Saturday, November 28, 2009

Washington Whispers

In Today's Hopper

Washington Whispers: In Today's Hopper

The Hopper, for Washington Whispers.

McCain's Top 10 Earmark Tweets

John McCain tweets against costly earmarks, hitting pig waste, maple syrup, and lobbyist receptions.

John King and Sarah Palin share a cup of coffee.

Hard News for CNN's King

Lou Dobbs is gone from CNN and so is his populist agenda.

Obama Report Card

Zogby says Obama's China trip was at best ho-hum.

Obama Report Card

 
 
 

The Whispers Poll

Bill Clinton recently opened the door to changing presidential term limits, saying he had wanted to stay president until he died or was defeated. Which would you prefer?

Stick with two four-year terms 66%
Allow up to three four-year terms 14%
Eliminate term limits 12%
Shift to one six-year term 8%

Source: The Synovate eNation Internet poll was conducted November 6-10 among 1,000 nationally representative households by global market research firm Synovate.

Art Galleries

Senator John Kerry and Representative Christopher Carney pose with the newest commemorative coins.

Whispers Cartoons

Check out our gallery of colorful political cartoons created by Ed Wexler.

Editorial Cartoon

Editorial Cartoons

See what cartoonists say about the latest headlines.

Historic Whispers, for Washington Whispers.

Historic Whispers, for Washington Whispers.

The Ted Kennedy Timeline

Whispers has covered Kennedy throughout his career.

Clickables

Some hoped the summit would bring attention to the nation's racial divisions.

A White House
Happy Hour

Pictures of President Obama practicing beer diplomacy.

First Dog Bo Obama

First Dog Bo Obama

Here's a first look at the First Dog, Bo Obama.

Twitter and Facebook

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Whispers on the Web

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Opinion: Thomas Jefferson Street Blog

TJ street

Jamie Stiehm

An Ode to Bob Dylan

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Bobbles Poll: Thanksgiving Guest

Obama, Huckabee, Palin and Pelosi Bobbleheads, Washington Whispers

It's time to start filling up the Thanksgiving dinner guest list. Which political figure would you like as a guest?

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Obama's Oratory Isn't Helping Him Now

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 Chose Well

    By Paul Bedard, 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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      Captain Morgan's Rum War

      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 Fighting AIDS in 80 Countries

        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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          Hillary for Vice President

          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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            Kyl Sees Jimmie Johnson Era

            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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              Matalin and Carville Split Even on Pen Color

              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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                Hard News for CNN's King

                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."

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