W A S H I N G T O N, July 31 97 Days Until The Election....
— The line between governance and politics is always pretty thin—most voters probably think too thin—and as we get closer to election day, politicians' and political strategists' cerebral cortexes are becoming ever more dominated by thoughts of "how will what I do today affect my (or my party's) election prospects?"
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Everywhere you look today, from a possible US war on Iraq, to corporate responsibility, to prescription drugs, it appears that politicians are, in fact, setting about the business of governing.
Two suggested reasons why this is so: 1) lawmakers and their strategists think voters WANT them to govern and get things done; and 2) a lot of these lawmakers recognize that elections happen every other year, and you can't just NOT get anything done in an election year, and so they actually are using this opportunity to try to pass some measures they care about.
Making this all the more interesting is the fact that control of both the House and the Senate remain open questions, so all of these policymaking moves, substantively and politically, are part of a very high-stakes context, where a mistake now literally could cost one of the parties control of a chamber or two.
And, per ABCNEWS' Schindelheim, this will all take place in a second context — that of a (still?) saggy economy, despite the stimulative effect of those Bush tax cuts: "Economic growth slowed to 1.1 percent in the second quarter. This is a very weak GDP … This is much much lower than expected. (The expected range was 2.1 to 2.6.)" LINK
"The first quarter was revised downward to 5 percent. Also, very important, the government revised many past quarters — to show we actually had three quarters in a row negative — the recession was deeper than we originally thought."
Getting us started on our "see how they govern" theme today is President Bush, who will meet with his Cabinet in his one public — i.e., pool at bottom — event.
Capitol Hill, meanwhile, will be a veritable hive of industry with the Senate Foreign Relations hearings on a possible US war against Iraq, a Senate vote on the alternative generic drug bill, and more work on corporate responsibility and homeland security.
At the same time, Senate campaign strategists on both sides will continue trying to puzzle out the impact of Democratic Senator Robert Torricelli's "severe admonishment" by the Senate Ethics Committee, which one Democrat describes as a "relief" and realistically, the best outcome possible for the Torch, while Republicans argue the opposite and set about trying to make him wear it.
The admonishment, supported by Ethics panel Republicans Roberts, Voinovich and Thomas, means that Torricelli avoids a news-generating floor fight over a censure or expulsion. See below for more on how this figures in the news cycle, and what it will take for Republicans to put this seat in play.
The Wall Street Journal explains why today's prescription drug push in the Senate is such a big deal for Democrats, and for some Republicans: "Now lawmakers in both parties are concerned about how a lack of action might affect them at the polls. 'The Senate defeated three plans. That's what the folks back home are looking at,' said Senator Zell Miller (D., Ga.). 'It is a political imperative that we do it now and do it well,' Mr. [Gordon] Smith said."
Although the New York Times says that yesterday's corporate responsibility bill-signing "created a political tableau of a Washington united, with the president positioned at center stage," make no mistake: Washington (and our national politics) are as partisan and hammer-and-tonged as any time in the recent past, minus the supercharge of sex that comes with an intern scandal.
Democrats showed up and smiled at the signing ceremony, but their "Bush is weak on corporate wrongdoing" rhetoric has not dropped a stitch.
"Eight hours after the signing, the White House issued an interpretation of the law that Democrats called an attempt to water it down," the Washington Post 's Allen reports. "The statement said the administration would provide federal job protection for employees who are cooperating with an investigation authorized by the House or Senate. Senator Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) said the section was intended to be much broader, and to apply also to whistle-blowers who provide evidence of fraud to an individual lawmaker, even before a formal investigation is launched."
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Corporate responsibility has become an issue in some midterm election primaries, with candidates touting their record on it, or suggesting that a primary opponent would make a weak general election contender because he or she is vulnerable on the issue, or just flat-out attacking primary opponents on the issue. The Washington Post 's Kurtz rounds up some of the more vitriolic campaign ads out there.
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On Iraq, mixed reporting continues to run about when an attack could happen, with USA Today 's Diamond writing today, "Bush administration officials have told key lawmakers not to expect a U.S. attack on Iraq before the fall elections, allowing time for Congress to debate the possibility of war."
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"Senior administration officials gave the assurances in private conversations with senators planning a series of hearings that begin today into a possible U.S. attack on Iraq. The officials said there would be no 'October surprise' — a sudden attack before the Nov. 5 congressional elections to remove Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein."
"[A]s the months have passed, the administration has remained internally divided," says the Los Angeles Times ' Richter. "Some officials want to move faster than others, or use more ground forces, or rely more heavily on Iraqi opposition groups. Administration officials have denounced insiders who are secretly releasing information to influence policy, and have called on the FBI to try to track them down."
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As the Senate Foreign Relations Committee kicks off the first of its two-day hearings, "the first major public airing of a subject that is entering the political debate as November elections approach," the Washington Post 's Slevin and Dewar report, "Senior members of Congress from both parties say they support President Bush's goal of overthrowing Saddam Hussein, but they are beginning to question the thoroughness of the administration's preparations for a potential confrontation with the Iraqi leader."
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Committee chairman Joe Biden gets a dot drawing on the Wall Street Journal 's website, but not in the hard copy, in a triple-bylined piece on Democrats questioning the administration's still-in-flux Iraq policy.
The nut graph reads thusly: "There are political dangers for the administration, of course. Mr. Bush's standing has faltered in recent weeks over his handling of business scandals, and the White House is counting on his much higher ratings for the war on terrorism to boost Republicans in this fall's elections. If the administration appears too resistant to congressional questions on Iraq, voters could begin to worry that the White House may not have adequate answers. The current strong public support could slip as the likelihood of military action increases in late fall and early winter."
Biden continues to lead the Capitol Hill sweepstakes in the category of "To that Senator who most systematically reveals what the president says to him" category: "Mr. Biden hinted at those mutual sensitivities, telling reporters at Tuesday's signing ceremony for a corporate-governance bill that Mr. Bush thanked him for keeping National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice apprised of plans for hearings."
Biden himself "believes President Bush hasn't decided yet whether to invade Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein … He said that based on his conversations with administration officials, he doubts there would be an invasion this year," says the AP.
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From the ABCNEWS London Bureau: An explosion at Hebrew University in Jerusalem has led to dozens of reported casualties. The first reports suggest that the blast occurred at a university cafe, which was full of students.
The Israeli Security Cabinet met today to discuss a response to a new rash of Palestinian attacks and intelligence warnings of more to come. There are indications that the cabinet decided to expel a relative of a Palestinian gunman who participated in the attack on Jewish settlers near Emmanuel settlement two weeks ago. Twenty-one relatives have been arrested so far and threatened with expulsion from the West Bank to Gaza.
The BBC's Newsnight program reported last night that Yemen is about to launch an operation against suspected al Qaeda members within the country. For the past few months, US special forces have been quietly training Yemeni troops to take on the terrorists. The result is an anti-terror unit that is raring to go into action and soon will. The BBC's Frank Gardner claims to have received confidential briefings from US officials who say they believe some of al Qaeda's most dangerous operatives are hiding out in the remotest parts of Yemen.
One last summary note for those of you going to the Clinton/Gore alumni association gathering tonight at George Washington University, which will feature the former Vice President, the event will take place at the university's Marvin Center at 6:00 p.m..
The politics of corporate responsibility:
Both the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal write-ups of the bill-signing yesterday point out, way up high, how the POTUS signature represents a late-in-the-process change of heart, and an ideological shift for the free-marketeer from Midland.
The Wall Street Journal writes, "Looking ahead to the fall, Congress will make one last legislative push before voters go to the polls. Mr. Bush urged lawmakers to take additional steps, including action to protect the retirement funds of workers at scandal-plagued companies. GOP congressional leaders are pushing a new package of tax breaks and other changes to help investors hit hard by declining stock prices … "
"Many individual lawmakers are joining the parade. For example, Senator Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) is proposing to tighten oversight of executive stock options by requiring shareholder approval of options, among other things. Senator John Edwards (D., N.C.) wants companies to more fully disclose the pay of top executives."
"It is uncertain how much can be accomplished on Capitol Hill this fall with the election looming. But the push for continued action underscores the political sensitivity of the issue, even for Democrats and their political allies."
As the Democrats speaking at the Democratic Leadership Council meeting continued to openly yearn for the Bob Rubin days, it is no wonder that the Republicans are leading (per the Journal) "a growing chorus … for testimony from … Rubin, the former Clinton Treasury secretary who is now a top executive at Citigroup Inc., a large Enron creditor. Senator Peter Fitzgerald (R., Ill.) Tuesday urged the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee to subpoena Mr. Rubin as part of that panel's Enron probe. At issue: Mr. Rubin's efforts last year to seek Bush administration officials' help for the company amid its collapse."
The Washington Times moves the ball an inch or two further on the Rubin front, getting Senate Government Affairs Committee chairman Joe Lieberman on the record saying he would call the former Treasury Secretary to testify about Citigroup and Enron if he thinks Rubin could shed any light on the matter.
The Washington Times ' Boyer reports, "Democratic Senator Joseph I. Lieberman yesterday backtracked to say he will subpoena former Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin 'in a minute' if he determines that Mr. Rubin can shed light on the Enron collapse. 'If Mr. Rubin would add something, I don't have any hesitation to call him,' said Mr. Lieberman, chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee. 'So we'll see.'"
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"Mr. Lieberman, Connecticut Democrat, told The Washington Times last week that he had no plans to call Mr. Rubin … "
"He denied that public pressure had changed his thinking."
"Asked what he is doing to determine whether Mr. Rubin's testimony would be helpful, Mr. Lieberman indicated that he hasn't looked into the matter lately but plans to announce this fall a schedule for more hearings in January, after the election."
"Committee Republicans who have debated pressuring Mr. Lieberman to call Mr. Rubin as a witness say they doubt he would do so."
(An accompanying Washington Times editorial asks, "How about in 'a New York second,' Mr. Chairman?"
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We ask, again: why aren't Republicans calling on Mr. Greenwood or some other Republican in the House to call Rubin, if they think it is such a good idea? And, on the other side, we ask again: why is it taking Mr. Rubin so long to explain himself, outside any congressional process?
A couple of atmospheric pieces out there today: USA Today 's Keen notes how "corporate accounting scandals and their political fallout have unnerved this cozy community" comprised of federal lawmakers and Wall Street.
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And the Washington Post 's Pearlstein observes that while corporate book-cooking is hardly unique to the United States, "it is probably only in the United States that a mere eight months after corporate scandal first made its way to the front pages, major corporations would be brought to their knees, rich and powerful people would face criminal charges and a president who once considered regulation a dirty word would preside proudly at a White House signing ceremony for one of most comprehensive pieces of economic regulation since the Carter administration."
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Just as the offshore tax haven debate is heating up, with many Republicans defying their leadership, the New York Daily News ' Burger reports that "Harken Energy Corp. set up an offshore subsidiary in the Cayman Islands tax haven while President Bush sat on Harken's board of directors in 1989 … A spokesman for Bush said the offshore company did not save any taxes because it failed to find oil or make a profit."
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"Harken registered Harken Bahrain Oil Co. on Sept. 1, 1989, according to Cayman Islands government documents. It was formed as the Texas-based Harken sought a $25 million contract with the Bahrain government to drill in the waters off the Arab islands."
Dan Bartlett's excuse — that the effort didn't save any tax money because the enterprise made no profit — seems to have been cribbed from the Clintons' fabled Lyons report on Whitewater. C'mon, Danno: surely they TRIED to make a profit …
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A reminder: As the Veep heads off to relax in Wyoming for his working vacation, we (the collective, non-regal "we") still don't know if a career person or a political person has the final say over investigative decisions at the SEC on the Halliburton probe, and when the probe will end, and when they might talk to the fella who used to run the company.
One of the Republicans' most persistent and totally accurate claims of imbalance in the dominant media's coverage generally is a failure to watchdog union financial and political activity with anything like the intensity to which businesses are subjected.
The Wall Street Journal — who, along with the New York Times , is the major organization that on occasion implicitly addresses this imbalance — has these key paragraphs in their story: "AFL-CIO President John Sweeney — who Tuesday urged workers to leverage their pension funds to force changes in corporate behavior — is under pressure for his service on the board of Ullico, a labor-owned insurance and financial firm. Ullico officials have been questioned by the Justice and Labor departments and face an internal inquiry probing stock sales and profits by some members of the board, all of whom are prominent union leaders. Mr. Sweeney didn't realize any such financial gains. But several Ullico directors made millions of dollars selling shares under terms unavailable to other shareholders. The National Legal and Policy Center, a nonprofit group that has worked closely with GOP lawmakers to toughen oversight of labor activities, is calling for congressional hearings."
"'Here's John Sweeney calling for corporate accountability,' said David Kendrick, an official at the center. 'It's important to explain why he as a board member just looked on, while other Ullico board members made big profits.'"
We aren't sure how much stock to put into the musings of Wall Street Journal columnist Holman Jenkins, since he seems to think the Texas Rangers play in Houston (which even the Note knows isn't true), but his column basically says, wake up, CEOs like Bush and Cheney are OF COURSE hired and paid big money for their connections; that they didn't do anything criminal or immoral at Harken or Halliburton; and that if there is any criticism to be made of the president in all of this it is the following:
"Mr. Bush hasn't helped himself with his steel protectionism, raising echoes of Smoot-Hawley. But the White House's biggest mistake was sending him out to compete with Congress in trying to spin a few crummy business scandals. It should have been enough for Ari Fleischer to say the president has ordered SEC Chief Harvey Pitt to kick tail and take names to make sure the capital markets are cleaned up."
Man, oh, man, how many days a year can the Journal op-ed page hit those steel tariffs?
Exhale, Ken Mehlman, exhale. The The Wall Street Journal says, "The stock market's dramatic declines since mid-May and a weak job market have taken a toll on consumer confidence. At this point, though, it's unclear whether consumers will let their doubts affect their spending, a major component of the U.S. economy."
Inhale, Matthew Dowd, inhale.
While Washington futzes around with spending and budgets, David Broder seems to suggest, states are being "left in the lurch" and governors are having to make some damned-if-they-do, damned-if-they-don't decisions on cuts.
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There was major buzz in Gore circles yesterday, with most people shocked, shocked! that Gore would blow off the Democratic Leadership Council from within a one-mile radius, and most thinking he should have at least stopped by the event.
Some said he should have given a speech and blown the field away (with a dash of Sister Souljah "I told you so"), while others thought that exercising the frontrunner's prerogative of avoiding cattle calls was wise.
That latter view was fleshed out by one Goreista: "Al Gore is clearly in a different position than the rest of the '04 field. Not only is he the clear front runner at the moment, but frankly, revisionists history by the DLC aside, he's the only one in the field, aside from Lieberman, who does not need to prove his New Democrat credentials. Any fair review of Al Gore's 2000 economic plan would conclude that it was one of a New Democrat."
But everyone agreed that holding his inviolate business meetings in New York was reflective of the lack of political judgment and interpersonal skills that are going to make watching Mr. Gore recruit a campaign team a lot of fun (assuming he runs).
The Note does have one correction to make: according to a very informed source, Gore did not, as we reported, lunch with a member of the Tisch family on Monday at the Regency Hotel. A Tisch was in the dining room, but Gore was at a working lunch related to his book.
Our error, which we regret, does not go to the heart of the matter, however: Gore nevertheless forgot or ignored one piece of the accepted frontrunner's skipping dodge: you need a conflict that would physically keep you (under the constraints of time and space) from attending the event.
And we have been assured that Gore knows that the Hilton also has a restaurant, although most assuredly not one as power-lunchy as the Regency.
A lot of the coverage of the DLC meeting deals with Gore's apparent conflict with the group, but the bigger story might end up being "whither the Gore-Lieberman relationship?"
Sometimes the Note gets all wound up thinking about how to write something up, and then we read a newspaper story that pretty much gets it all perfectly, and is written up much more loverly than we could ever manage.
So if you want to know what happened at the DLC meeting vis-a-vis 2004, read Dan Balz's Washington Post story.
As Mr. Balz suggests today (and as we implied yesterday), Al Gore's absence loomed over the Democratic Leadership Council meeting.
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"Thanks to his old running mate, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.), … Gore quickly became part of the conversation without even showing up. Lieberman inexplicably used a Sunday night session with reporters to reopen old wounds within the party over Gore's 2000 campaign, complaining that Gore's 'people vs. the powerful' message strayed from centrist principles and may have cost the Democrats the election."
"Lieberman's comments were a reminder of how quickly Gore can polarize a discussion about the party's future, particularly among activists and veterans of the Clinton-Gore administration. He won the popular vote in 2000 but remains a lightning rod for criticism, still blamed by some for losing to George W. Bush at a time of peace and record prosperity."
"Hillary Clinton's appearance highlights another problem for the Democrats. That is the absence of a commanding or entertaining personality at a time when many voters, particularly those who pay only fleeting attention to politics, want something more from their candidates than a knowledge of parliamentary rules and the inner workings of the federal budget."
"The long battle for the nomination will help to solve this problem, as the candidates hone their messages and become better known and more polished. But it is noteworthy that at the beginning of this process, the Democrats' best-known potential candidate, Gore, is also their most controversial."
"Lieberman enjoys strong support among the DLC loyalists; in fact he has declared that if he runs, he will be the New Democrat candidate. Daschle delivered a workmanlike address but was demonstrably low-key in style."
"Kerry commands attention because he is pushing the edge of the envelope on foreign policy by providing a sharp-edged critique of the Bush administration. But some attendees said they wished he had balanced that with a stronger message on economic and domestic policy."
"Gephardt is the wayward member of the DLC, a co-founder who has been at odds with the organization over trade and welfare. Gephardt presented himself as someone who can bridge the divisions within the party … But centrist Democrats remain skeptical."
"Instinctively populist in his message, Edwards picked up on traditional DLC themes when talking about corporate accountability."
The piling on top of Gore continues. The Washington Times got an interview with former (Gore-era) DNC chairman Ed Rendell, now running for governor of Pennsylvania, who said "of Mr. Gore's rhetoric … 'I thought there was a way to deliver the same message without saying "we versus them." I think it does cost us some votes. I think it hurts … We wish Al had refined the message and not used the "poor people versus the rich … '"
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"But some of Mr. Gore's anti-corporate message seemed to echo among a few speakers yesterday … [Senator John] Edwards, who has begun putting together a preliminary presidential campaign bid, delivered a speech that broadly attacked the business community and the 'high salaries being paid to CEOs.'"
"In a post-address interview, Mr. Edwards initially said he agreed with Mr. Gore's 2000 message but later added that he thought 'most business people in America are good, responsible people.'"
The Hartford Courant's David Lightman, in a story about how moderates within the party have concluded that Gore has the organizational structure to run and win, got the former Veep's ex-domestic policy adviser Elaine Kamarck, no slouch to New Democrat politics, to defend her boss.
"Gore backers said their man had nothing to gain by showing up at the council, since not only Lieberman, but also council officials, have been criticizing his 2000 campaign as too populist. 'He had business,' explained adviser Elaine Kamarck of Gore. 'He just finished his book, and I'm sure he's totally backed up with business meetings.' She thought the council's iciness probably did not keep Gore away, but said of Lieberman's comments, 'They're unfortunate and inaccurate, and a little odd.'" LINK
Lightman's story has lots of good quotes from a panoply of prominent, grass-tops DLCers, so reporters, take notes.
Lightman's informal survey also suggested that Kerry's remarks were more boffo than Gephardt, Dachle, and the others.
Adam Nagourney's New York Times ' write-up makes the eye-opening, "of course, why didn't we think of that?" point: "[A] confluence of events — the ailing economy, the problems on Wall Street and polls that show many Americans feel that the nation is heading in the wrong direction — have clearly emboldened Democrats to attack Mr. Bush with a tone and persistence that would have seemed unimaginable even two months ago."
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The Raleigh News & Observer's Wagner leads his write-up of Edwards' speech yesterday with Edwards' blanket charge that Bush look first to his own house in ushering in a new era of corporate responsibility.
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While the joint was jumping in New York, Vermont Gov. Howard Dean was campaigning out in California; a spokeswoman says the trip was scheduled before the DLC event was.
Still writing under her "Los Angeles" dateline, Maureen Dowd touts (as she does) a Hillary Clinton presidential candidacy, and with three simple paragraphs will send the strategists for all the prospective candidates into a giant tizzy: LINK
"There have been dinners and coffees for candidates. 'John Edwards is practically living here,' says one star's political consultant, adding that no one is sure if he's exciting or an empty suit. John Kerry is popular on issues, but people have been e-mailing around a Washington Post article about his volatile wife, Teresa. Tom Daschle and Dick Gephardt are respected visitors. ('Dick needs eyebrows,' sighs a Democrat.)"
"Holy Joe Lieberman is unpopular. 'He asked for money and then bashed Hollywood,' groused one fund-raiser. Most Clinton-lovers in L.A. never warmed up to Al Gore, finding him supercilious. The story circulated that when a wealthy donor held a Gore-Lieberman fund-raising party at his mansion, Mr. Gore came up to him at the end, not to thank him but to ask where the bathroom was … "
"Democratic strategists think Bill has smiled on John Edwards' candidacy because he and Hillary want Mr. Edwards to lose to W. in 2004, thus diminishing him and clearing the way for a Hillary run in 2008."
For being so aggressive in his critiques of and attacks on the Bush Administration's foreign policy across the board, Senator John Kerry is rewarded with a Jim Dao front-page New York Times story that is most interesting, perhaps, because it pairs Colorado Gov. Bill Owens (R) and Democratic strategist David Axelrod as critics of Kerry's gambit. LINK
Although Lieberman, Edwards, Gore, Daschle, Gephardt, and others have also criticized aspects of Bush's foreign policy record, the story correctly points out that Kerry does it more often and more intensely than any of the other wannabes.
And once upon a time, Senator Biden mused about making a foreign policy contrast the centerpiece of HIS presidential campaign (as part of the '88 campaign alumni club).
If that's gonna happen, Senator, today is the day, presumably, to start to churn substance with (bipartisan-tinged) politics, since you got to curtain-rise your Iraq hearings on a certain NBC morning show "today" with Senator Hagel. And you got to pen a New York Times op-ed with Senator Lugar.
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It didn't make the web version, but a different Senator from the Northeast (the man his wife calls "Joey" — and Al From calls "Joe") makes it four-fifths into a New York Times photo, as the Dali foreground in a tableau with Senator Byrd in a story about that guy's "brake man" role on the homeland security bill.
The Boston Globe 's Johnson writes up New York's pitch to the Democrats' convention site selection committee: "New York yesterday rounded out a series of bids for the 2004 Democratic National Convention by billing itself as 'the city that produces winners' and pointing out that Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton knocked Republicans from the White House after party gatherings here."
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"New York officials made their pitch to the convention site selection committee in part with a video that appropriated political icons from Boston, displaying lengthy images of the late President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who is spearheading Boston's rival bid for the convention."
"The videotape also included strong messages of inclusion for blacks from historical figures such as Robert F. Kennedy and Barbara Jordan, after New York officials read about diversity concerns raised by some members of the selection committee following their visit to Boston last month."
"One Democratic official said Boston displayed unrivaled exuberance, Detroit made a strong bid to rebut charges that it lacked sufficient hotel space, and Miami rearranged a labor contract with the American Airlines Arena, where it proposes holding the convention, to address union concerns."
"After the video, which was narrated at parts by New Yorkers Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and Bill Clinton, former New York governor Mario Cuomo made a personal appeal. Seated in the front row were two sports celebrities, Dave DeBusschere, formerly of the New York Knicks, and New York Rangers goalie Mike Richter."
We no longer think the most likely outcome is that both major-party conventions happen in New York City, but we can't rule that out, and neither, apparently, can the Mayor, who is thinking, sort of, like a network bean-counter, and we don't mean that in a bad way:
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"Mayor Bloomberg, the billionaire businessman, offered such a deal yesterday to the national political parties: Hold both conventions in the city and get a discount rate."
"'We would be thrilled to have both conventions' in 2004, Bloomberg said."
"'We think if both were here, it would save the media money, and we could save both of the parties money.'"
"One cost-trimmer would be that Madison Square Garden would be reconfigured only one time for back-to-back conventions, in effect splitting the expense between the Democrats and the Republicans."
The Daily News plays up the Pataki pitch to the Democrats.
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Al Sharpton doesn't seem to want Joel Klein to become the New York City schools chancellor …
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… for which the Post 's ed board characteristically whacks him.
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And Sharpton is unhappy that he wasn't included as a DLC speaker (note that when asked about this, DLC officials said that Sharpton is neither a DLC member nor an elected official).
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The forward-looking questions in the wake of the Torricelli wrist-slap:
1. Will Republicans be able to raise the political pressure on the Ethics Committee to release more records and information than the elliptical three-page letter they put out?
2. Will the still-obviously-skeptical New York Times team of by Kocieniewski and Golden let the story drop now, or make another investigative run? (We think the Torch would agree with our guess about this one … ) LINK
3. Will the GOP nominee, Mr. Forrester, show a poll bounce based on this news cycle's headlines?
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"While a letter is less serious than a vote of censure by the Senate, the use of the word 'severely' appeared to signal that committee members did not regard the offenses as trivial … Afterward, his lawyer, Robert Bauer, called reporters to play down the severity of the admonishment, saying the committee went out of its way to say, in most instances, that Torricelli didn't knowingly break Senate rules," says the Washington Post .
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While most of the national coverage has an "it's over" tone, the New Jersey and Philadelphia newspapers' coverage suggest that wherever the probe may lie in the collective consciousness of voters, it is not a dead story for journalists.
The Bergen Record's headline is forward-looking: "GOP campaign appears ready to pounce," and the story gets the Torricelli campaign to previews its response: "'It was the most mild rebuke available,' said Torricelli campaign manager Ken Snyder." LINK
The Inquirer suggests: "But the jury Torricelli must worry about most is New Jersey voters, and the Ethics Committee's sharply worded rebuke will provide critical ammunition in this fall's campaign to his Republican opponent, businessman Douglas Forrester." LINK
Forrester's website will surely be updated today:
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The New York Times writes up the Pew study on the explosive, unprecedented growth of the nation's Latino population, which will affect the world of politics pretty much as much as anything over the next several decades. LINK
Click here to read the Note in Spanish. (As if … )
The Wall Street Journal hides its preview of the AFL-CIO's anti-Fidelity event in Boston today on D9.
USA Today 's Jill Lawrence looks at a fundamental shift in the politics of ballot initiatives: once a favorite tool of conservatives to get their issues directly in front of voters, a majority of initiatives out there this cycle are being pushed by liberals.
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Hollywood writer Stephen Bing wrote a $1,000,000 check to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in June, solidifying his place among the top ranks of Democratic donors this year, party soft money disclosure reports show.
More later on this ABC station, but the headline for now is that the ideological interests buffeting both political parties and the Post -McCain-Feingold fire-sale mentality have significantly increased their soft-money giving this summer, as some big last hurrah.
Among the bigger Republican donors: as usual, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which has sent a slew of $25,000 checks to the GOP House campaign committee's non-federal account since May. This cycle alone, they've given more than $470,000 to the NRCC.
The AP reports on the "self-described 'odd-quad' of senators [who] urged the government Tuesday to strengthen its gun buyer instant background check system by requiring federal agencies to contribute to the system and states to computerize their criminal records. The bill, introduced by Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, and Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Larry Craig of Idaho, would require states and federal agencies to automate their records and add them to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System … A similar bill awaits a vote in the House. The senators say there is agreement on both sides to get the legislation done quickly."
A state auditor has calculated the cost of a new contract for California prison guards at $518 million. The contract was negotiated by Gov. Gray Davis (D) a month after he received a big campaign contribution from the prison guard's union, one of the most influential in the state.
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Davis is getting heat from environmentalists after a San Jose Mercury News article insinuated that he exchanged a pollution dumping permit for a big donation from the company. Davis denies the charge. LINK
Ms. Jill Lawrence also writes up Arnold Schwarzeneggar's after-school initiative and his simultaneous efforts to reinvent himself as a political activist.
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Gov. Jeb Bush (R) released nine years' worth of income tax returns yesterday, just as the state Democratic Party stepped up its campaign to peg him with a controversial Nigerian oil deal in which he took part.
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The Texas papers all note how rare it is for a sitting member of the bench to enter a political contest, but District Judge Harry Lee Hudspeth really seems to think that an ad for Gov. Rick Perry (R) attacking Democrat Tony Sanchez misrepresents one of Hudspeth's rulings.
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The Dallas Morning News has "researched" the case, concluding that the ad's accusation is based on a federal regulation that wasn't in effect when the 1984 case was adjudicated.
"The Perry campaign had said that, under a provision of federal law, Mr. Sanchez's Laredo savings and loan could have turned over to the Internal Revenue Service $7.5 million in depositors' money with no risk of lawsuit by account holders. The thrift, instead, wired the money to Panama in 1984 at the account holders' request. Research by The News showed that a liability shield was inserted into the law in November 1988. That was eight months after a federal judge ruled that Mr. Sanchez's Tesoro Savings and Loan could not refuse to wire the funds, even if thrift officials suspected drug activity." LINK
The Houston Chronicle reports that the Department of Justice will require Harris County, which includes Houston, to print ballots in Vietnamese in order to keep up with the city's growing Vietnamese population. LINK
New York Post nice guy Bob Hardt remains either a) the hardest working shoe-leather investigative reporter in all of Gotham journalism; or b) the recipient of choice for opposition research coming over his transom, sometimes from the Governor's re-elect — just you wait for the general election dumps on McCall or Cuomo.
LINK
And now that Andrew Cuomo has decided to employ his father as an asset in the campaign, the McCall campaign has decided to attack Mario Cuomo, and the Cuomo campaign has decided to attack the McCall campaign for attacking Mario Cuomo, which is why parties HATE late primaries.
LINK
Two days before the primary, Lamar Alexander kept it "short and sweet," according to the Tennessean, driving through the state in an SUV and chatting with whichever voters he came across. A reporter got Alexander to criticize President Bush on steel tariffs, which, since they theoretically would cost jobs in auto-part manufacturing Tennessee, aren't popular. LINK
Alexander's primary opponent, Rep. Ed Bryant, said that only his conservative record could withstand a general election challenge from Democrat Bob Clement.
LINK
The Washington Times picks up on Bryant's charge that Alexander's past business dealings leave him vulnerable to Democratic attacks on corporate accountability.
LINK
The two Republicans aiming to be governor battled each other more directly. LINK
"Prescription drug coverage is emerging as one of the powerful issues in the race to succeed Jesse Helms — with candidates vying to be seen as a champion of the elderly," writes the Raleigh News & Observer's Christensen. "The issue is also one on which the Democratic and Republican candidates sharply disagree, echoing debates on Capitol Hill."
LINK
"Some major Democratic Senate candidates — Erskine Bowles, Dan Blue and Elaine Marshall — are pushing to have Medicare, the federal government's health insurance program for the elderly and the disabled, cover most of the costs of prescription drugs. Dole is advocating a more limited plan in which the government would pay for a senior's prescriptions drugs only after out-of-pocket expenses reach a certain level — perhaps $2,500 per year."
"Legendary UNC-Chapel Hill basketball coach" Dean Smith "and his wife, Linnea, are holding a fund-raiser for Bowles, a Democrat, on Aug. 13 at the Carolina Inn."
LINK
Mayor Anthony Williams yesterday vowed to stay in the Democratic party and run as a write-in Democratic candidate rather than as an independent, if his petition problems force him to make that choice. "Campaign officials immediately started planning to print thousands of pencils and self-inking stamps with the mayor's name for distribution to supporters for a write-in effort in the Sept. 10 primary."
LINK
"A political adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the mayor's polling showed that a strong majority of city voters did not object to his becoming an independent. It also found that the concept of a write-in campaign confused many voters. But advisers worried that running as an independent would invite a challenge from some other prominent Democrat."
The Des Moines Register reports that Republicans have purchased nearly $1 million worth of TV advertising for two GOP congressional candidates in the state.
LINK
Republican Senate nominee John Thune's campaign is spinning Tom Daschle's "waiver of environmental laws for a South Dakota logging project" as proof of "how much he wants to protect his vulnerable Democratic colleague," incumbent Tim Johnson (D).
LINK
"Voter-rich Metro Detroit is a magnet for the three Democratic candidates for governor in the final week of a tight, increasingly acrimonious primary campaign," the Detroit News reports.
LINK
Jim Blanchard is using former President Clinton in one of his primary ads.
In a sign of just how vulnerable both Republicans and Democrats are to charges of political pragmatism and short-sightedness, Democrats have labeled the GOP Senate campaign committee ad touting Senator Wayne Allard's corporate fraud credentials as "chutzpah." They peppered reporters with plenty of Enron mentions and references to Allard's 2000 vote against some corporate fraud provisions. Allard's team responded by pointing to opponent Strickland's work on behalf of failed telecom company Global Crossing.
LINK
You heard it here first, before Michael Barone can coin it: outdoor voters versus indoor voters. A way to characterize the folks who are most comfortable with tents, bears, rivers, kayaks, guns, and fish, and those who prefer, primarily, CNN, Stouffer's French Bread Pizza, Donahue, Lester Holt, tennis, and Proust. It's a cultural thing.
Norm Coleman is courting the former category.
LINK
The White House seems to have managed to calm Brazil down after Treasury Secretary O'Neill inadvertently ticked off Brazilian officials last weekend.
LINK
Our on-the-scene Jackson, WY stringer reports reliably that the security is going up, and we can expect Bubba's to be taken over by Secret Service agents, as the Cheneys come to town. Click here for the Bubba's menu, with an implicit focus on those hot chocolate chip cookies the agents run for.
LINK
Over to you, the positively radiant Ms. Katy Textor*: the New York Post 's unparalleled Keith Kelly says that the president did a 20-minute interview and spent some quality time with Runner's World, for the issue hitting September 9. LINK
—9:30 am, Senate meets to consider defense appropriations
— 9:30 am, Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Iraq
— 9:45 am, White House off-camera morning gaggle
— 10:30 am, Senate Minority Leader Lott briefs
— 10:45 am, President Bush meets with his Cabinet, Cabinet Room
— 11:00 am, Democratic Senators Lieberman, Stabenow, and others hold a press conference on the homeland security legislation
— 12 noon, homeland security chief Tom Ridge addresses the US Chamber of Commerce, DC
— 1:10 pm, White House on-camera briefing
— 3:00 pm, Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Operation Enduring Freedom, with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Tommy Franks
Newly listed events are italicized.
— July 29-31: DNC 2004 convention site selection committee visits New York
— July 31: California campaign finance reports due — July 31: Homeland Security director Tom Ridge addresses U.S. Chamber of Commerce, DC
— Aug. 1: Tennessee primary
— Aug. 1: New York Stock Exchange vote on new corporate governance rules
— Aug. 1: King Abdullah of Jordan visits President Bush, DC
— Aug. 3: 5th Annual Iowa antique tractor hunt, Pomeroy, Iowa
— Aug. 3: 13th Chowderfest, Waterville Valley, New Hampshire — Aug. 4-6: RNC site selection committee visits New Orleans
— Aug. 6: Michigan primary; Kansas primary; Missouri primary
— Aug. 6: President Bush physical examination expected — Aug. 6-8: RNC site selection committee visits Tampa-St. Petersburg
— Aug. 7: last day for Ohio ballot measures to be presented
— Aug. 8: Vice President Cheney headlines fundraiser for House candidate John Swallow, Salt Lake City
— Aug. 8-10: International Association of Firefighters convention, Las Vegas — Aug. 8-10: RNC site selection committee visits New York — Aug. 8: Winning Margins PAC event for Texas Senate candidate Ron Kirk, DC
— Aug. 8-11: Democratic National Committee meets, Las Vegas
— Aug. 8-18: Iowa State Fair, Des Moines, Iowa
— Aug. 10: Sen. John Edwards keynotes Magnuson Dinner, Washington state — Aug. 10: Sen. Pete Domenici leads "Campaign Caravan" of GOP candidates across New Mexico
— Aug. 13: Colorado primary
— Aug. 13: Sen. Joe Lieberman addresses American Postal Workers Convention and headlines Sen. Paul Wellstone fundraiser, Minneapolis — Aug. 13: President Bush hosts economic summit, Waco, Texas
— Aug. 13: Ex-UNC coach Dean Smith hosts birthday fundraiser for Erskine Bowles, Chapell Hill
— Aug. 14: Lynne Cheney's birthday.
— Aug. 14: SEC deadline for company heads to certify financial statements for 2002
— Aug.14-15: Sen. Joe Lieberman visits Iowa
— Aug. 16-18: Sen. John Edwards visits Iowa and Iowa State Fair
— Aug. 18: Sen. Joe Lieberman appears at Hillsborough County Democratic Picnic, Manchester, NH
— Aug. 19: Bill Clinton's birthday
— Aug 19: Tipper Gore's birthday
— Aug. 19: Sen. Joe Lieberman headlines fundraising events for Senate nominee Chellie Pingree and gubernatorial nominee John Baldacci in Maine
— Aug. 20: Georgia primary
— Aug. 21: New Hampshire campaign finance reports due
— Aug. 23-24: Florida Republican Party state executive committee meeting, Orlando
— Aug. 23-24: Michigan Republican Party state convention
— Aug. 24-25: Michigan Democratic Party state convention
— Aug. 25: Sen. Joe Lieberman headlines fundraiser for Rep. Eliot Engel, Westchester, NY
— Aug. 25-27: Southern Governors Association's 68th Annual Meeting, New Orleans
— Aug. 26: Jury selection begins in John Walker Lindh trial
— Aug. 27: Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidates debate
— Aug 27: Alaska primary; Oklahoma primary
— Aug. 27-28: FEC hearings on BCRA regulation proposals, DC
— Aug 28. Saint Anselm college hosts American Political Science Association short course on the 2004 New Hampshire primary and The Invisible Primary
— Aug. 29-Sept. 1: American Political Science Association annual conference, Boston
— Aug. 29-Sept. 2: 13th Annual Midwest Polka Fest, Humboldt, Iowa
— Sept. 2: 6th Annual Rubber Ducky Regatta, North Woodstock, New Hampshire
— Sept. 3: Nevada primary
— Sept. 6: Congress meets for special session in New York City
— Sept. 7: Delaware primary
— Sept. 9: First Lady Laura Bush chairs Kennedy Center's "Concert for America," DC
— Sept. 10: Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina and New York primaries (Florida: Democratic primary for governor; New Hampshire: Republican primary for Senate and primaries on both sides for governor; North Carolina: Democratic and Republican primaries for Senate; New York: Democratic primary for governor); Arizona primary; Connecticut primary; District of Columbia primary; Maryland primary; Minnesota primary; Rhode Island primary;
Vermont primary; Wisconsin primary
— Sept. 11-14: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 32nd Annual Legislative Conference, DC — Sept. 13-14: Georgia Republican Party "Road to Majority" conference, Augusta
— Sept. 22: 4th Annual Great North Woods Lumberjack Championships, Berlin, New Hampshire
— Sept. 17: Massachusetts primary (Democratic primary for governor)
— Sept. 27-29: California Republican Party convention
— Sept. 30: Jury selection begins for trial of Zacarias Moussaoui
— Sept. 30: Discovery ends in McCain-Feingold lawsuit (tentative).
— Sept. 30: 401(k) statements begin to roll out.
— Oct. 4: Al Sharpton's birthday
— Oct. 5: Tri-state's Largest Chili Cook-Off, Dubuque, Iowa
— Oct. 5: Sen. Chris Dodd keynotes Ohio Democratic Party dinner — Oct. 12: Sen. John McCain hosts Saturday Night Live, New York
— Oct. 13: Iowa State Hand-Cornhusking contest, Kimballton, Iowa
— Oct. 15 (tentative): Zacarias Moussaoui trial begins
— October 26: New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's birthday
— Nov. 4: Laura Bush's birthday
— Nov. 4: Deadline for opening briefs, McCain-Feingold lawsuit (tentative).
— Nov. 5: Election Day
— New SEC disclosure rules go into effect
— Nov. 17: Vermont Governor Howard Dean's birthday.
— Nov. 18: Deadline for opposition briefs, McCain-Feingold lawsuit (tentative).
— Nov. 20: Delaware Senator. Joseph Biden's birthday
— Dec. 4: Oral arguments begun in McCain-Feingold lawsuit. (tentative)
— Dec. 9: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle's birthday
— Dec. 11: Massachusetts Senator John Kerry's birthday
— Dec. 13: Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack's birthday
— Dec. 26: California Governor. Gray Davis's birthday
— Jan. 30, 2003: Vice President Dick Cheney's birthday
— Jan. 31, 2003: Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt's birthday
— Feb. 24, 2003: Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman's birthday
— March 11, 2003: Georgia Governor Roy Barnes's birthday
— March 31, 2003: Al Gore's birthday
— June 15, 2003: Senate/House/key adviser personal financial disclosure forms due
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