Political Bulletin

WASHINGTON NEWS

Libby Conviction Spurs Media Bombardment Of Bush, Cheney

Media coverage of Lewis "Scooter" Libby's conviction on charges of perjury and lying to the FBI is being portrayed as a severe blow to an already weakened White House. Some stories this morning are particularly acerbic in their assessment of what the verdict says about the Administration. Accounts of yesterday's events at the trial led all three network newscasts, and appear on the front pages of the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Financial Times,Washington Post Washington Times, Christian Science Monitor and Wall Street Journal. The AP notes that in 2000, President Bush "promised he would swear on the Bible to restore honor and dignity to a sullied White House and give it 'one heck of a scrubbing.'" Libby's conviction "gave the White House a scrubbing -- but not the one Bush had in mind." McClatchy says that if Bush "ever thought things couldn't get any worse, he might want to reconsider," and the Washington Post reports that in 2004 Bush said, "We had an accountability moment, and that's called the 2004 elections." But "two years and a stinging midterm election later, Bush is having another accountability moment, but this one isn't working out as well." The Los Angeles Times says the trial was "an indictment of the White House political operation," while the New York Times report "Bush faces an array of political and policy problems that seem to be growing by the day"; the Chicago Tribune and Dana Milbank, in his "Washington Sketch" column in the Washington Post, make similar arguments.

The verdict is being described as particularly damaging to Vice President Cheney's standing. The New York Times reports "Cheney's critics, and even some of his supporters, said the vice president had been diminished. 'The trial has been death by 1,000 cuts for Cheney,' said Scott Reed, a Republican strategist." ABC World News noted Cheney "said he was disappointed in the verdict today," but "we had a different statement from the President," whose staff " came out and said he respected the jury's verdict." ABC went on to ask whether "the verdict and the reactions today" were "another sign of a schism between the President and the Vice President." But "a White House official" said "there are absolutely no plans, no plan at all, for the Vice President to leave."

Next Battle Could Be Over Pardon As the verdict became public, Democrats were quick to attack the Administration and to call on Bush not to pardon Libby. The DC-insider publication The Politico reports Democrats "are trying to start a drumbeat about the question" of a possible pardon, "with the aim of painting Republicans as tainted by cronyism and raising voters' doubts about the GOP's trustworthiness." USA Today notes Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are making the case that "the verdict was about more than Libby. It showed the White House's 'callous disregard in handling sensitive national security information and a disposition to smear critics of the war in Iraq,' Pelosi said." And Fox News' "Special Report" reports "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Bush Administration has been , quote, manipulating intelligence for far too long, adding that it was time a current Administration official was held accountable." Reid also urged Bush not to pardon the former White House aide.

The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, reports the verdict "threatened to spark a new political battle, with some conservatives pushing for a presidential pardon based on what they claim is prosecutorial excess. ... Within hours of the verdict, the conservative National Review published an online editorial calling for a pardon and stating that the verdict 'conclusively proved only one thing: A White House aide became the target of a politicized prosecution set in motion by bureaucratic infighting and political cowardice.'" In an editorial titled "The Libby Travesty," the Wall Street Journal also urges the President to pardon Libby:

The Washington Post's "In the Loop" column, under the headline "Guess Libby's Pardon Date, Win A T-Shirt," urges readers to "simply pick the date that...Bush will pardon...Libby, who, according to federal sentencing guidelines, is looking at 18 months to three years in the slammer."

WPost Blasts Fitzgerald The Washington Post this morning weighed in against prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald in an editorial, arguing that "after two years of investigation, Mr. Fitzgerald charged no one with a crime for leaking Ms. Plame's name. In fact, he learned early on that Mr. Novak's primary source was former deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage, an unlikely tool of the White House. The trial has provided convincing evidence that there was no conspiracy to punish Mr. Wilson by leaking Ms. Plame's identity -- and no evidence that she was, in fact, covert." The Post adds, "It would have been sensible for Mr. Fitzgerald to end his investigation after learning about Mr. Armitage. ... Mr. Fitzgerald was, at least, right about one thing: The Wilson-Plame case, and Mr. Libby's conviction, tell us nothing about the war in Iraq."

Iraq Spending Bill May Not Pass

Some media reports this morning suggest the Iraq spending bill currently before Congress could be in some trouble. The New York Times reports this morning, "House Democratic leaders on Tuesday implored their rank and file to stick together as the debate intensified over the financing and direction of the Iraq war, saying a fractured party would impede the overarching goal of bringing the conflict to a close." As Congress "considers President Bush's $93.4 billion spending request for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan," Democrats "are struggling to reach agreement over what conditions should be placed on war financing. Among the sticking points is whether the legislation should include a specific date for a withdrawal from Iraq." The Washington Times says the Democratic caucus' "left wing could nix the administration's request for more than $100 billion of added funds for the war...if it is joined in a 'no' vote by Republicans opposed to other restrictions Democrats want on the spending. 'The supplemental could sink,' a senior Republican aide said. 'House Republicans will oppose any supplemental that cuts funds or tries to attach specific conditions for our troops in harm's way.'" Further endangering the spending bill, says the Wall Street Journal, is the White House's "defensive stance," which is such that "it risks further alienating the Democrats who will write the measure." Bush "hosted a Republicans-only strategy dinner in the White House family quarters last week on the war appropriations. At the same time, the administration has resisted giving Democratic staff even technical advice on funding that the new majority wants to add for veterans' health programs."

Bush Criticizes Democrats The President, meanwhile, gave a speech to the American Legion yesterday, in which he spoke of some "encouraging signs" in Iraq. The Washington Post reports "advisers said Bush's comments were based on briefings from commanders on the ground and were designed to counter the argument from many Democrats on Capitol Hill that his Iraq strategy is destined to fail." Bush's comments "seemed calculated to exploit divisions among Democrats who were swept into power by opposition to the war but have not agreed how to oppose it effectively." Bush, says the AP, "portrayed himself as steadfast while Democrats squabble over strategy. ... 'Other members of Congress seem to believe that we can have it all: that we can fight al-Qaida, pursue national reconciliation, initiate aggressive diplomacy and deter Iran's ambitions in Iraq -- all while withdrawing from Baghdad and reducing our force levels,' Bush said in a speech to the American Legion. 'That sounds good in theory, but doing so at this moment would undermine everything our troops have worked for. There are no shortcuts in Iraq,' the president said."

The US News Political Bulletin has learned that House Republicans are gleefully hoping to help further splinter Democrats on the Iraq funding issue this week by highlighting the multiple positions the Democrats have taken on the war. With Democrats divided on how tough to be on war funding, Republicans are planning a venue where they can debate the four funding war plans already outlined by Democrats in a way to divide liberals from moderates and conservatives and especially the collection of Blue Dog Democrats who are not sold on limiting funding on the war. The GOP effort, led by the Republican Study Conference, hopes to settle on a venue by Thursday. "Now it's being reported that the liberal caucus may decide to vote for the war funding bill if they are first allowed to vote against funding our troops," said a House GOP leadership aide. The aide added: "With such a clear lack of direction and leadership coming from the Democratic leadership, it makes one wonder how long the Blue Dog Democrats can hold their breath before they start turning purple."

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Greenspan Says Recession Possible

USA Today and the Washington Post this morning run a Bloomberg story reporting former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan once again "said there's a 'one-third probability' of a US recession this year, and the current expansion won't have the staying power of its decade-long predecessor. 'We are in the sixth year of a recovery; imbalances can emerge as a result,' Greenspan, 81, said in an interview Monday at his office in downtown Washington." The Financial Times notes that last time Greenspan made a similar prediction the stock market plunged.

Dole, Shalala To Probe Army Hospitals

President Bush yesterday tapped former Republicans Sen. Bob Dole and former Democratic Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala to lead a presidential commission on the care of patients at Army and Veterans Administration hospitals. The AP reports Bush "also directed Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson to set up a task force of officials from various agencies to identify problems in treating wounded troops. To underscore the message that he cares about the troops, Bush referred to the group as a task force on 'returning global war on terror heroes.'" The New York Times, Financial Times, McClatchy, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times run similar stories on the appointment of Dole and Shalala.

Meanwhile, it's becoming apparent that problems exist at other Army hospitals. The CBS Evening News reported Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, surgeon general of the Army, "at the center of the scandal over the treatment of wounded soldiers today confirmed everybody's worst fears: The problems at Walter Reed exist at other Army hospitals." Gen. Kiley: "What's going on at Walter Reed in terms of the frustration of the staffs and the patients is probably mirrored to some extent in most of our other facilities as I hear commanders talk to us about these issues."

Democrats Use Scandal To Attack Bush The AP reports Democrats "are using the uproar over Walter Reed Army Medical Center as their latest cudgel to batter President Bush for his Iraq war policies as the administration shows signs it fears political damage from the revelations." USA Today says that as "his committee questioned top Defense officials," Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin "also used the revelations of poor conditions and outpatient care at Walter Reed to take a swipe at Bush's war policies."

The New York Times reports, "Although they offered no specifics, Senate Democrats said they would pursue legislation addressing what they described as failure by the Bush administration to deal with longstanding concerns about the treatment of wounded troops and veterans and to properly plan for the onslaught of casualties of the Iraq war." The Washington Post reports, "As Bush was speaking yesterday morning, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee were expressing dismay on Capitol Hill as they opened hearings on Walter Reed, with senators from both political parties criticizing Army and Defense Department leaders who apparently were unaware of systemic problems in outpatient care, despite multiple warnings."

In an editorial, the New York Times says, "There is plenty of blame to go around," but "the fundamental responsibility rests with the president and his former defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, who stubbornly insisted on going to war without sufficient resources - and then sought to hide the costs of their disastrous mistakes from the American public."

Fired Prosecutors Felt Pressured

The Washington Post reports in a front-page story that six "fired US attorneys testified on Capitol Hill yesterday that they had separately been the target of complaints, improper telephone calls and thinly veiled threats from a high-ranking Justice Department official or members of Congress, both before and after they were abruptly removed from their jobs."

The Wall Street Journal reports, "A top Justice Department official, reacting to public criticism of the department over the firings of eight US attorneys, called one of the ousted prosecutors and said the department may have to 'pull their gloves off and offer public criticisms' against the prosecutors if the prosecutors continued to talk publicly about the dismissals, one of the prosecutors said." Bud Cummins, "who was fired last June from his job as US attorney for the Arkansas Eastern District, based in Little Rock, told other dismissed US attorneys in a Feb. 20 email that he thought the call from Mike Elston, an aide to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, was 'amiable enough'" but "the 'message was clearly there and you should be aware before you speak to the press again if you choose to do that.'"

In an op-ed in USA Today, Attorney General Gonzales writes, "We have never asked a US attorney to resign in an effort to retaliate against him or her or to inappropriately interfere with a public corruption case (or any other type of case, for that matter)." Gonzales added he hoped "this episode ultimately will be recognized for what it is: an overblown personnel matter."

Senior Hastings Aide Implicated. The Hill reports the "Democratic probe...implicated yesterday a senior staffer for Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), the third GOP congressional office to become caught in the quickly escalating controversy in as many days." Former US Attorney John McKay "said that Ed Cassidy, then-chief of staff to Hastings, called him in 2004 to ask whether he was investigating allegations of voter fraud after a Democrat won the Washington state governor's race in a third recount." The Seattle Times also reports the story.

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CAMPAIGN NEWS

New Gallup Poll Shows Giuliani, Clinton On Top

Yet another poll out today tells the same story in the two parties' respective primaries Rudy Giuliani continues to widen his lead over John McCain, while Barack Obama moves ever closer to Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side. In a new USA Today /Gallup poll, Giuliani now leads McCain 44%-20%, up from a 40%-24% lead in February. Clinton now leads Obama 36%-22%, down from a 40%-21% lead in February. However, one thing the poll did make clear despite the early start to the campaign, voters are a long way away from making up their minds on candidates. Only 15% of registered voters have made up their mind about who they will back in 2008, while 83% said they have not yet decided.

Giuliani On Top In New Hampshire, Democratic Race A Toss Up The AP reports that a new Suffolk University New Hampshire poll shows Giuliani on top in the GOP contest with 37%, followed by McCain with 27% and Mitt Romney at 17%. The situation is far tighter on the Democratic side the poll shows Clinton in the lead with 28%, with Obama at 26%. John Edwards trails with 17%, and all other candidates are at 3% or less. Caution may be in order with this poll, however, as the small sample for each party yields a high margin of error.

Baptist Leader Hits Giuliani For "Divorce On Steroids"

The AP reports this morning that Richard Land, head of public policy for the Southern Baptist Convention, questioned Giuliani's judgment in his handling of his divorce from TV personality Donna Hannover. Land added, "I mean, this is divorce on steroids. To publicly humiliate your wife in that way, and your children. That's rough. I think that's going to be an awfully hard sell, even if he weren't pro-choice and pro-gun control."

Clinton Seeks To Tap Power Of Women Voters

The AP reports that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton "called Tuesday for the majority of voters -- women -- to help her break the nation's highest glass ceiling by electing her the first female president. 'Today, women are a majority of the voters, a majority of students in college, and we are a growing presence in the Congress. But there are still far too few women in leadership positions,' Clinton told a crowd of roughly 1,300 at a luncheon for EMILY's List, a national political committee that raises money for Democratic women candidates who favor abortion rights." The Washington Times reports that Clinton "walked onto the stage at the Washington Convention Center yesterday just after a video showed a woman looking very much like Mrs. Clinton being sworn in as president. 'I like the color of the outfit; the hair looked great. All we have to do is win,' said Mrs. Clinton." The Hill reports that Clinton "used her speech as a kick-off of her Women for Hillary initiative, a grassroots effort the campaign said will use the Internet to mobilize women voters, and to announce that she will reintroduce the Paycheck Fairness Act," "legislation that would mandate women be paid as much as men. Clinton promised that with this proposal, as well as with improving healthcare and ending the war in Iraq, if President Bush won't sign the legislation into law, 'then as the next president, I will.'"

State AGs Coming Out For McCain

Seven state Attorneys General have announced they are backing Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign today, The Hill reports. They represent South Carolina, Michigan, Washington, Utah, Alabama, Indiana, and North Dakota. South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster (R), whose state holds the first Southern primary, said, "Most of the establishment is for McCain. Most of the establishment last time was for Bush."

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POLITICAL HUMOR

The Latest From Late Night Comedians

Craig Ferguson:

Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Conan O'Brien were all in reruns last night.

Craig Ferguson: "People are saying that Scooter Libby is taking a bullet for Dick Cheney. I'm not sure about that. I don't think so. If Cheney wants someone to take a bullet, he usually delivers it himself. Right in the face."

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