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Tuesday, May 29, 2012
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On Capitol Hill Tuesday, returning lawmakers wasted no time engaging in the debate that is expected to dominate the nation's political discourse for the next several weeks: What to do in Iraq. ABC World News reported Gen. David Petraeus arrived in Washington last night ahead of his "long-awaited report to Congress next week. All indications are it will set the stage for the debate for a bruising role in Iraq." In an interview with ABC's Martha Raddatz, Petraeus said he has "made recommendations, yes. And also some discussion of various implications of certain courses of action and so forth," but urged lawmakers to "wait for the recommendations, please." On the CBS Evening News, Petraeus said, "If you look at the country as a whole, there is an unacceptable level of violence, but that level of violence...has been reduced dramatically." Meanwhile, Administration officials told the AP on Tuesday that they "have recommended he stand by his current war strategy, and he is unlikely to order more than a symbolic cut in troops before the end of the year."
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times says Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, commander of day-to-day military operations in Iraq, said Tuesday "that the task of stabilizing the country was in its early stages and gains could be lost if troops began leaving." Odierno "made clear that he believes it is too early to think about shrinking the American troop presence, which has grown to more than 160,000 since Bush's military upsurge began in February." USA Today and Washington Times run a similar AP story on Odierno's remarks.
In Washington, on the run-up to Petraeus' appearance before Congress, the talk was about a report from the General Accounting Office (leaked to the media last week), with findings that are being described as "bleak" in a number of media reports this morning. USA Today reports the GAO says "a 'dysfunctional' Iraqi government has made minimal progress toward unifying the country's religious and ethnic sects and the number of combat-ready Iraqi army units dropped over the summer." NBC Nightly News reports the GAO "says Iraq has fully met only three of 18 political and security so-called benchmarks laid down by the US," a "much bleaker picture than the version the White House has put forth." The Hill notes the GAO upgraded "two progress benchmarks to 'partially met' that were listed as unmet in a draft report leaked by the White House last week." Despite "that slightly brighter picture, which followed an intense push from the Bush administration for changes to the report, Comptroller General David Walker acknowledged during Tuesday testimony that...Bush's troop increase in Iraq thus far has not achieved its stated purpose." McClatchy and the Washington Post, among other media sources, run similar reports this morning.
Democrats: Security Gains Temporary The Los Angeles Times, under the headline "Senators Skeptical That Iraq Security Can Last," reports "Senate war critics on Tuesday demanded evidence that the security improvements claimed by the White House could be sustained once American forces hand off the task of maintaining order to Iraqi military units." The New York Times reports Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gave a speech on Tuesday which "reflected an aggressive effort by the Democrats to shape the discourse over the war before General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker testify."
Along those same lines, The Hill reports "Rep. Neil Abercrombie's bipartisan Iraq withdrawal bill appeared to have been abandoned last month," but now Abercrombie "is trying to revive the bill he authored with Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.). He's reaching out to fellow members and drafting a letter to Democratic leaders urging them to bring his bill up for a vote." Meanwhile, says Roll Call, "a bipartisan group of 11 House moderates launched an effort Tuesday to get Republican and Democratic leaders to call off the partisan dogs in hopes of crafting a unified position to bring troops home from the Iraq War."
Ad War Underway The New York Times reports "the battle for the hearts and minds of Americans is escalating on the airwaves. On one side is Freedom's Watch, formed this summer by several wealthy conservatives who back...Bush's strategy in Iraq. On the other is a coalition of organized labor and liberal antiwar groups, including MoveOn.org, Americans United for Change and Americans Against Escalation in Iraq." Freedom's Watch "is in the midst of a $15 million television campaign in about 20 states to encourage members of Congress who support the president's strategy to continue to do so."
In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal writes, "In the Hell Hath No Fury sweepstakes, groups like MoveOn.org are gearing up to take on a new set of perceived traitors in their midst -- Democrats who have acknowledged some success from the troop surge in Iraq. Chief among the targets is Washington Congressman Brian Baird, whose indiscretion was recognizing progress on the ground, despite having initially opposed the surge and having opposed the war in the first place."
Couric Cites "Dramatic" Progress In Iraq CBS reports on its website, "One week before Gen. David Petraeus is expected to give his report on U.S. progress in Iraq, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric says she has already seen dramatic improvements in the country." The New York Times reports in its Arts section, "The CBS anchor Katie Couric, who nabbed a one-on-one interview with Mr. Bush while on assignment in Iraq, is there at just the right time to pre-empt the flurry of harsh assessments awaiting her first anniversary as anchor of the 'CBS Evening News.'"
More Negative Iraq Assessments The Washington Post, in a front-page story titled "No Relief From Fear," reports that violence "continues to divide Iraq, paralyzing its political system and efforts at national reconciliation." The Washington Post also runs a second story, titled "US Efforts May Work Against Iraqi Self-Sufficiency." For "many Iraqis, the United States remains the only source of basic services, protection and infrastructure -- functions the new government was supposed to perform." The Washington Post also reports a "strong backlash against any federal oil law emerged" in Iraq, one of the US' benchmarks for progress.
The CBS Evening News reported, "The Iraqi government has failed to deliver the most basic of services. And that's making life for many a living hell." Meanwhile Thomas Friedman, in his New York Times column written from Baghdad, says, "I saw many contradictory things on this visit to Iraq -- too many to declare a definitive trend."
Bush Using "New Gauge"? Following similar reporting by the Wall Street Journal Tuesday, the New York Times reports this morning on its front page that Bush is proposing a new gauge to measure progress in Iraq "by focusing on new American alliances with the tribes and local groups that Washington once feared would tear the country apart."
And in a story that picks up on a line of argument President Bush has used for years to defend the war in Iraq, the Christian Science Monitor reports on "an argument that Bush has stressed recently: that US troops must stay in Iraq not just for the sake of Iraqis, but for US national security." In "recent speeches, Bush has lauded US military cooperation with Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar. Leaving now would reopen the door to Al Qaeda influences and domination, he says."
Iraqis Hold Peace Talks In Finland The AP reports negotiators said Tuesday that Iraqi Sunni and Shiite delegates "made progress at secret peace talks in Finland," cautioning "that their Northern Ireland-inspired agreement would have to be endorsed by top leaders in Baghdad to have any chance of succeeding. Organizers said the four-day meeting at an undisclosed location in Finland brought together high-level delegates from the feuding groups to study lessons learned from successful peacemaking efforts in South Africa and Northern Ireland."
Ambiguous statements form Sen. Larry Craig's spokespeople, in conjunction with a suggestion from Sen. Arlen Specter that Craig would be vindicated were he to appeal his disorderly conduct conviction, have many media outlets speculating that the senior senator from Idaho may not be willing to resign from the Senate anytime soon, though he announced his "intention" to do so Saturday morning. The Los Angeles Times reports Craig "has left open, albeit slightly, the possibility that he will not resign from the Senate if he succeeds in his fight to clear his name of allegations that he solicited sex in a Minnesota airport restroom in June." In an interview Tuesday night his spokesman Dan Whiting said, "Sen. Craig still intends to resign. That being said, Sen. Craig wants it clear he's fighting these charges, both in Minneapolis and in the Senate Ethics Committee, and if the wheels of justice are able to turn quick enough, meaning before Sept. 30, he may -- and I emphasize may -- not resign. ... At this point, it's a very small door that he's left open."
The Washington Post quotes Sidney Smith, another Craig aide, as saying, "It's not such a foregone conclusion anymore, that the only thing he could do was resign. We're still preparing as if Senator Craig will resign September 30, but the outcome of the legal case in Minnesota and the ethics investigation will have an impact on whether we're able to stay in the fight -- and stay in the Senate." The Politico and McClatchy run similar stories.
Roll Call, meanwhile, reports Craig "opened the possibility of reversing his stated intention to resign from the Senate on Sept. 30 in a voice mail message obtained by Roll Call that the Idaho conservative inadvertently left at a wrong number." Roll Call relates part of the message: "[Sen.] Arlen Specter [R-Pa.] is now willing to come out in my defense, arguing that it appears, by all that he knows, that I've been railroaded and all of that. ... Having all of that, we've reshaped my statement a little bit to say it is my 'intent' to resign on Sept. 30." Roll Call notes that Craig was likely trying to reach Billy Martin, one of his recently hired defense attorneys. Roll Call also provides an audio clip of Craig's message.
What Is Specter's Role? The Hill notes Sen. Arlen Specter's "support for the Idahoan is believed to be a leading factor behind the reconsidered resignation." On MSNBC's Hardball, Howard Fineman of Newsweek said, "It seems to me" that Sen. Specter is "trying to create a nightmare for [Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell. There's bad blood between Specter and the conservatives, because the evangelical conservatives said Specter, if you want to stay as head of the Judiciary Committee, back when the Republicans had the majority, you play ball with us. You sign off on all of our nominations. And Specter saying OK, two can play that game. I think Larry Craig Should get a fair hearing." NBC Political Director Chuck Todd asked, "Could it be that maybe Arlen Specter might have been friends with Larry Craig and he's being the first one to stick up for the guy?"
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The Wall Street Journal reports that for Republicans who had hoped the 2008 campaign would "bring a fresh start after the troubled tenure of President Bush, there are sobering signs: Evidence indicates that the party's problems with the American electorate are much bigger than the president and won't go away when he leaves office. Recent voter surveys, including private polling done by a leading Republican strategist, suggest a broader erosion of Republicans' appeal. ... 'The state of the Republican Party is worse than any time since Watergate, and arguably this is worse than Watergate,' says party strategist Vin Weber, a former congressman, 'because that was about an event, whereas this may reflect a trend.'"
In addition to the high profile scandals involving Sens. Larry Craig, David Vitter and Ted Stevens, there's a spate of news concerning lesser-known bad behavior on the part of GOP lawmakers. McClatchy reports that two top aides of GOP Rep. John Doolittle have been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in connection with an ongoing investigation into Doolittle's relationship with the notorious lobbyist Jack Abramoff, now behind bars. Oddly enough, both aides "joined Doolittle's staff after Abramoff's glory days as the star Republican lobbyist in Washington, D.C., had fizzled into a searing tale of political corruption." According to Roll Call, the Justice Department "has sought to talk with as many as a half-dozen former Doolittle aides." The Los Angeles Times and The Politico also report the story.
The Hill reports that "after months of silence amid media articles that raised questions about the ethics of his business transactions," another House Republican, Rep. Gary Miller, "has launched an aggressive counteroffensive." Miller "has complained this year to media outlets, including The Hill, regarding their coverage of the congressman's real estate deals and how he allegedly used his congressional influence for personal benefit." Miller "maintains that he has done nothing wrong and is being targeted by partisan Democrats, disgruntled ex-employees and the media." Miller also denied that either the IRS or the FBI "has contacted him."
To top it off, The Hill reports Rep. Doug Lamborn "is apologizing to a couple in his district who complained that he left them two threatening voice mails after they wrote a critical letter to the editor about the freshman member." Jonathan and Anna Bartha "gave the Denver Post access to two voice-mails they received from Lamborn in which he told them there would be 'consequences' if they did not withdraw a letter to the editor of a local newspaper. In the letter to the editor, the couple took issue with a $1,000 contribution Lamborn received from the International Game Technology PAC on the basis that it contradicted his stated anti-gambling stance."
The Washington Post reports, "German authorities said Wednesday that they had disrupted an 'imminent' plot to bomb targets that may have included the largest U.S. air base in Europe and Frankfurt's international airport. Three men were in custody after their arrest in a village in western Germany and police said they recovered large quantities of chemicals for making explosives."
The Financial Times reports, "German security forces have prevented a terror attack in Germany that could have been more deadly than the Madrid and London bombings, top security officials said on Wednesday." German police yesterday "arrested three men who had planned simultaneous car bomb attacks against US military and civil targets, such as pubs and discos, Monika Harms, federal chief prosecutor, said at a press conference in Karlsruhe. The men two Germans who had converted to Islam and a Turkish national are alleged members of 'Islamic Jihad Union', a little known terror group linked to Al Qaeda that has its roots in Uzbekistan, Ms Harms said." The alleged terrorists "had obtained 12 barrels of liquid weighing 730kg to be used in preparing explosives."
CNN reports, "Wolfgang Bosbach, a top legislator for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, said the suspects had been under observation by security officials for a long time.' Bosbach told N24 television an attack could have occurred 'in a few days,' possibly to coincide with the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and an upcoming parliamentary debate on whether to extend troop levels in Afghanistan."
The New York Times reports, "The arrests were made Tuesday evening at a vacation home in Oberschlendorn, a sleepy village in the state of North Rhine Westphalia, north of Frankfurt. The suspects were mixing chemicals to make explosives, the official said. Police also found a van that they believe was to be used to transport the explosives to Frankfurt and Ramstein, in southwestern Germany."
The New York Times Magazine previews a 5,100+-word profile of Jack Goldsmith, former head of the Office of Legal Counsel, by George Washington University law professor Jeffrey Rosen titled, "Conscience of a Conservative" that will be published Sunday. According to Rosen, Goldsmith was "at the center of critical debates within the Bush administration about...coercive interrogation, secret surveillance and the detention and trial of enemy combatants." Rosen notes that Goldsmith witnessed the much-discussed scene at former Attorney General John Ashcroft's hospital bed on March 10, 2004, when then-White House counsel Alberto Gonzales and chief of staff Andrew Card "visited the hospital to demand that the ailing Ashcroft approve, over Goldsmith and [acting AG James] Comey's objections, a secret program that was about to expire." According to Rosen: "Mrs. Ashcroft, who obviously couldn't believe what she saw happening to her sick husband, looked at Gonzales and Card as they walked out of the room and stuck her tongue out at them. She had no idea what we were discussing, but this sweet-looking woman sticking out her tongue was the ultimate expression of disapproval. It captured the feeling in the room perfectly.'"
The new book on President Bush titled "Dead Certain" by journalist Robert Draper continues to generate controversy, as the author begins to make the rounds of the cable chat shows. NBC Nightly News reported that in Washington "the talk is about the Bush legacy as chronicled in" the "gossipy" Dead Certain, including the passages about the First Lady's "apparent dislike for recently departed political adviser Karl Rove. Rove's opposition to Dick Cheney as vice presidential pick. And Rove's failed attempt to block the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court."
On MSNBC's Hardball host Chris Matthews noted that in Draper's book Bush "said he wanted to make some money -- quote 'replenish the old coffers,' as he put it." Matthews asked Draper if he was surprised by the "crassness" of the President "at the very moment he's sending kids into battle and getting killed, talking how much loot he's going to get the minute he gets out of office?" Draper responded, "Actually, the whole colloquy surprised me...because...this President's really not accustomed to dwelling on what he might do in the future. He tends to be, in fact, kind of disdainful of those questions. ... To be fair, I think that -- that he was contemplating the various things he would do when he retired. And the first thing out of the gate, the first thing he said was that he going to build this Freedom Institute, modeled, more or less, on the Hoover Institution, but with a few twists and turns. And then it was -- it was shortly after that that he said that he would like to replenish the old coffers, as you mentioned." Matthews also had the leader of veterans' group on to denounce President Bush for discussing money-making ideas during a time of war. Draper, appearing on CNN's Situation Room, noted "how differential the President was towards the Pentagon...during the Iraq war." Draper added that President Bush still "very much" believes that the strategy in Iraq is going to succeed."
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Fred Thompson will not be participating in tonight's GOP debate in New Hampshire, but he is looking to make sure his presence is felt. With a 15-minute webcast scheduled for tomorrow morning, in which he is expected to enter the race, the AP reports Thompson is "airing a 30-second ad on Fox News Channel during Wednesday night's broadcast of a Republican presidential debate from New Hampshire - which Thompson is skipping. That ad, and another one airing Thursday, will encourage viewers to go to his website and hear him out." Besides the ad, Thompson "also will tape an appearance on NBC's 'The Tonight Show,' which will air about an hour after the debate ends in many U.S. households."
However, the move is not without risk. The Hill reports Thompson's "decision to run his first ad during the broadcast of Wednesday night's presidential debate in New Hampshire instead of participating in it could cost him dearly with the state's voters." Thompson's "rivals, as well as state officials and analysts, said the senator might be in hot water with primary voters, particularly if they interpret the campaign's decision as part of an overall strategy that overlooks the first-in-the-nation primary state." But the Thompson campaign "insists that the senator is taking New Hampshire 'very seriously' and that he plans to spend a 'significant' amount of time and resources there leading up to the primary."
Thompson's move presages a more active phase of his campaign. USA Today asks if Thompson has "waited too long? Maybe not, but he does face a formidable set of challenges and not much time to complete them." He needs to "get organized in Iowa and New Hampshire. Thompson's rivals have been opening campaign offices and recruiting county chairmen for months." Thompson "seems to get that message. He plans to stump in Iowa from Thursday to Saturday before heading to New Hampshire for events Sunday."
The AP reports this morning that Mitt Romney "will renew an advertising push" in South Carolina today, "expanding a media campaign that lately has been focused on Iowa and New Hampshire." Romney's camp "will shift an ad to South Carolina that aired in Iowa and New Hampshire last week." The ad "is scheduled to run for six days and costs more than $200,000, according to information compiled by another presidential campaign."
The State (SC) reports that the ad that will begin airing in South Carolina "is called 'Leadership' and its dominant visual is of Romney jogging along a wooded road. The script focuses on Romney's work to reverse the financial problems of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, his leadership with several private companies and his record as governor."
The New York Times reported on its politics blog, "Some have wondered whether Mr. Romney would seriously compete in the southern state, where his background as a former governor from Massachusetts and a Mormon is problematic to many Republican primary voters. But a review of Mr. Romney's first and second quarter spending shows that he has invested significant resources in his efforts there, pouring in some $464,000 for consulting, direct mail and other expenditures."
The race to move up presidential nominating contests continues unabated, with another state bumping its primary up and likely forcing others to hold their contests even earlier. The AP reports that Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) "signed a bill Tuesday moving both of Michigan's presidential primaries to Jan. 15. Michigan's move threatens to set off a chain reaction that could force Iowa and New Hampshire to reschedule their contests even earlier than anticipated, perhaps in the first week in January 2008 or even December 2007." The state now faces the possibility of losing some or all of its primary delegates for each party's convention.
The Washington Post reports, "The leading Democratic candidates have all pledged to ignore Michigan, Florida and the other states that have scheduled votes before Feb. 5 in violation of the party's rules. They did so under threat from the party of losing any delegates they would win in a state that had violated the order." However, the Detroit Free Press reports, "In announcing the legislation had been signed, Granholm said the names of all credible candidates would be on the Michigan ballot whether they choose to campaign or not, and suggested it would be a mistake for candidates to shun the state. Former Gov. James Blanchard, cochairman of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign in Michigan, said signing the pledge was a mistake but predicted the leading Democrats would find ways to campaign actively in the state."
It looks less and less likely that Al Gore will enter the presidential race, but that doesn't mean he has eschewed presidential politics altogether. The AP reports that Gore "says he will probably endorse one of his party's 2008 presidential candidates. And it won't necessarily be Hillary Rodham Clinton, the wife of his former boss. 'Uh...no,' the former vice president told" 02138 magazine, which focuses on the activities of Harvard graduates, "when asked if he feels 'some obligation' to endorse the senator from New York. 'I have friendships with her and with other candidates, and they're all on equal footing at this point as far as I'm concerned,' he said. Gore said several candidates had called and visited him to seek advice. He declined to name them. In the interview, Gore again declined to completely rule out a presidential run next year but said 'it doesn't feel right at this point.' He also said he doubted he would ever completely rule out a return to politics in the future."
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Jay Leno: "Over the weekend, President Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq. Anytime Bush shows up in a war zone, that's pretty much a surprise, I guess."
Jay Leno: "President Bush is very upset...the Iraqi parliament has failed to pass any major legislation since taking office. It has not passed any legislation. Of course, on the other hand, it made him feel right at home."
Jay Leno: "Bush is very optimistic. God bless him, he's nothing if not optimistic. In fact, today, he said things in Iraq are getting gooder."
David Letterman: "President Bush was in Iraq for eight hours. Nice to see he has an exit strategy."
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