White House Week
Beijing May Be Giving Kim Jong Il the Old Brushoff
As tensions rise over North Korea's apparent preparations for a nuclear-weapons test, comes this report from U.S. News Senior Writer Thomas Omestad, traveling with President Bush in Riga, Latvia: A top State Department official says Chinese President Hu Jintao seems to be holding off on visiting Pyongyang to meet with Kim Jong Il, and this may indicate Chinese unhappiness with North Korea's pulling out of the six-party talks over its nuclear program. A visit from the Chinese leader would be a highly prestigious event for Kim, and U.S. officials have been concerned that the Chinese were reluctant to squeeze the North Koreans politically or economically. But they see this as an initial sign that the Chinese are, indeed, frustrated with North Korea's posture. The hermit kingdom depends heavily on China for trade, oil, and even food.
That Pain You're Feeling? It's Called Gas
When President Bush returns to Washington this week from his European jaunt, he plans to turn back to overhauling Social Security. But look for him to add a few more things to his agenda, especially the need to increase U.S. energy supplies. White House officials have developed a bad case of the jitters on this because it looks as if those high gas prices are hurting Bush's approval ratings. The president will argue for passage of an energy bill that, among other things, would allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He'll take his roadshow to several college campuses, including the U.S. Naval Academy, for commencement addresses.
A Not-So-DeLayed Case of the Willies
Independent Democratic and Republican polls done over the past month about the trouble swirling around House Majority Leader Tom DeLay are prompting concerns in the GOP that the issue has to be managed more than ever or the whole party could be tarred. That's a big change from just weeks ago, when party leaders were predicting that the issue would simply go away. One new poll found that over three quarters of adults recognize DeLay's name and 4 in 10 have a negative opinion of him. "We're getting into Newt [Gingrich] in-his-worst-moment territory," said a GOP strategist. Some Republican friends of the majority leader are asking him to tone down his defiant approach, and he may actually be listening: At a prayer event last week on Capitol Hill, he spoke publicly about the need for humility.
The Senate's New Stay-at-Home Dad
Vice President Cheney has been hitting the road quite a bit lately, pushing his boss's plan to overhaul Social Security and trumpeting "democratization" in the Middle East. But now the veep is sticking close to home. Why? He doesn't want to risk missing any key votes in the Senate, where he can break a tie if there's a deadlock. And that's very possible if Republicans attempt to stop Democratic filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominees. So Cheney will stay near the White House. That way, he won't be more than a fast limo ride from Capitol Hill.
With Thomas Omestad, Kenneth T. Walsh and Paul Bedard Thomas Omestad, Kenneth T. Walsh and Paul Bedard Thomas Omestad, Kenneth T. Walsh and Paul Bedard Thomas Omestad, Kenneth T. Walsh and Paul Bedard
This story appears in the May 16, 2005 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
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