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Monday, November 9, 2009
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Insiders tell the US News Political Bulletin that the White House appears to be having difficulty spinning the revelations in the new book, "Center of the Storm," from ex-CIA Director George Tenet in part because the President has great respect for his former intelligence chief. On the record, the Administration has been calling Tenet a patriot who served the country well enough to earn the Medal of Freedom. But on background, according to a knowledgeable source, "they are saying he's a whining, ungrateful bastard." What's more, said the source, "they are asking, well, why didn't he tell us that we forgot to ask if it was wise to go to war. Yeah, that's the DCI's job." Also, since Tenet didn't take a shot at the President in the new book, choosing instead to target others like Vice President Cheney and Secretary of State Condi Rice, the administration is trying to keep their criticism of the book away from being viewed as a personal attack. On CNN's Larry King Live last night, for example, Tenet said he didn't think his book will hurt Bush. "I like the President," he said, "I respect the President. I was responsible for...the intelligence community. He's the commander-in-chief. He's never shied away from responsibility."
Also hampering the administration's spin operation was Tenet's able and folksy interviews on 60 Minutes and the Today Show where he proved a likable and authoritative source, according to administration officials. NBC Nightly News aired portions of that interview last night, and reported Tenet "acknowledges the CIA was dead wrong when it came to weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. ... He also describes the Bush administration, especially the Vice President and Defense Department under Donald Rumsfeld, as being almost obsessed with Iraq from the beginning." Interviewed on ABC World News, he said he "never believed there was a hint of an Iraq-al Qaeda connection and that his agency 'let down' former Secretary of State Colin Powell with the intelligence that was provided as the basis of his presentation before the UN Security Council. At the time, however, Tenet said he believed the information was correct." Tenet also sat down with the AP, arguing that the US "needs to revitalize the Palestinian-Israeli peace effort and do a better job leveraging its own diplomatic and economic strength to offset Iran's growing influence in the Middle East."
But while tone of the coverage of Tenet's appearances is largely positive, some suggest the former CIA chief is having to confront very tough questions. The Los Angeles Times says Tenet was "on the defensive" Monday, "answering criticism over his claim that the Bush administration had settled on blaming Iraq for the Sept. 11 attacks from the very start." In the book's opening anecdote, Tenet wrote that he had encountered Pentagon advisor Richard N. Perle at the White House on Sept. 12, 2001 and that Perle told him: "Iraq has to pay a price for what happened yesterday, they bear responsibility." However, Perle was in Europe on Sept. 11 and didn't return to the US until Sept. 15. Tenet "tried to deflect the growing criticism" during an appearance on "The Today Show," saying, "I may have been off by a couple of days," but insisted that "the encounter occurred." In an editorial, USA Today says in recent days Tenet seems to be "everywhere" promoting his new book, "all of which raises the question: Where was Tenet when speaking up -- or resigning -- might have slowed the nation's disastrous rush to war in Iraq?"
The Washington Post, meanwhile, reports that as his book debuted yesterday, "six former CIA analysts called on Tenet to donate a significant portion of royalties to families of service members killed or wounded in Iraq" and to "return the Presidential Medal of Freedom he was awarded in December 2004." The signed letter, which was widely circulated by e-mail, "chastised Tenet for bottling up criticism of the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war for three years and then publicly focusing on how the White House may have sullied his reputation." On CNN's Larry King Live, Tenet responded to the letter, saying, "I viewed my job to protect American soldiers, to make them safe. The notion that I have blood on my hands is something I will never accept."
Democrats have chosen to wait until today the 4th anniversary of President Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech to deliver their Iraq spending bill to the White House. The anniversary didn't go unnoticed by newspaper reporters. The New York Times headlines its story "Bill On Iraq To Be Delivered 4 Years After Bush's Words," and says "the timing is no accident." But "with Mr. Bush planning to spend Tuesday in Florida talking to military commanders, the White House was being coy on Monday about what kind of theatrics of his own -- if any -- he might stage. Democrats, however, said they expected the veto to come on Wednesday." The Hill reports "Congressional leaders today will put an exclamation point on their political showdown with...Bush on Iraq spending, staging a signing event to send their Iraq supplemental bill to the White House." The ceremony "will come four years to the day after Bush stood in front of a 'Mission Accomplished' sign and declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq."
White House spokesman Tony Snow, once again at his post following cancer surgery, commented on the Democrats' timing. The Chicago Tribune quotes him saying, "It's now been passed for five days" and "we're not sure why it's been so difficult to convey it one mile up Pennsylvania Avenue. ... I could walk down and pick it up today," but "the president understands that people wanted to make a political statement --fine."
The President reiterated his intention to veto the bill in a White House appearance yesterday. The AP notes Bush said, however, that "he wants to work with Democrats on compromise legislation to pay for the Iraq war but will carry through on his threat to veto" their bill. Said Bush, "I'm optimistic we can get something done in a positive way. ... There are a lot of Democrats who understand we need to get the money to the troops." The Washington Post, meanwhile, says Bush took an "uncompromising tone yesterday when he reiterated his veto promise." In an analysis piece, the Financial Times ventures that that in vetoing the bill, the President "is likely to portray the Democrats as the party of defeat in the face of what he says is the central front of the global 'war on terror.'" He will "also point to the fact that the war-funding bill, which was passed by narrow majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate last week, contains more than $20bn...of unrelated pork barrel spending."
The Tampa Tribune reports that in his visit to Tampa today, Bush "will defend the war in Iraq in an appearance at MacDill Air Force Base." He will also "participate in a briefing by officers of Central Command, which has its headquarters at the base. After the briefing, he will speak to a gathering of military officers of the nations involved in the military coalition fighting in Iraq. Bush has no other announced activities, but when he visits military bases, he typically spends at least some time meeting with military families of casualties in the Iraq war."
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A slew of negative stories coincide with this key moment in the veto fight between Bush and Congress. McClatchy reports this morning , "At least 104 US soldiers died in Iraq in April, capping the deadliest six-month period for US forces since the war began more than four years ago. ... That made April the deadliest month so far this year and the sixth deadliest of the war." The CBS Evening News, Washington Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post run similar reports. The Post says the figures underscore "the growing exposure of Americans as thousands of reinforcements arrive for an 11-week-old offensive to tame sectarian violence."
Monday's release of the State Department's annual global report on terrorism also received heavy media coverage, including nearly nine minutes of coverage on network news. Noting that it has been "almost six years since President Bush declared a worldwide war on terror," the CBS Evening News reported, "He used to say we were winning that war, but more recently, he's talked only of progress. ... But around the world, a very different story." New figures "provide a discouraging answer to the question, 'Are we winning?'" ABC World News highlighted the report's figures on Iraq and Afghanistan, which are "going in the wrong direction." However, "In percentage terms, the biggest increase in terrorism is actually in Africa, which saw a 64% increase, largely due to violence in Sudan and Nigeria." Among the report's "bright spots," attacks were "down considerably" in Europe and south Asia. Overall, ABC says the report "makes very clear" the "fact that Iraq is looking like a safe haven, or becoming a safe haven for terror attacks well beyond the borders of Iraq." The New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times and AP run similar reports.
McClatchy also reports this morning "the bitter fight over the latest Iraq spending bill has all but obscured a sobering fact: The war will soon cost more than $500 billion." That is "about ten times more than the Bush administration anticipated before the war started four years ago, and no one can predict how high the tab will go. ... What could that kind of money buy? A college education -- tuition, fees, room and board at a public university -- for about half of the nation's 17 million high-school-age teenagers. Pre-school for every 3- and 4-year-old in the country for the next eight years. A year's stay in an assisted-living facility for about half of the 35 million Americans age 65 or older."
Could GOP Unity Shatter Over "Benchmarks"? The Washington Post reports this morning, "Brushing aside White House opposition, Republican leaders in Congress said yesterday that negotiations on a second war spending bill should begin with benchmarks of success for the Iraqi government, and possible consequences if those benchmarks are not met." House Minority Whip Roy Blunt suggested that "although Republicans could not accept linking benchmarks to troop withdrawals, they could tie them to $5.7 billion in nonmilitary assistance for the Iraqi government." Blunt spokeswoman Burson Snyder "said yesterday that it would be 'premature' to rule out such a proposal." House Minority Leader John A. Boehner "took a similar tack." The AP, meanwhile, thinks the "benchmark" issue is "ripe for negotiation in an evolving veto struggle over the war, even though the administration and its critics are fiercely at odds when it comes to how -- and whether -- to enforce these so-called benchmarks for self-defense and democracy in Iraq's post-Saddam Hussein era." The Washington Times however, headlines its story, "Democrats Conceding On War Bill," and says Democrats "are slowly backing down from a standoff with the White House." On the other hand, Donna Brazile, former campaign manager for Al Gore, writes in Roll Call that she would advise Democrats "not to back down, but to use their power to help bring this war and occupation in Iraq to an end." Brazile adds, "The war is not just lost, it's over unless and until the Iraqi government begins to negotiate a political reconciliation."
Congressional Democrats continue to make headlines by pressuring Attorney General Alberto Gonzales over the US Attorney firing controversy. The Los Angeles Times reports that documents show that US Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales "delegated to his chief of staff and the department's White House liaison broad authority over 135 department positions designated for political appointees." Former chief of staff D. Kyle Sampson and liaison Monica M. Goodling have both resigned over their roles in the US Attorney scandal, but some Democrats on Capitol Hill are "troubled by the disclosure and how Sampson and Goodling might have exercised their powers." And the Washington Post reports Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty "told congressional investigators that he had limited involvement in the firing last year of eight U.S. attorneys and that he did not choose any to be removed, congressional aides familiar with his statements said yesterday." On another matter, The Hill reported that Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse "demanded Monday that Solicitor General Paul Clement make public the findings of his investigations into the firings of eight U.S. attorneys." And the New York Times notes that since the "dismissals of eight United States attorneys, local lawyers, politicians, editorial writers, members of Congress and defendants are questioning what they say is a pattern of investigating Democrats." Critics "are suggesting that the department dismissed some prosecutors to squelch corruption investigations of Republicans, while encouraging other prosecutors to go after Democrats."
Meanwhile, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove, though an elusive target, looms in the background for the Democrats, who wonder if Rove played a role in the firings, says the Los Angeles Times. Scott J. Bloch "seems to fit the profile of the 'loyal Bushie,'" but as head of the Office of Special Counsel he "is turning its investigative spotlight on the White House, in particular the political operation headed by Karl Rove."
Bush Afraid To Fire Gonzales? In an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, former Democratic Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman and an advocate of the impeachment of President Bush, says President Bush is unlikely to let Attorney General Gonzales leave office. Holtzman says at the confirmation hearing for a nominee to the job, "the Senate could demand, as it did in 1973, that a new attorney general appoint a special prosecutor, and this could again have dire consequences for the White House. ... A new special prosecutor would have many questions to investigate." Among them are the missing emails and "were any of the firings of U.S. attorneys federal crimes - such as obstruction of justice, designed to stymie investigations or to retaliate for prosecutions of Republicans?"
The "Washington Madam" story is received widespread attention in the national media, including four minutes of network news last night and articles in the major daily newspapers. The CBS Evening News reported, "In a city that runs on rumors and caters to clout, Deborah Jeane Palfrey is an emerging force. The so-called DC madam is accused of running a high-class prostitution ring, netting $2 million by providing call girls to the powerful and the connected." After "failing to sell the phone logs in an effort to raise money for legal fees, Palfrey now has given four years' worth of records to a national news organization, hoping reporters can match the numbers to names." So far, "two of Washington's powerful have been outed as alleged customers: Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias, who resigned on Friday, and Harlan Ullman, a military consultant who helped create the shock-and-awe strategy for the Iraq war." The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Toda and New York Times all cover the story, as does columnist Dana Milbank.
The Wall Street Journal reports World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, during an executive board meeting investigating ethics charges against him, told the board "he may consider resigning -- but only if the bank's board clears him of having done anything wrong when he offered a generous compensation package to his girlfriend." Similarly, the New York Times headlines its story "Wolfowitz Goes On The Attack, But Hints At A Deal," and reports "Wolfowitz's defiant response left unclear what would happen next, but many at the bank saw it as a prelude to his eventual departure." The Financial Times, USA Today, AP, Washington Post and AFP also report on Wolfowitz. Meanwhile, Nuhu Ribadu, chairman of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, defends Wolfowitz in a New York Times op-ed, and says the World Bank board "should avoid lending credence to the widespread suspicion that Mr. Wolfowitz is really being punished for his previous role in the United States Department of Defense. And it should consider the benefit Mr. Wolfowitz has brought to countries like Nigeria."
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The Politico, a DC-insider publication, reports that advisers to former Sen. Fred Thompson "have begun exploring a range of staffing options -- including talking to potential campaign managers -- as the actor and former Tennessee senator firms up his plans to enter the Republican presidential contest, according to people involved in the conversations." Advisers say Thompson has "not made a final decision but is on track to be ready to announce his candidacy in June or July." In addition, Thompson also "has begun inoculating himself against potential attacks from rivals. During a question-and-answer session with House members on April 18, Thompson was asked about his colorful dating history from 1985 to 2002, while he was divorced." Thompson replied, "I was single for a long time, and, yep, I chased a lot of women. And a lot of women chased me. And those that chased me tended to catch me." The New York Times also reports that Thompson is active behind the scenes, where he has "been consulting with his inner circle - including former Senators Bill Frist and Howard H. Baker Jr. of Tennessee and experienced Washington aides like Mark Corallo, a former Justice Department official - about how he could pull together the money and staff he would need to run." Thompson's supporters have been "reaching out privately to potential contributors" and "kicked around names of potential top campaign aides, lawyers and pollsters who might still be available given that so much of the Republican talent pool has already been scooped up."
Fred Thompson isn't the only prominent Republican still pondering the race. The AP reports that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said yesterday "he is still eyeing a run for president and can't explain polls that show him ranked near the top-tier candidates for the Republican nomination although he has not formally announced. 'It's sort of frightening sometimes,' Gingrich said. 'Sometimes the guys who aren't running are doing better than the guys who are running. Why would you want to start running if you're doing better by not running than you would if you were running? I can't explain it.'" Gingrich said that "he will not decide whether to enter the race until October following a nationwide Solutions Day workshop on Sept. 27 -- the anniversary of the Contract for America."
The Wall Street Journal reports this morning the "political winds that fanned the Perot candidacy might be blowing once again -- this time stirring talk of an independent run by another billionaire" -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is in office as a Republican with a serious independent streak. GOP pollster Frank Luntz, "who worked for Mr. Perot, and then for Mr. Bloomberg in 2001," predicts "the mayor could get as much as 25% of the popular vote." The Journal adds Bloomberg "denies he is running, although the New York gossip columns regularly quote 'friends' claiming otherwise."
A piece in today's Christian Science Monitor points out that the public will have a stunningly large number of opportunities to judge the candidates between now and the primaries. The Monitor reports, "Between now and January, barely a week or two will go by without a presidential debate. The Democrats have already staged their first, and at least 16 more are in the offing. Republican debate season will make its debut this Thursday, with so many candidates on stage (10) they'll need an extra-wide lens to capture them all. After that, expect at least 12 more forums."
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Jay Leno: "The Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias, 65-year-old married guy, who for years was President Bush's person in charge of promoting abstinence -- this guy's job was to go around and promote abstinence -- has resigned after he admitted he hired women from a Washington, DC escort service. Yeah. But he said he only used the women for massages. ... Massages. Any women buy this story? 'Honey, my neck's a little sore. You know, I'm gonna go downtown and get a hooker.'"
Jay Leno: "These were $300 an hour prostitutes -- $300 an hour -- which is pretty amazing when you realize John Edwards is paying $400, and all he got was a haircut. So that's not bad."
David Letterman: "Did you hear about the big sex scandal in Washington D.C.? Here's what was happening. The politicians apparently are visiting prostitutes. And, actually, one girl was paid with a new dam in her home state."
David Letterman: "Here's good news. The feds have arrested the madam who was in charge of the ring of prostitutes. No word yet on Osama, but they got the madam!"
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