Kerry's Christmas Goose Is in the Bag
The Secrets to Landing W's Library
Will the Clinton-Bush lovefest ever stop? Apparently not. We hear that the man who brought us the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark., is offering advice to Texas colleges angling to get the Bush presidential library and museum. Skip Rutherford 's tips are extremely valuable: He's a master marketer whose project has been very popular despite its location in a lightly populated region. His top idea to the four bidders: "Do whatever it takes to get it." And that means a big 9/11 feature. "September 11 is one of those defining moments in history . . . like Pearl Harbor was to 'the greatest generation,' " he tells us. "Access, visibility, lack of traffic congestion, parking," he adds, "are also key factors." Former Commerce Secretary Don Evans, Bush bro Marvin, and Bush cuz Craig Stapleton, who head the Bush library team, have received written and oral presentations from the bidders.
Putting the Tree Back in Christmas
You may have heard about the stink kicked up last week when House Speaker Dennis Hastert ordered a return to calling the annual "Holiday Tree" outside the Capitol the "Capitol Christmas Tree." Well, just in case House officials didn't get the message, aides late last week brought in four Christmas trees, holly, and wreaths to decorate the speaker's office. "We've decked the halls with boughs of holly while we work for America," sings Hastert aide Ron Bonjean. At the White House, meanwhile, the first family never even considered calling theirs a "holiday tree." Laura Bush says, "We've always called this the White House Christmas tree." Theirs will see a lot of visitors: 44,000 from the public and 9,500 during 21 days of private parties and this week's black tie congressional ball.
Dick Armey for Treasury?
Here's the hot tip of the week: Friends of former House Majority Leader Dick Armey want him named the next treasury secretary. They say the flat-tax proponent and economist could better help sell the administration's economic achievements. "We need, above all," says a pal, "a message guy."
Too Old for a Clooney Bounce
Former CIA case officer Robert Baer was a bit surprised when his book, See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism, was optioned for the film Syriana, starring George Clooney. "I never looked at my book as movie material." Still, it's got to be cool having Clooney play him, right? Maybe 20 years ago, he says. "It's like having a sports car. You need it when you're 22, and it makes a lot less difference when you're 53."
With Suzi Parker, Kenneth T. Walsh and Anna Mulrine
advertisement
