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Tuesday, May 29, 2012
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The Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday issued subpoenas for the White House and Vice President Cheney for documents related to the Administration's warrantless wiretapping program. The subpoenas were portrayed as an escalation of the confrontation between the White House and Congress over the issue. All three network news broadcasts noted the development. NBC Nightly News, for example, called it "a serious showdown" that "could wind up in Federal court," noting that a White House spokesman said it was "unfortunate" that Democrats "chose the route of confrontation."
On its front page, the New York Times says the move, which it called "the most aggressive move yet by lawmakers" looking into the program, put Senate Democrats "squarely on a course they had until now avoided, setting the stage for a showdown with the Bush administration." The Financial Times reports the action creates "the impression of a White House under siege."
The AP reports, "Echoing its response to previous congressional subpoenas," the White House "gave no indication that it would comply with the new ones." The Los Angeles Times reports legal experts "suggested Wednesday that the administration would fight or ignore these subpoenas, too, throwing the issue into federal court, perhaps even the Supreme Court."
ABC World News noted Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said that "attempts to get the information has been met with a consistent pattern of evasion and misdirection." The CBS Evening News also reported Leahy's remarks.
Also in a front page article, the Washington Post notes Leahy "formally" asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales yesterday to investigate whether Brett M. Kavanaugh, a former associate counsel at the White House, made false statements under oath last year, during his confirmation hearing for a seat on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
CQ reports Leahy said Wednesday that he would "comb through" testimony given to the Judiciary Committee in the past and "refer any potential false statements or lying under oath" to the Justice Department for investigation.
The Wall Street Journal reports the support of Republican Sens. Sen. Orrin Hatch, Arlen Specter and Charles Grassley for the subpoenas "stands in contrast to a face-off" earlier this year over documents related to lawmakers' investigation of the US attorney firings.
Meanwhile, Roll Call reports House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Henry Waxman said he will make a decision "on issuing subpoenas to former White House security personnel" in connection with whether classified data has been mishandled by the White House.
Cheney Becomes Democrats' Bullseye The Hill reports that one of the subpoenas "is personally addressed to Cheney's chief of staff, David Addington, who this week tangled with Democrats over the vice president's arguments that he belongs to neither the executive nor legislative branch."
On MSNBC's Hardball, former Cheney aide Ron Christie asked if congressional Democrats did not have "anything better to do" than attempt to cut funding for the Vice President's office: "War on terrorism, I mean, actually getting legislation passed through the Congress. This big six for '06, they haven't done a thing."
Speaking about the Washington Post's series on Cheney, reporter Lois Romano said on MSNBC's Hardball that the Democrats "are obviously loving this. I mean, our series has really been provocative. And it's like Gonzales. I mean, I do not think the Democrats want Gonzales to resign. They just want to keep demanding that he resign and keep uncovering everything that's going on. So the Vice President is just a very good foil right now for the Democrats."
The Washington Post's David Broder says that "ultimately the President is responsible for what has become, in very large respect, the resulting wreckage of foreign policy, national security policy, budget policy, energy policy and environmental policy under Cheney's direction and on Cheney's watch."
Pointed criticism by Republican Sens. Richard Lugar and George Voinovich of President Bush's Iraq policy is seen as increasing the pressure on the White House to reexamine its conduct of the war.
The CBS Evening News reported Lugar and Voinovich have "reignited the debate over when President Bush should start bringing US troops home. And today, Congress took another step to pressure the White House to change its course." One GOP senator "tells CBS News it's a very real possibility that more Republicans may join Lugar and Voinovich soon."
The Washington Times reports, "Several House Republicans yesterday called on President Bush to reconvene the bipartisan Iraq Study Group to assess the war effort, the latest in a series of party moves to challenge the White House without aligning with antiwar Democrats." The AP reports President Bush is sending national security adviser Stephen Hadley to Capitol Hill Thursday "to confront what has become a tough crowd on the Iraq war," including a meeting with Sen. Lugar.
The Christian Science Monitor reports the calls by Sens. Lugar and Voinovich "for a change of course in Iraq" have put the Bush administration "on the defensive...fueling questions over whether the president will have even until September to turn the war around." The Hill reports anti-war groups challenged Sens. Lugar and Voinovich "to make good on their criticisms of the White House's Iraq policy by voting with Democrats on the defense authorization bill."
Boehner Remains Firm In Commitment Under the headline "As Iraq Splits GOP, Boehner Stays Firm," Roll Call reports that at a time when Republicans "are starting to go wobbly on supporting President Bush's war strategy," House Minority Leader John Boehner "has become the leading voice for staying the course, repeatedly rallying his Conference to stand firm."
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The Senate continued its consideration of the comprehensive immigration reform bill on Wednesday, with media coverage continuing to emphasize the bill's tenuous prospects as daily procedural votes and consideration of amendments have the potential to again derail the measure. Print sources and wires covered the details of the bill's progress, which was ignored by the networks, and used melodramatic language to describe the bill's "critical test," a "make-or-break vote" on Thursday even as it was "bleeding support."
The AP reports the bill "to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants faces a critical test Thursday after surviving potentially fatal challenges." A "make-or-break procedural vote was set for Thursday." The Washington Post reports the bill "shed supporters as it became mired in procedural problems that left backers concerned about its prospects."
The AP reports President Bush, "short on political capital and time, is devoting much of what's left of his term in office to getting an immigration deal." Each day, "a White House strategy team weighs how to maintain momentum on a bill offering legal status to millions of unlawful immigrants. A small, core group of officials - representing policy, communications, strategy and legislative offices - organizes the approach."
The Wall Street Journal reports the bill "was bleeding support from the left and right, leaving President Bush in danger of losing a closely fought vote this morning to end debate and move toward passage." More than "a half dozen Republicans and Democrats were at risk of defecting, and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.), a leading opponent, predicted 'there is a realistic chance the bill will fail.'"
McClatchy reports the bill's fate "was increasingly uncertain Wednesday as several critics hardened their position against the bill and supporters led by President Bush scrambled to court votes from wavering senators." The Los Angeles Times reports that in "a series of votes steadily interrupted by Republicans intent on stalling the proceedings, lawmakers rejected amendments aimed at gutting two key features of the bill: one that would allow illegal immigrants to seek legal status and another that would shift the basis for future immigration away from the current emphasis on family ties."
The Christian Science Monitor reports Senate leaders "agreed to limit debate to 26 amendments and no more. But the dozens of amendments blocked from the Senate floor could yet play a role in the outcome of this momentous debate. That's because their omission may alter how Republicans" in the House "regard the bill when it's their turn to take up the issue. It may also affect how talk radio, bloggers, and the American public come to see it."
The New York Times reports Sens. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jim Webb of Virginia, and Jon Tester of Montana are "a triad of moderate Democratic freshmen balking at the proposed immigration overhaul and complicating efforts by President Bush and Senate leaders to pass it this week." The three "represent Republican-leaning states and are breaking with their leadership and most of their Democratic colleagues on the legislation."
The Hill reports the "23 Republicans who voted against a resolution in the House GOP conference disapproving of the Senate's immigration bill falls well short of the 50 to 70 Republicans that Democratic leaders say they need to move a bill through the House." But "some immigration reform advocates argue it is a good starting point toward winning the 30 to 40 Republican votes that could be attainable for a comprehensive immigration bill."
McCain Pays Price For Immigration Stand The Washington Post reports in a front page story that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) "is not wavering on immigration." His advisers "refer to such a stance as one of the signatures of his political career: principled stands on tough issues. And even they concede that, this time, it's costing him dearly."
The Hill reports Democratic and Republican appropriators "are accusing President Bush of urging Congress to pack spending bills with pet projects despite his high-profile crackdown on earmarks this year." A House Appropriations Committee report "accompanying legislation funding the Department of the Interior shows that Bush requested 93 of the 321 earmarks in the bill." A "panel report for the financial services and general government spending bill showed that Bush requested 17 special projects worth $947 million, more than any single member of Congress."
Roll Call reports when Democrats "returned to power in the House six months ago, the new majority promised greater bipartisanship, but in recent weeks the only thing Democratic leaders have been looking to share with the GOP is blame." As the "nascent majority seeks to tout its accomplishments in the first half of the year, Democrats have also turned to blaming the Senate's Republican minority for slowing progress of major initiatives - from stalled lobbying reform to enacting recommendations made by the 9/11 commission - that Democrats promised in the previous campaign cycle."
Under the headline "House Grudgingly Accepts A Pay Raise, As Usual," the Washington Post reports Democrats "have for weeks been privately wringing their hands over whether to accept an automatic 2.5 percent pay increase, fretting that the raise may appear inconsistent with their campaign promises. But last night, the House made its peace with it, rejecting a bid to block the automatic cost-of-living raise of about $4,400 on a 244 to 181 vote." The AP reports the House voted to accept the raise "despite record-low approval ratings."
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Quinnipiac University yesterday released a set of polls from three key swing states Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. Hypothetical match-ups between each parties' leading candidates show tight races in all three states. In trial heats, Rudy Giuliani puts in the best performance on the GOP side, while Sen. Hillary Clinton is the best performer on the Democratic side. In addition, the two New Yorkers also lead in each of their respective primaries in each of the three states. Quinnipiac surveyed 949 Florida voters, 1,013 Ohio voters, and 958 Pennsylvania voters from June 18-25.
Florida Giuliani leads Clinton 48%-42% in a trial heat. Giuliani also tops Sen. Barack Obama, 47%-39%. Sen. John McCain trails Clinton, 44%-43%, and ties Obama with 42% apiece. In the GOP primary, Giuliani leads with 27%, followed by Fred Thompson with 21% and McCain at 13%. Newt Gingrich is 4th with 7%, followed by Mitt Romney with 6%. On the Democratic side, Clinton leads with 38%, followed by Obama with 15% and Al Gore with 13%.
Ohio Giuliani and Clinton are tied at 43% apiece in a trial heat. Giuliani leads Obama, 42%-40%. McCain trails Clinton, 44%-42%, and Obama, 43%-38%. In the GOP primary, Giuliani leads with 25%, followed by Thompson with 17% and McCain with 16%. Romney places 4th with 7%. On the Democratic side, Clinton leads with 40%, followed by Obama, Edwards and Gore, each with 12%.
Pennsylvania Giuliani and Clinton are tied at 45% apiece in a trial heat. Giuliani edges Obama, 44%-43%. McCain trails Clinton, 46%-42%, and Obama, 44%-39%. In the GOP primary, Giuliani leads with 29%, followed by McCain and Thompson at 15% apiece, Gingrich with 5%, and Romney at 3%. Among the Democrats, Clinton leads with 32%, followed by Obama, 18%; Gore, 16%; and Edwards, 7%.
A new poll shows Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney on top in New Hampshire. However, the poll shows that if Al Gore were to enter the race, he would be a big draw and knock Clinton from 1st place. The Boston Globe reports a Suffolk University poll for WHDH-TV shows Clinton and Romney "holding leads in New Hampshire while some top-tier candidates see their support dangerously dropping. Clinton picked up nine percentage points from when the same poll questioned voters in February. She now has 37 percent support followed by Barack Obama who has 19 percent. The poll, for the first time, shows John Edwards and Bill Richardson tied with 9 points. The poll showed 16 percent were undecided." On the GOP side, Romney leads with 26%, followed by Rudy Giuliani, 22%; John McCain, 13%; and Fred Thompson, 13%. The poll questioned 500 likely New Hampshire voters from June 20-24.
However, the Washington Times reports Gore is Clinton's "worst nightmare in the nation's first primary, a new poll shows. If Mr. Gore got into the 2008 presidential nomination contest, he would edge out Mrs. Clinton in New Hampshire 32 percent to 26 percent and defeat the rest of the Democratic contenders, says a 7NEWS-Suffolk University poll of likely voters." David Paleologos, who heads the Suffolk polling unit, said, "Gore is the only Democrat, including Hillary, who can instantly melt the field."
A Strategic Vision poll of 600 likely Iowa caucus goers from each Party taken June 22-24 shows John Edwards leading the Democratic field with 26%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama, 21%; Sen. Hillary Clinton, 20%; Gov. Bill Richardson, 11%; Sen. Joe Biden, 4%; Sen. Chris Dodd, 2%; Rep. Dennis Kucinich, 1%; and 15% undecided. On the GOP side, Mitt Romney leads with 23%, followed by Fred Thompson, 17%; Rudy Giuliani, 14%; Sen. John McCain, 10%; Tommy Thompson, 6%; Mike Huckabee, 5%; and the remainder of the field at 4% or less.
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A Strategic Vision poll of 800 likely Georgia voters taken June 22-24 shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic primary field with 29%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama, 26%; John Edwards, 18%; Gov. Bill Richardson, 7%; and the rest of the field at 4% or less. On the GOP side, Fred Thompson leads with 25%, followed by Rudy Giuliani, 20%; Sen. John McCain, 11%; Georgia native Newt Gingrich, 7%; Mitt Romney, 6%; Mike Huckabee, 5%; with the rest of the field at 4% or less.
USA Today reports in a front page story that in 2004, "at least 40% of the voters in the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group backed" President Bush, "double the share of Hispanics who had supported Republican Bob Dole eight years earlier. But the inroads Bush made are vanishing. The chief beneficiary for 2008 so far is Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton." A new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll "indicates that Hispanics, by nearly 3 to 1, say they're Democrats or lean that way. Of those, 59% support the New York senator over her presidential rivals - her strongest showing among any major demographic group and a huge potential asset for early contests in Nevada, Florida, California and other states with large Hispanic populations." One "big factor behind the flight from the GOP: a heated debate over immigration in which congressional Republicans' remarks on illegal immigrants have offended many Hispanic voters."
In a story just breaking early this morning but receiving heavy early play, the AP reports that since the start of the year, Sen. Barack Obama's campaign has received donations from nearly 250,000 contributors. "The campaign won't say yet how much the donors have given, but the large number suggests their fundraising will be competitive with the $25.7 million he raised in the first quarter. A campaign official speaking on the condition of anonymity tried to tamp down expectations by disclosing that the average donation in the second quarter is likely to be less than the roughly $247 in the first quarter." Meanwhile, "Aides to his top competitor," Sen. Clinton, "say she will match her $26 million from the first quarter."
The very public brawling between John and Elizabeth Edwards and conservative critic Ann Coulter continues to receive heavy press coverage, but questions are beginning to arise about whether Edwards cultivated the fight in order to boost his Q2 fundraising totals. The AP reports Edwards "said Wednesday that conservative author Ann Coulter's attacks are hurtful as his campaign used her remarks in an appeal for money." Edwards "made his first comments to The Associated Press in response to Coulter's suggestion that she wished he would be 'killed in a terrorist assassination plot.' His campaign cited her remarks in two e-mails to supporters for donations, with the fundraising deadline on Saturday." In the "e-mails, the campaign asked supporters to send donations to defy her remarks and help Edwards meet his goal of raising $9 million in the second quarter."
On MSNBC's Hardball, NBC political director Chuck Todd said, "I think it is pretty transparent what the Edwards folks are up to. They are trying to raise money. We are three days away from June 30th, second quarter. It is a gigantic marker in the presidential race. This is a very convenient target. The irony of this is that the Edwards campaign has given Coulter oxygen, it is the very thing she needs to live as far as in this fantasy world."
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Jay Leno: "This week, they had the annual congressional baseball game. The House Republicans beat the House Democrats 5-2. And it's typical of both parties. You know, the Republicans kept stealing. And then after the game, the Democrats demanded a recount."
Jay Leno: "And Ralph Nader is talking about running for president again." He's "been accused of being a spoiler," which is "a politician who ruins the chances of another candidate. For example, Al Gore's spoiler was Ralph Nader. ... George Bush Sr.'s spoiler was Ross Perot. John Kerry's spoiler was John Kerry."
Jay Leno: "Elizabeth Edwards called Ann Coulter on Chris Matthews' 'Hardball' yesterday to complain about the attacks on her husband. It's a good thing Coulter hadn't attacked Rudy Giuliani. She would have had three angry wives calling."
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