Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf announced on Sunday that parliamentary elections in his country will take place as scheduled next January. However, the announcement was overshadowed by Musharraf's unwillingness to set a deadline on the emergency rule he declared a week ago.
The Financial Times calls Musharraf's announcement "a partial concession to international calls for an early return to democracy." The AP meanwhile notes Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "welcomed Musharraf's pledge to hold elections by Jan. 9 but expressed concern that he had not set a time limit for restoring citizens' rights." Rice said on ABC's This Week, "Obviously, we are also encouraging that the state of emergency has got to be lifted, and lifted as soon as possible."
The Washington Times reports "the Bush administration sees Gen. Musharraf and" former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto "as the two pillars of a 'moderate center' that stands the best chance of countering the rising influence of insurgents who seek to impose a Taliban-style regime." The Washington Post says Bhutto "was more muted" than other opposition leaders "in her response" response to Musharraf, "reflecting her ambivalent position as both the president's potential rival and partner in power."
But as the New York Times reports, "many opposition politicians and Western diplomats dismissed the election date as a ruse to ease the outcry against...Musharraf's seizure of additional power."
The Los Angeles Times also says "human rights groups, democracy activists and some opposition leaders immediately declared that elections would have little meaning if they were held while the constitution remained suspended and basic freedoms of speech and assembly were curtailed."
The Wall Street Journal notes the general "ruled out the reinstatement of Pakistan's now-dismissed Supreme Court chief justice, which Ms. Bhutto has demanded." USA Today and the Washington Times run similar reports.
NBC Nightly News reported Musharraf "tried to reclaim center stage," and showed the general pledging "absolutely fair and transparent elections." But "at times," added NBC, "Musharraf seemed defensive and confrontational." The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, reports on renewed political activism among Pakistani youth: "Stirrings of unrest have already begun bubbling up at colleges and universities across the country, from Islamabad to Peshawar to Karachi." The Washington Post runs a similar story under the headline "For Pakistani Students, A Reawakening: 'We Can't Just Sit Idle.'"
Senior US Official May Go To Pakistan The Washington Post reports, "The Bush administration is betting that...Musharraf can survive the crisis in Pakistan if he moves decisively to lift emergency rule and hold elections over the next two months, despite new US intelligence concerns about the dangers of long-term instability or, worse, a political vacuum, US officials say." The Administration "is considering sending a senior official to Islamabad this week to tell the Pakistani leader that he must urgently rescind restrictions on the media, civil society and opposition politicians, which could discredit any January elections -- and endanger both Pakistan's stability and his political future, the sources said."
The Washington Times /AP reports Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Sunday said "suicide attacks and other bombings in the Iraqi capital have dropped dramatically since last year's high, calling it a sign of the end of sectarian violence." Meanwhile, a "top US general here said he believes the drop is sustainable, as Iraqis turn away from extremists."
The Financial Times notes the prime minister's remarks "are broadly in line with statements by US commanders claiming that the radical al-Qaeda network, believed to be the main perpetrator of attacks on Shia civilians which then provoke backlashes, has lost its footholds in the capital." USA Today runs a similar story.
The Washington Post reports Maliki also "announced his latest push for an amnesty program for insurgents, a plan that he said would allow Iraq to move past sectarian warfare." He "sketched a broad outline of what the amnesty could entail." The New York Times reports Maliki also said that "increased security in Baghdad had allowed thousands of families to return to their homes in the capital and outlying areas."
The Los Angeles Times notes "Maliki said he would set up a committee to resolve the ambiguities in a vague endorsement for amnesty included in a 24-point reconciliation plan drafted in June 2006. Since then, the plan has languished, with key members of parliament's dominant Shiite bloc opposing any amnesty for insurgents from the former Baathist regime."
NBC Nightly News, the only network newscast to air last night, reported "the military announced it had had captured more than 200 suspected insurgents, including three high-value Al Qaeda operatives and seized more than a ton of explosives in four northern Iraqi provinces over the past week." Iraqis "returning to Baghdad these days will notice a change of demographics in the city. East of the Tigris River is almost exclusively Shia. To the west, mainly Sunni."
Chertoff Visits Iraq The AP reports, "Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff spent Sunday in Iraq, where he participated in a ceremony for 178 foreign-born service members to become US citizens." The ceremony "took place at Camp Anaconda, some 50 miles north of Baghdad."
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NBC Nightly News last night led its broadcast with nearly five minutes on economic concerns: "Whether you are a big-time investor or simply on a 401(k) and a mutual fund or two, by now, you have probably tuned into the fact that there is growing anxiety over the health of this nation's economy." Two "big issues are facing this economy. One of them is housing -- we have all been affected by that; the other is energy prices -- housing prices falling, energy prices going up."
In a second report, NBC Nightly News says consumer concerns "are already being felt by retailers as they head into the holiday shopping season. Some of the nation's biggest chains say this October was the slowest in 12 years, and things may only get worse."
Senate Banking Chairman Christopher Dodd said on ABC's This Week, "We watched the worst decline here in the last five years in the markets over the last week. Predictions that the housing sales will fall...that's the first time since the Great Depression we've had two successive years of predictions of housing sales declines. All of that information, the price of a barrel of oil," the "announcement by a relatively low-level Chinese official that they may look elsewhere in their reserves other than the dollar -- all of these factors I think have contributed to the general sense that maybe we're heading in the wrong direction economically."
In a 1,700-word front-page story, the Wall Street Journal reports that though "booming global growth" continues, investors fear it will not be enough to revive US markets." USA Today says on the front of its Money section that Dow Theory, the "market-trend forecasting system developed in the late 19th century by Wall Street Journal editor Charles Dow," is "close to signaling that the primary trend of the market" is bearish after being positive for the past five years.
Few Options Seen For Stronger Dollar The Wall Street Journal says that the US does not have many options "to arrest the decline" in the value of the dollar, down 11% since February 2006. It could "use stronger rhetoric to talk up the dollar," buy dollars in foreign-exchange markets "in coordination with other countries troubled by the dollar decline," or the Fed could raise interest rates. But "neither the Bush administration nor the Fed has shown any inclination toward any of those, preferring instead to let market forces operate."
The New York Times says in an editorial that the Bush Administration's "stated desire for a strong dollar is on a collision course with the stated belief in market-determined exchange rates." In his Washington Post column, Sebastian Mallaby says the "dollar's vulnerability is caused by debt -- the debt of the federal government and of American households. ... Once a currency ceases to act as a store of value, its days as a reserve currency -- that is, a currency in which foreigners are happy to hold savings for the long term -- may be numbered."
U.S. News and World Report reports in its "Washington Whispers" column that it "looks as if former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is landing on his feet. The embattled Texan resigned after the Justice Department came under fire for axing nine U.S. attorneys. Now University of Florida's student paper, the Alligator, reports that Gonzales will take home $40,000 for a campus speech next week."
The AP reports Congress is "taking new whacks at the cigarette industry, banning tobacco sales in Senate buildings and - more importantly - seeking a significant federal tax increase on cigarettes."
U.S. News and World Report runs its profiles of the US' top leaders. Political figures include Lee Hamilton and James Baker, whose "report made it hard for even the war's firmest backers to argue for staying the course," Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who "says her election 'broke the marble ceiling' of Congress," and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has "worked with the state Legislature in a nonpartisan way to promote alternative fuels, limit greenhouse gases, and increase aid to education." U.S. News and World Report also notes "America's best leaders increasingly reflect" a "spirit of teamwork." Meanwhile, U.S. News and World Report says Americans have "steadily lost confidence in their leaders since 2005 -- the year the government bungled its handling of Hurricane Katrina -- according to the third annual Center for Public Leadership/U.S. News poll conducted this fall."
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Six Democratic presidential candidates addressed about 9,000 Iowa Democrats Saturday night at the state party's annual Jefferson-Jackson fundraising dinner, one of the major events leading up to the leadoff caucuses a month and a half from now. Most reports focus on the speeches of Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, while many reports say John Edwards, striving to regain his lead in the state, was particularly forceful. Sens. Joseph Biden and Christopher Dodd, and Gov. Bill Richardson, also spoke.
The Washington Post reports in a front page story this morning that in the "space of an hour this weekend," Obama and Clinton, "using some of their most pointed and forceful rhetoric of the campaign, framed in stark terms the choice for Democrats deciding their party's presidential nomination." Clinton "gave a strong speech at the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner late Saturday night, but Obama, criticized for occasional lackluster performances on the campaign trail, delivered one of his most focused and powerful addresses. In the view of many in the audience, he emerged as the oratorical winner at the biggest Democratic political event in Iowa before the state's January caucuses." Obama said "his candidacy could produce a new Democratic majority capable of breaking the gridlock and polarization that have plagued Washington for a decade or more." But Clinton, "the front-runner for the nomination, used the same event to fire back at rivals such as Obama, who have attacked her with increasing sharpness over the past two weeks."
The AP says the Democratic race "moved into overdrive" as the candidates "scrambled to outdo each other to win over the Iowa activists who will leadoff the contest on Jan. 3." They "filled the air with populist rhetoric and schmoozed party regulars in the most hectic day of a campaign that's been intense for months." Des Moines "took on a circus-like atmosphere as candidates raced from forums to rallies to marches to receptions, capped by the Iowa Democratic Party's annual fundraising dinner. Nine thousand boisterous activists chanted and cheered during the event, which traditionally begins the sprint to Iowa's leadoff caucuses in January."
While the AP says "some of the hottest rhetoric of the night" came from Edwards, "who has sounded an increasingly sharp populist theme in recent weeks," the Des Moines Register says Edwards was "more subtle" than he has been recently, as Clinton "has inched ahead in polls of caucusgoers." Edwards "continued to try to paint Clinton as too closely connected to special interests during his fiery call for Democrats to give Republicans 'hell.'" The Chicago Tribune says Edwards "delivered a manifesto for the Democratic Party to 'stand up with some backbone.'"
The Los Angeles Times says neither Edwards nor Obama "uttered Clinton's name, but there was little doubt" about Obama's "intended target. 'When I'm your nominee, my opponent won't be able to say that I supported this war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I support the Bush-Cheney diplomacy of not talking to leaders we don't like,' Obama said."
The New York Times reports on its website this morning that Clinton did not mention Obama by name, either, but "given the recent tenor of the campaign, the subtext of their remarks was apparent to thousands of Iowans who sat either in rapt attention or responded in extravagantly orchestrated displays of cheers, signs and chants." The Politico says Obama's "red-shirted supporters in the balconies won the tacit contest to make the most noise in the cold, crowded arena."
On its front page Saturday, the New York Times reports a "defiant" former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik "vowed yesterday to fight a 16-count federal indictment, setting the stage for legal proceedings that could cast a shadow over the presidential campaign of his friend and one-time mentor" Rudy Giuliani.
All three broadcast networks reported on the indictment, and, like most newspapers, considered the impact on Giuliani's presidential bid. ABC World News said Kerik "vowed to fight the charges, virtually guaranteeing a legal battle that will play out as his former boss, Rudy Giuliani, runs for president." The CBS Evening News said Kerik "is not the only one who could face trouble; it's also bad news for his friend and mentor." CBS (Pitts) added that before Kerik "could even make it to his car, at least two Republican candidates for president were throwing campaign grenades at Rudy Giuliani." Mitt Romney: "The indictment of Bernie Kerik is obviously very sad and disappointing." Pitts: "Sen. John McCain on Kerik's short term in Iraq." McCain: "Supposedly his mission was to help train Iraqi police. He stayed a couple of months, got up and left. That should have been part of anybody's judgment before they would recommend that individual to be head of the Department of Homeland Security." Pitts: "A not-so-subtle dig at Giuliani, who recommended Kerik for secretary of homeland security to President Bush." NBC Nightly News, in a brief report, said Giuliani's "close friend and aide" was "indicted on federal corruption charges."
The Los Angeles Times focuses on the impact on Giuliani, saying that the charges "open a window" on Giuliani's "inner circle, detailing how Kerik lived the high life during Giuliani's law-and-order administration. The indictment, with details that would fit an episode of 'The Sopranos,' could create problems for the GOP front-runner, who has built his candidacy on his image as an efficient manager and dogged crime fighter." Sen. John McCain's campaign "suggested that Giuliani's support of Kerik was an ethical failing. 'Rudy Giuliani's history with Bernie Kerik is a story of poor judgment,' the campaign said. 'A president's judgment matters, and Rudy Giuliani has repeatedly placed personal loyalty over regard for the facts.' The Washington Times adds the "indictment is causing political problems for Mr. Giuliani, who recommended Mr. Kerik to the White House in his aborted bid for the Homeland Security post." Giuliani "said it was a mistake to back Mr. Kerik for the Bush administration job, but said it shouldn't overshadow the mayor's accomplishments."
In her U.S. News and World Report column, Gloria Borger says Hillary Clinton's "struggle with herself over how to handle the issue of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants the other week changed everything. Not only was she caught without a clear idea of how to handle the matter; the entire dais of Democrats sharing the debate stage with her seemed to be a tad undone by the question-and pleased that she had been called on first. That way, they could jump on her for taking both sides of an issue (a fair critique, to be sure) but delay their own answers long enough to figure out how to straddle the matter. And they're still doing it."
Zuckerman Says Clinton Stumble Could Leave Impression She Is The Issue In his U.S. News and World Report column, Mortimer Zuckerman says after the Drexel debate, "For the first time in what has been a very disciplined campaign, Clinton looked vulnerable, overly political, evasive, and expedient. The focus shifted from her knowledge, strength, experience, and authority to questions about her sincerity, integrity, and electability." The "big danger for her is the growing perception that she is becoming the issue. An almost certain win on a referendum on the Bush administration's incompetence could be turned into a loss if the election became a vote on the personality and character of the Democratic candidate."
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The New York Times reports, "At two campaign events in Iowa this year, aides to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton encouraged audience members to ask her specific questions, a tactic that drew criticism from an opponent for the Democratic presidential nomination and led her yesterday to promise that it would not happen again." Clinton, "speaking to reporters in Iowa, said she was unaware that her aides had ever planted questions. 'It was news to me,' said Mrs. Clinton." The Times adds, "Planting questions with audience members, while not unheard of in political campaigns, is generally avoided because of the embarrassing image it suggests when the tactic becomes public: that a candidate is uncomfortable facing tough questions or campaigning in unpredictable settings."
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's campaign has been showing strength in the key state of Iowa in recent weeks, prompting speculation that he may ultimately end up as a key player in this presidential race, although perhaps not as the nominee. Asked on CBS's Face The Nation about possibly becoming Rudy Giuliani's running mate, Huckabee said, "That's a question I hope I don't have to face. And after we do so well in Iowa and New Hampshire that I'll get the nomination, then I won't have to face it. But it's going to be asked, and my only answer is that that's a question that's months away. Right now, Mike Huckabee's trying to be in the center ring getting the gold medal. My goal is not to see the silver or the bronze. ... I just don't know. I haven't figured that one out yet."
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The late night shows were in reruns on Friday due to the writers strike.
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