Political Bulletin

WASHINGTON NEWS

Putin's Missiles Blow Up G8

President Bush's plans for his trip to Europe for the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany have been overshadowed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has threatened to target European cities if the US deploys a missile defense system. The Cold War-style threat led NBC Nightly News last night, which reported US officials "insist the shield to be deployed on Russia's doorstep in the Czech Republic and Poland is designed to intercept a missile from Iran and poses no threat to Russia."

The Christian Science Monitor reports, "Even at the height of the cold war, the shouting match between East and West was seldom cranked up to its current level." ABC World News reported that last week, Russia "tested a new missile that Mr. Putin said could penetrate any US defense system, saying that the US risks a return to the cold war." The CBS Evening News reported, "Economics and the environment were supposed to top the agenda there, but the President's Russian counterpart has another idea." Putin has "already hijacked the agenda for the upcoming G8 summit in Germany." It "also gives Putin a way to further erode Mr. Bush's low standing in Europe." McClatchy reports Bush will "spell out Tuesday his vision of a new missile-defense system that he wants to build in Europe that is fraught with controversy over whether it can work technically, is needed strategically and is worth the large economic and political costs it's already incurring."

Fox News' Special Report reported that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "reminded Putin his country 'isn't the Soviet Union and we need to drop the rhetoric that sounds like what the United States and the Soviet Union used to say about each other.'" The Washington Times reports the White House said Putin's "threat to aim missiles at Europe was an undue escalation of rhetoric and called his latest salvo 'not helpful.'" The AP reports President Bush's European trip "was jarred as it began Monday by deteriorating relations with Russia and threatening words" from Putin." The New York Times reports State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in Washington that "Russia's concerns - and its threat to target European sites - would not lead the United States to cancel the missile program, and he rejected the idea that it could lead to a new arms race."

The Los Angeles Times reports President Bush is "seeking to restore the United States' relations with some of its most important allies and move beyond the divisiveness of the Iraq war." The Washington Post reports Russia is "angry over U.S. plans for a Europe-based anti-missile system and allies on the Continent are pressing Washington to back U.N. action on global warming." The New York Times reports Bush and Putin "appear likely to use a meeting in Germany this week to focus on the one area where they appear to share a common interest: slowing Iran's ability to produce nuclear fuel." The Wall Street Journal reports the "rifts" on missile defense and global warming "underscore how the G-8 sometimes has come up short in addressing complex economic problems and how, some experts say, its meetings have increasingly become occasions for short-term crisis management and political theater."

USA Today reports Bush's "hopes for Iraq's future can be seen in the group he'll meet with" in Prague on Tuesday, "human rights and pro-democracy activists from Iran, North Korea and about a dozen other authoritarian regimes." Former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky, "a sponsor of today's Conference on Democracy & Security, has been an inspiration for Bush."

Opposition To Radar Base Grows In Czech Republic. The Washington Times reports opposition "to President Bush's missile-defense plan is growing in the Czech Republic, with critics in the nation's evenly divided parliament campaigning against the effort ahead of Mr. Bush's arrival yesterday." The plan, which "would station a radar base in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in neighboring Poland, is expected to dominate a brief summit this morning with Mr. Bush, President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek."

Americans Oppose Immigration Deal

USA Today reports a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll "finds that Americans who have an opinion about" the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform deal are "overwhelmingly opposed." By "nearly 3-1, those who have a view say they're against the compromise supported by Senate Democratic leaders and President Bush." But 58% "of those surveyed say they don't know enough about the legislation to favor or oppose it."

Meanwhile, the Washington Times reports the Congressional Budget Office says the Senate's "immigration bill will cut annual illegal immigration by just 25 percent, and the bill's new guest-worker program could lead to at least 500,000 more illegal aliens within a decade."

Still, supporters of the bill remain hopeful they will be able to move it through the Senate. The Los Angeles Times reports as members "returned to the Capitol on Monday after a weeklong recess, supporters of an immigration reform bill expressed guarded confidence it would pass despite raging conservative criticism." Supporters believe "the greatest threats facing the bill this week will come from amendments offered by two former members of the group who now oppose the legislation."

On CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight, Sen. Jon Kyl said the legislation "might not even move to conference. ... We may make sure that if, in fact, it passes the Senate, that something in the form of a killer version does not pass the House or at least if it does, it's not taken up by the Senate. There are procedural ways of keeping this thing as close to the basic agreement that was reached as possible."

The New York Times reports the point system, "one of the most significant features of the Senate immigration bill, will be at the heart of the debate as Congress resumes work on the legislation after a weeklong recess. It has already stirred passions because it would profoundly change the criteria for picking future immigrants." The plan is "provoking strong opposition from leading Democrats, who say it smacks of social engineering and reflects a class bias."

Border Patrol Faces Doubts About Force The Christian Science Monitor reports border patrol agents' use of lethal force is "a part of border security that has lately been a bone of contention between agents in the field and top managers, especially now that border violence is on the rise and US agents are at greater risk of coming under attack." At the "center of the storm over use of force are two border patrol agents in west Texas who, in January, began serving prison time for shooting and wounding a drug smuggler as he fled toward Mexico and then covering up evidence." For "field agents, the case goes deeper, chilling both their willingness to use deadly force and their morale, says T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents 11,000 nonsupervisory personnel at the agency."

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Congressman Faces Corruption Charges

ABC World News reported that on Monday, "nine-term Rep. William Jefferson," a Louisiana Democrat, "became the first sitting member of the House to face charges under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act." The government says Jefferson engaged in corruption spanning years and continents, including the first time any US official has been charged with bribing a foreign leader, a former Vice President of Nigeria." The AP notes, "The indictment lists 16 counts, including racketeering, soliciting bribes, wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy." The "schemes were complicated and Jefferson set up front companies to hide the money and disburse it to family members, prosecutors said. 'But the essence of the charges are really very simple: Mr. Jefferson corruptly traded on his good office and on the Congress,' said Chuck Rosenberg, the U.S. attorney in Alexandria."

The CBS Evening News added, "Republicans call the scandal 'Freezer Burn' because of the $90,000 in FBI sting money found hidden in Jefferson's freezer two years ago. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. ... The FBI has tracked about $500,000 in cash payments received, saying Jefferson sent bribe proposals and bills in writing, often on Congressional letterhead and e-mails." NBC Nightly News reported, "Prosecutors claim Jefferson turned his Capitol Hill office into a personal profit center and even discussed taking a bribe in a congressional dining room." In a front-page story, the Washington Post also reports that the charges "capped a long and tumultuous FBI investigation" and recounts the controversy surrounding the FBI search of Jefferson's office. The New Orleans Times-Picayune says Jefferson "faces a maximum of 235 years in prison if convicted on charges of racketeering, fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice."

USA Today said the "long-awaited charges marked a setback for Democrats, who gained control of Congress after making political corruption an issue in last year's election." In a statement yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "said of the indictment: 'If these charges are proven true, they constitute an egregious and unacceptable abuse of public trust and power.'" The Hill also says the indictment "shifts the criminal focus in Congress to the Democrats, who won the November elections partly by campaigning against what they called a Republican 'culture of corruption.'" House GOP Leader John Boehner called for the House Ethics Committee to examine whether Jefferson "should be expelled."

The New York Times notes Democratic leaders in the House "moved quickly to distance themselves from Mr. Jefferson, with some lawmakers calling for his resignation." In an editorial, the Washington Post joins them, saying that while "corruption on this scale isn't unheard of," Jefferson's "alleged activities are nonetheless sickening." The Post adds that House Democrats should strip Jefferson of his committee assignment, and he "should do what he ought to have done some time ago, which is to step down."

Wyoming Senator Dies At Age 74

The Washington Post /AP reports Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas, "a three-term conservative Republican who stayed clear of the Washington limelight and political catfights, died yesterday. He was 74." Thomas' family "issued a statement saying he died Monday evening at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda."

The New York Times reports that because Thomas' seat "will remain in Republican control, the balance of power in the Senate will not shift." The Politico also reported the story.

The Hill reports once Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat, "is formally notified of the vacancy, he will contact the state central committee of the outgoing incumbent's party - in Thomas's case, the Republicans." The GOP state central committee chairman "will then have 15 days to conduct a meeting to select three names of candidates who would satisfy constitutional requirements." Those names "will then be given to the governor, who will have five days to select one of them for a temporary appointment."

Roll Call reports the "individual chosen by the governor to fill the remainder of Thomas' term will only serve until November 2008, giving the seriously threatened Senate Republican Conference another seat to protect in a cycle when they already are defending nearly twice as many seats as the Democrats."

Bush Expected To Veto Spending Bills

The Hill reports appropriations lobbyist Gerald Warburg "has the following message for clients awaiting federal money: Expect vetoes." After "years during which the administration saw nary a bill it didn't like, the president's efforts to remain relevant and his success in keeping a timetable for withdrawal out of the Iraq spending bill by using his veto pen likely will set up a series of budget battles this year." The Washington Post reports congressional Democrats "are pursuing billions in new domestic spending, setting up another clash with President Bush, who has threatened to veto any measures that exceed his budget."

House Democrats Cut Bush Defense Request

The Hill reports House appropriators "are seeking to trim President Bush's requests for non-war defense spending and foreign operations," but they "want to increase social spending in the Labor-Health and Human Services spending bill by almost 9 percent more than Bush requested." Bush had "proposed a 10 percent increase" in discretionary defense spending, "to $463 billion. Appropriators have allocated $459 billion, 0.8 percent less than Bush's proposal."

Democratic Congress' Approval Falls

The Washington Post reports in a front page story that the "growing frustration with the performance of the Democratic Congress, combined with widespread public pessimism over President Bush's temporary troop buildup in Iraq, has left satisfaction with the overall direction of the country at its lowest point in more than a decade, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll." Almost "six in 10 Americans said they do not think the additional troops sent to Iraq since the beginning of the year will help restore civil order there." Just "39 percent said they approve of the job Congress is doing, down from 44 percent in April, when the new Congress was about 100 days into its term." Bush's "overall job-approval rating stands at 35 percent, unchanged from April."

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CAMPAIGN NEWS

Clinton, Obama Tied In New Poll

USA Today reports Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama "are essentially tied for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, the first time that the New York senator hasn't clearly led the field." Obama leads Clinton by a single percentage point, 30%-29%, if the contest includes former vice president Al Gore, who takes 17%, followed by John Edwards at 11%. Clinton tops Obama by 37%-36% if Gore is not included, while Edwards takes 13%. The survey was conducted Friday through Sunday.

Rudy Remains On Top Among Republicans On the GOP side, Rudy Giuliani continues to lead with 32%, followed by John McCain, 19%; Mitt Romney, 12%; Fred Thompson, 11%; and Newt Gingrich, 8%. Without Gingrich in the race, Giuliani's lead over McCain expands to 35%-20%.

Democrats Profess Faith

The top three Democratic presidential candidates attended a forum yesterday held by the Democratic-leaning Christian group, the Sojourners. Unlike a lot of events of this sort, there were actually some tough questions asked of the candidates. Newsday reports that Hillary Clinton "says faith helped her cope with Bill Clinton's infidelities - and suggested that the support of 'prayer warriors' gave her the strength to stay with her straying husband. CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien stunned the audience at a forum on faith and politics last night by asking the former first lady if religion helped her cope with the 'very public' humiliation of the president's politically damaging and personally devastating affairs." The AP reports, "In a rare public discussion of her husband's infidelity," Clinton "stood by her actions in the aftermath of former President Clinton's admission that he had an affair, including presumably her decision to stay in the marriage." Clinton is quoted saying, "I am very grateful that I had a grounding in faith that gave me the courage and the strength to do what I thought was right, regardless of what the world thought."

A second AP story reports John Edwards "said Monday he prays - and sins - every day, as he appeared in a unique forum where the three leading Democratic presidential candidates talked about the deeply personal topic of their faith." The crowd "gasped loudly when moderator Soledad O'Brien asked Edwards to name the biggest sin he ever committed, and he won their applause when he said he would have a hard time naming one thing." Edwards said, "I sin every single day. We are all sinners and we all fall short."

McCain, Romney Clash Over Immigration

The Chicago Tribune reports amid "growing concerns among conservatives over securing the country's borders," Sen. John McCain yesterday "clashed" with Mitt Romney "about whether the current Senate plan to reform immigration law will work." On the eve of a Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire, McCain, "speaking in Florida, suggested that Romney and his other GOP rivals for the presidency are exacerbating the problem by opposing the 'imperfect but effective' compromise solution now on the table - a view that echoes President Bush's recent lobbying efforts for the plan." McCain "charged that the bill's opponents are making American borders less secure by insisting on tough reforms that cannot pass Congress." In remarks to the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, McCain said, "I would hope that any candidate for president would not suggest doing nothing. And I would hope they wouldn't play politics for their own interests, if the cost of their ambition was to make this problem even harder to solve." The Tribune adds Romney "fired back immediately, arguing in a statement that McCain's approach 'falls short of a workable solution to an important problem' and calling for a plan that doesn't provide 'special incentives' for immigrants who disobey U.S. law."

The Miami Herald reports McCain "chose South Florida turf replete with immigrant success stories to pick a fight Monday with Republican rivals who oppose legislation allowing illegal workers to earn citizenship." The speech "to more than 200 people at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables was the Arizona senator's most extensive remarks on the bill since Congress took it up last month, setting off a firestorm in the GOP and on the campaign trail." McCain's "dispute on immigration with his leading rivals may help him recapture the anti-establishment image that fueled his last campaign. At the same time, he has received political cover from some of the bill's prominent supporters, including President Bush, former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida."

Fox News' Special Report reported McCain has "come out swinging against his GOP rivals on the subject of immigration reform." His "defense of the proposed bipartisan bill, which the President has endorsed, appeared to be aimed at one Republican candidate in particular" Romney. McCain was shown saying, "To want the office so badly that you would intentionally make our country's problems worse might prove you could read a poll or take a cheap shot, but it hardly demonstrates presidential leadership."

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POLITICAL HUMOR

The Latest From Late Night Comedians

Jay Leno: "A security guard at the airport actually let the tuberculosis guy come back into the country, because the guard thought he looked okay. He's on a quarantine list, and the guard said he looked okay. They find an extra ounce of shampoo in my carry-on bag -- 'Hey! Hey! Hey!'"

Jay Leno: "There are three new books out this week about Hillary Clinton, one for each of her positions on the Iraq war."

David Letterman: "The authorities busted up that plot, they were going to blow up the pipeline to JFK. ... It turned out the guys doing it" were "homegrown terrorists. ... Who says President Bush hasn't created new jobs?"

David Letterman: President Bush's "approval rating is very low. ... Right now, he's less popular than that tuberculosis guy."

Conan O'Brien: President Bush "met with the Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek. Or, as Bush likes to call him, 'Hey, Slugger.'"

Craig Ferguson: "The Democrats had a big debate last night. Hillary Clinton and John Edwards got into a heated argument about foreign policy, and then had slap-fight over who has prettier bangs. Of course, Edwards won."

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