swipe at the Clintons or Giuliani or anyone else. She was trying to establish his credentials as a family person. ... Look, she is a straight-talking person. She's very smart, very articulate. She's an asset to the campaign. And I think, if she wanted to take a swipe at somebody, she would not hide words. Michelle Obama would come out and say it" ("Situation Room," CNN, 8/21).
CNN's J. King, on Obama's Miami Herald op-ed: "By writing that op-ed, Senator Obama is stirring up a debate that has faced every president and every presidential candidate since Dwight Eisenhower." More: "Most interested in this debate is a tiny slice of the electorate. Cuban-Americans amount to less than 1 percent of the U.S. population, but they are heavily concentrated in a critical presidential battleground, Florida, adding up to about 8 percent of the electorate in a state decided by just 537 votes in campaign 2000. Cuban-Americans are the most reliably Republican of the nation's Latino voters, leaving many to wonder why Obama would want to stir up such an emotional debate. ... Some of his rivals, though, suggest that Senator Obama might be trying to shift attention from that debate controversy over his statement that he would meet with Fidel Castro and other leaders of so-called rogue nations in his first year in office" ("Situation Room," 8/21).
Al Sharpton, on Obama's claim he will increase African American turnout: "If he were the nominee, he probably would get a huge turnout among African-American voters, because of the history of it, in him being the first nominee of a major party, African-American. I think that the challenge will be the turn out to get to be the nominee. I think that other campaigns would argue -- I'm sure Mrs. Clinton would argue that if she were the nominee, she would get a huge women turnout because she would be the first woman nominee, or Governor Richardson the first Mexican American. So I don't think that his statement is an outrageous statement at all" ("Tucker," MSNBC, 8/21).
STILL WAITING FOR FRED
And there was also a lot of talk about Fred Thompson's not-quite-official campaign:
FNC's Brown, on Thompson's speech at the VFW: "While Thompson said things most of the vets wanted to hear about soldiering on in Iraq, the former U.S. senator seemed to struggle at times delivering his speech. ... Thompson seemed unfamiliar with the applause lines in his own speech" ("Special Report," 8/21).
NBC's Todd, on the lawsuit against Thompson: "Any citizen can file a claim like this with the SEC. It didn't get it done. The good news for Fred Thompson, the SEC will probably rule on this sometime in 2020. If he makes it to the White House, it will be four years after his two terms. The bad news is it piles on this stumbling and bumbling launch that the Thompson campaign has been about. They have had three campaign managers, by the way, and they've yet to announce" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 8/21).
USA Today's Page, on Thompson: "His biggest strength is unhappiness with the field that is out there right now." On his weaknesses: "He hasn't run in a while. He isn't particularly well known. ... He's not as well known as you might think. ... Campaigning for president is hard to do and he hasn't been out there. ... In a state like Iowa ... that's a very organization intense-like process and he does not have that kind of structure in place" ("NewsHour," PBS, 8/21).[EMILY GOODIN]
Barely 8% of registered voters bothered showing up for the 8/21 election to replace the late Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA 37). But it still counts, and state Assemb. Laura Richardson (D) is CA-37’s new congresswoman. The results, with 100% of the precincts reporting:
Laura Richardson (D): 67%
John Kanaley (R): 25%
Daniel Brezenoff (I): 5%
Herb Peters (L): 2%
Richardson’s general election win was a foregone conclusion in a CD where Dems have a 58%-20% registration edge. The toughest race for Richardson was the 6/26 blanket primary, when she defeated state Sen. Jenny Oropeza (D) and nine others for the right to move onto the general. Richardson will be sworn in 9/4. [TIM SAHD].
Hurricane Dean dominated TV news last night but there was still some political talk -- a bit on the 8/19 Dem debate in IA and on Karl Rove's obsession with Hillary Clinton:
Newsweek's Alter, on Rove attacking HRC: "He knows exactly what he is doing. You know, this was what they did in 2004 with John Kerry. They were very afraid that John Edwards would be the nominee and that he would have a much better shot of unseating President Bush. They were less worried about Kerry. So, in the primaries, the Republicans turned their firepower on John Kerry, knowing that that would create a reaction where people rally around him and he went on to win the nomination, just as they hoped."
More: "If Hillary is not the nominee, those Republicans don't have nearly as much to work with. She is the playbook that they know and they are prepared to run against. The other candidates are blank slates. They'd have to go back to the drawing board. With Hillary Clinton, they know exactly what to do, exactly how to take her apart. And those are factors that Democrats have to consider" ("Tucker," MSNBC, 8/20).
THE DEMS MAN IN NEVADA
And FNC's Vogel profiled NV Assmb. Ruben Kihuen:
Vogel: He's "the one Nevadan every Democratic presidential candidate wants to talk to." More: "Kihuen got into politics just last year. ... He went door to door in his tiny Las Vegas district and sent thank you notes to every one who gave him five minutes. He unseated the incumbent and tripled Hispanic turnout. Now party leaders want his endorsement, because they believe the first-term assemblyman holds the key to the Hispanic vote."
Kihuen: "It is nice to get all these headlines, being called the king maker. But at the end of the day, the most important thing is that I'm going to have to get people out to vote."
Vogel: "And that's what makes Ruben Kihuen so important. His demonstrated ability not only to reach his Hispanic voters, but to get them to the polls. ... Kiheun has yet to make his choice. And Obama, Edwards and Richardson are hoping he'll endorse one of them, turning January's Nevada caucus into a horse race" ("Special Report," FNC, 8/20). [EMILY GOODIN]
Late night TV may be fun for the audience but when it comes to the race for the WH, it's not always a laughing matter. Take then-Gov. George W. Bush's infamous March 1, 2000, appearance on CBS' "Late Show." Bush appeared via satellite from St. Louis and the slight time delay made him look slow on the uptake. And his one-word answers to host David Letterman's questions didn't show off his sense of humor.
This cycle, most WH '08ers have decided that it's worth the potential pitfall. In fact, with the exceptions of Sam Brownback, Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo, who have not appeared on a late night talk show during their campaign run, all the other declared '08ers will have been on. Hillary Clinton, who last appeared as a late night guest in '04, is scheduled to appear on the "Late Show" on August 30th.
The "Daily Show" has been the most prolific in inviting '08ers to the interview couch. The only major '08er not appearing there is Mitt Romney. NBC's "Tonight Show" is next in candidate invites. Only Rudy Giuliani hasn't been on. CBS' "Late Show" has had on all the major contenders except for Romney. In fact, Romney has been the most late-night shy, appearing only on the "Tonight Show."
[EMILY GOODIN]
Karl Rove made the Sunday show rounds in order to say his goodbyes:
On why he's making the rounds: "Well, somebody else made the decision for me, and I'm just doing what I was instructed to do."
To Bob Schieffer: "How can one leave the White House without saying goodbye to you?"
On elections: "You cannot win elections with your people only. You've got to get your share of the independents. You've got to get your share of the other side's party. You've got to grab some of those people who might be inclined to have a D behind their name if you're a Republican candidate or an R behind their name if you're a Democrat candidate. And you've also got to get people energized into the system who've never participated."
Asked why Bush is so unpopular: "I don't think he has wound up being so unpopular. We'll see at the end of the day. We've got 17 months, and I've known him for 34 years. He's a competitive person. He didn't come here simply to hold the office. He's going to continue to pursue a bold agenda at home and abroad. And he's got 17 months to get a lot of things done. He's going to be using every lever available to the president, which is considerable, to get things done right up to the end."
On the GOP WH field: "The key is to have positive, forward-looking, optimistic agenda for the future of the country. .... We've got at least four big ones and maybe others. Senator McCain, Mayor Giuliani, Senator Thompson, Governor Romney -- these men will be able to articulate that message. And, look, it's going to be an exciting message to watch because the outcome is not foreordained. But I feel good about these men. I feel good about their message."
Asked if he knows who the GOP nominee will be: "If I did, I wouldn't tell you. And, frankly, I have been focused too much on my duties at the White House to give that much contemplation" ("Face the Nation," CBS, 8/19).
Rove: "Is the Republican Party a little bit behind the curve? You bet. ... Because we're in an unpopular war and because we got defeated in the last elections. ... You know what the number one issue was in the last election for people who voted Democrat in '06 and voted Republican in ‘'04? It was corruption. They looked at what we did in Congress, they looked at all the scandals."
On WH '08: "All of our major candidates get it, that the election has got to be about the future. Democrats want to make it about the past. The Republicans want to make it about the future."
More: "It's going to be a tough, contentious election year. It's going to be tough for a Democrat or a Republican to win. One of them will win, but only after a very tough, long time."
On Valerie Plame: "There is a civil lawsuit filed by Mr. Wilson and Ms. Plame. It has been tossed out at the district court level. They've announced their intention to appeal. I think it is better that I not add anything beyond what is already in the public record until that suit is resolved."
More: "My recollection is, 'I've heard that, too.' But the point is, if a journalist had said to me, 'I'd like you to confirm this,' my answer would have been, 'I can't. I don't know. I've heard that, too.'"
Asked if he owes Plame an apology: "No."
Asked how HRC is "fatally flawed": "She enters the general election campaign with the highest negatives of any candidate in the history of the Gallup Poll."
Asked how that hurts her: "Well, it just says people have made an opinion about her. It's hard to change opinions once you've been a high profile person in the public eye, as she has, for 16 or 17 years."
Asked if she's the Dem nominee GOPers want: "I'm just responding from questions to journalists. Don't ask me, don't blame it on me. It's you guys' fault."
On HRC's ad: "First of all, it's laughable that this president does not have a strong relationship with the military and military families. Most of the ad was devoted to health care, which really to me was a sign of defensiveness. She understands she's got a weakness on this."
Asked if Obama has measured up to the hype: "You know what? ... You've got an excellent panel coming on, I think, later in the program. Why don't you ask them this question."
NBC's Gregory: "You haven't shied away from talking about Hillary Clinton."
Rove: "I've said enough. I've got to save a little bit more for later."
Gregory: "Do you really fear Barack Obama? That's why you're spending all this time attacking Hillary Clinton?"
Rove: "I read that in the LA Times this morning. Those guys really out in LA have got to get clued in. I mean, come on" ("Meet the Press," NBC, 8/19).
On the '06 election: "The 2006 election was a normal off-year election. If you look at the sweep of American history, the White House party in its second term, off-year election, has lost an average of 28 seats in the House and five seats in the Senate. We lost 30 in the House and six in the Senate, and it was a very close election. The House of Representatives was decided by 85,000 votes out of 82 million cast."
FNC's Wallace: "You sound like John Kerry complaining about Ohio."
Rove: "Well, no, no, we lost. I mean, there's no doubt about it."
On why he won't testify before Congress about the firing of the U.S. attys: "Because of the Constitution of the United States. We have a constitutional separation of powers."
Wallace: "The Constitution does not prevent you from speaking to me so, in fact, I'll ask you some questions. Why did you push to fire some U.S. attorneys in the president's second term?"
Rove: "Nice try. The president has prerogatives that stand up not only to Congress, but also to you."
Wallace: "I mean, executive privilege involves the separation of powers with Congress. It doesn't involve what you talk to me about."
Rove: "It involves the right of a president to receive candid advice from his aides without being subjected to -- called by the Congress to come up and testify. I know you don't understand you're being an agent of Congress when you ask me that question, but you are. I'm going to stand and protect the Constitution and the right of a president, which is absolutely vital, to receive unvarnished, direct and candid advice from his aides."
Wallace: "I like to think I'm an agent of the public, not the Congress."
Rove: "Well, in this instance, you're an agent of Senator Leahy and Congressman Waxman."
Asked if the GOP would ever nominate someone who is pro-choice: "Our party is a pro-life party. I do think people are accepting of candidates who, you know, may have a slightly different label or may have a slightly different attitude, as long as people respect and understand the essential core of that, which is what do we need to do in order to make abortion less prevalent in America. And appointing conservative judges, encouraging adoptions, standing for the restrictions that we have in current law so there's no federal funding -- I find a lot of people who are pro-life are willing to take a candidate who will carry that standard."
More: "That's one of the issues that will be decided in the primary. And the question is, you know, people who enter politics, when they first enter politics, tend to sort of want everything very quickly. And as time goes on, they mature and they get a more mature understanding of politics and say, 'You know what? I want somebody who is with me, you know, 80 percent or 90 percent of the time and may take longer to get where I want to go.' And that's a natural thing in politics."
On the '08 campaign: "I don't anticipate taking any kind of formal role. ... I mean, I'm in my eleventh year of this. So, no. My wife would kill me."
More: "I mean, I've got friends in all four of the major camps. I'm an opinionated kind of guy. And I hope to think I'm sort of discreet. And so if people call me, I'm happy to give them what I think."
On what Bush said to him after the MC Rove dance: "He said, 'You're fired'" ("Fox News Sunday," 8/19).
ALL IMMIGRATION'S FAULT
John McCain was on "Face the Nation":
Asked if he thinks it's his support for the war that has cost him his position in the '08 campaign: "No. I think first of all, we're in good shape and I'm happy where we are. ... We're going to be just fine in my campaign. And every campaign has its ups and downs. I think, frankly, the immigration issue has caused me some difficulties with our base, because I think we failed to convince the American people that we're serious about securing our borders. They don't have confidence in us anymore, because of our failure of handling Katrina, corruption and spending, and failure in the war. ... I made mistakes in the past, but on Iraq, immigration, other issues, I have to do what I think is best for this nation, and I'm proud to do so."
Asked if he agrees with Rove that HRC will be the Dem nominee: "No, I think she has been very effective in the Senate. I don't know the Democratic politics, but I see her in a frontrunner status right now. I have worked with her on many issues. But again, she is a liberal Democrat; I'm a conservative Republican. I look forward to that debate. This debate should be about issues. I have seen her shift on her position on Iraq, from basically supporting to now seeking withdrawal dates, I don't know when. And so, I will be glad to have that debate with her, but I think we should have a respectful campaign with lots of debates."
Asked who his main '08 competition is: "I don't know. I see it kind of evolving, and some people are up and some are down, and that's our favorite game here in Washington. I'm sticking on my message."
Asked what Gen. Petraeus' report will say: "I believe that he's going to depict what I think are the facts on the ground and I am in close enough contact with people to think it's pretty accurate. Militarily, we are succeeding. Politically, we have some difficulties, although there's progress on the local levels on the basic lefts on the ground in Iraq. We are going to be able to move our troops from some areas to others. And eventually -- and I say eventually -- we will be able to withdraw not only to bases, but withdraw completely. But it's going to take a while" (CBS, 8/19).
ROUNDTABLE ROUNDUP
The "Meet the Press" roundtable discussed Rove and WH '08:
Los Angeles Times' Brownstein: "They've become more of a regional party under Karl Rove. They're strong in the culturally conservative parts of the country, but in the Northeast and the West Coast, they've lost a lot of ground."
The "Fox News Sunday" roundtable discussed the financial markets and Rove:
Weekly Standard's Kristol: "Well, it depends if we win the war in Iraq and if a Republican gets elected in 2008. I think both are pretty likely, actually. And in that case, Rove's legacy will be pretty impressive."
FNC's Barnes: "To think that he could guarantee a Republican realignment, or that he could be someone who had some secret strategy that could get immigration reform passed and Social Security reform passed, just ignores how much or how little a political strategist can really affect things."
The "Late Edition" roundtable discussed WH '08 and Rove:
CNN's Preston: "There were really no winners today in today's debate. But Barack Obama was clearly trying to send a message, look, don't criticize me for things that I've said in the past. Your experience has gotten us into the Iraq war. My judgment would have not put us there."
Asked why he thought Barack Obama called Hillary Clinton divisive: "The reality is people in this country either love Hillary Clinton or they don't, and that's just the way she is, in many cases, through no fault of her own, and I think that's probably what Senator Obama's talking about."
Asked if HRC can change: "If she's willing to say, We're going to change our behavior, we don't want to trade one crowd of insiders for a different crowd of insiders in Washington, and she can make a stance, by the way, on that subject by doing what I've asked her to do, which is to join us in saying no to Washington lobbyist money."
Asked if HRC is corrupt: "Oh, I don't have any reason to believe that's true."
More: "I don't think it means that people in Congress who are taking lobbyist money are dishonest. You know, Senator Obama took lobbyist money up until this campaign. I don't think that means he's dishonest. I just think we need to make a clear break from that and make a clear statement about it. And I think my party, the party of the people, ought to be leading the way on this."
On the New York Post headline calling Elizabeth a "battleaxe": "The one thing I'm never going to do is say to the
woman I've been married to for 30 years and I love, is that she's a battleaxe! ... I think Elizabeth is frank and plainspoken. She says what she believes. I think she ought to keep saying what she believes. I admire that in her."
More: "Just before I came out here to do this interview, my 7-year-old, Jack, said, Dad, is it fun to be on 'Hardball?' I said, I think it's only fun if you're Chris Matthews" (MSNBC, 8/15).
CONTINUING HIS TV TIME
Mike Huckabee was on "Tucker":
On his fundraising: "We're actually raising money. In fact, our Internet hits have been dramatic. I spent all day yesterday on the telephone, a whole lot of Monday. We'll be busy raising funds now for the next several weeks. The good thing is people that wouldn't even take my calls a week ago are now calling me. That's the good news. We feel like what needed to happen for us happened on Saturday. A lot of people finally realized, if we could do that well without resources, which we didn't have, imagine what we could do even with modest resources. So it's a new day for us" (MSNBC, 8/15).
He was also on "On the Record":
Huckabee: "The good news for us is that after Saturday all those people that said we're not sure that you're viable so we're not going to contribute to your campaign unless we see some traction. Well, we started calling them and saying we've got the traction, where's the check? And it's starting to happen. We've had a 1,000 new donors from Saturday night to Tuesday. And we raised more money online in about two days almost in the previous four weeks. So it's beginning to happen."
On his campaign: "The surprise will be New Hampshire even more than Iowa will all is said in done."
Asked what happens to his band if he wins: "The band gets to play the White House" (FNC, 8/15). [EMILY GOODIN]
Asked about the New York Times' stories on his family and private life: "I've been dealing with the New York Times since the day I became mayor."
FNC's O'Reilly: "They don't like you."
Giuliani: "They don't agree with me. I don't know about liking me. I don't think it's personal. ... The reality is the Times never ran a government. I did. ... The fact that they go after me is hardly a surprise to me. They were doing all during the time that I was mayor. Although one of the biggest surprises of my political career -- they endorsed me for re-election. And I was shocked when they did."
O'Reilly: "But they are concentrating on your family. And it looks to me they are going to continue to do that. Are you going to address that or ignore it?"
Giuliani: "On no. We have addressed that. What we've pointed out is that families should be kept private that's part of my private life and that I talk as little about that as possible so that my children can have the maximum degree of privacy. And, honestly, I don't think the Times has been anywhere near the worst in terms of doing that."
More: "I've always thought the Times on the personal issues has been better on some of the other publications. On political issues, on political characterizations, we have a lot of differences. On personal issues, I don't think the Times has been that bad. They're very professional" (FNC, 8/14).
OBAMA'S FATAL FLAW?
Mitt Romney was on "Hannity & Colmes":
Asked about Obama's comment that U.S. troops in Iraq are raiding villages and killing civilians: "It is an extraordinary statement, a disappointing statement. He has now, how many times, three or four, five times, said many things that he must badly recognize as being a huge error, bad misstatements. I think he's, in some respects, he has shown that he has just not given his words careful enough thought. I think it is dispiriting to our troops. It is disrespectful of our troops to say such a thing. The only people who say things like that our people on the other side of this issue."
More: "I don't think the people of America are going to select Barack Obama and I think this is an evidence as to why they should not and cannot. I did not think they are not going to select Hillary Clinton or John Edwards either because America is not going to turn left. America is not going to say that we're going to abandon our support of our troops. The comments he's made have gone beyond the idea of look, we have different views about what to do in Iraq. They go to the foundation of whether we support our troops and stand behind our military. What he said in his latest round, I hope he apologizes for and says it was a misstatement. He has to do that. Otherwise what he's letting stand is a suggestion that somehow our troops are not noble and dignified. It is an outrageous thing and I have to anticipate he's going to retreat from it."
Asked about HRC's new IA ad: "Well first of all, it's not credible because people in this country know that the president cares very deeply about the American people, whether they agree with him or disagree with him. And they also know he loves our troops, that's been evident. So that's not going to stick. But the other thing is Hillary Clinton isn't going to be running against George Bush. She is going to be running against me or one of my Republican friends. And if she is running against me and she wants to talk about health care, I'm happy to talk about our plan that got people insured with private insurance."
Asked if he agrees with Rove that HRC is "fatally flawed": "You know, I think all the Democrats are fatally flawed who are running for president. But I do think she is by far the most likely to get the nomination. I think that shifted pretty dramatically in the past couple of weeks because of the missteps by Barack Obama. I think he has on the foreign affairs side has said things that were just not carefully thought through and that have hurt him pretty badly" (FNC, 8/14).
YEAR OF THE WIFE?
And ABC's McFadden profiled Ann Romney for "Nightline":
On being called a Stepford wife: "Those things are offensive ... and you just recognize that's part of what happens in campaigns."
Asked about those who say people want to elect a family not just a POTUS: "Wow. I would hope so because I think they would really want to take a look at us for that reason."
On her family: "I think people will sometimes be critical and say, 'You look too perfect.' ... It may look perfect, but that's one thing I have learned about life is that it isn't always what it looks."
On being diagnosed with MS: "I did not handle this well. And I felt very sorry for myself. I was depressed. I just thought life was over. I even said things like, 'I wish I could just die.'"
On Elizabeth Edwards: "Elizabeth and I have talked, and I think we share the same understanding that what our husbands are doing is critically important. And I know she believes, and I believe, too, that my husband is the right person for the job. And we are willing to put ourselves out there for that."
More: "I totally understand why she made the decision she did and how she's going forward. I applaud her."
On their abortion position: "We are pro-life."
On the check she wrote to Planned Parenthood: "I don't even remember writing." More: "These things become part of a campaign, which is so ridiculous, because it doesn't define me. It's not who I am. I wouldn't have done it today" (ABC, 8/14). [EMILY GOODIN]
Karl Rove's departure and legacy was the subject of much discussion last night:
ABC's Gibson: "From the time the president took the oath of office Karl Rove has been the most powerful unelected man in Washington. ... Any picture you may see of George Bush, chances are Karl Rove is right there" ("World News," 8/13).
NBC's O'Donnell, on Rove's future plans: "He told me today he has no plans to work on a presidential with any of the '08 Republican contenders. He does to plan to write a book with the full encourage of the president" ("Nightly News," 8/13).
FNC's Goler: "The president called him the architect of the political strategy that shaped his entire public life and when it came time to say goodbye to Karl Rove, Mr. Bush almost seemed at a loss of words" ("Special Report," 8/13).
CNN's J. King: "To those who cast him as Geppetto and the president as somehow Pinocchio, that is a gross exaggeration. ... He has very little say in foreign policy, but he does have a huge say in how those policies are sold politically and how those policies are communicated. And, when it comes to domestic policy, he is the most important man in the White House. Take two signature issues on which the president failed, reforming Social Security and reforming immigration. Those were Karl Rove's babies. And when the president's legacy is written that he tried and failed on those two issues, Karl Rove will be in the next sentence, because those were his issues" ("AC 360," 8/13).
MSNBC's Shuster: "The news that Karl Rove is leaving was greeted with regret by other White House officials. They said Rove will be missed. Democrats said good riddance and argued that Rove had put the interests of the Republican Party ahead of the interests of the American people. Left unclear is whether Rove will ever be forced to testify about the controversies or whether he will simply ride into the sunset as a Bush White House defender" ("Hardball," 8/13).
Ex-WH adviser David Gergen: "The dream that he and George W. Bush brought to the White House, the large political enterprise was that of creating a durable Republican majority. ... But now the tide seems to have turned. And I think, at the end of the day, you have to say that this dream they came to the White House with has gone smash in the deserts of Iraq" ("NewsHour," PBS, 8/13).
Fortune's Easton: "He's not some genius, but he is a very smart political adviser" ("Special Report," FNC, 8/13).
NBC's Todd: "Rove now is going to be on legacy duty" ("Tucker," MSNBC, 8/13).
NOT FOR ALL ROMNEY'S MONEY
Rudy Giuliani was on "Kudlow & Company":
Asked if he regrets not participating in the IA straw poll: "Not at all. It was the right decision. The reality is, we didn't get started early enough to really make a competitive showing there. After we watched the vote turnout that took place it was one of the lowest turnouts ever for a straw poll and the amount of money that the candidates had to spend it did not seem like it would have been a worthwhile investment. We want to focus on the caucus that's coming up in January. We want to pull all our emphasis into that so it is a question of use of resources. I think every campaign makes a different decision. Our campaign, McCain's campaign , Fred Thompson's possible campaign, made the decision not to go. I congratulate the ones that came in first and second and third, but I would not have wanted to spend the money they spent or at least one of them spent on that. I do not think it was worth it" (CNBC, 8/13).
ENJOYING HIS VICTORY LAP
Mike Huckabee continued to make the TV rounds:
On his straw poll showing: "It was kind of like 'Rocky.' You lay there and you think, I don't know if I can beat the guy, but I can go the distance. And that's what we showed, and it really was a victory for us."
More: "The only thing people have ever said about me was that, you know, he would be a great guy if he just had the money. And I have been saying that we have got the message, and the message ought to produce the money. You know, a lot of donors told us that, if we got some traction, they would help us. Well, I'm telling them, we have got the traction. You need to send the check. And, once that happens, this campaign is totally different. That's the only thing that has lacked."
Asked about reports he'd be Giuliani's VP: "I think the real question is, would I pick Rudy to be the running mate? I still believe ... that this is a long way off. And we are talking about the hot days of August of 2007. Let's take another look at that in about November or December, and then we will talk about who should be on the top of the ticket" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 8/13).
Asked what the primary/caucus schedules means: "We've got to raise a lot of money for one thing."
On his sense of humor: "Even kids would rather have their oatmeal with a little cinnamon in it. ... I don't want to be a person whose candidacy is marked by a roomful of consultants who script every word and make sure I don't say something that's off the cuff. I think the American people are looking for someone who's looking for someone with a little bit of candor" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 8/13).
THE ISSUE HE CAN'T GET AWAY FROM
John McCain was on the "O'Reilly Factor" last night. Most of the discussion focused on illegal immigration:
McCain: "The lesson I take from the last debate we were in ... is that I still support the comprehensive approach to immigration reform, but we've got to secure the borders and it has to be done first. As president, I would say that the governors would have to certify that their borders, the border state governors would have to certify that their borders are secure" (FNC, 8/13).[EMILY GOODIN]
Hillary Clinton’s campaign will begin broadcasting its first TV ad in IA tomorrow. Ex-IA Gov. Tom Vilsack unveiled the 60-second spot titled “Invisible,” at a press conference today in Des Moines.
The ad is fairly standard, featuring excerpts of Clinton’s stump speech intersected with shots of her alongside children (there are four separate shots of her hugging or reading to kids) farmers, and senior citizens.
Details of the ad buy have not been released and Clinton spokesperson Phil Singer would only say “it’s a major buy going up in all markets across the state.”
The ads release coincides with Clinton’s swing through IA tomorrow.
On his win: "It's a big start getting ready for the caucuses. You want to do well in the straw poll so that you can build the organization, get your fundraising machine under way, make sure that your message connects with the people of Iowa, because if you can do well in the straw poll, it gives you the real boost that you need to go on to the caucuses. And, of course, if you do well in the caucuses, that helps in New Hampshire and traditionally gets you going in a national campaign."
On people saying lower turnout meant people were disenchanted with politics: "I don't think that's the case, but you know, I'll let the gurus do their work. I think instead people thought that this was a pretty forgone conclusion. I also think that you had a couple of folks not participating in the race, and so they didn't bring out the numbers they would have normally brought out. But we've also had a Republican lead over the last several years. When George Bush ran, we'd had eight years of Bill Clinton, and I think there was a lot of anger in the Republican Party, and I don't think that level of anger is there."
On critics saying with his $2M ad campaign he paid $800 a vote: "Well, they're missing one key thing, and that is the advertising was not for the straw poll. People don't come to a straw poll based on ads. The advertising is helping build the base that I need as somebody that's not terribly well known in Iowa to get better known, to have a message that connects with people and to get ready for the caucuses. It's the caucus that you really aim for. ... I did over 300 events in Iowa over this last year. And a campaign, to be successful, has to have the resources, the ground team and the message, and we put that together."
Asked if his victory was diminished because Giuliani, F. Thompson and McCain weren't there: "I think it's actually enhanced. I think if they thought they could have won, they'd have been here. The reason they weren't here wasn't an indication of their strength in Iowa. And so I think what you're seeing is that they looked at the field and said, 'Gosh, Mitt Romney's message and his resources and his ground team is so strong, we can't compete there.' And if you can't compete in the heartland, if you can't compete in Iowa in August, how are you going to compete in January when the caucuses are held? And then how are you going to compete in November of '08? Because fundamentally, you've got to win Iowa if you want to win the presidency. This is a purple state."
Asked if he's now the GOP frontrunner: "I've got a long way to go to become a frontrunner. Hopefully, I'll become a frontrunner or the frontrunner in about December or January, and I've got a long way to go. I'm not terribly well known across the nation. But what's encouraging and pleasing to me is that the state or states where I've really spent my time, the first two -- New Hampshire and Iowa -- I'm doing well. And the tests that have been had across the country, whether that was the Memphis straw poll, or the South Carolina county straw polls, or now here the Ames straw poll -- I've won each of them."
Asked if the straw poll results mean the abortion issue is behind him: "I frankly think that the people whose campaigns were entirely focused on trying to bring me down and attack me -- those campaigns weren't successful. So I'm not going to overstate the results of yesterday. Obviously, they're going to continue to come at me with hammer and tong, but I believe people want to look beyond the attacks and understand what is it that a person stands for. And I think with 300 events across Iowa and a message that was clear as a bell, people coming out in large numbers on a hot day sent a pretty strong message."
On saying his sons were supporting the country by helping him get elected: "Oh, I misspoke there. I didn't mean in any way to compare service in the country with my boys in any way. Service in this country is an extraordinary sacrifice being made by individuals and their families. I've been calling for a surge of support, as you know, by the American citizens. There's no comparison. I'm very pleased and proud of my boys and the help they're doing for their dad, but it's not service to the country. It's service for me. And there's just no comparison there" (8/12).
MIKE'S MOMENT
Mike Huckabee was on "Face the Nation":
On his straw poll finishing: "We're in fact in the first tier I think by everybody's estimation, and here's why. It wasn't just that we surprised people with a second showing. It's that we did it with so few resources. I mean, this really was feeding the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves. An amazing kind of day for us. Because if you look at how much money some of the candidate spent to get the votes they got, it's staggering. And we spent less than $100,000 on the straw poll. If we add everything we did over the course of the last seven weeks in Iowa -- that includes paper clips and gasoline for the vehicles to get us from place to place -- our total expenses were $150,000. So when you look at what we were able to achieve, it was because people came to Ames to vote for us. And we had remarkable stories of people who came literally from all over America to work for us. And then people from Ames, one girl drove from Ames to Des Moines to get her driver's license because she forgot it, just so she could vote for me. I mean, it was a movement. It wasn't just a, hey, we're giving out T-shirts. I mean, we gave out watermelon from my hometown of Hope, Arkansas, which of course is worth driving to Ames for."
On McCain, F. Thompson, and Giuliani not being there: "They knew they weren't going to do well with Iowa voters because Iowa voters tend to be far more conservative. I think they looked at the clear situation and the landscape in Iowa and decided, you know, if we go and play, and do what we probably will do, it will be embarrassing, so we'll just forfeit the game. I don't think it diminishes what the rest of us did. I think it only enhances it and shows that we play in middle America, and they know they didn't."
On lower turnout: "It tells us more about how hot it was in Ames, Iowa. It was about 150 degrees, and I think that had a lot to do with it. The state fair was going on."
On Romney: "Mitt is a good guy. ... But if we think that the Democrats won't come and use [his abortion stance] against him should he be the nominee, we're kidding ourselves. And so it was reported that I took a shot at him and actually I thought I was being rather generously charitable to him."
On his credentials: "Republicans look for a conservative who has had consistency in his principles. And there is not going to be any YouTube moments of me saying something substantially different on the sanctity of life or on the Second Amendment or on the role of traditional marriage" (CBS, 8/12).
SAM'S STILL HERE
Sam Brownback was on "This Week":
On his third place position in the straw poll: "Well, I wanted to win it. But we are still in it. And I think third is a ticket on forward to the caucuses."
More: "I guess I will do my Christmas shopping in Iowa."
Asked since he hit Romney hard on abortion and Romney still won if Romney has put the abortion issue behind him: "I don't think he's put it away. I think he's really maxing his vote. And I want to say at the outset, though, too, ... congratulations to him. They've put together a great team, a great organization. They did very well yesterday. And I congratulate him for that. But it's not over. We still go forward on the caucuses. And as you've seen this process, Iowa, there is 10 candidates on our side that enter this field. We are down some now. There will be a couple more that will come in possibly. But there are probably three or four tickets out of Iowa. I think I can be one of those. I think Mitt Romney has probably hit up on top of his ceiling, and I think I have got a lot of room to grow and be able to introduce myself to a lot more people."
Asked why voters should pick him over Huckabee: "Foreign policy experience, I think is a key one that doesn't get played a whole lot in primary elections" (ABC, 8/12).
NOT HIS FAULT
Duncan Hunter was on "Late Edition" and asked about his showing in the IA straw poll:
Hunter: "I have been working on issues like the Iraq issue, I have been camped in Washington, D.C. until Saturday night. In fact, I barely got out in time for the debate on Sunday. This is the first full week that I've spent in Iowa in this campaign. And after the speeches at the convention yesterday, I got lots of people that came up and signed up for my campaign. I've been out at the state fair this morning getting great responses from folks. So this is the first full week I've undertaken to campaign in Iowa. This is a start of my campaign. And the other guys have been camped here for a number of months. And we're going to get out, work hard. The election is five months away. But I think it's a bright morning in Iowa, as it is across America. There's lots of opportunity. I think I'll do very well in Iowa" (CNN, 8/12).
THE KUCINICH DOCTRINE (YES, HE HAS ONE)
Dennis Kucinich was on "This Week":
Kucinich: "You have to keep in mind that the center has shifted in our politics. I'm really at the center. And all the other candidates are to the right of me. And they're to the right of the American people."
More: "I'm the candidate of the people, and as the American people understand that, not only will my numbers go up, but you watch what happens in those early caucuses and primaries."
On his foreign relations plan: "The Kucinich national security doctrine is strength through peace. Through diplomacy, through building confidence, by adhering to international treaties and international law, by pursuing what Franklin Roosevelt called the science of human relations. As president of the United States, I'm going to follow the spirit of John Kennedy, when he said in his inaugural, you know, let's not negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate. America is ready for a president who can go and meet the world with confidence and with strength. And I say we do it strength through peace, instead of this doctrine, which has taken us into Iraq, based on lies, which would put us on the threshold of war against Iraq. The American people don't want to go there anymore. And they are ready for a president who understands that. And frankly ... that's one of the things that distinguishes me from the rest of the field" (ABC, 8/12).
ALL ABOUT ANN
Ann Romney was the "Fox News Sunday Power Player of the Week":
On the attention political spouses are getting: "You know, I can't try to even guess what's expected of anybody. All you know is you play the cards you're dealt, and you are who you are, and you just go forward."
On the donation she made to MA Citizens for Life: "I don't even remember writing the check. I know today I wouldn't write the check. I mean, how do you remember all the checks you've written, you know -- how many years ago was that? So I've had to make a decision, a personal decision, on this, and it came pretty much at the same time with Mitt, with feeling about M.S. and research dollars and everything else, as to the value of life and experimentation on life. And it gave me pause at that time to say whose life is more important, and I had to come out on the side of life when it came for me making a real personal decision about research dollars going to creating new human life for experimentation" (8/13).
ROUNDTABLE ROUNDUP
The "Fox News Sunday" roundtable discussed the IA straw poll and the WH '08 calendar:
FNC's Cameron: "Romney has a tremendous challenge. Should he do well in Iowa and New Hampshire and then get ready for South Carolina and Florida, the deck is stacked by the candidates who have the national organization. There is something akin to what George W. Bush did in 2000 happening with Rudy Giuliani. He's waiting for the big crush of big states. Giuliani has a very, very large advantage in places like California and Florida and New York."
The "Face the Nation" roundtable discussed the IA straw poll:
Des Moines Register's Yepsen: "Governor Huckabee was arguably the biggest winner yesterday, because he did beat Sam Brownback, and the two of them were in a real contest for the hearts and minds of the social conservatives. ... Governor Romney's victory is a little bit hollow, just because some of the big players in this race -- Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Fred Thompson -- weren't in the ring. I mean, what kind of victory is it, what kind of champ are you when the other big contenders aren't in the ring with you?"
Yepsen, on the lack of turnout: "This year the country is suffering from Bush fatigue. And that discouraged a lot of Republicans who are unhappy. I was really struck during the speeches about how almost nothing was said about President Bush in the speeches. The candidates, they weren't trashing him, but they were clearly trying to distance themselves and moving on."
Yepsen, on when the IA caucuses will be: "I would kind of block out the first two weeks in January maybe to be out here."
The "Meet the Press" roundtable discussed the IA straw poll:
NBC's Todd: "The Huckabee story is amazing for a couple of reasons. He didn't buy a single bus. ... The other thing is Huckabee actually had a negative ad run against him for this last week. The Club for Growth went after him. So here's somebody who didn't have any paid media up himself, had a negative ad criticizing him, and he finished second. It's a big deal. ... Huckabee may start inching up and saying, 'Hey, I belong in this first tier.'"
Time's Duffy, on Romney: "He won, and he was supposed to win and that's good. He's now ahead in Iowa and New Hampshire. This straw poll, what it probably means, he'll be ahead in Iowa by a little bit more over the next couple of days. But the others will eventually come after him, or continue to, on these issues, and I think the Republicans are going to go at each other like a free-for-all on all their flip-flops. There are no real perfect Republican candidates."
Bloomberg's Carlson, on Huckabee: "He got more votes than he bought tickets, which is a rare thing in Iowa. You usually get what you pay for. Huckabee got more than that."
The "This Week" roundtable discussed the IA straw poll:
George Will: "The Republicans realize that their brand is badly damaged and that there's no heartthrob out there. I happen to think that this weird waiting for Fred Thompson is a sign of the decadence of the conservative movement. The fact that a man who's known best known for theatrical roles and for a southern drawl to be anointed the next Reagan."
Donna Brazile, on the primary calendar: "There will be no caucuses or primaries held on Christmas Day." More: "I'm worried because I'm trying to fit in Nevada. The Iowa caucuses -- Governor Culver reassured everyone that the Iowa caucuses will be in 2008. So, we're looking at January 4th or the 5th. State law said it mast be eight days before New Hampshire. If New Hampshire is the 12th, then we have a problem there because the South Carolina Republicans move up to the 19th. The Nevada Democrats want to have a caucus before New Hampshire. So, this is Florida's fault."
The "Late Edition" roundtable discussed the IA straw poll and and the AFL-CIO forum.
* What she wore: red jacket, black shirt and pants.
* Number of applause lines: 12
* How she handled the marriage question: On her "opposition to same-sex marriage," she said, "I prefer to think of it as being very positive about civil unions."
* Don't Ask, Don't Tell: On why she hasn't tried to repeal it in the Senate, "We didn't have a chance with the Republican Congress and George Bush as president. And I want to get it done when I'm president. I want to do it and have it be successful. I don't want to try, in a Republican Congress, with a very negative president, and have it defeated." Clinton said the repeal is "one of my highest priorities."
* On her slow response to Peter Pace calling homosexuality "immoral:" Well, it was a mistake, ... You know, somebody sticks a microphone in front of you. And I thought, well, that's -- you know, that was pretty good. And my friends started calling me and saying, well, you know, that wasn't very good. ... I should have put it in a broader context."
* References to gay friends/staff/associates: Marine Staff Sergeant Eric Alva, "who I was so glad to see him when I walked in."
* Etheridgisms: "Senator, I have a personal issue here. ..."
* Carlsonisms: "I don't know if Senator Edwards is still here, but from the last debate, let me go on the record. I like the coral jacket."
Also: "Senator, you told the AFL-CIO on Tuesday night, 'I'm your girl.' Do you want to express those same sentiments here?"
* Best received line: "As president, I think I have an opportunity both to reverse the concerted assault on people. It wasn't just on people's rights; it was on people. It was pointing fingers; it was demeaning; it was degrading; it was mean-spirited. And that will end. That is going to be -- that is over."
Worst received line: "There has not been a long-term struggle yet" toward same-sex equality.
* How he handled the marriage question: "The nation, I believe, is on a path to full inclusion. A president must lead that effort. In my judgement, which is achievable is civil unions with full marriage rights, with domestic partnership. I believe that's achievable. ... I am in this business to get things done, to lead, to pass legislation. ... In my heart, I'm doing what is achievable. And I'm not there yet. And the country isn't there yet, New Mexico isn't there yet. That doesn't mean I'm closed on this issue ... You do what is achievable."
* On Don't Ask, Don't Tell: "When you have an America that is asking men and women to fight and die, the last thing you need to do is give them a lecture on sexual orientation."
* References to gay friends/staff/associates: "I've appointed cabinet members who are gay. ... all through my administration."
* How he handles the 'Maricon' question from his '06 Imus interview: "I meant no harm in saying that. I apologize. It was, you know, one of those exchanges that I was caught off guard. ... But I think you should look at my actions and not words."
* Carlsonism: "Governor, I think everyone gets one mistake on Imus. Since I myself made one."
* Etheridgisms: "I've lived in your state. In Santa Fe, such a beautiful, beautiful place. Tell me, how's the bark-beatle infestation?"
* How he connected the civil rights struggles of Hispanics and gays. "As a Hispanic I grew up thinking that because of my darker skin, I thought I wasn't equal. i understand that issue of inequality. i've always thoght that every human being desires equal rights."
* Best received line: "When you have an America that is asking men and women to fight and die, the last thing you need to do is give them a lecture on sexual orientation."
* Worst received line: Responding to a question about whether homosexuality is a choice or genetic, "It's a choice." [[Richardson later clarified this comment, saying in a statement released after the forum: "Let me be clear -- I do not believe that sexual orientation or gender identity happen by choice. But I'm not a scientist, and the point I was trying to make is that no matter how it happens, we are all equal and should be treated that way under the law."]]
* What he wore: charcoal gray suit, blue shirt and red tie
* Number of applause lines: 8
* References to Barney Frank: One. Gravel called Frank "the brightest person in Congress, period, bar none."
* How he handled the marriage question: "When people are telling you you can't be married, they're telling you you're second class citizens. ... I'll tell you -- I'll make you a promise. Five years from now the marriage issue will be a non-issue in the next presidential campaign. Just that simple. "
* References to gay friends/staff/associates: "My friends with the Harvey Milk Club in San Francisco, the gays in New York, the gays in San Francisco." Also, some woman named Maxine and some guy named John. "And, of course, Patrick, who's not from Alaska. But boy, he sure acts like an Alaskan with his enthusiasm."
* Etheridgisms: "You are unusual. You are unusual for someone of your generation of straight, white men."
Also: "You are from Alaska, are ther many gay people in Alaska?
* Best received line: On why he's not doing as well as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, "I don't care. I don't want those votes."
Also: "There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to go to a liquor store and buy marijuana."
* What he wore: Dark suit, white shirt and golden brown tie.
* Number of applause lines: 16 (inc two standing ovations).
* How he handled the marriage question: "This is really a question of whether you really believe in equality. Because what we're really talking about here is human love, and there's no power greater on earth than human love. ... And when you understand what real equality is, you understand that people who love each other must have the opportunity to express that in a way that is meaningful, and that the state should not be intervening against. ... To me, this isn't even a close question. I stand for real equality."
* Number of times he mentioned the word "love" or "heart": 25
* Shout-outs to Barney Frank: One. Kucinich called Frank "very powerful."
* References to gay friends/staff/associates: "I had members of my cabinet as mayor of Cleveland who were gay. And it's like, who cares?"
* Etheridgisms: "They told me not to fawn over you, so I'm trying not to. But It's kind of hard not to. ... I hope you always run for president until you are elected. I do. I'm fawning. I wasn't supposed to do that. ... But I think this country really really needs a leader. That's so refreshing, so amazingly refreshing to me."
* Carlsonisms: "You're so evolved for a congressman." Also, "I feel the love."
Best received line: Tie: "I love all of you" and "All I can say is keep those contributions coming, and you'll have the president that you want."
* What he wore: Dark suit, white shirt and blue tie.
* Number of applause lines: 10
* Gay "story": His recent visit to the LA Gay and Lesbian Center, "which is an extraordinary place which I'm sure some people here are familiar with here in the Los Angeles community, where they're doing amazing, amazing work."
* Starstruck: "We've been listening to your music," he gushed to Melissa Etheridge. "I want you to know that."
* How he handled the marriage question: On his past explanation that faith guides his opposition to same-sex marriage, "I have to tell you, I shouldn't have said that. I believe to my core in equality. My campaign is about equality, across the board. ... But I do not support same-sex marriage."
* On Don't Ask, Don't Tell: "Don't ask don't tell isn't just wrong now. It was wrong when it began. ... I am firmly committed to eliminating Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
* Etheridgism: "I have heard that you have said in the past that you feel uncomfortable around gay people. Are you okay right now?"
* On whether he's uncomfortable around gay people: "It's not true. It came from a political consultant, and it's just wrong. Elizabeth and I were both there, and it's just wrong."
* Best received line: "I was very proud of Elizabeth taking on Ann Coulter, and taking her own, head-on. ... What Ann Coulter does is the worst kind of public discourse. She demeans everything the rest of us do. It's intended to go to the lowest common denominator of the American people. And it divides us. ... You cannot let these people go by quietly."
Worst received line: "I do not support same-sex marriage."
* What he wore: Dark suit, white shirt, pale blue tie.
* Number of applause lines: Seven
* How he handled the marriage question: "It's my strong belief that the govt has to treat all citizens equally. I come to that in part out of personal experience. When you're a black guy named Barack Obama, you know what it's like to be on the outside. ... [But] I do think individual denominations have a right to make their own decisions as to whether they recognize same-sex couples. My denomination, United Church of Christ, does. Other denominations may make a decision."
Also: "We should try to disentangle what has historically been the issue of the word "marriage," which has religious connotations to some people, from the civil rights that are given to couples. ...
On whether "civil unions" constitutes "separate but equal" conditions, "When my parents got married in 1961, it would have been illegal for them to be married in a number of staes in the south. So obviously this is something I understand intimately. It's something I care about. But I would also say thing, if i were advising the civil rights movemet in 1961 about its approach to civil rights, I would say it's less important that we are focusing on an anti-miscegenation law than we focus on a voting rights law and a non-discrimination and employment law and all the legal rights that are conferred by the state."
* Attempts to connect the civil rights struggles of gays and African-Americans: 4.
* Best quotes related to that effort: "When you're a black guy named Barack Obama, you know what it's like to be on the outside"
"I got into politics because I don't like people looking down on other people. It bothers me."
"My attitude is that if people are being treated unfairly and unequally, then it needs to be fixed. I'm always cautious of getting into comparisons of victimology. It's important not to look at the black candidate and wonder whether or not he's going to be more sympathetic. I'm going to be more sympaethic not because I'm black, but because this has been the cause of my life and will continue to be the cause of my life."
* Best received line overall: "I'm a hope-monger."
* Worst received line: "Now, it's not for me to suggest that you shouldn't be troubled by these issues. ... As I've proposed it, [civil unions] wouldn't be a lesser thing [than traditional marriage], from my perspective. That's enormous progress."
* Etheridgism: "I am not a professional politician. I'm not even a journalist. I'm an incredibly privileged rock star."
Due to production problems, we were unable to live-blog or post during the HRC/LOGO Dem debate on 8/9. We're doing so today. Our apologies for the delay.
There's a rumor circulating in the press room that Warren Beatty is one of the select few invited guests attending tonight's forum. We'll try to confirm or knock down ASAP.
You can't say they don't know their audience. Prepping the crowd of tonight's HRC/LOGO debate, an organizer told attendees to feel free to applause/boo the WH Dems. "This is a little like being at a Broadway show," he explained.
Chris Dodd was in the "Situation Room" to discuss the Spanish language debate:
On his Spanish language skills: "I was in the Peace Corps in Latin America, in the Dominican Republic. And I speak it fairly well. I'd be careful about saying total fluency, but I'm grateful to the people in Puerto Rico and in the Dominican Republic that helped me learn that language. In fact, I wish we had more people in the country that spoke second languages. We talk about English being the national language, I agree with that certainly, but I think we ought to be expressing more interest in people becoming conversant in other languages as well, in the kind of world we're living in."
Asked if that's why others are not participating: "No, I don't know if that's the reason or not, but I would hope. And again, it's going to be simultaneous translation. And the community respects the fact that not everybody is going to speak their language, or speak it as fluently as they do. So I think it's more a question of being there to talk about the issues that are on their minds, and I think that we ought to welcome that and not shy away from it. I think it's a wonderful idea and I plan on being there."
On his criticism of Obama's Pakistan speech: "The point is, that words matter in presidential elections and from presidents. And when you announce unilaterally on your own that what you're going to do in a hypothetical situation here, you get the kind of reaction. There were demonstrations in Pakistan over a hypothetical question here with a presidential candidate making statements about it. That's dangerous. That shows a lack of nuance and understanding of the subtleties in conducting foreign policy" (CNN, 8/8).
AMESING HIGH
Mike Huckabee played "Hardball" last night:
Asked about healthcare: "One thing we have got to do is to change this post-World War II health care system which is based on tying your health care to your employer. That may have been fine when my dad and people of his generation worked for the same people for 30 years. People do not do that. We need plans that are tied to the individual, not to their workplace. I need to own my own health care. I need to be able to get the best doctors that I can. And that is not going to happen if I have got somebody up the company corporate ladder who is looking after the company's interests, not mine."
On the Ames straw poll: "It is fair. It shows organizational strength and the capacity to motivate your voters to get them to Ames. You know, this isn't an election where they are already going to go to the polls and you are just trying to get them to vote for you while they are there, you really have to get people motivated to drive three-and-half or four hours from distant corner of Iowa" (MSNBC, 8/8).
NO DEBATE ABOUT IT
Joe Biden was on "Countdown" last night:
On the campaign: "Not many people watch the debates. That's not a reflection on you or MSNBC or even on us. Most people are trying to figure out how to pay the college tuition for their kid going back it school in September. They're not going to focus. These polls don't mean anything now. But I think they begin to paint a picture of the nature of who each of us are" (MSNBC, 8/8).
CALENDAR CONFUSION
FNC's Carl Cameron gives a nice summary of the current state of the WH primary calendar situation: "Florida will hold its first primary on January 29th. Tomorrow, South Carolina, in order, by its own state law, to protect its first in the south primary, will announce that they will hold there primary January 19th. By New Hampshire law, it has to go a week before that or more. They are not going to have their primary on January 12th. It is almost certainly going to be on a Tuesday, which would be January 8th. Well, Iowa has a law that says it has to go eight days before New Hampshire. The problem is that that is New Year's Eve. It is unlikely Iowans will want to caucus on New Year's Eve. So they're faced with a problem, either jump all the way ahead into December of this year, or potentially go on January 7th, the day before New Hampshire. That would be an extraordinary and unprecedented event, back to back first in the nation contests, Iowa Monday, New Hampshire Tuesday. Both of these states have laws that require them to go first. In order for Iowa to stay in this calendar year it would have to violate its own laws because it has to go eight days ahead of New Hampshire. It is creating tremendous chaos for the candidates and the campaigns and Iowa caucus organizers. No one knows exactly what is likely to happen" ("Special Report," 8/8). [EMILY GOODIN]
Lots of post-debate analysis to start off your morning:
MSNBC's Matthews: "It was not an NFL football game, but it was pretty close" (8/7).
NBC's Todd: "Clinton found out she had allies tonight in Dodd and Biden, and I think the fact we're seeing these candidates pair up and you almost wonder, is this a transitional moment where you are going to see folks starting side with Clinton because they think maybe they smell a winner" (MSNBC, 8/7).
Ex-WH adviser David Gergen: "The big question tonight is did John Edwards make a lot of headway with the labor unions? He was there tonight to try to get labor union endorsements in the next few weeks. That's one of the great hopes of his campaign. If can he pull that off, he's still got some real life in a couple of these early states. And it's not clear to me tonight he pulled that off" ("AC 360," CNN, 8/7).
Pat Buchanan: "There's a little man there, Kucinich, who did extraordinarily well. He was clear, tough on NAFTA. He had the audience cheering. He was humorous. He was upbeat" (MSNBC, 8/7).
MSNBC's Matthews, on Obama: "He definitely had home field advantage. ... He was like a Judo master, kind of. The harder they came at him, he seemed to twist it and turn it. He would have made a million dollars" (8/7).
CLASH OF THE ADVISERS
Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson: "What we are seeing in this race is something very interesting. Senator Obama entered the race, promised to be a tribune of change, talked about running a different kind of race, elevating our politics, being a positive force. Just a week ago, Senator Edwards criticized the other Democrats for criticizing Democrats. Now they are both criticizing Senator Clinton. What has changed? Maybe it is because in the last week we have seen Senator Clinton jump to huge leads in every national poll. As a result, her competitors are resorting to negative attacks."
More Wolfson: "You know, a lot of people took Senator Obama at his word that he was going to elevate politics."
Obama adviser David Axelrod, in response: "Your crocodile tears are not real persuasive, Howard" (MSNBC, 8/7).
TONY THE TIGER
NBC's Gregory talked with WH spokesperson Tony Snow about his struggle with colon cancer, including following Snow to the hospital for chemotherapy treatments, for the "Nightly News."
Gregory: "Tony Snow decided early on living with cancer meant working with it. And working at the White House, that meant no let up."
Snow: "Although this is seen as a high-stress job, I love it. The other thing is, I actually think it's a good therapy to get out and work. It's the idea of you sit around and think 'Oh, I'm sick' and concentrate on the disease. Or do you sit around and think 'okay, how do I fight this?'"
Asked what Pres. Bush says to him about his cancer, Snow: "He'll just bring it up. He'll want to know how ya doing. How far along are you, you know, what are they telling you, you know, the same sort of questions you're asking me."
Gregory: "Still it all takes a toll. He's lost weight; his voice has weakened; he's tired."
Snow, on how much hair he's lost: "Oh gosh, I've lost a ton of it."
Gregory: "Your son actually wrote an essay about hearing that you got cancer. And he wrote 'I was devastated. But he said, speaking of you, that he said he would be fine and he is. ... You got a lot to live for."
Snow: "Yeah, I sure do. I said 'Look, I'm going to bounce your kids on my knee. That's what I'm going to do.' And that's what I want to do. I mean, it's great to love people this much."
Gregory: "Snow admits even if he beats back the tumors, it's likely he'll live with cancer for the rest of of his life."
Snow: "Medical technology is moving so quickly that, you know, if you buy yourself two or three years, you buy yourself ten years. What you really try to do is just keep yourself in a position to keep fighting" (NBC, 8/7). [EMILY GOODIN]
Most of cable TV last night focused on the trapped UT miners.
In political news, Mitt Romney's abortion stance will still the topic of much debate.
MSNBC's Matthews opened his show with: "Sometimes you wonder what these people really expect us to believe. Mitt Romney ran for office twice in a pro-choice state, Massachusetts, and told the voters he was pro-choice. That's why he has the credential, that title of governor, to run now for president. Now he says it was all a mistake, he should never have gotten himself elected in Massachusetts by buying into the majority politics of that state on abortion rights. But again, if he hadn't gotten himself elected by bowing to the pro-choice politics of that state, he wouldn't have the standing now to run for president. So I'm not sure mistake is the right word we're looking for here. Could it be that the other 'M' word is more in order, something like 'masquerade'? Or could it be that his current portrait of himself, the one he began in his run-up to this campaign, as a politician who wants to outlaw abortion, is the true masquerade? It's hard to tell since both self-portraits, one devoutly pro-choice, the other devoutly pro-life, have seemed just right for each occasion, one to sell the liberals in Massachusetts, the other to sell the conservatives in Iowa. Got to keep an eye on this guy. He just tagged Obama for switching from being a Jane Fonda to a Dr. Strangelove. But if I were Mitt, I might be a tad bit careful about calling out another fellow for changing his mind" ("Hardball," 8/6).
MSNBC's Shuster: "Getting elected, though, is clearly a priority for most politicians, and Mitt Romney is no exception. His pro-choice position a few years ago made it possible for him to be elected governor of Massachusetts, just as his pro-life pronouncements now are crucial to Republican primary voters. The issue is whether Romney is really a man of core beliefs or a candidate who will say anything to win" ("Hardball," 8/6).
NBC's Gregory: "Romney is looking for a knock out blow in Iowa and a chance to put those abortion questions behind him" ("Nightly News," 8/6).
BIDEN NOT AGAINST CENSURE
Joe Biden was on "On the Record" as part of his book tour:
Asked about Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-WI) proposal to censure Pres. Bush, VP Cheney and AG Alberto Gonzales: "I think that is much more appropriate than impeaching. At least the censure-ship could demonstrate our dissatisfaction and our view that the president has stepped across the line, and the vice president has, as well. And clearly, the Attorney General has. And so, although I have not considered it very much, it is relatively new, I have not seen the language he is proposing. But the idea of censuring the president, censuring the attorney general, censuring the vice president is not inappropriate. But what I don't want to see happen, is I don't want to see us take our eye off the ball of how we're going to end this war now, how we are going to be able to begin to get the kind of response that people are looking for in matters relating to everything from their health care to our energy policies. So to the extant that it wouldn't detract from us being able to build a coalition to get 17 Republican Senators to join us in overriding the Presidential veto to end this war, I think it is not inappropriate. The question is, will it be viewed as divisive and make it harder for us to get Republicans to join us in something I believe they know is now working, and the president's policy on the war."
On meeting wife Jill: "One day I got off the plane, a little local flight into Wilmington, Delaware. I had not been dating anyone. I had sworn off dating. I had been put on that 10 most eligible bachelor list, which I did not like. And I saw a beautiful woman on a billboard that was in the local airport, advertising the county park system. And I got home that night, and my youngest brother said, 'We are all going to dinner, I have a blind date for you.' I said, 'No, I'm not going to do it.' I eventually did do it. It turned out the woman I went out with was that beautiful woman on the billboard who I have been married to for 30 years" (FNC, 8/6).
TIME FOR TRADE
And John Edwards was on "Lou Dobbs Tonight" as part of his series "time for answers" to talk about trade issues:
Ask how the middle class will be protected: "One of the things that I've proposed is that all presidential candidates -- in fact, all candidates, Democratic or Republican, agree starting today that we're not taking any money from these people. Now, I haven't done it in the past, but I'd like to see all of us do it and make a statement that we're going to give the government back to the country."
Asked about ending outsourcing of jobs: "We should get rid of all provisions in our tax code that actually provide incentives for American companies to take jobs off seas. That is an accelerant to the already bad trade policy. So I think you want to do both those things in combination" (CNN, 8/6). [EMILY GOODIN]
Sec/State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Sec. Robert Gates made the Sunday show rounds to talk foreign affairs but found in an almost election year, it's WH politics that take center stage as both got asked about Barack Obama's comments on Pakistan:
Rice: "Of course, we are going to go after targets and after extremists, but so are the Pakistanis, because they have a lot at risk, too."
CBS' Schieffer: "But let me just go back here. You would not leave it to Pakistan to take care of this?"
Rice: "I think that we and Pakistan have a very strong interest together in capturing or killing high-value targets. Let me remind again. Pakistan itself is at risk from extremists. Musharraf himself is at risk from extremists. That gives us a joint interest in making sure that high-value targets are captured or killed" ("Face the Nation," CBS, 8/5).
Asked why Pres. Bush called Musharraf after Obama's comments, Rice: "What Senator Obama said, Senator Obama said. What the president said to President Musharraf is that we have to work harder, obviously, to deal with these al Qaeda terrorists, some of whom, yes, are active in the northwest frontier areas of Pakistan. But let's be very clear. If anyone thinks that the Pakistani government, which is under constant threat from al Qaeda -- Musharraf himself, who has been targeted for assassination by al Qaeda -- would not want to do everything possible to get high-value targets, I think you have to think again."
Asked again: "The president talks with President Musharraf fairly frequently. And I can tell you that the president isn't going to go around disavowing comments that are made during an election campaign. It's not the president's responsibility to do that. What the president is going to do with President Musharraf is to continue to affirm our partnership. He's going to continue to affirm our support for active Pakistani activities in this region" ("Fox News Sunday," 8/5).
Gates was on "Late Edition" and was asked indirectly about Obama's comments.
CNN's Blitzer: "What about Pakistan and this notion that if you, the Bush administration, the U.S. government, had actionable intelligence to go in to Pakistan and capture or kill Osama bin Laden or his No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, you would do that?"
Gates: "I think that our relationship with the Pakistanis is such that we would share that information with Musharraf, and he would be delighted to work with us in making that kind of an operation work" (CNN, 8/5).
And on "Meet the Press," Gates was asked about the letter Eric Edelman sent to Hillary Clinton:
Gates: "I've been at this business a little over 40 years, and I think Eric Edelman is one of the most professional people I've ever worked with and one of the most talented. I've come to rely on him heavily. Senator Clinton reacted to his letter. I looked at it carefully and believed in some ways it could have been a little clearer. ... I certainly agree with the vice president that we are not going to share contingency planning with the Congress. We never have. Truth of the matter is we don't share contingency planning even in the executive branch, because the plans change all the time and not to mention leak if they were to be shared widely. And also I believe the, the vice president and I are on exactly the same page in terms of the appropriateness of the role of, of the Congress in terms of oversight of the defense department. So I think there's really no daylight there."
NBC's Russert: "Before you go, if we had actionable intelligence about Osama bin Laden or high level targets in Pakistan, and President Musharraf did not act, would we act unilaterally?"
Gates: "Musharraf has been a very strong ally. The fact of the matter is, if we had actionable intelligence that Osama was in Pakistan, my view is that President Musharraf would work with us to make sure that we could go after him."
Russert: "But if he didn't, would we act unilaterally?"
Gates: "I think we would not act without telling Musharraf what we were planning to do" (NBC, 8/5).
ROUNDTABLE ROUNDUP
The "Fox News Sunday" panel discussed the situation in Iraq and the collapsed bridge in MN.
The results of National Journal’s new "Congressional Insiders" poll, released 8/3, reveal overwhelmingly positive expectations by Dems that they'll retain control of the House and Senate in the 11/08 election, and notable confidence by GOPers that they'll take back their majorities. In addition, the results offer little encouragement to AG Alberto Gonzalez and the prospect that he'll keep his job.
Cable news went into breaking news mode after the bridge collapse in Minneapolis last night. But before that happened there was some political news.
Barack Obama did some interviews after his Pakistan speech:
Obama sat down with ABC's Tapper for an interview that aired on "Nightline":
On his WH campaign: "If you hadn't done it before it exercises muscles you never known you've had."
Asked if his speech wasn't insensitive to Musharraf's position: "I think that we should provide, and I state explicitly in the speech, all the support that we can to President Musharraf taking the right actions. But what we can't do is simply allow al Qaeda in Pakistan how it previously operated in Afghanistan."
More: "You've got people who are responsible for 3,000 American deaths in Pakistan and that continue to raid and attack our soldiers in Afghanistan and make it more difficult to stabilize that country. And that is an unacceptable situation."
Asked if the speech is a result of his spat with HRC: "First of all, I'm not so good I can whip up a speech like this in a week. We've had this on the calendar for a very long time."
More: "The story that comes out of this speech may unduly focus on that aspect on what you put 'looks muscular -- be willing to go after terrorists where they live' -- but keep in mind the other points of the speech where as important if not more important. If we don't win over the hearts and minds of 1.3 billion Muslims in this world it's going to be very difficult to win the long war against extremism" (ABC, 8/1).
He also sat down with CBS' Attkisson:
Asked what would trigger an invasion: "If there is actual intelligence that, for example, the way al Qaeda were gathering in 2005, than unlike the Bush administration I would act to try to take them out."
Asked how he fights the "naive" perception: "I'm less concerned with fighting images, I'm concerned with getting policy right" ("Evening News," 8/1).
RUDY'S SMELLING LIKE A ROSE
And Rudy Giuliani was on "Charlie Rose" last night:
On his campaign: "Our first emphasis is making sure we have the money. ... All these big states were thrown at us pretty quickly. ... We wanted to organize those. ... We got started a little later than John and Mitt."
More: "My major goal at this stage of the campaign is to be competitive in every state. ... And then our goal, which is I think is different then the people running against me on the Republican side, is to be competitive in every state as a general election candidate, which I think is something the Republican Party needs. We need a candidate that doesn't have to give away the Northeast, that doesn't have to give away the West, like we the last three, four elections."
On Fred Thompson: "Fred is a good man. Fred has a really good record. It's hard to comment on him right now because he's not really in the race -- he's sort of half in the race, half not in the race. Ultimately I think I have the things that will appeal to the Republican Party as the person they should nominate. I think I have the most executive experience of anybody running on either side" (PBS, 8/1).
OFF TO IRAQ
Joe Biden played "Hardball" last night as part of his continuing media tour for his book promotion where he announced he'll be making another trip to Iraq.
Biden: "I've been there seven times. I'm heading back in a couple weeks -- actually, a month. I'm heading back for my eighth trip."
On why he's behind in the polls: "What we find out in our polling, no one really knows me at all. They think, as my pollster said -- I think it was she that said that they think I'm this guy that's born behind a podium, went to Yale, is a wealthy guy, and knows a lot about foreign policy."
On the competition: "I really like Dodd a lot. There's people you know because you work wit and you are certain of who they are. I am certain of who Dodd is. He's a stand-up guy and he's knowledgeable. I'm certain of who, you know, the governor is, because I have been with him a long time. And I know Senator Clinton a long time. I don't know Barack as well. I have served with him. I respect him. And I don't John Edwards as well. I know him, and I respect him. But I'm really for a ticket of Kucinich and Gravel" (MSNBC, 8/1).
IF YOU LIKE MIKE
CBS' Greenfield profiled Mike Huckabee for the "Evening News":
Greenfield: "He's raised only $1.3 million so far this year -- a tiny fraction of what the front runners has raised. His headquarters is in a modest suite of offices in Little Rock."
Huckabee: "At this point I've been able to obtain as many votes as any other Republican candidate. There haven't been any. I can only lose if I walk off the track" (8/1).[EMILY GOODIN]
At today's National Press Club luncheon designed to promote his newly-published memoir, "Promises to Keep," Sen. Joe Biden characterized Sen. Barack Obama's pledge to hunt down terrorists in Pakistan as old news, noting that he had been proposing such action for "five years." Asked if Obama's speech this a.m. was a good idea or showed the junior senator's inexperience in foreign policy, Biden said: "Yes." Asked again, Biden elaborated, saying "I've been proposing we pursue al Qaeda in Pakistan for five years." Biden went on to say that the "last thing you want to do" is announce to the people of Pakistan that you're going to violate their sovereignty. He said such action would force Pakistani Pres. Pervez Musharraf to make deals with various factions. Biden noted as POTUS you simply take action.
After a 30 minute speech, he took questions from the audience, most of which focused on foreign policy and his WH campaign. He was also asked about the Obama-Sen. Hillary Clinton scuffle regarding the YouTube debate question on meeting with various foreign leaders. He said he would send his Secretray of State, NSA and Defense Seretary to meet on a minister level but he would not meet with such leaders during his first year as POTUS.
Asked how he would solve the situation in Iraq, he said he would use the country's constitution. Biden: "Sometimes I believe I'm the only one who has read their constitution." He was also asked about the Senate getting the 60 votes needed to pass an Iraq resolution of its own. Biden: "Even possibility." He said GOPers are coming to the realization that if something isn't done: "They will lose their seat in the United States Senate."
The final questions focused on WH '08. Asked why he wasn't attending YearlyKos, Biden said: "To tell you the truth I thought I was. I don't do my schedule. It's not my reluctance." He went on to say they are a "major part" of the Democratic Party. He then had a light-bulb moment and remembered Random House, the publisher of his memoir, had scheduled a book party in his home state of DE. Biden: "I love you Kos but you ain't Delaware." He was also asked which GOPer he would like to face in the general election. Biden: "Be careful what you wish for, you might get it." He went on to caution Dems that they need to brandish their nat'l security credentials in this election. And he added that whether the GOP nominee was his "good friend" John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, or "a one-term governor," he "could hardly wait to debate them." [EMILY GOODIN]
VP Cheney was on "LKL" last night, where he discussed Iraq, reiterated his support for AG Gonzales, didn't rule out another post in a GOP admin, and stayed out of WH '08 (except to take a swipe at HRC):
Asked if, in retrospect, he would still go to Iraq: "Yes, sir."
Asked if he belongs to the exec or leg. branch: "As vice president, obviously, I'm next in line to succeed the president if something happens to him. I have an office in the West Wing of the White House. I advise the president. I'm a member of the National Security Council. Those are all executive functions granted to me basically by the president. At the same time, I have responsibilities under the Constitution for certain things up on Capitol Hill in the Senate. I am the president of the Senate, the presiding officer of the Senate. I cast tie breaking votes there. My paycheck actually comes from the Senate. So the fact is the vice president is sort of a weird duck in the sense that you do have some duties that are executive and some that are legislative."
On the current Hill investigations: "With respect to the U.S. attorneys, there has been, I think, a bit of witch-hunt on Capitol Hill, as they keep rolling over rocks, hoping they can find something. But there really hasn't been anything come up that would suggest there was any wrongdoing of any kind."
Asked about the Defense Dept. letter to HRC: "I agreed with the letter Eric Edelman wrote. I thought it was good letter."
More: "To get into the business now where we have got all of these contingencies, we always have got a lot of contingencies, where we are going to start shedding those to respond to political charges, such as those that Senator Clinton made, I think would be unwise."
On WH '08: "I'm totally neutral in the upcoming presidential contest. I will support the Republican nominee. And the fact that others have signed on with Fred or John McCain or Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, they're all good men. I hope one of them is the next president of the United States. But I haven't gotten involved in any of those efforts."
Asked if he would take a post in another GOP admin: "Probably not. I can't think of one."
On where he'll be in Feb. '09: "I have no idea. I haven't given it any thought" (CNN, 7/31).
ENOUGH SAID
There was also a lot of talk on the investigation of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK):
CNN's Bash caught up with Stevens in the Capital. She explains on the "Situation Room":
Bash: "He did attend the Republicans' weekly lunch in the Capitol, but he slipped in and out a back door, down a back stairway in the Capitol. I found him at the bottom of those stairs and really had to kind of run after him to get some questions to him. He was pretty angry. Take a listen."
Stevens: "I put out a statement and I'm not saying anything to anybody beyond that statement."
Bash: "Can you say, sir, why the federal agents went to your House or what they took?"
Stevens: "Can you understand English? That's the only statement I'm going to make" (7/31).
Anchorage Daily News' Mauer: "I think Senator Stevens' well-crafted comment that he paid for all the renovations that he was billed for suggests that maybe there were renovations that he wasn't" ("NewsHour," PBS, 7/31).
MSNBC's Shuster: "When prosecutors subpoena somebody's financial records, and are not satisfied by what is in those records and demand testimony from a person who pays the bills, that is often the sign of a grand jury investigation that is headed in a very serious direction" ("Countdown," 7/31).
FNC's Garrett: "Senate Republicans, it turns out, have rules governing this kind of thing. If you are indicted, you must step down from a powerful committee post. Short of that, nothing happens" ("Special Report," 7/31).
NOT THAT HE'S PLANNING OR ANYTHING
And ABC's Snow travelled with ex-Pres. Clinton during his visit with Africa and filed a report about it for "Nightline":
Clinton, on what happens if HRC becomes POTUS: "In general I'll do whatever she asks but I am strongly committed to continuing my foundation work."
Snow: "Can you have an office in the East Wing and do the foundation?"
Clinton: "And in Harlem and keep my work up? Sure. ... I could do a lot of double time. Like if she wanted me to go some place to work on some problem I could also do my foundation work. ... I also think she wants me to help her but not also not get under her foot to much. I don't want to get in her way" (7/31). [EMILY GOODIN]
Amy Walter, Editor-in-Chief Contributing Writers: John Mercurio, Quinn McCord, Tim Sahd, Katherine Lehr, Nora McAlvanah, Maura O'Brien, Holly Noe, Ian Faerstein, Rachelle Douillard-Proulx, Matthew Gottlieb, Sean J. Miller, Evan McMorris-Santoro, Steve Shepard, Meredith Nettles and Carrie Dindino Associate Writers: Travis Waldron, Felicia Sonmez, and Alex Seitz-Wald
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