White House Week
GOP Advisers Push Bush on Immigration Campaign
Senior Republicans--unhappy with President Bush's level of engagement on the immigration issue--say he needs to do much more. Despite strong speeches, "if he wants to get a bill passed, the time has come to use every device available," says a former adviser to Ronald Reagan. "It should be all hands on deck." That means reaching out to constituency groups more aggressively; having Vice President Cheney and other high-profile surrogates court conservatives; and, most important, having Bush use his charm to woo legislators. "Republican members still say they have no access to the White House," the former Reagan aide says.
High Anxiety Over the National Guard
Even among the governors who support President Bush's plan to place 6,000 National Guard troops on the Mexican border, there's a growing worry that the troops are being used too much. "There's a sense of real anxiety in some states," says Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican and chairman of the National Governors Association. Huckabee says that he fully backs the plan, but he and other governors worry that troops are overstretched. He noted that many have been required to put time in Iraq and Afghanistan and in domestic regions affected by Hurricane Katrina. He worries that forcing members to spend more time away could disrupt family life and employment.
Pols Who Flex Their Muscles
A ranking of Congress's most influential and powerful members is predictable at the top but also contains surprises. The rankings, from a five-month research project based on what Congress did in 2005, were released last week by Knowlegis LLC, a new nonpartisan company that fosters civic participation. The study measured various characteristics of power, including position, influence, and whether the lawmakers succeeded in advancing their legislation. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, both Republicans, ranked first for each house of Congress. But the list also included Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, ranked second among Senate Democrats and 11th overall. Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, scored first in the "influence" category, primarily owing to his media visibility. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat, ranked 10th in the "legislation" category (151st overall), owing to her success in getting amendments considered on the House floor. "This may not be the totality of a member's contribution to his or her constituents," says Brad Fitch, CEO of Knowlegis, "but it can serve as a valuable tool for citizens when they are judging their elected officials."
Democrats Boost an Energy Plan
Senate Democratic leaders have outlined their energy plan to President Bush and the nation. The Democrats put the spotlight on alternative fuels, hybrid technology, and price gouging. The goal, as explained in a letter to Bush: "to reduce our dependence on petroleum, equivalent to 40 percent of our projected imports" by 2025. Among the proposals: launch an "aggressive effort" to increase production of alternative-fuel vehicles, enhance incentives for consumers and manufacturers to make and use alternative and renewable fuels, and add new protections for the public against price gouging.
PHOTO OP: 9:29 a.m., May 18, 2006, Hart Senate Office Building
Before the Senate Intelligence Committee convenes to consider his nomination as CIA director, Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden poses for a throng of photographers. Hayden, the current deputy director of national intelligence, faced questions about telephone monitoring by the National Security Agency, which he headed for six years.
With Paul Bedard, Danielle Knight and Kenneth T. Walsh
This story appears in the May 29, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
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