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Thursday, November 26, 2009
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President Bush plans what USA Today calls a "rare trip to Capitol Hill" tomorrow. His objective: to try and revive the bipartisan immigration agreement. Reports suggest it will be an uphill fight for Bush and his allies, and several stories place the immigration fight in the context of the many thorny domestic policy battles awaiting the President on his return from Europe. NBC Nightly News, for example, says the President "flies to Washington tomorrow to face another tough week here at home." NBC also notes the "rare visit to the Capitol," and quotes Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, one of the President's point men on immigration, saying, "We've got to get this through. The status quo is just unsustainable, it's dysfunctional. So no, this is alive and well and we are determined."
ABC World News said Bush "will be greeted by a host of political problems" on his return -- among them the President's effort to "win over Republicans who oppose anything that smells to them like amnesty for illegal aliens." USA Today quoted Sen. Mel Martinez, chairman of the Republican National Committee, saying, "The fact that he's coming to the Hill is kind of dramatic and shows his dedication to this issue." The Christian Science Monitor considers "How To Revive Immigration Bill," saying the President "needs to convince skeptics on both sides of the aisle that the government can be trusted to enforce the law."
The Washington Times reported Saturday that the White House released President Bush's weekly radio address a day early "to insert Mr. Bush, who is traveling overseas, into the public debate over the bill." The AP said Bush said in the address, "Securing the border and upholding family values are not partisan concerns. They must be addressed, and this bill is the best way to do it."
The New York Times focuses on the Democrats, saying they "opened the door to reviving the stalled immigration measure on Sunday, calling on Republicans to resolve their internal divisions and produce an agreement on how to move the legislation forward." A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Reid "would be willing to try again if Republicans agreed to a defined number of amendments and a time limit on debate." Under the headline "Prospects Bleak For Senate Immigration Revival," Roll Call takes it a step further, saying Reid "promised to revisit the bill." But senators from both parties "cast doubt on their ability to bridge the divide that stymied the bill last week." U.S. News and World Report says "supporters pledge that the bill is only, in the words of Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, 'on life support,' not dead, but agreement between and even within the parties on immigration remains elusive. Experts say Congress has likely lost its last chance to attempt serious immigration reform until 2009."
The Los Angeles Times says the White House, "calling the measure 'alive and well,'" blamed Reid "for prematurely abandoning efforts to get the bill passed." On Fox News Sunday, White House spokesman Tony Snow said, "Rather than doing finger-pointing, if Harry Reid is committed to this -- and this is an historic bill dealing with a problem that a lot of people think has to be solved, and it's got to be solved in a smart way -- why not go ahead and set aside those two days for debate? I think you're going to find the Republicans and Democrats are willing to do it."
On Friday night, ABC World News said the "blame game is in full swing. Republicans said they could have had a deal come together, if Harry Reid had just given them another night to put it together. Democrats say they gave the Republicans every chance, but conservatives were determined to vote no." The New York Times said on Sunday's front page that the Senate bill "sparked a furious rebellion among many Republican and even some Democratic voters, who were linked by the Internet and encouraged by radio talk show hosts."
House Won't Act Without Senate Passage In another report, Roll Call says the "implosion" of the Senate bill last week "has frustrated members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus who were counting on the Senate to pass a bill -- even one they find to be overly harsh -- to get the ball rolling in the House." Roll Call says the House is "unlikely to move forward unless the Senate can resuscitate the bill" over the next few weeks. House Democratic leaders "could push through a bill but don't want to ask Members to take a tough vote unless there is a decent chance it will result in law."
U.S. News and World Report says Rep. Jeff Flake, a conservative who is "one of the most vocal House Republicans backing comprehensive immigration reform," has been "inundated with calls from critics. Flake had hoped his immigration bill, which is similar to the Senate's 'grand bargain' but provides a route for temporary workers to gain citizenship, would serve as the foundation for the House's efforts. But the Senate vote last week against cloture most likely puts the bill in dry dock."
Bush's Capitol Hill Influence Waning The Saturday Los Angeles Times said the "collapse" of the bill was due in part to Bush's "enfeebled clout on Capitol Hill" -- a view echoed by the same day's New York Times under the headline "As Senate Deal Sinks, So Does Bush's Power." The New York Times said the bill's woes indicate a "stubbornly unshakable dynamic for President Bush in the final 19 months of his term: With low approval ratings and the race to succeed him well under way, his ability to push his agenda has faded to the point where he can fairly be judged to have entered his lame duck period." The Washington Post also said Saturday that while "congressional aides and GOP strategists said it was unfair to blame Bush alone, the collapse of the immigration bill late Thursday was a reflection of the weakened state of his presidency."
President Bush's poll numbers may be at historic lows here at home but they adore him in Albania. Bush was there yesterday, and ABC World News reported he "was mobbed by eager Albanians, many of them waving American flags in the baking sun." Bush is "so beloved" in that country that "they recently put his face on postage stamps, named a street after him and now there's new talk of hundreds of mothers naming their sons George." USA Today contrasts Bush's welcome in Albania with "the crowds at the G-8 summit, where thousands of protesters filled the streets leading to Heiligendamm."
According to the CBS Evening News, Albanians "are grateful to Bush for his support for making Kosovo and its mostly Albanian population independent of Serbia." That is "why this mostly Muslim country named streets after George W. Bush and why Albania has returned the support with several hundred troops in Iraq." The Christian Science Monitor takes the long view, contending that "the roots of Albanian pro-American sentiment, people here say, date to Woodrow Wilson's support of the country's independence after World War I and were cemented during the 1999 NATO intervention in Kosovo." The New York Times notes Bush was "treated like a rock star" as the "superlatives flowed so freely" that he "looked a tad sheepish" when Albanian President Berisha proclaimed him "the greatest and most distinguished guest we have ever had in all times." The Washington Post reports the reception "must have been especially heartening for Bush, whose vow to foster liberty around the world has faced repeated setbacks in Iraq and elsewhere, and triggered an anti-American backlash in many places." The Financial Times, Washington Times and Los Angeles Times run similar reports.
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The Washington Post reported Sunday that "a White House failure to move quickly to fill judicial openings around the country is fueling concern among conservative allies that President Bush may miss an opportunity to use his final months in office to continue putting his stamp on the federal judiciary." While Bush "enjoyed great success in installing conservative jurists in his six years in office," he now faces the "'double whammy' of a Senate controlled by Democrats on one hand, and senators of his own party determined to play a greater role in judicial selections on the other."
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, whose hawkish views on the war on Iraq have set him apart from his Democratic colleagues, on Sunday backed taking military action against Iran to punish that country for aiding Iraqi insurgents. On CBS's Face the Nation, Lieberman said, "We've got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq. And to me, that would include a strike into, over the border into Iran, where we have good evidence that they have a base at which they are training these people coming back into Iraq to kill our soldiers." Lieberman's comments received extensive media coverage. ABC World News and the CBS Evening News ran stories on them, as do the AP, USA Today, Financial Times, The Hill, The Politico and Washington Times also run stories on Lieberman's comments.
Iran Confirms Arrest Of 4th American The New York Times reports Iran on Sunday confirmed that it had detained a fourth Iranian-American, peace activist Ali Shakeri, "certain to upset relations even further between the countries, already tense over Iran's nuclear program."
The Los Angeles Times reports that in an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, former Secretary of State Colin Powell "said he favors immediately closing the Guantanamo Bay military prison and moving its detainees to U.S. facilities." Powell said the prison, "which now holds about 380 suspected terrorists, has tarnished the world's perception of the US." USA Today notes Powell "said he would not let the detainees go but have them adjudicated as criminals in the federal courts with legal representation."
Powell Doubts Surge's Efficacy On NBC's Meet the Press, Powell also said, "It's one thing to send over 30,000 additional troops, but if the other two legs -- the Iraqi political reconciliation and the buildup of the Iraqi forces -- are not synchronized with that, then it's questionable as to how well it's going to be able to do."
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, White House spokesman Tony Snow dismissed Senate Democrats' plans to hold a no confidence vote on the performance of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. USA Today reports Snow "said the outcome will not undermine President Bush's support of him." Snow said, "It is perfectly obvious that the president has the right to hire and fire people who serve at his pleasure."
The AP reports the vote "could be Congress' last effort to force Gonzales' ouster after months of investigations and the disclosure of internal Justice Department documents that contradicted Gonzales' initial assertions that the firing of federal prosecutors was not politically motivated or directly coordinated with the White House." Roll Call reports Senate GOP sources "said some Republicans were inclined to vote for cloture [thus allowing an up-or-down vote on the resolution] to make it easier for them to offer their own no-confidence motions of a yet-to-be-decided nature." Late last week, Senate Republicans "were considering offering a resolution that would have targeted the sponsor of the Gonzales motion: Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)."
GOP Base Said To Believe Bush's Loyalties To Gonzales, Libby Ought To Be Reversed In his column in the Washington Post, Robert Novak says the "prevailing opinion among Republican office holders, contributors and activists could not differ more from Bush's posture. They regard" I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, "as a valuable public servant who faces serious prison time thanks to prosecutorial abuse made possible by Bush administration decisions. They see Gonzales as an embarrassment to the party."
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A critical Washington Post story reports "keeping momentum on ethics reforms is proving tough for House Democratic leaders, who are struggling to sell lawmakers on a proposal for overhauling House ethics enforcement." The Post says a "week that began with the indictment" of Rep. William Jefferson ended "with failure to forge Democratic consensus on plans for an independent ethics overseer, despite a sense of urgency among party leaders." The Post says Republicans "have tried to capitalize on delays in implementing Democrats' ethics measures but have not taken an official stand on the new panel."
Pelosi Holds Fundraiser To Mark 20 Years In Congress The San Francisco Chronicle said Sunday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "marked her 20th anniversary" in the House "the way politicians mark such things these days, by holding a big-bucks fundraiser."
Under the headline "Democrats Load Up On Antiwar Bills," the Washington Times reports "more than 40 bills that call for pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq or otherwise trying to end the war are being kicked around Congress by Democrats eager to again challenge President Bush." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi say they "will put troop-withdrawal timetables in upcoming defense-spending bills, despite backing down last month" when President Bush vetoed a war funding measure over such timetables. The Times says the "feminist antiwar group Code Pink said Democratic leaders are bowing to intense pressure from the party's antiwar base."
During an interview with MSNBC's Hardball, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked what President Bush is like in their personal discussions. Pelosi said, "The President is a very amiable fellow. He's very engaging, and we have a good personal rapport, I think." Asked if Bush respects women in power, Pelosi said, "He does. And one thing, also, about the President: He understands the speakership of the House. He always respected my predecessor, Mr. Hastert, and deferred to the Speaker and he does to me."
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An AP-Ipsos poll released over the weekend shows Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton holding significant leads in their respective primaries nationally. On the GOP side, Rudy Giuliani leads with 27%, followed by Sen. John McCain, 19%; Fred Thompson, 17%; Mitt Romney, 10%; Newt Gingrich, 7%; Sen. Sam Brownback, 3%; and Mike Huckabee, 2%, with all others trailing. On the Democratic side, Clinton leads with 33%, followed by Obama, 21%; Al Gore, 20%; John Edwards, 12%; Gov. Bill Richardson, 3%; and Sen. Joseph Biden, 1%, and others less than one percent each. The poll was conducted June 4-6, and surveyed 356 Republicans and 521 Democrats.
The Palm Beach Post reports that a Zogby International telephone survey of 326 likely Florida GOP primary voters conducted June 4-6 shows Rudy Giuliani leading the GOP field with about 31%, followed by Mitt Romney, 11.8%; John McCain, 11.6%; and Fred Thompson, 10.1%. The Zogby telephone survey of 332 likely Florida Democratic primary voters shows Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic field with "slightly more than 36%," followed by Barack Obama at 15.6% and John Edwards with 10.9%. The Post notes, "Pollster John Zogby cautioned against drawing too many conclusions from the poll results, saying the candidates have spent little time campaigning in Florida and that the popularity of Giuliani and Clinton largely reflects their years on the national stage. 'This is a name-recognition poll,' Zogby said." The Miami Herald adds, "Among Republican voters, 30 percent said they weren't sure, preferred an undeclared candidate or won't vote. Among Democrats, 28 percent were in limbo. 'This poll in Florida reflects what the national polls are showing,' pollster John Zogby said. 'This is all wide open. The campaign has not been engaged sufficiently in Florida for us to get a real read.'"
A Mason-Dixon poll of likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters conducted June 4-7 shows Mitt Romney leading with 27%, followed by Sen. John McCain, 16%; Rudy Giuliani, 16%; Fred Thompson, 12%; and Mike Huckabee, 5%, and all others trailing.
Clinton Has Narrow Lead Over Obama On the Democratic side, the poll shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading with 26%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama, 21%; John Edwards, 18%; Gov. Bill Richardson, 9%; and Sen. Joseph Biden, 6%, and all others at one percent or less each.
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With Rudy Giuliani and John McCain opting out of the Ames, Iowa GOP straw poll to be held at the end of August, and reports indicating the Fred Thompson would likely also not participate, the Washington Post reported over the weekend that Mitt Romney "declared victory. 'It looks as if we just beat those campaigns in Iowa two months earlier than we had planned,' Romney's son Tagg said in an e-mail to supporters. But not so fast, said" Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback (R). The AP reported that Brownback said he will "compete in the Iowa straw poll and chided" Romney "for claiming victory in the early test of political strength."
ABC World News reports that in the wake of the move by the GOP frontrunners, "Iowa Republicans feel snubbed." John Hulsizer, Iowa GOP: "If we lose our standing in the political process, the only thing we're going to see eventually of our candidates is their vapor trails as their planes fly over the state."
A prominent political analyst writes today that the state GOP has good cause to be concerned. In his Roll Call column, Stuart Rothenberg says the announcements by Giuliani and McCain that they would not participate in the Ames, Iowa Republican straw poll "all but destroys the significance of the event." An NBC source "told me the network is 'completely reassessing' its coverage of the Iowa straw poll, while a source at CBS familiar with that network's political coverage was more blunt: 'Giuliani's and McCain's absence from the Iowa straw poll makes it very much less likely that we'll cover it with the intensity that we would have had they been involved. It's hard to justify giving significant time to a no-contest event.'" Given those "reactions, it's a safe bet that the television and print coverage of the event will be one-tenth of what it would have been if all the major GOP candidates had competed."
The battle between Rudy Giuliani and John Edwards over the war on terror continued over the weekend. The New York Daily News reported that Giuliani said Edwards' "anti-terrorism plan is basically a joke. Edwards says Giuliani's making a political career out of spreading fear." The News noted, "For....Giuliani, it's a chance to bash a Democrat as clueless on his signature issue, national security, and play up his post-9/11 strongman image." Edwards, meanwhile, "is trying to lump Giuliani in with the unpopular President Bush and set himself apart from his primary foes by forcefully taking on a major Republican." Giuliani "used several Friday radio shows to mock Edwards' anti-terror proposal, cracking that it's like 'some kind of settlement to a personal injury lawsuit' and suggesting Edwards' military plan is 'maybe new uniforms.' 'This is not even National Security 101,' he jeered." The News added that "a source close to Giuliani said Edwards conveniently 'provides a foil for Mayor Giuliani to discuss the need to stay on offense.'" Edwards' camp isn't "complaining: 'It gives voters a preview of what a general election matchup might look like between [Giuliani] and the politics of fear and [Edwards] and the politics of hope,' said aide Mark Kornblau."
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Jay Leno: "Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide Scooter Libby, sentenced to 30 months in prison. However, the sentence could be cut short if Vice President Cheney needs a heart transplant."
David Letterman: President Bush is "overseas visiting Poland, looking for kielbasa of mass destruction."
Conan O'Brien: "Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to let President Bush build a missile defense system in Azerbaijan. There was an awkward moment when Bush said, 'I believe the correct pronunciation is Abracadabra.'"
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