 |
|
The Morning Grind / DayAhead |
Berger gets fried
John Mercurio
CNN Political Unit
 |  Facing the media: Jenna Bush sticks her tongue out, while Sandy Berger explains his 'honest mistake.' |
| |
|
 VIDEO |
 CNN's Lisa Sylvester on e-voting machines and their critics.
 CNN's Dan Lothian on extensive security measures around the Boston convention.
 CNN's Kelli Arena on the Berger investigation.
|
|
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- We doubt President Bush instructed daughter Jenna to stick her tongue out at news cameras in St. Louis yesterday.
And the order probably didn't come from Laura Bush, whose only advice to her daughters as they hit the campaign trail was to "stand up straight and keep your hair out of your eyes." (Jenna Bush jokes with photographers)
But one thing's for sure: Twinkle, as the Secret Service calls her, didn't do daddy any favors by distracting, if even for only a minute of today's cable TV coverage, from the firestorm brewing at Camp Kerry over Sandy Berger, who quit last night as an unpaid, informal Kerry adviser.
Berger is under criminal investigation over allegations that he took secret documents from the National Archives, and absent a full FBI exoneration, is likely off any short list for senior posts in a Kerry administration. (Berger says he made 'honest mistake')
The timing of the Berger leak may be "interesting," as Bill Clinton and other Democrats are saying. But it's also extremely unfortunate for Kerry and his party, distracting from good fund-raising numbers (Dems are outraising the GOP for the first time since '92), the Kerry roadtrip to Boston that starts Friday, and of course, the release of the 9/11 commission's report tomorrow. (Not to mention the "Larry King Live" interview tonight on CNN at 9 p.m. ET with John and Elizabeth Edwards. More on that below.)
The Kerry campaign wasted little time (well, they don't have much) concocting their official conspiracy theory to explain the timing of the Berger leak, laying it at the feet of two favorite boogeymen, Dick Cheney and Ed Gillespie.
Under the headline, "Cheney Strikes Back???" Kerry campaign spokesman Phil Singer notes in a memo that "Halliburton Cheney" and "Enron Ed" were spotted Tuesday leaving the Senate GOP luncheon in the Capitol. Following the meeting, Sens. Saxby Chambliss, Gordon Smith and Rick Santorum commented to reporters on the breaking Berger story. Or, as Singer writes, they "launched a scurrilous effort to smear the Kerry campaign by making the absurd argument that Berger gave classified documents to the campaign to use in a port security speech."
"Were they in fact at the lunch? What happened at that lunch? What was it that Cheney and Gillespie said?" Singer asks in a campaign memo e-mailed to reporters last night. "If true, the fact that the White House has Cheney coordinating a political attack at a time when the 9/11 report is coming out with recommendations on how to improve the nation's security speaks volumes about the Bush approach to governing. The timing of this leak suggests that the White House is more concerned about protecting its political hide than hearing what the Commission has to say about strengthening our security."
A Bush-Cheney aide called Camp Kerry's conspiracy theory "pure fantasy."
Bush-Cheney camp in Boston
Today, Bush-Cheney will release its official list of Boston-bound surrogates and lay out plans for the Boston branch of its highly touted war room. Gillespie and campaign manager Ken Mehlman will hold a 10 a.m. ET conference call to discuss the surrogates and their new website, www.demsextrememakeover.com.
Leading the list: America's Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who's also slotted for a prime-time speaking role at the New York convention next month.
Also on the list: Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado, Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, Rep. Henry Bonilla of Texas, former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin, Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey of Massachusetts, Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory and Puerto Rico National Committeeman Luis Fortuņo.
Aides say Republicans will set up a "war room" near the FleetCenter to answer "every misstatement" Kerry and friends make during their four-day confab. The GOP also plans to use video compilations of Kerry's past statements to press their flip-flopper charge.
Edwards on CNN
When we're not glued to the Berger story today we'll be watching CNN's "Larry King Live," for Larry's interview with John and Elizabeth Edwards. Larry, of course, interviewed John and Teresa Heinz Kerry two weeks ago after Edwards joined the Democratic ticket.
Now, we know Edwards is getting ready for a big speech in Boston, but we prefer to think he was preparing for Larry's show yesterday, when our sources spotted him running into the downtown office of actor-turned-media coach Michael Sheehan.
Sheehan, of course, coached both Edwards and Bob Graham on speaking well, winning friends and influencing people during the primaries earlier this year. He also worked with Bill Clinton on debate prep and Al Gore on his official entry into the 2000 campaign.
