Entries for November 19, 2006

One was a snazzy dresser, a major African-American force who thrived on the Washingtonsocial circuit. The other is a buttoneddownwhite Vermonter, an excitable but nerdymed school kind of guy. But there's somethingabout the similarities between the late Democratic NationalCommittee Chairman Ron Brown and current DNCboss, Howard Dean, that has folks talking--even Dean. "Mymodel is Ron Brown," he says flatly. Don't laugh. Sure,their personalities and styles are radically different, butparty insiders and friends of both say Dean has attackedhis job of reforming the party just as Brown did--withsimilarly winning results.

The degree to which the newDemocratic leadership onCapitol Hill despises VicePresident Dick Cheney is abig plus for President Bush.Consider why incomingSenate Majority LeaderHarry Reid scrapped an ideato impeach Bush: "Twowords: Dick Cheney," hesays, joking that it wouldvault the veep into the OvalOffice.

The troops in Iraq are aboutto get their hoops fix, thanks to the storied Harlem Globetrotters.The team of roundballmagicians departs November25, visiting Iraq aspart of a 21-day trip to 12bases in the Middle East. And,yes, owner Mannie Jackson andhis 10 stars will return in timefor the 193-city U.S.-Canada"Nothing Like It" tour openingDecember 26.

It was party time for Sen.John Kerry's staff and alumnifrom his 2004 presidentialcampaign last week at the Democrat's favorite CapitolHill hangout across fromthe U.S. Marine Corps Barracksand HQ when a groupof marines approached him.But they didn't scold him forrecently suggesting that themilitary attracts mediocrestudents. Instead, theyyukked it up and evenbought the vet a shot oftequila--which he downed.

Kip Hawley is a rarity amongfederal execs: He relishesthe chance to experience their own onerous securityrules. While traveling, thehead of the TransportationSecurity Administration hasbeen looking to see if the newrule requiring that smallamounts of liquids be put inzip-top bags is a good one.With stops in St. Louis, Orlando,and even Brussels, hefinds it A-OK. "It's great to see[our screeners] doing such atop-notch job," says Hawley.

There's lots of buzz in thecable TV world that havingDemocrats running Congresswill hurt Fox and helpMSNBC and CNN. It certainly looked like that electionnight when CNN won thekey viewership demographicof 25-to-54-year-olds."We're clearly the place togo for information," CNNboss Jon Klein tells us."Maybe the trick is that youhave to actually cover politics.The public seems to bein the mood for facts and information--not cheerleading."MSNBC, No. 3 butsurging, also crowed:"MSNBC is the place for politics."So what about Fox? Itsimply turned to the numbers.And they show thatFox is still No. 1, with its audiencegrowing. "We'll letthe two cable news alsoransbattle for second place,and we wish Jon and[MSNBC] well on theirquest for relevancy," says anamused Foxie.

The conservative AmericanEnterprise Institute hasscrapped its magazine andreplaced it with a newglossy, The American. Unlikethe think tank's old politicalrag, the jazzy new oneis all business and economics,six times per year. "Ourperspective," says editorJames Glassman, "is not partisan,but it is rooted in liberal,free-market economics."There are no editorials andforeign-policy manifestos.Instead, Reaganite MichaelLedeen writes about whyNaples became the center ofmen's high fashion. It's anold model: The lively conservativeAmerican Spectatortried the same thing beforefinally switching backto politics.

While he doesn't plan to joinup with any of the 2008presidential candidates,Clinton political adviserJames Carville is giddy withanticipation. "We'll havemore run in 2008 than we've ever had," he says. Carvillehas the primaries mappedout and predicts "larger thanlife" candidates will emerge.His Democrats: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama, and former VicePresident Al Gore. On the Republicanside he sees Sen.John McCain, former NewYork City Mayor Rudy Giuliani,and former SpeakerNewt Gingrich fighting for thenomination. And there's a"real, real, real" chance of athird-party move.

Former President Clinton isprobably rethinking justhow tough his White Housepress corps actually was.His office tells us that afterhe spoke in Mexico lastweek, reporters blocked hismotorcade, then kicked andpunched his security agents,prompting one to draw hisweapon and order them outof the way. Clinton was fine.So what was the problema?Clinton's Jay Carson says,"Who knows?"

"It's not a Brokeback Mountain situation."

"Each one contained enough poison to kill the entire membership of the court."

"I don't see you sweat."

"We ought to take the money changers out of the temple in
terms of student loans."

Sources:Las Vegas Review-Journal, Star-Telegram, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post