For This W, It's 1776 All Over Again
Preacher to Dean: You Can't Fake It
As if mouthy Howard Dean didn't have enough troubles, now comes a left-leaning evangelical, much in demand by the Democratic Party, telling the party boss to shut up about religion. "Dean doesn't understand religion very much," says Jim Wallis, who has advised many Democratic leaders. He meets with Dean this week as part of the chairman's effort to woo the churchgoing crowd. Now promoting his book God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It, Wallis says he'll tell Dean not to fake it on religion. "The worst thing people could do is be inauthentic," he says.
Getting on the Same Page
Wanna read the books the White House reads? It's simple--pick up the smartly conservative Claremont Review of Books . Insiders say the White House orders over two dozen of each issue of the quarterly journal, and for good reason. The Review focuses on conservative politics, news, and ideas familiar to the White House. The new issue features books President Bush would love: one on Ronald Reagan, another on Richard Nixon, and two about Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a top candidate for chief justice.
Arming a Huge Retail Battleship
Wal-Mart has been dinged for years by activists claiming the giant retailer kills small towns and underpays its employees, but only now is the company preparing to go on the offense after years of playing D. The firm's Washington operation is expanding to lobby Congress on key issues, but that's not all. The company is considering a "war room" in Bentonville, Ark., its hometown, and hired outside PR firm Edelman to take on critics like Walmartwatch.com.
Hill Evacuations: Enough Already
Congressional lawmakers are fast growing weary of officials emptying out the Capitol every time a small aircraft gets within 8 miles of the building. Now they want the clueless pilots punished. "Let's make an example out of the next one," says a top GOP aide. One suggestion: A civil lawsuit assessing pilots for the high costs of scrambling F-16s. Leaders fear that the Code Reds are so frequent that lawmakers and aides--especially those who arrived after 9/11--aren't taking the warnings seriously.
Goofy As A Bipartisan Favorite
Disneyland turns 50 this week, so it's a good time to check on what people love about the legendary California theme park. And in our case, that means politicos. Thanks to a Disney poll provided to Whispers, we can reveal that both parties identify most with Goofy and can sing "It's a Small World." But the unity ends there. Asked who they would like to visit the park with, Republicans pick Clint Eastwood, Democrats Oprah Winfrey. And which side wears those funny Mickey Mouse ears the most? The Donkeys.
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With Julian E. Barnes, Kent Allen and Dan Gilgoff
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