8/21/03
Straight talk or nothing for CNN's Dobbs

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark was a long-time CNN military analyst but there's one cable network host he didn't impress: Lou Dobbs. Clark was a guest on Dobb's business show during the Iraq war and the host felt the former NATO boss seemed to push his own political agenda rather than provide the straight military skinny on the Pentagon plan, reports our Mark Mazzetti. The result: Dobbs, who hosts "Lou Dobbs Tonight," told a conference of reporters and military brass last week that he barred Clark from his show for the remainder of the war. Of course, he might not have know that CNN had moved to do the same thing when it came to using the likely Democratic presidential candidate as an impartial war analyst.

8/18/03
Wilkinson returns to GOP politics

Former GOP communications big gun Jim Wilkinson, shipped to U.S. Central Command to handle press releases during the Iraq war, is returning to his roots. The Republican National Committee Tuesday said the P.R. big gun was going to take over communications for the 2004 Republican presidential convention in New York City. The announcement was made by convention manager Bill Harris.

For a guy who's done a lot in party political communications, the convention job will be a first and insiders say it could set Wilkinson up for a major job in a second Bush term.

Included in his resume are jobs like deputy White House communications director, head of the National Republican Congressional Committee's communications shop, and top aide to former House Majority Leader Dick Armey. Right after 9/11, he ran the Coalition Information Center, which put out anti-Taliban information.

Wilkinson, 33, will leave Central Command Wednesday. He'll probably also leave behind his military fatigues, which the Navy reservist wore during TV interviews and war press briefings.

8/14/03
Clark as the Arkansas Traveler

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, the NATO boss who is toying with a bid for the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries, is starting to gain the interest of key Democrats and the curiosity of the White House. Whispers learns that White House officials have in recent days clicked through the Draft Clark Web site, www.draftclark2004.com, in an apparent effort to keep an eye on the possible presidential or vice presidential candidate. And insiders tell our Suzi Parker that Democrats are becoming interested in the Arkansan, the one possible Democratic candidate whose military and national security credentials can’t be questioned. We learn, for example, that House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi recently reached out to Clark in a phone call and that Arkansas Democratic officials are trying to move up the state’s presidential primary to give the native an early victory next year.

Clark’s allies, who are pressuring him to get in, say he might wait until October to declare or bow out of the race, and they also believe that a fall entry won’t be too late. They point out that fellow Arkansan Bill Clinton entered the 1992 race late. Further, they say that money won’t be an issue because defense contractors will line up to back his bid. And speaking of Clinton, Clark’s friends hope that a candidate Clark would revive the former president’s Arkansas Traveler gimmick of sending supporters to key primary and caucus states to talk up the Army vet, laying the groundwork for an eventual Clark visit.

8/13/03
No quick path to a happy GOP
New polls may show that President Bush's recent drop in support has stopped, but Republicans say it's too early to signal the all clear. Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, the GOP message man in the upper house, says new and internal polls find that there is still trouble out there for Republicans, though voters have yet to switch Democratic. "Voters," he tells other senators in a pre-recess memo, "have not lost confidence in Senate Republicans or the president, but they are looking for positive results. While there is a sense of patience, voters want to see the results of what we have been doing."

Voters, he says, now almost evenly split over the right-direction, wrong-direction poll question. Worse, women, likely the main target of both parties in the upcoming 2004 presidential election, are "increasingly uncertain about where the country is headed." Their big fear: What's up with the economy?

To fight any continued drop in the GOP image, Santorum has sent Republicans home for their summer vacation with an order: Talk up GOP efforts in four key areas: the economy, antiterrorism, Medicare reform, and education initiatives. "It's more important than ever," he tells Republicans, to "stay disciplined to these four key issues."

8/6/03
Dave Barry to California: Fuhggedaboudit
While seemingly every politician, nut, or gadfly is toying with running for governor of California, humorist and perennial presidential candidate Dave Barry says he won't be entering the race. "Who'd want to be governor of California?" he scoffs.

We learn this from his 2004 presidential coordinator, Ted Habte-Gabr, who tells us that Barry thought, then ruled out, using the California bid against embattled Gov. Gray Davis as a test for the '04 drive against President Bush.

In a statement to Washington Whispers, Habte-Gabr says: "There is no wavering in his decision, he will not be entering the race, not with the gaggle of candidates expected to run. The candidate will be observing the race from his think tank in Florida."

Of course, adds Habte-Gabr, the Barry candidacy takes California seriously as it prepares the mock candidacy of the syndicated funnyman writer who's based in Miami. In fact, Barry's touring the Golden State this week. "We are taking California very seriously and have a strong organization, which is why our field office is in Los Angeles. In addition to a post office box in Beverly Hills, we have customized California license plates, BARRY 04, on the official campaign vehicle, which also serves as a satellite office."

www.davebarry.com

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