Washington Whispers
New in West Wing: Clock Watching
With President Bush's sagging poll numbers and the possibility that Democrats might take back the House in November, White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten has developed a special motivational technique to keep West Wing staffers focused on getting things done in the next 2
"I keep that clock as a reminder to myself that we have a lot of days left," Bolten says. "We have ample time to accomplish many things but not so many that we can waste a single day ... and I know that's the president's attitude. He wants to make the most of the time that we have left." Bolten was reminded that Bush has roughly the same number of days left that Gerald Ford had in his entire administration. "It's a good amount of time," he replied. One top priority: preparing a 2007 White House push for expanded use of nuclear energy and biofuels as a way to lessen dependence on foreign oil.
Back Story to Spy Source Outing
Turns out that Richard Armitage, the No. 2 under Secretary of State Colin Powell, was the first Bush administration official to disclose the name of CIA analyst Valerie Plame to columnist Robert Novak. But why'd it take nearly three years for Armitage's role to emerge? One answer: Patrick Fitzgerald, the special counsel investigating the mess, suggested that Armitage keep quiet. In a July 2003 interview, Armitage casually mentioned Plame's affiliation to Novak. In October, after controversy erupted over Novak's outing of Plame, Armitage realized he was the columnist's primary source. According to a person familiar with his actions, Armitage immediately told Powell, took steps to tell the Justice Department, later met with Fitzgerald, and voluntarily appeared before a grand jury several times. He offered to resign but stayed because Powell couldn't easily explain his departure as Fitzgerald examined whether the White House had tried to dirty up Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson, an Iraq war critic. Earlier this year, Fitzgerald told Armitage he wouldn't be charged.
Donna Brazile's Bipartisan Blurbs
Democratic strategist Donna Brazile won't blurb just any Republican's book. In fact, her plug for former Republican National Committee Chair Ed Gillespie's Winning Right, out this week, is her first across-the-aisle blurb. The two met for lunch to analyze the '04 election in early 2005 and hit it off. "I cross political lines to gain insight into what the other side is thinking," Brazile says. "That's the way to beat 'em."
Can GOP Triple Its Black Vote?
Speaking of Ed Gillespie's new book ... it claims the GOP can double or triple its share of the black vote-just over 10 percent for its recent presidential nominees-by courting black veterans, entrepreneurs, and churchgoers. But "we will not get the votes of ... upper-middle-class African-American voters in the suburbs," he warns, "until we demonstrate our commitment to poor African-Americans in the inner cities."
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