Washington Whispers
For Kerry, It Feels Like 1972 Again
The February political footnotes included this little item: Sen. John Kerry in less than 24 hours last week raised $250,000 in an E-mail to his fans for three Democratic Iraq war vets running for Congress. But Kerry's effort wasn't a fire-and-forget for his comrades. Insiders say Kerry and his war pals Max Cleland, former Georgia senator, and fellow ex-Swift boat skipper Wade Sanders, have hatched plans to help some 70 Democratic Iraq war vets win office.
Over a Georgetown dinner this month, the trio reminisced about Vietnam and how, as young men, Kerry and Cleland returned to run for office. They recalled how the Nixon White House tried to divide vets between those who supported the president and those who didn't, and they vowed to stop that from happening to Iraq war vets. "Blood is thicker than water," we hear Kerry said. " Karl Rove's gonna come after these kids hard. It's Richard Nixon all over again. We're gonna make sure these vets have the ammunition to shoot back." Their plan: Raise $500,000 for a "Fight Back Fund," campaign for candidates, and even endorse vets in primary races--a rarity.
GOP spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt, however, warned vets away from Kerry, who in the 2004 election got tangled up in his conflicting positions on the Iraq war. She urged them to avoid "a senator who has a proven record of playing politics with national security."
Al Jazeera's Take on the World
The new international channel being formed by Arab TV's al Jazeera is taking Washington, D.C., by storm. What some had thought would be a tiny Washington outpost will soon open as a 100-person bureau complete with 35 journalists, two nightly coanchors, and two weekend coanchors. "We're close to full strength," says bureau chief Will Stebbins, formerly with Associated Press TV. Al Jazeera's new channel is an unusual idea: At different times of the day, it will be broadcast out of one of four cities: Washington; London; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; or Doha, Qatar, the network's HQ. Stebbins says Washington will have the 4 p.m.-to-8 p.m. ET slot and will report on major stories in the Americas and around the world. Having four different areas in the world report major stories, he says, will provide "four different cultural perspectives." Despite some early misgivings, the new bureau is winning friends in the administration. And newspeople are eager for jobs. "It's been an embarrassment of riches," Stebbins says of recruiting efforts. "We want to be the Nightline of news channels," adds coanchor Dave Marash, formerly of the ABC show. The channel begins broadcasting in late spring. The only issue is whether it will show up on cable, satellite TV, the Internet--or all three.
A Playmate and the Profile of Probate
Thank goodness for former Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith. No, not just because she offered up her slimmed-down look at the Supreme Court last week. It's because lawyers say her case to win a portion of the $1.6 billion in her late husband's estate is bringing new attention to a boring topic: probate. "She has done for probate what O.J. [Simpson] did for illegal police search and seizure," says Chris Lehane, a Democratic communications pro. "The reality is that celebrity status attached to an issue can generate attention."
An Old Hand's Ode to Two Loves
Former Reagan communications and strategy aide Lyn Nofziger isn't just sitting around as he fights an uphill battle against bone cancer. He's creating a tribute to his two passions: conservative journalism and Ronald Reagan. With the support of important friends like former Attorney General Ed Meese, he has created the Lyn Nofziger Fellowship in Journalistic Excellence. The goal is to raise $500,000 to foster college kids interested in Reagan's conservative revolution and values. "He feels this is the best way to honor Ronald Reagan," says friend Cindy Canevaro. She says he is upbeat even though his cancer is progressing rapidly. Canevaro's brother, Mark Tapscott of the Heritage Foundation, says that to cheer up the beloved curmudgeon, several friends cut a video filled with their recollections of Nofziger's work for the Gipper. "He really had no idea that he meant so much to so many people," says Tapscott.
Oscars' MIA Still Shooting in Iraq
Hollywood agent and documentary filmmaker Patrick Dollard wasn't going to make it to the Oscars, but it had nothing to do with the traffic jams near the red carpet. Dollard, Oscar-winning Steven Soderbergh's longtime agent, is in an Iraqi hospital recovering from a roadside bomb attack that temporarily sidelined his project to produce a documentary series on life with the marines in Iraq. Dollard, who kept filming Young Americans after the attack--which killed two marines--says he's staying until he's finished. "I'm certainly not going to dishonor their work with what I feel would be a convenient but cowardly retreat."
On-the-Job Training for Yemen's Jailbirds
There are fears that Iraq is a training ground for bad guys. Here's some proof that may be true: Yemen believes that 23 inmates--including the mastermind of the USS Cole bombing--who broke out of a prison there last month imported their tricks from Iraq. The Yemenis said the digging techniques--using plastic tools and broomsticks--were similar to a prison break at the U.S.-run Camp Bucca in Iraq. Blame word of mouth: Some prisoners spent time in Iraq and very likely spread the Camp Bucca story.
A Sticker to Show You're Stuck on Bill
Are you still pining for Bubba? Now there's a way to show it. The director of the museum store inside the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark., is selling "I miss Bill" bumper stickers. "People would go to the library," says Connie Fails, "and say 'I really miss Bill.'" Her initial run of 500 sold out in three days. "I pull into the Kroger parking lot," Fails tells us, "and it's a hoot for me to see these bumper stickers."
With With Suzi Parker and Kevin Whitelaw
This story appears in the March 13, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.