Thursday, November 30, 2006
State Dept. employee says British-U.S. relationship favors Washington
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. State Department Thursday dismissed as "just plain wrong" comments by a department research analyst that the relationship between Britain and the United States is "one-sided," favoring the Americans, and that the role played by Britain as a bridge between the United States and Europe is "disappearing before our eyes."
State Department research analyst Kendall Myers made the comments Tuesday while speaking at Johns Hopkins University, his alma mater where he has also taught for 30 years. "It's one-sided," Myers said. "We typically ignore them and take no notice. ... It's a sad business." Myers added that he was "a little ashamed" at the U.S. government's treatment of its ally, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, saying that Blair had never received any "payback" for his staunch support of the U.S. war in Iraq. -- CNN State Department Correspondent Zain Verjee
DHS: Advisory on al Qaeda cyber threat issued out of caution
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Department of Homeland Security advisory cautioning that al Qaeda may be planning cyber attacks on banking and financial institution Web sites was issued out of an abundance of caution, although there is no corroboration, a DHS official told CNN Thursday.
The threat apparently was posted on a jihadist Web site, the official said. Huge Iraq spending bill to test Democrats
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration is hammering out its largest-ever appeal for more Iraq war funds -- a record $100 billion, at least, and that figure reflects cuts from wish lists originally circulating around the Pentagon.
The measure will give Democrats, who take control of Congress next year, an early chance to try changing the conduct of the war. But they are limited and do not want to be cast as unsympathetic to U.S. troops. "We're not going to do anything to limit funding or cut off funds," says Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Senior Pentagon officials have trimmed initial requests from the Army and Air Force. But with $70 billion already approved for the budget year that began Oct. 1, and more money needed to replace lost or worn-out equipment, spending levels for 2007 easily will be at the highest since the Iraq war began in 2003. Levin says Iraq Study Group should call for timetable
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Incoming Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Michigan, said Thursday he disagrees with the Iraq Study Group's reported decision to not call for a withdrawal timetable.
"I believe the announcement of a date to begin the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq would increase the pressure on Iraqis to reach the political settlement that is essential to ending the sectarian violence," Levin said in a statement. Levin has previously called for a phased troop withdrawal to begin in four to six months. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Kerry touts his efforts in midterm elections
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, touted his recent efforts on behalf of the Democratic Party while brushing aside polls that indicate he is not well liked, in an interview with CNN Thursday.
"I campaigned for over 80 candidates, 60 of the 80 that I campaigned for won," the former presidential candidate told Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room." "I raised over $14 million dollars and gave unbelievable amounts of money away to help people win. I'm proud of that. I'm proud of my contribution to the party's victory and we're going to move on from there." Kerry also said recent polls indicating he is not well liked stem from the negative coverage over his 'botched' joke "That's a poll taken one week after a week of pretty intensive negative publicity about something that was a genuine mistake," Kerry said. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Florida Democrat sues voting machine company
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Christine Jennings, the Democrat who is contesting the election results in Florida's 13th District, formally sued the manufacturer of the voting machines used in that race. Jennings claims the machines failed to record several thousand votes in Sarasota county, a Democratic leaning district.
Jennings asserts that voting machines made by Electronic Systems and Software, Inc. produced an under-vote rate of 15% -- more than six times higher than any of the district's other counties-- and resulted in nearly 18,000 under votes. "There is a real crisis in confidence among voters, not just in Florida but throughout the country," said Christine Jennings. "The voters of District 13 deserve answers, but this case has much wider implications beyond Florida. This is a test case for the entire nation." Jennings, who officially lost the race to Republican Vern Buchanan by 369 votes, formally contested the results November 20. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Ahead on CNN
4 p.m. ET, The Situation Room
-Democratic strategist Donna Brazile and former GOP Rep. J.C. Watts will discuss the Iraq Study Group's reported recommendations. 5 p.m. ET, The Situation Room -Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will discuss the national security memo leaked to the New York Times. -Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, will weigh in on the Iraq Study Group's reported conclusions and discuss his political future. 6 p.m. ET, Lou Dobbs Tonight -Rep. Bernie Thompson, D-Mississippi, will discuss border security. Sources: Iraq Study Group will not call for withdrawal timetable
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Iraq Study Group report will not call for a specific timetable to withdraw U.S. troops, three sources close to the panel told CNN Thursday.
One official noted a time frame was just "such a thorny issue" for the commissioners to sort through. But one adviser to the study group said the panel will make clear that the U.S. troops "can't be there forever" and recommend President Bush insist that Iraqi Prime Minister Nori al-Malaki meet certain benchmarks to improve the situation on the ground. A second adviser to the study group said there were five basic options on the table -- ranging from a conservative stay-the-course approach to a more liberal plan offering a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops -- and that commissioners seem to have settled on what insiders jokingly referred to as the "2.5 option" because it was a blend of the various proposals. "It was a mix-and-match -- a little used from different options," said this adviser. The adviser acknowledged some critics will now say the study group's recommendations are a "copout or watered down" report, but this official said consensus could not be found on setting a timetable for bringing home U.S. troops. "There were partisan divisions -- withdrawing troops is a divisive issue," said the adviser, adding that the study group had to be "more realistic than idealistic" because there are no easy solutions to the crisis. -- CNN White House Correspondent Ed Henry
Spitzer outlines steps to reform New York government
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Eliot Spitzer, who swept to office promising to reform state government, said Thursday he will set the tone by adhering to an unprecedented set of self-imposed reforms, including limiting campaign contributions and taking no money for speeches.
Spitzer, who is a millionaire, also will ban questions on political affiliation in hiring, initiate budget reforms and refuse to appear in state-paid TV commercials. He told reporters that politicians -- including himself -- have in the past said they couldn't be expected to "disarm themselves" by refusing to accept donations and gifts allowed by law. "We are doing this today ... to lead by example," he said. "We want to try to manage government the way we don't think it was managed in the past," said Spitzer beside his lieutenant-governor elect, state Sen. David Paterson. Biden: 'Iraq Study Group may miss the most important point'
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Joe Biden, the incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Thursday the reported conclusions of the Iraq Study Group do not go far enough in ensuring the establishment of a stable democracy in the war-torn country.
"I'm concerned the Iraq Study Group may miss the most important point: the need for a strategy to build a sustainable political settlement in Iraq," The Delaware Democrat said in a statement. "Bringing the neighbors in and starting to get our troops out are necessary, but not sufficient." Biden, who has indicated he plans to seek the presidency, has repeatedly promoted his plan to decentralize Iraq. "The best way to get a sustainable political settlement is through federalism: maintaining a unified Iraq, but decentralizing the country and giving its groups breathing room in their own regions," Biden said. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
On the campaign trail with potential '08ers
McCain hosts reception for GOP governors in Florida
Who: Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona What: Will host a reception for GOP governors in Miami Lakes, Florida. Obama encouraged by Iraq Study Group conclusion
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, said Thursday he looks forward to the Iraq Study Group's report and agrees with its call to begin a phased redeployment.
"I am encouraged by reports that the bipartisan Iraq Study Group report will call for a redeployment of U.S. forces," Obama said in a statement. "As I said a few weeks ago, there are no good options left in Iraq, but I believe a redeployment is our best chance to put pressure on the Iraqi government to finally reach a political agreement between the warring factions and bring this conflict under control so that our troops can come home." Earlier this month, Obama called for U.S. troops to start leaving Iraq in 2007, arguing that the threat of an American pullout is the best leverage Washington has left in the conflict. Schumer seeks investigation of misleading Maryland GOP flyers
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Senator Charles Schumer of New York is asking Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to explain why he won't investigate campaign flyers handed out by Maryland Republicans on Election Day.
The Justice Department recently denied Schumer's request to investigate the flyers. The campaigns of Governor Ehrlich and Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele brought in people from Philadelphia to hand out flyers at the polls. The handouts gave the impression they were a Democratic sample ballot, but listed Ehrlich and Steele along with Democratic candidates for county and legislative offices. Schumer says there were plenty of dirty tricks in the 2006 elections, but -- quote -- "the ploy used in Maryland stands outfor its sheer cynicism and brazenness." Holiday cheer invades White House
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Forty-five thousand people are expected to tour the White House this holiday season, but decorating the first family's home is no small feat.
Seventeen trees will stand throughout the building this year -- donned with a total of 4,638 red ornamental balls and 1,089 feet of garland, according to the first lady's office. And to make sure the holiday cheer is in the air, nearly three hundred wreaths will hang throughout the White House halls. Of course decorating the White House is only half the battle. The first family will also have to feed their many guests this holiday season. The White House kitchen will create 20,000 Christmas cookies, 5,000 mini tarts, 15,000 chocolate truffles among many other goodies. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Judge says Dems can seek more in New Hampshire phone jam case
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- A judge has ruled New Hampshire Democrats can go after more than just the cost of renting and using telephones that were jammed by Republicans on Election Day four years ago.
The ruling offers the Democrats the right to argue the GOP jamming in 2002 hindered their attempt to boost voter turnout. Republicans wanted Judge Philip Mangones to rule the Democrats could only claim $4,974 in damages -- the cost of renting and using phones for the get-out-the-vote campaign. Democrats argued they should be able to go after more than $4 million in damages -- the cost of seven months of work for the get-out-the-vote effort. That's nearly half of what Democrats spent on their effort, which was disrupted for nearly two hours the day it was supposed to pay off. Clinton calls Iraq 'civil war,' against withdrawal timetable
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former President Bill Clinton told CNN Thursday he agrees with those who have labeled the situation in Iraq a "civil war," but -- differing from top congressional Democrats -- said he's against setting a definite timetable for withdrawal.
"We probably shouldn't set a definite timetable right now because we don't want to lose all the leverage we have to get others in the surrounding countries to work with us, and to get the Iraqi political forces to try to get more and more people to choose politics over violence," Clinton told Soledad O'Brien on "American Morning." In the ongoing semantics debate over what to call the situation in Iraq, Clinton said he would call it a 'civil war.' "That's a big definitional argument, but most Americans would say that's pretty much what it is," Clinton said. "You've got not only the Sunni, the Shia, the Kurds, you've got the tribal conflicts, the intra-Shiite conflicts." Soledad's full interview with the president will air Friday on "American Morning." -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Iowa's Vilsack embarks on 2008 bid for presidency
MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (CNN) -- Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack on Thursday became the first prominent Democrat to formally announce a 2008 presidential bid. He is kicking off a five-state tour of several early voting states, including New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Vilsack, who turns 56 in December, will end his second term as Iowa's governor in January. He spoke at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant before leaving on his "Courage to Create Change" campaign swing. "We are committed to this campaign and this effort," Vilsack told his supporters. "Our work is just beginning." Mehlman: GOP must embrace its roots
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Arguing the midterm election results should not be blamed on historical circumstance alone, outgoing Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman told GOP governors Thursday that their party must recommit to a reform agenda.
"Ronald Reagan reinvented the Republican Party in the 1980's as the party that would change government, not sustain it," Mehlman said during a speech at the Republican Governors Association in Miami, Florida. Saying reform must begin at the state level, Mehlman took the opportunity to praise a potential 2008 presidential candidate for his work as governor. "Governor Romney, for example, has Massachusetts on its way to complete health care coverage -- without raising taxes, without employer mandates, and without government control of health care," Mehlman said. The RNC head also implored party members to hold their colleagues to high ethical standards. "If Republicans are guilty of illegal or inappropriate behavior, they should pay the price and suffer the consequences," Mehlman said. Mehlman plans to step down as chairman at the end of his term in January. Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida is expected to succeed him. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Kerry: Botched joke talk getting 'silly'
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John Kerry is tired of explaining his 'botched joke.'
The former Democratic presidential candidate and Massachusetts senator told CNN Wednesday the continued emphasis on his comments last month is 'getting silly' and people should focus instead on what he meant to say. "The country needs to think about, you know, a policy that has young men and women at risk on a daily basis that is not working, " Kerry told Larry King. Kerry also brushed aside a Quinnipiac University poll taken a week after the midterm elections that indicated he was least liked of 20 national leaders. "I would have voted myself last, based on when it was taken," Kerry said. As for another presidential run, the Massachusetts senator said that decision is "down the road" and that for now he will focus on advancing the Democratic agenda in the upcoming Congress. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Vilsack set to launch presidential bid
MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) -- Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack chose the small town where his political career began to open his long-shot presidential campaign, pledging to make the U.S. "a beacon of hope" for all the world.
"I am running for president to replace the America of today with the hope of tomorrow and guarantee every American their birthright -- opportunity," Vilsack said in remarks prepared for delivery Thursday. Thirteen months before the first votes in the nomination process, the wide-open race for the White House already has drawn the interest of nearly two dozen potential candidates. Aides to Vilsack said he needed to move quickly to begin building name identification; the two-term governor is little known outside Iowa. After his announcement, Vilsack planned a five-state tour of several early voting states, including New Hampshire and South Carolina. Full story Rice cheers on women in politics, rules out presidential bid
PARIS (AFP) -- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has insisted she does not plan to seek the US presidency in 2008, while hailing women's growing role in world politics, in an interview with French television.
"I'm very glad that women are running, and women are winning in many places," Rice told TF1 television late Wednesday. "I was at the inauguration of President Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia and for President Bachelet in Chile." "But I won't be one of them," she told the channel from the NATO summit in the Latvian capital Riga, adding that she was "an academic at heart." "Hopefully I, as secretary of state, can still help the United States to achieve some very important milestones.... But when I've done that, I'll go home to California and teach students about this experience," she said. Questions get harder on citizenship exam
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government wants to make the citizenship test for immigrants more meaningful, requiring a better understanding of America's history and government institutions.
No longer would it be sufficient to know the three branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial). Applicants could also be asked why there are three branches of government. The government on Thursday was to unveil 144 draft questions that it plans to try out on immigrant applicants in 10 cities where it is testing a new citizenship exam. Citizenship and Immigration Services planned to post the questions on its Web site at noon Thursday. Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of the Homeland Security Department, has been working for several years to redesign the test. A 2003 attempt also was given a tryout in some cities, but it failed and was scuttled. Acceptable answers to the question about why there are three branches of government could include: So that no branch is too powerful; or to separate the power of government, said Chris Rhatigan, an agency spokeswoman. Rhatigan provided examples of the test questions to The Associated Press. CNN Political Ticker AM
For the latest, breaking political news, check for updates throughout the day on the CNN Political Ticker. All politics, all the time.
Compiled by Stephen Bach CNN Washington Bureau Making news today... On the Iraqi leader: "He's the right guy for Iraq, and we're going to help him, and it's in our interest to help him, for the sake of peace." President's Schedule: Full transcript of the availability: (via WhiteHouse.gov) Bush is scheduled to arrive back at the White House at 4:05 pm ET. Also on the Political Radar: ================================================================= Political Hot Topics (Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country) STUDY GROUP TO RECOMMEND "GRADUAL BUT MEANINGFUL" TROOP REDUCTION: Following an intense assessment of U.S. policies in the war in Iraq, the Iraq Study Group will recommend that a "gradual but meaningful" reduction of U.S. troops begin "relatively early in the New Year," a source familiar with the group's deliberations told CNN. The language in the report -- which was compiled at the urging of Congress -- is being fine-tuned before it is presented to President Bush next week, but according to the source the work on the findings is basically done. In the bipartisan panel's view, Bush needs to insist on implementing strict timetables for Iraqi improvements and communicate to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that there will be substantial troop reductions beginning in January. While not providing a specific timetable for withdrawal -- which Bush opposes -- the group suggests major combat units be deployed "over time" to what the source described as "out of the bull's eye." CNN: Source: Iraq panel to advise gradual U.S. pullback HOW WEDNESDAY'S MEETING GOT SCRUBBED: Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq and King Abdullah II of Jordan abruptly backed out of a meeting with President Bush on Wednesday, leaving the White House scrambling to explain why a carefully planned summit meeting had suddenly been cut from two days to one. The decision occurred on a day that a classified White House memorandum expressing doubts about Mr. Maliki was disclosed and after Iraqi officials loyal to a powerful Shiite cleric said they were suspending participation in the Maliki government because he had ignored their request to cancel the Bush meeting entirely. The president and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice were already aboard Air Force One, on the way to Amman from Riga, Latvia, where they had been attending a NATO summit meeting, when they received the news by telephone from the United States ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad. New York Times: Iraq's Premier Abruptly Skips a Bush Session "THE CHIEFS ARE SOLID"... DON'T PULL TROOPS OUT NOW: All six members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, amid an ongoing Pentagon review of strategy for Iraq, oppose pulling out U.S. troops now, and are also against a specific withdrawal timetable, a defense source said yesterday. "The chiefs are solid. They want victory," the source said. "There is no dissent." The Joint Chiefs -- which includes Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman, along with a vice chairman and the heads of the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy -- have been meeting several times a week to review a list of Iraq options for President Bush. The Pentagon has said all options are open for consideration during the far-reaching review. But on the question of withdrawal, the issue is settled in favor of Mr. Bush's position, the source said. Washington Times: Joint Chiefs oppose Iraq pullout HARRIS POLL FINDS 68% THINK THERE IS A CIVIL WAR IN IRAQ: A majority of Americans think Iraq is in the midst of a civil war, a new Harris Interactive poll finds, and few are confident that Robert Gates's nomination as Secretary of Defense will improve the situation there. Sixty-eight percent of U.S. adults said they believe there is a civil war in Iraq, the online poll from Nov. 13 to Nov. 20 found, compared with 14% who disagree and 18% who aren't sure. Mr. Bush nominated former director of the Central Intelligence Agency Mr. Gates as a successor to Donald Rumsfeld on Nov. 9. Of 2,429 U.S. adults polled, only 13% think Mr. Gates will make the situation in Iraq better. Forty-two percent think he will make no difference and another 40% say they aren't sure of the impact. About half of those polled would like the government to set a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq, while 18% favor withdrawing all U.S. troops now and 19% favor sending more troops to stabilize the situation. Wall Street Journal: Majority of Americans Believe Iraq Is in 'Civil War', Poll Finds DEMS CALL FOR "SPECIAL IRAQ ENVOY": Leading Senate Democrats called Wednesday for President Bush to appoint a special envoy to work with Iraqi leaders to bring increasing violence in Iraq under control. "Violence in Iraq has reached critical levels, and the violence is not predominantly instigated by insurgents, but is taking place between Sunnis and Shia," said Senator Harry Reid, who will become the majority leader, and four other top Senate Democrats in a letter sent to Mr. Bush. "It is our belief that coalition military action alone cannot end this violence." The lawmakers said in the letter that the special American envoy could follow up on issues raised between Mr. Bush and Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq during their planned meeting on Thursday in Jordan. New York Times: Democratic Leaders Seek Special Iraq Envoy to Try to Stem the Violence DEMS WON'T IMPLEMENT KEY 9/11 COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: It was a solemn pledge, repeated by Democratic leaders and candidates over and over: If elected to the majority in Congress, Democrats would implement all of the recommendations of the bipartisan commission that examined the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But with control of Congress now secured, Democratic leaders have decided for now against implementing the one measure that would affect them most directly: a wholesale reorganization of Congress to improve oversight and funding of the nation's intelligence agencies. Instead, Democratic leaders may create a panel to look at the issue and produce recommendations, according to congressional aides and lawmakers. Washington Post: Democrats Reject Key 9/11 Panel Suggestion AHMADINEJAD WRITES LETTER TO AMERICAN PEOPLE: In an unusual letter to the American people, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday called for the pullout of U.S. forces from Iraq and charged that Bush administration policy is based on "coercion, force and injustice." The five-page letter, which was both conciliatory in references to "Noble Americans" and scathing in lambasting Jewish influence in the United States, said there is an urgent need for dialogue between Iranians and Americans because of the "tragic consequences" of U.S. intervention abroad... The Bush administration dismissed the letter as a public relations stunt that included nothing new. "Actions speak louder than words, and I think if you look at the record of Iranian action, we, unfortunately, haven't seen any change in behavior that would indicate that they've got a new approach to things," said Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman. Washington Post: Iranian President Makes Direct Appeal to Americans FULL TEXT OF AHMADINEJAD'S LETTER: (pdf via NYTimes.com) FRIST: "THIS SEASON OF BEING AN ELECTED OFFICIAL HAS COME TO A CLOSE": Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, the heart transplant surgeon turned Tennessee senator whose party stumbled badly in elections earlier this month, will not seek the presidency in 2008, he announced Wednesday. "In the Bible, God tells us for everything there is a season, and for me, for now, this season of being an elected official has come to a close," he said in a prepared statement released Wednesday morning. "I do not intend to run for president in 2008." Frist was a popular, even heroic figure when he came to Washington after 20 years as a transplant surgeon. Stories of how he rushed to treat the gunman who shot two Capitol police officers in 1998, later tended to victims in a South Florida car accident, and regularly treated heart patients in the Sudan, raised his stature. But the bruising way he captured the Senate majority leader post after Mississippi Republican Trent Lott's impolitic praise of segregationist Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond, when Republicans regained the majority in 2002, and his leadership of the Senate since, helped tarnish his choirboy image. Memphis Commercial-Appeal: Frist won't seek presidency in '08 FULL FRIST STATEMENT: (via frist.senate.gov) VILSACK KICKS OFF '08 CAMPAIGN: America, meet Tom Vilsack. The Iowa governor plans to introduce himself to Americans today and ask them to tackle tough challenges - which he himself is doing as he launches his long-shot campaign for president. The Democrat at the bottom of early 2008 presidential polls hopes the journey he kicks off today in Mount Pleasant, his adopted hometown, reminds party activists and donors of 1976 and 1992. In those years, the nation turned to once-obscure governors from places called Plains and Hope to inhabit the White House and lead the nation. Vilsack will start outlining his vision for America during a speech at 9:30 a.m. [10:30 am ET] today at Iowa Wesleyan College, not far from the courthouse where he practiced law and the city hall where his political career began. "Most of all, I am running for president to replace the anxiety of today with the hope of tomorrow and to guarantee every American their birthright: Opportunity," Vilsack, 55, is expected to say, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks. Des Moines Register: Vilsack kicks off long-shot campaign DON'T INVEST IN COMPANIES THAT DEAL WITH SUDAN, SAYS BROWNBACK: Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas will put hundreds of thousands of his family's dollars where his mouth is when it comes to divestment from Sudan. Brownback, a Republican, wrote last week to 44 state governors urging them to divest from state pension-funds investments in companies that do business with Sudan, whose government is sponsoring genocide in the country's Darfur region. Six states already have done so... The family began divesting its holdings earlier this month, when Brownback became interested in divestment as a tool to pressure the Khartoum regime, said Brian Hart, a spokesman for Brownback. The Brownback family has at least $186,000 and possibly as much as $565,000 in 10 mutual funds whose investments include companies identified by divestment activists as doing business with the Sudanese government, his most recent personal financial disclosure statement showed. McClatchy Newspapers: Brownback urges states to divest from business in Sudan "PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE" AUTHOR DEFENDS OBAMA INVITE TO AIDS SUMMIT: They came from different worlds: Rick Warren was the conservative white pastor of a 20,000-strong evangelical church in Orange County; Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was a liberal black politician, and a rising star in the Democratic Party. After meeting in Washington, D.C., in January, they started chatting regularly on the phone. When Obama was writing his best-selling book, "The Audacity of Hope," he asked Warren, himself a best-selling author, to review the chapter on faith. As Warren planned a second international conference on AIDS at his Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, he asked Obama to address the group during a session Friday titled "We Must Work Together." Some evangelicals had already criticized Warren for his different approach toward AIDS, which included working with gays. But the speech by the pro-choice potential presidential contender has drawn renewed vitriol from conservative Christian radio hosts and pundits, as well as some evangelical preachers... Saddleback Church responded to the criticism with a statement Wednesday defending Obama's appearance at the conference, but also noted Warren's disapproval of some of his political beliefs. Los Angeles Times: Evangelical pastor, Obama join forces to battle AIDS WHERE IS HILLARY? Democratic White House front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton has gone into hiding while rising rival Barack Obama dashes off to key battleground states and plans national TV appearances in advance of a likely presidential run. Obama, the Illinois senator and new Democratic darling, is even swooping into Clinton's Manhattan back yard Monday to deliver a sold-out keynote address for a children's anti-poverty benefit. Clinton has surrendered the national spotlight to Obama by not appearing at a public event in two weeks. Her aides said only that she is resting at home in Chappaqua. Obama is capitalizing on the opening: He's appearing on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" tomorrow night in an attempt to boost his popularity outside of politicos. New York Post: HIDE AND SEEK OH'S CUYAHOGA CTY. MAY SCRAP TOUCH-SCREEN VOTING MACHINES: Officials in the state's most populous county are considering scrapping touch-screen voting machines for the 2008 presidential election, saying the machines contributed to long lines at voting booths and are costly to operate. Cuyahoga County, where Cleveland is situated, spent $14 million on the Nov. 7 election and cannot afford to spend that much on every vote, county commissioners Tim Hagan and Jimmy Dimora said. Much of the money was spent training poll workers how to operate new touch-screen machines. With even greater turnout expected for the 2008 presidential election, commissioners are considering switching to optical-scan machines that read paper ballots. These machines, they say, are faster than the current touch screen machines because voters can fill out their ballots on paper before they are scanned and processed. They also say they are cheaper to train workers to operate. AP via Yahoo! News: Ohio county may junk e-voting machines "CHRISTMAS BLESSING" FOR GEORGE RYAN: A ruling that former Gov. George Ryan can remain free on bail during the appeal of his corruption conviction gives him a measure of hope that he ultimately may be vindicated. The decision made public Wednesday by a three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals spares Ryan from having to surrender to prison early next year as scheduled. "It's a Christmas blessing," former First Lady Lura Lynn Ryan said from the doorway of the family's Kankakee home. But several jurors who convicted Ryan in April considered the news a slap in the face. "If you wanted me to speak of my emotions, you couldn't print it," said James Cwick, 23, of Glen Ellyn. "The proof of his guilt is there. He should be going to jail on Jan. 4." Chicago Tribune: Ruling gives Ryan hope "IT'S A GOOD TIME TO BE ENTREPRENEURIAL" IF YOU'RE A TOP DEM LOBBYIST: Steve Elmendorf - one of the top Democratic operatives in Washington, D.C., with experience in Congress, electoral politics and lobbying - is leaving Bryan Cave Strategies, where he is president, to start his own lobbying shop. He is taking with him Bryan Cave lobbyists Kristi Kennedy and Jessica McEwen, the other Democrats at the firm. "It's a good time to be entrepreneurial," said Elmendorf, a former top aide to then-Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt (Mo.), "because I'm a Democrat." He also served as deputy campaign manager for the presidential run of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). Elmendorf, whose clients include Fannie Mae, Verizon, Ford Motor Co., and Shell, said he has not yet decided on a name for the venture and will spend December figuring out how he wants to staff his business. "I am very much in the rudimentary stages of figuring out how I want to do this," he said. Roll Call: Elmendorf Leaving Bryan Cave to Start Own Firm DUKAKIS' LATEST CAMPAIGN... PARK YOUR SUV CORRECTLY! Michael Dukakis lost his bid for president in 1988, but he can declare victory in his latest campaign - against parking scofflaws in Westwood. The former Massachusetts governor has been at the center of a more than two-year battle against the longtime practice of "apron parking" in the neighborhood west of UCLA known as North Village. There, parked cars spill out of apartment driveways and straddle sidewalks and streets. "It's a disaster," said Dukakis, who teaches public policy at UCLA and lives part-time in the neighborhood. "Beyond being illegal, it's dangerous. You get two SUVs with their rear ends sticking out into the street, and you end up with a one-way road. It's time to end it." Los Angeles city officials are now listening to Dukakis and the other critics of apron parking. As soon as January, parking enforcement officers will begin aggressively ticketing cars that partly block streets and sidewalks. Los Angeles Times: A Dukakis win in Westwood CUTTING OFF KIM: The U.S. list of more than 60 items reads like a letter to Santa from the dictator who has everything. Yachts, water scooters, race cars, motorcycles, even station wagons and Segways won't be crossing the border this season. There shall be no more DVD players and televisions larger than 29 inches for the man whose film library of 20,000 titles betrays a yen for Bond and Rambo. Kim's former chef has written that the man known as "Dear Leader" fancies sushi, Iranian caviar and shark-fin soup. He is said to have every grain of rice inspected for perfection. But he won't be served any of it on American china, which is on the list. After dinner, he often enjoys a glass of fine cognac -- so the United States put lead crystal and liquor on the list, too. Washington Post: Hitting Kim Jong Il Right in the Cognac FULL STATE DEPT LIST OF BANNED EXPORTS: (via State.gov) Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Concession in North Carolina's 8th district
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (AP) -- With defeat looking inevitable, Larry Kissell conceded Wednesday that he had been beaten by GOP Representative Robin Hayes in North Carolina's Eighth Congressional District.
The concession came after the first day of a hand recount requested by Kissell. The counting was to continue Thursday. Kissell trailed Hayes by just 329 votes out of more than 121-thousand cast following a machine recount last week. He gained only two votes Wednesday during a hand recount from a small sample of precincts. He probably would have needed to pick up another eight to 10 votes Thursday to force a full hand recount of every ballot cast in the election. The race was one of the last unresolved U-S House races in the nation. Baker and Hamilton to brief president on Iraq Study Group's findings
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Iraq Study Group Chairmen James Baker and Lee Hamilton will brief President Bush next Wednesday morning on their findings, two officials close to the Iraq Study Group told CNN Wednesday.
The meeting with the president will be followed by a briefing of congressional leaders of both parties. Other officials who have been privy to the Baker-Hamilton meetings told CNN that published reports suggesting deep divisions on the commission are off the mark. One official said he was "struck by the fact there did not seem to be two different sides" between the Democrats and Republicans on the study group. Former Secretary of State James Baker is a Republican while former Rep. Lee Hamilton is a Democrat. "They seemed to be working together -- a bipartisan spirit," the official said. -- CNN's Ed Henry
Brownback divesting his assets from companies dealing with Sudan
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Sam Brownback and his family plan to withdraw hundreds of thousands of dollars from investments in companies that do business with Sudan. The Kansas Republican is encouraging others to do the same.
Brownback, who is considering running for the White House in 2008, has spoken out against genocide in the African nation. Last week, he and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., wrote 44 governors to urge them to divest their employee pension funds from businesses linked to Sudan. "With so many lives at stake, we should do all we can to stop this genocide, both as individuals and as a community," Brownback said Wednesday. "We can all make a difference in Darfur." Defense eyeing further deployments to Iraq
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Pentagon is developing plans to send four more battalions to Iraq early next year, partly to boost security in Baghdad, defense officials said Wednesday. Meanwhile, a commission studying Iraq policy said it would make its report next week.
The extra combat engineer battalions of reserves, likely to be sent to Baghdad, would total about 3,500 troops, officials said. They said the units, coming from around the United States, have already done tours in Iraq but there has been no final decision on which will go. The moves come as violence continues to rise in Baghdad, and President Bush is under growing pressure to craft an exit strategy that would withdraw a substantial number of U.S. troops from Iraq while shifting more responsibility to the Iraqi government. Ahead on CNN
4 p.m. ET, The Situation Room
-Democratic Strategist Paul Begala and Republican Strategist Mike Murphy will weigh in on the latest developments in Iraq. 5 p.m. ET, The Situation Room -Ambassador Dave Satterfield will discuss the war in Iraq. -Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-New York, will weigh in on Iraq. 6 p.m. ET, Lou Dobbs Tonight -Bashar Ja'afari, the Syrian Ambassador to the United States, will discuss Syria's influence on Iraq. 9 p.m. ET, Larry King Live -Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, will discuss the latest developments in Iraq. Reid's longtime Chief of Staff to step down
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's longtime chief of staff is leaving the Nevada Democrat's office to head up a global organization that fights AIDS and poverty, Reid announced Wednesday.
Susan McCue, who has been with Reid for nearly fifteen years, will leave the senator's office in January to become President and CEO of the ONE campaign. Calling McCue a 'rare talent,' Reid said she deserves much credit for the Democratic victories in the midterm elections. "She has been at the center of every major political and policy decision I've made on and off the Senate floor, and deserves great credit for the Democratic victories just three weeks ago," Reid said in a statement. "She's a rare talent, and will be tremendously missed. I know that she will remain a close friend and adviser, and will make great strides at the ONE Campaign in eradicating poverty and disease around the globe." McCue will be replaced by Gary Myrick, an aide to Reid for the last three years. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Megapastor defends Obama invitation
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Famed pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren on Wednesday defended his invitation to Sen. Barack Obama to speak at his church despite objections from some evangelicals who oppose the Democrat's support for abortion rights.
Obama is one of nearly 60 speakers scheduled to address the second annual Global Summit on AIDS and the Church beginning Thursday at Warren's Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. Obama, who is mulling a run for president, plans to take an HIV test during his appearance Friday and encourage others to do the same. The Illinois Democrat will be joined by a potential 2008 White House rival -- Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas -- and is urging unity to fight AIDS despite differences on other issues. Roll Call: Boehner spokesman leaving for Romney campaign
WASHINGTON -- Kevin Madden, press secretary for House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), is leaving Capitol Hill to join Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) exploratory committee for a 2008 presidential bid.
Full story McCain: Frist's commitment to America 'will be long remembered'
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, praised outgoing Majority Leader Bill Frist's Senate career Wednesday, shortly after the Tennessee Republican announced he would forego the 2008 presidential race.
"We are lucky to have had Dr. Frist as a principled leader, a true humanitarian and a respected colleague who worked every day to advance the causes most important to our nation," McCain said. "His commitment to making America a safer place will be long remembered." Establishing a presidential exploratory committee two weeks ago, McCain is widely considered to be the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Iraq Study Group to release report December 6
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Iraq Study Group, the bipartisan panel assessing U.S. policies in the war in Iraq, will issue its report next Wednesday, a source told CNN
The report, prepared at the urging of Congress, is expected to include recommendations that will help the Bush administration deal with the conflict, which has deteriorated into what many people now say is a sectarian civil war. The study group is chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, a Republican, and former House member Lee Hamilton, a Democrat. -- CNN Correspondent Bob Franken
Reid: Immigration reform a top priority
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Calling illegal immigration reform the "most perplexing issue that faces America," incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, told CNN Espanol Tuesday he plans to introduce a comprehensive immigration bill at the beginning of the 110th Congress.
Reid said his bill will include boarder security initiatives, a guest-worker program, a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States, and sanctions against employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Reid said Congress cannot afford a delay on passing immigration reform. "I think we have no choice -- we must address this most perplexing issue that faces America, it's something that must be done, it's something we will do," Reid said. "We have to have comprehensive immigration reform -- it would be bad for the country to go for two years without doing something about this." -- CNN Espanol Correspondent Juan Carlos Lopez
Bush-Al-Maliki meeting postponed for a day
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) -- President Bush's high-stakes summit with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was put off Wednesday after public disclosure of U.S. doubts about his capacity to control sectarian warfare.
The White House said the two leaders would meet on Thursday. The postponement was announced shortly after Bush arrived here for talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II and al-Maliki. Bush's meeting with the king was to proceed on schedule. White House counselor Dan Bartlett denied that the move was a snub by al-Maliki or was related to the leak of a White House memo questioning the prime minister's capacity for controlling violence in Iraq. McConnell praises Frist's record of taking on new careers
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, who will succeed Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee for the top GOP post in the 110th Congress, praised Frist Wednesday for his courage to switch careers when he has reached the top of his field.
"Rare is the person who, acknowledged to be the very best in his field, risks leaving it all behind to tackle an entirely new career," McConnell said in a statement. "But Bill has now done that twice." -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Frist is third GOP leader likely not to run in 2008
PALO ALTO, Calif (CNN) -- Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist's decision not to throw his hat in the presidential ring marks the third GOP leader that once seriously considered running in 2008 but now will likely not. Sen. George Allen of Virginia, who ran the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the 2004 election cycle, was widely considered to be a presidential front-runner until he lost his re-election bid last November to Sen.-elect Jim Webb. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, the current GOP conference chair, had also expressed interest in a presidential bid before he was defeated in his re-election race to Sen.-elect Bob Casey, Jr. -- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston
Powell: Iraq violence meets the standard of 'civil war'
DUBAI (CNN) -- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday said Iraq's violence meets the standard of a "civil war" and that if he were heading the State Department now, he might recommend that the administration use that term to describe the carnage in the war-torn nation.
The Sunni-Shiite sectarian warfare that exploded this year and caused thousands of deaths and widespread displacement has prompted many news organizations and observers of the conflict to conclude that what is happening in Iraq now is a "civil war." Powell's comments are significant since he was a backer of the war effort and was the top U.S. diplomat when the United States invaded Iraq in 2003 and toppled the Saddam Hussein government. Frist says he's ready for political sabbatical
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Proclaiming he is ready to take a sabbatical from public life, outgoing Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, officially declared Wednesday he will not seek the White House in 2008.
"Karyn and I will take a sabbatical from public life," Frist said in a statement. "At this point a return to private life will allow me to return to my professional roots as a healer and to refocus my creative energies on innovative solutions to seemingly insurmountable challenges Americans face." Frist, who spent 20 years as a doctor before running for senate in 1994, says he looks forward to being a "strong voice" across the world on issues of healthcare. "In the short term, I will resume my regular medical mission trips as a doctor around the world to serve those in poverty, in famine, and in civil war," Frist said. "I will continue to be a strong voice to fix what is broken in our health care system and to address the issues of clean water and public health globally." -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Frist not running for president
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, will not seek the presidency in 2008, sources close to Frist told CNN.
According to a senior advisor to Frist, the senator is ready for a break from public service. "[The] biggest factor was timing -- he just needs a sabbatical from public service," the advisor said. -- CNN's Ed Henry, Andrea Koppel, Candy Crowley and Mark Preston
Post: Economics experts join Romney's PAC
WASHINGTON -- He hasn't even formed his presidential exploratory committee, but Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has already signed up an economic brain trust to advise him, led by two former chairmen of President Bush's Council of Economic Advisers.
Full story Vilsack set to kick off presidential campaign
MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) -- Gov. Tom Vilsack, D-Iowa, kicks off his pre-presidential campaign with a potluck supper in his hometown of Mount Pleasant tonight.
On the eve of formally launching his bid for the Democratic nomination, the two-term governor will feed about 150 friends and neighbors, plus members of the media. Vilsack says one of his most vivid impressions of Iowa came from family potlucks after he married Christie -- a tradition that was foreign to him growing up in Pittsburgh. Vilsack campaign spokesman Jeff Link says there will be almost 100 dishes plus roasters of meatloaf, turkey, ham and vegetable lasagna as well as pies, cakes and cheesecakes. Vilsack will formally announce his candidacy tomorrow morning in Mount Pleasant, where he served as mayor and which he represented in the Iowa Senate before being elected governor in 1998. He and his family will then travel to New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Nevada and South Carolina. On the campaign trail with potential '08ers
Edwards heads to Iowa Wednesday
Who: Former Sen. John Edwards, D-North Carolina What: Book signing event in Des Moines to promote "Home: The Blueprints of Our lives" More efforts surfacing to draft Obama as presidential candidate
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- The pressure is building on Democratic Senator Barack Obama to run for president in 2008.
This week, fellow Illinois Senator Dick Durbin sent a letter to political supporters encouraging them to sign a "Run, Barack, Run" petition. Another effort to get Obama to run has surfaced online. Democrat Todd Webster has created a Web site that he says attracted hundreds of Obama supporters within days, signing a petition urging Obama to run. Another online effort that began in October was revamped this week. A statement says a computer technician created the site after he saw Obama's keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Obama is in his first Senate term, but he has gathered national attention for his fresh face, commanding speaking style and compelling personal story. He'll be visiting New Hampshire next month, his first visit to the key early primary state. Weeks after election, a concession in Ohio
CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP) -- Three weeks after the midterm elections, Democrat Victoria Wulsin conceded to Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt on Tuesday.
The Associated Press declared Schmidt the winner November 21 after the first provisional ballot tallies were reported in the 2nd District. But Wulsin said then that she wanted to make sure all ballots were counted before conceding. "I definitely want to try again," Wulsin said about the possibility of running again. Full story CNN's Ohio-02 race results Democrats plan to revive embryonic stem cell bill
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The same embryonic stem cell bill that prompted President Bush's only veto is headed to his desk again, this time from Democrats who have it atop their agenda when they take control of Congress in January.
It's uncertain whether supporters of the measure can muster enough votes to override another veto. The bill, which would expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, is supported by a majority of Americans as a way to speed the search for possible cures for dozens of diseases. It is staunchly opposed by Bush and others who liken the process to abortion since it requires the destruction of human embryos. White House spokesman Tony Fratto said he would not "issue veto threats on hypothetical legislation" but added that Bush's position on the issue hasn't changed. During the last session of Congress, the bill fell 51 votes short in the House of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto, while Senate supporters needed four votes to get to the 67 required. Activists on both sides of the issue say new override votes would be cliffhangers. CNN Political Ticker AM
For the latest, breaking political news, check for updates throughout the day on the CNN Political Ticker. All politics, all the time.
Compiled by Stephen Bach CNN Washington Bureau Making news today... Full text of memo: (via NYTimes.com) "'How's your boy?' Bush asked, referring to Webb's son, a Marine serving in Iraq. 'I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President,' Webb responded, echoing a campaign theme. 'That's not what I asked you,' Bush said. 'How's your boy?' 'That's between me and my boy, Mr. President,' Webb said coldly." Meanwhile, "Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said an announcement of the senator's presidential intentions is now 'several weeks away,'" reports the Chicago Tribune. President's Schedule: Bush is scheduled to arrive in Amman, Jordan, at 12 pm ET (7 pm local), where tonight he'll meet with Jordan's King Abdullah and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki. Also on the Political Radar: * Republican governors head to Miami for their annual conference at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa. * Howard Dean gives the keynote address tonight at the Liberal Party of Canada's Leadership and Biennial Convention in Montreal. ================================================================= Political Hot Topics (Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country) "SERIOUS DOUBTS" ABOUT MALIKI IN CLASSIFIED MEMO: A classified memorandum by President Bush's national security adviser expressed serious doubts about whether Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki had the capacity to control the sectarian violence in Iraq and recommended that the United States take new steps to strengthen the Iraqi leader's position. The Nov. 8 memo was prepared for Mr. Bush and his top deputies by Stephen J. Hadley, the national security adviser, and senior aides on the staff of the National Security Council after a trip by Mr. Hadley to Baghdad... "His intentions seem good when he talks with Americans, and sensitive reporting suggests he is trying to stand up to the Shia hierarchy and force positive change," the memo said of the Iraqi leader. "But the reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action." New York Times: Bush Adviser's Memo Cites Doubts About Iraqi Leader EMERGENCY SPENDING REQUEST "GENERATING CONTROVERSY" INSIDE PENTAGON: The Pentagon is preparing an emergency spending proposal that could be larger and broader than any since the Sept. 11 attacks, covering not only the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but extending to other military operations connected to the Bush administration's war on terrorism. The spending plans may push the Defense Department into conflict with Democrats as they take control of Capitol Hill in January. Democrats had been planning to limit the emergency "supplemental" spending measures that have funded the wars in favor of the regular federal budget process, which affords greater oversight and congressional control. Congressional and military officials have said the Pentagon is considering a request of $127 billion to $150 billion in new emergency war spending, the largest such request since the special spending measures were begun in 2001. So far, Congress has allocated $495 billion for Afghanistan, Iraq and terrorism-related efforts. Even within the Pentagon, the spending request is generating controversy. Los Angeles Times: Controversy over Pentagon's war-spending plan GATES CALLS FOR "DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT" WITH IRAN, SYRIA: Robert M. Gates, President Bush's nominee to become the next secretary of defense, said he opposes a swift pullout from Iraq, arguing in written testimony submitted yesterday to Congress that "leaving Iraq in chaos would have dangerous consequences both in the region and globally for many years to come." Gates, whose confirmation hearings are scheduled to begin next week, also staked out positions on Iran and Syria that are consistent with his past views but appear to be at odds with the Bush administration's current policies. He called for diplomatic engagement with both countries, noting that "even in the worst days of the cold war the U.S. maintained a dialogue with the Soviet Union and China and I believe those channels of communication helped us manage many potentially difficult situations." Washington Post: Gates Warns Against Leaving Iraq 'in Chaos' CHERTOFF ADMITS "BEAN COUNTING" IN CUTTING NY TERROR FUNDS: Six months after slashing New York's anti-terror funds, Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff yesterday admitted the feds were guilty of "bean counting" - a stunning acknowledgement from the man behind the cuts. Chertoff - who emphatically defended the funding squeeze last summer - yesterday all but said the Department of Homeland Security goofed by stiffing the nation's top terror target. "We've come to the conclusion that perhaps there was a little too much bean counting and a little less standing back and applying common sense to look at the total picture," Chertoff told a grant-writing conference. New York Post: HOMELAND BOSS: WE ERRED IN $TIFFING N.Y. HASTINGS WON'T GET INTEL GAVEL: Moving to end weeks of damaging speculation, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said she wouldn't appoint Rep. Alcee Hastings, who was impeached as a federal judge, to be the next chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Ms. Pelosi gave no indication of who would get the post, but aides indicated that a decision could follow quickly this week in a bid to resolve the issue, which has been used by her critics to try to isolate the California Democrat and incoming House speaker. The criticism of her leadership is striking given that no other speaker before her has had the same length of service on the intelligence panel as Ms. Pelosi. Wall Street Journal: Pelosi Moves to End Quarrel Over Intelligence Post PELOSI ALSO PASSES ON HARMAN: Pelosi was not willing to bend the committee's unique term-limit rules for Harman, who she believes had violated a promise to step aside, according to Democrats. Harman had angered some Democrats with a tough management style that helped drive away longtime Democratic staffers... Instead of picking Harman or Hastings, Pelosi will look for a compromise candidate, probably Rep. Silvestre Reyes (Tex.), but possibly Rep. Norman D. Dicks (Wash.), a hawkish member of the Appropriations defense subcommittee, or Rep. Sanford Bishop (Ga.), a conservative African American with experience on the intelligence committee. Washington Post: Hastings, Harman Rejected for Chairmanship LABOR REPS, LIBERAL LEADERS, AND TOP DEMS MEET TO "PLOT STRATEGY": Labor union representatives, liberal leaders, and aides to House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) met yesterday to begin work on a broad lobbying push to promote Pelosi's 100-legislative-hour agenda with a campaign expected to mimic the one that helped defeat President Bush's proposed reforms to Social Security. Yesterday's meeting is a signal that interest groups allied with Democrats are going on the offensive, transitioning from the defensive crouch they have held for much of Bush's time in office. The purpose of the gathering was to ensure that party allies are unified during the first crucial weeks of the Democratic majority and that the agenda Democrats campaigned on this fall does not become entangled by interest-group squabbles and competition. The Hill: Dems, allies plot strategy GET READY TO "PUT IN SOME HOURS," SAYS REID: Senate Majority Leader-elect Harry Reid said Tuesday he's doing away with the "do-nothing Congress" that Democrats campaigned against and plans to keep senators working long hours - focusing first on ethics, the minimum wage and stem cell research. The Nevada Democrat said he would tackle those priorities after cleaning up the "financial mess" the outgoing Republican Congress is leaving behind, a reference to nine long-overdue spending bills covering 13 Cabinet departments for the budget year that began Oct. 1. "They're just leaving town, it appears," Reid said during an interview with The Associated Press in his Capitol office. "And so we're going to have to find a way to fund the government for the next year." AP via Yahoo! News: Senate leader-elect sets agenda NRSC IN DEBT: The Republicans' senatorial campaign arm, which lagged behind other national party committees in fundraising the past two years, emerged from the Nov. 7 election in debt and is soliciting donations to get out of the red. In an urgent appeal to donors this week, Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, the chairwoman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, beseeched contributors to "help us retire our debt." "If we let this debt linger, it will cripple our efforts to recruit great candidates for the next election and begin our drive to win the one additional seat we need to regain the Senate majority," Dole wrote. AP via Yahoo! News: GOP senatorial committee in the red $2 BIL. IN MIL. EQUIPMENT "WEARING OUT" OR "BEING DESTROYED" EVERY MONTH: About $2 billion worth of Army and Marine Corps equipment - from rifles to tanks - is wearing out or being destroyed every month in Iraq and Afghanistan, military leaders and outside experts say. That's equal to about a quarter of the $8 billion per month in military war costs. The wear and tear may lead to future equipment shortages and cutbacks in more advanced weapons, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter being developed with allies around the world and the Army's new, high-tech family of weapons and equipment, says William Cohen, secretary of Defense from 1997 to 2001. Pressure to keep spending under control can lead to cuts in both current maintenance and future weapons, Cohen says, but "the longer we defer on that, the more expensive it's going to be." USA Today: Wars wearing down military gear at cost of about $2 billion a month BUSH WANTS TO MODIFY VISA WAIVER PROGRAM: President Bush said yesterday he will push Congress for a "loosening" of requirements for foreigners to visit the United States without a visa, pitting him against those who have called for the program instead to be tightened or even scrapped altogether after September 11. The Visa Waiver Program allows visitors with valid passports from 27 approved countries to enter the United States for up to 90 days without a visa. That makes tourism and business travel easier by eliminating the need for a visa, though such travelers can avoid a security screening. After meeting with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves in Tallinn, Mr. Bush said he will press Congress to revamp the program to allow more countries to join. Washington Times: Bush seeks to ease visa requirement WEBB GETS OFF TO TESTY START WITH PRESIDENT BUSH: At a recent White House reception for freshman members of Congress, Virginia's newest senator tried to avoid President Bush. Democrat James Webb declined to stand in a presidential receiving line or to have his picture taken with the man he had often criticized on the stump this fall. But it wasn't long before Bush found him. "How's your boy?" Bush asked, referring to Webb's son, a Marine serving in Iraq. "I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President," Webb responded, echoing a campaign theme. "That's not what I asked you," Bush said. "How's your boy?" "That's between me and my boy, Mr. President," Webb said coldly, ending the conversation on the State Floor of the East Wing of the White House. Washington Post: In Following His Own Script, Webb May Test Senate's Limits OBAMA TO MAKE HIS NEW HAMPSHIRE DEBUT: New Hampshire's Democratic Party has chosen one of the hottest potential Presidential candidates to help it celebrate its historic Election Day sweep. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama accepted the party's invitation to be the "special guest" at an event in Manchester on Dec. 10 "to honor the historic victory that turned a red New Hampshire to solid blue for the first time since 1874," the party said in a statement yesterday... It will mark Obama's first visit to the state with the first-in-the-nation primary. Although he visited first-caucus state Iowa three times in the fall and has reportedly begun talking to political advisers there about a Presidential campaign, "New Hampshire is different," said state party chair Kathy Sullivan. New Hampshire Union Leader: Democrats land Obama for Dec. 10 NH celebration OBAMA ANNOUNCEMENT "SEVERAL WEEKS AWAY": [Senator Barack Obama] recently has discussed a potential campaign with leading Democratic activists in Iowa, which holds the influential caucus that kicks off the presidential primary campaign in early 2008. Among those he has spoken with are the former Iowa campaign managers for 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry and 2000 Democratic nominee Al Gore, an Obama campaign adviser said. Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said an announcement of the senator's presidential intentions is now "several weeks away." The recent release of his second memoir, "The Audacity of Hope," and a publicity tour in promotion of the book has bolstered his already high visibility just as he is contemplating a presidential run. Chicago Tribune: Obama tests presidential waters ANTI-HILLARY GROUP GETS BOO$T FROM DALLAS BUSINESSMAN: Now that Sen. Hillary Clinton is focusing on 2008 and weighing a presidential run, her enemies are focusing on her. At least one has begun pouring cash into a group called Stop Her Now, which was launched a year and a half ago in a bid to damage Clinton's Senate reelection. That didn't happen. Even though the outfit was hatched by New York GOP heavyweight Arthur Finkelstein, it barely broke $25,000 in fund-raising. But Dallas businessman and political operative Dick Collins has now taken charge. Between late July and Sept. 30 - the most recent period for which data are available - Collins spent $80,000 on the group. New York Daily News: New king of anti-Hil CLARK SAYS HE SHOULD HAVE JUMPED IN EARLIER IN '04: Wesley Clark said Tuesday he wants to avoid waiting too late to make a decision on whether to run for president - a mistake he made in his failed 2004 bid. "I think it was clear that I got in too late last time," the retired general and former NATO commander told The Associated Press in an interview. Clark announced his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in September 2003, just four months before the first votes were cast. He dropped out of the race the following February, with his only victory in 14 caucuses and primaries coming in Oklahoma. Clark is considering running again, but he said the late start was one of the mistakes he learned from in his last attempt. AP via Yahoo! News: Clark wants to avoid late campaign start NY SHOOTING PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON SHARPTON: The morning 23-year-old Sean Bell was shot to death by police, his grieving relatives did something that has become almost routine in such cases: They called the Rev. Al Sharpton. Within hours, the longtime civil rights activist had consoled relatives, held two news conferences, and begun organizing a community rally for the next day. Sharpton has long been a fixture on New York's left-wing scene, and has been especially vocal in his crusade against police brutality since the 1990s. But the Saturday shooting, which left Bell dead on his wedding day and wounded two other black men, is proving again how far Sharpton has come since the days he was routinely derided as a race-baiting, publicity-hungry opportunist. AP via Yahoo! News: Sharpton's stature rises amid shooting PHILLY MAYOR'S BROTHER INDICTED: Mayor Street's flamboyant brother, T. Milton Street Sr., was indicted on federal corruption and tax charges yesterday in connection with alleged scams at Philadelphia International Airport. Specifically, Milton Street is accused of failing to pay taxes on more than $2 million worth of income from 2000 to 2004. He also was accused of defrauding a prospective airport contractor, which gave him $80,000 on the promise that Street could get it a $3.2 million contract that didn't exist. In another instance, Street is accused of kicking back almost $100,000 to a businessman in exchange for help that businessman provided in ensuring that Street obtained a lucrative airport contract. Philadelphia Inquirer: Mayor's brother indicted in alleged scams Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Carter: Iraq one of the 'greatest blunders' by any American president
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former President Jimmy Carter sharply criticized President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq Tuesday and told CNN he believes the U.S. invasion of the country may prove to be as big a blunder as the U.S.'s eight year involvement in the Vietnam War. "It's going to prove, I believe, to be one of the greatest blunders that American presidents have ever made," Carter told Wolf Blitzer on 'The Situation Room.' When asked how Iraq will be compared to Vietnam, Carter said it will be a "close call" but noted U.S. actions in Iraq are more publicized around the world than they were in Vietnam. "I think its going to be a close call, but perhaps much more vividly known by the rest of the world than Vietnam was," Carter said. But the former president said he disagreed with those who have labeled the situation in Iraq a "civil war." "I think civil war is a serious -- a more serious circumstance than exists in Iraq," Carter said. "And I say that based on some of the civil wars with which we've been involved in the last few years." -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Rice schedules talks with Palestinian president
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank this week, U.S. and Palestinian officials said Tuesday.
The meeting will be held Thursday between sessions of a foreign ministers' conference Rice will attend in neighboring Jordan, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. The talks will be held in the West Bank city of Jericho, he said. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat announced the meeting earlier Tuesday. McCormack said Rice was likely to have other meetings around the Forum for the Future conference and would remain behind after President Bush holds his Wednesday-Thursday talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. But no talks with Israeli officials have been scheduled yet, he said. Cheney still in the hunt
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney was spotted visiting a hunting store in Thomasville, Georgia Tuesday, the latest sign the avid hunter has not given up on his favorite pastime despite accidentally shooting a friend in the face on a hunting jaunt last spring.
The vice president -- sporting hunting regalia -- was greeted with cheers as he entered and exited the store. Cheney also spent the past Election Day hunting in South Dakota -- his first trip since the accidental shooting last February. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Ahead on CNN
4 p.m. ET, The Situation Room
-Former President Jimmy Carter will discuss his new book, "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid." 5 p.m. ET, The Situation Room -Democratic strategist Paul Begala and former GOP Rep. J.C. Watts will weigh in on the latest conditions in Iraq and the president's trip abroad. -Maj. Gen. William Caldwell will discuss the conditions in Iraq. 6 p.m. ET, Lou Dobbs Tonight -Rev. Jesse Jackson will discuss actor Michael Richards' controversial remarks at a comedy club last week. Pelosi says no to Hastings heading up intelligence committee
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi, D-California, will not name Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Florida, the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, a Democratic aide tells CNN.
Pelosi met with Hastings earlier Tuesday to inform him he will not be named chairman, the aide said. Hastings has served on the committee for seven years, but was a controversial potential choice. He was impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate who removed him as a federal judge in 1989 -- though he was acquitted in court on bribery charges. Hastings was subsequently elected to Congress in 1992. Pelosi has already indicated she will not hand the chairmanship to Rep. Jane Harman of California -- the current ranking Democrat on the committee. Reps. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, Sanford Bishop of Georgia, Norm Dicks of Washington, and Rush Holt of New Jersey remain in the running for the intelligence post. -- CNN's Andrea Koppel and Deirdre Walsh
Clark says he wants to avoid jumping into '08 campaign too late
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