Tuesday, December 05, 2006
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Compiled by Stephen Bach CNN Washington Bureau Making news today... The Senate Armed Services Committee convenes at 9:30 am ET for a hearing on Gates' nomination. Clinton "began making calls Monday to Iowa Democrats about the state's political landscape," reports the Des Moines Register. Obama also "met with George Soros, the liberal billionaire philanthropist, and then some other donors last night at Mr. Soros's offices," reports the New York Times. President's Schedule: Also on the Political Radar: ================================================================= Political Hot Topics (Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country) GATES TO GO BEFORE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: President Bush said he nominated Robert Gates to be his next secretary of defense to provide a "fresh perspective" on Iraq, but it's not clear how the former CIA chief will influence administration policy on the war. Gates'confirmation hearing was scheduled Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, after an early morning send-off from Bush at the White House, with little sign that Democrats, poised to take control of Congress in January, will block his nomination to replace Donald H. Rumsfeld. In fact, key Democrats are eager to switch Pentagon chiefs as quickly as possible. Congress and the president are awaiting the recommendations on Wednesday of the Iraq Study Group, the bipartisan commission examining new approaches to the war. Until his nomination, Gates was a member of the commission, which is headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind. AP via Yahoo! News: Gates to go before Senate committee ISG PANELISTS GAVE MONEY TO CANDIDATES: A few members of the Iraq Study Group have made political contributions since they joined the bipartisan committee, with one panelist giving to a leading House Democrat who has embraced a quick withdrawal of U.S. troops. The contributions could be fodder for critics who disapprove of the group's final recommendations, even though the panel consists of five Democrats and five Republicans. Two months after the Iraq Study Group was launched, Leon Panetta contributed $500 to Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), the most outspoken House Democrat on the redeployment of troops in Iraq. Panetta is a former Democratic congressman who served as President Clinton's chief of staff. Other group members opened their wallets for politicians this fall, but most steered clear of endorsing candidates so publicly. The Hill: While on panel, Iraq Study Group members made political donations TOP SHIITE LEADER SAYS STRIKES AGAINST INSURGENTS "NOT HARD ENOUGH": President Bush yesterday told the leader of Iraq's largest Shiite Muslim party that the United States is not satisfied with the progress in Iraq and appealed for more help in fighting extremism and reconciling the country's increasingly fractured society. But in a speech after their hour-long meeting, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim countered that U.S. troops need to do more to fight the insurgency and denied that the Shiite militias are fueling the sectarian strife in Iraq. It was one of the starkest criticisms of U.S. military strategy by an Iraqi leader. "The strikes [the insurgents] are getting from the multinational forces are not hard enough to put an end to their acts, but leave them to stand up again to resume their criminal acts," Hakim said in a speech at the United States Institute of Peace. Washington Post: Iraqi Shiite Leader Speaks Bluntly in Washington BOLTON WILL LEAVE AS RECESS APPOINTMENT EXPIRES; EYE ON KHALILZAD: President Bush surrendered to congressional foes yesterday in his fight to install John R. Bolton as permanent ambassador to the United Nations, a harbinger of how the political world has changed since Democrats captured both houses of Congress. Bush circumvented Senate opposition last year, sending Bolton to the United Nations on a recess appointment, and administration lawyers in recent weeks had developed options to keep him there after that appointment expires this month. But officials said Bolton and the White House decided against provoking an early confrontation with Democrats as they take over Congress next month. As Bolton's resignation was announced, the White House deliberated on a new nominee, with attention focusing on Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. Washington Post: U.N. Ambassador Bolton Won't Stay DEPARTURE MET "WITH RELIEF" AT U.N.: The announcement on Monday of John R. Bolton's decision to step down was greeted by United Nations officials with relief, while diplomats from other nations offered mixed assessments of his effectiveness during his 17 months as the American envoy. "'No comment,' he said with a smile," Mark Malloch Brown, the deputy secretary general, said over his shoulder to reporters as he hustled to a meeting. Mr. Malloch Brown had angered Mr. Bolton during the summer by accusing the United States of "stealth diplomacy" — turning to the United Nations when Washington needed it while showing public disdain for the institution. New York Times: At the U.N., a Mixed View of Bolton's Tenure NEXT PICK WILL TEST BUSH'S ABILITY TO WORK WITH NEW LEADERS: With the decision by incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to eliminate extended recesses next year until the traditional August break, it is unlikely that President Bush will have a chance to use his recess appointment authority to install a successor to outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. That sets the stage for a pivotal test of Bush's ability to work with Congress' new Democratic leaders as well as his commitment to renewing efforts with Congressional Republicans to present a more united front, GOP and Democratic aides said Monday. The selection and approval of Bolton's replacement "could be an important test," a senior Democratic leadership aide said Monday, warning that Bush has sent mixed signals to Democrats since the elections, on the one hand calling for bipartisanship while on the other hand sending a host of controversial nominations - including Bolton's - to the Senate. Roll Call: U.N. Pick to Test Bush, Hill ISRAEL TURNS TO PR EXECS, WANTS "MORE INVITING IMAGE": Israel's international image is hurting, and the country's top officials have turned to the wisdom of Madison Avenue in a bid to "re-brand" their product. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met with public relations executives, branding specialists and diplomats in September in Tel Aviv to brainstorm about improving the country's image by using the marketing insights first developed to sell peanut butter and Pontiacs. Israeli officials complain that the international press gives the country a warlike image by focusing on its military might and the string of conflicts with its Arab neighbors. Mrs. Livni told the Tel Aviv gathering that she would like to project a more inviting image of the Jewish state. Washington Times: Israel embarks on PR face-lift HOPE FOR DC VOTING RIGHTS? UTAH APPROVES NEW FOUR-SEAT CONG. MAP: As expected, Utah lawmakers Monday adopted a new four-seat U.S. House redistricting plan, but only after a few legislators tried to carve up the map with eyes toward running for Congress or shoring up their own legislative seats. With Utah's action, all depends on Congress. But legislation giving Utah and Washington, D.C., each a new voting U.S. House seat is not on the House calendar for the four-day lame-duck session that adjourns Friday... Should Congress not act this week, Utah leaders said the state will still be ready with a better four-seat option when - or if - Congress gives the state another seat before the 2010 census. But hope springs eternal, especially in politics. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democratic delegate who represents the District of Columbia in the House, said giving up on the bill is not an option and Monday's action by the Utah Legislature will help push the bill along. Deseret News: 4th district map OK'd SCOTUS REVIEWS SCHOOL INTEGRATION PLANS: By the time the Supreme Court finished hearing arguments on Monday on the student-assignment plans that two urban school systems use to maintain racial integration, the only question was how far the court would go in ruling such plans unconstitutional. There seemed little prospect that either the Louisville, Ky., or Seattle plans would survive the hostile scrutiny of the court's new majority. In each system, students are offered a choice of schools but can be denied admission based on their race if enrolling at a particular school would upset the racial balance. At its most profound, the debate among the justices was over whether measures designed to maintain or achieve integration should be subjected to the same harsh scrutiny to which Brown v. Board of Education subjected the regime of official segregation. In the view of the conservative majority, the answer was yes. New York Times: Court Reviews Race as Factor in School Plans ON THE HILL, MORE BLACK MEMBERS IN POWER THAN EVER: The impending Democratic takeover of Congress will elevate more blacks to positions of power in the Capitol than ever: 4 major House committee chairmen, as many as 16 subcommittee chairmen, the third-ranking House Democratic leader and a senator considered a credible candidate for his party's presidential nomination. It is so much power that Representative Charles B. Rangel, the New York Democrat set to be chairman of the pivotal Ways and Means Committee, said he hesitated to speak about it publicly. "I don't want to scare the hell out of people," Mr. Rangel said, "that blacks are now in charge of the committees and so, therefore, watch out." New York Times: Black Lawmakers Set to Take Crucial Posts Face Pressure LAWMAKER UNDER INVESTIGATION BY FBI WILL HELP STEER FBI BUDGET: Representative Alan Mollohan, a West Virginia Democrat whose finances are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is in line to take over the House panel that sets the bureau's budget. Mollohan, 63, is the ranking Democrat on the appropriations subcommittee overseeing the Department of Justice, which includes the FBI. His party has a long-standing practice of awarding appropriations subcommittee chairmanships to senior members, and no other Democrat has announced plans to seek the post when the party assumes control of Congress next month. The pending appointment poses an ethical dilemma for incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 66, who helped her party take control of Congress for the first time in 12 years by vowing to clean up a "culture of corruption" on Capitol Hill. Bloomberg: Mollohan, Under FBI Probe, Is Poised to Control Bureau's Budget THE REGIONAL INSULT "MAKING A COMEBACK": The regional insult, a staple of trash-talking sports fans but rarely used these days by national politicians, is making a comeback. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., who is slated to become chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, angered Mississippians when he asked last month, "Who the hell wants to live in Mississippi?" Last week, Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., a vocal opponent of illegal immigration, said of Miami: "You would never know you're in the United States of America. You would certainly say you're in a Third World country." USA Today: Lawmakers' regional slams draw rebukes NASA ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR PERMANENT MOON BASE AFTER 2020: NASA announced plans on Monday for a permanent base on the Moon, to be started soon after astronauts return there around 2020. The agency's deputy administrator, Shana Dale, said the United States would develop rockets and spacecraft to get people to the Moon and establish a rudimentary base. There, other countries and commercial enterprises could expand the outpost to develop scientific and other interests, Ms. Dale said. Ms. Dale and other officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the agency envisioned a base at one of the lunar poles, to take advantage of the near-constant sunlight for solar power generation. It would have an "open architecture" design to which others could add the capabilities they want. New York Times: NASA Plans Permanent Moon Base KS GOV TO LEAD DGA: Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sibelius will assume the chairmanship of the Democratic Governors Association next year as the party enjoys its first gubernatorial majority in 12 years, officials said Monday. Sibelius, who was elected to a second term last month, will succeed New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid upstaging an official announcement on Wednesday. Richardson is ending his two, yearlong terms as DGA chairman while weighing a bid for the presidency in 2008. Sibelius secured another term with 58 percent of the vote on Nov. 7. Her vice chairman will be West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III, who was elected in 2004. Sebelius has enjoyed a relatively high profile despite her state's second-tier standing in presidential politics and her relatively new status. As a Democrat leading a traditionally Republican state, she used her identity as a political moderate, her status as a farm-state governor and her gender to create political currency. AP via Yahoo! News: Kan. governor to lead governors assn. BROWNBACK FILES PAPERS, DASHES TO IOWA: For Sen. Sam Brownback, it was the first formal step in what could be a two-year marathon of campaigning for the ultimate prize in politics. "After much prayerful consideration," the conservative Kansas Republican said, he filed papers Monday with the Federal Election Commission creating a presidential exploratory committee. "I am running for America... to be of service in a crucial time of trial," Brownback said. He called the United States "a blessed nation at an important crossroads." His first campaign stop will be today in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to be followed by visits to 10 states over the next month. Wichita Eagle: Eye on the presidency "I'M REALLY GOING TO GO FOR THIS," SAYS HILLARY: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday answered the question on everyone's mind - telling one New York lawmaker flat out: "I'm really going to go for this." Clinton dropped the much-anticipated presidential bombshell during a blitz of phone calls to home-state lawmakers, as well as a top moneyman, Attorney General-elect Andrew Cuomo, and the Rev. Al Sharpton. "She said to me, 'I'm really going to go for this. I'm going to make this effort,'" the New York lawmaker told The Post. "She never said she was running for the presidency of the United States or if she was going to announce - or anything like that," the lawmaker said, quickly adding, "It wasn't a question that needed to be asked. It was an obvious conversation." New York Post: "I'M GOING TO GO FOR THIS" CLINTON CALLS IOWANS: Sen. Hillary Clinton began making calls Monday to Iowa Democrats about the state's political landscape with an eye toward its 2008 presidential nominating caucuses, aides to Clinton said. The moves come as the New York senator has accelerated the steps she has taken since her November re-election toward making a decision about whether to run for president. "She's begun the process of making some calls into Iowa," Lorraine Voles, Clinton's communication director, said Monday in a telephone interview with The Des Moines Register. Des Moines Register: Clinton reaches out to Iowans about 2008 OBAMA RAISES $700K FOR CHARITY IN MANHATTAN: Illinois Sen. Barack Obama brought his flirtation with a presidential run to the home turf of presumed front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton last night, making a speech on poverty to swells who paid up to $2,500 to hear him. "We have an empathy deficit," Obama told the crowd at a fund-raiser for poor children. "It's time for a sense of empathy to infuse our politics in America. It is time to stop making excuses for inaction." The charismatic young lawmaker who has been likened to Bobby Kennedy spoke at a sold-out charity dinner in midtown that raised $700,000 for Kids In Distressed Situations. Perhaps coincidentally, his speech invoked Kennedy's famous 1967 trip to Mississippi to expose the horrors of child poverty in America. Obama (D-Ill.) recently took back his pledge to serve a full Senate term and said he was considering a White House bid, setting hearts aflutter among voters looking for fresh faces. New York Daily News: Obama's Prez-ence felt in Hil territory OBAMA MEETS WITH SOROS, BIG DONORS: Amid intensifying presidential musings by Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Obama met with George Soros, the liberal billionaire philanthropist, and then some other donors last night at Mr. Soros's offices. One of the donors who met with Mr. Obama, and who spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not want to offend Mrs. Clinton, said that he and several others had supported Mrs. Clinton's Senate campaigns but were not committed to her as a presidential candidate. "I like Hillary a lot, but I'm also impressed with Obama - his message, the way he connects to people," said the donor, a prominent New York business person. "It's a little too early for Democrats to be certain that Hillary is the strongest bet for 2008. There are a lot of good people interested in running." New York Times: Obama Meets Party Donors in New York |
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• Clinton turns to communications veteran• Snow: Bolton was a bipartisan nomination • Bayh warns against ideological agenda • Kansas governor to lead Democratic Governors Assoc... • McCain opening Iowa office • Ahead on CNN • On the campaign trail with potential '08ers • Pataki is getting the band back together • Bush meets with Shiite leader • Dean to address European political leaders SUBSCRIBE
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