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CIA's Hayden Praises Obama, Panetta
Tweet Share on Facebook January 9, 2009 CommentBy Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers.
He wanted to stay on, that's pretty clear, but when President-elect Barack Obama signaled that he wanted a change at the CIA, outgoing Director Mike Hayden didn't stomp his feet in frustration. He did the professional thing: He issued an internal memo praising Obama and his pick to run the CIA, former Rep. Leon Panetta. In the memo he said: "President-elect Obama has chosen Leon Panetta to succeed me here at the agency. With a powerful record of leadership in two branches of government, he has a well-deserved reputation for insight, wisdom, and decency," wrote Hayden. "If confirmed by the Senate, he will learn from you about the CIA as it is now, starting with the decisive contributions you make each day to the strength and security of our country."
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Obama and Ronald Reagan: Two Peas in a Congressional Pod
Tweet Share on Facebook January 8, 2009 Comment (2)By Nikki Schwab, Washington Whispers.
It's seems that trotting up to Capitol Hill on his first full day in town was a smart move for President-elect Barack Obama. Even Republican congressional relations gurus are giving the incoming Democrat high marks. "I think he has done extraordinarily well," says Nicholas Calio, the Hill lobbyist for President Bush and his dad, the former president. "The more friends he tries to make now, the better off he will be because he's making them at a time he doesn't need to make them—it means more in a sense."
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Chris Wallace Ranks No. 2 Behind 'Meet the Press'
Tweet Share on Facebook January 8, 2009 Comment (3)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers.
No. 2 in the nation's capital couldn't be a sweeter position for Chris Wallace's Fox News Sunday. That's because when it comes to the all-important bragging rights for who counts on Sunday TV in the president's hometown, it means a lot to play the Avis role to TV's public affairs Hertz, which is NBC's Meet the Press. With the 2008 Nielsen TV market figures in hand, the champion's cup for the Washington market went, as usual, to Meet, now led by the very able David Gregory. They scored a big average of 140,000 total viewers, with 63,000 in the key ages 25-54 demographic. That's a given in TV world. But second was the newest member of the Sunday news programming, Fox News Sunday, with an average of 56,000 total viewers and 27,000 in the 25-54 demo. Third and fourth? This Week and Face the Nation.
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In a Nutshell: Don't Drive on Inauguration Day
Tweet Share on Facebook January 7, 2009 CommentBy Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers.
The cops have finally told us what Washington traffic will look like on Inauguration Day. And it isn't good. As you can see in this plan, virtually the whole downtown and the major bridges into the city will be car-less. So start walking now.
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Before Reversal, Senate Democrats Were Ready to Play Hardball Against Burris
Tweet Share on Facebook January 7, 2009 CommentBy Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers.
While Senate Democrats today appear ready to reverse positions and seat controversial Illinois Senate pick Roland Burris, aides say the chamber's majority was ready to play hardball against embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich's pick. At a theme and communications meeting with top aides Tuesday, officials from various Senate Democratic offices were quizzed on how to answer media questions about Burris. Top aides gave two answers. The first was to follow Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's lead in saying that the people of Illinois should make the choice, not Blagojevich. But if the media pressed for more, the message was to be much harsher on background. Aides today said they were being advised to essentially make fun of Burris for appearing before the secretary of the Senate with incomplete credentials. His credentials did not have the signature of the Illinois secretary of state. "They said we were to say off the record that his paperwork was not in order—that he showed up without the Illinois secretary of state signature on it. He presented his credentials, the secretary of the Senate saw that they were incomplete, and he was marched out the door," one Democratic aide said was the message. Parts of that story made it into some of the stories today about Burris being turned away. But an aide today said that he will now be seated.
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CIA Resents Bad Morale Suggestion
Tweet Share on Facebook January 7, 2009 Comment (2)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers.
If part of the reason President-elect Barack Obama wants an outsider to head the CIA is because of bad morale, then somebody might need to check with Langley insiders. They say spirits are up. And now, they are trying to fight back with some facts. "We've read a lot over the past few days about the status of morale at CIA. A lot of this appears to be coming from has-beens, wannabes, or never-weres," spokesman Mark Mansfield tells us. "Unnamed sources who suggest morale is low don't have any idea what's going on now. And those of us who work here are at a loss, wondering what basis they have for making such comments."
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Editor Cat Fight at the Washington Times
Tweet Share on Facebook January 7, 2009 Comment (2)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers.
The healing is slow at the Washington Times over harsh criticism from a new managing editor that the journalism and paper he inherited after joining from the Washington Post had faded. But Jeff Birnbaum, managing editor for digital media, tells us in an E-mail that he has had successes explaining his recent comments on C-SPAN and reported by Patrick Gavin's FishbowlDC site. "I made a mistake in talking about the past on C-SPAN. Afterward, I sat down with several people to explain that I had given a misimpression and, I'm glad to report and as you heard, everyone I spoke to was very gracious about it," E-mailed Birnbaum. He followed former Postie John Solomon, who became the executive editor at the Times in January. Their hirings came as owners of the conservative newspaper where I was White House correspondent from 1988-1998—signaled a shift in replacing retiring Editor Wes Pruden and his deputy Fran Coombs.
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Teddy Kennedy's Big Comeback to the Senate
Tweet Share on Facebook January 6, 2009 Comment (1)By Nikki Schwab, Washington Whispers.
It was the tear-jerker of the Democratic National Convention: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy making a promise to be in Washington, despite fighting brain cancer, to help Barack Obama. "I pledge to you that I will be there next January on the floor of the United States Senate when we begin the great test," he said to cheers and tears in Denver.Today, he fulfilled that pledge, and we have the pictures to prove it. After Kennedy himself returned to the Hill and was sworn into the Senate, he offered to hold the Bible for son Rep. Patrick Kennedy at a ceremonial swearing in with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Teddy, looking younger and much thinner, was greeted ecstatically by Pelosi. And while the senator is battling a malignant brain tumor and is now walking with a cane, he seemed to be in hardy spirits being back on Capitol Hill. -
Metro Hops Aboard Obama Express
Tweet Share on Facebook January 6, 2009 CommentBy Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers.
I just took a ride on Washington's Metro subway system, and here's the new Obama card everybody gets to use in the system. Gone temporarily is the traditional picture of two pandas, the stars at the National Zoo. It may be the best and cheapest inaugural trinket anybody gets during inauguration week.
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Pelosi's Full House for Obama's Inauguration
Tweet Share on Facebook January 6, 2009 CommentBy Nikki Schwab, Washington Whispers
It seems that each and every apartment and house in Washington will be crammed with people visiting the city for Barack Obama's inauguration, including that of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She tells Whispers she's expecting her Washington Harbor penthouse to be filled to the brim. "Oh my gosh yes, we are overflowing," she says. She's planning for an influx of family, including her seven grandchildren, some of whom can't attend both Pelosi's swearing in, being held this afternoon at the Capitol, and Barack Obama's. "They said to me, 'We can't take all that time off of school, so do you mind if we just come for Barack Obama?' " she tells us. And being an understanding granny, she insisted they indeed come for the inauguration of the first black president.
