This morning, both the Washington Post and the New York Times run front-page items positive for the Bush Administration. Under the headline "For Bush, Fortunes Finally Improve," the Washington Post reports on its front page this morning, "The war in Iraq seems to have taken a turn for the better and the opposition at home has failed in all efforts to impose its own strategy. North Korea is dismantling its nuclear program. The budget deficit is falling. A new attorney general has been confirmed despite objections from the left." Moreover, President Bush "has bolstered morale inside the West Wing and rallied his Republican base through a strategy of confrontation with the Democratic Congress, built on the expansive use of his veto pen." As a result, "after more than two years of being buffeted by one political disaster after another," the President "and his strategists think they may finally be getting back at least a bit of their footing." However, adds the Post, polls continue to show the public is "skeptical that anything meaningful has changed and still gives Bush record-low approval ratings," raising the question of whether "tactical victories" can "salvage a wounded presidency."
The Post story coincides with news of a drop in the level of violence in Iraq. The New York Times, also in a front-page story, reports the US military announced "the weekly number of attacks in Iraq had fallen to the lowest level since just before the February 2006 bombing of the Shiite shrine in Samarra, an event commonly used as a benchmark for the country's worst spasm of bloodletting." Data "released at a news conference in Baghdad showed that attacks had declined to the lowest level since January 2006. It is the third week in a row that attacks have been at this reduced level." And Newsweek's Rod Nordland, in an article titled "Some Progress Seen In Baghdad," says, "For the first time in years, the Iraqi capital is showing signs of life. But the calm is all too fragile, and it's an opportunity the government cannot afford to miss."
Despite the positive trend, the violence continues, and for some media outlets a bloody attack yesterday was the bigger story out of Iraq. For example, the Washington Post headlines its story on violence in Iraq, "US Cites Drop In Attacks Since Buildup In Iraq; Bombs Kill 20," and says yesterday's attack highlighted "the country's continuing security threats." The CBS Evening News -- one of two network newscasts airing last night -- reported, "In Iraq today three US soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber as they handed out toys to youngsters in Diyala province. Three children were also killed. Also today the US military reported insurgent attacks in Iraq are down 55% since last summer's troop surge." Similar assessments appear in USA Today, Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune.
In U.S. News and World Report, Michael Barone suggests improvements in Iraq are being underreported in US media, which "are presenting less reporting from Iraq, partly because some in the media believe that good news in Iraq is not news."
Democrats Said To Have No Choice But To Push For Pullout The New York Times reports that "Democrats in Congress failed once again Friday to shift President Bush's war strategy in Iraq, but insisted that they would not let up. Their explanation for their latest foiled effort seemed to boil down to a simple question: 'What else are we supposed to do?'" The Times goes on to describe Democrats in Congress as "frustrated by the lack of political progress in Iraq" and "under pressure by antiwar groups and mindful of polls showing that most Americans want the war to end. ... 'We are going to keep plugging away,' said Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, chairman of the Armed Services Committee." But some Democrats "see a big risk" in the party's current strategy, and "the recent failed votes were not enough to appease Moveon, said the group's executive director, Eli Pariser."
Stakes Rising On War Bill Debate The Christian Science Monitor reports Congress's "failure last week to agree whether and how to fund the war puts the onus on the Pentagon, at least for now, to find a way to cover expenses in Iraq, potentially forcing the Defense Department to close dozens of domestic military bases and imperil the livelihoods of tens of thousands of defense workers." The "congressional inaction may trigger Secretary Robert Gates to carry out his threat last week to furlough as many as 200,000 civil servants and defense contractors this winter, raising the stakes for Democratic lawmakers determined to tie war funding to a drawdown of US troops from Iraq."
U.S. News and World Report's Kenneth T. Walsh writes President Bush has "disdained what he calls 'small ball,' preferring to confront big problems with big solutions." But "not anymore." According to Walsh, Bush is "taking a page from Bill Clinton's playbook by adopting a series of mini-initiatives to change policy through executive orders and administration actions that don't require legislation. An example: He recently ordered some military aviation routes cleared for 'express lanes' to facilitate commercial flights along the congested East Coast to reduce delays during the holidays. It seemed a popular move and gained him lots of media attention." Other "unilateral moves...in the pipeline" include improving healthcare for injured war veterans and allowing more farm workers to enter the country legally.
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The Los Angeles Times reported over the weekend that the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 3-0 decision, "handed a major victory to the Bush administration, ruling that a lawsuit challenging the government's warrantless wiretapping program could not go forward because of the 'state secrets' privilege." The Times notes that the victory was "not absolute. The court sent the case back to a lower court to consider whether" FISA "pre-empts the state secrets privilege." The Washington Post said the "complex" 29-page decision "prompted claims of victory" from both the Justice Department and opposing lawyers.
The New York Times called the ruling "a partial victory for the Bush administration and signaled possible trouble for those trying to prove that the eavesdropping program was illegal and unconstitutional." Currently, "Congress at the urging of the White House is debating whether to give retroactive immunity to phone carriers that participated in the N.S.A. program. If immunity were granted, it would cripple and perhaps kill the lawsuits pending against the companies." And the San Francisco Chronicle reported that ACLU attorney Ann Brick said, "The Bush administration's ever-increasing use of the state secrets privilege to thwart holding it accountable for its illegal conduct remains deeply troubling."
The New York Times reported on Saturday that Congress began the Thanksgiving break "leaving behind a stack of unfinished work as a major farm bill became the latest victim of a stalemate that has bedeviled Congress all year." The farm bill, "typically a bipartisan bonanza for rural America," was stalled by a GOP filibuster that the Times says "summed up the dismal state of relations in Congress." The Washington Post said the 55-42 vote stalled action on the five-year, $286 billion measure, "increasing the possibility that the legislation could be delayed until next year."
A very critical Los Angeles Times story, headlined "Partisanship Kills Senate Farm Bill," notes that the bill "would have launched a school lunch nutrition program and invested in California's chief crops: fruits, nuts and vegetables." The Times says the "Senate's failure to end debate and move to a vote dashed the hopes of a wide coalition of organizations that had worked to ensure this farm bill would improve child nutrition, increase investments in food stamp programs and benefit taxpayers by trimming government subsidies to large corporate farms." The AP also notes the Senate's failure to break the filibuster.
This morning, in an op-ed in the Washington Times, Chuck Conner, acting secretary of the US Department of Agriculture, writes that the Senate farm bill "lacks honest accounting and jeopardizes the support of the American people for farm policy." He continues, "Farmers are straight-up people who appreciate honest bookkeeping. They aren't getting that with the current Senate farm bill. Congress' own budget experts confirm that the Senate farm bill relies on $22 billion of accounting gimmicks and $15 billion in new taxes to conceal new spending. That's $37 billion in all."
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In his Saturday syndicated column, Robert Novak said "agents" of Sen. Hillary Clinton are "spreading the word in Democratic circles that she has scandalous information" about Sen. Barack Obama, "but has decided not to use it. The nature of the alleged scandal was not disclosed. This word-of-mouth among Democrats makes Obama look vulnerable and Clinton look prudent." The next day, the Washington Post said the column led to a "tense back-and-forth" between the Clinton and Obama campaigns. Obama accused Clinton "of spreading rumors that her campaign is in possession of potentially damaging information about her rival," while the Clinton camp "denied any knowledge about what led to the Novak remark and accused Obama of 'echoing Republican talking points.'"
The Politico notes Obama "took the rare step of issuing a statement in his own name" in his response to the column. The "information was not described and there is no proof it exists." The San Francisco Chronicle says Novak, reached on Saturday, "would not reveal the source of the item but said the information did not come directly from the Clinton camp. '(It) was said to Democratic sources...by people inside the Clinton campaign,' he said. 'It was not specified what it was, and it was said to a Democratic source. Clinton would not reveal it because she is such a good person.'" The Politico later said Obama "stood by his pre-emptive strike" on Clinton, saying, "In the era of the blogosphere, we have seen what happened with John McCain in 2000, what happened with John Kerry in 2004. If you don't get on this stuff quickly, then it starts drifting around, and that is not something I am going to accept."
Obama Hits Clinton On NAFTA Stance The AP reports Obama "sharply criticized" Clinton "for her past support of NAFTA Sunday, saying the former first lady had changed her mind about the trade agreement only since becoming a presidential candidate." Addressing a United Auto Workers chapter in Marion, Iowa, Obama said, "I think it's important to note that Sen. Clinton was a cheerleader for NAFTA for more than a decade."
The New York Times writes that "with a surge of radio advertisements, telephone calls and mailings," Rudy Giuliani is stepping up his efforts in Iowa, "complicating Mitt Romney's effort to nail down a clean victory here and underscoring the fluid nature of the contest less than seven weeks from the voting." While the Giuliani camp has "tried for months to dampen expectations about how well he would do in Iowa," Iowa Republicans "described a more concerted if below-the-radar effort that indicates Mr. Giuliani is looking to post a surprise showing."
Giuliani Tries To Rev Up NASCAR Crowd The AP reports Giuliani attended the NASCAR Ford 400 in Homestead, Florida, Sunday, where he "stressed the need for America to break its dependence on foreign oil." The Washington Post writes that Giuliani is now "playing to a national audience, and if it means the New Yorker has to do NASCAR, the honored Southern pastime with national appeal, well, he proved game."
Giuliani Would Tap Conservative Judges The AP reports Giuliani "assured" the Federalist Society Friday that as president he would "appoint federal judges who adhere to their principles." Addressing the conservative legal group, Giuliani "cited Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts as models for the judges he would appoint to the federal bench." The CBS Evening News briefly reported on Giuliani's speech, showing a clip of him saying, "It was this nation that saved the world from the two great tyrannies of the 20th century -- Nazism and communism. It's this country that's going to save civilization from Islamic terrorism."
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Though the AP reported over the weekend that Sen. John McCain said he "will not follow his rivals' lead in taking personal shots" at Sen. Hillary Clinton, three reports this morning focus on how McCain is contrasting himself with the Democratic frontrunner. McClatchy says McCain "joined his Republican presidential rivals in taking the fight" to Clinton, "calling her inconsistent and citing what he called her 'irresponsible' position on Iraq." McCain "had generally avoided directly attacking Clinton." The New York Times says McCain's campaign stressed that McCain will take a "pointed but respectful approach" as he tries to "tap into the anti-Clinton sentiment seen to be driving many Republican primary voters, particularly in New Hampshire."
The AP reports McCain said in Rindge, New Hampshire, that "making people mad is a good thing. ... 'I didn't seek public office to go along, to get along,' McCain said, trying to remind voters of the 'maverick' label that helped him" win the state's 2000 primary." The Chicago Tribune reports that McCain is working hard in New Hampshire to convince voters "that he's got what it takes to win."
9/11 Commission's Kean To Endorse McCain The Politico reports 9/11 Commission co-chairman Tom Kean will endorse McCain today "as part of a high-stakes new push by the campaign to focus voters on national security." Kean's name "became synonymous with national security issues during heavy news coverage of the commission's report in 2004."
McCain May Opt Out Of Iowa Robert Novak said in his syndicated column this weekend that Sen. John McCain may give up on Iowa "to take the sting out of a probable fifth-place finish there" and to allow time for "total concentration on the subsequent New Hampshire primary." On Sunday, the Washington Post ran a front-page story headlined "McCain Stakes His Campaign On New Hampshire" that said McCain "is explicitly selling himself as a man whose life and career were shaped by military experience." His campaign team envisions an upset win in New Hampshire leading to momentum that could carry McCain to victories in the next set of states -- Michigan, South Carolina, and Florida.
The New York Times reports Sen. Hillary Clinton "has nearly doubled the size of her staff in Iowa and has substantially increased her advertising here as her campaign reinforces its effort to prevent Democrats from coalescing around a single alternative to her candidacy. In the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas," Clinton "is moving to double or triple the amount of time she has spent here in recent months." The "intense attention is the latest indication of the Clinton campaign's worry about establishing dominance in Iowa," where both John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama "have waged spirited campaigns."
SMART Union Backs Clinton The Hill reports that the Sheet Metal, Air Rail and Transportation Workers union, known as SMART, will endorse Clinton. The "endorsement of the labor group with its 230,000 members means that Clinton now has the support of unions representing 3.6 million workers."
Sen. John Edwards said on CNN's Late Edition that allegations that he has resorted to "mud-slinging" in the most recent Democratic debate are "complete nonsense." Edwards added, "What I had just spoken about...were differences that I have" with Sen. Hillary Clinton "about what we need to do in Iraq, what we should be doing about Iran, what we should be doing about Social Security. ... She's totally entitled to her position. That's what presidential campaigns are about. But using poll-tested slogans is not an answer." On CBS's Face The Nation, Edwards said regarding Iraq, "I would get all combat troops out within nine to ten months, cease combat missions and no permanent military bases. I haven't heard a specific plan from Sen. Clinton."
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Mike Huckabee said on Fox News Sunday that the conservative Club for Growth's "tactics" are "some of the most despicable in politics today. It's why I love to call them the 'Club for Greed,' because they won't tell you who gave their money. They just like to take money from anonymous donors, fire shots at folks without any accountability." The Politico says Huckabee "was on the defensive" during the interview "over his ethical record as governor of Arkansas and accusations that he supported raising taxes during his tenure."
The Connecticut Post reports Sen. Christopher Dodd's family "will be gathering at an Iowa farm for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday." Dodd said "his family members from Connecticut and Utah would be flying into Iowa for a holiday meal at a farm about 140 miles northeast of Des Moines." Dodd "recently moved his family to Iowa, where he has focused his presidential campaign efforts."
In his syndicated column, Robert Novak writes, "The name of longtime CNN commentator Lou Dobbs has entered speculation as a possible independent candidate for president. At age 62, he never has engaged in politics, but is reported by people who know him as pondering a presidential run." U.S. News and World Report's "Washington Whispers" says Dobbs, "while not ruling out a run," said of the rumors, "I've got a day job that I love."
An Elon University poll of 498 Democrats in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, conducted November 4-8 and 12-14 (+/- 4.5%), finds Sen. Hillary Clinton leading with 45.2%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama 17.3%, John Edwards 11.0%, Sen. Joseph Biden 2.8%, Gov. Bill Richardson 2.0%, Rep. Dennis Kucinich 1.6%, and Sen. Christopher Dodd 0.4%, with the remainder undecided or naming others.
Meanwhile, an Elon survey of 476 Republicans (+/- 4.5%) in the same five states finds Rudy Giuliani leading with 24.6%, followed by Fred Thompson 16.2%, Mitt Romney 11.6%, Mike Huckabee 8.0%, Sen. John McCain 8.0%, Rep. Ron Paul 1.5%, Rep. Tom Tancredo 0.4%, and Rep. Duncan Hunter 0.2%, with the remainder undecided or naming others.
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The late night shows were in reruns last night due to the ongoing writers strike.
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