In an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN's The Situation Room, Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed President Bush's criticism of Democratic leaders in Congress for failing to pass any of the appropriations bills. Pelosi said, "Well, you know, God bless him, bless his heart, the president of the United States, a total failure, losing all credibility with the American people on the economy, on the war, on energy, you name the subject. And for him to be challenging Congress when we are trying to sweep up after his mess over and over and over again, at the end of the day, Congress will have passed -- honored its responsibility to pass legislation starting with our Department of Defense bill."
The AP reports that in response, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said, "What the president said is a fact -- this is the longest a Congress has gone in 20 years without passing a single spending bill, so it's clear that the speaker is feeling some frustration at their inability to do so.'" The AP adds, "Pelosi's outburst was a departure. Her usual practice in public has been to call Bush's policies a failure -- not his presidency or him, personally."
Also in her interview on CNN's The Situation Room, Pelosi was asked about Congress' approval ratings 14% in the latest Gallup tracking poll. Pelosi said, "I think that is largely because we have not ended the war. ... We in the House, of course, have over and over, five or six times, sent to the Senate legislation for a time certain to reduce our deployment in Iraq and bring our troops home safely, honorably and soon. We haven't been able to get it past the Senate or the president of the United States."
The Wall Street Journal reports Democratic congressional leaders "hit more obstacles in their effort to take control of the election-year energy debate, as Republicans hammered at a straightforward and increasingly popular message: Drill." Republicans were able to block "a House Democratic leadership proposal that would expand oil and gas drilling without lifting a federal ban on new offshore drilling." In the Senate, meanwhile, Majority Leader Harry Reid "said he is open to a compromise that would encourage more domestic oil and gas production but wants to focus on strengthening oversight of energy-futures markets." The Hill notes Reid "called the GOP's push for more drilling a 'red herring' on Thursday." In her interview with CNN's The Situation Room, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she had "no plans" to allow a vote on offshore drilling.
This morning, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell writes in the Wall Street Journal, "Congressional Democrats may be willing to wait for the next six months. Americans who dread pulling into the gas station every day want relief as soon as possible from the heavy burden of high gas prices. They have every right to expect their representatives in Washington to do something now."
The New York Times, meanwhile, reports, "Financial industry executives are mustering on Capitol Hill to head off a Congressional effort to rewrite the rules for the nation's energy markets, saying it could unsettle already nervous markets and push more energy trading abroad, beyond the reach of domestic regulators."
Senate "Gang Of Ten" Working On Deal The Wall Street Journal reports a "bipartisan group of 10 senators, five from each side of the aisle, is working to develop energy legislation that could gain enough political momentum to pass." Sen. Kent Conrad "heads up the so-called Gang of Ten," and he said "consensus energy document was being prepared by staff and should be ready by Tuesday."
Florida Governor May Consider Court Action The Financial Times says Florida Gov. Charlie Crist "would consider going to court to guarantee his right to permit offshore oil exploration around Florida's coasts." Crist, "who has been cited as a possible running mate for presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain, told the Financial Times that in preference to court action it would be 'more productive' for Congress to overturn its ban on offshore drilling."
Gore Urges Congress To Retain Ban The Wall Street Journal reports former Vice President Al Gore "urged Congress not to overturn a federal ban on offshore drilling, and complained that lawmakers are 'being stampeded by lobbyists for special interests' eager to lift the moratorium."
In an interview with ABC World News, Gore said, "We need to break free of this old pattern that's holding us back and develop the renewable sources that can bring about the equivalent of a dollar a gallon gasoline, and move rapidly toward solar power and windmills and geothermal energy."
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In a speech that is receiving extensive media attention, Al Gore yesterday tried to rally the nation behind his energy agenda. The AP reports the former Vice President "called...for a 'man on the moon' effort to switch all of the nation's electricity production to wind, solar and other carbon-free sources within 10 years, a goal that he said would solve global warming as well as economic and natural security crises caused by dependence on fossil fuels." To "speed up the transition to new energy sources, Gore said the single most important policy change would be to 'tax what we burn, not what we earn,' advocating a tax on carbon dioxide pollution." The Hill says Gore's proposed "tax on carbon emissions" is "likely to meet with strong resistance on the Hill." Gore "said the market price of fossil fuels should reflect the cost of environmental damage." The Wall Street Journal notes, however, that Gore "reiterated his support for a carbon tax accompanied by a 'sharp reduction' in payroll taxes."
The New York Times reports Gore "cited military-intelligence studies warning of 'dangerous national security implications' tied to climate change, including the possibility of 'hundreds of millions of climate refugees' causing instability around the world, and said the United States is dangerously vulnerable because of its reliance on foreign oil." However, the Washington Post notes "energy experts greeted Gore's speech with skepticism, even those who agree with the notion of pushing toward greater use of renewable energy." Philip R. Sharp, president of Resources for the Future, a Washington think tank, said that "at this point I don't think there's anyone in the industry who thinks that goal, as a practical matter, could be met."
The CBS Evening News reported, "As many as ten million families could have their electricity shut off this year because they simply can't pay their bills. A red flag, but...Gore says there is a green answer." The CBS Evening News also interviewed Gore. Asked whether his 10-year deadline is "realistic," Gore said, "I think it is, because there's some challenges. Think of the 'Apollo' program, the interstate highway system. There're some challenges that are really important to the future of the country that can't be done in a single year or two years." Gore also sat down with NBC Nightly News, saying that "when enough people share the passionate conviction that we have to solve the climate crisis, then the political system will shift into high gear and move quickly."
The Hill reports Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr "praised Al Gore on Thursday for his commitment to addressing climate change and said he has met with the former vice president several times to discuss possible solutions."
The AP reports President Bush "led a poignant tribute on Thursday to his friend and former spokesman, Tony Snow, who lost his public fight with cancer but never surrendered the spirit that defined his life." A "somber" Bush "spoke of Snow as he would a member of his family, and to many of those who work at the White House, that's what Snow was. He served a relatively short 16-month stint as Bush's press secretary, but he made friends fast, and earned respect for handling his disease with grace and hope."
The CBS Evening News noted that "also attending the private funeral were a number of journalists as well as past and present members of the Bush Administration," while NBC Nightly News said "more than a thousand people" attended the mass. The Washington Post reports, "Just underneath the speaker's lectern, a huge picture of Snow -- flashing his trademark grin -- captured his great gift: optimism. Speaker after speaker praised his determination to find the fun, the humor, the upside of everything in his life, even the cancer that ended it last week at age 53. The tributes could describe it, but never matched his gift of lightness."
The Washington Times reports "First lady Laura Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, also attended, as did former top Bush administration officials Karl Rove, Dan Bartlett, Andrew H. Card Jr. and Mr. Snow's predecessor, Scott McClellan, who is on the outs with his former colleagues after writing a book critical of the president."
The Politico says the ceremony "amounted to a state funeral." Bush is quoted saying, "He had the sometimes challenging distinction of working for two presidents named Bush. ... As a speechwriter in my dad's administration, Tony tried to translate the president's policies into English. (Laughter.) As a spokesman in my administration, Tony tried to translate my English into English."
AFP reports Bush also "said his erstwhile press secretary had 'worked to build a relationship of candor and trust with the press corps' from the minute he first stood behind the White House lectern."
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ABC World News reported Barack Obama's campaign said "it raised $52 million in the month of June, more than twice as much as John McCain raised in the month. But the candidates and their parties are on more equal footing when it comes to the cash they have on-hand." The CBS Evening News said Obama "continues to rake in donations." USA Today adds, "The $52 million take was the "second-best haul of the presidential campaign and a sharp uptick from his May total of nearly $22 million." The AP adds that together, Obama "and the Democratic National Committee had $92 million in the bank at the end of June compared with $96 million for McCain and the Republican National Committee."
The New York Times reports Obama campaign manager David Plouffe "announced the June fund-raising tally on Thursday in an e-mail message to supporters. Yet the magnitude of the fund-raising challenge -- reaching a goal of $300 million -- was underscored by Mr. Plouffe's pitch for each of the donors to give $25 more." The Washington Times says the "money allows his campaign to continue airing biographical ads in the 18 states targeted as battlegrounds and helps fund the unprecedented number of campaign offices in all 50 states. The spending pace also keeps" McCain "on the defensive in traditionally red states that President Bush won easily in 2004." The Los Angeles Times reports the "numbers suggest that Obama and the Democrats will be able to match and probably exceed the goal set by McCain and the Republican National Committee of spending $400 million by Election Day."
With the media, including all three network news anchors, preparing to join Sen. Barack Obama as he travels to Europe and the Middle East next week, Sen. John McCain and his campaign took a number of shots at the Illinois senator yesterday. ABC World News reported that Obama "is using the trips to bolster his foreign policy credentials. The McCain response: been there, done that. ... McCain's campaign says this trip is nothing more than a photo op." McCain also took a swing at Obama's stance on Iraq, saying, "He articulated and announced his policies and approach to Iraq before he went. Not after. Remarkable." The Washington Post adds that McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said yesterday the trip "amounts to a 'first-of-its-kind campaign rally overseas.' Asked about Hazelbaker's comments, McCain offered a more charitable interpretation: 'The fact is that I'm glad he is going to Iraq. I am glad he is going to Afghanistan. It's long, long overdue if you want to lead this nation.'" The AP adds that Hazelbaker "said early Thursday that the trip 'is about politics. It's a way for Obama to try and compete on foreign policy.'"
The New York Post adds that the McCain camp also "released a hard-hitting, seven-minute Web video showing Obama making conflicting statements about Iraq. 'Senator McCain said he would rather win a war that we were losing than win in an election. Politics came second; country came first,' McCain foreign-policy adviser Randy Scheunemann said. 'Barack Obama has determined that he would rather lose a war that we are winning than lose an election by alienating his base.'"
Stakes High For Obama Trip The AP reports Obama's trip "marks his first high-profile step onto the international stage, a campaign-season audition of sorts for a presidential hopeful pledging a new era in diplomacy and an end to the U.S. combat role in Iraq." Former Rep. Lee Hamilton said, "The stakes are very high for Obama." While Obama "currently leads in the polls, 'foreign policy is one area where they (voters) have their doubts' about him, Hamilton said." The trip is "planned to put Obama into settings often occupied by presidents, including formal meetings with foreign leaders, public speeches and visits to historical sites."
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John McCain went to Michigan yesterday, where the Wall Street Journal reports he said "he doesn't believe General Motors Corp. needs a federal government bailout, but if conditions worsen enough for the auto maker, all options need to be considered." McCain said, "I hope GM does not require it, but if it looks like it is approaching that, everyone has to consider every option. I'm not ready to assume that's the case right now."
The CBS Evening News reported former President Bill Clinton "said today he's ready to hit the campaign trail again, this time for Barack Obama. The two clashed several times as Senator Obama battled Hillary Clinton in the primaries, but the former president says that's all behind them." The AP adds that the former President said, "I told him that whenever he wanted me to do it, I was ready, and so it's basically on their timetable. He's got a lot of things to do between now and the convention, of which this is simply one, so I'll do whatever I'm asked to do, whenever I can do it."
The Gallup daily presidential tracking poll of 2,652 registered voters taken July 14-16 shows Barack Obama leading John McCain 46%-44%. The Rasmussen automated daily presidential tracking poll of 3,000 likely voters taken July 14-16 shows Obama and McCain tied at 44% apiece.
Obama Up 9 In New Jersey A Strategic Vision (R) poll of 800 likely New Jersey voters taken July 11-13 shows Obama leading McCain 47%-38%.
Obama Up 2 In Nevada A Rasmussen Reports automated poll of 500 likely Nevada voters taken July 16 shows Obama leading McCain 42%-40%.
McCain Leads By 3 In North Carolina A Rasmussen Reports automated poll of 500 likely North Carolina voters taken July 15 shows McCain leading Obama 45%-42%.
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Jay Leno: "Sometimes when President Bush speaks, he does not use the best choice of words. You know? Like, today, he said the financial institutions are basically sound, and you can take that to the bank."
Jay Leno: "Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke...testified before Congress yesterday. I don't want to say the financial situation doesn't look good, but he testified via satellite from the Cayman Islands."
David Letterman: "Yesterday down on the White House lawn, President Bush and all the boys got together and had a T-ball game. ... They had a great time. Everything was going well until Vice President Cheney water boarded the umpire."
Conan O'Brien: "Barack Obama is planning a trip to visit Iraq and several other Middle East countries. Yeah. Obama says he is excited about the trip, mainly because he's looking forward to meeting other people named Barack Obama."
Monday's publication incorrectly identified the source of a quote in the story headlined "Fed, Treasury Seek To Calm GSE Waters." Sen. Chris Dodd said that although "we should be worried about our GSEs...they're not in deep trouble. ... To suggest, somehow, they're in major trouble is not accurate," not Sen. Jon Kyl, as originally reported.
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