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Thursday, May 23, 2013
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Expectations about the reports of Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker have been building over the past few days, and now, on the day Petraeus will give his assessment of the state of progress in Iraq, the story dominates all major media. Both ABC and NBC led their Sunday evening newscasts with the story (CBS was preempted for tennis coverage), and the story is on the front page of most major newspapers this morning. Petraeus, who is set to testify before the full House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees at 12:30 p.m., is expected to say the troop surge is working, and to recommend it be given more time before any substantial troop withdrawals are considered. Democrats and other skeptics are already speaking out against such a course.
ABC World News opened by saying, "We've been hearing about it for months. And now, the time has finally arrived." Petraeus "will testify before Congress about the progress of the troop surge," which "could have a major impact on the future of the war. Petraeus is expected to tell Congress, that the surge is working and should be given more time -- an idea that is already being met with resistance." ABC (Cochran) added that before "Petraeus' report to Congress, Democrats delivered their report card on him." Sen. Joseph Biden: "I think he's dead, flat wrong." Sen. John Kerry: "None of us should be fooled."
NBC Nightly News began by asking, "Is the war in Iraq still worth fighting? Tomorrow, America's top battlefield commander will give his formal answer to that question in a much-anticipated progress report to Congress." With "key conclusions" of the Petraeus report "already being made public, supporters and opponents of the war are already facing off over what it really says and whether the troop surge has worked as advertised." NBC (Yang) added, "Petraeus is likely to tell Congress that keeping US forces at current levels until spring is the only way to keep Iraq from descending into chaos. The Administration has a lot riding on that testimony."
The New York Times reports on its front page that Petraeus "has recommended that decisions on the contentious issue of reducing the main body of the American troops in Iraq be put off for six months, American officials said Sunday." Petraeus "has informed President Bush that troop cuts may begin in mid-December, with the withdrawal of an American combat brigade, about 4,000 troops. By mid-July, the American force in Iraq might be down to 15 combat brigades," the pre-surge strength level. That would leave about 130,000 US troops in Iraq. The Los Angeles Times headlines its story "No Surprises Expected In Petraeus' Iraq Report," saying that "since spring, President Bush has publicly staked the future of his troop buildup strategy" on the Petraeus report. An assessment from Petraeus, "a widely admired officer, was likely to enjoy more credibility with Congress and the public than anything the president could say." But a "funny thing happened on the way to the briefing room. Petraeus' report may not have as much impact as the White House had hoped, because his message already has been widely anticipated -- and even previewed by the general himself."
The Washington Post says the "White House and its allies are feuding with congressional Democrats over the credibility and independence" of Petraeus, "one of today's star witnesses." Key Democrats have spent the last several days working "to blunt the impact of Petraeus's testimony...by raising doubts that the Petraeus assessment would truly be independent of the White House. While praising the general personally as an honorable soldier, Democrats suggested that his testimony ought to be discounted." USA Today says "even skeptics of President Bush's war policy acknowledge" that Bush "couldn't have picked a better pitchman" for the surge policy. House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., said of Petraeus, "He's one of our best generals." But, USA Today adds, "that's precisely why some Democrats are suspicious of Petraeus." Rep. Jim Moran said, "He's a better politician than most members of Congress." Indeed, U.S. News and World Report's "Washington Whispers" reports Petraeus "has become a household name. A new Winston Group poll finds he has a high -- 76 percent -- name identification."
The Financial Times says Democrats are citing an op-ed Petraeus wrote for the Washington Post in September 2004 in which he "was optimistic American forces were beginning to turn the corner in what was then an 18-month-old war." He wrote at the time, "I see tangible progress. Iraqi security elements are being rebuilt from the ground up. The institutions that oversee them are being re-established from the top down. And Iraqi leaders are stepping forward." Now "three years and many disastrous episodes later," Petraeus will go before Congress. The Washington Times, in a report strongly favorable to Petraeus, says the general, "whose counteroffensive in Iraq produced security gains this summer and reshaped the war debate at home, will be tested today" before Congress. His "expected recommendation for a gradual troop withdrawal falls far short of the Democratic leadership's goal to end the war, and they have opted to attack the general's integrity and have even reconsidered the far left's politically dangerous call to cut off war funding."
Crocker's Words Could Mean The Most Ambassador Crocker has been almost entirely eclipsed by Petraeus in coverage leading up to their presentations, and as the Washington Post reminds readers in "The Iraq Report's Other Voice," a story on its front page, "Two witnesses will testify to Congress today on progress in Iraq." And "despite the spotlight focused on what has become known as the Petraeus report," Crocker's testimony "may carry far more import for the long-term future of Iraq and the U.S. presence there. With little progress to recount in how the Iraqis have used the political 'breathing space' that Bush promised his war strategy would create, Crocker's inevitably more nuanced appeal for time and patience is likely to be the tougher sell." Joe Klein writes in Time, "Petraeus and Crocker have been the best soldier and the best diplomat to serve the U.S. in Iraq. But they see the situation from different perspectives, and their ideas about what to do next may differ as well."
USA Today profiles the ambassador under the headline "Crocker: A Modern 'Lawrence Of Arabia.'" Like T.E. Lawrence, the "famed British diplomat who lived among Arab tribesman in the early 20th century," Crocker is an "accomplished Arabist accustomed to hardship -- a fluent speaker of the language who has served in six Arab countries and survived war and civil strife in several of them." But "those experiences so far have not enabled him to resolve the Bush administration's biggest challenge -- reconciling Iraq's bitter ethnic divisions."
Democrats Don't Expect To Force Change Despite strong feelings against the war, the Wall Street Journal says few war critics "hold out much likelihood for success" in shifting US policy. Congressional Democrats now "face what is likely to be their last chance to alter President Bush's war strategy in Iraq," but the White House is "standing firm. ... Despite talk of a possible bipartisan compromise in the Senate, the Democrats' calculus for forcing a real shift in strategy looks far less favorable now than it did earlier this summer." The Washington Post has a similar report noting "Democrats have not succeeded in forcing a single, substantial change in the president's policy."
USA Today reports on its front page that a "record 60% say the United States should set a timetable to withdraw forces 'and stick to that timetable regardless of what is going on in Iraq,'" according to a new USA Today/Gallup poll. However, as the New York Times reports on its front page, a New York Times/CBS News poll finds that "while most favor a withdrawal of American troops beginning next year, they suggested they were open to doing so at a measured pace." Just five percent "said they most trusted the Bush administration to resolve the war," while 21 percent "said they would most trust Congress and 68 percent expressed most trust in military commanders. That is almost certainly why the White House has presented General Petraeus and Mr. Crocker as unbiased professionals, not Bush partisans."
White House Homeland Security Adviser Fran Townsend's statement on Fox News Sunday that Osama bin Laden has become "virtually impotent" is attracting media attention as reports about US preparedness six years after 9/11 continue. NBC Nightly News reported Townsend "seemed to dismiss Osama Bin Laden as a continuing threat to Americans." Intelligence officials "say so far they have found no hidden meanings or triggers in this message to indicate any new attacks are imminent."
The AP reports Townsend's "provocative characterization came just days after bin Laden attracted international attention with the release of a video in which he ridicules President Bush about the Iraq war and reminds the world that he not been captured." The Hill reports Townsend "dismissed" bin Laden's significance, "saying that making a tape every few years 'is about the best he can do.'" The Los Angeles Times notes that Townsend's "assessment of the terrorist leader...echoed remarks made last week" by Fred Thompson, "who said that Bin Laden was 'more symbolism than anything else.'"
Public Split On Safety From Attacks ABC World News reported an ABC News/WPost poll found "two-thirds of Americans say they are worried about the possibility of more terror attacks," which "matches the lowest level of concern in the last six years." But Americans "are divided, about 50/50, about how confident they are in the government's ability to prevent further attacks." The Washington Post reports the poll found that "positive assessments" about the war on terror "are weakly held and for most do not assuage their concerns about future attacks in the United States."
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NBC Nightly News reported that "cities across the country" held marches Sunday to remember those killed on 9/11. The Washington Post reports thousands took part in the third annual America Supports You Freedom Walk, which "took participants from the Mall, over Memorial Bridge and past its monumental bronze statues, Valor and Sacrifice."
Meanwhile, the Christian Science Monitor reports "hundreds of thousands of people...have pledged to memorialize those killed on 9/11 by doing something good for others." At the "urging" of a group called myGoodDeed.org, "President Bush for the first time this year included a call for volunteering in his annual 9/11 proclamation."
With a headline asking whether 9/11 is "Becoming Just Another Calendar Date?" USA Today reports on its front page that "many Americans are wrestling with the question of how -- and whether -- to move on" from the attacks. "Tuesday's sixth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed almost 3,000 people is unlikely to pack the same emotional clout, generate the same media attention or command the same public focus as the fifth anniversary."
The Politico reports that "an official involved in the selection process" revealed that President Bush "is expected to choose a successor to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales this week," and has "narrowed the possibilities to five finalists, according to the official: Michael Mukasey, Theodore B. (Ted) Olson, Laurence H. Silberman, George J. Terwilliger and Larry D. Thompson."
Democrats To Stall Confirmation Process Roll Call reports, "As the White House appearing to be focused on former Solicitor General Ted Olson as the next attorney general, Senate Democrats are expected to delay President Bush's nominee in the hopes of forcing the administration to produce thousands of pages of documents on a variety of issues, including the firing of nine U.S. attorneys last year."
The Washington Post reports that last week the White House "completed the divvying-up of Karl Rove's sizable and important portfolio. Rove's longtime deputy Barry Jackson is taking over management of the four offices Rove supervised (political affairs, intergovernmental relations, public liaison and strategic initiatives), while new White House counselor Ed Gillespie will assume Rove's more amorphous role of providing Bush broader strategic advice -- with an assist from Jackson and communications chief Kevin Sullivan." Jackson "is one of those Washington worker bees who is virtually unknown outside the White House fence but is well-regarded inside."
The AP reports Sen. Larry Craig "will file court documents today asking to withdraw his guilty plea in a sex sting, his attorney said. Such requests rarely are granted. The New York Times reports the "details of his arrest shocked his colleagues and constituents, but he was not the only person ensnarled in the airport police enforcement action against what the authorities said was lewd conduct in the restroom. Thirty-nine other men were arrested here in a three-month period this summer."
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With the exception of Sen. Joseph Biden, the Democratic presidential candidates met in a debate at the University of Miami sponsored and broadcast by Spanish-language network Univision. The Miami Herald reports the "first presidential debate conducted in Spanish marked a history-making moment in American politics Sunday night, though the candidates aimed more at embracing the nation's fastest growing minority group than in breaking new ground on the issues." The Democratic candidates "saved their sniping for the Republican party, whose candidates rebuffed an invitation to a similar forum next week." The Herald adds that no "major gaffes occurred, but the on-air translation of the candidates' answers into Spanish was spotty at times." The South Florida Sun-Sentinel also calls the debate "historic," but adds that there was little divergence in candidates' views on most issues: only "limited disagreement on when the United States should withdraw troops from Iraq. Primarily, the seven presidential candidates in attendance attempted to show a personal affinity with the country's 17 million eligible Hispanic voters - often pointing out their own immigrant roots - as they answered questions from anchors Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas."
The AP reports Sen. Hillary Clinton "insisted Sunday night it's time to start pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq as she and her Democratic presidential rivals debated the war on the eve of a much-awaited assessment by U.S. commanding Gen. David Petraeus." The "protracted war in Iraq competed for attention with the swirling argument over immigration. On Iraq, Gov. Bill Richardson retorted that Clinton and others who want to leave residual forces there would leave soldiers at risk." The Los Angeles Times reports the Democrats "condemned divisive immigration rhetoric and touted issues important to Latinos during a televised debate Sunday on a leading Spanish-language network in which their remarks were translated live from English." USA Today reports, "Led by the first major-party Hispanic presidential candidate, Bill Richardson, seven Democrats sought to connect with the nation's largest minority group on Univision, not only by what they said at the University of Miami but how they said it." Richardson and Dodd "showed off their fluent Spanish despite debate rules prohibiting it," while Clinton and Obama "highlighted their work with Hispanics in Congress" and John Edwards "likened his poor upbringing to the problems faced by the Latino community today."
The Chicago Tribune reports, "Much of the night focused on two front-burner issues to Hispanics: immigration reform and promoting U.S. relations with Latin America, especially Cuba and Venezuela." Gov. Richardson said, "We have to start lifting the embargo against Cuba." The Tribune adds Richardson also criticized Sen. Clinton, Obama, and Dodd "for supporting immigration reform legislation that included construction of a barrier along the U.S. border with Mexico."
The Los Angeles Times reports, "Over the years, dozens of celebrities and authors have been the happy beneficiaries of what Hollywood likes to call 'the Oprah effect.' Saturday, it was Barack Obama's turn to enjoy billionaire chat diva Oprah Winfrey's favor, as a stunning cross section of the country's entertainment and sports elite gathered in 'the meadow' of her sprawling Montecito estate to raise money for the junior Illinois senator seeking the Democrats' presidential nomination." The CBS Evening News even led with the story Saturday night, saying the "power of celebrity brought a new luster" to the Obama campaign. CBS (Whitaker) added, "A star-studded fundraiser at Oprah Winfrey's palatial Santa Barbara estate, expected to raise $3 million for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. A lot of money, sure. The much-admired media mogul is giving the Illinois senator something more. Call it the 'power of O.' ... Oprah's limelight is more like a spotlight that radiates a warm glow on anything and anyone she embraces, a fact she acknowledged when, on The Larry King Show she endorsed Obama." Winfrey: "My support of him is probably worth more than any check that I could write." Whitaker: "She's not just boasting. Her TV show reaches 8.5 million viewers a day, mostly women; two million read her magazine each month."
McCain, Thompson Make Gains USA Today reports Fred Thompson "has gotten a modest bump in support after finally announcing he's running for the Republican presidential nomination, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds. And Arizona Sen. John McCain may have started to turn around his beleaguered campaign." According to the poll of 425 Republicans and Republican leaners, conducted over September 7-8, 34% would vote for Rudy Giuliani; 22% would vote for Thompson; 15% would vote for McCain; and 10% would vote for Mitt Romney. The poll also "shows Republican voters a bit more satisfied with their choice of candidates than they were in April, while Democratic voters are a bit less satisfied. The Democratic edge on that measure of enthusiasm is now negligible." On the Democratic side (500 Democrats and Democratic leaners), Sen. Hillary Clinton "continues to lead the field, at 45%, over Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, at 24%. Former North Carolina senator John Edwards is third at 16%, up 3 points since August."
Maverick Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) has flirted with the idea of a presidential bid over the last six months, including a possible independent candidacy, but he is set to announce today that he will exit politics in 2008. The Washington Post reports Hagel "will announce tomorrow that he will retire from the Senate and will not run for president, sources close to the senator said yesterday." Hagel, "who will make the announcement in Omaha, was once considered a 2008 contender for the presidency. When he turned sharply against the war, his standing with Republican primary voters plummeted, but his stature with independents soared," and there was considerable speculation that he could team up with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg "on an independent 'unity' presidential ticket. But Hagel has decided instead to drop out of elective politics, at least for 2008, according to an informed source with direct knowledge of the senator's intentions." The New York Times adds Hagel will be fulfilling "a promise he made to voters when he first ran for the Senate in 1996 that he would serve only two terms. But his decision presents yet another challenge for the Republican Party in its effort to stop Democrats from extending their majority in Congress next year."
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Jay Leno: Osama Bin Laden's "beard is now black. Didn't it used to be gray? I think he's dyeing it. Forget...the Mideast crisis. I think he's having a mid-life crisis."
Jay Leno: Fred Thompson "married his first wife when he was 17. And ironically, he married his second wife when she was 17."
Jay Leno: "President Bush called the APEC conference the OPEC conference. He called the Australian troops Austrian troops. And he left the stage the wrong way. He was given the wrong information when he got there, he stumbled when he was there, and couldn't figure out how to leave. It's like Iraq all over again."
Conan O'Brien: "Former 'Law & Order' star" Fred Thompson's "campaign slogan is 'United In Our Core Beliefs.' If the slogan's a hit, Thompson plans to unveil another one, 'United In Our Core Beliefs: Special Victims Unit.'"
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