Debating Iraq

Two days after President Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq, a full week after the death of insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and with the latest CNN poll showing that 47 percent of Americans support withdrawing the troops immediately or within a year, Congress will focus on Iraq policy. Today, a formal debate in the House will be held on the issue for the first time since 2003.

On the Senate side today, Democrats sponsor amendments that call for troop withdrawal by the end of the year or the next 18 months. And the House debates a Republican-sponsored resolution which states "it is not in the national security interest of the United States to set an arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment of troops." In what promises to be at least ten hours, if not more, of back-and-forth beginning at 11:45 am, the House will continue to debate the resolution into tomorrow, if necessary.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert will evoke the memory of first responders on 9/11 and passengers on United Flight 93 when he opens up the debate this morning, according to excerpts of his statement obtained for the Grind by CNN's Deirdre Walsh. He'll use the words of former President Ronald Reagan, as well to call for Congress to adopt the resolution. Hastert will say:

"'Freedom is the very essence of our nation,'" President Reagan said in 1990 when a section of the Berlin Wall was presented to his Presidential Library. He continued, 'But even with our troubles we remain a beacon of hope for oppressed peoples everywhere.' President Reagan also observed that freedom is not passed on at birth. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on."

Just Call Him 'Dollar Bill'

CNN's Robert Yoon reports that former president Bill Clinton earned $7.5 million in 2005 by hopscotching the globe speaking to groups willing to pay top-dollar to hear him impart his presidential wisdom. Clinton gave 43 speeches in 14 countries last year, averaging a sizable $174,000 per gig.

The details of the former president's speaking fees were released Wednesday by the Senate Office of Public Records. His wife, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, is required to file annual financial disclosure reports that detail not only her own, but her husband's financial activity for the previous calendar year.

In one particularly lucrative trip to Canada in October 2005, the former president delivered three speeches in two days for a total haul of $775,000. Not bad for a couple of days' work, especially when you consider that it took Clinton four years in the White House to earn $800,000.

The former president gave paid overseas speeches in Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, the Bahamas, Hong Kong, Denmark, Switzerland, Paris, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Spain and Russia.

The Clintons reported owning assets valued between $10 million and $50 million, about half of which is socked away in regular ole' Citibank deposit accounts, which yielded them a nice $100,000 to $1 million in interest last year.

Cold Hard Cash

Rep. Bill Jefferson (D) submitted a financial disclosure statement that provides a unique but hazy glimpse into those final days before the embattled Louisiana Congressman -- and his infamous freezer -- made national headlines. Although the House released these financial documents to the public on Wednesday, members of Congress were required to submit their reports by May 15. Jefferson complied, and also filed two amended reports, the latest on May 17, just three days before the FBI raided his congressional office.

So what can we glean from Jefferson's report? The Grind crunched the numbers and found that Jefferson reported owning assets valued between $551,000 and $1,165,000. These assets included two parcels of farmland, each valued between $50,000 and $100,000. He also reported having $50,000 and $100,000 saved away in, of all places, a bank account. Jefferson also reported selling a home in New Orleans on an unspecified date for anywhere between $100,000 and $250,000. The congressman set up a legal defense fund in 2005, and raised $149,750 from October through December of that year.

Jefferson reported taking several trips in 2005 at the expense of an outside sponsor. He and a family member traveled to Egypt with the Arab-American Chamber of Commerce picking up the tab. He also went to the UAE and Qatar, also with a family member, at the expense of the Islamic Free Market Institute and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce. The report is hand-written and some of the various trip details are difficult to decipher.

Gerson Gone

Michael Gerson, one of President Bush's closest advisors and top speechwriters, is stepping down in the next couple of weeks, senior administration officials confirm to CNN's Suzanne Malveaux.

Gerson's departure is not part of the new chief of staff Josh Bolten's White House "shake up," officials say. He had been planning to leave the White House for months, but was waiting for the political dust to settle before taking off, they say.

"He's going to pursue writing and policy work. Everyone is certainly sad to see him leave, but respect his decision. He's been one of the President's closest advisors," a senior administration official said.

Gerson wrote Mr. Bush's speeches for seven years, and first joined his presidential campaign in 1999. He is best known for articulating the President's philosophy of "compassionate conservatism" and shaping Mr. Bush's foreign policy by making spreading democracy its focal point.

Bush Teases Blind Reporter

CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux reports that in yesterday's Rose Garden press conference President Bush seemed startled and incredulous when a reporter stood up to ask him a question wearing dark sunglasses. When Mr. Bush addressed Peter Wallsten of the Los Angeles Times, the exchange went as follows:

Mr. Bush: "Yes, Peter. Are you going to ask that question with shades on?"
Wallsten: "I can take them off."
Mr. Bush: "I'm interested in the shade look, seriously."
Wallsten: "All right, I'll keep it, then."
Mr. Bush: "For the viewers, there's no sun." (laughter)
Wallsten: "I guess it depends on your perspective." (laughter)
Mr. Bush: "Touche." (laughter)

As it turns out, Wallsten was wearing the sunglasses because he has Stargardt's Disease, a rare genetic sight disorder which makes him legally blind. Wallsten is progressively losing his sight due to the eye disease.

White House aides say the President Bush didn't know, and Wallsten said he took no offense to the President's comments.

"I had no expectation he'd know," Wallsten said after the press conference. "I don't share it with most people."

But the blogs quickly picked up the story, which created a firestorm of criticism. Wallsten said the blogs were "blowing it all out of proportion." Word of the controversy trickled down to the President's aides, who immediately began receiving phone calls from reporters who were inquiring whether Mr. Bush was aware of his social blunder. Six hours after the press conference, President Bush picked up the phone and called Wallsten to personally apologize.

"The White House called my cell phone around 4:30 in the afternoon, and one of the President's assistants said to me, 'the President is on the line," Wallsten said. "He [Bush] apologized, and I said I didn't think it warranted an apology. It didn't bother me. He then said he felt like he crossed the line. And I repeated what I said, that I didn't think it was necessary for him to apologize," Wallsten said.

"He [Bush] then said he needles reporters as a sign of affection. I told him I hope you don't think you have to treat me any differently. I just want to be treated the same. I told him 'feel free to needle me.' And he said "I will, just next time I'll use a different needle," Wallsten said. The conversation between the blind reporter and the President lasted just three minutes.

Staffing Up

New York Governor and '08 hopeful George Pataki announced an Iowa team yesterday for his 21st Century Freedom PAC. Iowa State Senator and Former Majority Leader Stew Iverson will serve as the PAC's Iowa Chairman. Ed Failor is the Senior Political Advisor to the PAC, and Diane Crookham-Johnson is the PAC's Executive Director in Iowa. Also on the team: Loras Schulte and JoEllen Hill.