Sen. Trent Lott, who had been reelected to a fourth term in 2006, yesterday announced his plans to resign before the end of the year. Media coverage of Sen. Trent Lott's retirement announcement is casting the decision as further indication that Republicans approach the 2008 election cycle facing long odds in their quest to regain their Hill majorities. For example, the AP says Lott's decision was "an acknowledgment by an iconic GOP warrior that there's little power or fun being in the minority -- and that Republicans should get used to it." USA Today quotes Emory University political scientist Merle Black saying "Lott's departure may reflect the senator's view that the GOP 'is going to remain in the minority for the foreseeable future.'"
Along similar lines NBC Nightly News (the only network to report the story) said, "If you look at the vacancies the GOP is now looking at in the Senate -- Allard, Craig, Domenici, Hagel, Lott, Warner -- that's some firepower." NBC correspondent David Gregory added, "It's striking. ... Not only is it problematic for the party going into 2008, because they need to be competitive with those states with those people gone. It's similar to what the Democrats went through after losing control in 1994, a feeling that maybe the GOP doesn't have strength going into 2008."
The Washington Post calls Lott's "sudden retirement...another blow to Republicans," and a second Washington Post story reports Lott's resignation makes "an already difficult 2008 electoral landscape even more complicated for the minority party." Likewise, the Financial Times says Lott's retirement is "deepening the sense of malaise within the party's Congressional delegation after losing last year's midterm elections."
The Los Angeles Times reports President Bush said Lott "has always been a leader -- someone his colleagues have known they could count on to stay true to his principles." The Washington Times also reports "Lott's announcement prompted an outpouring of fond farewells from both sides of the aisle."
K Street, Financial Firms Eyeing Lott While many media accounts attribute Lott's retirement to his estimate that the GOP faces long odds next year, some stories suggest his motivation was mainly financial. On Fox News' Special Report, Roll Call's Stuart Rothenberg said, "It has been widely known for some time that Sen. Lott is not a wealthy man and that this is an opportunity for him to go out and make some money, frankly." The New York Times reports James A. Thurber, director of the Center for Presidential and Congressional Studies at American University, "said there was no question in his mind that Mr. Lott's decision had been influenced by the new ethics and lobbying rules."
Sources tell the US News Political Bulletin that Lott is expected to be wooed by major Washington lobbying and investment houses. Among those expected to be interested is the legal-lobbying power house Patton Boggs. But the associates also said that at least two unidentified investment houses with operations in Washington are interested in bring Lott onboard. K Street insiders said that Lott's ability to make deals and schmooze allies and enemies is legendary." The Politico, meanwhile, says a "near-certain scenario has him teaming up with his son, lobbyist Chester Lott, founder of Lott & Associates. Another, still fluid, idea is partnering with former Louisiana Democratic Sen. John Breaux, who is said to be mulling a departure from the lobbying powerhouse Patton Boggs."
The Hill reports on its website, "Asked during the press conference about the possibility of landing on K Street, Lott demurred, saying he was keeping all of his options open." The Christian Science Monitor reports, "Reporters at the announcement asked Lott if he were in line to be chancellor of the University of Mississippi." He responded that he "didn't have anything definitely lined up."
GOP Expected To Hold Lott's Seat. The Washington Times reports Lott's seat is "almost certain to remain Republican, since he hails from a reliably red state, as do retiring Sens. Larry E. Craig of Idaho and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska." A "leading candidate for the appointment is Rep. Charles W. 'Chip' Pickering Jr." The AP notes that Barbour, who "won a second term this month," has "said he will not name himself as Lott's replacement and will not run for the Senate."
The Hill reports on its website, "The timing of...Lott's...resignation has opened legal questions about the date of the ensuing special election, and state Democrats might fight for a date earlier than what the Republican governor is proposing."
Senators Vie For Vacant Leadership Spot Under the headline "Lott Exit Spurs Republican Scrum," the Wall Street Journal reports Lott's departure "will cost Congress one of its premiere deal makers and opens the door to a further shift to the right by Senate Republicans." Sen. Jon Kyl appears "all but certain to get the whip post now held by Mr. Lott and would bring a more confrontational style to the No. 2 leadership job." The Journal adds, "Skirmishes were already taking shape yesterday between younger Senate conservatives and the Republicans' increasingly isolated moderate wing, which is trying to hold onto a place in the party leadership." One knowledgeable source tells the US News Political Bulletin that Kyl is a "shoe-in" for Whip, and may not even be challenged. If Kyl moves up, that would create an opening in the Conference Chair position, and knowledgeable sources believe this is the spot where the Republican "young turks" would make a bid. The early buzz among Republicans in town is that Sen. Tom Coburn is making phone calls this morning on behalf of Sen. Richard Burr for Conference Chair. Another name popping up as a possible young turk candidate is Sen. Jim DeMint, but that seemed to weaken in intensity as the morning wore on. Sen. Lamar Alexander is also a name being mentioned as a leadership candidate, probably for Conference Chair.
The Hill reports Alexander "has been mentioned as a possible Kyl challenger by knowledgeable sources, who say he began making calls Sunday to his colleagues." DeMint "has also been floated as a possible Lott successor."
Barack Obama's campaign announced yesterday that media mogul Oprah Winfrey, who has long backed his campaign, will head out on the campaign trail with him next month. The Chicago Tribune reports that as Winfrey travels with Obama "to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, the two are hoping the one-woman media conglomerate's star power is so strong that she can do what other big-name endorsers rarely have, namely to actually win him votes." The announcement Monday that Winfrey will "boost her involvement in the Illinois Democrat's presidential bid re-ignited a longstanding debate over the value of such campaign endorsements." While most political observers are skeptical of the value of celebrity endorsements, "Winfrey, who jealously guards her brand identity, might be the exception. She helped raise $3 million for Obama in September and her campaign appearances are certain to attract huge turnouts and media coverage." An article in the New York Daily News calls Winfrey "the undisputed queen of daytime television" and "the billionaire empress of a media empire built on the devotion of women of all social and racial backgrounds," asking whether she can parlay this prominence into political influence by "helping vault Barack Obama into the White House." The Daily News adds, "Her power is almost unprecedented. Her show, now in its third decade, has helped shape the national debate on a huge range of issues."
The Washington Post reports in a front page story that Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey "are set to square off, in Iowa, campaigning for their favorite candidates." The "looming showdown between Clinton (who arrives here on Tuesday to campaign for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton) and Winfrey (who appears in two weeks to campaign for Sen. Barack Obama), besides marking a rare collision of talent and fame on the campaign trail, is a sign of just how competitive the Jan. 3 Iowa caucus has become, especially when it comes to attracting women voters."
The Des Moines Register reported on its website, "Drake University political science professor Dennis Goldford said Winfrey's endorsement, by itself, is not likely to sway a lot of caucusgoers. The advantage is that her celebrity will likely bring people to campaign events who otherwise would not have heard Obama speak. 'I just don't see in this day and age that endorsements mean that much,' Goldford said. 'One thing she does is help furnish an audience for him.'"
CNN reported on its website that "political observers," such as Democratic strategist Jenny Backus, suggest that Winfrey "could help [Obama] made inroads into what many consider Sen. Hillary Clinton's natural constituency: women."
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While Sen. Hillary Clinton makes the argument that her time as First Lady prepares her for the presidency, in an interview last night, Barack Obama openly questioned the relevance of that experience. Appearing on ABC's Nightline last night, Obama said, "Sen. Clinton is claiming, basically, the entire eight years of the Clinton presidency as her own, except for the stuff that didn't work out."
The New York Daily News reports, "Lashing out in a 'Nightline' interview, Obama said being a President's spouse doesn't count for much, and if Clinton is going to count it, she should own up to the unsavory parts of Bill's White House. 'There is no doubt that Bill Clinton had faith in [Hillary] and consulted with her on issues, in the same way that I would consult with Michelle, if there were issues,' [Obama] said. 'I don't think Michelle would claim that she is the best qualified person to be a United States Senator by virtue of me talking to her.'" Obama's comments were also noted on NBC Nightly News and on ABC World News last night.
Obama's new attack dovetails with a front-page Los Angeles Times piece this morning that questions the extent of Clinton's executive experience. The LA Times reports that as First Lady, Clinton's "all-access pass into the West Wing gave her an intimate education in presidential decision-making that none of her opponents can claim." However, Clinton "has never exercised ultimate executive authority. Unlike some of her campaign rivals, she has no experience in managing massive state budgets or city bureaucracies, a critique pointedly raised by former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani." The Times notes that her healthcare initiative "started out as Clinton's most ambitious experiment in policymaking and ended up as her greatest management failure, trailing criticism that her performance was flawed by hubris, inflexibility and a penchant for secrecy and political combat. On the campaign trail, Clinton has offered her assurances that the scars left from her healthcare experience came with lessons learned. ... But her gates-drawn stance raised concerns that shadow her presidential bid today -- that she reacts with a siege mentality under pressure, retreating behind a restrictive wall of presidential and attorney privilege."
Hillary Clinton, whose campaign has been aggressively attacking her rivals for the first time over the last week, says that her opponents are forcing her to do so. The CBS Evening News broadcast an interview with Clinton, where, asked about "the new, more aggressive tone of her campaign," Clinton replied, "Well, it's time. I have absorbed a lot of attacks for several months now. My opponents have basically had a free reign. I've tried to bring Democrats together, talk about where we are different from Republicans. The Republicans have attacked me as well, which I think is also a badge of honor. But after you've been attacked as often as I have from several of my opponents, you can't just absorb it; you have to respond. And, you know, obviously I wish that we were running a campaign, where, for example, my health care plan would be compared with my opponents' plan. All of us except Senator Obama have universal health care."
Just as it has on the Democratic side, the level of acrimony in the GOP contest is on the rise as well, particularly between Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. NBC Nightly News reported, "Over the weekend" in New Hampshire, Giuliani who was running third in the state, singled out Romney's crime record." Mitt Romney, "eager to exchange blows with Giuliani, fired back." Romney: "He needs to go back to school and look at the facts and add the numbers up properly. The truth about it is, the crime rate in Massachusetts, violent crime, went down." Gregory: "The truth? According to the FBI, total violent crime was down though murder increased on Romney's watch." The exchange is "the latest sign that Giuliani no longer appears to be playing down the early voting states." Chuck Todd, NBC News political director: "I think the Giuliani folks are worried if Romney gets too much of a head start in Iowa and New Hampshire and then potentially Michigan and South Carolina, it is going to be that much harder for them to catch up."
The CBS Evening News reported, "All weekend in New Hampshire, the two criticized each other's records on crime, health care, tax cuts, even taking a shot at who made the worst political appointment." Larry Sabato, University of Virginia political analyst: "Giuliani understands from past presidential contests that if Romney wins both Iowa and New Hampshire handsomely, he may be unstoppable."
ABC World News reported, "Pick an issue, chances are Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani are trying to pick a fight." Rich Lowry, editor, National Review: "Right after Thanksgiving, some sort of light bulb went off in both of those campaigns and they decided to throw everything they have at the other."
Fox News' Special Report reported that in New Hampshire a "brawl has broken out between national frontrunner" Giuliani and Romney, "who leads New Hampshire polls, but who, according to Rudy, has a weak record." Giuliani "is also getting hit by John McCain who appeared on Fox News and said Giuliani is unprepared to be commander in chief." McCain: "He has no national security experience that I know of. He has never been to Iraq. He is a member of the Iraq Study Group and was either fired or quit -- a very important commission that was trying to figure out the way forward in Iraq."
Romney Cites Reagan In Scathing Broadside Of Huckabee CNN reported that Romney "blasted a rising challenger in the Iowa caucuses Monday, painting...Mike Huckabee as a tax-raising, illegal immigrant-coddling liberal and defending his own commitment to conservative causes. 'He may be conservative on social issues, but when it comes to economic issues like immigration, he's a liberal on immigration. He fought for tuition breaks for illegal aliens. He raised taxes time and time again as governor of Arkansas,' Romney told CNN." Romney and Huckabee "have draped themselves in the mantle of former President Ronald Reagan. 'I must admit that I find the vision and the direction that Ronald Reagan laid out for this country to be very powerful and very compelling,' Romney said. 'And I'll tell you, Ronald Reagan would have never raised taxes like Mike Huckabee did. Ronald Reagan would have never said let's give tuition breaks to illegals like Mike Huckabee did. Ronald Reagan would have never stood by and pushed for a budget that more than doubled during his term as president.'"
Giuliani, Huckabee Remain On Good Terms The New York Sun reports this morning that as the '08 GOP contest "devolves into a five-man free-for-all of sustained attacks and sharp rejoinders," Giuliani and Huckabee have "avoided direct conflict, exchanging more compliments than criticism." Huckabee "has drawn increasing fire from...Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson, but not from Mr. Giuliani, who has described him as 'wonderful.'" Huckabee "seemed to respond in kind yesterday when he took Mr. Giuliani's side in" his "bitter fight with Mr. Romney over their respective records as a mayor and governor. 'I think Mitt was the one who went after Rudy more than Rudy went after Mitt,' Mr. Huckabee told reporters in a conference call." The comments "only add to the perception that even as he rises in the polls, Mr. Huckabee is angling for the vice presidential slot on the Republican ballot, should Mr. Giuliani win the nomination."
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Media coverage of the Annapolis Middle East peace talks was generally downbeat -- even as President Bush sounded a cautiously optimistic note after meeting separately with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House. Calling the talks Bush's "most direct Mideast peacemaking of his administration," the AP says the President "stepped cautiously," but "said he was optimistic." Still, "Bush's tempered outlook as he readied the Annapolis conference suggested he has his own misgivings." In similar reporting, NBC Nightly News reported the President "says he's ready to find ways to bridge the gap between them," but "the skeptical question is: What makes this summit any different or what makes their chances any greater at possible success?" ABC World News said that "expectations are not high, but the President says he's optimistic." The CBS Evening News says Bush "hopes a deal can be worked out before he leaves office in 14 months," but "it won't be easy, though, especially considering Abbas does not control Gaza."
Fox News' Special Report reports Bush "countered low expectations with high hopes." But the Washington Post reports on its front page that "on the eve of...Bush's most ambitious effort to forge peace between Israelis and Palestinians, White House aides played down expectations for an immediate breakthrough." The Los Angeles Times reports the Administration "and its Israeli and Palestinian allies moved gingerly today toward a new round of Mideast peace talks, expressing optimism while lowering expectations for the conference."
The Washington Times reports that Monday night, "at a State Department dinner for summit delegates, Mr. Bush toasted his guests and told them, 'We've come together this week because we share a common goal: two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security." USA Today reports, "Bush, Olmert and Abbas are scheduled to meet early this morning in Annapolis," and the President will then open "the conference with a speech outlining his hopes for the Middle East. He first proposed a Palestinian state in 2002 but said the Palestinians had to curb terrorism and develop a functioning democracy."
McClatchy says "while surprises are always possible, White House aides said he wasn't planning to offer new American proposals to resolve the conflict. Nor is Bush expected to jump into extended post-Annapolis negotiations or head off to the Middle East to pursue peace in the waning days of his tenure."
The Financial Times reports that "the most ambitious effort in almost a decade to secure peace in the Middle East begins in Annapolis on Tuesday with Israel and the Palestinians still balking at the terms of a joint declaration on where their negotiations are heading." However, the New York Times reports the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators "made progress on Monday toward completing a joint statement" as Bush "appeared ready to paper over remaining differences between the two sides with his planned speech on Tuesday."
White House Rejects Clinton Comparisons In a front page news analysis, the New York Times says "it might seem, after nearly seven years of deliberate detachment from Arab-Israeli peace negotiations, that President Bush has plunged into Middle Eastern diplomacy with Clintonesque energy." But "in fact, Mr. Bush and his aides still deplore what they view as President Clinton's disastrously hands-on involvement in the peace process in 2000."
Hamas Condemns Talks As "Treason." The New York Times reports Hamas leaders "espoused a hard line against Israel at a conference that they and the militant Islamic Jihad faction convened in Gaza on Monday." An "influential" Hamas leader, Mahmoud Zahar, said "any normalization of relations 'with the enemy is a treason.'" The AP and Washington Times run similar reports.
USA Today reports, "Seven years after winning the popular vote for president, Al Gore finally re-entered the White House on Monday -- as a Nobel laureate." Gore was attending the traditional White House reception for American laureates. According to the AP, Gore and President Bush "stood next to other, sharing uncomfortable grins for photographers and reporters." The two "had a 40-minute meeting in the Oval Office, part of Bush's effort to show some outreach to his longtime rival." Bush aides "said it was private and would not comment on it." All three networks last night reported on the White House encounter. The CBS Evening News showed Gore saying that "it was a very good and substantive conversation. ... Of course we talked about global warming. ... The whole time." In its "Style" section, the Washington Post reports that their meeting in the Oval Office was also attended by White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and Council on Environmental Quality Director James Connaughton.
The New York Times headlines its story "Gore Makes It To The Oval Office, If Only For A Chat," and reports the president "personally" called Gore in order to "extend the invitation," and the White House "changed the date of the event so Mr. Gore could attend." The Chicago Tribune and The Politico are among other media outlets with reports on the meeting.
The news that Vice President Cheney was treated yesterday for an irregular heartbeat was the lead story on two of yesterday's network news broadcasts. ABC World News reported Cheney "spent the day at the White House meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders prior to tomorrow's Middle East peace conference. But what we didn't learn until late this afternoon is that early this morning, doctors found the Vice President has another heart problem, atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat. Not uncommon in older people, but this is not a common heart patient." The AP reports that doctors at Washington University Hospital "administered an electrical shock" to Vice President Dick Cheney's heart "and restored it to a normal rhythm after an irregular heartbeat was discovered earlier in the day. ... The irregular heartbeat was detected when he was seen by doctors around 7 a.m. at the White House for a cough lingering from a cold." The Washington Post notes that Cheney "has a long history of heart trouble, including four heart attacks, most recently after the 2000 presidential election."
Does Cheney Deserve To Be Impeached? USA Today's DeWayne Wickham writes, "The evidence against Cheney is piling up. It came out during [former Cheney chief of staff Scooter] Libby's trial that the vice president authorized him to leak [Valerie] Plame Wilson's identity to journalists. And now we hear from [former White House spokesman Scott] McClellan that Cheney duped him into telling other reporters that the White House didn't have its hands in this matter. This trail of lies and deception has put Cheney on the same path that led to Nixon's impeachment."
The New York Times reports this morning Sen. Edward Kennedy "has agreed to sell his memoirs for an advance of more than $8 million, people with knowledge of the negotiations say. After a six-day auction that concluded Nov. 19, Twelve, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, bought world rights for the autobiography." Jonathan Karp, publisher and editor in chief of Twelve, "said he hoped to publish the book in the fall of 2010."
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The late night shows were in reruns last night due to the ongoing writers' strike.
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