Oops! The secret's out on plan to slam Bush, GOP; Father Gay; Banning Clinton; Brass knuckles; Friends in need; Daschle bedevils his GOP foes; The vets' long war; Hiring binge; Afghan soup line; Watts's audible; Curse of CNN
Oops! The secret's out on plan to slam Bush, GOP
Top Democrats, liberal interest groups, and two CNN cohosts are quietly promoting a new network to thwart President Bush's agenda with orchestrated protests, critical stories planted in friendly media, and rapid-reaction teams. The job of the "Progressive Donor Network" is to fight the "right-wing infrastructure." The lefties held an inaugural meeting this month, featuring talks by House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, CNN Crossfire hosts and party operatives James Carville and Paul Begala, and former top Clinton-Gore aides. The war plan included a detailed call to develop strategies to fight Bush and win local elections. One technique displayed in splendor: how an associated group, American Family Voices, has ginned up Enron protests to disrupt White House events. It's the brainchild of Michael Lux, a former Clinton aide and progressive PR strategist. His goal: get Democrats to react "with more quickness and agility" to the GOP. Lux hoped to keep his handiwork secret, but "I always assume if I hand out anything to any group that it will be in a reporter's hands within . . . days."
Father Gay
Gay groups are freaking out over the progression in news coverage of the Roman Catholic Church sex scandal. What started as a story about a few bad men in black has moved to headlines about a subculture of gay priests, some of whom sexually abuse altar boys, and others who may tolerate the crimes. In an "action alert," the Human Rights Campaign and Gay & Lesbian Alliance call on members to counter stories that connect "homosexuality and pedophilia or charge that gay men are inclined toward sexual abuse of minors." Their worry: After making homosexuality acceptable in the media, the fight might be back to square one.
Banning Clinton
Bill Clinton's hometown school, the University of Arkansas, is hosting a June symposium on his presidency. Lots of scholars want to attend, but they've made the rather odd request that Clinton stay away, an assurance the school has given. Seems some feared Bubba's presence would inhibit their "frank critique" of him.
Brass knuckles
The bell has rung for Round 2 of the fight between Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon brass. Rummy was decked last summer when the military services blasted his reform plans. Now, boosted by the antiterrorism war, he is set to cut pricey weapons like the Air Force's F-22. Still, the brass is confident of victory and will tell lawmakers that saving jobs is more important than bowing to Rumsfeld's rock-star status.
Friends in need
It made headlines last month when Rep. Ernest Istook berated fellow Republican and top Bush aide Mitch Daniels over the president's refusal to let homeland security boss Tom Ridge testify before Congress. But Daniels isn't about to take it personally: He has agreed to be the featured guest at a $1,000-a-head Istook fundraiser May 16 in Washington. Could it be because Istook's an appropriations subcommittee honcho?
Daschle bedevils his GOP foes
What gives with the Republican Party's anger at Democratic Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle? It's gone beyond the GOP's stalling tactics. Now the attacks are getting petty--and personal. Like House Republicans chanting "Vote! Vote!" when Speaker Dennis Hastert told them that Daschle would die before letting the Senate vote on extending the Bush tax cuts. And how about leaking that Daschle, who has complained that Republicans don't want to work five days a week, went to Acapulco for a four-day holiday. Democrats have even begun assembling the evidence in a nine-page (so far) "Summary of attacks on Tom Daschle." Why has it turned personal? It makes Republicans nuts that his aw-shucks, on-camera demeanor hides a "mean, partisan streak," as one top Hill aide put it. "What next, Daschle as devil?" asks a Dem. Adds Daschle spokesman Jay Carson: "Well, the Republicans kept their promise to change the tone in Washington. It's gone from mean to vicious."
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