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Sunday, February 12, 2012
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The news that the US death toll in Iraq for July, at 73, is the lowest in eight months spurred several news organizations to present a somewhat optimistic view of the situation in Iraq. The consensus in the coverage appears to be that things are improving militarily, even as the political side of the equation remains troubling. The AP reports this morning that US commanders assert that they are "gaining control of former militant strongholds" and "were heartened by the downturn in American deaths," though they "cautioned it was too early to predict a sustained trend." The Washington Times and New York Times, under the headline "US Death Toll In Iraq In July Expected To Be Lowest In '07," run similar stories this morning. But as the Christian Science Monitor notes, "the larger question remains unanswered: Will the reduced levels of violence push Kurdish, Shiite, and Sunni groups to reach political reconciliation so that US troops can withdraw? US military officials are wary."
That wariness was expressed yesterday by Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, the nominee to become the nest Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Los Angeles Times reports Mullen "told a Senate panel "that the US troop buildup in Iraq was beginning to improve security, but the Iraqi central government was making little headway toward the political reconciliation that is key to stabilizing the country Mullen, "said he wanted to postpone judgment about the US mission until mid-September," when Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, and Ryan C. Crocker, the US ambassador to Iraq, "are to make a much-anticipated report on the results of the buildup." Said Mullen, "Security is better, not great, but better." According to Fox News' Special Report, Mullen "was never a proponent of the surge." Similar stories appear in the Financial Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot and USA Today. The Hill meanwhile, notes Mullen said "Iran is trying to drive the United States out of Iraq and would consider immediate American withdrawal a victory."
In an interview with CNN's Larry King last night, Vice President Cheney sounded an optimistic note, says the AP, predicting that "a pivotal September report on the war in Iraq is likely to show 'significant progress' -- putting himself ahead of President Bush, who has refused to speculate on what the report will say." Cheney is quoted as saying, "The reports I'm hearing from people whose views I respect indicate that the Petraeus plan is in fact producing results," though Cheney added, "admittedly, I've been on one side of this argument from the beginning.'" On CNN's Larry King Live, King noted that on his program in May of 2005, Cheney had said the Iraqi insurgency was "in the last throes." King asked Cheney if that assessment was "wrong." Cheney replied, "I think my estimate at the time -- and it was wrong, it turned out to be incorrect...I thought there were a series of these milestones that would, in fact, undermine the insurgency and make it less than it was at that point. That clearly didn't happen."
CNN's Michael Ware, appearing from Iraq's Diyala province on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, was asked to comment on Vice President Cheney's claim that there has been "significant progress" in Iraq since the "surge" was put into effect. Ware said, "There is progress. And that's indisputable. ... The point, though, is at what price? What we're seeing is to a degree some sleight of hand. What America needs to come clean about is that it's achieving these successes by cutting deals, primarily with its enemies. We've all heard the administration praise the work of the tribal sheikhs in turning against Al Qaeda. Well, this is just a euphemism for the insurgency." Ware concluded, "By achieving these successes, America is building Sunni militias. ... These are also anti-government forces opposed to the very government that America created."
NYTimes Op-ed Sparks Heated Debate Monday's New York Times op-ed by Brookings Institution scholars Michael E. O'Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack which tracks the tone of the media coverage of Iraq in the last few days -- continues to generate furious debate. "Surge" backers are touting it as evidence that the strategy is working while opponents are infuriated by its assertion that the military situation is improving. Last night, Vice President Cheney, on CNN's Larry King Live, said the surge has "made significant progress now into the course of the summer. ... Don't take it from me. Look at the piece that appeared yesterday in the New York Times, not exactly a friendly publication -- but a piece by Mr. O'Hanlon and Mr. Pollack on the situation in Iraq. They're are just back from visiting over there. They both have been strong critics of the war."
CBS News' Early Show reported yesterday that "as soon as...Bush announced he was sending more troops to Iraq this year, his opponents predicted it wouldn't do any good. But some of them now see it differently. ... You'd be surprised to hear what a longtime critic of American strategy in Iraq thinks." CBS went on to interview both of the op-ed's authors. Michael Barone, on U.S. News and World Report's website, wrote that O'Hanlon and Pollack's "argument is one many Democrats in Congress don't want to hear."
The Politico runs a piece titled "Bloggers Unleash Fury On Optimistic Op-ed," in which it says O'Hanlon and Pollack "provoked a more furious ideological shootout than has been sparked by any recent development on the battleground or action by the Bush administration. ... 'Often Wrong, But Never In Doubt' was the headline on the progressive Think Progress blog of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. The posting, which asserted O'Hanlon and Pollack were 'embarking on a public relations tour calling for stay the course,' drew 228 comments. The Politico adds, "On the right, these liberal hawks were hailed as returning heroes. The Web site of the conservative Weekly Standard called the piece 'Required Reading' saying it 'conforms well with much of the reporting that has come out of Iraq recently.' A later post attacked those who tried to discredit it."
AFP reports that leading anti-war Democrat Rep. Jack Murtha said of the piece, "I dismiss it at as rhetoric. ... I don't know where they were staying. I don't know what they saw. But I know this: that it's not getting better."
And CNN's Michael Ware, appearing from Iraq's Diyala province on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, noted "these guys were only in the country for eight days and they point to a success story of a neighborhood in Baghdad...they say it's so peaceful we can walk around in the Sunni area. Yes, that's because it's divided and the Iraqi army troops won let the Shia in." And on NBC's Today Show Sen. Joseph Biden said, "The operative point Pollack and O'Hanlon make...is that there's military success, but there's not any political success. Once we leave...it explodes."
No Iraq Votes Until September The Hill reports that proposal by Rep. Murtha "for the House to vote on withdrawal from Iraq without a timetable has been nixed, several lawmakers and aides said. The opposition of the Progressive Caucus also apparently doomed a proposal by Reps. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) and John Tanner (D-Tenn.) demanding a redeployment plan from...Bush. The measure will not get a vote this week." The AP says "House Democratic leaders are intent on sidetracking bipartisan attempts to change course in Iraq at least until fall, officials said Tuesday, rather than allow nervous Republicans to vote for legislation that lacks a troop withdrawal deadline. Several lawmakers and aides said the goal was to deny members of the GOP rank and file a chance to proclaim their independence from President Bush by voting for a limited measure."
The Politico reports, "At a moment when many Democratic activists are urging their leaders to be bolder and more confrontational with Republicans, the party's most influential centrists [the Democratic Leadership Conference] met Monday to call for more pragmatism and bridge-building." The Hill notes that "at least 76 senators have visited Iraq in the four years of combat, including 38 who have made the trip in the last 12 months, according to a survey by The Hill. But at least 18 senators have not traveled there at all"
More Political Trouble In late breaking news confirming the view that little progress can be expected from the Iraqi parliament, the AP Is reporting, "Iraq's largest Sunni Arab political bloc [Iraqi Accordance Front] announced its withdrawal from the government Wednesday, undermining Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's efforts to seek reconciliation among the country's rival factions." Adding to the potential for further destabilization. USA Today is reporting that "the leader of Iraq's Kurdish region warned Tuesday of a 'real civil war' if the government in Baghdad does not allow a referendum on the future of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk."
The AP reports Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell "sought to defend Attorney General Alberto Gonzales against charges of lying to Congress in a technically worded statement Tuesday hinging on when the government's terror surveillance program got its name. He hinted -- as Gonzales has -- that there's more to the program than has been made public." In a "carefully worded letter than never mentions Gonzales," Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell "noted that the administration first acknowledged its controversial surveillance activities and used the phrase 'terrorist surveillance program' in early 2006." USA Today says Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, "the Senate's deputy Democratic leader, called" DNI McConnell's letter "gobbledygook" and "accused the administration of using 'weasel words' to resolve the conflicts between Gonzales' and Mueller's accounts. 'It just doesn't track,' Durbin said."
The Washington Post says GOP Sen. Arlen Specter "was noncommittal yesterday on whether McConnell's explanation resolved his questions about the accuracy of Gonzales's previous testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee."
Cheney Doesn't Recall On CNN's Larry King Live, Vice President Cheney was asked about the New York Times article that alleged Cheney sent Gonzales and former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card to then Attorney General John Ashcroft's hospital room in 2004 "to push Ashcroft to certify the president's intelligence gathering program." Cheney said, "I don't recall. First of all I didn't see the story. I don't recall that I gave instructions to that effect." Discussing Cheney's interview with King, CNN's Wolf Blitzer predicted Cheney is "going to get lampooned a little bit for that one, the 'I don't recall' answer."
Attorney On Firing List After Clash USA Today reports US Attorney John Brownlee of Virginia "testified Tuesday that he landed on a list of attorneys considered for dismissal a week after clashing with a top Justice Department official over a fraud case involving the drug company that makes OxyContin." The case "against Purdue Pharma, manufacturer of the potent narcotic, was settled May 10, with the company agreeing to pay $635 million." The Washington Post also reports the story.
Dems: Impeach Gonzales The Hill reports Rep. Jay Inslee is leading a group of House Democrats in introducing a resolution "to impeach Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for his role in the firing of several US attorneys." Inslee "emphasized that he and his five cosponsors, including Reps. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) and Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), had experience prosecuting cases." In his "Washington Sketch" column for the Washington Post, Dana Milbank notes Inslee's "list of co-sponsors is relatively free of the usual left-wing firebrands; many are political moderates, and several, including Inslee, are former prosecutors."
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The New York Times reports "under pressure from President Bush," congressional Democratic leaders "are scrambling to pass legislation this week to expand the government's electronic wiretapping powers." The Democratic leaders "have expressed a new willingness to work with the White House to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to make it easier for the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on some purely foreign telephone calls and e-mail. Such a step now requires court approval." The Washington Post says Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid "suggested yesterday that a compromise could be reached this week. 'The only question,' he told reporters, 'is how much involvement the attorney general will have' in approving the wiretapping 'as compared to the FISA court itself.'" The Washington Times says "despite a barrage of criticism from Republican lawmakers, Democratic leaders have stressed that they are working with the White House on a compromise."
Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold told the US News Political Bulletin yesterday that some in the Democratic leadership back his move to introduce censure resolutions condemning the White House for misconduct leading to the war, though he appears resigned to the likelihood the idea will eventually be shot down in the chamber. In a brief interview during a party Monday night to celebrate a new biography of the progressive Wisconsin Democrat, "Feingold" by Sanford Horwitt, Feingold said he was not challenging Sen. Harry Reid by pushing the censure, which the majority leader opposes. "I'm not really going up against Reid," he told the Bulletin. Instead, his point in pushing the censure is to draw attention to the events leading up to the war. He added that the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Sen. Richard Durbin, supports his move, and he called Reid "an excellent leader."
In pushing for censure of the president and vice president, Feingold told the Bulletin he was just trying to fight for Americans who are upset and frustrated with the handling of the war and the poor planning beforehand. "People are appalled," said Feingold, who toyed with plans to run for president in 2008. "Just raising the specter of censure" is a good way to show displeasure with the White House, he added.
The AP reports this morning "a Senate aide who handled Ted Stevens' personal bills is cooperating with the Justice Department in a growing corruption probe into the Alaska senator's dealings with a wealthy contractor. Barbara Flanders, who serves as a financial clerk for Stevens on the Commerce Committee, testified under subpoena in the past several weeks and provided documents regarding the senator's bills, according to an attorney in the case." Stevens "met privately with Capitol Hill staff members Tuesday, telling them he remained confident that everything would work out and encouraging them to answer any questions honestly, an aide said. Stevens said he had nothing to hide."
The Washington Post, meanwhile, says the FBI "is investigating whether Sen. Ted Stevens...used a $1.6 million congressional appropriation to help an Alaska marine center purchase property from a business partner of the senator's son, said sources familiar with the probe. ... The FBI and the Interior Department's inspector general are also jointly examining a series of budgetary earmarks endorsed by Stevens in recent years for the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, said sources familiar with the probe who spoke about it on the condition of anonymity." USA Today says VECO Corp., "the company at the heart of the federal investigation of Sen. Ted Stevens, has been a political player in Alaska for years. Its executives have forged ties with the state's political leaders, hosted campaign fundraisers and given hundreds of thousands in campaign contributions."
Media outlets are describing the ethics reform package passed by the House yesterday as an important accomplishment on the part of the Democratic-led Congress. USA Today says the bill "would tighten ethics rules and shine more light on how lobbyists seek to influence lawmakers." It would "ban members of Congress from accepting most types of gifts and trips from lobbyists," and "has been praised as landmark reform by a coalition of public interest groups."
The New York Times headlines its report "House, 411-8, Passes A Vast Ethics Overhaul," and refers to "sweeping" changes that move Democrats "closer to fulfilling their pledge to change the culture of Washington, after a series of corruption scandals that played a role in Republicans' losing control of Congress in last November's elections." However, adds the Times, "lawmakers left themselves some loopholes." The Chicago Tribune calls the bill "one of the most significant lobbying reform measures in years," the Washington Post says it's a "landmark bill," and the Los Angeles Times says the bill would be "the most sweeping overhaul of ethics rules since the Watergate era."
In its "K Street Files" column, Roll Call reports, "Six Democrats -- Reps. Neil Abercrombie (Hawaii), Allen Boyd (Fla.), William Lacy Clay (Mo.), Emanuel Cleaver (Mo.), John Murtha (Pa.) and John Tanner (Tenn.) - and two Republicans, Reps. Joe Barton (Texas) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.) -- voted no Tuesday." Murtha "couldn't be reached for comment, but clues pointing to a possible explanation lie in his November 2006 profession that the bill was 'total crap.'"
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Hillary Clinton's lead in national polls has been generally growing over recent weeks, but a series of three polls in key early states out this morning shows she is still struggling to translate that into dominance in them. A Wall Street Journal poll out this morning shows Clinton leading the Democratic field with 43%, followed by Barack Obama, 22%; John Edwards, 13%; Bill Richardson, 6%; and Joe Biden, 5%. A similar survey in June showed Clinton up 49%-25% over Obama. In general election trial heats, Clinton leads Rudy Giuliani 47%-41%, while Obama leads Giuliani 45%-40%. The survey interviewed 1,005 adults from July 27-30.
Independent pollster American Research Group, which is based in New Hampshire and has a long history of polling presidential contests, shows Clinton on top in Iowa, but tied with Obama in New Hampshire and trailing him in South Carolina. The Des Moines Register reports this morning that Clinton leads in Iowa with 30%, followed by Edwards, 21%; Obama, 15%; and Richardson, 13%. In New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports that "Obama has doubled his support in the first-primary state in the past two months." Clinton and Obama are tied at 31% apiece, followed by Edwards with 14%. In the previous ARG New Hampshire poll, Clinton led Obama by 9%. Finally, in South Carolina, Obama leads with 33%, followed by Clinton at 29% and Edwards at 18%. The State reports that Clinton, "who led last month at 37 percent," saw her support drop by eight percent, while Edwards "saw his support drop from 22 percent to 18 percent." Obama gained 12% in the latest poll.
Giuliani Holds Narrow Leads In All Three States. While the NBC/WSJ data on the GOP side has not yet been released, the state polls show Rudy Giuliani clinging to one point leads over either Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson. In Iowa, Giuliani leads with 22%, followed by Romney, 21%; John McCain, 17%; and Thompson, 13%. In New Hampshire, Giuliani leads with 27%, followed by Romney, 26%; Thompson, 13%; and McCain, 10%. In South Carolina, Giuliani leads with 28%, followed by Thompson, 27%; McCain, 10%; and Romney and Newt Gingrich each with 7%.
The news that Fred Thompson raised about $3.5 million in June, his first month of fundraising, prompted a raft of stories this morning questioning whether he is as formidable a candidate as many have alleged. The AP reports, "Not yet a declared White House candidate," Thompson "may as well be for all his recent stumbles, from a staff shake-up to subpar fundraising to inconsistent answers about his resume." Despite "the difficulties," Thompson's "challenge is unchanged: living up to the hopes of dispirited Republicans searching for a conservative to rally around in the wide-open race." GOP consultant Joe Gaylord said, "The expectation levels are sky high right now, so that means if you don't meet them financially, you don't meet them organizationally and you don't meet them message-wise, you're in trouble."
The CBS Evening News reported it was "disappointing financial news" for Thompson, whose "campaign had hoped to raise $5 million during the month of June. But today, he reported taking in only about $3.5 million." The Politico reports Thompson's "total haul last month indicates an ability to mount a first-tier-caliber operation, but it also suggests he will not be able to quickly launch a national campaign that will dominate the field, as some Republicans had hoped." CNN reported on its website that Thompson's fundraising figure was "not the kind of 'blow-them-away' money some of the Tennessee Republican's supporters had hoped. Alex Vogel, a Republican strategist not affiliated with a campaign, put it bluntly, 'You can't make it to the White House when you are only raising $3 million a month.' One Republican strategist, also unaffiliated, asked 'If John McCain is damaged because he only raised $11-and-a-half million [in the second quarter], how is Fred Thompson a juggernaut with $3 million?'"
However, not all coverage was negative. USA Today /Gannett News Service notes the "nearly $3.5 million Fred Thompson collected in June for his likely White House bid fell short of his goal but exceeded what several other GOP candidates collected during the first month of their fundraising." Thompson also "reported spending nearly $626,000 - less than $1 out of every $5 raised."
The Hill reports Thompson supporters "are dismissing reports that call the would-be presidential candidate's June fundraising numbers disappointing." Though the "figure was widely reported Monday, the narrative following the amount seems to imply the would-be campaign is struggling. Not so, say campaign officials. Thompson managed to raise an impressive amount of money in one month with only two fundraisers, no direct mail and no telephone support, the exploratory committee said in a release."
The AP reports that in New Hampshire yesterday, Rudy Giuliani "offered a consumer-oriented solution to the nation's health care woes that relies on giving individuals tax credits to purchase private insurance. Critical to Giuliani's plan is a $15,000 tax deduction for families to buy private health insurance, instead of getting insurance through employers." Any "leftover funds could be rolled over year-to-year for medical expenses," and Giuliani said "his goal is to give individuals more control over their health care." Giuliani "used his appearance to continue criticizing the Democratic candidates, contending that their plans amount to socialized medicine."
The New York Times reports Giuliani "called for transforming the way health care coverage is provided in the United States, advocating a voluntary move from the current employer-based system to one that would grant substantial tax benefits to people who buy their own insurance." Giuliani's proposals "set the stage for a contentious battle with the Democratic candidates over health care, a defining domestic issue this campaign season." Long Island Newsday reports that "Giuliani's plan...sidesteps the issue dominating the Democratic debate over health care -- how to cover all or nearly all of the 47 million uninsured Americans. In Giuliani's words, that's up to the marketplace, not a government 'nanny state' -- and he blasted Democratic proposals to subsidize coverage with tax increases as European-style 'socialist' medicine that could bankrupt government. But he admits it could take years for his plan to help those without insurance and makes no promise that all the uninsured would be helped."
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Jay Leno: "A scary incident yesterday for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts. Luckily he's okay. You probably heard about this. Yesterday he collapsed to the ground outside his vacation home in Maine. Turns out he had a seizure. At first, people thought he'd just fallen over from leaning too far to the right."
Jay Leno: "Iraq's new congress has adjourned for the summer, and they say they'll be back in September. See, that's how you know the war is going badly, when the Iraqis pull out."
Jimmy Kimmel: "I would like to congratulate Larry King. A lot of the younger guys on CNN, they get a lot of credit for going in dangerous places. They put themselves in the line of fire to get a story," but Larry King interviewed Vice President Dick Cheney, "a guy with a record of shooting old men in the face."
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