Media reports are casting passage of a House spending bill that would mandate a US troop withdrawal from Iraq as a mainly "symbolic" act by Democrats under pressure from their anti-war base. The AP says "the legislation, passed 218-203, was largely a symbolic jab at Bush, who already has begun reducing force levels but opposes a congressionally mandated timetable on the war." The New York Times says Democrats "sought to remind constituents of their continuing opposition to the war," and Fox News' Special Report reported, "Just as the Pentagon has begun an actual draw down of forces in Iraq, bringing home troops who will not be replaced, House Democrats are proposing a bill that ironically would force the Pentagon to initiate withdrawals within 30 days, which, of course, is already happening."
The Los Angeles Times notes the measure "attracted just four Republican votes, dozens short of what would be needed to achieve the two-thirds majority needed to overcome a certain presidential veto." In the Senate, "many Democrats concede that they probably won't get close to the 60 votes necessary to end a promised filibuster, which effectively would kill the bill." The Washington Post says "the bill stands virtually no chance of being enacted." Democrats "know that but say that their efforts to limit the war since taking control of Congress in January are a political -- and, some say, moral -- necessity." The Hill reports Speaker Nancy Pelosi "met with 10 liberals last Thursday night for 90 minutes. She incorporated some of their ideas into the legislation." Pelosi also "met with nearly a dozen liberal lawmakers Wednesday afternoon to enlist their help in getting more liberals to support the bill. Many remained frustrated that Democratic leaders did not vote on a measure to completely cut funding."
The Wall Street Journal reports Republicans "accused Democrats of 'posing for holy pictures' and pursuing a 'fool's game' that ignores progress made on the ground in Iraq." The Washington Times says "the Pentagon yesterday warned that money was already running out for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as congressional Democrats dismissed recent security gains and threatened to stall emergency war funds." And The Hill reports White House budget director Jim Nussle "on Wednesday stepped up his attacks on the Democratic management of the appropriations process, and suggested that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was making an empty threat to withhold a $50 billion Iraq funding plan if the president does not agree to change course on the war."
Meanwhile, in a front page story, the Washington Post says that senior military commanders in Iraq "portray the intransigence of Iraq's Shiite-dominated government as the key threat facing the U.S. effort in Iraq." They have a "growing concern over the Iraqi government's failure to capitalize on sharp declines in attacks against U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians." The Hill reports Sen. Lindsey Graham "said he is disappointed with the political reconciliation efforts in Iraq and is considering influencing alternatives to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government if the country does not make strides toward that goal."
A new GAO report found investigators were able to sneak bomb parts past airport security screeners, prompting front page articles in the major dailies and lead stories on network news broadcasts. The news overshadowed a hearing on Wednesday that focused on reports that screeners had been tipped-off to previous covert tests. The CBS Evening News says that the "troubling report" found that "undercover investigators testing 19 airports slipped past security screeners undetected with components for several improvised explosive devices both in their carry-ons and hidden on their bodies. ... The report's findings underscore a long-held fear that a team of terrorists working together could easily beat the system."
ABC World News says it was "the second year in a row that GAO agents were able to sneak bomb-making materials on to planes. The GAO does not fault the security officers, which they say appear to follow TSA procedures and used technology appropriately." NBC Nightly News said the GAO report represented "a gaping hole in the TSA's screening checkpoint. They realize it's a problem. They still don't have a way to test for liquid explosives."
On its front page, the Washington Post reports Rep. Henry Waxman, whose House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on the GAO investigation tomorrow, called the findings "mind-boggling. In spite of billions of dollars and the six years TSA has had to deploy new technology and procedures, our airlines remain vulnerable." The Los Angeles Times says the Heritage Foundation's James Jay Carafano "said TSA critics might have unrealistic expectations. ... 'The point is that screening was always meant to be largely a deterrent to definitely take amateurs off the field and deter the pros,'" Carafano said.
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
The Wall Street Journal the "bitter clashes between President Bush and congressional Democrats foreshadow a bigger fight as the two parties start framing divergent messages on the economy and spending in time for next year's elections." The White House and Hill Republicans, "aiming to win back a reputation for fiscal probity -- plan to escalate a confrontation with Democrats over the fiscal-2008 budget, as Mr. Bush has threatened to veto nine appropriations measures."
Roll Call reports some congressional Republicans are "quietly urging the White House to incorporate some wiggle room in its hard-line stance over how much Congress should spend on domestic priorities." Republicans "fault Democrats for being intransigent on the more than $21 billion they want to spend over President Bush's recommended budget," but House and Senate Republicans "said they are looking for the White House to become more engaged in negotiating an actual compromise on appropriations this year."
In an indication that the clash over spending is not going to disappear, Roll Call reports "House and Senate Democrats have inserted at least 18 previously undisclosed earmarks into the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies spending bill totaling more than $24 million, while taking steps to limit access to key budget documents prepared for appropriators by federal agencies." The Hill notes a "group of House Republican appropriators will unveil a measure Thursday that seeks to establish a bicameral bipartisan committee that will study and make recommendations on how the earmark system should be reformed."
WPost Criticizes White House Supply Siders The Washington Post editorializes, "Tax cuts don't pay for themselves. This might sound like dog-bites-man news, except for one thing: This rather unremarkable statement comes from Jim Nussle, the new director of the Office of Management and Budget in an administration whose president is given to saying things like 'You cut taxes, and the tax revenues increase' (February 2006) and 'We have cut taxes, causing economic growth, which caused there to be this year alone 187 billion more tax dollars coming into the Treasury' (August 2007)."
The AP reports President Bush "welcomed Michael Mukasey back into government Wednesday and promised to help the new attorney general rebuild the top leadership of the beleaguered Justice Department." Bush also "promised to announce on Thursday nominees to fill some of the dozen vacant senior leadership jobs in the department, which has been in a state of upheaval since a series of controversies."
The Washington Times reports the Justice Department "has 12 top spots that have yet to be filled by Senate-confirmed nominees, though half of those jobs already have nominees who have been sent to the Senate, Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said." USA Today notes the President remarked, "In a time of war, it's vital that these positions be filled quickly. ... I look forward to working with the Senate to fill these important positions."
The New York Times reports Mukasey, in his turn, "made no reference at all Wednesday to the trouble he faces in assuming control of the Justice Department for the last 14 months of the Bush administration." But "while Mr. Mukasey may not say so publicly, he has privately told his supporters on Capitol Hill and elsewhere that he is fully aware the department lost much of its credibility, both in legal circles and with the public, during Mr. Gonzales's tenure."
Gonzales Legal Defense Fund Created The Washington Post reports supporters of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez "have created a trust fund to help pay for his legal expenses, which are mounting in the face of an ongoing Justice Department investigation into whether Gonzales committed perjury or improperly tampered with a congressional witness. The establishment of a legal defense fund for the nation's former chief law enforcement officer underscores the potential peril confronting Gonzales, who is one of a handful of attorneys general to face potential criminal charges for actions taken in office."
Roll Call reports Democratic leaders "once again are considering holding the Senate in a series of pro forma sessions to stop President Bush from using the break to install any of his outstanding executive branch nominees." That move "comes as speculation mounts that Bush will use the period to push through some controversial appointments while Senators are out of town for the two-week period." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) "could all but block the president from doing so, however, if he opts to call the chamber into nonvoting sessions every three days - thus doing away with an extended recess."
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
Hillary Clinton looked yesterday to put the drivers license issue behind her before tonight's big debate in Reno, and was aided by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's decision to abandon the plan. ABC World News reported Spitzer has "abandoned a proposal that caused outrage across the nation and something of a political migraine for Senator Hillary Clinton. Spitzer now says he will not push to allow illegal immigrants to apply for driver's licenses. Clinton, you may call, was criticized at a debate for not taking a clear stand on the issue. Today, no ambiguity. She says she opposes the idea and praised Spitzer for killing it." However, Barack Obama "is not giving up the fight. They're going straight at Senator Clinton's character and credibility." The New York Daily News reports that the statement was "her first unequivocal statement on the issue," and was painting it as part of her efforts to prepare to "get her front-runner's groove back" at tonight's debate. "Analysts predicted there would not be a repeat of Clinton's Philly flubs in Vegas, and that she'd try to get back on the high road."
McClatchy reports Clinton's campaign "said she now opposed such licenses. In a statement, she said: 'As president, I will not support driver's licenses for undocumented people and will press for comprehensive immigration reform that deals with all of the issues around illegal immigration, including border security and fixing our broken system.'" McClatchy adds, "Why that's wrong: In the words of Dodd's presidential-campaign spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan: 'It's flip-flopping cubed. She was for it before she was against it, before she was for it, before she was against it.'"
With the Democrats debating in Reno tonight, Hillary Clinton's campaign has gotten some good news on the Nevada front. The AP reports that a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll of 389 likely Democratic caucus-goers taken November 9-13 shows 51% would vote for Clinton; 23% would vote for Barack Obama; 11% would vote for John Edwards; and 5% would vote for Bill Richardson.
CNN's The Situation Room reported that the Nevada results are much "better than the two states that vote before Nevada. The poll shows a virtual three-way tie in Iowa. Clinton is clearly ahead in New Hampshire but still short of her Nevada majority." The poll shows that "Nevada Democrats choose Clinton as having far and away the best chance of beating the Republican ticket next year. Iowa and New Hampshire Democrats also give her the edge on electability." However, "where is Clinton weakest? Likeability, where she has a narrower lead among Nevada Democrats."
John McCain is taking heat in the current media cycle over his response to a questioner who made an insulting comment about Sen. Hillary Clinton at a recent event in South Carolina. The AP reports McCain "said Wednesday he responded appropriately after a woman used the word 'bitch' to describe Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton." McCain said, "She made a comment, I made light of the comment, and then I said very seriously I treated and continue to treat Senator Clinton with respect and I've said that many times." Asked whether "he thought the woman's comment was funny, McCain said he reacted that way because he wanted to move on." McCain said, "I can't dictate what other people say -- that's not my business." The AP adds that at the "campaign event on Monday, the woman asked McCain, 'How do we beat the bitch?'"
ABC World News reported, "Some voters we spoke with today took issue with the question, and thought Senator McCain should at least have reprimanded the questioner for her choice of words." Top Republican strategists "agreed, McCain might have handled it differently." Tucker Eskew, Republican strategist: "If there was anything he could have done differently, it would have been to more quickly rebuke that choice of words and then answer the question, which is how are we going to beat her?" Snow: "But a conservative talk radio host said the criticism was overblown." Sean Hannity, talk show host: "Do you notice, I mean there was humor. There was laughter. He didn't say it. He's not going there."
Meanwhile, McCain's campaign is attempting to turn the tables on the media. The Washington Post notes that CNN anchor Rick Sanchez "led off his 'Out in the Open' show with the video, saying: 'This could be real bad for John McCain. ... No matter what you think of Hillary Clinton, is John McCain done as a result of this? ... I think he could be in trouble for this from women.' Campaign manager Rick Davis, in a fundraising letter, charged the 'Clinton News Network' with 'gratuitously attacking' McCain. He said that CNN 'owes John McCain an apology because of the outrageous behavior' of Sanchez, and that 'the liberal media' are 'trying to stop the McCain comeback.' Sanchez sees no need for an apology, saying McCain 'has not addressed what many would see as embracing a word that is demeaning to women. He did not seem to respond appropriately to an offensive word,' Sanchez said, and instead is trying 'to get people to focus attention...on the messenger.'"
MSNBC's Hardball reported Rudy Giuliani's "first television ad released today tries to reinforce his 9/11 image as a leader with the experience and best judgment to defend America. But Giuliani's judgment is under fire because of his friend, business partner and indicted former police commissioner Bernie Kerik and thanks to new allegations by Kerik's former mistress, Judith Regan." Regan "has long faced credibility problems," but her lawsuit against the News Corporation "and the front-page stories about it today bring more attention to Giuliani's friendship with Kerik and Kerik's alleged criminality."
The CBS Evening News reported Giuliani, "who has been conserving campaign funds, airs his first TV ad tomorrow." Giuliani: "They used to call it unmanageable, ungovernable." Couric: "Giuliani touts his record as the mayor of New York." Giuliani: "We turned it into the safest large city of New York." Couric: "And acknowledges his faults." Giuliani: "You're not going to find perfection." Couric: "He makes no direct mention of 9/11."
Long Island Newsday reports, "Giuliani's campaign has been sensitive to charges that he relies too heavily on 9/11 -- such as Democrat Joe Biden's recent attack that all his sentences are 'a noun and a verb and 9/11.' So instead, he goes back to pre-9/11 New York, saying he inherited a welfare-ridden 'crime capital' and turned it around. The ad also has echoes of Ronald Reagan's 'Morning in America' ad campaign. 'Most importantly, the spirit of the people of the city had changed -- instead of being hopeless, the large majority of people had hope,' Giuliani said. The ad doesn't mention that when Giuliani left office, many black New Yorkers were glad to see him go."
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
The late night shows were in reruns last night due to the ongoing writers strike.
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
Click image for larger view.
Smart analysis, insightful reporting, in-depth perspective—in a new, digital format.
Log in | Buy Now | See sample
View sample page 2View sample page 3View sample page 4View sample page 5advertisement
Get your POLITICALBULLETIN
Click image for larger view.
Smart analysis, insightful reporting, in-depth perspective—in a new, digital format.
Log in | Buy Now | See sample
View sample page 2View sample page 3View sample page 4View sample page 5Embed exclusive U.S. News headlines, rankings, columns, and blog postings to your Web site, blog, or social network.
advertisement
Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
