Political Bulletin

WASHINGTON NEWS

Gonzales Kicked On His Way Out The Door

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation caught the news media and the nation's political establishment by surprise yesterday morning. Up until then, the only public hint that the resignation may be coming was an item in this week's U.S. News and World Report's "Washington Whispers" column, which reported "the buzz among top Bushies" that Gonzales may be considering leaving his post. The New York Times says "there had been rumblings over the weekend," but "the White House sought to quell the rumors." In his "Washington Sketch" column for the Washington Post, Dana Milbank writes that faced with the rumors, "the attorney general directed his spokesman to deny" them. Adds Milbank, "For a man accused of lying to Congress, it was a fitting way to go out."

Milbank's dig at Gonzales is representative of the tenor of the media coverage on his departure. Overwhelmingly, opposition to Gonzales is being cast as deep and bipartisan and even unnamed sources in the Administration are said to be glad the embattled Attorney General decided to leave. The New York Times reports Gonzales "offered no clear explanation of the reasons for his departure or its timing. The announcement caught his top aides at the Justice Department by surprise, leading to speculation among lawmakers and department officials that Mr. Gonzales may have felt pressure from within the administration to step down." The Politico says Gonzales' departure came "to the relief of many administration officials who have long considered him an embarrassment." On the CBS Evening News, Washington correspondent Bob Shieffer said "a lot of people in the Administration are asking what took Gonzales so long to resign." Bush "was reluctant to ask him to leave, and they say the attorney general just simply did not understand what a liability and embarrassment he had become. Finally he realized what was going on and offered his resignation." Schieffer added, "I think it's very significant that when he offered to resign, no one in the White House asked him to reconsider and change his mind."

The Washington Post notes that although "Administration officials said yesterday that Gonzales's decision to leave was his own, and that he was not encouraged to do so by the White House," Dan Bartlett, "a longtime Bush advise who left the White House earlier this year, said there was always an understanding within the administration that 'we would get to August' and then make a decision about Gonzales. 'Everybody came to the conclusion that it was not possible to sustain a positive, proactive agenda at the Department of Justice with all the distractions,' he said."

Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer, on MSNBC's Hardball, said he thought Gonzales's resignation was actually "a firing. ... I think that the Administration came to its senses." Ruth Marcus writes in the Washington Post, "Did Gonzales finally decide he preferred to leave, or was it decided for him? Based on Gonzales's previous insistence on staying, I'd guess he was pushed, in one of those Washington, no-fingerprints ways."

The Houston Chronicle, however, says "Charles Black, a Republican consultant who has advised the Bush family and is now advising Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign, echoed assertions from the Bush administration that Gonzales jumped -- but wasn't pushed."

Only Bush Seemed To Like Gonzales President Bush, described by the CBS Evening News as Gonzales' "chief supporter to the end," stood almost alone in praise of his departing aide, as the AP and Christian Science Monitor note this morning. All three networks showed Bush saying, "It is sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeded from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons." The Dallas Morning News notes Bush also called him "a man of integrity, decency and principle."

Last night, all three networks led with the resignation story, devoting a combined 17 minutes to Gonzales. Many newspapers, likewise, devote their front pages and lead editorials to the departing Attorney General. Amid this torrent of commentary, it is hard to find any coverage at all other than Bush's spirited defense that is sympathetic toward the Attorney General. A few exceptions in today's newspapers: The Washington Post notes there was a "lonely group of Republicans" (and cites Sens. Orrin Hatch and John Cornyn) who "spoke up to defend Gonzales." The Hill runs mildly supportive comments from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and the Los Angeles Times quotes Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America, "a conservative lobbying group," praising the outgoing cabinet secretary.

But overwhelmingly, assessments of Gonzales' tenure in the media are extremely negative. The New York Times says "there were expressions of relief on Capitol Hill on Monday at news of his resignation, including from Republicans." Democrats, meanwhile, made it clear they would continue their investigations on Gonzales' actions. Another New York Times piece calls him "ineffectual or counterproductive" in his defense of the Administration's war-time powers. The Washington Post reports conservatives have "questioned both Gonzales's legal acumen and his ability to manage the sprawling Justice Department." The Los Angeles Times says Gonzales "leaves...a Justice Department mired in congressional inquiries about the firing of US attorneys and legal challenges to his policies on presidential power, torture and domestic spying." Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin, guest host of Fox News' O'Reilly Factor, opened the show by remarking, "The President called it 'sad' that Gonzales was forced to resign...but the fact is that Gonzales was a lousy crony appointment."

The Wall Street Journal suggests Gonzales was overly political at Justice, and quotes a "senior Bush-appointed Justice Department official" saying, "You can bring your politics to Agriculture. ... You can do that at Interior. But the Justice Department is supposed to be different. You have to be careful and that's where they got in trouble."

On NBC Nightly News, David Gergen said of Gonzales, "Right now he will go down as a failed attorney general. One who was a very decent person but seemed incapable of handling the Justice Department. At best he was seen by Republicans as incompetent, he was seen by Democrats as not truthful." The Financial Times quotes Robert Dallek, a "presidential historian," saying, "They said that Karl Rove was leaving town before the sheriff arrived and the same might be doubly true of Alberto Gonzales. ... People will be looking through the official records for many years to ferret out just how deep the political corruption went during his time at Justice."

The New York Times editorializes that Gonzales, "for all of his undeniable deficiencies, merely reflected the principles of this administration. His resignation is a necessary but hardly sufficient step in restoring the nation's commitment to the rule of law." The Washington Post, under the headline "An Unlamented Exit," USA Today and the Minneapolis Star Tribune also blast Gonzales in their editorials. Carl Leubsdorf, in a Dallas Morning News column, calls Gonzales "inadequate and inept," and William McKenzie writes, also in the Dallas Morning News, that he "lacked the political skill and leadership ability to survive in a high-profile post."

Even Gonzales' comments yesterday, recalling his rise up from poverty, are coming under fire. On network TV, all three shows also showed footage of Gonzales referring to what the CBS Evening News called his "dirt-poor Texas childhood." Gonzales was shown saying, "I have lived the American dream. Even my worst days as attorney general have been better than my father's best days." But conservative columnist Jonah Goldberg writes in the Los Angeles Times that "to the bitter end, Gonzales remained the most self-involved attorney general in modern memory. (Full disclosure: My wife worked for Gonzales and his predecessor.)" He "mentioned that he was the grandchild of immigrants, by my rough calculation, 12 trillion times."

War Over Gonzales Replacement? Bush announced yesterday, says the Dallas Morning News, that Solicitor General Paul Clement "will be acting attorney general until a replacement is found." Stories this morning are portraying Clement as a solid conservative and "savvy" insider, as the Washington Post puts it. The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, notes "detractors see Clement, a longtime Republican who donated to Bush's 2004 reelection campaign and has also given to the Republican National Committee, as just another hard-right conservative unwilling to consider the other side."

In this hyper-politicized environment, the fight over Gonzales' replacement could become contentious. With the White House reportedly seeking to avoid a major fight, names of possible nominees are already being floated and Democrats are already objecting to one of them: DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee, said on MSNBC's Hardball that "Chertoff has been thrown around today, which is particularly egregious on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. This is not a person who did a stellar job in the aftermath of that tragedy, and having him step in and add insult to injury would not be the best move that the president could make." McClatchy reports "Democrats warned the White House that Congress might not confirm Chertoff, whose tenure was marred by botched recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina." The Financial Times also says "Chertoff would be a controversial choice." The Los Angeles Times, in an editorial, notes Chertoff is "a former clerk to Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, and a former judge who once headed the Justice Department's criminal division. He, or someone with similar credentials, would be the un-Gonzales -- which is exactly what the demoralized Justice Department needs."

Other possibilities: On ABC World News, George Stephanopoulos cited "federal judge Lauren Silberman in DC, former senator John Danforth of Missouri" and "current senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. There's a third group of Republican lawyers who have served in the Justice Department but good ties Democrats. Larry Thompson, he is now the general counsel at Pepsico; he'd also be the first African American attorney general. Ted Olson, former solicitor general. And finally deputy attorney general George Terwilliger." The Wall Street Journal, in an editorial, says Chertoff would be "fine with us," but "a better choice would be Laurence Silberman." The CBS Evening News mentioned "William Billy Wilkins of South Carolina, former chief judge of the fourth circuit court of appeals" and "George Terwilliger, a former deputy attorney general." NBC Nightly News added the names of White House terror advisor Fran Townsend and SEC chairman Christopher Cox, and the Wall Street Journal that of Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller.

Bush Hails Political Progress In Iraq

Last night ABC World News reported that President Bush "is hailing encouraging political progress in Iraq and an accord between the country's major political factions" reached Sunday. The AP adds that in a statement released yesterday, Bush said, "The agreement begins to establish new power-sharing agreements, commits to supporting bottom-up security and political initiatives, and advances agreement among Iraq's leadership on several key legislative benchmarks." The New York Times notes Bush "has been eager to demonstrate improvement, especially on the political front," in advance of the progress report to be delivered to Congress by Gen. David Petraeus in September. The Hill and UPI also quote from the text of Bush's statement.

The Washington Times' Inside Politics column reports that in a speech to the American Legion in Reno, NV today, President Bush "will describe Iraq as the front-line against Shi'ite extremism championed by Iran and the Sunni extremism of al Qaeda. ... 'The president will talk about Sunni extremism and Shi'a extremism. Neither represents Islam. They represent a brutal and heartless ideology of death and destruction,' a senior aide told reporters in a preview of the speech."

Craig Pled Guilty To Lewd Conduct

Yesterday afternoon, on its website, Roll Call broke the news that conservative Republican Sen. Larry Craig was arrested in June at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport by a police officer investigating "lewd conduct complaints in a men's public restroom." On August 8 Craig pled guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in the Hennepin County District Court. Craig "paid more than $500 in fines and fees, and a 10-day jail sentence was stayed. He also was given one year of probation with the court that began on Aug. 8." Roll Call noted that during an interview with the airport police Craig "handed the plainclothes sergeant who arrested him a business card that identified him as a US Senator and said, 'What do you think about that?'" The AP reports that the airport police said a copy of the police report will be available today. Back in DC, according to McClatchy, Craig didn't tell anyone on his staff or any of his Senate colleagues about the incident.

All three network news broadcasts cited the Roll Call article in brief reports. Fox News' Special Report quoted a Craig spokesman who said "it was a 'he said/he said misunderstanding.'" The Washington Post reports Craig issued a statement "confirming his arrest and guilty plea," but "maintained that he had not engaged in any 'inappropriate conduct' and that the airport police misunderstood his behavior." Craig's statement read: "At the time of this incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions. I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct. ... I should have had the advice of counsel in resolving this matter. In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously." The Hill has a brief report on its rival's big scoop.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force "issued a statement calling attention to Craig's support for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and his opposition to legislation that would expand the federal hate crime law to cover violent acts based on a victim's sex, sexual orientation, sexual identity or disability." According to the New York Times, Craig "is married and has three children," and "is known for his advocacy for the rights of gun owners and has a close association with the National Rifle Association."

The Idaho Statesman, in an editorial posted to its website last night, summed up what appears to be the prevailing sentiment about the Craig story: "If Craig's actions in the restroom were misconstrued and he was not involved in any inappropriate conduct, as he said in a statement Monday, then why did he plead guilty? ... On the surface, it seems implausible that any educated professional - much less an elected official - would face criminal proceedings without hiring an attorney."

The Washington Post reports that in 2006, gay activist Mike Rogers, who runs the Web site BlogActive.com, announced that he had spoken with men "who had sexual encounters with Craig, including in the restrooms at Union Station." Craig's office dismissed the allegations as "completely ridiculous." The Politico's Jonathan Martin notes that "rumors of Craig's homosexuality didn't just pop up last year. Then-Rep. Larry Craig went on network news in 1982 to deny rumors involving cocaine and sex with male pages."

The Washington Post is also reporting that yesterday Craig resigned as Idaho chairman of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.

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CAMPAIGN NEWS

Bush Raises Funds For Domenici.

The Albuquerque Tribune reports a "few dozen protesters attempted to greet President Bush in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque today for a closed fund-raiser with U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, an Albuquerque Republican." Analysts said the "fund-raiser today should dispel any doubts that Domenici is serious about his re-election bid." Three candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination: developer Don Wiviott, housing advocate Jim Hannan, and alternative newspaper publisher Leland Lehrman.

Officer In Bush Motorcade Dies In Vehicle Accident. USA Today /AP reports a police officer "in President Bush's motorcade crashed his motorcycle and died Monday, less than a year after a crash in Hawaii killed another motorcycle officer accompanying the president." Rio Rancho Officer Germaine Casey, 40, "crashed at the Albuquerque airport at a point where a road enters an underground parking garage, said Trish Hoffman, a spokeswoman for the Albuquerque Police Department."

Bush Raises $250,000 For Reichert.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that during a fundraiser for Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) in Bellevue, Washington, President Bush said the US "must 'stay on the offense' against its enemies abroad...returning to a familiar theme on the day his controversial attorney general resigned." Hundreds "gathered in downtown Bellevue to protest Bush's appearance." It was "a politically risky move for Reichert's camp to have such a high-profile event with Bush, even one that reportedly brought in $250,000," and "not to be outdone by Bush's visit, Democrat Darcy Burner -- who lost to Reichert in '06 and is challenging him again next year -- held a 'virtual' town hall on the Iraq War at her campaign Web site Monday afternoon." With the "help of liberal bloggers across the country," Burner raised "more than $105,000 since Friday" for her rematch with Reichert.

The Seattle Times reports state Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Bellevue, "who will challenge Burner in the Democratic primary, said given Bush's low voter-approval ratings, even in a swing district like the 8th, Reichert might ultimately hurt himself."

Florida Faces Sanctions For Primary Move

The CBS Evening News reported the Democratic National Committee "is warning Florida, which moved its primary up to January 29th, to move it back at least a week or else." Could 210 delegates "from the critical state of Florida" be "barred from the floor? That's what party officials are threatening." Donna Brazile, DNC: "I am going to send a message to everybody in Florida that we're going to follow the rules." Greenfield: "It is the latest and the most serious flare-up so far over a seemingly endless parade of calendar shifts which might end up reshaping both the timing and the outcome of this campaign."

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Thompson Remains Confident On Timing

The Politico reports with "his summer-long windup to a presidential campaign finally nearing an end, actor-politician Fred Thompson defended his late entry into the race and said the continued interest in him is a reflection of Republican dissatisfaction with the rest of the field." But Thompson's "plunge into the race, which aides once indicated would happen around the Fourth of July and is now planned for after Labor Day, comes amid increasingly public hand-wringing by supporters over whether he has waited too long to capitalize on the surge of interest that accompanied reports of a potential candidacy more than five months ago."

Meanwhile, the AP reports Thompson "sidestepped questions Monday about the departure of yet another high-level aide to his presidential campaign-in-waiting." Linda Rozett, "a longtime U.S. Chamber of Commerce official, is gone from the former Tennessee senator's committee to 'test the waters' of a presidential bid after spending the last several weeks as communications director."

Edwards, Clinton Clash On Lobbyist Funds

The AP reports John Edwards and Hillary Rodham Clinton "tussled over accepting campaign contributions from powerful health care groups Monday at a" cancer forum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, "that attracted four Democratic hopefuls." Clinton "defended her decision to accept campaign contributions from health care groups, saying she has a long track record of fighting for national health care that demonstrates she's not influenced by special interest giving." But Edwards "warned that powerful interest groups killed efforts to create universal health care when Clinton was first lady and spearheaded the effort of her husband's administration."

Clinton Blasts Bush For Katrina Response

The AP reports Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton "once again criticized President Bush and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for their response to Hurricane Katrina, re-emphasizing on Monday her plan for Gulf Coast recovery at a summit designed to mark what progress has been made two years after the storm." Clinton said it "remained 'an American obligation' to rebuild the region." Democratic rival John Edwards "used the same podium to outline his vision for the rebirth of New Orleans." The New York Times reports Edwards said New Orleans "occupies a central place in my campaign," and he "offered a variety of proposals - including getting more police officers into the city and improving health care."

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Former Ally May Challenge Landrieu

The Politico reports Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) "may now have a Republican opponent, and it's a former ally." State Treasurer John Kennedy "announced he would be switching parties and seeking reelection to his statewide office as a Republican." State party sources "believe his decision is to prepare for a Senate run against Landrieu in 2008."

House GOP Targets Space

The New York Times reports, "Seven months into his freshman term," Democratic Rep. Zack Space of Ohio is "under siege from the Republican Party, which declared him one of its top targets for 2008." Both parties "see Mr. Space's seat as an important prize. Ohio's 18th congressional district, which Mr. Space represents, is Republican territory, where President Bush received 57 percent of the vote in 2004."

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POLITICAL HUMOR

The Latest From Late Night Comedians

Jay Leno: "But there's some good news out of the White House. ... President Bush's daughter Jenna Bush is engaged. ... Actually, Jenna announced her engagement two weeks ago, although President Bush knew about it over a month ago from some, you know, wiretaps."

David Letterman: Top Ten Reasons Alberto Gonzales Resigned:

"10. Felt he wasn't incompetent enough for the Bush Administration.

9. Secretly ordered himself to fire himself.

8. Was offered the John Travolta role in the touring production of 'Hairspray'.

7. Trying his hand at failing miserably in the private sector.

6. Didn't want to be around for transition to the Kucinich Administration.

5. Instead of terrorism, trying to keep Lindsay and Paris off the streets.

4. Got a sweet new job at Kinko's.

3. Letterman has a guy making a sand sculpture of Biff Henderson.

2. Ran out of laws to circumvent.

1. Why not go out on top?"

David Letterman: "Alberto Gonzalez is stepping down but he can't recall why."

Conan O'Brien: "After months of scandals and political pressure, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced he's going to resign. Pretty sad, yeah. Yeah, Gonzales...said, 'There comes a time when a man should resign and that time for me was last January.'"

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