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Tuesday, May 29, 2012
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Most political commentators believe Rudy Giuliani had a very good night in Columbia, SC, where the GOP presidential field met for a second debate. The key moment, according to many, was Giuliani's emotional response to a statement by Rep. Ron Paul, who appeared to suggest US foreign policy was responsible for the 9/11 attacks. The State reports that during a question about the war in Iraq and Sept. 11, Paul "said the United States was attacked because of its bombing of Iraq while it was subject to sanctions. Giuliani interrupted the next question to take issue with Paul. 'I've never heard that before,' Giuliani said, calling Paul's comments 'absurd.' 'I'd call on the congressman to retract that statement and tell us he didn't mean it.'" But "an unapologetic Paul said U.S. actions in the world have consequences and cause 'blowback.'" That "sequence allowed Giuliani to speak to his post-9/11 strengths as a candidate in a night that also saw him chastised by Fox News' Chris Wallace for not answering a question on abortion." The Rock Hill Herald also says the "biggest fireworks were triggered" by the Paul-Giuliani exchange, while the AP says Giuliani's rebuke to Paul "drew some of the loudest applause of the night from the partisan audience."
On CQ, Craig Crawford writes "Giuliani found a memorable way to dish it back for one of the biggest applause lines of the night. After enduring more than a hour of various jabs at his moderate-to-liberal social views, Giuliani bounced back as the debate turned to his strongest topic: the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which were aimed most catastrophically at his home city." Giuliani "stole the show." Long Island Newsday reports "Giuliani's Republican rivals beat up on him Tuesday night over abortion and immigration, but Giuliani gave as good as he got -- repeatedly invoking the 9/11 attacks and even the specter of Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton to plead for party unity in hopes of keeping Republicans in the White House." He "won the biggest applause of the night by interrupting the moderators to demand that...Paul of Texas take back a comment."
On the website of the conservative National Review, Mona Charen said Giuliani "had an 'I'm paying for this microphone' moment: By responding with fury to Ron Paul's basically blame-America explanation for 9/11, he seized the moment. What he said wasn't especially insightful or original, but the emotional content was pitch perfect." Yuval Levin said, "This was Giuliani's night." Romney and John McCain "made almost no errors, and said what they needed to say, but Giuliani did more than that. He took command on several occasions, and whenever he was called on he had something sharp to say." Kathryn Jean Lopez said Giuliani "did so much better Tuesday night than he did last time -- for one thing, this time I had the sense he actually is in it to win it." Pat Toomey wrote, "All Around Winner: Rudy Giuliani for acknowledging the Club for Growth as the arbiter of economic conservatism. All Around Loser: John McCain. McCain did not give conservatives any reason to get behind his campaign."
Similarly, National Review's Editor in Chief Rich Lowry, on NRO's The Corner, wrote that the exchange "probably means Rudy won this debate." National Review's Kate O'Beirne adds, "Giuliani was most in tune with the audience's desire. He criticized Democrats in general and Hillary in particular. His quick, indignant response to Ron Paul on 9/11 was the night's soundbite that made him America's Mayor again. He had a good night, but so too did Mitt Romney."
In a post-debate interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, Giuliani said his attack on Rep. Paul "was sincere and it came from the heart. ... It reminded me of the Saudi prince who gave me the $10 million. He did the same thing. 'This is America's fault, the way America has outraged the world.' It's real simple what happened: These people came here and killed us because of our freedom of religion, because of our freedom for women, because they hate us. All we have to do is look at last week and these people in Fort Dix who are still here planning to kill us, three of them illegal immigrants. ... The reality is, if you are confused about this, I think you put our country in much greater jeopardy. The reality is, these people are planning to kill us...and this is hard for people to recognize, I usually hear this on the Democratic side. ... I never expected to hear it in a Republican debate."
In other action, USA Today reports "the sharpest exchange came between" Romney and McCain. Romney "said he feared McCain would do for immigration what the Arizona senator's campaign-finance law has done for politics and money 'and that's bad.'" McCain, "who would allow many illegal immigrants to become citizens, shot back that he has consistently favored limits on money in politics and opposed abortion: 'I haven't changed my position in even-numbered years because of the position that I may be running for.'" It was "a reference to Romney's shift in recent years from supporting to opposing abortion rights." The Los Angeles Times also considers that exchange "one of the liveliest."
The night did not all go Giuliani's way, however. The Washington Post reports Giuliani "confronted head-on the issue that has dogged him since the group's first debate last month: how to stay true to his long-standing support for abortion rights without being rejected by the party's most socially conservative voters. ... 'There are people, millions and millions of Americans, who are of as good conscience as we are, who make a different choice about abortion,' said Giuliani, who this week declined to answer a reporter's question about when life begins. 'You have to respect that.'"
A new poll out this morning from Gallup shows Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton maintaining their leads in their respective party primaries. Clinton leads the Democratic field with 35%, followed by Barack Obama, 26%; Al Gore, 16%; and John Edwards, 12%; all other candidates were at 2% or less. On the GOP side, Giuliani leads with 29%, followed by John McCain, 23%; Fred Thompson, 12%; Mitt Romney, 8%; and Newt Gingrich, 6%, with all other candidates at 2% or less. The poll interviewed 1,003 adults from May 10-13.
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A new Zogby International poll out last night shows Mitt Romney and John Edwards leading their respective fields in Iowa, although both races remain extremely tight, particularly on the GOP side. Edwards leads the Democrats with 26.3%, followed by Hillary Clinton, 23.9%; Barack Obama, 22.4%; Bill Richardson, 6.2%; Joe Biden, 3.8%; the rest of the field was at 1% or less, while 16.2% were undecided. Without Gore in the race, Edwards still leads with 24.3%, but Obama vaults Clinton, taking 22.5% to her 21.3%. On the GOP side, 18.5% said they would back Romney, followed by McCain, 18.3%; Rudy Giuliani, 18.1%; Fred Thompson, 8.9%; Tommy Thompson, 4.1%; and Chuck Hagel, 2.5%. However, if you add Newt Gingrich to the mix, he draws 7.7% and puts McCain narrowly on top with 17.5%, followed by Romney, 17.2% and Giuliani, 16.4%. The poll surveyed 511 Democratic caucus-goers and 478 Republican caucus-goers.
A new poll out this morning from Quinnipiac University shows Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton leading their respective primary fields, while general election trial heats show a very tight race in this critical state. Clinton holds a wide lead in the Democratic field with 38%, followed by Barack Obama, 19%; John Edwards, 11%; Al Gore, 10% with the rest of the field at 2% or less. Giuliani has a narrower lead with 23%, followed by John McCain, 17% and Fred Thompson, 15%. Romney takes fourth with 11%, while the rest of the field is at 2% or less.
In general election match ups, Obama is the strongest Democratic contender, while on the GOP side, Giuliani appears the Republican's best bet for retaining the state that put George W. Bush over the top in 2004. Giuliani narrowly tops Obama, 43%-42%, but leads Clinton (47%-43%) and Gore (48%-40%) by wider margins. McCain edges Clinton (45%-44%) and Gore (45%-42%), but trails Obama (44%-41%).
The media's coverage of yesterday's passing of the Rev. Jerry Falwell has been notably restrained and respectful. In general the both print and broadcast reports on Falwell give a positive spin to his career as televangelist and political organizer. The coincidence of Falwell's death coming on the day of the first GOP presidential debate in the so-called "bible belt" gave journalists an opportunity to reflect on his influence in the context of GOP presidential politics. Last night, the CBS Evening News reminded viewers that Falwell "founded the Moral Majority in 1979 and promptly started raising hackles on the left and millions on the right. In the process he got millions of his followers to register to vote and contributed to landslide wins for Ronald Reagan." CBS aired footage of Sen. John McCain saying, "Reverend Falwell was a great man. He built a great university and got millions of people involved in the political process. ... I'm particularly grateful personally, that Reverend Falwell reached out to me in spirit of Christian reconciliation. We healed our differences and worked together for the good of the country." According to the Washington Times McCain "clashed with Mr. Falwell during the 2000 presidential campaign when he called him and other evangelical leaders 'agents of intolerance." The Hill noted that yesterday McCain "was the first of the major Republican presidential candidates to issue a statement of condolence." NBC Nightly News reported that in South Carolina, Falwell "was eulogized by Republican Presidential hopefuls." Rudy Giuliani was shown saying, "We all have great respect for him." NBC's Tim Russert noted McCain "gave the commencement at his Liberty University last year. This Saturday, Newt Gingrich is giving the commencement." The New York Times says former governor Mitt Romney called Falwell "an American who built and led a movement based on strong principles and strong faith."
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As if the Administration didn't have enough fires to put out, yesterday former Deputy Attorney General James Comey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about a bizarre incident in 2004, when he was serving as acting attorney general while his boss John Ashcroft was hospitalized. The AP reports Comey "thought President Bush's no-warrant wiretapping program was so questionable that he refused for a time to reauthorize it, leading to a standoff with White House officials at the bedside of the ailing attorney general." After the White House "recertified the program without the Justice Department's signoff" Comey, Ashcroft, FBI Director Robert Mueller and other Justice Department officials "considered resigning." The "dramatic hospital confrontation" came about when Alberto Gonzales, then White House counsel, and former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card went to see the ailing Ashcroft in an attempt to get him to overrule Comey. Ashcroft rejected their overtures and deferred to Comey's judgment.
In his Washington Post column, Dana Milbank writes, "As if...Gonzales didn't have enough trouble, now comes word that, before coming to the Justice Department, Gonzales preyed on the infirm." Recounting Comey's description of the night's events, Milbank notes that "he got FBI Director Robert Mueller to tell his agents guarding Ashcroft not to let Card and Gonzales evict Comey from the room."
The Washington Post reports in a front-page story, "In vivid testimony...Comey said he alerted FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III and raced, sirens blaring, to join Ashcroft in his hospital room, arriving minutes before Gonzales and Card. Ashcroft, summoning the strength to lift his head and speak, refused to sign the papers they had brought. ... The sickbed visit was the start of a dramatic showdown between the White House and the Justice Department in early 2004 that, according to Comey, was resolved only when Bush overruled Gonzales and Card."
USA Today notes Comey "said the end-run angered him. 'I thought I just witnessed an effort to take advantage of a very sick man.'" The New York Times reports that, according to Comey's testimony, President Bush eventually intervened just in time to "avert a crisis over the National Security Agency's domestic eavesdropping program." The Washington Times characterizes Comey's testimony as "riveting."
Reflecting the general sentiment expressed by most news accounts, NBC Nightly News reported that "the details revealed today could spell new trouble for Gonzalez." According to McClatchy, "the revelations dealt a new blow to Gonzales' efforts to keep his job," and "Comey's testimony also raised new questions about the administration's repeated assurances that the monitoring program has been conducted legally and that Americans' constitutional right to privacy has been fully respected." The Los Angeles Times says Comey's testimony "added fuel to the debate about whether Gonzales is fit to run the Justice Department."
Under the headline "Old Episode Could Haunt Gonzales," the Wall Street Journal contends that "the new details underscore a divide between administration lawyers who argue that the law places limits on presidential powers, and those such as Mr. Gonzales, who prefer to push the limits of executive authority. ... Critics seized on the episode to bolster claims that Mr. Gonzales puts loyalty to President Bush ahead of fealty to the law." Bloomberg quotes Republicans Sen. Arlen Specter, who "said the confrontation 'has some characteristics of the Saturday Night Massacre' during the Nixon administration when top Justice Department officials resigned rather than fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox. Specter also said yesterday's announcement that Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty will resign provided 'evidence that the department really cannot function with the continued leadership or lack of leadership of Attorney General Gonzales.'"
Roll Call adds that "instead of running out of steam as Gonzales stubbornly hangs on to his job, the investigation into what Democrats call the 'politicization of the Justice Department' shows absolutely no signs of faltering on Capitol Hill. In fact, after...Comey's dramatic testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning, the probe instead may be gaining momentum." The Washington Post, in an editorial, writes, "the straight-as-an-arrow former No. 2 official at the Justice Department...offered...an account of Bush administration lawlessness so shocking it would have been unbelievable coming from a less reputable source. ... That Mr. Gonzales is now in charge of the department he tried to steamroll may be most disturbing of all."
After a lengthy search, President Bush has appointed Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, to serve as "war czar." Observers noted Lute's appointment is noteworthy because he opposed the Iraq troop surge, and because he is a relatively junior member of the Pentagon brass. On its front page, the Washington Post says "in choosing Lute, Bush picked a key internal voice of dissent during the administration review that led to the troop increase." National security adviser Stephen J. Hadley "said Lute raised his concerns during talks before his selection." In an interview with the New York Times, Hadley said Lute had raised questions about whether "Iraqi security forces would step up and contribute what they were supposed to do," and whether the Iraqi government was committed to political reconciliation and providing economic resources. "We developed a strategy that we thought answered those questions," Hadley said, adding, "He's saying that he supports the strategy, very clearly supports the strategy."
USA Today notes the job "had been widely characterized by military officers and the media as a 'war czar,'" but White House spokesman Tony Snow "rejected that designation for Lute. 'He's assistant to the president,' Snow said. 'It's designed to coordinate activities.'"
The Wall Street Journal reports Lute's selection "caps a long and embarrassing administration effort to find a senior official willing to take the job." But the Financial Times says critics believe the move is "unlikely to reverse the US's sliding fortunes in either war zone."
Last night ABC World News opened its broadcast last night by noting "late into this evening there has been a deal under discussion that might, and we emphasize might, pass Congress, get the President's signature and produce a path to citizenship for the 12 million immigrants now in this country illegally." ABC's George Stephanopoulos added, "There are still some people on the left that don't like the guest worker provisions and some of the family unification provisions. This deal could still fall apart. It could come together as early as tomorrow. One of the key negotiators, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, when he left the meeting, said the chances of the deal are 80/20." According to the AP, Senators and White House officials "said an elusive compromise was in sight," but "with details changing rapidly, it was unclear whether the talks would result in a breakthrough or a meltdown." Roll Call quotes Sen. Mel Martinez, who "said...progress was being made on the details but staff needed to spend the coming hours drafting language to a prospective bill." Sen. Arlen Specter "agreed Tuesday night that progress was being made, but 'there are still a few issues outstanding.'"
However, according to the New York Times, "even as Democrats made concessions to Republicans adamantly opposed to any kind of amnesty, they risked alienating longtime supporters of the Democratic Party, including labor unions and Hispanic groups that wanted legislation tilted more toward the rights of immigrants. ... Senate Republicans, meanwhile, said they were apprehensive about starting floor debate on immigration because they did not know details of the bill being negotiated." The Hill adds that "between immigrant-rights groups wary of provisions seen as too punitive and anti-legalization groups leery of any plans seen as amnesty, senators in the bipartisan talks are under tremendous pressure. Even if a deal does emerge, backlash from both sides of the emotional divide over immigration could imperil the Senate's progress." USA Today, in an article titled, "Bush, Kennedy join forces over immigration law," reports, "As he presses for legacy-building immigration legislation, President Bush finds himself aligned with the same unlikely ally who helped enact his first major domestic initiative. That would be Sen. Edward Kennedy...who played a crucial role in crafting and passing the No Child Left Behind Act, the president's massive effort to overhaul education policy."
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Jay Leno: "I don't want to say gas is expensive, but in Beverly Hills, they just opened Armani 76 station."
Jay Leno: "Tonight, the Republican presidential candidates had a big debate. We usually call that the 'Thrilla in Vanilla.'"
David Letterman: "I'm happy to report that Vice President Dick Cheney has returned to the Middle East and he certainly straightened that mess out. He...made a stop in Egypt on his way home. Apparently, Halliburton wants to rebuild the pyramids."
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