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Saturday, November 21, 2009
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The news that ex-Sen. Fred Thompson plans to begin formally "testing the waters" for a Republican presidential run receives heavy coverage, with all three networks covering it -- two in depth -- and most major national newspapers putting the story on the front page. Coverage is generally sympathetic toward the new candidate, noting his Hollywood fame and his appeal to conservatives in the unsettled GOP race. Many reports mention Thompson's desire to evoke thoughts of an earlier actor-politician, Ronald Reagan. However, some stories have an undercurrent of doubt about, in ABC's words, Thompson's "lack of legislative accomplishments" during his Senate tenure.
ABC World News reported, "Ten Republicans are already running. How about number 11?" Thompson "lawyer, actor, former senator -- will file papers Monday to begin raising money, the first step toward candidacy. Thompson is expected to announce as early as the Fourth of July." ABC, noting his Hollywood career, added, "But playing a president is a lot easier than being one."
In a 2,000-word front-page story, USA Today says Thompson "has been coy with audiences as he flirts with a bid," but in an interview with the newspaper, he "makes it clear that he plans to run, he describes how he aims to do it. He's planning a campaign that will use blogs, video posts and other Internet innovations to reach voters repelled by politics-as-usual in both parties." In his Washington Post column, Robert Novak says Thompson suggested at a Tuesday dinner with "20 fellow conservatives, mostly journalists," that "his candidacy will be different from other Republicans, in both substance and style." Thompson "envisions a 21st-century campaign, using the Internet more and spending less than his opponents."
The New York Times, also on its front page, says Thompson's backers "hope his name recognition as an actor and radio commentator, conservative stands on issues like immigration and government spending, and strength in the South will differentiate him from the current crop of candidates." Under the perhaps inevitable headline "Thompson Prepares For Biggest Role Yet," the Financial Times also says that as a "plain-spoken southern Republican with a solidly conservative voting record," Thompson "would hope to become the consensus candidate the party is so far lacking."
The Washington Post says Thompson will position himself "as a down-home antidote to Washington politics" and will run his "campaign out of Nashville while promising leadership on a conservative agenda that will appeal to his party's base." The Post says his entry will add "a fourth candidate to the field's top tier," since Giuliani, McCain, and Romney "have struggled to win the confidence of conservative Republicans." But GOP strategists "cautioned that Thompson will need a more refined message and an error-free start to live up to the publicity surrounding his all-but-certain candidacy." The New Hampshire Union Leader also says "polls indicate he would start in the first tier of candidates."
The Los Angeles Times says Thompson "has been keeping a high profile in conservative circles and preparing behind the scenes to start a campaign. He has gathered a cadre of senior advisors that includes" former RNC political director Ken Rietz and former Federal Election Commission chairman Michael Toner. USA Today says Thompson "will have to move quickly to expand his support to catch up to his leading GOP rivals, in a race where several candidates are expected to raise as much as $100 million before the 2008 primaries."
Effect On GOP Top-Tier Candidates Remains Unclear NBC Nightly News focused on "how this affects the already crowded field." NBC (Russert): "The Fred Thompson campaign senses an unease among the top Republican contenders amongst the conservative base, and that Thompson will try to cast himself as a consistent conservative and try to fill that vacuum." Giuliani's campaign "expects their candidate will take a hit initially in the polls that some of their supporters who gravitated Giuliani will go to Thompson, feeling more comfortable with his conservative credentials, but it will also unsettle the race. If you talk to the Mitt Romney people, it says he'll hurt John McCain because he supported John McCain in 2000. And they have to raise money from similar places. McCain says, no that's not the case, he'll hurt Romney, because Romney had got some momentum, particularly in Iowa, and this now shakes up the race and makes Romney look less conservative than Fred Thompson."
Newsday says Thompson "is likely to cut into support for a prominent real-life ex-prosecutor, Rudolph Giuliani." While some analysts said Romney "has the most to lose if Thompson can pick up the conservative voters Romney is banking on," Giuliani "would suffer too if conservatives rally to Thompson's side and see in him what they have seen in the ex-mayor -- an electable candidate with the aura of celebrity." However, Giuliani backer Rep. Peter King said he "believes voters will see the difference between real life and TV when they are looking for a strong leader." King said, "Rudy had 9/11, and Fred Thompson had 'Law & Order.'"
Thompson Likely To Be On Ames Straw Poll Ballot The Politico reports Thompson will probably be on Iowa's August 11 Ames straw poll ballot "whether he wants to be or not." While "some Thompson advisers are urging him not to contest the straw poll," the event "is run by the Iowa Republican Party, and the party's members, not the candidates, decide which contenders are listed."
The Washington Post reports Sen. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney "outline their respective foreign policy visions in lengthy articles in the next issue of Foreign Affairs magazine, offering sharp contrasts on issues including the war in Iraq and climate change." Obama "calls the Bush administration's Iraq policies 'tragically misguided' and advocates a phased withdrawal of U.S. combat forces, to be completed by next March," while Romney "notes that there is 'no guarantee' that the administration's current strategy will succeed but says that 'the stakes are too high and the potential fallout too great to deny our military leaders and troops on the ground the resources and the time needed to give it an opportunity.'" The essays by Obama and Romney are available online.
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The AP reports Sen. Hillary Clinton responded to the lawsuit brought by shareholders of InfoUSA against chief executive Vinod Gupta for allowing Clinton to travel aboard company planes by saying "that she followed all Senate rules" and that her acceptance of this travel did not negate her criticisms of "corporate America's largesse and skyrocketing executive pay." Calling Gupta a "longtime benefactor," the AP notes that "Clinton's campaign has said she reimbursed Gupta at the cost of a first-class flight, typically a significant discount off the expense of a private jet."
In a New York Times op-ed called "What I Think About Evolution," Sen. Sam Brownback writes, "I suppose I should not have been surprised earlier this month when, during the first Republican presidential debate, the candidates on stage were asked to raise their hands if they did not 'believe' in evolution. As one of those who raised his hand, I think it would be helpful to discuss the issue in a bit more detail and with the seriousness it demands. The premise behind the question seems to be that if one does not unhesitatingly assert belief in evolution, then one must necessarily believe that God created the world and everything in it in six 24-hour days. But limiting this question to a stark choice between evolution and creationism does a disservice to the complexity of the interaction between science, faith and reason."
The Chicago Tribune profiles "Rep. Tom Tancredo: A Lightning Rod On Immigration." The Tribune says Tancredo's "crusade to have every illegal immigrant in the country deported and to make English the country's official language has inspired a cult following for this grandson of Italian immigrants, attracting white supremacists and PTA moms alike." While his presidential bid "is widely regarded as a long shot, the reaction he has received so far in Iowa shows his campaign can't be entirely dismissed, political analysts say."
The Boston Globe reports a Federal Election Commission draft audit says Sen. John Kerry's publicly funded 2004 presidential campaign "broke spending limits by nearly $1.4 million during his 2004 presidential bid, including some funds spent on customizing his campaign jets." The FEC "could rule that Kerry's campaign must reimburse the government." The Politico says Kerry-Edwards lawyer Marc Elias "says the campaign stayed within the limits and accused the commission's auditors of taking 'an unsupportably aggressive view of the law.'"
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The White House on Wednesday offered the US military mission in South Korea as a model for its role in Iraq. The suggestion drew skeptical treatment from the media, as well as renewed questions about the success of the Iraq troop "surge." The Los Angeles Times reports White House press secretary Tony Snow "told reporters that" President Bush "believes US forces eventually will end their combat role in Iraq but will continue to be needed in the country to deter threats and to help handle potential crises, as they have done in South Korea." The AP reports the comparison between Iraq and South Korea "was offered as the Pentagon announced the completion of the troop buildup ordered by Bush in January. The last of about 21,500 combat troops to arrive were an Army brigade in Baghdad and a Marine unit heading into the Anbar province in western Iraq." USA Today runs a brief report on Snow's comments under the headline "Bush Sees Troops In Iraq For 'Long Time,'" while the Wall Street Journal portrays the new "model" as a consequence of the possible failure of the current "surge." A "resurgence of sectarian violence and attacks on US troops, coupled with little to no progress on crucial Iraqi political goals, is already spurring discussion about whether the current strategy can succeed."
David Broder, in a column titled "Endgame Ahead," writes in the Washington Post that "the end is coming into view -- not soon enough to spare every precious life, but sooner than President Bush and Vice President Cheney may wish. The dynamic in Congress has been set in motion that will bring this war to an end -- or at least reduce the scale of American involvement and redefine the mission of U.S. troops."
Petraeus: Iraqis Must Take Opportunity ABC World News interviewed Gen, David Petraeus, who said, "Everyone is impatient, including the Iraqi leaders. And what we have to see, now, is, in fact, whether they can make the most of this opportunity that our soldiers and their soldiers are fighting and dying to give to them."
Maliki Warns Of Iraqi Army Coup Schemes The CBS Evening News interviewed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki, who said, "I have to watch the army because those still loyal to the previous regime may start planning coups. Those people don't believe in democracy and for that reason we are monitoring the status of the army very carefully."
Current and former Bush administration communications officials tell the US News Political Bulletin that they now believe they relied too heavily on traditional media and the White House press corps to get out the President's message about the broader war on terrorism and the booming economy. "We didn't use the new tools of communication" like the Internet, blogs and mobile technology, said a former key official. As a result, added another official, the President's message was filtered through the mainstream press which eventually got bored with the story and stopped reporting the President's repetitive messages. "You've got to use the new tools. They can reach far more people than TV or the papers," said an administration official. "A video on the Internet or some blogging can reach millions and we should have played with that much more," said the official. White House insiders, however, dismissed the complaints, mostly from former communications officials, claiming that they have worked with bloggers and non-traditional media but that the tide has turned against them.
The White House lessons are being played out on the 2008 presidential campaign where several former Bush aides are working for GOP candidates who are relying more on Internet and blog-based communications than the traditional TV ads and national press corps. "We've got to learn to communicate in a different way," said an advisor to likely GOP candidate Fred Thompson.
After Monica Goodling, a former Justice Department aide, testified last week that she "crossed the line" by using political affiliation as a criteria for hiring decisions, the DOJ inspector general and other ethics officials have expanded their investigation. USA Today reports Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine and Counsel Marshall Jarrett of the Office of Professional Responsibility, "which investigates misconduct within the agency, sent a letter to Congress on Wednesday saying they are also looking into the program for hiring entry-level lawyers and summer interns." The Los Angeles Times says the "expanded investigation also appears to reflect concerns among a growing number of career employees at the Justice Department who have suggested that politics have compromised the hiring process at the department during the Bush administration." And the Washington Post says the "widening inquiry is likely to pose an additional challenge for Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales." While the US attorney "dismissals have prompted wide political criticism, improper hiring practices could be deemed a violation of the law."
McClatchy reports it "couldn't be determined whether the Goodling inquiry will be expanded to include what direction she received from higher-ups within the department or the White House. The announcement Wednesday, however, indicated that the internal inquiry is looking more broadly at charges of politicization across the department." The New York Times runs a similar report.
Pattern Seen In Minnesota Case The Los Angeles Times reports that by the time Minnesota US Attorney Tom Heffelfinger "resigned last year, his office had collected a string of awards and commendations from the Justice Department. So it came as a surprise -- and something of a mystery -- when he turned up on a list of U.S. attorneys who had been targeted for firing." But "part of the reason, government documents and other evidence suggest, is that he tried to protect voting rights for Native Americans."
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In what has become a rare occurrence, a proposal by President Bush yesterday is earning praise from almost all corners. NBC Nightly News reported Bush "says he wants to double America's commitment to fighting AIDS in Africa." Bush is asking Congress "to authorize an additional $30 billion for his AIDS program over a period of five years." ABC World News called Bush's proposed funding increase "dramatic." Under the headline "Bush AIDS Plan Gets Bipartisan Praise," the Washington Post says Bush's proposal "was met yesterday with broad support uncommon in Washington. International aid organizations, advocacy groups and members of Congress from both parties offered praise for the proposal -- even if some argued that the proposed increase is insufficient." The AP notes Bush also "announced that his wife, Laura, will visit four African countries -- Zambia, Mali, Mozambique and Senegal -- that have benefited from the U.S. program and report back to him on her findings. The trip will take place June 25-29." USA Today says Bush's proposal "comes a week before he and other leaders will discuss AIDS and Africa at the Group of Eight summit of leading industrialized nations."
Among the few who criticized Bush plan, says the Los Angeles Times, was Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee, who "said the government should also boost spending on malaria and tuberculosis, and on related efforts that are not part of the program but could bolster the fight against HIV/AIDS, including education, nutrition, water, food security and healthcare workers." Praising Bush's announcement, meanwhile, was Bono. USA Today reports "the Grammy-winning rock star sang Bush's praises Wednesday" in a phone interview from Morocco.
The New York Times reports White House counselor Dan Bartlett "said the president was convinced America's image in the world would improve because" of initiatives like this one.
Jenna Bush's Book On AIDS-Stricken Girl The Washington Post reports in its "Reliable Source" column that Bush twin Jenna "completes her transformation from party girl to global activist this weekend when she starts the promotional rounds for her book, 'Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope.'" Bush, 25, will "appear Saturday at N.Y.C.'s BookExpo America, meeting with booksellers to spike sales and generate buzz." A "peek at the 296-page advance manuscript shows a strong narrative as Bush traces the life of a 17-year-old Panamanian girl living with HIV-AIDS."
In the wake of the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision to limit employees' ability to sue for pay discrimination, the AP says congressional Democrats have pledged to reverse the outcome of the case through legislation. The decision is also generating significant media criticism, with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's outspoken dissent drawing positive media coverage. The New York Times reports that both in "the abortion case the court decided last month and the discrimination ruling it issued on Tuesday," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg "read forceful dissents from the bench." Ginsburg "may have concluded that quiet collegiality has proved futile and that her new colleagues, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., are not open to persuasion on the issues that matter most to her."
The New York Times says in an editorial, "The Supreme Court struck a blow for discrimination this week by stripping a key civil rights law of much of its potency. ... Fortunately, Congress can amend the law to undo this damaging decision. It should do so without delay." The Washington Post writes "Ginsburg is clearly right on the policy: It's impossible for every victim of pay discrimination to know and take action within 180 days. Congress should adjust the law accordingly." And the Los Angeles Times editorializes that Ginsburg "attempted to call the court's attention to those real-world facts." Congress is "left to act because the Supreme Court has read the law so rigidly that it has misread life."
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The late-night political shows were reruns last night.
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