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Wednesday, June 19, 2013
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The revelations about GOP Sen. Larry Craig received saturation coverage last night and this morning. As Roll Call first reported on Monday, the conservative Republican was arrested in June at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport by a police officer investigating "lewd conduct complaints in a men's public restroom." Craig pled guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in the Hennepin County District Court. Yesterday, ABC World News reported, Craig "was adamant in a news conference denying the accusations. He says the only thing he did wrong was to plead guilty in the hopes the incident would go away. It has not." NBC Nightly News noted Craig "loudly and publicly proclaimed today he is not gay." But both broadcast and print reports focused on new details published by the Idaho Statesman concerning past accusations of sexual misconduct by Craig. The Senate GOP leadership's reaction was swift: The Washington Post reported they called for an immediate investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney also distanced himself from the senator, the former Senate co-chair of his campaign. Romney, on CNBC's Kudlow & Company yesterday, said, "We've seen disappointment in the White House, we've seen it in the Senate, we've seen it in Congress. And frankly, it's disgusting."
Media reports are portraying the controversy as yet another challenge for the beleaguered GOP in 2008. The New York Times reports, "Forget Mark Foley...or Jack Abramoff. ... They are old news, replaced by a fresh crop of scandal-plagued Republicans, men like Senator David Vitter of Louisiana, whose phone number turned up on the list of the so-called D.C. Madam, or Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska and Representative Rick Renzi of Arizona, both caught up in F.B.I. corruption investigations." On the CBS Evening News Stuart Rothenberg, of the Rothenberg Political Report, said, "The Republican brand at the moment is very weak. And what this does, this adds to the buzz about Republicans and what do Republicans believe, and are Republicans hypocrites." USA Today notes that Craig's "is one of 21 Senate seats that Republicans will try to defend next year as voters disenchanted with President Bush and the Iraq war head to the polls." Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, on MSNBC's Hardball, said "I think, increasingly, among social conservatives voters, there is a grave concern over the lack of integrity in the Republican Party."
On NBC Nightly News Washington bureau chief, Tim Russert said, "I talked to Republicans today" and "they just want Senator Craig to exit, to leave." According to ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, "Every Republican in Washington is hoping [Craig] will decide not to run again. Idaho is the reddest of red states. It's a Republican state. If Craig decides not to run again, he will certainly be replaced by a Republican who will win. If he tries to hang in there, Democrats could make this a race." The Los Angeles Times and The Politico reach the same conclusion in their analyses this morning.
The AP reports that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics "also filed a complaint with the ethics committee seeking an investigation into whether Craig violated Senate rules by engaging in disorderly conduct." The Washington Post's Dana Milbank writes, "As the Craigs departed, somebody in the crowd that had gathered called out after the senator: 'Hey, what if you were gay?' Heckling the disgraced lawmaker at that moment seemed over the top, but the question was a reasonable one. Craig didn't get into trouble for being gay; he got into trouble because he 'engaged in conduct which I knew or should have known tended to arouse alarm or resentment.'"
Today's newspapers are full of speculation on who will replace Alberto Gonzales as the next Attorney General. While a number of reports yesterday suggested the White House was looking to avoid a fight over the nominee, the Washington Post says this morning "administration officials and Republican advisers" are telling reporters "President Bush is willing to fight for the right candidate,." The Post adds, "Among those who are said to be under serious consideration are Solicitor General Paul D. Clement, whom Bush picked to serve as acting attorney general after Gonzales's Sept. 17 departure; George J. Terwilliger III, a former deputy attorney general; former solicitor general Theodore B. Olson; Michael B. Mukasey, former chief judge of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York; and Laurence H. Silberman, a senior judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit." Fielding and White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten "are leading the effort to draft and cull a list of potential nominees. Officials familiar with the process said that the White House has begun reaching out to potential candidates to gauge their interest in the job."
Fox News' Special Report mentioned DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, Larry Thompson, a former deputy AG "now at PepsiCo, described by some as a moderate, respected by both Democrats and Republicans." Fox added "one source" said that former Republican Sen. Mike DeWine "has also been suggested for the job."
The Wall Street Journal reports "there was even informal brainstorming among White House outside advisers of some unexpected possibilities, such as retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor; Harvard law professor Charles Fried; and federal appeals judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, who has been considered in the past for the Supreme Court. A senior administration official sought to dismiss those possibilities, however."
The Washington Times reports "Justice Department sources said that Robert C. Bonner, former commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, also has been mentioned and is interested in the job."
Democrats, meanwhile, continued to insist that Gonzales' departure does in no way mean they will suspend their investigations of him. In fact, the Wall Street Journal said, "Instead of dulling the Senate Judiciary Committee's enthusiasm for investigating Bush administration policy, Mr. Gonzales's resignation Monday appears to have stoked it."
Speaking to the American Legion convention in Reno, Nevada Tuesday, President Bush warned that withdrawal from Iraq would embolden Iran and al-Qaeda. McClatchy reports Bush said, "Iran could conclude that we are weak -- and not stop them from gaining nuclear weapons. ... And once Iran had nuclear weapons, it could set off an arms race in the region." Bush's speech "appeared to have two objectives: to amplify his warning to Iran that he won't tolerate its aggression, and to build public support for his 'surge' policy in Iraq before Congress returns from vacation next week to weigh anew what to do there." On Iran, "Bush was unusually hawkish." The Los Angeles Times calls Bush's language on Iran "particularly muscular," adding Bush "noted that US-led forces had seized 240-millimeter rockets manufactured in Iran that were 'provided to Iraqi extremist groups by Iranian agents' and said that attacks with Iranian-supplied munitions had increased recently." The New York Times and Financial Times note Bush also said he had authorized US commanders in Iraq to "confront Tehran's murderous activities."
As he was getting tough with Iran, media commentators were struck by what they saw as Bush's "upbeat" tone on Iraq. On CNN's Situation Room, Ed Henry said the President "seemed to go further than just saying the surge is working -- he seemed to claim that the US is turning a corner, the closest he has come to actually saying the US is winning in a long time." In similar reporting, the Washington Post titles its story "As Iraq Situation Varies, Bush Sticks With Encouraging Words," reporting the President offered an "upbeat message" and "seemed especially effusive in touting security gains" from the surge. Bush's comments were seen as "another indication that he plans to try to keep the additional troops in Iraq" after Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker deliver their report in September. The AP also says Bush "sounded like he'd already made up his mind to stay and fight."
In an even clearer indication, reports the Washington Post in a front-page story, the White House says Bush "plans to ask Congress next month for up to $50 billion in additional funding for the war in Iraq," a move that "appears to reflect increasing administration confidence that it can fend off congressional calls for a rapid drawdown of US forces."
The Washington Times notes Bush also "took aim at Democrats in Congress. 'They disregard the political advances on the local level, and instead charge that the slow pace of legislative progress on the national level proves that our strategy has not worked,' the president said. 'This argument gets it backward. ... It's going to take time for the recent progress we have seen in security to translate into political progress." And USA Today reports that as part of his speech, Bush also "called for new laws on flag protection and pledged to improve veterans' health care."
AFP reports Democrats "accused...Bush of painting a 'rosy picture' of Iraq and of confusing Americans by linking the war there to the September 11 attacks in 2001." The Washington Post, meanwhile, lists past occasions in which Bush has sounded an optimistic note over Iraq. Says the Post, "Skeptics of...Bush's strategy in Iraq highlight his frequent optimistic assessments of conditions there. Bush has emphasized a series of 'turning points' over the years that he said signaled more progress to come."
Ahmadinejad: Tehran Ready To Fill Vacuum Hours before President Bush's speech in Nevada yesterday, the CBS Evening News reported Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared "that America's political influence in Iraq is falling apart and said his government is ready to fill any power vacuum." Fox News' Special Report noted Ahmadinejad said, "The political power of the occupier is collapsing rapidly. ... Soon we will see a huge pullback in the region. Of course, we are prepared to fill the gap with the help of neighbors and regional friends like Saudi Arabia." According to Fox News, Ahmadinejad "is banking on the U.S. troop surge failing partly because, say analysts, his government cannot afford to keep up its level of activity in Iraq indefinitely. And that activity, according to the US and Britain, includes at the support and arming of Shiite militias." The AP and Washington Post also note the Iranian leader's remarks.
Reid: Political Deal Not Good Enough The Washington Times reports Senate Majority Leader Reid yesterday said "Iraqi leaders' agreement on key measures for national reconciliation would not stop Democrats' push next month for a US pullout. 'While Sunday's announcement is a welcome step, it is far short of what is needed to bring about political reconciliation,' Reid spokesman Jim Manley said." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, "did not answer questions about Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's progress uniting Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish communities because the draft agreement reached Sunday is not finalized."
54% Say Iraq War Not Lost In UPI/Zogby Poll. A UPI/Zogby Interactive online survey of 6711 adults (+/- 1.2%), conducted over August 17-20, shows:
Bush Worse Than Maliki? Harold Meyerson, a Washington Post columnist, this morning writes "it's easier to defend" Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki Maliki's "sectarianism than it is that of the leader who blew Maliki's nation to smithereens: George W. Bush." Maliki "inherited warring factions; that's why it took five months to piece his government together before he could even take power. Bush, however, with the prompting of Karl Rove, governed with the novel theory that what America needed was political polarization. He did not reach out to Democrats in the wake of 9/11 to build a new national security consensus; indeed, he used the Iraq war, from the summer of 2002 on, to paint the Democrats as national security squishes." It is Bush and "not Maliki, who has been a sectarian by choice. And it's Bush, not Maliki, whose term must come to an end before we can close out our misadventure in Iraq."
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The Los Angeles Times reports in a front page story that for the "last 15 years, California authorities have been trying to figure out what happened to a businessman named Norman Hsu, who pleaded no contest to grand theft, agreed to serve up to three years in prison and then seemed to vanish." Ronald Smetana, "who handled the case for the state attorney general," said, "He is a fugitive. Do you know where he is?" The Times adds that since 2004, Hsu "has been carving out a prominent place of honor among Democratic fundraisers. He has funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions into party coffers, much of it earmarked for presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York."
The Wall Street Journal reports Hsu is "one of the leading political fund-raisers in the country this year. In fact, many fund-raisers say he is one of a small handful of people capable of raising more than $1 million -- a major feat considering the maximum donation allowed by an individual for 2008 races is $4,600 per candidate." But "longtime political donors are curious: 'Who is Norman Hsu?' asks Robin Chandler Duke, a former ambassador and longtime supporter of Bill and Hillary Clinton."
The AP reports Rudy Giuliani "will speak at the sixth anniversary remembrance of the World Trade Center attack, as he has every year, but some relatives of those who died said the solemn ceremony is no place for presidential politics." Relatives of "some of the Sept. 11, 2001 victims said this year is different because he is a declared presidential candidate." Giuliani's senior political adviser, Tony Carbonetti, "noted that the former mayor lost friends in the attack and said that his activities that day are not political."
The New York Times reports when New York City "announced that Mr. Giuliani would speak next month at the sixth anniversary of the attacks, some relatives of people who died on Sept. 11 said they were dismayed, some because they feared his presence might inject politics into the event and others because they had been critical of him in the past."
The AP reports the Federal Election Commission said Tuesday that Sen. John McCain "is eligible to receive public financing for his struggling bid." McCain "quietly requested authority to receive matching funds on Aug. 10, but his campaign said he has not decided whether he would ultimately accept the money. Doing so would put him at a major disadvantage against well-funded rivals Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, who are likely to forgo public financing and, thus, free themselves from spending limits."
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The AP reports when Mitt Romney "wanted to balance the Massachusetts budget, the blind, mentally retarded and gun owners were asked to help pay." Romney "managed to slash spending to eliminate a deficit pegged at $3 billion, but he also proposed or presided over a far-ranging series of fee hikes - a strategy that allowed him to maintain the no-new-taxes stance he now boasts about as he runs for president." A survey of states "by the National Conference of State Legislatures found Massachusetts led the nation during Romney's first year, raising fees and fines by $501 million."
The Financial Times reports Barack Obama said "unscrupulous lenders who deceptively sold subprime mortgages to millions of Americans should be fined and the proceeds used to help bail out borrowers facing a wave of foreclosures." The proposal is "among the most radical yet from a leading Democrat and comes as Washington tries to respond to a growing wave of foreclosures and a crisis in credit markets."
The Des Moines Register reports Sen. Sam Brownback and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee "joined Lance Armstrong's 'War on Cancer' today but differed on how they would limit smoking and pay for national health care." The two "both pledged to fight the nation's No. 1 killer with increased research funding and financial incentives to promote healthy lifestyles." Huckabee "committed to sign a nationwide smoking ban in public places, should such a measure win approval in Congress. Brownback said he would let anti-smoking efforts continue under the authority of states and local communities."
The Hill reports the "biggest names in the GOP presidential primary - Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) - skipped the first-ever forum on cancer sponsored by Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation." Huckabee, "who spoke after Brownback, held the audience of around 1,000 in rapt attention as he described his own experience with the disease. In 1975, Huckabee's wife was diagnosed with a tumor in her spine."
Newsweek reports, "Attendees at the Cedar Rapids, Iowa event may look back at two 'surges' that began here -- one a boom in healthcare as a major campaign issue for Republicans; the other the emergence of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as a serious candidate for president."
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The AP reports Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd has "earned the backing of the International Association of Fire Fighters, a major coup for the presidential hopeful, while leading contender Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton secured the endorsement Tuesday of the United Transportation Union." The Dodd endorsement "is the more surprising of the two, with the Connecticut senator lagging behind better-known rivals Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and John Edwards in the latest polls."
The Washington Post reports Dodd "picked up the first significant prize in the competition for labor union endorsements yesterday." The firefighters "count 281,000 members, meaning they are only the 10th-largest union in the AFL-CIO. But they are among the most politically active and symbolically prized labor groups in the country, in part because of the heroic actions of firefighters at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon when terrorists struck on Sept. 11, 2001."
The New York Times reports the Republican National Committee "plans to penalize at least four states holding early primaries, including New Hampshire and Florida, by refusing to seat at least half their delegates at the party's national convention in 2008, a party official said Tuesday." Much of the "focus in the primary scheduling fight up to now has been on the Democratic National Committee's moves to penalize Florida by not seating its convention delegates because of the state's decision to move up its primary. But the Republican rules are even more stringent, and the national party said today that it would not hesitate enforcing them."
The Hill reports Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) "made his return to public life Tuesday, appearing at a 'Welcome Home' rally in Sioux Falls, S.D., and thanking his constituents for their support." Johnson's "appearance made it clear that he has yet to fully recover, but despite the occasional stutter and overall dull and stilted tone, he spoke lucidly and looked healthy."
ABC World News reported Sen. Johnson is "heading back to Capitol Hill next week. More than eight months after bleeding in his brain threw his future in doubt." Johnson also sat for several interviews to document his progress with reporter Bob Woodruff, who suffered a head injury in Iraq.
NBC Nightly News reported Johnson "approached the podium in a wheelchair but stood for his remarks, which were light hearted and included several jokes about his own speech, which remains somewhat impaired."
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Jay Leno: "Thank you for coming out. It's a hot day. ... Man, people were sweating like the men's room attendant when Senator Larry Craig walked in."
Jay Leno: "Anyway, Senator Craig gave a press conference today, where he said, 'I am not gay and I've never been gay and then he apologized to his wife, Liza Minnelli.'"
Jay Leno: "Even after announcing the resignation, Gonzales still not getting any respect. Today, Lou Dobbs called for him to be deported."
David Letterman: "Senator Craig said he made a mistake by pleading guilty. And I was thinking, well, maybe that was your second mistake. The way I look at it, anybody who spends more than two minutes in an airport bathroom is guilty of something, for God's sake."
Jimmy Kimmel: "The whole [Craig] thing, honestly, it makes your head spin. I had no idea there was so many customs involved in soliciting a man in the bathroom."
Jimmy Kimmel: "Needless to say, this senator is...anti-gay marriage, he's anti-gays in the military. I think that shows he doesn't let his personal needs interfere with his work."
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