Only the Strong for The Tour de Bush
Don't Talk About Currency, or Else!
New Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez doesn't need to be told to keep his mouth shut--at least when it comes to questions about valuing the U.S. currency, a trap reporters lay for every commerce secretary. "On my very first day," he says, "I realized that if I talk about the currency, somebody from Treasury will just appear right in this room, take me away, and you won't see me." That pleased Treasury. "I love him already," says one insider.
'Purgatory' Voters: Watching, Waiting
Republican pollster David Winston has a name for voters sitting on the fence and looking to Washington for somebody to fix the nation's ills: "purgatory" voters. "They're waiting," he says, "in this purgatory, waiting to see what happens. It's a holding pattern." Voters, he says, are worried about high gas prices, slumping jobs, deaths in Iraq, and Social Security. But they haven't decided which party to go with. His battle plan: The GOP should become the nation's Mr. Goodwrench, moving to find solutions to the issues. And, he adds, the party has luck on its side: Democrats are still focused on inside-the-beltway scandals that aren't polling high among voters.
Staying Active, But Still Not His Best
Anyone who had gone through the heart troubles and grueling travel schedule of former President Bill Clinton would certainly understand his fatigue. But his lack of energy and slow recovery are starting to frustrate him. Friends tell us that he has been talking about "feeling terrible" and "drawn" following two trips to the hospital to fix his heart, as well as journeys to the Vatican and the region hit by the tsunami. On the trip aboard Air Force One to attend Pope John Paul II 's funeral, he revealed: "I feel exhausted."
Picturing Bush: He Can Have It His Way
Clinton portrait artist Simmie Knox has a deal for President Bush . He'll let the prez pick the pose and the surroundings for the official portrait if he gets the job. "Whatever pose is comfortable," he says. "I'd love to do that one." Need more incentive, Mr. President? The White House Historical Association will pick up the tab, as it has in recent years. That's the deal that the association and Knox, who has painted Supreme Court justices, governors, and Bill Cosby 's friends and family, made with Bill Clinton. For example, Knox said he included a display of military medallions in Clinton's portrait at the president's request and embraced Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 's wish to be shown with her bestseller It Takes a Village. He also agreed to her choice of a pantsuit, though he persuaded her to skip turquoise and go with black.
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