Thursday, November 09, 2006
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Compiled by Stephen Bach CNN Washington Bureau Making news today... A Webb aide tells CNN's Ed Henry that Webb will have a formal press conference Thursday morning to officially declare victory. President's Schedule: At 9:35 am ET, POTUS AND FLOTUS participate in the Presentation of the 2006 National Medals of Arts and the National Humanities Medals in the Oval Office. Bush meets with his Cabinet at 10:35 am ET in the Cabinet Room, then at noon he welcomes presumptive House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic House Leadership for lunch in the Oval Office. At 1:35 pm ET, Bush meets with President-elect Felipe Calderon of Mexico. Also on the Political Radar: ================================================================= Political Hot Topics (Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country) BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE RUMSFELD ANNOUNCEMENT: Just days after telling reporters that he would keep Mr. Rumsfeld on for the rest of his term, Mr. Bush said that the two had agreed "after a series of thoughtful conversations" that it was time for Mr. Rumsfeld, a magnet for criticism about management of the war, to go... Senior White House officials said the Rumsfeld resignation had been discussed for weeks, coming as the violence intensified in Iraq and a growing number of critics - including Republicans - called for the secretary's firing. Several weeks ago, with the White House's own internal polls showing Democrats making gains on antiwar sentiment, Mr. Bush and a few top aides began a series of secret meetings to discuss what he knew would be an explosive announcement. New York Times: Rumsfeld Resigns; Bush Vows to 'Find Common Ground'; Focus Is on Virginia GATES WILL OFFER "NEW IDEAS" ON IRAQ: President Bush introduced Robert Gates on Wednesday afternoon as his nominee to replace Donald Rumsfeld as secretary of defense, saying the country needs a "fresh perspective" on Iraq. Gates, a former CIA chief, was a member of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel that is making recommendations to Bush on how to proceed in Iraq. Gates traveled with the panel to Iraq earlier this year, an experience, Bush said, that will enable Gates to come up with "new ideas on how America can achieve our goals in Iraq." Gates, 63, said Wednesday he accepted the nomination because "the United States is at war" and the president called. "I believe the outcome of these conflicts will shape our world for decades to come," Gates said. CNN: Bush replaces Rumsfeld to get 'fresh perspective' OFFICIAL GATES BIO (via Texas A&M) GET READY TO HEAR A LOT ABOUT IRAN-CONTRA: Sen. John Warner, R-Va., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said he hopes to hold Gates' confirmation hearings in time for the Senate to approve his nomination this year. But Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada, whose party would control the Senate next year should it win the remaining undecided race in Virginia, said he had questions about Gates' ties to the Iran-Contra scandal of the Reagan administration... Numerous Democrats in Congress had been calling for Rumsfeld's resignation for many months, asserting that his management of the war and of the military had been a resounding failure. Critics also accused Rumsfeld of not fully considering the advice of his generals and of refusing to consider alternative courses of action. Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan and Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri - the top Democrats on the Armed Services committees - said the resignation would be a positive step only if accompanied by a change in policy. "I think it is critical that this change be more than just a different face on the old policy," Skelton said. AP via Yahoo! News: Bush taps Gates to replace Rumsfeld VILSACK FIRST TO OFFICIALLY JUMP INTO '08: Tom Vilsack is running for president. The Iowa governor plans to formally launch his bid for the 2008 Democratic nomination today, one of his top political aides said Wednesday. Vilsack, who leaves office in January, will file papers today to establish his presidential campaign committee, aides said. The step marks the first official move by any politician among the large field of Democrats and Republicans weighing campaigns for president. The two-term governor plans to announce his candidacy in his hometown of Mount Pleasant on Nov. 30, before setting off on a campaign swing to early nominating states. The move signals to Iowa Democrats, on whom his bid will depend, and national donors that Vilsack, one of the least-known among his party's presidential prospects, is committed to running for president. Des Moines Register: Vilsack to make White House run AP CALLS IT FOR WEBB; ALLEN MAY CONCEDE TODAY: Sen. George Allen's campaign, facing probable defeat, hinted last night that the Republican could concede as early as today. Democrat Jim Webb, whose lead rose to more than 7,300 votes, referred to himself yesterday as "senator-elect" and began putting together a transition team. Although votes were still being counted, The Associated Press last night declared Webb the winner. His victory would give the Democrats 51 Senate seats and majorities in the House and Senate for the first time since 1994. Webb would be the sixth Democrat to unseat a Republican senator in Tuesday's election. "Obviously we're very happy," Webb spokeswoman Kristian Denny Todd said. "The more people heard about Jim, the more they liked him." A senior adviser to Allen said last night that the senator has made it clear to his staff that he has no intention of dragging the process out and could make an announcement late this afternoon. Richmond Times-Dispatch: Webb acts like a winner BURNS NOT READY TO CONCEDE: Democratic challenger Jon Tester hung onto his lead Wednesday to narrowly defeat Republican incumbent Conrad Burns in the bitterly contested Montana U.S. Senate race. The Associated Press declared Tester, president of the Montana Senate, to be the winner at 10:33 a.m., based on unofficial statewide tallies. Burns, however, wasn't ready to concede. Burns, who has refused to comment to reporters since votes started being counted Tuesday night, issued this statement at 1:47 p.m. Wednesday: "Jon Tester ran a good race and has the lead right now, but it is extremely close. The state of Montana has a process in place, and it is our obligation to see it through. There are still votes out there that deserve to be counted. I believe we need to continue to let that process play itself out, and there is no need to rush to a conclusion when votes are this close." Billings Gazette: Tester wins tight race; Burns waiting for final count IRAQ "THE DRIVING FACTOR BEHIND" DEMS' TAKEOVER: From October on, in stump speeches and television advertisements, the Democrats moved the war front and center. Republican candidates began to avoid the issue. Yet to the increasing distress of Republican Party strategists, the White House appeared to play into Democratic hands, as Mr. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney continued to offer arguments for victory. "Iraq was the driving factor behind everything," [DCCC Chairman Rahm] Emanuel said, in an assessment that drew little argument from his Republican counterparts yesterday. "And October was a disastrous month." New York Times: Democrats Turned War Into an Ally TURNOUT UP SLIGHTLY FROM 2002: Almost 79 million people voted in Tuesday's election, with Democrats drawing more support than Republicans for the first time in a midterm election since 1990. The overall turnout rate, reflecting a percentage of voting age population, was 40.4 percent, compared with 39.7 percent in 2002, according to an Associated Press vote count and an analysis by American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate. A preliminary analysis showed that turnout was down in some states and higher in others - notably up in Virginia, where it appeared more people voted than in any midterm in the state before, said Curtis Gans, director of the university research group. The highest recent midterm turnout was 42.1 percent in 1982. The total popular vote nationwide was 78,707,495. AP via Yahoo! News: Election turnout rate tops 40 percent PELOSI UNVEILS PARTS OF THE NEW DEMOCRATIC AGENDA: Congressional Democrats savoring their return to power pledged yesterday to work closely with President Bush on a legislative agenda but demanded a change in course on Iraq and new directions on policies such as the minimum wage and stem cell research... In the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who is poised to succeed J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) as speaker, promised swift action early next year on a Democratic package that includes an increase of $2.10 an hour in the minimum wage, full implementation of the recommendations of the bipartisan Sept. 11, 2001, commission, and making some college tuition payments tax-deductible. Pelosi said she will not heed the calls of some activists on the left to explore impeaching the president. Washington Post: The New House Majority Offers Bipartisanship -- And an Ambitious Agenda HOYER VS. MURTHA FOR MAJORITY LEADER: As Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pledged Wednesday to rule the House fairly in the 110th Congress as the first-ever female Speaker, a handful of senior Democrats moved aggressively to secure other leadership posts in their nascent majority. One day after Democrats decisively seized control of the chamber from the GOP, one of the architects of that victory - Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) - remained mum about his plans despite speculation that he could run for Majority Whip. Current Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) was not similarly hesitant, formally announcing his bid for the Majority Leader's office early Wednesday morning and confidently predicting that he will secure the post when Democrats vote in leadership election on Nov. 16... But Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) - who stunned fellow lawmakers when he announced in June that he would campaign for the Majority Leader post against Hoyer - re-affirmed his own interest in the office Wednesday. Roll Call: Hoyer, Murtha Battle NO LEADERSHIP POST FOR HASTERT: Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) declared his leadership of the House GOP over yesterday, telling colleagues that he would not run for a minority post in the next Congress. His decision to step aside following Tuesday's heavy election defeat sparked a rush of ambitious lawmakers to declare their candidacies for the leadership when Republicans assume the minority next year. Hastert, the longest-serving Republican Speaker in House history, whose final weeks were marred by a sense of electoral doom and by a sex scandal involving a former member, told colleagues during a conference call yesterday afternoon that he would not pursue a leadership post in the next Congress. The Hill: Hastert era over, GOP resumes bloodletting "WE'RE READY TO GET TO WORK," SAYS REID: Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada is poised to join presumed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) at the forefront of a newly energized national Democratic Party when the new Congress convenes in January. "The American people have spoken clearly and decisively in favor of Democrats leading this country in a new direction," Reid said Wednesday night. Also expected to assume prominent roles are several of the party's liberal stalwarts in the Senate. These include Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, who as the likely chairman of the Armed Services Committee would be positioned to forcefully challenge the administration's Iraq policy, and Sen. Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, who as the anticipated head of the Judiciary Committee would be positioned to tangle with the White House over the controversial prosecution of suspected terrorists and over appointments to the federal judicial bench... Reid was quick to characterize the results as a mandate for sweeping change. "The days of the do-nothing Congress are over," he said. "From changing course in Iraq to raising the minimum wage to fixing the healthcare crisis to making this country energy-independent, we're ready to get to work." Los Angeles Times: Senate on verge of new agenda RANGEL'S GOT HIS EYE ON THE VEEP'S OFFICE SPACE: Rep. Charles Rangel, the incoming chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, revealed yesterday that he's got his eye on Capitol Hill office space now held by the man he recently called a "son of a bitch" - Vice President Dick Cheney. "Mr. Cheney enjoys an office on the second floor of the House of Representatives that historically has been designated for the Ways and Means Committee chairman," explained Rangel, who vaulted to the top slot of the tax-writing panel - one of the most powerful in Congress - when Democrats rolled over the GOP to take control of the House. "I talked to [future House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi about it this morning," a giddy Rangel crowed during a news conference at his Harlem office. "I'm trying to find some way to be gentle as I restore the dignity of that office," chuckled Rangel. New York Post: RANGEL 'MEANS' TO IRK VP POLL PROBLEMS IN FL-13? A review of Sarasota County voting results shows that in almost every precinct a high percentage of voters didn't cast ballots in the hotly contested 13th Congressional District, a trend that likely affected the outcome of the race. Democrat Christine Jennings lost to Republican Vern Buchanan by 368 votes, making it the second closest congressional race in the country. More than 18,000 voters who showed up at the polls voted in other races but not the Buchanan-Jennings race. That means nearly 13 percent of voters did not vote for either candidate -- a massive undercount compared with other counties, including Manatee, which reported a 2 percent undervote. Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Dist. 13 voting analysis shows broad problem NO DALEY CHALLENGE FOR JACKSON JR.: U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) has decided against a run for Chicago mayor in 2007, avoiding a potential showdown with Mayor Richard Daley, sources in Jackson's camp said Wednesday. Two supporters close to Jackson said the congressman personally told them of his decision. Jackson, who scheduled a news conference for Thursday, declined to confirm his decision when reached by telephone. "I don't want to scoop myself. Let me wait for [Thursday]," Jackson said. Chicago Tribune: Jackson Jr. will not run for mayor PATRICK'S ELECTION "A HISTORICAL MOMENT" FOR MA: Governor-elect Deval L. Patrick, who will become the first black governor of Massachusetts when he takes office in January, said yesterday that his election marked a historical moment that could help the state shake its reputation as a hostile environment for people of color. Patrick, who at times during the campaign was reluctant to talk about race, was asked by reporters yesterday what his election meant for him and for the state, which, largely because of divisive fights over school integration in the 1970s, has a rocky history of black-white relations. "It's a profound thing to be witness to, and a central part of, this historical moment," Patrick said in his first post-victory press conference, at the Omni Parker House. "And I think if people around the country are looking at Massachusetts and thinking about Massachusetts differently than they have in the past, then good for us." Boston Globe: Patrick says election may lift state's image |
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• Gates confirmation to move ahead, despite Senate u...• Allen aide holds out hope • Pelosi: Dem's will not cut off Iraq funding • With Hastert out, GOP Reps. look to take his place... • Dems pick up Pennsylvania House seat • House Majority Whip: Clyburn v. 'whiz kid'? • Ahead on CNN • Schumer thinks Dem's have senate majority • Inside players rise to Senate leadership posts • Republican leaders adjusting to Democratic gains SUBSCRIBE
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