Political Bulletin

WASHINGTON NEWS

Media Split On Who Won Senate Battle To Cut Off Iraq Funds

The Senate on Wednesday voted 67-29 to defeat a resolution calling for an end to funding for the war in Iraq. Despite the lopsided margin, media analysis on what the vote means, on "who won," is curiously split. To some, it was a victory for Democrats almost a watershed moment for the anti-war forces, an indication that support for the Iraq mission is weakening. USA Today, for example, says the vote "masked growing impatience within both political parties over President Bush's handling of the four-year conflict." The Financial Times calls the vote "a reflection of the growing opposition to the war on Capitol Hill," and ABC World News said that "each time the Senate votes, the sentiment for a quick withdrawal seems to get stronger." What was "considered radical just a few months ago on Capitol Hill is now mainstream Democratic thought. Today, a majority of Senate Democrats voted to withdraw all US combat troops from Iraq within four months, with all troops gone by next March." Along similar lines, The Hill reports "the Senate yesterday edged closer to a bipartisan rebuke of...Bush's war policy," with "a majority of Democrats" supporting "a hard timeline for ending the war."

For others, the vote was bad news for Democrats, an indication that Senate Democratic leaders remain unable to muster even a bare majority for their Iraq policy. The New York Times says congressional Democratic leaders "signaled today that they were ready to give ground to end an impasse with...Bush over war spending after the Senate soundly rejected a Democratic plan to block money for major combat operations in Iraq beginning next spring." The Washington Post also sees the vote as "underscoring the lingering divisions within the Democratic Party over how hard to push...Bush to end the war. Despite heavy public opposition to the conflict, 19 Democrats broke with their party's antiwar leadership to oppose cutting off funding by March 31, 2008."

Likewise, the Wall Street Journal says Democrats "struggled to find a path to end weeks of confrontation with...Bush over emergency war funding through Sept. 30," and the Washington Times reports, "Twenty-eight Democrats and one independent supported the measure, far shy of the significant showing that Mr. Reid had predicted would propel Congress into a 'position of strength' in war-funding negotiations with the White House." In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal writes "Democrats in the Senate yesterday demonstrated, once again, that they neither have the votes for withdrawing US troops from Iraq nor a real policy on the war."

Meanwhile, the AP says that in addition to rejecting Feingold's proposal, "the Senate opposed a Republican proposal intended to restrict US aid for Iraq if Baghdad failed to implement certain political and security reforms. The proposal was the strongest GOP challenge yet to Bush's Iraq policy, but Democratic leaders railed against it as too weak." The Wall Street Journal says the GOP measure, authored by Sen. John Warner, demanded "a series of reports from the White House." It "won over only eight Democrats" and was "likened by Mr. Reid to 'weak tea.'"

Clinton Appears To Equivocate On Iraq The AP notes Sen. Hillary Clinton "voted Wednesday to advance legislation cutting off money for the Iraq war, then refused to pledge to support the measure if it came to a vote, then said she would. At lunchtime, the New York senator and presidential candidate was asked repeatedly by reporters whether she favored the troop withdrawal legislation that had just come up for a procedural vote on the Senate floor. Her answer: 'I'm not going to speculate on what I'm going to be voting on in the future. I voted in favor of cloture to have a debate.'" The AP adds, "By supper time, she had a different answer. 'I support the underlying bill,' she said. 'That's what this vote on cloture was all about.'" The campaign of Sen. Christopher Dodd "quickly criticized Clinton's evolving -- and possibly revolving -- statements." The New York Times also notes the confusion about Clinton's remarks, and the Dodd camp's rebuke.

Moderate Democrats Not Persuaded By Bush The Washington Post reports that last week, on the same day that President Bush met with a group of House Republicans worried about the impact of the Iraq war on their party, he "reached out to about 15 moderate and conservative Democrats seeking support for a war spending bill with few restrictions on the administration's Iraq strategy." But "the president made little progress at the May 8 meeting. The Democrats expressed concern to Bush about the course of the war and urged scaling back US involvement. They found Bush cordial but not particularly receptive."

Iraqi Vote Could Torpedo GOP War Support The Politico reports some key Republican supporters "of President Bush's Iraq war policy said this week that if the Iraqi parliament calls for the withdrawal of US troops, their position could change dramatically." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, "I want to assure you, if they vote to ask us to leave, we'll be glad to comply with their request."

Saddam's Sarin May Have Caused Brain Defects In US Troops The New York Times reports that scientists working with the Pentagon "have found evidence that a low-level exposure to sarin nerve gas -- the kind experienced by more than 100,000 American troops in the Persian Gulf war of 1991 -- could have caused lasting brain deficits in former service members." The results are preliminary, but the study "is notable for being financed by the federal government."

DOJ Considered Firing At Least 26 US Attorneys

Under the front-page headline "Justice Weighed Firing 1 In 4," the Washington Post says the Justice Department mulled the dismissal of "many more U.S. attorneys than officials have previously acknowledged." Sources "familiar with documents withheld from the public" said at least 26 prosecutors were considered for axing, contradicting Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' testimony last week that "the effort was limited to eight U.S. attorneys fired since last June." The Post says it is "unclear how many knew they had been considered for removal." When Sen. Charles Schumer, "perhaps the most outspoken critic of the way Gonzales handled the prosecutor dismissals," was shown the lists, he said, "When you start firing people for invalid reasons, just about anyone can end up on a list. It looks like the process was out of control, and if it hadn't been discovered, more would have been fired."

A McClatchy report says that two others US attorneys, in Colorado and Florida, were considered for dismissal. McClatchy notes that in both states, "allegations of voter fraud and countercharges of voter intimidation have flown in recent years. ... That brings to nine the number of battleground election states where the Bush administration set out to replace some of the nation's top prosecutors." The Christian Science Monitor writes that while the "furor over the firing of US attorneys now has swirled for months," as yet "there seems no clear answer to a simple question: Who drew up the list?" The Politico and other sources report former Gonzales aide and DOJ White House liaison Monica Goodling will testify next Wednesday, May 23, before the House Judiciary Committee.

DOJ Finds Just Two Rove E-Mails Inside the A section, the Washington Post reports DOJ told the Senate Judiciary Committee that "a search of e-mails sent over 2 1/2 years turned up a single message in which the department's senior officials communicated with White House adviser Karl Rove about the dismissals" of the prosecutors. McClatchy says DOJ officials told the committee "that they'd searched high and low for all the e-mails to, from or copied to" Rove. In addition to the Feb. 28, 2007 message cited by the Post, McClatchy says DOJ also found an e-mailed copy of a newspaper article published the same day about the US attorneys case.

Leahy Threatens To Subpoena White House In his blog for The Politico, John Bresnahan wrote Wednesday afternoon that Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy "is threatening to issue subpoenas to the White House unless the Bush administration turns over information in its possession" about the dismissals.

Hagel Wants Gonzales To Go The AP reports Sen. Chuck Hagel "became the fourth Republican senator to call for Gonzales' resignation" Wednesday. Hagel, a frequent Bush Administration critic, has recently been making noise about a possible third-party presidential run. Sen. Pat Roberts also said Wednesday that Gonzales "should consider stepping down."

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Immigration Deal Could Be Imminent

A long-sought agreement between the White House and Senate negotiators on an immigration reform package may finally become a reality today. The Wall Street Journal says the two sides have narrowed their differences "to a point where they hope to announce a final deal" today on legislation that could hit the Senate floor next week. The main measure "promises millions of undocumented workers already in the US a path to citizenship." But to quell conservative complaints that this amounts to amnesty, "the new measure offers a series of political tradeoffs that address other concerns on the right: chiefly border security and chain migration."

The Washington Post says under the plan, undocumented workers who entered the US before this year "would be offered a temporary-residency permit while they await a new 'Z Visa' that would allow them to live and work lawfully here." The visa "would be renewable indefinitely, as long as the holder passes a criminal background check, remains fully employed and pays a $5,000 fine, plus a paperwork-processing fee." The Washington Times adds that the White House, wooing Democratic support, "is backing away from safeguards designed to target businesses that hire illegal aliens." Republicans "are pleading with the Bush administration to hold firm on the safeguards."

"50-50" Or "90%"? The deal isn't done yet. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "said Wednesday that he remains skeptical a deal can be reached by Monday," Roll Call reports. Reid "gave a settlement a '50-50 chance' of being brokered." But the New York Times says GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, "one of the more optimistic negotiators, said, 'There's a 90 percent chance that we will get a deal this week.'"

Wolfowitz To Withdraw From World Bank?

The Paul Wolfowitz saga may be drawing toward its close. The embattled World Bank president "began discussing possible terms for his resignation" Wednesday, the Financial Times reports. While the White House "was publicly standing by Mr Wolfowitz, his position looked tenuous." The New York Times says World Bank officials "said they were increasingly hopeful that a solution was in sight." A White House "signal" Tuesday that a "possible resignation" could be discussed become "more of a quid pro quo on Wednesday, with the talks focusing on his exoneration in return for an actual resignation." USA Today reports Wolfowitz's departure "would include an acknowledgment from the bank that he doesn't bear sole responsibility for the controversy surrounding a generous pay package for his girlfriend," according to an unnamed official.

The Washington Post says the Bush Administration "spent much of yesterday trying to broker a graceful end" to the controversy. But, the Post says, Wolfowitz himself "said he would not leave, insisting on a measure of vindication. On a day full of rumors, counter-rumors and closed-door meetings, the Wolfowitz saga turned into an only-in-Washington standoff." But the White House, while "sympathetic to Wolfowitz's plight," has "appeared less willing by the day to spend political capital on him."

The Los Angeles Times quotes a "bank source" saying, "We're in the endgame. He may be denying it, but he is resigning." The Wall Street Journal reports that even if Wolfowitz leaves, "a looming succession fight threatens to prolong what has become a debilitating crisis for the poverty-fighting agency." Also, "the bank's next chief will have to rebuild its credibility among the countries it serves."

Administration Split Three Ways In another story, the Financial Times says the Bush Administration "has been bitterly divided" into three camps over how to handle the resignation calls. A group led by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson has sought Wolfowitz's resignation for some time, while a group led by Vice President Cheney and Karl Rove has opposed it, arguing that the resignation push is merely "a European campaign to take revenge" on Wolfowitz for his role in the invasion of Iraq. A third camp, "which includes a number of mid-level operatives in the White House who were described as 'non-ideological conservatives,' as well as -- at times -- Josh Bolten, the White House chief of staff," believes a prolonged crisis hurts President Bush. That group, recently joined by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, is now pushing for Wolfowitz to go.

Berger Agrees To Forfeit Law License

The Washington Times reports Clinton national security adviser Samuel R. Berger, "who was caught taking highly classified documents from the National Archives, has agreed to forfeit his license to practice law." Berger, whose document theft was discovered during the investigation of the 9/11 Commission, thereby "avoids being cross-examined by the Board on Bar Counsel, where he risked further disclosure of specific details of his theft." Republicans question whether Berger was truthful about his initial explanation of the incident, and see the forfeiture as evidence that he has not told the full story.

Rove Aide Said To Be Seeking Immunity

In his Washington Post column, Robert Novak downplays the significance of some "disturbing news" regarding Karl Rove. Susan Ralston, former executive assistant to Rove, "is requesting immunity to testify before Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman's investigating committee." Ralston is a former assistant to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and "for Waxman, she is a link between" Abramoff and Rove. However, Novak says, Ralston "appears to be seeking immunity for self-protection rather than nailing her former boss."

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CAMPAIGN NEWS

Disclosures Show 2008 Candidates A Wealthy Lot

The Washington Post reports this morning in a front page story that "running for president is a pursuit for the wealthy, according to personal financial disclosure forms released yesterday that show that at least 10 of the major party candidates are millionaires and, collectively, the field of contenders is worth at least a quarter-billion dollars." Overall, though, the filings remain incomplete, as both Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton requested extensions in their time to file. Rudy Giuliani brought in more than $11 million last year, mostly in speaking fees and has investments worth at least $20 million. John Edwards brought in over $7 million last year, mostly in investment income from his $29.5 million portfolio.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Edwards "earned a $479,000 salary in 2006 working for Fortress Investment Group LLC, a New York-based hedge fund, according to financial disclosure forms released yesterday." Edwards, whose "campaign is rooted in an appeal to working-class voters, has faced questions about his time spent at the high-paying fund catering to wealthy investors before formally launching his campaign." Edwards and his wife "also hold investments in several Fortress fund pools, the largest of which is valued at between $1 million and $5 million, according to the forms that were filed to meet a May 15 deadline."

The Chicago Tribune reports the "poorer man among the top tier of presidential candidates is Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who scraped by last year on an income of just under $1 million."

Richardson To Kick Off Bid In LA On Monday

The AP reports that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), "who has been campaigning for weeks for the nation's highest office, plans to announce officially Monday in Los Angeles that he is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination." Richardson "will make his announcement at the Los Angeles Press Club. The choice of a West Coast primary underscores the growing importance of California and its Feb. 5 primary on the nomination process." The Washington Post adds that at the end of last year, Richardson "announced that he would form a committee to explore a presidential bid. In January he announced that he had, in fact, created such a committee. Now he will get a third bite of the apple with his official announcement. By declaring in the heavily Latino city, Richardson will underscore his Hispanic heritage -- and acknowledge a growing segment of the electorate."

McCain's Health Seen As Possible Issue

The Los Angeles Times reports Sen. John McCain's "wooden movements, along with his age and appearance, are creating an impression about McCain's health that could be a liability for the Arizona Republican as he tries to persuade Americans to elect him president." McCain "brings to the campaign a body and mind with some heavy wear and tear, including a couple of bouts of cancer and the effects of years of torture." If elected, McCain "would be the oldest person in history to enter the White House, and if he served two terms he would leave office an octogenarian." When "life spans are lengthening and people in their 80s are running companies and marathons, McCain's age in itself shouldn't be an issue, some experts say." But McCain's "health, much like his politics, is a complex matter."

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McCain-Romney Conflict Emerges From Debate

A new dynamic is emerging in the GOP primary a battle for 2nd place between John McCain and Mitt Romney. The Washington Post reports a "feud that has been brewing quietly for months burst into the open Tuesday night" as Romney and McCain "clashed sharply in a Republican presidential debate in South Carolina." With Rudolph W. Giuliani "emerging as the leader in national polls, McCain and Romney -- who see each other as the biggest obstacle in their respective paths to the GOP nomination -- have remained largely fixed on one another. On Tuesday night, the bad blood between the two broke into public view with an exchange over who is the more consistent conservative." Their "war of words continued yesterday as the Republicans broke camp in South Carolina and headed back to the campaign trail."

DNC Announces Details Of Six Sanctioned Debates

The Democratic National Committee yesterday announced the official dates for its six sanctioned primary debates. The AP gives "the debate schedule: July 23, Charleston, S.C., televised by CNN. Aug. 19, Des Moines, Iowa, televised by ABC. Sept. 26, Hanover, N.H., televised by MSNBC/NBC. Oct. 30, Philadelphia, televised by MSNBC/NBC. Nov. 15, Las Vegas, televised by CNN. Dec. 10, Los Angeles, televised by CBS." The Washington Post notes that the schedule "became something of a controversy earlier in the year when several Democratic candidates dropped out of a debate that was to be hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus and the Fox News Channel, after many Democratic activists argued that the network has a pro-Republican bias."

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POLITICAL HUMOR

The Latest From Late Night Comedians

Jay Leno: "Last night the ten Republican presidential candidates held a debate on Fox News. ... They all answered some tough questions. Rudy Giuliani had to answer for his position on abortion, and John McCain had to answer for his support of immigration reform, and Mike Huckabee had to answer the question, 'Who are you?'"

David Letterman: "They had another Republican candidate presidential debate last night. Did you see those guys? Did you see the Republican candidates? I mean, they looked like the evil law firm in a John Grisham movie."

David Letterman: "Apparently there are rumors coming out of Washington that Vice President Dick Cheney, when he was the CEO of Halliburton, he used to go visit prostitutes. This could explain why one girl was paid $2 billion."

Conan O'Brien: "I don't know if you saw it, but during last night's Republican debate, Mike Huckabee got a big laugh when he said that Congress has been spending money like John Edwards at a beauty salon. Yeah. Yeah, then Huckabee got an even bigger laugh when he said he's running for president."

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