Thursday, May 17, 2007
CNN Political Ticker AM
Compiled by Stephen Bach, CNN Washington Bureau
Making news today... Ed explains here. So, who's the "poor man among the top tier?" The guy who "scraped by last year on an income of just under $1 million?" Find out in Hot Topics below! President's Schedule: Later, President Bush participates in a Joint Reserve Officer Training Corps Commissioning Ceremony in the East Room at 2:10 pm ET. Also on the Political Radar: ================================================================= Political Hot Topics (Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country) DOJ WEIGHED FIRING 26 PROSECUTORS: The Justice Department considered dismissing many more U.S. attorneys than officials have previously acknowledged, with at least 26 prosecutors suggested for termination between February 2005 and December 2006, according to sources familiar with documents withheld from the public. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales testified last week that the effort was limited to eight U.S. attorneys fired since last June, and other administration officials have said that only a few others were suggested for removal. In fact, D. Kyle Sampson, then Gonzales's chief of staff, considered more than two dozen U.S. attorneys for termination, according to lists compiled by him and his colleagues, the sources said. Washington Post: Justice Weighed Firing 1 in 4 "RELUCTANT CRITIC" COMEY: For a loyal George W. Bush Republican, James B. Comey has made a remarkable amount of trouble for the White House. As deputy attorney general in 2003, he appointed his old friend Patrick J. Fitzgerald as independent counsel in the C.I.A. leak case, leading to the perjury conviction of Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby Jr. In 2004, he backed Justice Department subordinates who withdrew a legal memorandum justifying harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists. This spring, more than a year after leaving the government, he publicly praised several United States attorneys who had been dismissed, undermining the administration's claim that they were removed for poor performance. Finally, at a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Mr. Comey gave a riveting account of how he intervened in 2004 at the hospital bedside of Attorney General John Ashcroft to prevent two top White House officials from persuading Mr. Ashcroft to reauthorize the National Security Agency's domestic eavesdropping program. New York Times: Loyal to Bush but Big Thorn in Republicans' Side IRAQ VOTE A "BRUISING DEFEAT" FOR REID: The Senate yesterday overwhelmingly rejected a bid to pull out troops from Iraq and cut off funds for combat, a bruising defeat for Majority Leader Harry Reid that highlights the Democratic split over how far to go in opposing the war. The amendment, which was co-sponsored by Mr. Reid, Nevada Democrat, died in a 67-29 procedural vote, with 47 Republicans, 19 Democrats and one independent blocking the plan to start a troop withdrawal in 120 days and cut off funds March 31 to most military operations in Iraq. "We don't want to send the message to the troops" that they lost the backing of Congress, said Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, chairman of the Armed Services Committee and one of several key Democrats to defect. "We're going to support those troops." Washington Times: Senate halts Iraq pullout, cash cutoff MORE NEGOTIATIONS IN "EXHAUSTIVE TEST OF WILLS": Congressional Democrats and President Bush's top aides will enter another round of high-stakes negotiations on funding for the Iraq war in what has become an exhaustive test of wills. The talks are expected to continue for days, as the each side struggles for the upper hand. "To be successful, we must end the finger-pointing and instead roll up our sleeves and work together. I believe that we can - and we will," said Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va. At stake is the nearly $90 billion Bush says is needed to pay for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through September. Earlier this month, Congress sent - and Bush vetoed - a $124.2 billion bill that would have funded the war but ordered troop withdrawals to begin by Oct. 1. AP via Yahoo! News: Talks to resume on bill to fund Iraq war "RUMORS" AND "COUNTER-RUMORS" AS WOLFOWITZ HANGS ON: The Bush administration spent much of yesterday trying to broker a graceful end to the ethics controversy consuming the World Bank, offering the resignation of embattled president Paul D. Wolfowitz, senior administration and bank officials said. But Wolfowitz said he would not leave, insisting on a measure of vindication. On a day full of rumors, counter-rumors and closed-door meetings, the Wolfowitz saga turned into an only-in-Washington standoff. The bank's executive board, under pressure from governments worldwide to remove Wolfowitz in response to findings that he engineered and covered up a hefty raise for his girlfriend, appeared intent on forcing him out without voting to fire him. The board adjourned without resolution late yesterday, promising to keep talking today. Washington Post: Wolfowitz Hangs On As Ouster Hits Wall DC JUDGE TO HEAR ARGUMENTS IN PLAME SUIT: A lawsuit brought by a CIA agent whose cover was blown by Bush administration officials, Valerie Plame, is expected to face a withering attack this morning at a court hearing in Washington. Through their attorneys, the defendants in the case have denounced it as a political vendetta on the part of Ms. Plame and her husband, Joseph Wilson, a former ambassador. Named in the lawsuit are Vice President Cheney, his former chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby Jr., President Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, and a former deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage. "This case is a political exercise masquerading as a civil lawsuit," Mr. Armitage's lawyers complained in their motion to dismiss the case. Judge John Bates is scheduled to hear two hours of arguments today on whether the suit should go forward. New York Sun: Plame Seeks Showdown With Cheney SCHUMER TAPS MENENDEZ AS NUMBER 2 AT DSCC: By naming Sen. Bob Menendez (N.J.) vice chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, current Chairman Charles Schumer (N.Y.) may be quietly laying the groundwork for his prospective successor at the fundraising arm, key party sources said Wednesday. Schumer, the two-time DSCC chairman who already has made his mark by helping Democrats recapture the Senate in 2006, announced Tuesday that Menendez would take on the No. 2 DSCC post — a position that the committee describes as involving "all aspects of the committee's work to strengthen the Democratic majority in the Senate, including candidate recruitment, strategy, fundraising and campaigning for Democratic candidates." Like Schumer, Menendez is known as one of the Democrats' most ambitious Senators as well as a prolific fundraiser and aggressive campaigner. Roll Call: Menendez on Deck at DSCC? DEM SPLIT ON LOBBYING REFORM: Lobbying reform is causing headaches for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), now tasked with repairing a split in her caucus as freshmen advocate for stricter rules while some senior members fight to preserve the status quo. Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) and his fellow freshman Democrats are clamoring to pass a lobbying reform bill over the objections of some entrenched conservative lawmakers and congressmen who represent poor districts. During the freshman Democrats' weekly breakfast with Pelosi yesterday, they championed the idea of political reform without discussing the specifics of the bill set to be marked up today by the Judiciary Committee. The Hill: Tougher rules being sought by freshmen SANDY BERGER GIVES UP LAW LICENSE: Samuel R. Berger, the Clinton White House national security adviser who was caught taking highly classified documents from the National Archives, has agreed to forfeit his license to practice law. In a written statement issued by Larry Breuer, Mr. Berger's attorney, the former national security adviser said he pleaded guilty in the Justice Department investigation, accepted the penalties sought by the department and recognized that his law license would be affected. "I have decided to voluntarily relinquish my license," he said. "While I derived great satisfaction from years of practicing law, I have not done so for 15 years and do not envision returning to the profession. I am very sorry for what I did, and I deeply apologize." Washington Times: Clinton aide forfeits law license in Justice probe MISSING CHAPTERS IN SOME PRESIDENTIAL BIOS: Stealing a page from the Soviet playbook, the current crop of presidential candidates has taken to eliminating whole chapters of their histories. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's turbulent final years as first lady? While Mrs. Clinton, a New York Democrat, frequently invokes husband Bill on the stump, she has managed to avoid any mention of his impeachment and the unpleasantness leading to it. Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, almost never brings up campaign finance overhaul, perhaps his signature achievement in the Senate... For his part, Mr. Romney likes to promote his experience as a governor, but is often coy about the state he governed. New York Times: For '08 Resumes, Don't Ask Them to Fill in Blanks BUNCH OF RICH PEOPLE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT: Running for president is a pursuit for the wealthy, according to personal financial disclosure forms released yesterday that show that at least 10 of the major party candidates are millionaires and, collectively, the field of contenders is worth at least a quarter-billion dollars. The candidates have amassed their fortunes in a variety of fashions. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) wrote his way to millionaire status with a best-selling memoir. Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani (R) raked in $11 million by trotting the globe giving speeches last year. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) married money -- his wife is the millionaire daughter of an Arizona beer magnate. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R) became the richest of the 2008 candidates for the White House by dealing in private equity funds that have bought and sold significant interests in more than 180 companies. Washington Post: Disclosure Forms Show Wealthy Lot Of Hopefuls OBAMA THE "POOREST": The poor man among the top tier of presidential candidates is Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who scraped by last year on an income of just under $1 million. A required federal financial disclosure form the campaign released on Wednesday showed that the senator's popularity generated $572,000 in book royalties last year, contributing to Obama family income of $991,000. The financial disclosure reports and additional financial details provided by some candidates offered a portrait of a campaign in which the major candidates often have divergent political views but all could belong to a millionaires' club. Obama reported his family's net worth as between $456,000 and $1.14 million, not including the equity in the Kenwood home he bought two years ago for $1.65 million. Chicago Tribune: Disclosures suggest a millionaires' club NOT MUCH DIVERSITY AMONG TOP GOP '08 ADVISERS: When the leading Republican presidential candidates sit down with their top advisers, those with a seat at the table don't exactly look like America, to use the phrase popularized by former President Clinton. The 2008 presidential race is notable for the presence of a woman and a black among the leading Democratic candidates. But progress is much slower when it comes to diversifying the ranks of top decision-makers within the various campaigns, especially those of the Republicans. The campaigns of the top GOP candidates - Mitt Romney, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani - couldn't point to any key advisers who are black, although there are some women in the top tier. Not unsurprisingly, those campaigns with the most women and minorities among top staff members are Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. AP via Yahoo! News: Democrats seek diversity in advisers IMPRESSION OF McCAIN'S HEALTH COULD BE "LIABILITY": As he exited the stairs of his "Straight Talk Express" campaign bus on a chilly March day in Iowa, Sen. John McCain carefully took one step at a time, his left hand gripping a rail and his right knee looking stiff. A bum knee isn't surprising in a 70-year-old man - particularly one whose right leg was shattered about four decades ago when his jet fighter was shot down over North Vietnam. But his wooden movements, along with his age and appearance, are creating an impression about McCain's health that could be a liability for the Arizona Republican as he tries to persuade Americans to elect him president. McCain brings to the campaign a body and mind with some heavy wear and tear, including a couple of bouts of cancer and the effects of years of torture. If elected, he would be the oldest person in history to enter the White House, and if he served two terms he would leave office an octogenarian. Los Angeles Times: McCain: Physically fit to serve as president? RUDY GOES AFTER "VILLAGE" FREE MARKET LINE: Flush with confidence after his debate smackdown of a minor rival, Rudy Giuliani took a break from beating on other Republicans yesterday to go after the Dems - with a special mention for Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). Giuliani took the risk of looking past the GOP presidential nomination contest to focus on the "leading Democrat" he could face in the general election. And he did it by dredging up a disputed 11-year-old passage in Clinton's book "It Takes a Village." According to Giuliani, Clinton said in a C-Span appearance that "the unfettered free market is the most devastating force in modern America." "That's pretty scary," he said. "America is about the free market." But the quote was actually from an author Clinton had cited in the book, according to a transcript supplied by the pro-Clinton Media Matters group. New York Daily News: Giuliani takes shot at Hil after feasting on his GOP guppies |
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