Home > Window on Washington > Archives > 2007 > May
May 2007
DeLay Says Conservatives ‘Suck’ as Communicators
Former House Republican Leader Tom DeLay lavished praise and a touch of envy Thursday for the “impressive” grassroots coalitions, voter outreach and coordinated media strategies assembled by Democrats and liberals.
Speaking of fellow conservative Republicans, the hard-charging Texas partisan said the movement was bereft of ideas and organization.
What’s more, “As communicators, we suck,” said DeLay, who resigned from Congress amid ethics controversies just months before his party lost the House and Senate majorities in the 2006 elections.
DeLay touted his new book “No Retreat, No Surrender” and his efforts to spark a conservative coalition at a conference run by “Campaign & Elections” magazine. He predicted that unless conservatives “get their act together” soon, the next president will be Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Permalink | |
Crawford vs. Kennebunkport
President Bush loves Crawford, Texas, any time of the year.
His spokesman Tony Snow, not so much.
Q-and-A today concerning Bush’s upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin:
Q: Tony, why is the president inviting Putin to Kennebunkport rather than Crawford? And will Bush 41 talk with Putin about problems between the two countries? What is the relationship with Putin?
SNOW: Well, first, his relationship is personally good. It is honest, and they understand that the countries have differences.
The answer to your first question is if somebody asked you where would you rather be in July of 2007, Crawford or Kennebunkport, alright?
Permalink | |
Hot Air
“Some significant news” on global warming, is what spokesman Tony Snow promised in today’s pre-G8 summit speech by President Bush.
The news? Meetings.
“The United States takes this issue seriously,” Bush said in a Washington speech. “The new initiative I am outlining today will contribute to the important dialogue that will take place in Germany next week.”
The mission is to set “a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases.” The deadline is “by the end of next year.”
And that means meetings.
“To help develop this goal, the United States would convene a series of meetings of nations that produced most greenhouse gas emissions, including nations with rapidly growing economies like India and China,” Bush said.
Permalink | |
Vlad and W
In addition to whatever time they have together at next week’s G8 meetings in Germany, President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin are planning on some quality time together in Maine.
The White House announced today the two presidents will meet in Kennebunkport July 1-2.
The usual wide-range of topics will be on the schedule, according to White House spokesman Tony Snow.
Permalink | |
World Banker Revealed
On Wednesday morning at 11:05 in the Roosevelt Room, President Bush will announce his selection of Robert Zoellick, a former deputy secretary of state, as his pick to replace Paul Wolfowitz as president of the World Bank.
A senior administration official confirmed the selection late Tuesday night.
Bush will emphasize Zoellick’s experience in international trade (he also has served as the U.S. Trade Representative) and diplomacy. Look for Bush to say Zoellick is uniquely prepared to take on the new challenge at the head of the financial institution that fights world poverty.
“We have received positive reaction from other countries,” the senior administration official said.
The Wolfowitz resignation is effective June 30. He resigned under international pressure caused by findings that he broke bank rules by arranging a pay raise for his girlfriend Shaha Riza, a bank employee.
The appointment is subject to approval of the bank’s 24-member board. The bank’s directors, with no mention of Zoellick, said in a Tuesday evening statement that the next president must have a proven record of leadership, experience managing large international organizations, a commitment to development, an appreciation of “multilateral cooperation” and “political objectivity and independence.”
The directors also noted that any of its members can nominate a potential president.
Zoellick left the State Department last year and now is an executive with Goldman Sachs, a Wall Street powerhouse.
Permalink | |
World Banker
Stand by for announcement of the new president of the World Bank.
“I think we’re getting pretty close,” White House spokesman Tony Snow said today aboard Air Force One as President Bush headed to Georgia for an immigration event.
This week?
“Likely, yes,” says Snow.
Today?
“Don’t expect a formal announcement out of the White House today, no,” says Snow.
How about a leak?
“Not on the back of Air Force One, thank you very much,” says Snow.
So look for a leak perhaps later today at another venue.
Smart money seems to be on Robert Zoellick, a former deputy secretary of state. Robert Kimmitt, now a deputy treasury secretary, also has been mentioned.
The appointee will replace Paul Wolfowitz, who resigned, effective June 30, as a result of an ethics scandal involving his girlfriend’s job at the World Bank.
Permalink | |
Rudy’s Money Team
President Bush awarded the terms “pioneers” and “rangers” to his top fund-raisers. GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, a New York Yankee fan, is going with baseball nomenclature.
Here’s the line-up for what he calls his “All-American Team”:
If you agree to raise $25,000, you’re an All-American Pitcher. At the $50,000 level you’re an All-American Slugger. At $100,000, the title is All-American All Star. At $200,000, the title is All-American MVP. The top category, for those who collect at least $1 million, is All-American Team Captain.
National chairman of the effort is Dallas investment executive Bryan Pickens.
Donald Trump is listed as one of 20 team leaders.
Permalink | |
Secret Hold Redux?
Advocates for transparency are asking the senator from TOP SECRET to lift his or her SECRET hold on yet another piece of open government legislation.
Yes, it has happened again for all of you who remember Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, putting a hold on making earmarks public last fall.
This time it is with legislation that promises to overhaul the 41-year-old Freedom of Information Act so that it is easier for you, the public, to learn more about your government without the notorious delays from Washington bureaucrats.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., reports that an unnamed senator has secretly invoked a parliamentary maneuver to keep the bill from hitting the floor in the Senate before the Memorial Day recess.
The measure, introduced by Leahy and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has already cleared the House and the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“It is both unfortunate and ironic that this bipartisan bill, which promotes sunshine and openness in our government, is being hindered by a secret and anonymous hold,” Leahy said.
“This is a good government bill that Democrats and Republicans alike, can and should work together to enact,” he said.
The delay is frustrating to open government advocates who pressed the last Congress to enact the measure.
“This bi-partisan good government bill needs to move to the floor,” said Patrice McDermott, executive director of OpenTheGovernment.org, an umbrella organization of more than 60 conservative and liberal groups concerned about government secrecy. ” It has been thoroughly discussed for two years; it is time to move forward. The American public deserves a Freedom of Information Act that works for them.”
Rick Blum, coordinator of Sunshine in Government Initiative, agreed.
“The hold is disappointing given this bill has broad support, and is gaining supporters as we speak,” Blum said. “We urge quick Senate action.”
The Cornyn-Leahy bill would:
-Restore meaningful deadlines for agency action under FOIA
-Impose real consequences on federal agencies for missing statutory deadlines
-Clarify that FOIA applies to agency records held by outside private contractors
-Establish a FOIA hotline service for all federal agencies
-Create a FOIA ombudsman as an alternative to costly litigation.
“I hope that the senator placing the secret hold on this bill will come forward, so that we can resolve any legitimate concerns, and the full Senate can promptly act on this legislation,” Leahy said.
Incoming!
The video shows the impact was at precisely 11:27:04 a.m. EDT during President Bush’s Rose Garden news conference. The topic at the moment was Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and his ongoing problems.
Sixteen seconds later, after taking a drink of water, Bush responded, taking about five wipes at the droppings deposited on his left sleeve by a passing sparrow.
Mission mostly accomplished, though there appeared to be some mopping up left to do.
To view the action, courtesy of ABC News, click here
Lock Up The Kids
Twice during his Rose Garden news conference today, President Bush told individual reporters that al-Qaeda is a danger to their children.
“They are a threat to your children,” the president told NBC’s David Gregory, father of three. “And whoever’s in that Oval Office better understand it and take measures necessary to protect the American people.”
A few minutes later:
“I would hope our world hadn’t become so cynical that they don’t take the threats of al-Qaeda seriously, because they’re real. And it’s a danger to the American people. It’s a danger to your children, Jim, and it’s really important that we do all we can to bring them to justice,” Bush told the New York Times Jim Rutenberg, father of none, so far.
Permalink | |
Republicans Hope You’ll Click, Laugh, and Share Net Ads
In the minority on Capitol Hill and deep in debt, Republicans are fighting back online. The National Republican Campaign Committee has just launched a series of edgy Web video ads that they hope you’ll want to click on just for the entertainment value.
The YouTube entries, all aimed at freshmen Democrats in the House, include this video spoof of former rock muscian turned New York congressman John Hall:
Among others targeted is Houston Democrat Rep. Nick Lampson:
Permalink | |
Speechifying 101
Want to write presidential commencement speeches? We’ve cracked the Bush White House formula.
The speech must include local jokes/local references to make the president look cool and self-deprecating lines about what a poor student the president was.
To see how the White House handled it this year, click Continue Reading.
Coast Guard Academy today (see AP photo above):
Local reference: “I see a few ‘RCF Warriors’ out there. Some of you earned demerits for failing to correct your storage. Others got caught crawling under the fence on your way to Connecticut College.”
Bush also noted that the 228 graduates “survived R-Day, Swab Summer and Friday morning drill practice with a kind and gentle soul, Chief Dillmann. You learned to brace up, do orderlies, square meals and eat hamsters with your eyes in the boat.”
Self-deprecation: Discussed the academy’s Square Root Club, “an association of students whose GPA is so low that when you take its square root, it grows larger. Unfortunately, they didn’t have that club where I went to college. Perhaps you’ll make me an honorary member.”
St. Vincent College, May 11:
Local reference: “You’re the first class to take a mandatory course in microwaving, a requirement that was imposed after you set off a record number of fire alarms while you were trying to make popcorn. You cheered the Bearcats with the Carey Crazies. You walked through the lighted arches of Melvin Platz.”
Self-deprecation: Said that Jim Towey, the school president, wanted him to speak because “every member of the Class of 2007 will leave this campus with a priceless lesson about the importance of the English language. At least he didn’t say, ‘I’m proud to welcome to the podium a man, the first president for whom English was a second language.’”
Miami-Dade College, April 28
Deft combination of local reference and self-deprecation: “This afternoon, some of you are graduating with high honors, and I congratulate you. That’s something I never experienced. Of course, today I have done something that most of you have never experienced: I made it to campus with absolutely no traffic. And I found a nice parking spot.”
Permalink | |
Monica Goodling Appears
The cameras were ready. The photographers scooted and nudged for just the right spot. They waited.
Finally, Monica Goodling walked in the room to a symphony of shutters. She walked as erect as a queen.
Her long blond hair was well groomed, her black suit just somber enough for the occasion of testifying before the House Judiciary Committee about her role in the questionable firings of nine U.S. attorneys last year.
For 17 minutes, Goodling sat alone at the long brown government issue table while the cameras marked her every move.
Committee chair Conyers was so frustrated by the number of cameras that he ordered them removed. And the show began.
“If we cannot trust the Department of Justice to fairly and impartially enforce our nation’s laws … then we will have suffered the loss of one of our nation’s most fundamental principles — the rule of law,” said Conyers.
And as promised, Goodling delivered.
Her testimony began by refuting everything that Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty testified.
Goodling took issue with McNulty’s allegation that she withheld information from him causing him to give incomplete information to Congress.
“That allegation is false,” Goodling said. “I did not withhold information from the deputy.
To the contrary, I worked diligently to compile and provide the deputy with dozens of pages of statistics and other information.”
Goodling admitted that she “crossed the line” in asking party affiliation before hiring career prosecutors.
“I don’t believe I intended to commit a crime,” Goodling said under questioning by Rep. Bobby Scott, R-Va. “I know I crossed the line of civil service rules. I didn’t mean to.”
Permalink | |
Thunderbird Fly-Over
 |
| Photo by Rick McKay |
The Thunderbirds, the U.S. Air Force’s precision flying team, fly in formation past the Pentagon and the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Va. The Thunderbirds were in town over the weekend performing in an airshow at nearby Andrews Air Force Base.
Permalink | |
Buckled-Up Bush?
Seems like The Decider sometimes decides it’s OK to drive without wearing a seat belt.
The White House photo above shows President Bush (with hat, without seat belt) behind the wheel (and apparently drinking while driving) on his ranch in August 2002. Several photos from this past weekend showed Bush, again apparently sans seat belt, behind the wheel as he chauffered NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on the ranch tour.
Is there a reason the president eschews the seat belt in the truck?
“I didn’t ask,” said spokesman Tony Snow.
Does he wear one in the presidential limo?
“I don’t know,” said Snow.
Does the Secret Service require him to? Is it his decision?
“Oh my goodness,” said Snow, “I don’t know, and we don’t talk about Secret Service” procedures.
“Frankly, the Secret Service will not tell you protocols about anything, for obvious security reasons,” he said, adding later that the Secret Service “is absolutely determined to ensure (Bush’s) safety in every way possible.”
Check with the Secret Service, Snow suggested. We did, and await a response.
And for accuracy’s sake it should be noted that Bush, when driving his truck on his private property, is not subject to Texas laws concerning seat-belt use on public roads.
But Mr. President, what about the example you are setting for the youth of America?
Later Tuesday, the second day of Click It or Ticket week during which law enforcement officials aggressively enforce seat belt laws, Snow offered this when asked again about Bush’s seat belt usage:
“Well, it’s always important to wear seat belts, especially when driving slowly on the ranch. … We encourage everybody to wear their seat belts.”
Permalink | |
The Sit Room
It’s officially known as The Situation Room but if you are cool and important you call it The Sit Room.
It’s been subjected to a massive remodeling and formally was opened last Friday in a ribbon-cutting ceremony presided over by President Bush.
And now, thanks to whitehouse.gov, we have video showing you the new Sit Room. Take a look and see your tax dollars at work.
The video is hosted by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Hagin, who is proud of the facility’s ability to show 32 remote locations on the array of video screens. It is, Hagin tells us, “a state-of-the-art, 21st-century facility to monitor the world.”
It will be a great asset, he says, “for President Bush and whoever succeeds him as president.”
Permalink | |
Cabinet Goes Comedy
Having pretty much failed with every other attempt to move poll numbers in its direction, the Bush administration is dispatching one of its minions to the late-night place that has become a leading source of news for many Americans.
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings on Tuesday will become the first member of the Bush cabinet to appear on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”
Tune in at 11 p.m. EDT to see what the secretary will say and which, if any, eyeglasses she will choose from her collection. (Late update: Word from the department is it will be orange-framed glasses in a nod to the University of Texas. Somewhat curious in light of Ms. Spellings’ degree from the University of Houston.)
Ms. Spellings is not camera-shy. The Department of Education home page (ed.gov) includes five photos of the secretary.
Permalink | |
Richardson To Announce Presidential Candidacy
You may not have noticed but Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico hasn’t officially announced yet that he is running for president.
You may not have noticed because Richardson has been busy running for president.
But on Monday, he will make it official with an announcement that he is a candidate for the Democratic nomination.
The announcement will not be made in his home town or in his home state but in Los Angeles, California.
He will make the announcement at 10 a.m. (Pacific Daylight Time) at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, which was once home to the Academy Awards.
In his announcement, Richardson is expected to emphasize his lengthy political resume rather than his Hispanic heritage.
“We need experienced leadership now more than ever,” he said in a statement Sunday.
In addition to being a governor, Richardson has served in Congress, as United Nations ambassador and as Energy secretary in Bill Clinton’s cabinet.
Permalink | |
Standing By His Man
Another GOP senator, Minnesota’s Norm Coleman, is calling for the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
GOP Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is predicting Gonzales will resign.
Not gonna happen, says the White House.
Spokesman Tony Fratto, acknowledging this has been “a difficult period” for Gonzales, said “the attorney general is sticking to his job” and has President Bush’s full support.
And Fratto is not impressed with Democratic leaders plan to push for a no-confidence vote to signal Senate support for Gonzales’ ouster.
“It adds up to the bottomless bag of tricks Democrats in the Senate like to pull out on a weekly basis regarding the attorney general,” Fratto told reporters.
And what if the Senate actually approved a no-confidence motion?
“We would consider it to be just another political stunt,” Fratto said.
Isn’t it important for an attorney general to have the confidence of the confirming chamber of Congress?
“It’s important for any public official to have as much confidence as he can garner and that’s going to ebb and flow,” Fratto said. “But it’s not going to ebb and flow with this president and this attorney general.”
Of the decreasing GOP support for Gonzales, Fratto said, “We understand there are senators who have different views.”
Permalink | |
Senators Seek Vote of No-Confidence on Gonzales
Top Democrats want the Senate to cast a “no-confidence” vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as soon as possible for failing to tell Congress the truth about a terrorist surveillance program and the extent of a plan to fire U.S. attorneys last year.
Sens. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., say Gonzales has no business being the nation’s chief law enforcement officer after learning earlier this week that he sought authorization for a terrorist surveillance program that the Justice Department determined was illegal.
“The attorney general has shown a lack of leadership and a contempt for the rule of law that is unparalleled for someone in his position,” Schumer said. “For the good of the Justice Department and the good of the country, it is time he step down.”
The Justice Department responded to the vote of no-confidence with this statement from spokesperson Dean Boyd:
“In the last two years, under Attorney General Gonzales, the Department has achieved significant success through his leadership in key priority areas. He has set the bar for rooting out public corruption through a record number of public integrity prosecutions, including several high profile cases. He has enhanced the security of our nation by leading the department in the creation of the National Security Division and prioritized the protection of children by increasing federal prosecutions of sex offenders. Furthermore, the attorney general has led the department to record conviction levels in immigration prosecutions; focused federal resources on combating human trafficking; and prioritized the safety of our communities by dedicating additional resources to combating gang violence across the nation.”
Boyd went on to say:
“As the Justice Department works to ensure Congress has all the information it needs, the attorney general remains focused on doing the job that the American people expect like keeping the country safe from terrorism, our neighborhoods safe from violent crime and gangs, and our children safe from predators and pedophiles.”
On March 10, 2004, Gonzales, then White House counsel, tried to convince Attorney General John Ashcroft to approve the secret warrantless surveillance program as he lay ill in a hospital intensive care unit.
Former Deputy Attorney General James Comey testified earlier this week that Gonzales was trying to bypass his authority as acting attorney general and to overrule career Justice lawyers who found the program “lacked adequate legal basis.”
The senators are upset because Gonzales testified last year before the Senate Judiciary Committee that there was no objections to the program within the Justice Department.
The reality? Comey, FBI Director Robert Mueller and several other high level Justice Department officials were poised to resign over the fact that the White House, at Gonzales’ urging, was continuing a program that Justice found illegal.
In addition, news reports today reveal that 26 U.S. attorneys were considered for termination over a two-year process. That is three times the number that Gonzales previously testified were under consideration for dismissal.
“We need an attorney general who is a prosecutor, not a puppet,” Schumer said. “A vote of no confidence will express that sentiment and send a powerful message to the White House that Congress does have a stake in these matters.”
Feinstein agreed.
“I join with Senator Schumer in saying that I think the time has come for the Senate to express its view - that we simply lack confidence in this attorney general,” she said.
“I very much regret saying this. I want to say exactly the opposite. But in view of what I know, I can’t. Whether it was the torture memo, whether it’s Guantanamo, whether it’s Geneva Convention, whether it’s U.S. attorneys, whether it’s: ‘I don’t know, I don’t recall,’ I have a significant loss of confidence in Attorney General Gonzales,” said Feinstein. “Simply put, I don’t think the American people are well-served by this Attorney General.”
Permalink | |
The Face Behind The Voice
That’s Ann Wright and her megaphone. The two of them combined today to make Wright the rare protester outside the White House who gets noticed by people on the other side of the fence.
“And you know,” British Prime Minister Tony Blair said during a Rose Garden news conference with President Bush, “we can hear as we speak at this press conference - I mean, I can’t make out the words that they’re shouting over there, but I bet they’re not totally complimentary to either of us.”
“Wait a minute,” Bush said. “I don’t know about that.”
Blair was correct. Wright believes Bush and Blair are war criminals.
She was most pleased that Blair acknowledged her presence, which came just after she was at the World Bank screaming for Paul Wolfowitz’ resignation and just before she planned to head to the Justice Department to scream for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ resignation.
All in all, a busy day.
Permalink | |
Open Government Groups Push FOIA Overhaul
Unlike years past, efforts to overhaul the much beleaguered Freedom of Information Act are gaining real traction on Capitol Hill.
More than 100 organizations sent a letter today to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to make sure the momentum doesn’t dwindle.
The groups urge swift passage of a measure that would give the 41-year-old law more teeth.
“The public’s confidence in the executive branch has reached a dramatic low point,” the open government groups write in the letter to the Senate leadership.
“The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is the public’s most significant tool for ensuring integrity and accountability from the federal government,” open government groups wrote. “Unfortunately, FOIA’s promise of ensuring an open and accountable government has been seriously undermined by the excessive processing delays that FOIA requesters face across the government.”
The proposed bill, sponsored by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., would help “restore public faith in government and to advance the ideals of openness that our democracy embodies.”
The measure, known as the Open Government Bill, would reduce delays in releasing government records requested under FOIA by creating incentives for public officials to comply with the law.
The House approved a companion measure earlier this year. The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed the bill in April, but it has yet to make it to the floor.
The OPEN Government Act would: • Close loopholes in FOIA • Help the public get timely responses to FOIA requests • Improve agency accountability and require better management of FOIA programs.
The groups signing the letter include:
Alliance for Justice America Association of Law Libraries American Association of Small Property Owners American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) American Families United American Library Association Animal Welfare Institute ASPCA Assassination Archives and Research Center Association of American Publishers Bill of Rights Defense Committee Biodiversity Conservation Alliance Blancett Ranches, Aztec, NM Californians Aware Californians for Western Wilderness Center for Democracy and Technology Center for Energy Research Center for National Security Studies Citizen Action New Mexico Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Common Cause Community Recovery Services Conservation Congress Doctors for Open Government DownsizeDC.org, Inc. The E-Accountability Foundation/Parentadvocates.org Electronic Frontier Foundation Environmental Defense Institute Environmental Integrity Project Ethics in Government Group Fernald Residents for Environmental Safety & Health, Inc. Florida First Amendment Foundation Forest Guardians Friends Committee on National Legislation Friends of Animals Friends of the Wild Swan Georgia ForestWatch Georgians for Open Government Government Accountability Project Great Basin Mine Watch Gun Owners of America HALT, Inc The Health Integrity Project HEAL Utah The Humane Society of the United States Idaho Sporting Congress, Inc. Indiana Coalition for Open Government The James Madison Project Law Librarian Association of Greater New York Law Librarians Association of Wisconsin League of Women Voters of the U.S. Liberty Coalition Los Alamos Study Group Maine Association of Broadcasters Mine Safety and Health News The Multiracial Activist National Coalition Against Censorship National Freedom of Information Coalition National Security Archive National Taxpayers Union National Treasury Employees Union National Whistleblower Center Natural Resources Defense Council The New Grady Coalition No FEAR Coalition Northern California Association of Law Libraries Northwest Environmental Advocates Nuclear Watch New Mexico Okanogan Highlands Bottling Company OMB Watch Open Society Policy Center OpenTheGovernment.org Oregon Natural Desert Association Oregon PeaceWorks Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Inc. People For the American Way Project On Government Oversight Public Citizen ReadtheBill.org Education Fund Republican Liberty Caucus Reynolds, Motl & Sherwood, PLLP The Rutherford Institute Sagebrush Sea Campaign Semmelweis Society International Snake River Alliance Society of American Archivists Society of Professional Journalists Southern California Association of Law Libraries Southwest Research and Information Center The Student Health Integrity Project Tax Analysts Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment) Union of Concerned Scientists VA Whistleblowers Coalition Western Environmental Law Center Western Lands Project Western Resource Advocates The Wilderness Society Wild Wilderness Wilderness Workshop
Permalink | |
Empire State Building Goes Yellow for Lance & LIVESTRONG
Seven-time Tour de France champion and a testicular cancer survivor Lance Armstrong pushed Congress Wednesday to increase funding for early cancer detection and care.
Play Lance’s speech:
The visit marked annual LIVESTRONG day. It coincided with the introduction of the Cancer Screening, Treatment, and Survivorship Act of 2007, which was sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. Harkin lost four of his five siblings to cancer.
“The disease is the number one killer in this country under the age of 85 - 600,000 Americans lose their lives to the disease and a full third of them never needed to die,” Armstrong said to more than 200 yellow-braceleted cancer survivors, who are part of Armstrong’s nationwide “LIVESTRONG” army.
The Livestrong members, who are also cancer survivors, spent the day meeting with lawmakers to stir up support for Harkin’s bill. Later Wednesday evening, the Empire State Building will be lit yellow to mark LIVESTRONG day.
Over the years, Harkin and Armstrong have forged a friendship over their common interests in biking and fighting cancer. And in good news for cyclists, Armstrong is going to participate in RAG-BRAI again — this time for the whole seven days.
“For years I was in D.C. working on this issue - and every year, I didn’t know what (Harkin) was talking about. He said, ‘You have to come to RAG-BRAI!’ The first couple of years I am like, ‘sure sure sure … whatever.’ RAG-BRAI is actually the biggest annual bike ride in this country. Last year we went and participated for three days and this year we’re going back for the full seven.”
Armstrong formed LIVESTRONG in 1997, a year after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that spread to his brain.
Wednesday’s event was one of more than 230 across the country held to push cancer awareness, Armstrong said.
White House Sleepover
The queen slept at Blair House. Blair will sleep in the Queen’s Bedroom.
Here’s the deal. When Queen Elizabeth was in Washington last week she stayed at Blair House, the official presidential guest house.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in town for talks with Bush, will stay in the residential section of the White House. Specifically, he will overnight in the Queen’s Bedroom on the second floor. It’s named for the variety of royal guests who have used it.
Snow said Bush and Blair (shown above at a Washington news conference last December) will talk about a variety of topics.
“Certainly the war on terror is going to be a central issue,” says Snow.
The two leaders will hold a White House news conference on Thursday.
FYI, Blair House is named for Francis Preston Blair, who once owned it. That Blair, a newspaperman, was an adviser to President Andrew Jackson.
Permalink | |
Former Clinton Adviser Agrees to Disbarment
Sandy Berger, the Clinton White House national security adviser who was caught stuffing classified documents into his clothing and taking them from the U.S. Archives, has consented to disbarment.
Under an agreement filed in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, Berger agreed to forfeit his law license but avoids cross-examination before the Board on Bar Counsel as well as disclosure of an affidavit detailing his misconduct.
Berger was convicted of illegally removing documents from the Archives in 2005. He was fined $50,000, sentenced to community service and ordered to undergo a polygraph test if requested. The Department of Justice, citing the absence of evidence of further wrongdoing, has declined to ask him to take the test.
Rice Fans Promote Condi For President At GOP Debate
There were 10 Republican presidential candidates on the stage at Tuesday night’s GOP presidential debate in Columbia, S.C., but outside the debate site there was a demonstration promoting an 11th possible candidate.
No, not Fred Thompson. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The “Condi Mobile,” driven by Ohioan Richard Holt, was parked across the street from the entrance of the Koger Center for the Arts, the site of the presidential debate. The RV is decorated with “Condi ‘08” signs.
The movement for Rice to enter the GOP contest “has some steam,” Holt said. Holt heads an Internet-based organization called ThinkCondi.net. He is trying to get the secretary of state into the Republican presidential race even though she has said she is not interested.
Permalink | |
Protests Won’t Let Debate Ignore Iraq And Abortion
Protesters outside the Republican presidential debate site in Columbia, S.C., tried to make sure the GOP presidential candidates would not ignore the pressing issues of Iraq and abortion in the debate Tuesday night. A group called Americans Against Escalation in Iraq and the South Carolina Young Democrats sponsored a 20-foot mobile billboard to circle the Koger Center for the Arts. It read: “Republicans, Mission Accomplished?” and “McCain, Mission Accomplished?” “At a time when Republicans in Congress have begun to split from the president, these candidates must also admit the truth: the mission truly has not been accomplished and it is time for our troops to come home,” said South Carolina Young Democrats organizer Rasha’d Gaines. Activists affiliated with Planned Parenthood also held a rally outside the debate site to promote abortion rights. Virtually all the Republican presidential candidates oppose abortion rights, and the GOP’s platform in the last two presidential campaigns called for a constitutional amendment banning abortions. Texas Congressman Ron Paul, one of the 10 candidates in the debate, also had a special message for his fellow candidates. His campaign activists set up a tent in front of the state capitol with the word “Revolution” on it. But the part of the word reading “evolution” was highlighted, alluding to the first Republican presidential debate in which three candidates said they did not believe in evolution. (Paul does; Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo said they do not.) Paul’s tent was set up in front of the flagpole where the Confederate flag flies on the state capitol grounds. Six years ago, the flag flew on the top of the capitol dome.
Permalink | |
Falwell Death Eclipses GOP Debate Preparation
The death of the Rev. Jerry Falwell temporarily eclipsed preparations for Tuesday night’s Republican presidential debate in Columbia, S.C.
The leading candidates took time out from their last minute debate preparations to praise the evangelical leader for his longtime efforts on behalf of the Republican Party.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who once called Falwell an “agent of intolerance,” was the first Republican presidential hopeful to react to the news of Falwell’s death.
“Dr. Falwell was a man of distinguished accomplishment who devoted his life to serving his faith and country,” McCain said.
Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, who is working overtime to win over evangelical voters in South Carolina, was also quick to react.
Romney, a devout Mormon, said Falwell was “an American who built and led a movement based on strong principles and strong faith.”
He said “the legacy of his important work will continue through his many ministries where he put his faith into action.”
Permalink | |
Cabinet Count
Today’s random statistic: If Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is forced out of office his replacement would become the 29th person to serve under President Bush in the 14 cabinet posts that also existed when Bill Clinton was in the Oval Office.
Coincidentally (or not, if you are the kind of person who tends to see conspiracies), Clinton, in his eight years in office, also appointed 29 people to those 14 posts.
FYI, White House spokesman Tony Snow said today that Monday’s resignation of Paul McNulty, the number two man at the Justice Department, “certainly does not change the way we view the attorney general.”
Ronald Reagan, the other recent two-term president, went through 33 people for the 13 cabinet posts that existed when he was in office. (Secretary of Veterans Affairs was added while Clinton was in office.)
Other cabinet trivia: Labor Secretary Elaine Chao is the only Bush cabinet member who has served since he took office in January 2001.
Clinton had four cabinet members who did the full eight-year gig: Attorney General Janet Reno, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala and Education Secretary Richard Riley.
Permalink | |
How About Biking to the Capitol?
Yes, the White House cares about the high price of a gallon of gas. No, there are no plans to try to save a gallon or two by shrinking the presidential motorcade.
“Let me just say one thing you’re not going to do is you’re not going to stint on safety for the president and people in his entourage for a one-mile trip,” spokesman Tony Snow said, referring to President Bush’s trip to the Capitol today.
Snow did, however, see fit to mention presidential candidates who talk about conservation while using “private jets and large vehicles.”
Permalink | |
Thompson ‘Hasn’t Made His Case’ to Conservatives
Mum’s the word on what Fred Thompson said last Saturday to the super-secret Council for National Policy, a consortium of conservative and religious groups who are looking for a Republican candidate to embrace for 2008.
Veteran leader of the political right Richard Viguerie, who was in the audience, allowed afterwards only that the former Tennessee senator “hasn’t made his case” yet to conservatives looking for someone to walk in the shoes of Ronald Reagan.
“Hopefully, Fred Thompson could be that person,” said Viguerie, who has rejected all of the current GOP presidential lineup as unacceptable. “I’m open to Thompson because the choices are not very exciting to conservatives,” he added.
Permalink | |
Energy Action
President Bush huddled in the Oval Office today with several cabinet secretaries and gave them until the end of 2008 to come up with ways to comply with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision requiring the federal government to regulate motor vehicle emissions.
“This is a complex legal and technical matter and it’s going to take time to fully resolve,” Bush said in a Rose Garden announcement.
The Environmental Protection Agency will work with the energy, transportation and agriculture departments to come up with regulations, Bush said.
The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 April decision, scolded the Bush administration’s inaction on global warming and ruled that greenhouse gases - such as carbon dioxide - are air pollutants and are subject to EPA regulation.
Administration officials said no decision has been made on whether the regulations would include increases in the CAFE standards that control vehicle gas mileage.
Democrats were not impressed by the Bush announcement.
Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass. and chairman of the select comittee on energy independence, said. “After six years of hemming and hawing on setting fuel economy standards, the president has suddenly discovered the regulatory powers he has had all along.”
“In effect, the president asked his agency heads to share ideas and come up with a plan that is due three weeks before he leaves office,” Markey said.
EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson says it usually takes 18-24 months to put EPA rules in place. That makes this effort an “expedited” process, he said.
Cheney: On the Record
Vice President Cheney, mindful of his last ill-fated effort to talk to reporters as a “senior administration official,” offered this today - on the record - on Air Force Two en route from the Middle East to the US of A.
“The last time we did one of these, I tried to do it on background but I took a lot of crap for it, frankly,” Cheney said. “So we’ll do this one on the record. That will necessarily involve some limitations in terms of what I can say.”
For the record, Cheney took a lot of crap last time because he clearly identified himself in the transcript of the comments, making it a little silly for the White House to insist on identifying him only as a senior administration official.
Permalink | |
House Backs FISA Court
Pushing back against the White House on warrantless wiretaps, the House early Friday approved a measure saying that court-issued warrants offer “the exclusive means” by which officials may eavesdrop on private conversations as a way to gather foreign intelligence information.
At issue is the administration’s practice of listening in - without receiving a warrant - on conversations between people in this country and abroad, when the administration has reason to suspect one party could have ties to a terrorist group.
President Bush has said the practice - which began shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but came to public light in late 2005 - is necessary to help the National Security Agency collect information that could help capture dangerous terrorists or head off another attack.
Civil liberties advocates have protested, however, insisting that the administration abide by the terms of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978.
That act requires the government to secure a warrant for such eavesdropping.
The secret FISA court responsible for issuing such warrants can do so retroactively - after the eavesdropping takes place - but only if the government can show why it has reason to suspect a terror link.
The Bush administration contends that provision is too restrictive to allow NSA analysts the freedom to intercept suspect calls on a timely basis.
The American Civil Liberties Union rejects that argument, citing constitutional protections against illegal search and seizure.
The measure the House passed early Friday - sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. - reaffirms the FISA warrants as the only legitimate avenue for the NSA eavesdropping.
“Electronic surveillance of those seeking to harm our country must be targeted and aggressive,” Schiff said in a prepared statement following the vote. “It must also be constitutional and respect the privacy of law-abiding Americans…Today, Congress reaffirmed that basic protection.”
Permalink | |
An Estimate of Professor Tenet
Washington, D.C. May 7, 2007
An Estimate of Professor Tenet
In light of the reaction sparked by the recently released “At the Center of the Storm,” we would like to offer our view as students of Professor George Tenet.
A group of Masters’ Candidates representing a diverse mixture of views and nationalities had the pleasure of taking Professor Tenet’s graduate seminar “Intelligence in Practice” this spring. Professor Tenet’s character made a deep impression on our class.
He stuck with the issues, welcoming both debate and criticism, rather than shifting blame or unfairly impugning the character of former colleagues.
His willingness to honestly reflect on the successes and failures during his tenure as DCI made every class a gripping experience. In our judgment, Professor Tenet presented a balanced and fair account of the issues and events discussed.
George Tenet conveyed all of the values and attributes of a good leader: personal integrity, accountability for his mistakes, a fierce commitment to his agency and people, and the strong belief that he served his country to the best of his ability during an intense period of this nation’s history.
He was a constant inspiration to us due to his passion, his candor, and his integrity. We believe this is the best legacy that a teacher can leave behind to his students. For that, we remain deeply grateful.
Chris Wilson
Valeria Di Fiori
Full Disclosure: Cox reporter Tara Copp was a student in Tenet’s Georgetown class this spring. Because of the neutrality the press must maintain, she did not initiate the letter and did not sign it. The letter was initially submitted to The Washington Post for publication, but was declined.
Permalink | |
Martinez Named in Election Complaint
A non-partisan ethics watchdog group filed a complaint today with the Federal Election Commission alleging that U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez did not fully disclose information about nearly half of his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign contributors.
 |
| Photo by Rick McKay |
The complaint by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) grew out of an FEC audit last month that found numerous violations of federal election laws during Martinez’s campaign in Florida.
“The violations committed by Martinez for Senate are unprecedented in both size and scope,” Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said in a statement.
“Basically, Mel Martinez broke the law in order to win an election. Now, years later, he is a sitting senator and the chairman of the Republican (Party). A failure by the FEC to severely sanction the Martinez for Senate campaign committee will demonstrate that violating the law pays,” Sloan said.
Martinez narrowly defeated Democrat Betty Castor in the 2004 election.
Martinez acknowledged last month that “mistakes were made,” but said, “we’ve corrected them and we’re moving forward. We take them very seriously.”
The FEC audit found that Martinez’s campaign did not list occupation and/or employer information for 46 percent of the people who contributed to his campaign. It also found that Martinez did not provide any information about donors who contributed approximately $320,000.
The FEC also reported that Martinez’s campaign accepted $313,325 in contributions that exceeded federal limits, and that he did not timely report more than $140,000 given 20 days before the election.. The Martinez campaign said last month that he had returned about $97,000 in excess contributions.
A CREW news release said the organization wants the FEC to sanction Martinez’s campaign for the amount of the violations, nearly $800,000.
So far, the FEC has not taken any action against the Martinez campaign as a result of the audit.
Permalink | |
Fair Play?
A Monday night battle of the bands at the National Press Club will pit Honky Tonk Confidential (featuring veteran CBS newsman Bob Schieffer) against Beats Workin’ (including White House Press Secretary Tony Snow).
Beats Workin’, says Snow, is bringing a ringer. Sitting in with the band will be Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (pictured above), former guitarist for Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers.
In fact, Baxter will be doing more than just sitting in. Snow says Beats Workin’ is working on arrangements giving Baxter plenty of room to show his stuff.
In addition to his musical career, Baxter has been a consultant on missile defense. Really.
The battle of the bands is a benefit event for the National Press Club’s Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library.
To find out more about Honky Tonk Confidential (and to hear a clip of Schieffer’s great vocal on “TV Anchorman”) click here.
For information about Snow’s band, click here.
Permalink | |
Why Were They Fired? We Still Don’t Know
Paul K. Charlton in Arizona. David C. Iglesias in New Mexico. John McKay in New Mexico.
All were considered outstanding former U.S. attorneys, former Deputy Attorney General James Comey told the House Judiciary Committee last week.
All are fighting to restore their reputations after they were unceremoniously fired in a Dec. 7 phone call.
All say they still don’t know why they were fired or who put them on the Justice Department’s “hit list.”
Iglesias told an audience at Seattle University Law School today that he was stunned when the head of the U.S. attorneys office called him.
“The phone call came on Pearl Harbor Day,” said Iglesias. That had particular significance for the U.S. Navy Reserve Captain.
He asked Mike Battle, the former head of the office, what was going on.
Battle reportedly said, “I don’t know. I don’t want to know. This came from high up.”
After months of hearings, testimony and new revelations, Iglesias is left to believe “we were doing our jobs competently and we upset some people at the country club.”
When asked today about the impact their firing had on U.S. attorney offices around the country, they said morale has suffered and some prosecutors are looking for the exit.
A common comment heard among the U.S. attorneys who are still left, McKay said, is “if you were so good, how come you didn’t get fired?”
The negative impact on the U.S. attorneys offices all over the country has been hard to take, Charlton said. “The job itself is a wonderful job. I hope no one is discouraged by what has happened.”
McKay urged that a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate whether he and his fellow prosecutors were fired to silence political investigations. “(We) need an impartial look at whether a crime was committed here,” he said.
“Prosecutorial independence is more than a buzz word. It means fairness. It means integrity,” said McKay, He said he would still resist investigating voter fraud against Democrats in the last New Mexico gubernatorial election because the evidence was not there.
“We are the same U.S. attorneys in 2006 as we were in 2001. The only thing that changed is the administration at Justice,” said Charlton, noting the prosecution experience of Comey and former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson.
“There is an appalling lack of prosecutors” in the top leadership at the Justice Department, Iglesias said. The attorney general wasn’t a prosecutor.
Most of the high-level officials now under investigation in the firings are not prosecutors, he said, and asked how one can run a department without ever prosecuting a case.
Permalink | |
U.S. Attorney Expert Sounds Off
Over the last few months, the common defense from the Bush administration for firing eight U.S. attorneys has been this: “U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president and can be removed at any time.”
But the Bush administration’s excuses for firing eight U.S. attorneys are just that—excuses, said James Eisenstein, a noted author of a book on the history of U.S. attorneys and a political science professor at Pennsylvania State University.
The idea that U.S. attorneys can be fired at any time rubs against the norm, said Eisenstein, speaking today at Seattle University Law School’s forum on the firing controversy.
Since 1870, U.S. attorneys have rarely been removed mid-term or for any other reason than conducting illegal activity such as informing the target of a probe that they are about to be indicted, said Einstein. “Unprecedented,” he said.
“This is a major crisis event” in the history of the Justice Department, said Eisenstein. The turmoil has had a profound impact on the 94 U.S. attorney offices, he said referring to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as “Dead Man Walking.”
“The legitimate uproar” may ultimately reduce the centralization of decision making that the Bush administration has advocated, he said. It may ultimately renew the public’s interest in prosecutorial independence.
Permalink | |
Edwards Defends Obama Against Coulter Comment
Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, who is trying to defeat Sen. Barack Obama for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, came to the defense of the Illinois senator Wednesday in response to criticism from conservative commentator Ann Coulter.
“Just when we thought Ann Coulter couldn’t take the politics of personal destruction any lower, she proved us wrong,” Edwards said in a prepared statement. “Her outrageous comments are inexcusable and should not be tolerated in the public dialogue.”
On Fox News’ “At Large” program Sunday, Coulter said a Newsweek poll showing Obama leading Republican presidential candidates may be made up and could help al Qaida, the terrorist organization responsible for the 9/11 attacks. “I think this is Newsweek doing more push polling for al Qaida,” she said.
Newsweek declined to comment.
Edwards, who was the target of a gay slur from Coulter in March, said Wednesday that Coulter’s remark is “the latest example of how the political doctrine of Bush’s Global War on Terror has created a climate where people think it’s okay to use the threat of terrorism as a guise for hateful political attacks.”
Permalink | |
Vacation in Baghdad
Compare and contrast:
First, q-and-a with White House Press Secretary Tony Snow on Tuesday about the Iraqi’s parliament’s plan to take a two-month recess this summer.
Snow: There’s conversation about (it). As I said, let them work it out. I know they’re having conversations.
Q: Isn’t it critical that they are in office?
Snow: As I said, you know, the legislative processes work on. We’re talking about, we’re discussing a date that is still seven- plus weeks out. Let’s, when we get closer, we’ll deal with it.
How about we deal with it now, Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, said today as Vice President Cheney arrived in Baghdad for an unannounced visit that will include an effort to talk Iraqi leaders into skipping vacation this year.
Cheney, Crocker said, believes the planned vacation must be scrapped now, not, as Snow suggested, “when we get closer.”
“That’s clearly part of the message. It’s been part of the message now for some time. I’ve said it. Secretary Rice has said it. I’m confident the vice president is going to say it. The reality is, with the major effort we’re making, the major effort the Iraqi security forces and military are making themselves, for the Iraqi parliament to take a two-month vacation in the middle of summer if impossible to understand,” Crocker said.
Permalink | |
White House: Iraq is not Oz
Today, a day prior to President Bush’s trip to Kansas to survey tornado damage, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow made two public references to the most famous movie ever made about a Kansas tornado.
“The Wizard of Oz” comments were about the war in Iraq, not the devastating tornado that destroyed most of Greensburg, Kansas.
“Please avoid the idea that Iraq is like Oz and one day it’s going to be black and white and the next day you’re going to wake up and it’s color,” Snow said in a caution about how to measure progress in Iraq.
Moments later, “Again, don’t expect Oz. Expect a war. And you look for incremental changs that are indicators”
Within hours, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid’s communications operation pounced on Snow’s comments:
“White House Press Secretary Tony Snow observed today that Iraq isn’t like Oz. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration’s pursuit of fantasies like the imaginary Iraqi WMD and Saddam Hussein’s non-existent links to al-Qaeda has led Americans to the conclusion that, for our service men and women in Iraq, there is now no place like home. It’s easier to find similarities between our current predicament in Iraq and Oz than it is to find support for the White House’s rosy picture of ‘progress.’”
Team Reid then went after the Greensburg tornado/Wizard of Oz linkage.
“What’s not in Kansas anymore? The Kansas National Guard’s equipment,” the release said, echoing Kansas Gov. Jean Sibelius’ concerns about the federal government’s ability to respond to disasters.
Permalink | |
Table Talk
White House Press Secretary Tony Snow had the courage to ask a fellow attendee the question on everyone’s mind at the white-tie dinner for Queen Elizabeth: Rent or own?
The query pertained to the ultra-formal attire for the event, which required tails - a garment absent from most American closets - for men.
NFL Director of Football Operations Gene Washington, seated next to Snow’s wife, said he owns.
“Yeah, til Wednesday,” Snow said Washington told him.
For the record, Snow is an owner, having procured tails several years ago for the annual Gridiron dinner in Washington.
The president? “Owns,” says spokeswoman Dana Perino.
Permalink | |
Guest List
Highlights of the guest list for the 13 tables at the White House dinner for the queen:
Golf legend Arnold Palmer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Indianapolis Colt QB Peyton Manning, White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten (and his mom, Analouise Bolten), daugher Barbara Bush and one-time boyfriend Jay Blount, TV personality Elizabeth Hasselbeck (and husband Tim, a QB for the New York Giants), CBS sportscaster Jim Nantz, NBC newsman David Gregory, Reuters reporter Steve Holland and Newsweek reporter Richard Wolffe.
Among the Texans: Anne Armstrong (former U.S. ambassador to Great Britain), former Commerce Secretary Don Evans, and businessmen Ray Hunt, Boone Pickens and Sid Bass.
Family-wise, ex-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and wife Columba are on the list.
White Tie Night at The White House
Tonight, this is the throne, the actual chair Queen Elizabeth will sit on during the White House white-tie dinner in her honor.
Laura Bush hosted an afternoon preview of the event, reminding reporters that President Bush was not overly excited about a white-tie dinner but playing along nicely.
“I will tell you that we did have to talk the president into white tie. … Dr. (Condoleezza) Rice and I took it upon ourselves to talk him into it, because we thought if we were ever going to have a white tie event, this would be the one,” Mrs. Bush said. “And so he was glad to wear white tie. But I don’t know about the rest of our guests, especially the ones from Texas. They’re probably having to go out and rent theirs this afternoon.”
The president will sit between the queen and Nancy Reagan. At a neighboring table, Mrs. Bush will be between Prince Philip and Sir David Manning, the UK’s amabassador to the USA.
Special guest: Calvin Borel, the jockey who rode Street Sense to victory in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
Tonight’s entertainer: Itzhak Perlman, virtuoso of the violin. (Memo to president: Charlie Daniels wasn’t available.)
Main course: Saddle of spring lamb
Permalink | |
DOJ: Let Goodling Sing
The Justice Department signed off today on allowing Monica Goodling, its former White House liaison, to testify in the on-going congressional investigation into whether eight U.S. attorneys were fired last year to silence public corruption investigations.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., lost no time in urging Goodling to immediately accept the panel’s offer of immunity from future prosecutions in exchange for telling all.
“I believe obtaining her testimony will be a critical step in our efforts to get to the truth about the circumstances surrounding the US attorney firings and possible politicization in the department’s prosecutorial function,” Conyers said.
In response to questions from Cox Newspapers, John Dowd, attorney for Goodling said: “Ms. Goodling will, of course, obey the order of the Court as to any questions put to her by the members and counsel for the House.”
Conyers said the committee would move “expeditiously” to apply for a federal court order, the last step in process, “so that we can schedule a hearing promptly.”
Glenn A. Fine, the Justice Department’s inspector general, and H. Marshall Jarrett, counsel of the Office of Professional Responsibility, sent Conyers a letter today stating that their joint investigation is in its early stages.
“As in any investigation that potentially could involve evidence of criminal conduct, we would prefer that any potential witness not be granted immunity at this state of the investigation,” the letter states.
But Fine and Jarrett went on to say that they understood the committee’s interest in obtaining Goodling’s testimony.
“Therefore, after balancing the significant congressional and public interest against the impact of the committee’s actions on our on-going investigation, we will not raise an objection or seek a deferral pursuant to the provisions of (the law),” the letter states.
Fine and Jarrett made the decision not to object because Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty have recused themselves from the inquiry since they are subjects of the investigation.
Permalink | |
Thompson Wants to Bypass Old Media
Fred Thompson, the former Senator-turned-actor, says he would have to run an unconventional campaign if he decides to make a late entrance into the Republican presidential contest.
He’s testing that tactic by going around Washington’s news media to reach the public directly. The star of TV’s “Law & Order” has begun churning out radio commentaries, blogging his views online and writing columns for conservative Websites.
Significantly, he gave one of his few on-camera interviews to the upstart online site Breitbart.tv. If he were to win the ‘08 election, Thompson said, it would be “in large part” because of such new ways to communicate.
To see the interview, click here.
Lunch with Her Majesty
As a public service for those of you whose invitations got lost in the mail, here is the menu for today’s White House luncheon for Queen Elizabeth.
Click for larger PDF
Permalink | |
Purse Hunt
At long last, we now know at least two things Queen Elizabeth carries in The Royal Purse.
Today, in full view of the crowd and while President Bush spoke, the queen dug into her purse and - voila - pulled out the text of her speech and eyeglasses to read it.
Permalink | |
Welcome, Your Oldness
As usual, the highlight of the highly-scripted White House welcome for Queen Elizabeth was an unscripted moment from the Leader of the Free World.
“The American people are proud to welcome Your Majesty back to the United States, a nation you’ve come to know very well. After all, you’ve dined with 10 U.S. presidents. You helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17, in 1976,” Bush said, almost adding a couple of centuries to the queen’s age.
When the laughter died down, Bush ad-libbed, “She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child.”
Permalink | |
The Royal Hoover
Little noticed, but valuable nonetheless, at today’s South Lawn welcome for Queen Elizabeth was the guy who vacuumed the red carpet leading into the White House.
Permalink | |
Does This Mean Gonzales is Never Leaving Office?
The official White House transcript shows otherwise, but a recording shows that President Bush today introduced embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in a way that indicates Gonzales will have the job in perpetuity.
“I’m honored to be here with the eternal general of the United States, mi amigo, Alberto Gonzales,” Bush said in recognizing his longtime friend at a Rose Garden celebration of Cinco de Mayo.
The transcript says he said “attorney general,” not “eternal general.” But recordings don’t lie.
After the event, Gonzales fielded good wishes from guests who urged him not to cave in to the mounting pressure for him to resign in the wake of the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.
Gonzales Taps New Head of Troubled U.S. Attorney Office
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales tapped a long-time federal prosecutor to take over the much beleaguered office of U.S. attorneys.
Kenneth E. Melson has served as the top deputy U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia since June 1986. He will succeed Michael Battle, who resigned for personal reasons amidst the congressional investigations into whether eight U.S. attorneys were fired to silence public corruption investigations.
“For almost a quarter of a century, Ken Melson has distinguished himself as a respected leader in the U.S. attorney community,” said Gonzales in a statement.
“Ken has enormous talent, drive, judgment, and initiative, and I am pleased that he will lead the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys with the same passion and commitment he has demonstrated throughout his remarkable career in public service,” Gonzales said.
Melson will provide administrative oversight to the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country.
Melson has served in the Department of Justice as a federal prosecutor for nearly 24 years, joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in June 1983 as an assistant U.S. Attorney.
In June 1986, Melson was asked to serve in a senior leadership position in the office as the first assistant U.S. attorney. Melson has also served as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia on three separate occasions: July 1991-October 1991; March 1993-September 1993; and April 2001-September 2001.
Permalink | |
New Leash on Life
  |
Seems that Peter recently spent a few hours in jail because he left the leash in his car during a November trip with Henry to a Capitol Hill park. Washington has a leash law.
Here’s the short version of Peter’s story: He is guilty and planned to pay the $25 fine. He tried to do so at a location listed on the ticket, only to find out that location no longer accepted such payments. Efforts to figure out where to mail a check produced no definitive answer. He sent a check to the U.S. Park Police and thought he had taken care of it.
And he enclosed this message: “I know that the job of ticketing dog owners whose dog is off-leash is highly important - especially in time of war and terror threats, not to mention DC’s soaring crime rate. However if someone at your department could see their way to having an informative ticket written in competent language with correct information, perhaps we might feel our taxes are not being totally squandered.”
Twelve days later, he got a reply saying the payment was unacceptable and telling him to send money to the D.C. Court. By then, the deadline had passed. And that led to his arrest on April 21 when he showed up to pay the fine in person. And that led to handcuffs, which led to leg shackles which led to a few hours in jail.
After an appearance before a judge and payment of the fine, McMahon was freed.
Permalink | |
Not the Commander Guy
The White House wants you to know this: President Bush is the commander guy but he did not call himself The Commander Guy in a speech this week.
The official administration transcript of Bush’s Wednesday speech to the Associated General Contractors included this passage:
“We put in more troops to get to a position where we can be in some other place. The question is, who ought to make that decision? The Congress or the commanders? And as you know, my position is clear - I’m the commander guy.”
Upon further review, Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino insists, the transcript was wrong. What the president said, according to Perino, is “I’m a commander guy,” as in a guy who believes commanders, not Congress, should make those decisions.
Perino says she asked the stenographers to take another listen to the recording.
“They did. And they said I was right, which I love to hear,” Perino said. “He did say ‘a commander guy.’”
The official transcript officially will be changed.
Permalink | |
Bush’s Pro-Life Letter
President Bush, aware of the leanings of the Democratic Congress, has sent letters to Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to warn them against passing any law that “weakens current federal policies and laws on abortion, or that encourages the destruction of human life at any stage.”
To see the letters, click here.
Permalink | |
The Royal Visit
Queen Elizabeth is due at the White House on Monday. It will be her fifth visit, dating back to when she was a mere princess and Harry Truman was president.
In 1991 she was hosted by President George H.W. Bush. A fife-and-drum parade greeted her on the South Lawn. In the Rose Garden she presented Bush with the Winston Churchill Award “in recognition of the leadership you have showed to the world in recent months” in planning and executing the first Gulf War. She also gave Bush four silver-plated horseshoes bearing her crest.
In 1976, she came to town to visit President Ford. In 1957, President Eisenhower hosted her visit. In 1951, as Princess Elizabeth, she spent several day at Blair House near the White House. The Trumans also were living at Blair House at the time due to White House renovations.
FYI, the first visit of a reigning British monarch to the U.S. came in 1939 when King George VI visited FDR. The president greeted the king at Union Station.
Permalink | |
What’s Really At Stake in the U.S. Attorney Scandal
James Comey, the former deputy attorney general, told the House Judiciary Committee that he did not know why the U.S. attorneys had been fired since nearly all of them had strong performance records.
But Comey said the most serious part of the controversy surrounding their dismissals is the allegation that Monica Goodling, the department’s former White House liaison, had administered party loyalty oaths before hiring federal prosecutors.
Here Comey responding to questions from Georgia Democratic Rep. Henry Johnson Jr., about that allegation, now the subject of two internal Justice Department probes:
And in response to questions from Rep. Stephen Cohen, D-Tenn., about internal documents that show the administration wanted “loyal Bushies” in power, Comey said the following:
Republicans were few and far between at the hearing. Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, called the congressional investigation a “fishing expedition that has come up dry.”
Richardson Calls For Federal Probe Of LA Police
Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico called Thursday for a federal investigation into the response of Los Angeles police officers during immigration demonstrations earlier this week.
“I’m troubled by the disturbing images of officers going after people who posed absolutely no threat to them, including women, young people, even news reporters and photographers - striking them with batons, shoving and kicking them for no apparent reason,” Richardson said in a statement issued in Santa Fe.
Richardson, who is seeking to become the first Hispanic elected president, said an independent federal probe is “the only way that the community will have confidence in the results of the investigation.”
Richardson, a candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, said the history of problems within the Los Angeles Police Department “does not inspire confidence in an internal review.”
Permalink | |
Freedom of the Press
President Bush during Wednesday remarks to Associated General Contractors:
“And freedom of the press is a valuable freedom here, and it’s just something that we’ve all got to live with …”
President Bush in a Thursday statement marking World Press Freedom Day:
“The United States values freedom of the press as one of the most fundamental political rights and as a necessary component of free societies. In undemocratic societies where governments suppress, manipulate and conrol access to information, journalists are on the front lines of the people’s battle for freedom. The danger journalists face in such repressive states can be great - and even deadly. On behalf of the American people, I salute those in the press who courageously do their work at great risk.”
Permalink | |
Moving Day
That’s the White House Briefing Room last August, a few days after everybody packed up and moved out for a massive overhaul and modernization that was to take eight months or so.
Eight months or so ended a month or so ago. New target date for move in by the White House press corps (now temporarily and comfortably housed in a nearby conference center) is June 25 or so.
That was the word today when officials of the White House Correspondents Association were given a tour (sorry, no photos allowed) of the ongoing construction, properly characterized by the tour guide as “basically sheet rock and studs.”
Massive work has been done. A good deal remains. The delay is due, in part, to issues that arose with asbestos, structural steel and electrical supply. Those have been addressed.
Some highlights of the refurbished briefing room: Seats will be one inch wider. Instead of eight rows of six seats, there will be seven rows of seven seats. A neater, cleaner look will be achieved by moving a lot of the electronic gear into the old swimming pool that is one floor down. Reporters and others who gather in the briefing room throughout the day will be encouraged not to eat there.
Permalink | |
And Do Explain It to Us
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Wednesday that he has been urging China to quickly move its currency toward a market-driven exchange rate, and that delaying such a reform would only hurt the Chinese economy in the long run.
“Time is of the essence,” he said at a forum at the Peterson Institute for International Econonics, a research group in Washington.
Speaking of delaying reform, Paulson said Chinese leaders can’t understand why the United States isn’t moving quickly toward fixing its coming budget crisis. He said they know both Republicans and Democrats agree that Social Security and Medicare are in trouble as baby boomers begin retiring. But Congress keeps delaying any real reforms.
“It’s sometimes interesting to try to explain to people in other countries … why we’re not able to fix it,” Paulson said. He did not mention that it can be difficult to explain here too.
Permalink | | Categories: Washington
Here’s a Cheerful Thought …
Today, May 2, each American’s share of the national debt is $29,301.
(The national debt itself is now a whopping $8,841,574,250,860.19.)
Thank you, U.S. House Budget Committee.
Permalink | |
Grading Bush
Thanks to a handy function in Microsoft Word, you can determine the grade level of a document or a speech. It’s called the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score.
For example, the program tells us, “a score of 8.0 means that an eighth grader can understand the document.”
Wouldn’t it be fun to do a Flesch-Kincaid spot check of the speeches and comments of President Bush (BA, Yale, 1968; MBA, Harvard, 1975)? Yes, it would be fun.
Today’s speech to the Associated General Contractors: 8.5
Q-and-A after today’s speech (including the questions): 7.3
Tuesday’s veto message: 10.1
Tuesday’s speech at U.S. Central Command in Tampa: 9.9
Saturday’s commencement speech at Miami-Dade College: 7.7
April 20 speech in Michigan re terrorism: 9.7 (It dropped to 8.5 during the q-and-a when Bush worked without a script.)
Feb. 14 press conference (including questions from reporters): 8.1
Feb. 3 remarks to Democrats’ conference in Williamsburg, Virginia: 6.9
2007 State of the Union address: 10.4
2005 inaugural address: 8.9
Post-9/11 speech to Congress: 8.0
Remarks at 9/11 memorial service at National Cathedral: 6.1
2001 first speech to joint session: 7.3
2001 inaugural address: 8.3
By way of review, other than the 9/11 memorial service, Bush spoke at the lowest grade level when he addressed Democrats.
For comparison:
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: 10.9
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech”: 9.0
JFK’s inaugural address: 11.3
Permalink | |
These Kids Today
President Bush today said the Americans fighting in Iraq are kids. And the people who flew airplanes into U.S. buildings on 9/11 also were kids.
The comments came in remarks to the Associated General Contractors meeting in Washington.
“And casualties are likely to stay high,” he said of the war. “Yet, day by day, block by block, we are steadfast in helping Iraqi leaders counter the terrorists, protect their people, and reclaim the capital. And if I didn’t think it was necessary for the security of the country, I wouldn’t put our kids in harm’s way.”
Of the enemy he said, “You can attack a nation several ways. One, you can get 19 kids to fly airplanes into buildings, or you can gain control of something a country needs and deny that country access to that, in this case, oil, and run the price of oil up, all attempting to inflict serious economic damage.”
Just Say No
Here’s how President Bush officially said no to Congress’ war-funding bill that included deadlines for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. This is his veto letter to the House:
I am returning herewith without my approval H.R. 1591, the “U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007.
This legislation is objectionable because it would set an arbitrary date for beginning the withdrawal of American troops without regard to conditions on the ground; it would micromanage the commanders in the field by restricting their ability to direct the fight in Iraq; and it contains billions of dollars of spending and other provisions completely unrelated to the war.
Precipitous withdrawal from Iraq is not a plan to bring peace to the region or to make our people safer here at home. The mandated withdrawal in this bill could embolden our enemies — and confirm their belief that America will not stand behind its commitments. It could lead to a safe haven in Iraq for terrorism that could be used to attack America and freedom-loving people around the world, and is likely to unleash chaos in Iraq that could spread across the region. Ultimately, a precipitous withdrawal could increase the probability that American troops would have to one day return to Iraq — to confront an even more dangerous enemy.
The micromanagement in this legislation is unacceptable because it would create a series of requirements that do not provide the flexibility needed to conduct the war. It would constrict how and where our Armed Forces could engage the enemy and defend the national interest, and would provide confusing guidance on which of our enemies the military could engage. The result would be a marked advantage for our enemies and greater danger for our troops, as well as an unprecedented interference with the judgments of those who are charged with commanding the military.
Beyond its direction of the operation of the war, the legislation is also unacceptable for including billions of dollars in spending and other provisions that are unrelated to the war, are not an emergency, or are not justified. The Congress should not use an emergency war supplemental to add billions in spending to avoid its own rules for budget discipline and the normal budget process. War supplemental funding bills should remain focused on the war and the needs of our men and women in uniform who are risking their lives to defend our freedoms and preserve our Nation’s security.
Finally, this legislation is unconstitutional because it purports to direct the conduct of the operations of the war in a way that infringes upon the powers vested in the Presidency by the Constitution, including as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. For these reasons, I must veto this bill.
Permalink | |
Texans for McCain
Six Texas GOP state senators today signed on with Arizona Sen. John McCain’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
Includes are Sens. Kip Averitt of Waco, John Carona of Dallas, Robert Duncan of Lubbock, Kevin Eltife of Tyler, Troy Fraser of Horseshoe Bay and Steve Ogden of Bryan.
Ogden says he’s for McCain because the Arizonan “has a long and proven record of fighting government waste and pork-barrel spending.”
McCain says the six Texans “are incredibly influential in their communities and I’m honored to have their support.”
Permalink | |
Mission Accomplished
Speaker Nancy Pelosi insists the Democrats didn’t intentionally game the system to force President Bush to veto the war-funding bill on the fourth anniversary of his infamous “Mission Accomplished” speech aboard an aircraft carrier.
No other choice, Pelosi said Tuesday, noting Monday’s funeral for Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald of California.
Regardless of the reason - and the White House believes Democrats did intentionally slow the bill down to get it to his desk on “Mission Accomplished” anniversary day - Pelosi wasted little time in making political hay over the timing.
“The president isn’t listening to the American people’s call to end this disastrous war,” she said in a Tuesday evening e-mail to Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee donors and supporters. “What further proof do they need than the timing of his veto? The president vetoed our bill that would end this war and bring our troops home the week of the fourth anniversary of his infamous ‘Mission Accomplished’ speech that declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq. Four years after that misguided speech, the president keeps making the same mistakes in Iraq.”
Permalink | |
Shield Law Proposal Unveiled Tomorrow
Okay, all you reporters out there. You can stop shredding your notes out of fear that prosecutors will demand them in court.
At least take a pause.
Congress is trying to come to your rescue with a bi-partisan bill that would protect notes, documents and sources from disclosure in most cases.
Reps. Rick Boucher, D-Va., John Conyers, D-Mich., John Yarmuth, D-Ken., Mike Pence, R-Ind., Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C., are teaming up with Sens. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., to propose a federal shield law tomorrow.
Over the last few years more than 30 reporters have been compelled to testify or questioned about their confidential sources, notes and work product in criminal and civil cases in federal court.
A coalition representing more than 40 media companies and other journalistic organizations strongly back the bill.
The “Free Flow of Information Act of 2007” would set a federal standard for protecting confidential sources and journalists.
Some 32 states and the District of Columbia have “shield” laws in force in their state courts and 17 other states have recognized a reporter’s privilege as a result of judicial decisions.
Supporters of the measure say the law is needed because there is no uniform standards to determine when reporters have to testify.
The press conference details follow.
WHAT: News briefing on re-introduction of federal shield law in House and Senate WHO: Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) John Sturm, president and CEO, Newspaper Association of America David Rehr, president and CEO, National Association of Broadcasters Lucy Dalglish, executive director, The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press WHERE: 2226 Rayburn House Office Building WHEN: 1:00 pm EST, Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Permalink | |
High Ranking Justice Department Official to Tell All on Thursday
It’s no secret that the House Judiciary Committee wants immediate answers in its probe of whether eight U.S. attorneys were fired to squash public corruption investigations.
Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., announced today that the panel’s subcommittee on commercial and administrative law voted to require former Deputy Attorney General James Comey to testify about the dismissal of the prosecutors on Thursday.
“James Comey has earned a reputation in the law enforcement community of fairness and commitment to justice,” said Sánchez, chairman of the subcommittee. “I believe Mr. Comey can clear up some of the confusion created by the contradicting stories we’ve been presented.”
Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., chairman of the Judiciary committee, issued the subpoena Tuesday requiring Comey’s testimony. Comey was previously informed that he would be compelled to testify.
The committee plans to ask Comey about his role in the dismissals. Justice Department records indicate that discussions about firing the prosecutors began on his watch. They want him to elaborate on what he knows about the White House’s role in the firings.
Permalink | |
House Judiciary Committee Release “Privileged” Logs in U.S. Attorney Probe
New documents shed light on the reaction within the Justice Department to the on-going controversy surrounding the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.
The House Judiciary Committee released today what are known as “privileged” logs—brief descriptions of e-mail and telephone communications among Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty and other high ranking Justice officials.
“While the committee appreciates the production of these logs as a first step toward responding to our subpoena, the logs only further highlight the need to review the listed documents,” said Rep. John Conyers, Jr., D-Mich., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
“The information listed in these logs raise further concerns about the White House’s involvement in the process of hiring and firing US Attorneys,as well as the way that process was communicated to Congress,” Conyers said.
Log highlights include:
A series of emails between McNulty and his Mike Elston, his chief of staff, about a briefing with White House Counsel Fred Fielding.
An e-mail on March 3 Tasia Scolinos, director of public affiars, to McNulty, Kyle Sampson, the attorney general’s former chief of staff, and Brian Roehrkasse, deputy director of public affairs, entitled, “Discussions re: phone call with Comey re:USAs.” The e-mail is referring to former Deputy Attorney James Comey, who is scheduled to testify before the House panel on Thursday.
A bunch of “phone message slips” from early December regarding Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M. The senator called David Iglesias, the fired U.S. attorney from New Mexico, to ask about an on-going investigation of a state Democrat a few weeks before last November’s election that put the Democrats back in charge of Congress.
Two emails that McNulty forwarded to himself on 3/3 and 3/4 entitled, “Draft communication to USAs re: problems in DOJs handling of US Attorney matter.”
Permalink | |
Richardson: Bush “Retreated” on Immigration
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, called on President Bush “to renew his previous commitment to passing comprehensive immigration reform and reject the divisive laws favored by extremists.”
The challenge came in a Tuesday press release from Richardson’s presidential exploratory committee which criticized some details that leaked from White House negotiations with senators on immigration, including a requirement that illegal immigrants return to their home country and pay a $10,000 fine before re-entering the U.S.
“The majority of illegal immigrants in the United States are hardworking, law-abiding people trying to improve the lives of their families. They don’t have that kind of money,” Richardson said.
In addition, he said Bush has “retreated from his previous position favoring realistic reform to a position that virtually guarantees nothing will be accomplished.”
In addition, he said Bush has “retreated from his previous position favoring realistic reform to a position that virtually guarantees nothing will be accomplished.”
Emily Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman, said that Bush’s leadership on comprehensive immigration reform has been “clear and consistent” and that “perhaps Gov. Richardson suffers from selective memory loss.”
In addition, Lawrimore pointed out that President Bush on Saturday devoted both his weekly radio address and a commencement speech at Miami Dade College to the need for immigration reform.
Permalink | |
Services »
