The Los Angeles Times reports the Senate "overwhelmingly passed a broad energy bill that would impose the most significant increase in vehicle fuel-economy standards in three decades, and the White House said President Bush would sign it." The bill passed on a vote of 86-8 "after Democratic leaders gave in to the president's demands that they preserve oil-industry tax breaks and drop a requirement that utilities generate more electricity from cleaner sources."
With former Sen. George Mitchell's report on steroids abuse in professional baseball dominating network newscasts and many front pages, most newspapers push the energy bill vote to their inside pages. However, coverage portrays the passage as a rare breakthrough in a season of gridlock, and casts it as a victory for the President. The Wall Street Journal said in cutting a $21 billion tax package from the bill, Bush won "a major victory." The Houston Chronicle says that "by jettisoning the taxes on the energy sector, the Senate acceded to demands from the White House."
The AP says the Senate "passed a trimmed-back energy bill Thursday that would bring higher-gas mileage cars and SUVs into showrooms in the coming decade and fill their tanks with ethanol." The Washington Post says the bill "represents a major setback for the automobile industry, which had fought a losing battle to blunt new fuel efficiency standards."
The Washington Post reports one year "after approval of President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq dipped to an all-time low, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds discontent toward the war easing slightly, with Republicans and independents significantly more positive about the situation than they were 12 months ago." The public "remains divided, with a narrow majority, 53 percent, favoring withdrawal regardless of conditions on the ground and 43 percent in favor of keeping forces in Iraq until civil order is restored, even with continued U.S. military casualties." Bush's "overall approval rating, at 33 percent, remains at his career low point in Post-ABC polling, with 64 percent disapproving."
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The AP reports House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "lashed out at Republicans on Thursday, saying they want the Iraq war to drag on and are ignoring the public's priorities." Pelosi said, "They like this war. They want this war to continue." Pelosi also "expressed frustration over Republicans' ability to force majority Democrats to yield ground on taxes, spending, energy, war spending and other matters." The AP adds, "Asked to clarify her remarks, Pelosi backed off a bit. 'I shouldn't say they like the war,' she said. 'They support the war, the course of action that the president is on.'"
The Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday voted 12-7 to find former Bush aide Karl Rove and White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten in contempt of Congress. The panel took the vote to hold the Rove and Bolten to account for their refusal to testify before the panel regarding the firing of several US Attorneys. Republicans Arlen Specter and Charles Grassley voted for the contempt finding.
The Washington Post reports the panel rejected "the White House position that the work of two of President Bush's closest advisers is covered by executive privilege." The House Judiciary Committee earlier "cited Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet E. Miers for contempt. But action by either chamber of Congress is still weeks or months away. Lawmakers and aides said neither house will take up the issue until late January at the earliest." The Washington Times reports Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "told reporters he would consider bringing the resolutions to the floor next year." Roll Call reports the "politically charged measure likely will be challenged by Republicans on the Senate floor."
The Hill reports Chairman Patrick Leahy has "said that Bolten produced none of the White House documents compelled by subpoena, and Rove failed to appear before the committee to testify as required by subpoena after the White House claimed that he was immune from testifying." The Politico reports White House officials "dismissed the Judiciary Committee vote as a political stunt, and they pointed out that Leahy had stated that the Justice Department under former President Clinton would not pursue criminal contempt citations against White House officials when it occurred back in 1999."
The New Jersey legislature on Thursday completed action on a measure to abolish the death penalty. NBC Nightly News reported, "Not since 1965 has a state legislature done what New Jersey's did today, vote to end the death penalty. The eight men on New Jersey's death row and anyone convicted of the most violent murders from now on will face a maximum punishment of life with no possibility of parole." ABC World News reported, "When the governor signs the legislation, New Jersey will become the first state to do so in four decades."
The AP reports a special state commission "found in January that the death penalty was a more expensive sentence than life in prison, hasn't deterred murder and risks killing an innocent person." The New York Times reports the voting "did not break down exclusively along party lines, however. Three Republicans joined 41 Democrats in the Assembly to pass the bill, 44 to 36. Surprisingly, nine Democrats voted against the measure. On Monday in the Senate, 4 Republicans joined 17 Democrats to muster just enough support to get the 21 votes needed to pass a bill."
The Washington Post reports the "repeal movement in New Jersey gained ground this year despite solid public support in the state for capital punishment, and over the objections of death penalty supporters who accused lawmakers of rushing the issue through a lame-duck session before a new legislature is installed next year."
The AP reports European nations "threatened Thursday to boycott U.S.-sponsored climate talks next month unless the Bush administration compromises and agrees to a 'road map' for reducing greenhouse gases blamed for global warming." ABC World News reported the international conference "on global warming is ending on a contentious note." Al Gore joined the criticism saying, 'My own country, the United States, is principally responsible for obstructing progress here.'"
The Washington Post reports in a front page story that the "deadlock underscored the sharp divide at this week's Bali climate change conference between the United States, supported by Canada and Japan, and most of the rest of the industrialized world, but efforts continued overnight to come up with a consensus 'road map' toward achieving a new global warming treaty by 2009."
The New York Times reports Gore "urged delegates to agree to an open-ended deal that could be enhanced after the Bush administration leaves office and the United States policy changes." The CBS Evening News reported Gore "agreed action is needed now." Gore was shown saying, "My own country, the United States, is principally responsible for obstructing progress here in Bali. We all know that. We all know that." The Financial Times reports Gore "savaged the US government's 'obstructing' attitude and urged delegates at the UN conference on climate change to ignore Washington if necessary to pursue the 'moral imperative' of a new global regime."
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USA Today reports the House of Representatives "narrowly approved an intelligence bill Thursday that would forbid the CIA from using waterboarding and other severe interrogation techniques on detainees." It passed by a 222-199 vote but requires Senate passage. The New York Times reports that House passage "sends the legislation to the Senate, where passage is less certain. The measure, part of the intelligence authorization bill, would restrict all American interrogators to techniques included in the Army Field Manual, which prohibits the use of physical force." The Washington Post reports that the House action drew "an immediate veto threat from the White House and [set] up another political showdown over what constitutes torture."
The Washington Times /AP reports that the bill "also blocks 70 percent of the intelligence budget until the House and Senate intelligence committees are briefed on Israel's Sept. 6 air strike on a purported nuclear site in Syria."
The Seattle Times /AP reports Democratic Rep. Jim McDermott "says he's no Grinch, even though he voted against Christmas." McDermott "voted against a House resolution recognizing the importance of Christmas, but called it a protest against President Bush's veto of a children's health care bill." Earlier this year, McDermott "voted in favor of resolutions honoring Ramadan and Diwali," holidays celebrated by Muslims and Buddhists.
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The final pre-Iowa Democratic presidential debate was largely overshadowed by the fallout from remarks by Bill Shaheen, co-chair of Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign, raising the issue of Sen. Barack Obama's past drug use. The CBS Evening News reported that Shaheen "resigned today" following the "controversial remarks." Shaheen "had suggested Obama's admitted drug use in the past could make him vulnerable as a candidate. Clinton apologized to Obama today saying she didn't want her campaign to go negative."
ABC World News also says Clinton "apologized in person to Sen. Obama. Late today, Shaheen stepped down." The AP reports the apology itself occurred on the tarmac at Reagan National Airport in Washington yesterday as the two candidates waited for their campaign jets to take off for the trip to Iowa.
NBC Nightly News said Shaheen was "forced to resign" following the "fairly harsh attack on Barack Obama." NBC (Mitchell) added, "That resignation came after the Clinton official made controversial comments about Barack Obama's acknowledged adolescent drug use. The Clinton team denied it was an authorized attack and is now trying to contain the damage. The candidates were all smiles in Iowa this afternoon. But only hours before this debate Hillary Clinton apologized to Barack Obama. He told her leadership had to come from the top to stop negative campaigning." But "even after the apology, on MSNBC's Hardball tonight, top Clinton strategist Mark Penn brought up cocaine." Penn: "Well I think we've made clear that the issue related to cocaine is not something that the campaign was in any way raising." Mitchell: "Obama does allude to cocaine in his book. But despite the Clinton campaign's denials they intentionally brought it up, their allies have been frustrated to the lack of attention to Obama's adolescent drug use leading Obama aides to say this whole episode was deliberate."
The Washington Post reports, "On a day when her campaign advisers had hoped the final debate before the Iowa caucuses would help" Clinton "reestablish herself as the front-runner" for the nomination, Clinton "offered a formal apology" to Obama and "accepted the resignation of a prominent campaign organizer who had raised questions about her rival's use of drugs." Obama advisers "were reluctant to let the issue drop, asserting that Shaheen, a close friend of the Clintons, had deliberately put the drug issue into play in the primary in an effort to stem Obama's rise in early-voting states."
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Obama advisor David Axelrod said Clinton's "apology was a 'nice gesture,' and he 'accepts' her word that Shaheen was working solo."
In his column in the New York Post (12/14, 648K), Charles Hurt writes, "Democratic insiders now worry that distaste over Hillary Rodham Clinton's sometimes wild attacks on Barack Obama will linger long into the general election campaign and dampen her support in the party if she becomes their nominee. 'She is reminding so many of us why we don't really like her in the first place,' said a well-known New Hampshire Democrat. 'She's doing real damage here.' Said another Democratic strategist, 'It reinforces everyone's negative opinion of her and all that the Clintons have been for so long.' ... Even Clinton supporters acknowledge that her attacks -- almost all shrill and ineffective -- have backfired. Many declined, however, to talk on the record, citing the Clintons' legendary appetite for spite and vengeance."
As with the final GOP debate before the Iowa caucuses on Wednesday, yesterday's Democratic debate in Iowa lacked the expected fireworks, as the candidates agreed with each other far more than they disagreed. The AP reports Democratic presidential hopefuls "called for higher taxes on the highest-paid Americans and on big corporations Thursday and agreed in an unusually cordial debate that any thought of balancing the federal budget would have to wait." On the CBS Evening News, senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield said, "The news was there was not a debate. The dictionary says a debate is a discussion of opposing views and just about anything one candidate said, all the others could have said." USA Today says, "Onstage, the Democrats had few disagreements on issues. All said they planned to end the Iraq war and reverse President Bush's decisions to broaden the use of telephone surveillance and to authorize controversial interrogation methods against terrorist suspects."
The Des Moines Register says that "more than policy differences, candidates offered variations on a common theme and effectively unveiled the scripts Iowans can expect to hear for the three weeks left in the drum-tight campaign for the Jan. 3 caucuses. That theme was: Who can most credibly usher in change?" John Edwards "hammered away at uprooting moneyed interests in Washington, D.C., striking repeatedly during the 90-minute debate the populist chord that has marked his second bid for president." Clinton "took subtle aim at her two chief rivals, arguing that she was more tested and savvy to bring about change in the nation's foreign and domestic policy." The Politico writes that while Clinton "attempted to draw clear contrasts, Obama struck confident notes and avoided engaging his rivals, promising at the close of the debate 'not to be timid, not to be distorted by the fear of losing.'" Under the headline "Democrats Soften Tone For Final Debate In Iowa," the New York Times says both frontrunners, Clinton and Obama, "were put on the spot about leadership: whether she tended to be too secretive and insular, and whether he could mold a new foreign policy when many of his advisers had worked in Bill Clinton's White House." Clinton, confronted "specifically about her closed-door health care task force in 1993-94, said she had 'learned a lot from that experience,' but did not blame herself for being secretive."
FOX's Special Report with Brit Hume reported, "The best moment of the last Democratic debate before the Iowa caucuses came when Obama asked how his three Clinton-era foreign policy advisers would help him chart a new course." After Sen. Clinton chuckled and said she wanted to hear his answer, Obama said, "Hillary, I'm looking forward to you advising me as well." Garrett: "Though it was a light moment, it could not hide a rift between the two frontrunners over New Hampshire Clinton co-chair Billy Shaheen's comments yesterday. ... Though the drug issue itself did not come up in the debate, Obama knows a victory here on behalf of his self described bipartisan and change driven brand of politics would raise questions about Clinton's once vaunted inevitability."
Edwards Wins In CNN Focus Group CNN reported on its politics blog, "In interviews conducted immediately after Thursday's Des Moines Register debate, most of the 23 undecided Democratic voters surveyed said they thought former Sen. John Edwards came out on top - and said he would get their vote if the election were held today. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois placed second in a focus group conducted by CNN when asked who would get their vote, and Sen. Hillary Clinton was the third choice."
No Consensus On Winner, But Biden Seen As Having Strong Performance In the Des Moines Register, David Yepsen writes, "You can award Thursday's debate among the Democratic presidential candidates to the second-tier candidates, especially Joe Biden." Biden, Sen. Christopher Dodd, and Gov. Bill Richardson "turned in some of their best debate performances of the 2008 campaign and were the day's biggest gainers. Biden's showing was the best of the day." Clinton, Edwards, and Obama "all had excellent afternoons. But nothing happened to knock Obama off his stride. Since he leads in the polls in Iowa, the event still leaves him ahead in the contest. That's good news for Obama, because this was the last debate before the Jan. 3 caucuses and it comes just before the holidays, when political strategists believe many caucus-goers won't be paying attention to campaign messages."
On 'The Fix' blog on the website of the Washington Post, Chris Cillizza lists his customary "winners and losers!," proclaiming, "Biden was extraordinary today. Not only did he speak specifically and with authority on issues both foreign and domestic, he was able to tie all of his arguments together under the umbrella of taking action and setting priorities. ... Obama will never be the best debater of the bunch but today he showed how much he has improved." Cillizza lists Edwards as a winner for the first 45 minutes and Clinton is listed as a winner for the second 45 minutes, when she "kicked it into a higher gear." Richardson and "The Republican Field" are cited as the losers.
Mike Huckabee's rise in the polls has been accompanied by an increasingly intense examination of his record and past statements. The AP reports Huckabee's "record on women's rights is coming under increased scrutiny, including his endorsement the Southern Baptist Convention stance that women should 'graciously submit' to their husbands and his opposition to sending women into combat because of his 'strong traditional view' of how women should be treated." But Huckabee "defended his record Thursday, saying he appointed many women to high positions in state government and on his staff during his 10 1/2 years as Arkansas governor."
The New York Post adds that Huckabee "signed a full-page ad in USA Today in 1998 with 129 other evangelical leaders. His wife, Janet, also endorsed it. 'A wife is to submit graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ,' the Southern Baptist Convention says in its statement of faith. ... Asked about the 'servant' statement, Huckabee defended his record on women's rights. 'I had more women in my Cabinet and on my staff in key positions, including chief of staff, than any other governor probably in Arkansas history,' Huckabee said on ABC's 'Good Morning America.' The 'submit' comment came up when Huckabee sought re-election in 1998."
The Concord Monitor reports that a Research 2000 poll conducted for the paper shows Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic field with 33%, followed by Barack Obama, 25%; John Edwards, 15%; and Bill Richardson, 7%. On the GOP side, Mitt Romney leads with 31%, followed by Rudy Giuliani, 18%; John McCain, 17%; and Mike Huckabee, 9%. Research 2000 polled 600 likely New Hampshire primary voters.
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A new poll out yesterday from Strategic Vision shows Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee opening leads in Iowa. Obama leads the Democrats with 33%, while Hillary Clinton and John Edwards are running neck-and-neck at 25% and 24% respectively. On the GOP side, Huckabee is backed by 30%, followed by Mitt Romney, 25%; Fred Thompson, 13%; Rudy Giuliani, 10%; and John McCain, 5%. Strategic Vision surveyed 600 likely caucus-goers from each party from December 8-10.
Clinton holds Wide Lead Over Obama A new national poll out yesterday from American Research Group shows Mike Huckabee surging in the GOP primary race he is now tied with Rudy Giuliani at 21% apiece. John McCain is close on their trail with 18%, followed by Mitt Romney at 16% and Fred Thompson at 6%. In a similar survey in November, Giuliani led with 25%, followed by Romney at 21% and Thompson at 17%. On the Democratic side, Clinton leads with 41%, followed by Barack Obama at 22% and John Edwards with 13%. In the November survey, Clinton led Obama 46%-21%. ARG polled 600 likely primary voters from each party from December 9-12.
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The late night shows continue to be in reruns due to the ongoing writers' strike.
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