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GOP Infighting Spreads to the 'National Review'
Tweet Share on Facebook November 30, 2009 Comment (1)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
The GOP fight between moderates and conservatives has now spread to the late William F. Buckley's conservative bible, National Review. Conservative elites like David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, and former Bush speechwriter Matt Latimer, who ripped moderates in Speech-less: Tales of a White House Survivor, charge that National Review has sold out its conservative principles to get cozy with GOP leadership. "It's become part of the establishment," says Latimer, who has assailed NR in conservative-friendly Human Events. "NR lost its way some years ago," adds Keene. "During the Bush years, the magazine was more a cheerleader," he says, "than a serious intellectual political journal." Um, no, says NR Editor Rich Lowry, quick to note that the mag endorsed the Conservative Party candidate in the recent New York House race. He blames attacks like Latimer's on sour grapes. "I fear Matt is just confirming what we knew from his memoir—he has a poison pen for people he doesn't like," says Lowry, whose magazine has criticized the Speech-less author. Also on Lowry's side: Since the Obama presidency, NR's circulation has grown by nearly 20,000 to 192,579.
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Van Hollen Works to Avoid GOP Blowout in 2010
Tweet Share on Facebook November 30, 2009 Comment (1)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
Rep. Chris Van Hollen was a soccer coach long before he arrived on Capitol Hill as a Maryland Democrat. And he's fast finding that strategizing with young players for a one- or two-goal victory, especially against more aggressive teams, works just as well for his job as chairman of the group tasked with electing Democrats. "Being well prepared," he says, "can influence things."
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Even Obama's Oratory and Presence Aren't Helping Him Now
Tweet Share on Facebook November 27, 2009 Comment (2)Pollster John Zogby updates our weekly Obama Report Card with a grade on the president's performance. Zogby uses his polling, expert analysis, and interaction with major players to come up with a grade and some comments that capture how he see's the president's week ending.
John Zogby on Week 45:
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Orson Welles's Political Ambitions
Tweet Share on Facebook November 27, 2009 CommentBy Maura Judkis, Washington Whispers
He made some major movies, with Citizen Kane king among them. But Orson Welles always harbored a desire to get into politics. Now, the director of the new movie Me & Orson Welles, Richard Linklater, says that Welles made the right decision staying in Hollywood. "Politicians are people with the same kind of oomph and vigor, but they are not artists. He was too much of an artist," says Linklater. "He would have been frustrated. I mean, come on. He's the ultimate control freak. What is politics but compromise?" Linklater's new movie is about a teen boy (Zac Efron) who lands a role in Welles's play Caesar and falls for the hottie actress (Claire Danes). While in Washington recently with Danes and Efron to promote the flick, Linklater himself fell under Washington's spell, meeting in the White House with former actor Kal Penn, part of the president's "public engagement" team. "For me, different would be going and working at the White House."
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Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands Duel Over Rum
Tweet Share on Facebook November 25, 2009 Comment (3)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
Now that the House has approved healthcare reform, the floodgates are opening for action on other pressing issues. Among them is settling the rum war between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. At issue: Diageo PLC, the makers of Captain Morgan rum, is moving its operations from Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands, which offered a sweetened deal to the British firm. Puerto Rico, however, is fighting back and now wants Congress to intervene. And it has become a blood match between the lobbyists and PR firms representing the two sides. The latest: Edelman, the Virgin Islands' influential publicity team, stepped in and successfully killed a local Washington TV report about Puerto Rico's latest moves in the duel. "The U.S.V.I. decided enough is enough. It wanted to tell its side of the story," says Edelman's Chris Hayes, though there was no new Virgin Islands angle. The Hill's Susan Crabtree, who was featured in the TV report, says the move "shows how there is a lot of money at stake for both sides."
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Pentagon Helping 80 Countries With AIDS Prevention
Tweet Share on Facebook November 25, 2009 Comment (2)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
On the eve of the annual December 1 World AIDS Day, the Pentagon reports that it has expanded its program to help friendly militaries deal with the issue to 80 nations, including India and Russia. "This is a very important connection to other militaries," said Dr. Rick Shaffer, executive director of the Defense Department's HIV/AIDS Prevention Program.
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Could Hillary Clinton Replace Biden as Obama's VP?
Tweet Share on Facebook November 24, 2009 Comment (44)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
The hot rumor in Washington: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could replace Vice President Joe Biden on the 2012 Obama re-election ticket. It would be a reward for her work at State and ready her for a 2016 run, as some strategists think Biden would be too old then to run for president.
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Sen. Kyl Sees a Jimmie Johnson Era for NASCAR
Tweet Share on Facebook November 23, 2009 Comment (1)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
No. 48 came through on Sunday to win the NASCAR crown, but for racing's biggest fan in the Senate, Jimmie Johnson is more than just the 2009 champ. Johnson, says Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, is now a living legend, already having captured three straight Sprint Cup victories. "It might not just be Jimmie Johnson's year," says Kyl. "It might be his era." Kyl should know: He's been a race fan since a kid, is called Senator NASCAR by friends and even guests on an Arizona radio show Mondays to review the weekend's race.
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Carville, Matalin Can't Agree Even on Pen Colors
Tweet Share on Facebook November 23, 2009 Comment (2)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
They are such opposites in politics, clashing so often on candidates and policies, that it's not crazy to wonder if James Carville and Mary Matalin's show isn't just an act. After all, how can two people who disagree on almost everything political—to the degree of working against each other—have what they and their friends call a strong marriage?
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CNN's John King to Replace Dobb's Ranting With Hard News
Tweet Share on Facebook November 23, 2009 Comment (13)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
Don't expect political ranting or an edgy agenda from John King when he officially takes over the 7 p.m. anchor chair from Lou Dobbs at CNN early next year. "I hope to have a show that takes time to look at the big picture with newsmakers that are driving the debate," King says. "I want to have fun and lively, provocative analysis and discussion that invites everyone in. I want to be the anchor that is playing broker and traffic cop, not a guy with an agenda."
