Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Bush taking steps before presenting Iraq plan
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush will consult with Congress and the Iraqi government in the next few days -- steps he had pledged to take before announcing any tactical changes in his policy on the Iraq war, according to administration officials.
Bush will host the Democratic and Republican leadership of the House and Senate at an evening White House reception Wednesday, officials told CNN. During that reception, he will hold "informal discussions about the year ahead," including his deliberations on Iraq. Those invited include incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner, incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. However, Bush has not yet reached out to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to discuss the Iraq plan, as was expected before he addresses the American people. Administration officials have stressed, though, they remain in "constant" contact with Iraqi officials. Several sources said Bush is not expected to address the nation this week, but likely will do so next week. Bush has not signed off on any changes, including a possible surge in U.S. troops, according to sources knowledgeable about his deliberations on Iraq. But the sources say he is "driving toward a conclusion" and a plan is "taking shape" and "getting more detailed" as the president puts "on the finer points." -- CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux
Giuliani's campaign concerns aired in public
NEW YORK (CNN) -- An internal Rudy Giuliani campaign memo listing everything from potential budgets to political baggage was supposed to stay top secret. But the 140 page document made the front page of the New York Daily News Tuesday and Giuliani's camp suggests its leaking is nothing short of a dirty political trick.
Daily News reporter Ben Smith, who obtained the document, says the Giuliani camp aims to raise at least $100 million in 2007, as the former New York City mayor prepares a run for the White House. Giuliani has already opened up an exploratory committee as he considers a presidential bid. Smith said "the most striking thing was that there was this sort of explicit worries about some of these issues with his ex-wife Donna Hanover, his current wife, his business. Social issues were last among the worries." Republican strategists tell CNN it's not surprising these concerns would be listed. Giuliani supports abortion and gay rights, which clashes with social conservatives in his party. While he was the New York City mayor, Giuliani's divorce from Hanover became fodder for the tabloids. And his former aide and police commissioner Bernard Kerik -- has become a source of embarrassment due to Kerik's own publicized problems. GOP strategist Jonathan Grella said what he finds surprising is that these concerns would be written down. "It would seem that these are not the kind of things that you would want to put down on paper," said Grella, a former spokesman for ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. "It's an old political maxim not to ever put pen to paper in situations like this." Sunny Mindel, Giuliani's spokeswoman, said the document belonged to a staffer traveling with the former mayor, as he campaigned for Republicans in the months leading up to the midterm elections. Mindel said during a plane transfer, the staffer's luggage was not returned and claims that the document was removed and photocopied before the luggage was returned to the staffer. Smith, of the Daily News, told CNN he obtained the document from a source sympathetic to one of Giuliani's opponents, who said the document had been left behind. -- CNN Correspondent Mary Snow
Ford funeral memorabilia for sale
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As the nation mourns the passing of former President Gerald Ford, people are seeking to cash in on the events celebrating his life in public service.
Already, there are postings for memorabilia from the funeral, Taegan Goddard's Political Wire reports: http://www.politicalwire.com/. Among the items for sale include the official funeral cards. Democrats plan Iraq hearings
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Incoming Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Michigan, has tentatively scheduled a hearing on Iraq for January 11th, with newly installed Defense Secretary Robert Gates as the sole witness.
Levin has not set the date in stone, because he is waiting for President Bush to first outline his plan for Iraq. The Michigan Democrat also tentatively plans to hold hearings on January 18th and 25th, with additional military, administration, and expert witnesses to discuss Bush's plan, according to Levin spokeswomen Tara Andringa. Levin's planned hearings come a week after Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware, who is about to take over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced he will hold a series of Iraq hearings starting Jan. 9. Biden said he has asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to testify before his panel, and the Delaware Democrat said she has agreed but has not confirmed a date. Biden added that Rice told him she wouldn't commit until she knew when the president would make his decision. -- CNN's Ted Barrett and Dana Bash
Poll: Americans not confident Democratic Congress will enact reforms
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Americans are somewhat pessimistic that Democrats, who assume control of Congress this week, will carry out "real" reforms, according to survey findings released Tuesday.
New members of the 110th Congress will be sworn in Thursday. The CNN poll conducted last month by Opinion Research Corporation found 49 percent of the 1,019 respondents believe Democrats will carry out no significant reforms; 46 percent believe they will. Still, the 46 percent is an increase over a poll taken after Republicans took over both houses of Congress in 1994, and pledged to follow their "Contract With America." At that time, only 37 percent of Americans expected reform to follow. In the latest poll, six in 10 people approve of how the Democrats are handling the transition from Republican control -- in 1994, just 50 percent approved of how House Speaker Newt Gingrich was handling the transition. Full poll results Ahead on CNN
4 p.m. ET, The Situation Room
-Democratic strategist Paul Begala and Terry Jeffrey, editor-at-large of "Human Events," will discuss the outing of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's campaign plans and weigh in on the upcoming congressional session. 5 p.m. ET, The Situation Room -Former Defense Secretary William Cohen will discuss the United States' policy towards gay members of the military. 9 p.m. ET, Larry King Live -Former Sen. Alan Simpson, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, and Bob Schieffer of CBS News will remember former President Gerald Ford. Romney to create a presidential exploratory committee
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will take his first official step towards a White House run Wednesday when he creates an exploratory committee, which will allow him to raise money under federal campaign finance rules.
"The governor is expected to file papers to form an exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday," a Romney aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told CNN. "A formal announcement officially declaring his candidacy is expected to come later." Romney is stepping down after serving one term as governor and is considered one of the leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. The Associated Press first reported that Romney would officially file the exploratory paperwork on Wednesday. -- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston
GOP leadership to offer outlook of 110th Congress
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The incoming GOP House leadership team is slated to hold a press conference Wednesday to discuss their outlook for the 110th Congress.
Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri, Conference Chairman Adam Putnam of Florida, and David Dreier of California, the ranking Republican on the House Rules Committee, are expected to be on hand for the question-and-answer session. The GOP's press conference comes only a half-hour before incoming Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, is set to assess the upcoming Congressional session in a briefing with reporters. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Pelosi set for busy week of celebrations
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi, D-California, is set for a busy week of celebratory events as the 110th Democratic-lead Congress prepares to be sworn in Thursday.
On Wednesday, Pelosi will attend a "Women's Tea" in Washington honoring her as the first female House speaker. She will also celebrate her Italian heritage at a closed-door dinner at the Italian Embassy on Wednesday night. House members will elect her as speaker on Thursday, after which she will be officially sworn in. Pelosi then delivers the keynote at a $1,000 per-person Democratic fundraising "Celebration Concert," featuring artists Tony Bennett, Carole King and Wyclef Jean. The entire House Democratic leadership will cap off the week with an "Open House for the People's House" reception Friday morning, before Pelosi heads to her birth-city of Baltimore to have a street named in her honor. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Massachusetts lawmakers advance proposed gay-marriage ban
BOSTON (AP) -- Lawmakers in Massachusetts, the only state where gay marriage is legal, on Tuesday voted to advance a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, a critical step toward putting the measure the 2008 election ballot.
The proposed amendment, which would define marriage as between one man and one woman, and would ban future gay marriages, still needs approval of the next legislative session before it can go onto the ballot. The vote Tuesday in the constitutional convention came without debate, immediately after state Senate President Robert Travaglini officially opened the joint session. Earlier in the day, Gov elect Deval Patrick had met with Travaglini and House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi to urge against a vote, calling it a "question of conscience." He said the proposed amendment was the first time the amendment process was being used "to consider reinserting discrimination into the constitution." National Urban League to honor Clyburn
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The National Urban League will host a reception Wednesday honoring incoming Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-South Carolina, who will become the highest ranking African-American in the 110th Congress.
Marc H. Morial, the president and chief executive officer of the organization, and Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Michigan, the current chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, are among those slated to attend the reception. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Iowa-based 'Independents for Obama' takes root
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- DraftObama.org, a grassroots movement urging Sen. Barack Obama to run for president, launched an Iowa-based group Tuesday to reflect support from independent voters for the Illinois Democrat's potential presidential run.
The new group -- called "Independents for Obama" -- "comes in response to growing calls on the group's Web site to acknowledge the significant support of non-party affiliated voters for a presidential run by Senator Obama," according to a statement. "We felt it important to recognize the growing presence within our camp of independent voters," said Ben Stanfield, founder of DraftObama.org. "Like many of us, these voters -- who represent up to a third of the electorate -- are drawn to Senator Obama's pursuit of a truly American Agenda and a rejection of the politics of division and rancor." Obama, who was expected to decide on a presidential run during his vacation in Hawaii last week, has said he will announce his plans soon. -- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Bush to praise Ford as 'the best of America'
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush is set to hail former President Gerald Ford as a man who exemplified "the best of America" in a ten-minute eulogy to be delivered at 10:45 a.m. ET, according to White House spokesperson Emily Lawrimore.
"In President Ford, the world saw the best of America -- and America found a man whose character and leadership would bring calm and healing to one of the most divisive moments in our nation's history," the president will say, according to prepared remarks made available to CNN. Bush's eulogy will emphasize "President Ford's character throughout his life and his leadership during a divisive moment in our nation's history," Lawrimore told CNN. "Gerald Ford assumed the presidency when the nation needed a leader of character and humility -- and we found it in the man from Grand Rapids," Bush will say. "President Ford's time in office was brief -- but history will long remember the courage and common sense that helped restore trust in the workings of democracy." Bush is also expected to meet privately with Betty Ford, the president's widow, and the Ford family at the National Cathedral before the service this morning, a senior administration official told CNN. -- CNN White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano
Decision day for Mass. legislators on gay marriage amendment
BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Crowds of gay marriage supporters and opponents waved signs outside the Statehouse as legislators arrived Tuesday for a possible vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
The amendment's backers collected 170,000 signatures to get it on the 2008 ballot, but it still needs the Legislature's approval. Tuesday was the final day of the legislative session, and Senate President Robert Travaglini hasn't said if he'll force a vote. Last fall, the Legislature angered the amendment's backers and the governor when it recessed without voting on the issue. The proposed amendment would leave all Massachusetts' existing same-sex marriages intact but would ban any more. Backers of the amendment gathered directly at the foot of the Statehouse steps Tuesday with signs reading "Let the People Vote." Gay marriage opponents argue it should be up to the people, not the courts, to define something as important as marriage. Supporters of gay marriage, who held their own rally across Beacon Street on Tuesday, say the civil rights of a minority should not be put to a popular vote. D.C. may finally get representation with taxation
WASHINGTON (AP) -- After more than 200 years of paying taxes, fighting in the nation's wars and abiding by sometimes arbitrary acts of Congress, Washington residents are close to getting a full-fledged representative in the House.
The turning point in this long battle for enfranchisement may be an unlikely partnership with the people of Utah. The new Democratic majority, in the first months of the new Congress, is expected to take up a bill that would increase the voting membership of the House from 435 to 437, giving new vote each to Utah, a Republican stronghold, and the District of Columbia, dominated by Democrats. Prospects are also good in the Senate. Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, who calls himself an independent Democrat, will chair the committee of jurisdiction there. Lieberman is a leading supporter of the measure, and Utah's two Republican senators have endorsed it as well. Washington residents have been clamoring for representation ever since Congress moved to Washington from Philadelphia in 1800. Regardless, the 600,000 citizens of the district are still the only residents of a national capital in any democracy in the world without full voting rights. Full story CNN Political Ticker AM
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Compiled by Stephen Bach CNN Washington Bureau Making news today... President Ford's casket will be moved from the Capitol this morning to National Cathedral, where the National Funeral Service begins at 10:30 am ET. This afternoon, the casket will be transported to Ford's presidential museum in Grand Rapids, MI, for public viewing through tomorrow morning. "At the center of his efforts: a massive fund-raising push to bring in at least $100 million this year, with a scramble for at least $25 million in the next three months alone," the Daily News reports. Also included: "a list of the candidate's central problems in bullet-point form." So, what's on that list? Find out in Hot Topics below! President's Schedule: ================================================================= Political Hot Topics (Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country) IRAQ'S "UNRAVELING" IN '06 TOOK "MOST OF MR. BUSH'S WAR COUNCIL BY SURPRISE": President Bush began 2006 assuring the country that he had a "strategy for victory in Iraq." He ended the year closeted with his war cabinet on his ranch trying to devise a new strategy, because the existing one had collapsed. The original plan, championed by Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the top commander in Baghdad, and backed by Donald H. Rumsfeld, then the defense secretary, called for turning over responsibility for security to the Iraqis, shrinking the number of American bases and beginning the gradual withdrawal of American troops. But the plan collided with Iraq's ferocious unraveling, which took most of Mr. Bush's war council by surprise. New York Times: Chaos Overran Iraq Plan in '06, Bush Team Says TROOP SURGE "ALMOST CERTAINLY" WILL BE "CENTERPIECE" NEW IRAQ STRATEGY: For the Bush administration, deploying tens of thousands of additional troops to Iraq may not be as tough a call as deciding when to bring them home. White House officials say a troop "surge" almost certainly will be the centerpiece of Mr. Bush's new strategy for Iraq to be unveiled mid-month. But while administration officials have gone to great lengths to emphasize that the extra troops will be in Iraq only temporarily, there is no clear definition of how long that might be. Several Democratic and Republican lawmakers who endorsed the increase say they want the extra troops in Iraq for just three to six months. Senior military commanders believe the extra forces can be sustained in Iraq for only six to 12 months before logistical and manpower strains become untenable. Wall Street Journal: Calibrating a Troop 'Surge' KISSINGER'S RE-EMERGENCE "STIRRING MEMORIES AND REKINDLING DEBATES" OF VIETNAM: Of all the aging Washington power brokers who have re-emerged in the shadow of the death of former President Gerald R. Ford, there is one, Henry A. Kissinger, for whom the return to the spotlight may be as much curse as blessing... He is expected to be among a select few, including President Bush, to eulogize Mr. Ford on Tuesday at services at the Washington National Cathedral. But at a time when the American public has soured on the war in Iraq - indeed, at the precise moment the United States is recording the milestone of 3,000 American deaths there - Mr. Kissinger's reappearance is stirring memories and rekindling debates about his role in managing another unpopular conflict, the Vietnam War. New York Times: Kissinger's Appearance Revives Memories of Vietnam Era DEMS WILL "LARGELY SIDELINE REPUBLICANS" DURING 1ST 100 HOURS: As they prepare to take control of Congress this week and face up to campaign pledges to restore bipartisanship and openness, Democrats are planning to largely sideline Republicans from the first burst of lawmaking. House Democrats intend to pass a raft of popular measures as part of their well-publicized plan for the first 100 hours. They include tightening ethics rules for lawmakers, raising the minimum wage, allowing more research on stem cells and cutting interest rates on student loans. But instead of allowing Republicans to fully participate in deliberations, as promised after the Democratic victory in the Nov. 7 midterm elections, Democrats now say they will use House rules to prevent the opposition from offering alternative measures, assuring speedy passage of the bills and allowing their party to trumpet early victories. Washington Post: Democrats To Start Without GOP Input 100 HOUR AGENDA INCLUDES MODEST, POPULAR BILLS... NO "REVOLUTION": When Democrats take power on Capitol Hill this week, House leaders will kick off their legislative campaign with a lightning-fast 100-hour agenda. But there won't be a revolution. In marked contrast to the Republicans who swept into the majority in 1994, incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her legislative allies are not planning to amend the Constitution or eradicate federal agencies. Instead, their initial legislative foray will focus on modest, politically popular issues, including initiatives to expand stem cell research, lower prescription drug prices and tighten congressional ethics rules. Los Angeles Times: Democrats to tackle modest proposals INTRA-PARTY DIFFERENCES COULD HINDER DEMS: While most attention will be focused on the divide between Republicans and Democrats, members of the new majority have their own differing perspectives, corresponding largely to length of service, that could ultimately prove more crucial to their success or failure. Of 233 Democrats who will be sworn in on Thursday, 147 - 63 percent - have been elected since Republicans won control of the House in 1994, and have never served in the majority. Those whose service predates the 1994 revolution, on the other hand, number only 86, or 37 percent. But it is this core of senior Democrats, Mr. Dingell among them, who will lead 20 of the 21 major committees and so exercise concentrated legislative power. New York Times: As New Congress Nears, House Democrats Could Be Headed for Own Divide DON'T EXPECT "A BIPARTISAN LOVE FESTIVAL": When the 110th Congress convenes Thursday, it will be a historic moment as the Republican Party turns the gavel over to Democrats in both the House and the Senate and the first woman takes her place as House speaker. That moment will mark a shift in the balance of power in Washington as President Bush's authority diminishes and Democrats attempt to hold him accountable for his administration's actions. Bush won't be able to control the legislative branch, telling Republican leaders what to do while generally getting his way. But after the pageantry and the pomp of swearing in newly elected members, Democrats may find it's uphill from there as they struggle to enact laws, not just pass bills. "I don't think the 110th Congress is going to be very productive," said Stephen Hess of the Brookings Institution. "If you thought the 109th was down the drain, wait till you see this." Chicago Tribune: Difficult year is predicted for Congress GET READY FOR "PELOSI-PALOOZA": During her first 100 hours as House speaker, Nancy Pelosi has vowed, she will sweep an aggressive legislative agenda through the newly Democratic-controlled House. But first comes Pelosi-palooza. In a three-day stretch of whirlwind events beginning on Wednesday, Mrs. Pelosi will celebrate her heritage (at the Italian Embassy), her faith (in a Roman Catholic Mass), her education (at Trinity College), her childhood (in Baltimore) and her current home (in a tribute by the singer Tony Bennett, of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" fame). She will embrace her status as the first female House speaker with a tea for women. She will highlight her pull among Democrats with a $1,000-per-person fund-raising concert. And she will welcome visitors to the halls of Congress in an open-house tour. New York Times: A Party, With Pelosi Front and Center MEMBERS TOO BUSY FOR FREE TRIPS: The January junket to warmer climates, a postholiday tradition of sorts for some members of Congress, could be headed to the wayside. An accelerated work schedule set up by the new Democratic leadership has put a halt on many January excursions funded by lobbyists. Given that Democrats are taking over the House and Senate in part because of GOP ethics scandals, some lawmakers are fearful of the voters' wrath anyway if they go on the trips. "I think members are looking more closely at privately funded travel, and I think ... many of them are being careful and avoiding it," said Rep. Charles Dent, R-Pa. The last time members had to work much of January was 1995, when a newly Republican-led House took control, recalled Todd Hauptli, senior executive vice president of the American Association of Airport Executives. AP via Yahoo! News: Lawmakers' January junkets curbed THREE OF FIVE '08 SENATE DEMS GET GAVELS (AND FREE PUBLICITY): Senate Democrats interested in White House bids will get tons of free publicity starting in January with new and prominent posts on key panels. Senators hoping to pontificate on Iraq, global warming or health care policy will enjoy multiple hearings -- some televised live -- and the amplified political microphone that comes with being in the majority party. Among the five Democratic senators who are widely expected to seek their party's presidential nomination, three will hold chairmanships when the 110th Congress opens Thursday. Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware will assume the most prominent post of the bunch as incoming chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee... Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts will be chairman of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut will lead the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Washington Times: Senate panels to supply soapbox DODD'S BANKING POST OFFERS OPPORTUNITY "TO RAISE SOME REAL DOUGH": The White House isn't the only prestigious address on Sen. Christopher Dodd's mind as he nears a decision on whether he'll plunge into a crowded field of Democratic presidential contenders. Wall Street also looms large. The Connecticut senator will become chairman of the Senate Banking Committee in Congress, giving him oversight of the nation's banking, financial services and insurance industries. The post will create new fundraising opportunities - a potential boost for a longshot prospect like Dodd who must prove he can raise the tens of million of dollars needed to stay competitive in the 2008 campaign. "Any time you are chairman of a committee that oversees, arguably, the wealthiest sector of society, that's a significant opportunity to raise some real dough," said Chris Lehane, a Democratic strategist from several presidential campaigns. "But it's potentially a double-edged sword." AP via Yahoo! News: Dodd well-positioned for White House bid ROMNEY WILL FILE PAPERS AFTER FORD FUNERAL: Gov. Mitt Romney this week will submit the necessary paperwork to form a presidential exploratory committee, but not until funeral services for former President Gerald R. Ford have concluded, according to a top aide familiar with his plans. Romney will file by Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission, the aide said, a registration that will allow the Massachusetts governor to raise and spend money in pursuit of the 2008 GOP nomination. Romney, like Ford, is from Michigan. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, have already taken the same step. Romney ended a 10-day vacation at his home in Utah on Monday, and he had intended to file his paperwork on Tuesday, the first business day of the new year. AP via Yahoo! News: Romney to submit paperwork for 2008 bid DAILY NEWS OBTAINS DOCUMENT WITH RUDY'S '08 PLANS: It's clearly laid out in 140 pages of printed text, handwriting and spreadsheets: The top-secret plan for Rudy Giuliani's bid for the White House. The remarkably detailed dossier sets out the budgets, schedules and fund-raising plans that will underpin the former New York mayor's presidential campaign - as well as his aides' worries that personal and political baggage could scuttle his run. At the center of his efforts: a massive fund-raising push to bring in at least $100 million this year, with a scramble for at least $25 million in the next three months alone. The loss of the battle plan is a remarkable breach in the high-stakes game of presidential politics and a potentially disastrous blunder for Giuliani in the early stages of his campaign. New York Daily News: Revealed: Rudy's '08 battle plans GIULIANI LOOKING AT INVOLVEMENT IN BUSINESSES BEARING HIS NAME: Rudy Giuliani is weighing whether he'll change his level of involvement with his consulting company - which has clients that could present potential conflicts and provide fodder for opponents - if he runs for president, aides told The Post. "As we go forward in 2007... we will continue to examine what changes, if any, need to [take place] at Giuliani Partners," said Michael Hess, a partner at the mayor's consulting firm, which has reaped millions of dollars in contracts over the last five years. So far, Giuliani's firm has not released a full client list. Hess insisted most of the list has been made public. Other clients' names were not released because of security concerns, he said. GP, as well as the mayor's law firm, Bracewell and Giuliani, and his investment-banking firm all have clients that won't want to be made public, raising a potential transparency issue. New York Post: RUDY FACING BIZ DILEMMA SPITZER BEGINS "GARGANTUAN CHALLENGE" IN NEW YORK: Eliot Spitzer ended 12 years of Republican rule here on Monday with a blunt critique of the past and a call to "end the politics of cynicism and division in our state." With his predecessor, George E. Pataki, gamely looking on, Governor Spitzer said in his 20-minute inaugural address that New York, "like Rip van Winkle," had "slept through much of the past decade." He pledged to undertake reforms "substantial in size and historic in scope" and hinted at some of the contentious battles to come, including his plans to reshape state Medicaid and ethics policies. The speech was the beginning salvo in what many see as a gargantuan challenge Mr. Spitzer has set out for himself — to overhaul a state government paralyzed by gridlock and consumed by recurring scandals. New York Times: Spitzer Is Sworn and Begins Push on Ethics Rules INAUGURAL PARTIES OFTEN BANKROLLED BY SPECIAL INTERESTS: Thirty-six states elected governors in 2006 -- victories that will be celebrated this month with parties ranging from modest to star-studded. Several will cost $1 million or more. Many inaugural events will be exclusive affairs, paid for by nonprofit committees that aren't subject to state campaign-donation limits or reporting requirements designed to contain influence on elected officials. In essence, they are parties bankrolled by private groups that often solicit donations from the same people and entities that fund the campaigns. Wall Street Journal: Inaugural Options: To Go Populist or Plush? |
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• Hagel to announce decision on presidential bid Monday• Does Tiger Woods have a political future? • AFL-CIO makes push to keep unions united behind one presidential candidate • Obama: "No place for politics" in voter intimidation • Muslim congressman talks up 'American values' in State Department outreach • Year of the 'smaller' Pig • Pataki joins law firm • Bush 'sad' about Libby's conviction • House Dems urge colleagues to fund a withdrawal from Iraq • Romney recruits from the Sunshine State ARCHIVE
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