|
6/28/06
Blogging for Hillary
White House and top Republican strategists are buzzing about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's hiring of noted political blogger Peter Daou. Under fire on many liberal blogs for her moderate stance on the war and shift to the middle on social issues, Clinton is apparently moving to get her word on the fast-growing political medium, they said. "We noticed," said a White House official. "Look, it's another sign she's in this campaign for 2008 and the White House." A Republican insider added that the move is meant to help Clinton in the Internet media, where she is often portrayed as a weak Democrat. Daou said in an online memo to readers posted on Salon.com that he wants to close the "triangle" of traditional media, politics, and the blogosphere. Having done media blogging and having previously run Sen. John Kerry's presidential Web operation, he wrote, has "exposed me to the tensions on either side. In the year and a half since the campaign ended, I've learned more about the media side of the triangle, working with Media Matters and others to highlight conservative misinformation and false narratives in the press. My aim has been to seek ways to build bridges between the Democratic establishment, the media, and the blog community. Which brings me to the point of this blog post: I have been offered–and accepted–what I believe is a unique opportunity to help close the triangle: joining Senator Clinton's team as a blog adviser to facilitate and expand her relationship with the netroots."
Salon's Daou Report
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign site
6/23/06
Speaker Hastert's staying
Enough already with those rumors that House Speaker Dennis Hastert will step down sometime next year to let the kids take power. The rumors, swirling for weeks, were met head-on by his spokesman, Ron Bonjean, who told us that those spreading them should stand down. What's more, he suggested that maybe political ambitions were motivating them. "Republican officials who speculate on the leadership just to seek more power would better focus instead on the November elections, or quit," Bonjean demanded. He said that Hastert plans to stay in his position at least until the end of the 2008 session. Other officials added that Hastert has given no indications he is tired or plans to step aside next year to let a new generation of Republicans move up if, of course, the GOP retains control of Congress. "We want Denny to stay," said one. On Tuesday, a top House Republican member suggested that Hastert is looking tired under the pressures of fielding demands from other members. He repeated the recent speculation that Hastert would step down next year even if the Republicans keep control in the fall elections. The lawmaker's comments, made in a background newsmaker luncheon, highlighted the expectations by newer House members of a leadership shakeup. But Hastert associates said today that the speaker isn't leaving anytime soon and should be credited with the recent turnaround in GOP fortunes. "Speaker Hastert has more energy than ever," said an associate who gave the speaker credit for pushing through recent tax and lobbying reform legislation, drawing a line in the sand with Senate Republicans on the immigration debate, and bolstering the public's support for the war by going to Baghdad even before President Bush did. "He didn't take a recess and he even went to Iraq on the eve of his becoming the longest serving Republican speaker," said the associate. Others also pointed to the desire by most members to have Hastert campaign in their districts for them. Hastert visits about 200 districts every two years. "The conference knows the speaker as the coach and his loyalty to them is bringing positive gains to the party," said the insider.
6/16/06
Bush's beautiful couple
Those in the White House not watching U.S. Open or World Cup-or even the president's trip out West Friday to aid troubled GOP candidates-have a good reason. They're glued to the popular and raunchy Web site Wonkette and its poll on the hottest men and women in the White House. "We're having fun with this one," says a Bushie. And who isn't? Wonkette has offered up 18, mostly young, staffers to vote for and apparently Bush insiders are handling this contest just like American Idol: Voting as many times as they can. And they tell us that it's no surprise that Bush aide Jeb Mason and Karl Rove aide Taylor Hughes are leading the contest. Turns out they're an item. "They're the 'beautiful couple,'" says our tipster. Vote in the contest here:
Men of the White House
Women of the White House
6/5/06
Finally, good military news in Iraq
We hear that Gen. Abdel Qader Jassim, current commander of Iraq ground forces, is expected to be Iraq's new defense minister. That's good news for Washington: He has worked closely with the U.S. military leadership and is admired for advising Saddam Hussein to withdraw from Kuwait or be defeated by U.S. forces and for refusing to burn oil fields as Iraqi forces retreated. For this, he spent seven years in prison. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Americans for the new Iraqi ground forces headquarters last month, a U.S. Central Command press release quoted Jassim as saying: "Our streets have been covered in blood by [the terrorists], and we want to clean this place with the help of our friends the Americans."
In the delicate political balance in Iraq, the Defense Ministry is to be headed by a Sunni and the Interior Ministry, responsible for the police and security services, by a Shiite. Bargaining within the Shiite parties has delayed appointment to both positions by new Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. As defense minister, Jassim would face tough challenges, and one of the first would be focusing on controlling borders, says the Ministry of Defense's director of operations, Gen. Abdel Aziz Jassim, who is Abdel Qader Jassim's brother. Tackling militias, too, will be a top priority for the new minister. "One of the things the government should implement for security is a plan to get all militia unarmed," he tells our Anna Mulrine in Baghdad. "We must get Iraqi security forces to serve Iraq–and not political parties or other groups."
6/2/06
Cowboy Clinton
The Clinton Museum Store in Little Rock keeps cranking out enough Clinton stuff to rival a rock group or NASCAR driver. What's new? Cowboy Bill. The tie-in comes from an exhibit at the William J. Clinton Library and Museum that features silver screen cowboy heroes. No Brokeback Mountain here: It's about John Wayne and other western stars. Connie Fails, the souvenir store's director, tells our Suzi Parker that she created a T-shirt featuring Clinton pictured in a cowboy hat and a twist on the Willie Nelson lyrics: "Some Mamas Let Their Sons Grow Up to Be Cowboys." Shoppers can also snag "Cowboy Bill" silver sheriff badges. (Don't tell Kenneth Starr.) Another related hot seller: A rare blue ceramic Frankoma pottery boot with the presidential seal on it. "About 50 of these were stored away in Oklahoma at the company," says Fails. "They were made for some president but we don't know which one." Technically a former president can't be associated with the presidential seal but Fails says these are considered vintage which makes it OK.
|
