Political Bulletin

WASHINGTON NEWS

Powell Delivers A Coup De Grace On Iraq

The war in Iraq continued to be the biggest media story over the weekend. Much of the coverage, which dominated Sunday morning political chat shows, major newspapers and network newscasts, reflected poorly on the Administration's handling of the conflict. Colin Powell's appearance on CBS' Face The Nation drew the most attention yesterday and this morning. The ex-Secretary of State's message left little room for doubt: "We're not winning, we are losing". NBC Nightly News said "usually a good soldier doesn't complain in public," but Powell "offered a damning assessment" of his old boss' policy in Iraq. ABC World News says Powell also gave a "blunt assessment of the plan to send thousands more troops into Iraq: It will not work." USA Today says Powell said the army "is about broken" and "could not support sending a significant increase" of soldiers to Iraq. Stories in the Washington Times, New York Times and Washington Post also note Powell's comments.

More criticism of Bush: Newt Gingrich, the former GOP speaker, said on NBC's Meet The Press, "The war's a failure in part because the strategy...has been wrong consistently, it's been a strategy that was far too American. Second, it's a failure because the instruments of national power don't work. ... I think the Administration shouldn't just focus narrowly on Iraq. They should look, first of all, at the larger war, which does include Iran, it does include North Korea, it does include al-Qaeda. And they should look second at what are the strategic changes necessary to win in Iraq."

Meanwhile, as part of its "People Who Mattered" year-end feature, Time lists President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld among its year-end "People Who Mattered," saying while "it's hard to imagine now," they were once "regarded as a national-security dream team." Instead, they are now "objects of scorn and emblems of failure." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice makes the list, too, but Time says she "remains everything her boss, the President, is not: popular at home, respected abroad and still viewed by the foreign policy establishment as more of a realist."

Over the weekend, the violence in Iraq continued unabated. The AP, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post are among the major media sources carrying reports on the latest insurgent attacks, while the Washington Times notes complaints from members of Congress that even at this stage, "field commanders" lack good intelligence on the enemy. Other negative developments include statements by Vice-president Tariq al-Hashimi, described by the Financial Times as Iraq's most senior politician from the Sunni Arab minority. Hashimi said yesterday that the Sunnis' very survival is being endangered by a Shiite campaign of "systematic ethnic cleansing." The Saudis, a key Mideast ally of the US, are also not happy with the Shiites. The Washington Times notes a Saudi "security report" claims "Iran has effectively created a Shi'ite 'state within a state' in neighboring Iraq, defying both Iraqi Sunnis and neighboring Sunni nations."

Dems Divided On US "Surge" Democrats are split on whether 20,000 or more new US troops should be sent into Iraq. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on ABC's This Week, "If it's for a surge, that is, for two or three months and it's part of a program to get us out of there as indicated by this time next year, then, sure, I'll go along with it" -- a comment replayed on NBC Nightly News. But Sen. Joe Biden, a presidential hopeful who will head the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is against it, the AP reports. Biden said, "I will not to support a surge of troops unless it's tied to some reason for me to believe that they have a political solution."

Three other Democrats took Biden's side on Sunday morning shows. On ABC's This Week, Rep.-elect Joe Sestak, a retired Navy vice admiral described by host George Stephanopoulos as "the highest-ranking military officer ever elected to the House," said, "In Iraq, we're on the road to nowhere. Putting more troops on that road is not in the interest of the United States." Sen. Edward Kennedy said on Fox News Sunday, "I don't believe that would stabilize the country, nor do I think it'll bring victory." And on CNN's Late Edition, Sen. Jack Reed asked, "What is the mission of these new troops? ... This is a city of six million people. It will require a huge number of security forces, not just another 15,000."

Snow: Sorry For "Partisan" Shot After NBC's David Gregory asked White House spokesman Tony Snow if the Iraq Study Group can be seen "as anything other than a rejection of this president's handling of the war," Snow "promptly accused him of 'trying to frame it in a partisan way,'" the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz writes. On Thursday, Snow apologized for the "partisan dig," telling Gregory, "I want to apologize and tell you I'm sorry for it." Gregory accepted the apology.

Evangelicals Rethink Political Loyalties

Yale's Mark Totten says in the Christian Science Monitor that white Evangelicals are shifting from "strong allegiance to Republicans" and a narrow focus on a "few social concerns" to a broader social agenda "that includes not only abortion and marriage, but poverty, AIDS, the environment, and human rights." Totten cites the World AIDS Day summit hosted by "Evangelical superstar Rick Warren" at which Sen. Barack Obama delivered the keynote address. Oregon author Tom Krattenmaker writes on a similar theme in USA Today, contrasting Christian volunteers who sing "Jesus-themed songs" as they wash the feet of homeless people with the "different, and decidedly less inspiring, face of faith more often on display in the media and public square."

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Foley Knew Messages Were A No-No

The "100 pages of texts of the e-mails and instant messages" in the House Ethics Committee report on Mark Foley make it clear Foley "appeared to know he was doing something wrong," the Washington Times says, adding that Foley seemed particularly concerned about the "political ramifications" if the messages got out.

Bush "Happy" For Mary Cheney

In a People interview, President Bush said he is "happy" for Mary Cheney, who is expecting a child with her lesbian partner. Bush said, "I think Mary is going to be a loving soul to her child." The New York Times said Saturday that the statement created an uproar given Bush's "past statements against same-sex marriage and, more particularly, child rearing by gay couples." White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush still thinks children "should ideally be raised by a man and a woman as parents," the Times said. The Los Angeles Times added that Snow said Bush "had not addressed whether he thought children raised by gays were at a disadvantage."

Researchers Say Dobson Out Of Focus Two researchers are steamed that Focus on the Family leader James Dobson cited their work in a Time column on Mary Cheney's pregnancy, Washington Post's Howard Kurtz writes. New York University's Carol Gilligan and Yale's Kyle Pruett say Dobson distorted their conclusions to support his view that Cheney and her partner "will fall short as parents because children need a father." Pruett said Dobson "cherry-picked a phrase to shore up highly (in my view) discriminatory purposes."

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CAMPAIGN NEWS

2008: Bayh Out, Edwards About To Get In

Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh (D), a moderate Democrat with a large warchest, surprised the political world this weekend when he announced that he would not run for president. The Indianapolis Star reports Bayh announced early Saturday that "he will not be a candidate for president in 2008." His decision was made public in a statement released to the Star. Bayh "conceded the odds were against him, describing himself as a 'relatively unknown candidate.'" Bayh's decision "came less than two weeks after he announced he was preparing to create a presidential exploratory committee," and less than a week after he was in New Hampshire. FoxNews.com said Bayh "made the decision despite having made several visits to test states like Iowa and New Hampshire, and raising millions of dollars toward a possible White House run." Bayh "raised more than $10 million, making him competitive with other top possible Democratic presidential candidates." The New York Times says Bayh said "he was quitting the race" because "he had concluded that his hopes of winning were too remote to make it worth continuing." The Los Angeles Times says in the lead paragraph of its report that Bayh's decision shows "how daunting it is to build support in the shadow of the celebrity candidates who dominate both parties."

The Indianapolis Star reported that Bayh's decision "caught all but his closest advisers off guard. 'I'm completely shocked,' said Gordon Fisher, former head of the Iowa Democratic Party. 'He had had a terrific 2006 in Iowa.' ... Indianapolis attorney Bill Moreau, Bayh's longtime friend and adviser, said Bayh looked at polls suggesting the Democratic primary voters are not looking for a moderate voice. 'Data shows that the Democratic primary voters are going to reward the loudest, angriest candidate, and that's just not Evan Bayh,' Moreau said. 'He's the one trying to articulate centrist, moderate solutions.'" The Des Moines Register reported that Bayh's "decision not to seek the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination surprised Iowa party activists Saturday and further trims what was once a potentially unwieldy field for the leadoff nominating caucuses. ... 'When we last spoke was he was still moving forward,' said Des Moines Democrat Janet Petersen, a state representative who met with Bayh when he visited Des Moines on Dec. 4. 'They were still talking about getting ready to announce. It took a lot of people by surprise.'"

Edwards Ready To Enter Race While Evan Bayh may be out, the Democratic field looks to expand shortly. ABC World News reported, "Look for a familiar Democratic name to get into the White House race very soon." Ex-Sen. John Edwards will reportedly "announce his run for president later this month." The AP says Edwards "plans to make the campaign announcement late this month from the New Orleans neighborhood hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina last year and slow to recover from the storm." A separate AP story notes how Edwards has moved away from focusing on his background, as he did in the 2004 campaign, and today is "tossing around phrases like 'universal health care' and 'public campaign financing' while blasting the Bush administration's 'convergence of stupidity' on education and demanding the immediate withdrawal of thousands of troops from Iraq." While he "hasn't officially announced he's back in the race for president, the Edwards who very much appears headed for another run will come to the campaign with a retooled agenda -- unabashedly progressive -- that includes what may be the largest package of social services reforms since Lyndon Johnson's 'War on Poverty'" and leaving behind his "Two Americas" stump speech from 2004.

Kerry, Biden May Be Next Out

The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that Sen. Evan Bayh's departure from the presidential race amid "the grass-roots excitement about novice Sen. Barack Obama's possible run" could be "just the first of several such pullouts by Democrats." Speculation "about who might pull out next" is centering on Sens. Joseph Biden and John Kerry. Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter said Bayh's exit "'reflects the stiff dose of reality a lot of these candidates are facing right now. The 2008 field is shaping faster than in any previous election, simply due to the celebrity'" of Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, and, "in Mr. Obama's case, to 'the real thirst in this country for someone new in the White House.'"

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Obama Says He Regrets "Boneheaded" Real Estate Deal

The Washington Post (12/17, A6, Slevin, 690K) reports Sen. Barack Obama says he "erred by creating the appearance" that Chicago "dealmaker and campaign fundraiser" Tony Rezko had done Obama a favor by selling Obama a portion of a lot Rezko owned. Rezko is "often in the headlines for being on the wrong side of good government. Indicted in October on influence-peddling charges, he also has a habit of befriending prospective political stars." Obama said in a Friday interview, "There's no doubt that this was a mistake on my part. 'Boneheaded' would be accurate. There's no doubt I should have seen some red flags in terms of me purchasing a piece of property from him."

Obama Portrayed As Lacking Experience And Substance. U.S. News and World Report reports Obama "has been in the Senate only two years, and as a candidate he would have to come up with answers to tough questions facing the country, from Iraq to immigration. No one knows how he would react when the media turned on him, as it inevitably would to fulfill its self-styled watchdog role. For now, Obama's basic speech is filled with can't-we-all-get along rhetoric and we-can-do-better bromides. He seems in no hurry to fill in the blanks." U.S. News and World Report's Michael Barone writes, "Obama has the ability to be a strong candidate. But it's not clear, perhaps not even to himself, whether he has the capacity to be a strong and effective president."

Thompson Creates Exploratory Committee

While it was generally quieter on the GOP side this weekend, one potential candidate did move closer to a bid. CNN's The Situation Room reported that former Wisconsin governor and Bush Cabinet secretary Tommy Thompson "is taking a major step towards running for the White House. An aide says Thompson has filed papers to set up a presidential exploratory committee." The AP reported that the exploratory committee "delivered paperwork to the Federal Elections Commission on Wednesday as part of the process, said Thompson spokesman Tony Jewell in a telephone interview Friday night. 'This allows the governor to begin raising money and hire a staff should he decide to run for president,' Jewell said. He said Thompson wouldn't make any decision until sometime next year."

Pizza Magnate Lends Brownback Support

McClatchy reported that Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan, "one of the nation's richest and most controversial Roman Catholic philanthropists, is putting his money and influence into" the presidential campaign of Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback (R) and "is expected to play a lead role in 'Catholics for Brownback.' More important, his support is likely to be a big help to Brownback's fundraising, which is currently regarded as the weakest part of Brownback's candidacy."

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Keating Considering Presidential Run

The AP reports former two-term Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating (R) is considering a bid for the presidency, "voicing concern that the 2008 Republican lineup lacks a Ronald Reagan conservative." Keating aide Dan Mahoney said, "He's kicked the idea around in his head. He's just sort of thinking about it." Mahoney said the near certainty that exiting Sen. George Allen will not run for president left Keating "concerned about the absence of a 'Reagan-like conservative in the mix.'" Keating was "considered a possible vice presidential choice by George W. Bush in 2000."

Burns Finished Race With Almost $300k

The Great Falls Tribune reported that outgoing Montana Sen. Conrad Burns (R) "ended his campaign with a deficit of 2,562 votes, but a surplus of $292,969 in campaign cash. That's more than any of the other Republican incumbents who were booted out of office in key Senate races during the midterm elections, according to Federal Election Commission records."

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POLITICAL HUMOR

The Latest From Late Night Comedians

Jay Leno: "The White House announced this week it will not have a new Iraq strategy until after the start of the new year. Apparently, President Bush is hoping Santa will bring him one."

Jay Leno: "CNN said today that President Bush is seriously considering sending more troops to Iraq. So apparently, his goal is to achieve a negative popularity rating."

David Letterman: "First night of Hanukkah down in Washington D.C. A confused George W. Bush went hunting for colored eggs."

Conan O'Brien: "This is weird. The incoming head of the House Intelligence Committee had a very embarrassing moment the other day when he admitted he didn't know the difference between Sunnis and Shiites. Yeah. Yeah, luckily, Sunnis and Shiites both have a great sense of humor about this kind of thing. They're like, 'That's funny.'"

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