W A S H I N G T O N, March 8
—Excluding the California primary (and we know that's a hefty exception), a week that started off promising loads of big domestic political news is ending with a whimper.
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Overseas, on the other hand, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Middle East suddenly have flared into trouble spots with no easy solutions, creating something of a ying-yang switch for the Bush Administration in terms of their focus and headaches going into the weekend — during which Vice President Cheney sets off for the Middle East.
We assume Ari Fleischer has warned both General Zinni and Mr. Cheney of the risks of trying to "shoot the moon" on missions such as this.
The papers are filled with Greenspan's upbeat economic forecast and the president's "boy gets girl back" New York story, and there's more good economic news today.
ABCNEWS Business Editor Ramona Schindelheim reports, "A surprisingly good employment report for February … far better than economists had expected. The unemployment rate dropped to 5.5% in February, from 5.6% in January. (The forecast was for it to rise.) The economy added 66,000 jobs last month … the first increase in jobs since last July.
While manufacturing continued to lose jobs, the pace slowed. There were strong job gains in retail (80,000) and the service sector (40,000)."
But, Schindelheim warns, "Every silver lining has a dark cloud … The Labor Department economists urge a bit of caution about the numbers, attributing the strength to 'special factors.' Construction added jobs because of warm weather, and in retail, fewer people were hired for the holiday season, so fewer people were let go in January and February."
With election reform having bogged them down for much of the week, the Senate is only just now taking up the high-stakes energy bill — and they'll take a break from that today to consider, and likely pass, the pared-down economic stimulus bill that cleared the House yesterday.
That bill, comprised mainly of extended unemployment benefits and some lesser corporate tax breaks, will give both parties and the White House something to brag about looking ahead to the midterm elections, but those boasts may ring a little hollow. Like many compromises, this one doesn't seem to be pleasing the interests lined up on either side all that much. At the same time, powerful House Ways and Means Chairman Thomas and other Republicans clearly are hearing some sighs of relief from some of their colleagues who view this move as getting a possible election monkey off of their backs.
The Los Angeles Times reports that "The Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to pass the bill today, and President Bush said he would sign it."
( http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/ la-000017224mar08.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dfrontpage )
"Jettisoned from the House measure was Bush's proposal to speed implementation of the cut in income tax rates that was approved last year. Also dropped were GOP proposals to repeal a tax on corporations known as the alternative minimum tax and proposals to provide tax credits to help the unemployed buy health insurance."
"More surprising, the bill dropped a popular but costly provision that had enjoyed broad bipartisan support: payments to mostly lower-income people who did not receive income tax rebates as a result of the tax cut enacted last year."
The Washington Post notes that the "package is a shadow of the deeply ambitious proposals the two parties once envisioned. Republicans gave up hopes for about $100 billion in tax cuts aimed at spurring corporate investment and job creation. Democrats, meanwhile, backed away from their calls for $300 checks for low-income workers who didn't qualify for last year's tax rebate."
( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57975-2002Mar7.html )
"The AFL-CIO, usually a stalwart Democratic ally, said it was 'profoundly disappointed' that the legislation failed to boost health coverage for the unemployed … Also unhappy are the nation's governors. They say the bill would drain their treasuries by allowing businesses, over the next three years, to depreciate 30 percent of the value of new investments made in the first year. Because most states base their corporate income taxes on federal rules, the proposed change could cost them $14.6 billion over the next three years."
The Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Judge Pickering has been postponed until next week — at least. The Washington Post reports that "Democratic sources said they did not expect the delay to change any minds, meaning that Pickering would be rejected for a seat on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals next week unless Republicans find some other way to stall action."
( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54407-2002Mar7.html )
And there's still no indication that the president and his allies are exerting enough pressure on Senate Majority Leader Daschle to force him to cave and allow a floor vote.
President Bush will head to St. Petersburg, FL today for another policy/fundraising double-header, repeating his proposals from yesterday on corporate responsibility at a local electronics company, and raising money for the state Republican Party, which will then spend it to help re-elect Gov. Jeb Bush. The Governor will accompany the president throughout the trip.
The The Wall Street Journal says, "With jobless numbers out Friday, Bush adds a visit with workers to a Florida trip. It is the first of what will be regular worker 'solidarity' events tied to economic news."
The state GOP is refusing to disclose a dollar figure for the fundraiser because, they say, it tips their hand to the Democrats. Still, the Miami Herald reports it will be a $25,000-per-head event for 30 folks at the Don Cesar Hotel, and is expected to raise around $750,000. Jeb's possible Democratic opponent, Janet Reno, along with her red truck, will be stopping nearby in Tampa during the visit.
The Senate couldn't even produce a fairly innocuous resolution in support of the war this week. The Washington Times covers the haggling, focusing on the Democrats' seeming inability to agree.
( http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020308-885965.htm )
But take heart. Tonight brings the screening of Alexandra Pelosi's "Journeys with George" Bush documentary in Austin, TX. More on this below.
Bush's corporate responsibility proposals drew immediate Democratic criticism yesterday, and some media scrutiny today.
Reviewing the package, the Los Angeles Times points out, "Bush declined to endorse a proposal advocated by his own Treasury secretary, Paul H. O'Neill, that would have made it harder for corporate executives to rely on company-paid insurance policies to pay the legal costs of defending them in cases brought by investors or others claiming that the company misled them. The president feared that such a requirement might encourage investors to sue corporate officers, administration officials said."
( http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-000017318mar08.story?coll=la%2Dnews%2Da%5Fsection )
"Democrats immediately blasted the president's plan as inadequate. 'Paul O'Neill was much more aggressive in his recommendations about what ought to be done,' said Senator Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), the Senate majority leader."
Rudy Giuliani will be in Los Angeles today to accept the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award, and the San Francisco Chronicle says that Simon will be on hand.
( http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/03/08/MN186433.dtl ) AND
( http://www.reaganfoundation.org/welcome/calendar.asp )
Homeland security chief Ridge will be in Boston today, but isn't expected to make news. First Lady Laura Bush will make (probably equally newsless) remarks at the United Nations as part of an event to commemorate International Women's Day.
We've heard the same thing the The Wall Street Journal has, that "GOP Senator Thompson again weighs retirement, but GOP leaders expect him to run." We will watch this one today and this weekend, and will have plenty to tell you about if Thompson reverses course and decides not to make the race!!!!
( http://www.dfufactorystore.com/mytwindolclo1.html )
From the ABCNEWS London Bureau: A senior US commander said that allied attacks overnight resulted in numerous enemy casualties. Lieutenant Col. Joe Smith, holding a news conference at Bagram air base, near Kabul, said the military had anticipated the current snow and bad weather but gave no details of whether it had affected operations. Sandstorms and high winds eased over the battle area on Friday, enabling US and Afghan forces to step up attacks on al Qaeda. Some Afghan commanders expressed concern that snow and high winds sweeping the battlefield could last for several days and may limit US air support and allow rebels to slip away … At least 32 Palestinians and five Israelis have been killed in one of the worst spates of violence since the Palestinian uprising began. Twenty Palestinians, including a top security commander, died in an Israeli attack on a village in Gaza shortly after a Palestinian gunman went on the rampage at a nearby Jewish settlement.
Steel
The criticism continues from the left and the right for the president's protectionist decision. Hits in this news cycle come from Paul Krugman ("Now we know for sure what some of us already suspected: that the Bush administration is all hat and no cattle when it comes to free trade, and probably free markets in general"); the Washington Post 's Ignatius (who agrees with Le Monde's headline yesterday: "The Hypocrite Monsieur Bush"); and Alan Greenspan (in his Senate testimony yesterday, although he said it as "a very, very tough judgment").
( http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/08/opinion/08KRUG.html )
and ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58175-2002Mar7.html )
The Democratic National Committee informs us that that unemployed steelworker they've been touting all week who is running for Congress in Pennsylvania will deliver the party's response to the president's radio address on Saturday. Ed O'Brien will talk about the legacy costs issue — the president's decision not to ask for federal subsidies of certain steelworkers' health benefits.
On the other hand, staunch Democrat and free-trader Mickey Kantor offers a full-throated defense of the president's move on the op-ed page of the New York Times .
( http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/08/opinion/08KANT.html )
And a The Wall Street Journal headline says, "EU Tempers Anger at U.S. Steel Tariffs."
ABC 2004: The Invisible Primary
If you've been following the invisible primary as closely as we have (actually READING those press releases out of the Kerry and Lieberman camps), then it's probably occurred to you, as it has to us, that Senator Lieberman is putting up something of a fight with Senator Kerry for the hearts of the enviros — who as a group, while not flush with lots of big donors, comprise a decent portion of the Democratic grassroots.
So again, if you've been following this, you may have noticed yesterday that Senator Kerry scored a small coup in partnering up with Senator McCain yesterday to offer a bipartisan proposal on fuel efficiency standards.
Senator Lieberman had/has been trying to get with McCain on certain aspects of this issue, as well as on global warming.
Meanwhile, Lieberman fired off a statement about how he continues to examine the Bush environmental record from his perch at the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. And yesterday's hearing with EPA Administrator Whitman and her former regulatory enforcement chief produced some fireworks, giving Lieberman his own notch in this belt.
The Boston Globe covers the two wannabes' Green efforts in plain English.
( http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe 2/067/nation/Rivals_hit_Bush_on_energy_ecology+.shtml )
Speaking of McCain, turns out one of the biggest staff prizes for the 2004 wannabes might not even be a life-long Democrat. Says the The Wall Street Journal : "John Weaver, veteran GOP consultant, defects. The well-known strategist for Senator McCain's 2000 run against Bush says the GOP now is the party of 'the corporate skybox elite' … He meets with advisers to Democratic congressional leaders Daschle and Gephardt; Democratic 2004 presidential aspirants have been in touch."
The The Wall Street Journal edges ahead of the Washington Times , the Weekly Standard, and the New York Post in the "attack Democrats who might run for President" derby, with an editorial blasting Senator Lieberman for his environmental hearings, and the most traction-gaining Dan Henninger column yet (since he started the impossible task of trying to replace Paul Gigot), written in seeming defense of Tom Daschle, but which we THINK was meant on multi-levels, one of which is supposed to be an attack on the Senate majority leader. Neither man gets a dot drawing.
House Minority Leader Gephardt travels to New Hampshire today (and the overshadowed Maine) to don a New England Patriots jersey after losing that Super Bowl bet.
California
In a state as geographically vast and politically diverse as California, the only real way to reach voters is by paid media. Retail politicking is out, relegated mostly to fundraisers and selected press events. And yet, there's little truth-squadding of the ads — those sound-bite messages that distill a campaign's philosophy to its essence.
A paid media state cedes control to political strategists, and leaves the candidate largely at the mercy of how those ads play.
So we took a look at what just happened in California. Here's an overview of the dynamics of the Republican primary, and a preview of the general election battle between Gray Davis and Bill Simon. ( http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/dailynews/calads_020308.html )
Simon will have events this morning in Palm Springs with former President Gerald Ford and will campaign in the afternoon with former primary rival and former Secretary of State Bill Jones, before hooking up with Rudy.
Politics
It's hard to know if all the wings of the Democratic party are going to be represented, here, but given how most of the viable 2004 presidential wannabes are shifting toward the center, at least that faction will be suitably represented. The Democratic Leadership Council's founder and CEO Al From and Vice Chair Rep. Ellen Tauscher, along with James Carville and Rep. Barney Frank, will participate in a Harvard JFK School forum on the future of the Democratic party today at 4:00 p.m..
EMILY's List kicks off its effort to influence the 2002 elections today with an event featuring Senate Majority Leader Daschle and House Minority Whip Pelosi.
Assuming Gov. Mark Warner (D) signs the bill, which he has said he would do provided the bill would hold up in court, Virginia will become the first state to ban partial-birth abortions since the US Supreme Court struck down the ban as unconstitutional.
( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57966-2002Mar7.html )
Also today, the Human Rights Campaign will release its annual State of the Family report, and outline its legislative and political agenda for 2002 — including the fight over ENDA, the federal employment non-discrimination act. The bill would ban employers from using sexual orientation in hiring, firing and compensation decisions. HRC has been told that Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle wants to bring ENDA to the Senate floor by Memorial Day (the House would have to act, as well).
Intriguingly for HRC and other gay and lesbian groups, President Bush hasn't indicated — and didn't, during his campaign — whether he'd sign the bill, and as some of you know, the president has displayed a curious dichotomy on gay issues.
More California
The unofficial turnout estimate for last Tuesday's primaries is 31 percent, which, even if it climbs by two or three points (as expected) when the official figure is released next week, would be a new record low.
( http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-000017220mar08.story ?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dcalifornia
A story you'll see on TV and in print through their inevitable general election wins in November appears in the New York Times today: the Sanchezes of California, Loretta and Linda, are poised to become the first set of sisters to serve in Congress. ( http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/08/politics/08SIST.html )
Sports quiz: how many Delahanty brothers played in the major leagues?
( http://www.baseball-almanac.com/family/fam1.shtml )
Secession? In this day and age? You betcha; this is one of the better political stories that has been quietly brewing. The San Fernando Valley's effort to secede from the city of Los Angeles may well make the November 2002 ballot, so the mayor, city officials and groups opposed to secession are strategizing over how best to defeat such a measure without inspiring a backlash.
( http://www.latimes.com /news/local/la-000017217mar08.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dcalifornia
Florida
The political savvy Florida papers play up the "returning the favor" angle of today's presidential visit. But they don't touch on the simmering macro story: a wartime President taking daytrips around the country to fundraise for Republican candidates.
"Gov. Jeb Bush, who in November 2000 apologized to George W. Bush when it appeared Florida had cost him the White House, is leaning on the president to help him win a second term. President Bush, meanwhile, needs his brother in order to avoid a repeat of the 2000 election debacle."
( http://www.sptimes.com/2002/03/08/State/Bush_visit_marks_retu.shtml )
Several lawmakers who voted against 1977's gay adoption ban in Florida are now working to get the ban reversed. ( http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-locadoption08030802 mar08.story?coll=orl%2Dhome%2Dheadlines )
Rep. John Conyers visits Miami today to discuss police brutality.
( http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/2815653.htm)
Texas
USA Today takes its turn previewing the Texas Democratic gubernatorial and Senate primaries coming up on Tuesday, and the certainty that Democrats will have at least an Hispanic nominee for governor, if not for both offices. "Privately, Texas Republicans acknowledge that they would have liked a Hispanic candidate on the ticket."
( http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/03/08/usat-texas.htm )
You won't see too many polls in Texas these days. Campaigns wanting to gauge support will look to the depth of early voting, which ends today.
The Houston Chronicle surveys the statewide trends so far.
( http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/politics/1286645 )
New Hampshire
No state's politics have been dominated for so long and so much by a school funding crisis as has the Granite State. In the latest chapter, the New Hampshire House voted yesterday to repeal the somewhat unpopular state education property tax, which is used, in part, to equalize education funding throughout the state. It now goes to the state Senate, which probably will pass it, and then to Senate candidate and Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, setting up a political dilemma for her.
( http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_show.html?article=9419 )
Massachusetts
Both acting Gov. Jane Swift and would-be primary challenger Mitt Romney have sent letters in efforts to gin up support for their candidacies — even though Romney still isn't saying that he will challenge Swift, and Swift sent her letters to Republican state legislators, not all of whom are necessarily in her camp. "Romney reiterated that he would not make a final decision on whether to challenge Acting Governor Jane Swift for the Republican primary until March 16, when his duties as CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee end."
( http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/067/metro/ Swift_asks_GOP_ranks_to_speak_up_for_her+.shtml )
Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, former Democratic National Committee co-chairman Steve Grossman is campaigning as an outsider.
( http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/067/metro/Inside_outside+.shtml )
Campaign Finance Legislation/Election Reform
Even though a compromise hasn't yet been announced on election reform, Republican Senator Kit Bond is declaring victory, enthused that Democrats appear to have accepted nearly all of the anti-fraud provisions he wanted in the bill. ( http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/2806753.htm )
Legislative Agenda
We still think the votes on Enron-generated new regulations on business could be the key legislative moments (along with the budget) setting the terms of the 2002 elections. The The Wall Street Journal has a must-read piece today making it clear that Big Business is going to make Republican members of Congress choose between passing legislation or adhering to their conception of free-market principles.
"Business groups are hardening their position on pension overhaul, forcefully opposing all but tiny changes to existing rules … Given this year's short congressional session, businesses could thus delay the process — and with it any changes to pension law that are being pushed in the aftermath of the Enron Corp. collapse."
Are they checking by skulking around parking garages? The The Wall Street Journal says that "[w]ith White House blessing, Republicans are checking vehicles of Democrats supporting higher fuel-efficiency rules; they'll publicize gas-guzzlers."
"A group of national and state health organizations filed suit Thursday in a last-ditch effort to stop federal officials from cutting Medicaid reimbursement rates later this month," the Los Angeles Times reports. "They are asking the U.S. District Court in Little Rock, Ark., to issue an injunction preventing HHS from implementing the rule change on the grounds that the agency failed to follow proper procedures … In addition to leading national health organizations, the lawsuit is backed by hospitals and hospital organizations in California, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas and New York. The suit was filed in Arkansas because hospitals there would be particularly hard hit by the move."
( http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-000017320mar08.story? coll=la%2Dnews%2Da%5Fsection )
Bush Administration Strategy/Personality
Suspend your disbelief and read about "[a]n acerbic, confidential memorandum written to senior White House officials by Mitchell E. Daniels Jr., President Bush's budget director" about his "anger with Mike Parker, the head of the Army Corps of Engineers who was forced to resign this week after he opposed White House budget cuts for his agency." ( http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/08/politics/08CORP.html )
"[A] memo obtained by The Washington Post showed that Mitchell E. Daniels Jr., director of the Office of Management and Budget, had complained bitterly to the White House last week about Parker's public nonsupport of the Bush budget. Daniels, whose aides had said he had no role in Parker's forced resignation Wednesday, wrote that at a recent hearing, Parker, Corps commander Robert B. Flowers and Senator Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) had 'reached convivial agreement that the president's budget is unacceptable and probably just a cynical ploy on our part.'"
( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58072-2002Mar7.html )
Put those electoral votes back in play (in theory, anyway), after reading this quote from the New York Times account of the president's love-fest with the Empire State delegation yesterday at which the president re-pledged support for delivering some version of the promised $20 billion to the city: "One Congressional Democrat from New York put it this way: 'The event looked like a Bush re-election campaign commercial. Democrats were reading off White House talking points and singing his praises. But one question remains in the rush to claim victory: Did New York City get all its money or didn't it?'"
( http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/08/politics/08AID.html )
The tabloids overflow with love for 43, with the Daily News making an historical self-reference with its "Bush to City: Come & Get It" headline.
And you will LOVE the photo of POTUS and FFLOTUS in the New York Post (though Hillary-haters will prefer the photo of her on page 29 of the hard copy with the John Podhoretz column).
( http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/43027.htm )
The Los Angeles Times previews tonight's Austin debut of former NBC News producer (and self-avowed liberal) Alexandra Pelosi's documentary about the Bush campaign. The story refers just twice to Pelosi's purple clothes, and gets into the whole contretemps over whether Pelosi violated an "off the record" agreement with the campaign by using her camcorder footage for something beyond "personal use."
Those following this story closely will find these Pelosi quotes interesting: "'This is my personal use,' she snaps, 'It's my movie … What did they think this was for, the Pelosi family archives? I was a TV producer there with a camera rolling in Bush's face. It's hard to believe he didn't know I was making a movie.'" (Hard, Ms. Pelosi, but not impossible … )
"'I'm surprised no one came pounding on my door. You would think him being the leader of the free world and NBC being (owned by) GE, somebody would have asked what the hell I was up to. But no one did," she said gleefully.'"
The AP also has a write up of the Pelosi film.
( http://story.news.yahoo.com/news ?tmpl=story&cid=529&u=/ap/20020307/ap_en_mo/bush_movie_3 )
The Washington Post 's Kamen reports on a new Brookings Institution study showing that the Bush Administration is "'poised to become the slowest on record' to fill top government jobs. "Strange as it may seem, it has actually taken the Bush team longer to get top department appointees in place than it took the much-maligned Clinton personnel operation," though given Florida, they still deserve to be cut some slack.
( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58269-2002Mar7.html )
Enron/Global Crossing
The White House is supporting Army Secretary White, while the Democratic National Committee trashes him but, interestingly, doesn't call for his ouster or resignation. Could have something to do with the item below …
( http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/08/business/08WHIT.html )
The Washington Post 's Edsall reports on how, despite the seemingly made-to-order rebuke to Democrats' accusation on Enron, "the GOP has been largely silent on Democrats and Global Crossing. Republicans have quietly supplied some 'background papers' detailing [Democratic National Committee chairman Terry] McAuliffe's involvement with the company. Absent, however, are the aggressive criticisms parallel to Democratic attacks on the Republican Party and the Bush administration for their Enron connections."
( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57871-2002Mar7.html )
"One key reason for Republican reluctance to hit Democrats harder on Global Crossing, according to GOP operatives, involves the president's father, former president George H. W. Bush. In 1998, the senior Bush received Global Crossing stock instead of $80,000 in cash for a company-sponsored speech in Tokyo. Bush subsequently sold his stock for $4.45 million, Business Week reported."
"A second problem for the GOP is that Global Crossing's co-chairman, Lodwrick M. Cook, is a friend of the senior Bush and one of the most prominent Republican donors of the past two decades."
"'Our problem with Global is that we don't have a clean shot,' one Republican operative said. 'We have our own problems there.'" Now that's a good blind quote.
Media
Can anyone tell us either 1) where Neal Travis is, and/or 2) what the heck Cindy Adams' lead item means, and is it connected to the accompanying photo?
-- 9:15 am, Senate considers stimulus and energy bills
-- 10:00 am, First Lady Laura Bush attends and speaks at United Nations' commemoration of International Women's Day, NYC -- 10:30 am, bipartisan group of Senators and industry executives talk about energy security
-- 10:40 am, President Bush takes part in a roundtable on corporate responsibility, followed by remarks on the same topic, St. Petersburg, FL
-- 11:00 am, Human Rights Campaign kicks off 2002 political priorities campaign, Monarch Hotel, DC
-- 11:30 am, EMILY's List kicks off 2002 election campaign, with speeches by Senate Majority Leader Daschle and House Minority Whip Pelosi, Washington Hilton, DC
-- 12:30 pm, State Department briefing
-- 1:25 pm, President Bush headlines fundraiser for the Florida Republican Party, St. Petersburg, FL
-- 1:30 pm, homeland security chief Ridge addreses local emergency personnel and civic leaders to discuss first responders, followed by a media availability, Faneuil Hall, Boston
-- 4:25 pm, President Bush arrives back at the White House
-- 10:00 pm, Rudy Giuliani receives the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award, Los Angeles
Saturday 3/9:
-- House Minority Leader Gephardt keynotes Arizona Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, The Biltmore, Phoenix
-- Democratic Senate campaign committee chair Patty Murray headlines Montana Democrats' Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner and a fundraiser for Sen. Max Baucus, Helena
-- Gridiron Dinner
Saturday 3/9:
-- House Minority Leader Gephardt keynotes Arizona Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, The Biltmore, Phoenix
-- Democratic Senate campaign committee chair Patty Murray headlines Montana Democrats' Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner and a fundraiser for Sen. Max Baucus, Helena
-- Gridiron Dinner
Monday 3/11:
-- former President Clinton headlines $1 million Democratic House campaign committee fundraiser, NYC
-- Senator Clinton speaks at Harvard's Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA
-- Southern New Hampshire University sponsors a 50th anniversary party for the state's first-in-the-nation primary
Tuesday 3/12:
-- Al Gore headlines fundraiser for Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, DC
-- Democratic House campaign committee fundraiser, DC
-- Texas primary (Democratic primaries for Senate and governor)
-- President Bush meets with Uzbekistan President Islom Karimov
Wednesday 3/13:
-- Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern visits Washington
-- former President Clinton gives speech at Tufts University, Boston
-- US Chamber of Commerce releases 2002 voting scorecard
-- March 14: "Winning Strategies" PAC fundraiser with James Carville and Sen. Tom Harkin, DC
-- March 15: Minnesota lobbying disclosure forms due
-- March 16: Vermont Governor Howard Dean keynotes Human Rights Campaign dinner, Nashville
-- March 16: Haley Barbour attends fundraiser for GOP Senate candidate John Cooksey, New Orleans
-- March 17: Senator Lieberman speaks to Merrimack County, N.H., Democrats' St. Patrick's Day dinner
-- March 19: Illinois primary (Democratic and Republican primaries for governor)
-- March 20: Vermont Gov. Howard Dean addresses National Stonewall Democrats dinner, DC
-- March 21: Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Dinner
-- March 22: Tennessee personal interest disclosure forms due
-- March 22: President Bush travels to Monterey, Mexico for International Conference on Financing for Development
-- March 23: President Bush travels to Lima, Peru
-- March 23: Florida AFL-CIO endorsement convention
-- March 24: President Bush travels to San Salvador, El Salvador
-- March 24: Democratic Gov. Howard Dean of Vermont keynotes Manchester, N.H., Democrats' pre-parade St. Patrick's breakfast
-- March 25: President Bush meets with Prime Minister Anders F. Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark
-- March 26: New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark visits Washington
-- March 28: President Bush attends fundraising events in Dallas
-- March 31: first-quarter Federal Election Commission disclosure report period closes
-- April 8: Vermont Gov. Howard Dean keynotes California League of Conservation Voters luncheon, San Francisco
-- April 9: Pennsylvania pre-primary financial disclosure forms due
-- April 10: Florida quarterly campaign finance reports due
-- April 11: Tennessee quarterly campaign finance reports due
-- April 12-14: Florida Democratic Party convention, Orlando
-- April 12: applications to host 2004 Democratic National Convention are due
-- April 12: New York's Republican Gov. George Pataki headlines New Hampshire Republican Party fund-raiser, Manchester, N.H.
-- April 15: tax day; deadline for first-quarter FEC financial disclosure forms
-- April 16: tax day in Maine and Massachusetts, and in states whose tax returns are filed through Andover, MA
-- April 17-20: Republican party state chairs meeting, New Orleans
-- April 25: Ohio pre-election financial disclosure forms due
-- April 26-28: National Rifle Association annual meeting, Las Vegas
-- May 3: Sen. John Kerry keynotes South Carolina Democratic Party Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, Columbia, SC
-- May 4: Sen. John Edwards addresses South Carolina Democratic convention, Columbia, SC
-- May 3-5: Former Vice President Gore and Tipper Gore appear at BookExpo America to tout their forthcoming book, Jacob Javits Center, New York
-- May 5: AFL-CIO meeting, New York
-- May 4: Kentucky Derby, with politicians galore in attendance
-- May 4: White House Correspondents' Dinner
-- May 7: North Carolina primary (Republican and Democratic primaries for Senate)
-- May 10: Bill Clinton appears at Natural Resources Defense Council fundraiser with Steve Martin and more, Los Angeles
-- May 21: Pennsylvania primary (Democratic primary for governor)
-- May 22-23: New York Democratic party convention, Sheraton New York, NYC
-- May 28: South Dakota pre-primary financial disclosure forms due
-- June 1: New Hampshire Democratic Party State Convention
-- July 9-12: Northwest Regional Election Conference, Portland, Oregon
-- July 15: New York periodic disclosure forms due
-- Aug. 6: Michigan primary (Democratic primary for governor)
-- Aug 26: Jury selection begins in John Walker Lindh trial
-- Sept. 10: Florida, New Hampshire, and New York primaries (Florida: Democratic primary for governor; New Hampshire: Republican primary for Senate and primaries on both sides for governor; New York: Democratic primary for governor)
-- Sept. 17: Massachusetts primary (Democratic primary for governor)
-- Sept. 30: Jury selection begins for trial of Zacarias Moussaoui
-- Oct. 15 (tentative): Zacarias Moussaoui trial begins
-- Nov. 5: Election Day
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