advertisement
Saturday, July 11, 2009
advertisement
Though the Senate voted Monday 69 to 23 to move forward with its immigration reform debate, media reports this morning suggest its prospects for passage are increasingly becoming uncertain. The Washington Post reports the vote "masked deep troubles from the right flank of the Senate, as well as from the left.," and McClatchy refers to it as "a wobbly starting point, as critics in both parties readied dozens of amendments for the ensuing days of debate on the bill." Senators "quickly acknowledged they would be unable to finish work before leaving on a Memorial Day recess at the end of the week, a delay that could widen divisions as senators return home to face constituents." The Hill describes the coming barrage of proposed changes to the bill a "tsunami of amendments," with similar assessments appearing in the Washington Times, Los Angeles Times, New York Times and USA Today.
ABC World News also said the debate made it clear "there will be no quick or easy passage of an immigration reform bill." Likewise, the CBS Evening News reported that if Monday's debate "is any indication," passing the bill "may be a lot easier said than done." The compromise "began to be picked apart." Yet at least for now -- the lawmakers who crafted the compromise are sticking together. Roll Call reports that while none of the senators involved in crafting the compromise "has shown any signs of defecting from the deal," nonetheless some "rank-and-file Members could find it particularly difficult to withstand a weeklong assault from partisan organizations during next week's recess." USA Today runs a similar story focusing on Arizona's Sen. Jon Kyl, titled, "Kyl Catches Grief Over Compromise."
In addition to the expected attacks on the legislation from both the left and the right, employers also appear to have reservations about it. And the Wall Street Journal says that "divide over the measure among the nation's employers could undermine its chances of becoming law. From the moment the White House and key lawmakers struck a tentative deal on immigration last week, it was clear that not all employers were on board." Employers "like farmers, restaurateurs and construction contractors who rely heavily on unskilled workers generally support the deal, but high-tech industries that need skilled workers complain that it doesn't give them the flexibility to recruit workers with the specific mix of skills they need." Another Wall Street Journal piece says "business groups worried that the worker-verification requirements of the bill would put a huge new responsibility on employers who have grown reliant on immigrant workers, even while national policy allows relatively few of them to live and work here legally." The Washington Times runs a similar story under the headline "Worker-verification Rules Hit As Burdensome To Businesses," while The Hill notes several of the changes to the bill supported by business groups.
Other negative stories on the legislation: The Washington Times reports, "Americans favor stronger border security and enforcement of existing immigration laws before any new immigration rules take effect, according to polls." And the New York Times says tougher enforcement, and particularly a border fence, meanwhile, would be bad for the environment. Environmentalists, it appears, "have spent decades acquiring and preserving 90,000 riverfront acres of Texas scrub and forest and protecting their wildlife. Now they fear that the hundreds of miles of border fences will undo their work and kill some land animals by cutting them off from the Rio Grande, the only source of fresh water." A fence "could also prevent the ocelots and other animals from swimming across the river to mate with partners on the other side."
McCain Tees Off On Fellow Republican The immigration debate is drawing some unfavorably coverage for at least one presidential candidate. The CBS Evening News reported GOP Sens. John McCain and John Cornyn "were reportedly yelling at each other" over the immigration bill, with McCain "apparently cursing like a sailor." The Los Angeles Times reports the story under the headline "McCain's Temper Back On Campaign's Front-Burner." Says the Times, "An angry, profane exchange between...McCain and another Republican senator last week prompted a new round of questions Monday about whether McCain's legendary temper is becoming a liability to his campaign for the presidency." Cornyn "accused McCain of being too busy with his campaign to take part in the negotiations, prompting McCain to utter 'F... you.'" McCain spokesman Danny Diaz "acknowledged Monday that a 'spirited exchange' had taken place, but said news reports had exaggerated its intensity." The Times adds, "McCain has shouted at people for any number of reasons, including errors of judgment, disagreements on public policy and even how to set up a podium. 'In McCain's world, there aren't legitimate differences of opinions,' said David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, which differs with McCain on some issues. 'There is his way and there is evil. That is how he approaches issues. That is one of the reasons for conservative nervousness about him.'"
The AP, AFP and Los Angeles Times this morning report that President Bush called Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki yesterday to discuss progress in Iraq. But even as the President continues to urge support for his "surge" strategy with public attention focused on the showdown between the White House and the Democratic Congress there are indications that some key players are looking ahead to a "post-surge" world. David Ignatius, in his Washington Post column, quotes a "senior official" who discloses "Bush and his senior military and foreign policy advisers are beginning to discuss a 'post-surge' strategy for Iraq that they hope could gain bipartisan political support." The new policy "would focus on training and advising Iraqi troops rather than the broader goal of achieving a political reconciliation in Iraq, which senior officials recognize may be unachievable within the time available." The "revamped policy, as outlined by senior administration officials, would be premised on the idea that, as the current surge of US troops succeeds in reducing sectarian violence, America's role will be increasingly to help prepare the Iraqi military to take greater responsibility for securing the country."
Iraqi leaders also appear to be looking ahead. The CBS Evening News reported last night Iraq's defense minister said "he's drawing up contingency plans just in case the United States makes a quick pullout from Iraq." USA Today says it was "unclear" whether Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul-Qader al-Obeidi's comment "referred to routine contingency planning or reflected a feeling among Iraqi leaders that the days of US support may be numbered even though President Bush blocked an effort by Congress to set a withdrawal timetable." The Washington Times runs a similar report.
The Democrats' "Grudging Concessions" The AP reports, "In grudging concessions to President Bush, Democrats intend to draft an Iraq war-funding bill without a timeline for the withdrawal of US troops and shorn of at least some of the billions they want for domestic programs, officials said Monday." The legislation "would include the first federal minimum wage increase in more than a decade, a top priority for the Democrats who took control of Congress in January, the officials added." The Los Angeles Times says dropping the pullout language is "a significant concession to the president and his Republican allies on Capitol Hill, who steadfastly have rejected any dates for bringing U.S. troops home." But "it reflects the simple mathematics of a closely divided Congress in which Democrats cannot muster veto-proof majorities for any proposal that would compel a pullout." Roll Call, meanwhile, reports "Democratic aides" said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi "likely would draft a beefed-up version of a Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) proposal that won 52 votes -- including those of eight Democrats -- in the Senate last week." The Warner proposal, "which GOP aides said was written in consultation with the White House, lays out a series of political and security benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet and would allow President Bush to withhold reconstruction funding if they are not met. The plan also requires Bush to report to Congress in July and September on the Iraqis' progress."
Kerrey: Iraq "The Primary Battleground" Bob Kerrey, "a former Democratic senator from Nebraska and member of the 9/11 Commission," writes in the Wall Street Journal that "American liberals need to face these truths: The demand for self-government was and remains strong in Iraq despite all our mistakes and the violent efforts of al Qaeda, Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias to disrupt it. Al Qaeda in particular has targeted for abduction and murder those who are essential to a functioning democracy: school teachers, aid workers, private contractors working to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure, police officers and anyone who cooperates with the Iraqi government. Much of Iraq's middle class has fled the country in fear." Kerrey adds, "The key question for Congress is whether or not Iraq has become the primary battleground against the same radical Islamists who declared war on the US in the 1990s and who have carried out a series of terrorist operations including 9/11. The answer is emphatically, 'yes.'"
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
The selection of a "war czar" has caused the Bush Administration a minor headache. Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, the White House choice after several high profile rejections, has won solid praise from people who know him. Nonetheless, having the search and the rejections break into the media was an embarrassment for the Administration. A potentially much larger headache lies on the horizon, however: Lute will require Senate confirmation. As the "czar," Lute would presumably be giving directions to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who currently outrank him. A Senate GOP leadership source tells the US News Political Bulletin that "the Senate controls the numbers of generals, approves promotions for generals, etc.," and the czar will need Senate confirmation.
Confirmation hearings for Lute could easily turn into a high-volume, sustained attack on the Administration and the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq. Republicans who might otherwise provide some political cover at those hearings are growing increasingly impatient with the war as well, and the appointment of a "czar" at this point in the war and the Administration's tenure is widely viewed as too little, too late. Indeed, the confirmation hearings could provide the first public forum for Republicans to express their disillusionment with the war and the President. As a result, there has been some quiet talk about considering making the position a White House staff job that would not require Senate confirmation, though it may require Lute to give up his military career.
As the Senate prepares for a possible vote of no-confidence on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, President Bush came to his defense one more time and this time he also took some shots at Congress. NBC Nightly News reported "the White House felt the President had to go out there and say something pretty tough today." Bush was shown saying, "There's been enormous amount of attention on him that -- there has been no wrongdoing on his part. He has testified in front of Congress. And I frankly view what is taking place in Washington today as pure political theater." The Washington Times says Bush also "implied that the Democrat-controlled Congress was too busy engaging in partisan witch hunts to do more serious work. 'I stand by Al Gonzales, and I would hope that people would be more sober in how they address these important issues,' the president said." The New York Times quotes Bush saying of Congress, "They ought to get the job done of passing legislation as opposed to figuring out how to be actors on the political theater stage.'" Bush's comments, adds the Times, "seemed aimed at some fellow Republicans, five of whom have called on Mr. Gonzales to resign. Others have expressed reservations about his leadership." The Los Angeles Times, AP and USA Today run similar stories.
The Washington Post reports "Bush's latest remarks came in response to a bid by Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for a Senate vote of no confidence in Gonzales as early as this week. Reps. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) and Artur Davis (D-Ala.) introduced a similar measure in the House yesterday." Schumer said yesterday, "The president should understand that while he has confidence in Attorney General Gonzales, very few others do."
Roll Call, meanwhile suggests the "no-confidence" vote may not be held as early as some would like. The "problem," says the Capitol Hill newspaper, "is Democrats are unlikely to get cooperation on the resolution from Republicans, who could throw numerous procedural hurdles in their way as the Senate tries to leave town Friday. So if Democrats want to pursue the nonbinding resolution, they will have to begin the lengthy process of filing cloture resolutions as early as possible for a final vote to occur by the end of this week." And it doesn't look like Senate Democrats are prepared to take those first steps today."
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) yesterday kicked off his presidential campaign, not in Iowa or New Hampshire or even his home state, but in Los Angeles, where he sought to play up his Hispanic roots. The AP reports Richardson "officially entered the presidential race Monday with a naked appeal to Hispanics, saying in an interview that it's 'rudimentary politics' to make sure the country's fastest growing voting bloc knows he's one of them." Richardson "announced his candidacy in both English and Spanish from the heart of the U.S. Hispanic population and the nation's most delegate-rich state. The event was held about 10 miles from where Richardson was born in 1947 and spent just a few hours before returning to Mexico City, where he was raised by an American father and Mexican mother." The LA Times reports, "The staging of the announcement emphasized his ethnicity. County Supervisor Gloria Molina hosted the announcement, and Richardson said in Spanish that he hoped to be the first Latino president of the United States. Richardson focused on his resume, one of the most wide-ranging among the major candidates. He served seven terms representing New Mexico in Congress, and was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Energy secretary in the Clinton administration."
The New York Times reports Richardson highlighted "his Hispanic roots and wealth of experience" and issued "a forceful call to end American involvement in Iraq." Breaking with "some of his fellow candidates, including Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, on the war, Mr. Richardson pledged to 'leave no troop behind in Iraq.'" Richardson "plunged into the immigration issue - which some other candidates have only delicately addressed - saying that 'no fence ever built has stopped history.'" He added "that the immigration measure now before Congress was a 'step in the right direction' but criticized provisions that would require illegal immigrants to revisit their home countries as a condition of gaining American citizenship." USA Today adds Richardson said he "was banking on foreign policy expertise and appeal to Hispanics as he formally entered the crowded Democratic presidential field with bilingual remarks in Los Angeles on Monday." The networks -- ABC World News, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News -- each briefly covered Richardson's announcement.
Richardson Said To Face Difficulty In Touting Hispanic Heritage In an op-ed in the LA Times this morning, Dan Schnur, A USC and Berkeley professor who was communications director for John McCain's presidential campaign in 2000, writes that one of the problems facing Richardson is that it is not obvious that he is Hispanic. Schnur writes Richardson's "problem" is that "Latino voters don't know he's Latino. And although there's no guarantee that they will vote for him simply because of his ethnicity, his trailblazing endeavor would certainly bring him a much greater share of attention from the nation's fastest-growing minority community once they do find out." Schnur adds, "Richardson himself can be blamed for much of the unfamiliarity with his ethnic background. Although his mother's maiden name was Lopez, he has rejected advice throughout his career to campaign under her surname. He looks less like Benicio del Toro or Antonio Banderas and more like John Belushi."
Ignoring the threatened loss of many of its delegates to both party conventions, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) yesterday signed a bill moving the state's primary to January 29, jumping ahead of the "Super Duper Tuesday" primary on February 5, and putting it just behind New Hampshire. NBC Nightly News says the move makes Florida "one of the earliest and easily most powerful primaries in the nation behind only the Iowa and Nevada caucuses and the New Hampshire primary." The AP says the move "could dramatically alter the candidates' strategies as they vie for votes in a state that is seen as a microcosm of the nation." The state's primary "is now behind only the Iowa and Nevada caucuses and the New Hampshire primary and on the same day as South Carolina's Democratic primary."
The AP adds that DNC spokeswoman Stacie Paxton "said the committee was working out a separate plan with the state party, such as a caucus, to avoid penalties." The RNC "has warned it will strip 50 percent of Florida's delegates if the state's primary is moved. 'The rules are inflexible, and it doesn't matter who is running the RNC. Those rules will be enforced,' national party chairman and Florida Sen. Mel Martinez said Friday." The South Florida Sun-Sentinel says that Crist "indicated that he would press national Republican leaders to change their rules to accommodate Florida -- starting with the Republican National Committee chairman," Sen. Martinez.
The April fundraising reports are out for the big party fundraising committees that are so vital for recruiting House and Senate candidates and financing their runs, and the news is grim for the GOP as it looks to stage a comeback from 2006. CQ reports that the GOP's House campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee, brought in $3 million in April and finished the month with $1.6 million on hand and $7.3 million in debt. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee brought in $2.3 million, but finished with $9.4 million in cash on hand and $5.2 million in debt.
On the Senate side, the National Republican Senatorial Committee brought in $2.1 million and had $3.5 million in cash with no debt. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee brought in $4.6 million, had $12.1 million on hand, but $5.5 million in debt.
The sole bright spot for the GOP is the Republican National Committee's fundraising. The RNC brought in $7.4 million last month, compared to $4 million for the Democratic National Committee. The RNC now holds an $8 million lead in cash-on-hand over its Democratic rival.
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
Jay Leno: "The price of gas just keeps going up. Gas is so expensive today I saw Jimmy Carter and President Bush carpooling."
Jay Leno: "Senator John McCain and Texas Senator John Cornyn recently got into a heated match, yelling at each other over the details of this new immigration bill, arguing about immigration. Ironically, you know how it ended? Mexican standoff."
David Letterman: "In a recent interview Jimmy Carter lashed out with unprecedented criticism of the current Administration's policies. But George W. Bush will not respond with his own criticism of the Carter Administration because he believes such attacks are inappropriate and also because he can't remember anything from the years 1977 to 1981."
Conan O'Brien: "The president of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, came to America today to check into a weight loss clinic, because he's dangerously obese. Apparently, Talabani is the only Iraqi these days worried about dying of natural causes."
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
Sponsored By: |  |
Click image for larger view.
Smart analysis, insightful reporting, in-depth perspective—in a new, digital format.
Log in | Buy Now | See sample
View sample page 2View sample page 3View sample page 4View sample page 5advertisement
Get your POLITICALBULLETIN
Click image for larger view.
Smart analysis, insightful reporting, in-depth perspective—in a new, digital format.
Log in | Buy Now | See sample
View sample page 2View sample page 3View sample page 4View sample page 5Embed exclusive U.S. News headlines, rankings, columns, and blog postings to your Web site, blog, or social network.
advertisement
Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
