Wednesday, May 16, 2007
CNN Political Ticker AM
Compiled by Stephen Bach, CNN Washington Bureau
Making news today... The candidates "engaged one another directly in ways they had not in the earlier debate or on the stump." (Washington Post) They "teased out their differences over immigration, abortion and conservative purity" in a "feisty debate that sharpened distinctions among the party's top White House contenders." (Los Angeles Times) With only an hour or two of sleep under their belts, several bleary-eyed Republican candidates returned to Washington this morning after squaring off in the South Carolina Republican Presidential Debate. But unlike last night when candidates directly challenged one another, the 6:25 am ET flight from Columbia into Reagan National was a calm affair. Perhaps the candidates were exhausted from the 90 minute debate and the pre- and post events that accompany these political events. "I don't know about you, but I couldn't sleep last night," former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson said. Texas Rep. Ron Paul and California Rep. Duncan Hunter sat next to each other and made idle chat, while Ted Olsen -- a supporter of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani -- sat next to Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback and across the aisle from Thompson. In addition to chit-chat there were also acts of kindness as Thompson helped Olsen put his coat on after the plane landed. "Its time to go to work," Hunter said to his fellow Republicans as he prepared to head to his day job in Congress. "We've had our fun." He wasn't the only one heading to Capitol Hill. A stream of cars carrying Paul, Brownback, South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint -- a supporter of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham -- a supporter Arizona Sen. John McCain, all headed to the big dome that accentuates the D.C. skyline. In the Senate, there are Iraq votes to be cast. President's Schedule: Tonight, the president and Mrs. Bush welcome UK Prime Minister Tony Blair at the North Portico of the White House at 6:30 pm ET. Also on the Political Radar: ================================================================= Political Hot Topics (Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country) "LOW-KEY SOLDIER," SURGE SKEPTIC TAPPED AS WAR CZAR: President Bush tapped Army Lt. Gen. Douglas E. Lute yesterday to serve as a new White House "war czar" overseeing the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, choosing a low-key soldier who privately expressed skepticism about sending more troops to Iraq during last winter's strategy review. In the newly created position, Lute will coordinate often disjointed military and civilian operations and manage the Washington side of the same troop increase he resisted before Bush announced the plan in January. Bush hopes an empowered aide working in the White House and answering directly to him will be able to cut through bureaucracy that has hindered efforts in Iraq. Washington Post: Bush Taps Skeptic of Buildup as 'War Czar' CLINTON AND OBAMA SUPPORT IRAQ FUNDS CUTOFF: Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton separately declared their support Tuesday for a March 31, 2008 cutoff in funds for the Iraq war, two Democratic presidential front-runners abruptly shifting positions on the issue at the heart of the 2008 race. The twin announcements came on the eve of a largely symbolic Senate vote, and as Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, said in a campaign commercial it was unfortunate that his White House rivals "will not join me" in supporting legislation setting the cutoff date. In a written statement issued in early afternoon, Obama said that after 1,518 days, "the Iraq war rages on, with no sign of a resolution."... A few hours later, a spokesman for Clinton said she, too, would support the measure. AP via Yahoo! News: Clinton, Obama back Iraq fund cutoff WH, DOJ SHOWDOWN IN ASHCROFT'S HOSPITAL ROOM: On the night of March 10, 2004, as Attorney General John D. Ashcroft lay ill in an intensive-care unit, his deputy, James B. Comey, received an urgent call. White House Counsel Alberto R. Gonzales and President Bush's chief of staff, Andrew H. Card Jr., were on their way to the hospital to persuade Ashcroft to reauthorize Bush's domestic surveillance program, which the Justice Department had just determined was illegal. In vivid testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, Comey said he alerted FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III and raced, sirens blaring, to join Ashcroft in his hospital room, arriving minutes before Gonzales and Card. Ashcroft, summoning the strength to lift his head and speak, refused to sign the papers they had brought. Gonzales and Card, who had never acknowledged Comey's presence in the room, turned and left. Washington Post: Gonzales Hospital Episode Detailed WHITE HOUSE OPENS DOOR TO WOLFOWITZ RESIGNATION: World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, fighting to save his job, promised directors weighing his fate that he'll address complaints about his leadership of the world's largest development institution. Wolfowitz, accused of violating conflict-of-interest rules with a pay raise for his companion, sought to move beyond the controversy by focusing on his performance as a manager. He conceded he had relied "much too long" on advisers recruited from the Bush administration and promised to put more trust in bank vice presidents and give them more access. "It is quite apparent that this matter has ceased to have much to do with the case itself -- and everything to do with issues about my management style and my policy choices," Wolfowitz, the former U.S. deputy defense secretary, told the bank's 24-member board yesterday. Wolfowitz's plea came as the White House signaled for the first time that it's open to his eventual departure, while maintaining he shouldn't be fired simply because of the pay raise. Bloomberg: Wolfowitz, Fighting for Survival, Vows to Improve Management WHAT DO YOU GIVE THE GUY WHO RUNS THE FREE WORLD? President Bush loves fishing, so people aiming to impress him often go that direction. Last year alone, he was given three rods and three reels along with assorted other equipment to the tune of more than $2,600. That's in addition to at least eight other rods he's received as gifts during his presidency. On the other hand, Bush is only an occasional golfer. But that didn't stop his friend and 2004 campaign finance chairman, Mercer Reynolds, from giving the president a $915 set of new clubs and covers last year. Bush cleaned up in 2006 - as usual. He received at least 20 gifts worth a total of $12,364, according to the financial disclosure forms the president and vice president are required by law to file each year. AP via Yahoo! News: Bush reels in gifts from U.S. admirers "A POLARIZING FIGURE," BUT AN "UNDENIABLE POLITICAL FORCE": The Rev. Jerry Falwell is credited with making religious conservatives an enduring force within the Republican Party three decades ago. In doing so, Falwell became a polarizing figure. "That political train in Virginia didn't pass around the state without stopping in the Lynchburg station that had Falwell's name on it," said Charles J. Davis III, a Richmond lobbyist who was press secretary to the late Gov. John N. Dalton... Because he was a force -- using television, radio and direct mail to raise millions of dollars and mobilize millions of voters with such themes as abortion, homosexuality and school prayer -- Falwell also became a target. Richmond Times-Dispatch: An undeniable political force GLOVES COME OFF, PARTIALLY, IN SC DEBATE: Though the gloves did not come all the way off in the second Republican presidential debate, GOP candidates began attacking each other Tuesday night in South Carolina. The most significant showdown took place between former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), two of the heavyweights in the fight for the nomination. Romney reveled in tying McCain to two of the more liberal members of the Senate, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), with whom McCain is working on comprehensive immigration reform, and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), with whom McCain has reformed the campaign finance system. "My fear is that McCain-Kennedy would do to immigration what McCain-Feingold has done to campaign finance and money in politics, and that's bad," Romney said. McCain immediately shot back, taking a shot at Romney, who has been accused of flip-flopping on several issues. The Hill: GOP candidates start taking shots at each other GIULIANI "UNLOADED BOTH BARRELS" AT PAUL OVER 9/11 REMARK: An irate Rudy Giuliani blasted a fellow Republican candidate at last night's GOP debate for trying to blame the United States for 9/11. Giuliani unloaded both barrels at Texas Rep. Ron Paul, a fringe Republican White House hopeful with little support, who said, "Have you ever read about the reason they attacked us? They attacked us because we've been over there." "We've been bombing Iraq for 10 years," Paul went on. "I'm suggesting that we listen to the people who attacked us." Giuliani suddenly turned the polite debate on its head when he jumped out of turn to respond to Paul's shocking comments. The former mayor tore into him for blaming Americans for 9/11. "That was an extraordinary statement, as someone who has lived through the attacks of Sept. 11th, that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq," an indignant Giuliani responded. New York Post: RUDY IN RAGE AT 9/11 DISS ANTI-MORMON CAMPAIGN A SERIOUS CONCERN FOR ROMNEY? The Monday morning blast e-mail to radio talk show hosts was headed, "Can Mitt Romney Serve Two Masters? The Mormon Church vs. the United States of America." It went on for eight pages, with color photos, about "secret names and many other bizarre proceedings" of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A series of sensational "Mormons believe" bullet points concluded: "If Mitt Romney does not follow what the prophet of the Mormon Church dictates, he will be an apostate." The e-mail was offering guest appearances by Tricia Erickson, who was described as heading a modeling agency when she represented Fawn Hall (of Iran-contra fame) and Donna Rice (who derailed Gary Hart's presidential campaign) but who now bills herself as a crisis-management expert. The Politico: Anti-Mormon campaign slams Romney EDWARDS SAYS HEDGE FUND WORK "SHOULDN'T OVERSHADOW" POVERTY WORK: Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards argued on Tuesday that his work for a hedge fund shouldn't overshadow his efforts on poverty and other issues after the 2004 campaign. "If you look at what I've done since the last election, it is true that I did consulting work for a hedge fund, part time," Edwards told The Associated Press in a brief interview. "It's also true that I started a poverty center at the University of North Carolina, that I led minimum wage initiatives in six states - all successful - that I started a college-for-everyone program for poor communities in eastern North Carolina, that I helped organize thousands of workers into unions, that I did humanitarian work in Africa." AP via Yahoo! News: Edwards downplays time at hedge fund MORE HAGEL-BLOOMBERG "CHATTER": Voter dissatisfaction with some top-tier presidential contenders and with extreme Republican and Democratic partisanship has spawned a Web-based movement to field a bipartisan ticket. Discontent also has fueled speculation about a possible self-financed bid by billionaire New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Chatter about a potential independent Bloomberg campaign picked up steam this week after maverick Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who had a private dinner recently with Bloomberg, seemed to leave the door open Sunday to such a ticket. "It's a great country to think about a New York boy and a Nebraska boy to be teamed up leading this nation," Hagel replied when asked on CBS News' "Face the Nation" whether he could see himself running as an independent with Bloomberg. Los Angeles Times: A third party? This could be the time OBAMA COURTING UNIONS: He won't shop at Wal-Mart. He is for a law making it easier for people to join unions. If president, his appointees would be "sympathetic" to labor. He said he walked picket lines while a state senator. It's "been a long time since we had a president who said unions are a good thing," said White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) at an AFL-CIO presidential forum, a stop in a day with three New Jersey fund-raisers and endorsements from two New Jersey mayors. After previous lackluster appearances before union groups, on Monday, Obama made a clear and specific appeal to labor. Giving a nod to workers trying to organize at Atlantic City casinos, Obama said, "We need to stand with them and help them organize." Chicago Sun-Times: Obama clear: He's pro-union SUPER DUPER ILLINOIS: Moving to boost U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's White House bid and make Illinois voters more relevant, the Senate gave final approval Tuesday to legislation that advances the state's 2008 presidential primary by more than a month to Feb. 5. Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich has said he will sign the measure, which also would put primary races from the county level to the legislature, Congress and the U.S. Senate on the same fast track, as well as future contests for governor and other statewide offices. But voters weary of seemingly endless campaigns might see drawbacks in an earlier start for an even lengthier campaign season that will extend by six weeks the time between the primary and the November general election. Chicago Tribune: Illinois to move primary NUTTER WINS IN PHILLY; "PROHIBITIVE FAVORITE" FOR NOVEMBER: Michael Nutter, a reformist candidate who was given no shot of winning just a month ago, yesterday captured the Democratic mayoral nomination and is all but certain to become the next mayor of Philadelphia. Nutter won by a resounding margin, defeating businessman Tom Knox, who spent nearly $10 million of his own money, as well as U.S. Reps. Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah, and State Rep. Dwight Evans. The former city councilman, a determined foe of Mayor Street in recent years, prevailed in a primary that marked the first time in decades that voting did not follow clear racial lines. Philadelphia Inquirer: Nutter wins in Democratic primary ROCK THE BILLS: In a move sure to begin a new chapter in the rapper wars, Rep. Ric Keller (R-Fla.) invoked the words of hip-hop legend LL Cool J during a House floor speech on Monday. Keller was boasting of how he had supported a measure to increase funding for police officers, way back before it was cool. Keller was the original GOP co-sponsor of the legislation, which was not always popular with budget-hawk Republicans. Like a practiced emcee, Keller riffed a bit from the prepared speech he brought with him to the chamber floor, according to Keller Chief of Staff Bryan Malenius. "Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years," Keller noted, quoting the lyrics of LL Cool J's 1990 hit "Mamma Said Knock You Out." As any student of the battles among the titans of hip-hop knows, merely quoting another artist in such a public forum is enough to start a rivalry, the likes of which LL Cool J has engaged in with tough-guy luminaries such as Ice-T, Wyclef Jean, Jamie Foxx and Canibus. Roll Call: Heard on the Hill |
About the CNN Political Ticker
The CNN Political Ticker provides the latest political news.To sign up for our twice daily Ticker emails, visit CNN.com member services page. If you do not have a CNN.com account, you can register here. If you have any feedback, suggestions or news tips, drop us a line here. NEW IN THE TICKER
• 10 white men• From the spin room: Tancredo feels good • McCain on Confederate flag: 'Time that we all move... • RNC statement on the presidential debate • Ron Paul and 'The Gipper Ticker' Redux • McCain: No torture • From the spin room: Thompson notes improvement • Romney: Double Guantanamo • Romney: I was conservative in the bluest of states... • Giuliani on abortion, Take 2 SUBSCRIBE
|
External sites open in new window; not endorsed by CNN.com
Pay service with live and archived video. 
