[Posted 04/01 04:26 PM]

Newsweek columnist Eleanor Clift writes an obituary for her husband Tom Brazaitis, who passed away one day before Terri Schiavo this week.

Like Clift, Brazaitis was an outspoken liberal, who wrote for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. On most political issues, most Beltway Buzz readers and I would undoubtedly disagree with them. But in a week that has seen the passing of Terri Schiavo and the declining health of the Pope, this is a loving tribute to a husband and journalist worth reading.

On a personal note, I will add that back in the year 2000 when I was an intern, Clift was assigned to me as a “lunchtime mentor” through the Washington Center for Politics and Journalism.

All politics aside, she was a great mentor for that afternoon, showing me around the Newsweek offices, offering constructive advice on landing a career in Washington and just being a friendly figure to a wide-eyed college kid whom just about everyone else told “you won’t get a job here.”

[Posted 04/01 03:16 PM]

The Free Enterprise Fund and other free-market/conservative groups have sent a letter to the Republican leadership pressing their support for Social Security reform, but not at the cost of increased taxes:

“We strongly support personal accounts for Social Security—but not at the price of higher taxes.”

“No Republican candidates, including President Bush, campaigned on payroll tax increases in the 2004 campaigns. No one has won any elections campaigning on such tax increases. Indeed, most Republican candidates for Congress ran on the Americans for Tax Reform Pledge not to raise taxes. Raising payroll taxes as part of Social Security reform, including lifting the cap on the maximum taxable income, would cost jobs and would reverse some of the gains in the hard-fought cuts in marginal income tax rates.”

[Posted 04/01 12:43 PM]

Club for Growth President Pat Toomey writes in today’s Washington Times on the Club’s ad campaign targeting Lindsey Graham. Graham has expressed his possible support for raising the tax cap on Social Security benefits. From Toomey’s op-ed:

“Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina came to the Senate with a strong record of cutting taxes to support increased freedom and economic growth. But in the debate on Social Security reform, Mr. Graham has suffered a sort of economic amnesia. He is proposing a large tax increase, in the form of raising the income level subject to payroll taxes, in order to finance the transition to personal retirement accounts. Such a tax increase is not only unnecessary, but it would be devastating to our economy.”

[Posted 04/01 12:29 PM]

I’ll be back on the CDR Radio Network in a few minutes discussing Micahel Schiavo attorney George Felos and the passing of Terri Schiavo. You can listen in online here.

[Posted 04/01 10:59 AM]

In today’s New York Sun, AEI’s Bryan O’Keefe has more on the hypocrisy of labor protesting Social Security reform:

“While the union protesters were raising a ruckus yesterday outside Charles Schwab, their pension funds have significant portions of their assets directly invested in equities. Adding to the hypocrisy, the unions hire these same Wall Street firms to handle pension fund management for their retirees.”

[Posted 04/01 10:28 AM]

The Washington Post leads with “March Job Growth Plummets,” the New York Times goes with “Economy Added Just 110,000 jobs last month.”

Don’t count on either left-leaning publication to report news that reflects the administration in a positive light. The fact is, March’s job growth and unemployment dip reflects 22 straight months of job growth and three million new jobs created since March 2003.

[Posted 04/01 09:38 AM]

Kansas Senator Sam Brownback has been raising his profile in Iowa and New Hampshire in what could be a possible exploration of a 2008 presidential run. Brownback has been “using a network of social conservatives and Christian activists to raise his profile” in both states.

When asked if he’s considering a run for the White House, Brownback said, "I have met with a number of social conservatives and conservative leaders in Iowa and I'm exploring the options. There's a lot of interest in the topics that I've been pushing for some time."

[Posted 04/01 09:31 AM]

House Speaker Dennis Hastert is now saying Social Security reform might have to wait until next year:

"Politically, we probably need to get something done by next spring, a year from now. You can't carry it right up to an election. That's just political dynamite."

However, Hastert acknowledged that he still “hopes” to pass a bill this year. White House spokesmen were quick to respond that President Bush wants a bill passed this year.

Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean added:

"The speaker hopes for enactment of Social Security legislation by the end of the year."

[Posted 04/01 08:46 AM]

If you enjoyed (or didn’t) my article the other day on Michael Schiavo attorney George Felos, take a look at what James Smith of the Florida Baptist Witness has to say on the book. Smith was ahead of the curve, reviewing the book back in 2003. He has some great additional reporting on Mr. Felos and his beliefs that I was not able to include in my story.

[Posted 04/01 08:37 AM]

TKS has the goods on Sandy Berger’s admission of guilt regarding stolen national security documents. I’ll just point out one paragraph that stood out to me from today’s Washington Post :

“Berger's plea agreement, which was described yesterday by his advisers and was confirmed by Justice Department officials, will have one of former president Bill Clinton's most influential advisers and one of the Democratic Party's leading foreign policy advisers in a federal court this afternoon.”

Berger’s crime will get plenty of attention. But this is a great moment to illustrate the obvious. Tom DeLay is smeared in the media when he has neither been accused nor indicted of a crime. Even though yesterday’s WMD report cleared the administration of misleading the public, the “Bush lied” accusations will continue. Can we even begin to imagine how the Berger story would be covered today if he were a Republican?

[Posted 04/01 08:06 AM]

FactCheck.org takes a bite out of People for the American Way’s new pro-filibuster ad campaign:

“A Fictional View of the Filibuster

Liberal group’s ad features movie hero Jimmy Stewart. But historic reality was often ugly.

Summary

A $5-million TV ad campaign by People for the American Way portrays the Senate filibuster as a noble tool of American democracy. The ad uses footage from Frank Capra's classic 1939 movie ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’ - a famous scene in which the hero, played by James Stewart, engages in a 23-hour filibuster to prevent his expulsion from the US Senate on trumped-up corruption charges.

Real-life filibusters are another matter, however. They can be used for good or evil. In fact, segregationist Southern senators used filibusters to preserve the poll tax and block civil rights and anti-lynching legislation for generations.”

[Posted 04/01 07:51 AM]

The White House announced that President Bush plans to nominate Gordon England to serve as Deputy Secretary of Defense. England currently serves as Secretary of the Navy. England also previously served as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security.

[Posted 03/31 05:03 PM]

I’ve been doing my best to respond to the number of emails concerning yesterday’s article on George Felos. Well, I’m happy to say most have been positive. Of course, there have been a few on the opposite end of the spectrum as well. A sampling of both:

“Thank you for the 'Odd Felos' column... the more publicity this creep gets, the better... perhaps it will give pause to a few folks who have been staying detached from the specifics of this travesty and thinking 'Right to die... "rights" are good... this law must be good.', if they start thinking about who they're in metaphorical bed with.”

And this:

“George Felos has more courage and compassion in his heart than the entire NRO staff has within your collective physical shell(s). The nasty hateful rhetoric and allegations that NRO and other right wing zealots have used to describe both Felos and Michael Schaivo is outrageous. America is watching the right wing spew its hate and a vast majority are not pleased with YOUR antics.”

[Posted 03/31 02:54 PM]

A key point from today’s WMD commission report:

“The Commission has found no evidence of ‘politicization’ of the Intelligence Community’s assessments concerning Iraq’s reported WMD programs. No analytical judgments were changed in response to political pressure to reach a particular conclusion. The Commission has investigated this issue closely, querying in detail those analysts involved in formulating pre-war judgments about Iraq’s WMD programs.”

In fact, one of the Commission’s recommendations to improve our intelligence capabilities is for senior policymakers to demand more from analysts. The Commission said

“We urge that policymakers actively probe and question analysts. In our view, such interaction is not ‘politicization.’ Analysts should expect such demanding and aggressive testing without – as a matter of principle and professionalism – allowing it to subvert their judgment.”

[Posted 03/31 02:00 PM]

The Hotline’s Chuck Todd has an in-depth look at how the GOP may be in danger of losing the House in 2006. At the very least, Todd argues the House could be more competitive than the Senate. He cites the greatest asset in favor of Democrats is their current DCCC Chair, Rahm Emanuel:

“For the first time in almost a decade, House Democrats have in Emanuel a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman who seems to get politics. No offense to the immediate past DCCC chairs, but they were no match for what is the pre-eminent political organization in American politics: the National Republican Congressional Committee. The last time Democrats picked up more than five House seats in an election cycle was when former Rep. Martin Frost, D-Texas, was in charge in 1998.”

[Posted 03/31 12:40 PM]

President Bush today issued the following statement on Terri Schiavo’s passing:

“Today millions of Americans are saddened by the death of Terri Schaivo. Laura and I extend our condolences to Terri Schaivo's families. I appreciate the example of grace and dignity they have displayed at a difficult time. I urge all those who honor Terri Schaivo to continue to work to build a culture of life, where all Americans are welcomed and valued and protected, especially those who live at the mercy of others. The essence of civilization is that the strong have a duty to protect the weak. In cases where there are serious doubts and questions, the presumption should be in the favor of life.”

[Posted 03/31 12:33 PM]

The AFL-CIO is taking its protests of Charles Schwab and other financial outlets “to the streets” today. Labor has been making an intense effort to “pressure” financial institutions against supporting personal account reform. What’s particularly distasteful about the AFL-CIO’s tactics is that Schwab has not even yet come out in favor of Social Security reform. Meanwhile, the RNC has put out a statement on labor’s tactics:

“Today’s theatrics once again reveal that many labor unions are more concerned with partisan politics than the interests of their own members. Recent activities to intimidate organizations that support the President’s Social Security efforts amount to thuggery and do nothing to encourage public discourse. The fact that millions of union members opt out of the Social Security system further underscores the hypocrisy of the unions’ protest.”

[Posted 03/31 12:25 PM]

About 150 supporters turned out to hear Howard Dean at last night’s protest, er, fundraiser for the DNC. The DNC charged a $50 entrance fee for the event, displaying a Dean fundraising prowess of roughly $7,500.

While speaking to supporters, Dean called Rick Santorum a “liar” who doesn’t live in or represent Pennsylvania. Dean: “He doesn’t tell the truth.”

Dean added the fight over Social Security reform showed Democrats are “on a roll.” Dean: “We're on a roll with Social Security," Dean said. "We need to focus on this, and we need to keep the focus on it.”

[Posted 03/31 11:57 AM]

Shortly after noon today, I’ll be appearing on CDR Radio Network to discuss George Felos and the passing of Terri Schiavo. CDR has a live internet feed which you can listen to here.

[Posted 03/31 11:33 AM]

The Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that “Wariness among the young is one of several ominous signs that Bush's attempt to restructure the program is in trouble.”

The article cites a Pew Research Center poll that “shows” support for personal accounts amongst those aged 18 to 29 has dropped from 66 percent in February to 49 percent in March.

However, the poll also shows that a plurality of young voters still support the plan, with only 25 percent opposed and 26 percent “unsure.”

[Posted 03/31 10:43 AM]

Rick Santorum has issued a statement on the passing of Terri Schiavo that's worth reading:

"I am deeply saddened to hear that Terri Schiavo passed away because all efforts to reinstate her feeding tube were unsuccessful.  Terri Schiavo, a daughter, a sister and most importantly an innocent person was penalized by a court system that grants convicted murderers fair treatment under the law, but not a woman whose only crime was not filing a living will.  

"Congress and President Bush worked hard to do all we could to protect Terri's innocent life.  I was pleased that my colleagues in the Senate and House understood the enormity of this issue and courageously passed unprecedented legislation to help save the life of Terri Schiavo.  I thank President Bush for expeditiously signing this bill into law in an effort to protect and preserve Terri's life. 

"The actions on the part of the Florida court and the U.S. Supreme Court are unconscionable.  In California, Scott Peterson, a convicted murderer, was sentenced to death, yet his constitutional rights were upheld to ensure that he received due process and fair consideration in court.  Terri Schiavo was given a death sentence, and passed away without the right to due process.

"Many people have fought heroically to save Terri's life and, as President Bush has said, to 'err on the side of life.' Ultimately, this fight was lost in the courts, and I am deeply disappointed that the courts chose to deny Terri the chance to live.  Terri's family was willing to take care of her and they should have been given that chance. 

"I want to express sincere sympathy to Terri's family in this most difficult time.  My thoughts and prayers are with her family in the days and months ahead."

[Posted 03/31 09:47 AM]

Bill Sammon of the Washington Times looks at how President Bush’s drop in approval ratings is tied to domestic issues. Polls still show strong public support for Bush’s handling of the war on terror and majorities still support the effort in Iraq. However, on domestic issues, his approval falls by as much as 20 points.

GOP pollster and former Bush strategist Matthew Dowd adds:

"If you look at people's satisfaction about where the country is, it's dropped dramatically in the last month. People are less worried about terrorism and more worried about their own situation at home -- the price of gas, nervousness about the economy."

Dowd adds the problem extends to Congress as well:

"The interesting thing is that this is not isolated to the president. The country's generally unhappy, and maybe they think the Terri Schiavo case is taking away from things that Congress or Washington ought to be working on."

[Posted 03/31 09:14 AM]

The Associated Press provides some analysis of President Bush’s trip to Iowa and his 60-day push for Social Security reform. The AP observes that Bush’s efforts “seem to be coming up short,” but that he will remain “stubborn” on the issue.

Charles Grassley appeared with Bush yesterday during an event to promote reform. Though Grassley has recently said he thinks the chances of passing Social Security reform this year are less than 50 percent, he voiced his overall support for personal accounts:

“We agree on a blueprint. Doing nothing is not an option. The president knows one of the rules of politics is repetition.”

[Posted 03/31 08:45 AM]

The Dallas Morning News follows Tom DeLay back home for the congressional recess. While the story rehashes ethical questions surrounding DeLay, it also spends time with and describing the mood in his home district.

DeLay still seems to have a large majority of local support and has been spending part of the recess meeting with local constituents.

Asked how he is responding to Democrat accusations and the Campaign for America’s Future attack ad airing in his district, DeLay said:

“In the 1970s, I owned a pest-control business. Actually that was pretty good experience for what I do now.”

[Posted 03/31 08:28 AM]

Democrat opposition groups are organizing to defeat the nomination of John Bolton as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

All Democrats, with the possible exception of Russ Feingold, are expected to vote against Bolton in committee. That would require only one Republican no vote to defeat Bolton’s nomination.

Lincoln Chafee, Chuck Hagel and Richard Lugar are all being targeted with calls and Chafee specifically will be targeted with an ad campaign pressuring him to vote against Bolton on April 7.

[Posted 03/31 08:08 AM]

I mentioned yesterday the numbers behind the new AARP Social Security poll are highly misleading. The majority of respondents were over 55, therefore of an age greater than to be affected by personal accounts. In addition, the language used to describe personal accounts was misleading. Here’s some more background:

The partisan split in the poll is 27 percent GOP and 35 percent Democrat. Yet surveys of the 55+ voting age have found voter ID to be split 33 percent GOP and 31 percent Democrat.

While asking respondents if they want to invest part of their retirement funds in the stock market, the poll never presented the option of investing in conservative funds, mutual funds or bonds and that the accounts would be voluntary.

[Posted 03/30 04:50 PM]

Hillary Clinton follows Nancy Pelosi with a cash-calling letter of her own. Though the possible 2008 Democratic presidential nominee is more direct:

“The FEC reporting deadline for the first quarter of the year is at midnight on Thursday, March 31st. Our opponents will use it to judge the intensity and depth of our support. We need to send them an unmistakable message. We have to make it clear that we have no intention of backing down - and the best way to do that is to show the largest possible grassroots support for my campaign. Make a contribution before the deadline.”

Well, I’m one of what is hopefully a growing constituency that believes conservatives should be careful about praising Clinton too much – it could become campaign ad fodder, gives legitimacy to media bias, etc.

That said, this letter was demonstrably written with greater care than Pelosi’s and is, if nothing else, clear in its intentions.

[Posted 03/30 03:25 PM]

Nancy Pelosi has sent a fundraising letter to supporters right before the FEC deadline. It opens with:

“Democrats in Congress are in a battle for the very soul of our nation with Republicans whose arrogance and abuse of power have made a mockery of the US House of Representatives. As House Democratic Leader, I should know.”

Next, Pelosi goes after Tom DeLay:

“Leading an Unethical Government. Judging by the steady stream of ethical scandals revolving around Republican House Leader Tom DeLay, involving everything from bribes and intimidation on the House Floor to junkets paid for with millions in extorted casino money, ethics must somehow be the opposite of moral values.”

Needless to say, Pelosi fails to mention her own connection to House travel and fundraising “scandals.”

[Posted 03/30 02:33 PM]

Howard Dean tells the Philadelphia Inquirer (registration required) Democrats will “do anything” to see Rick Santorum defeated. Dean also responded to questions about likely Democrat nominee Bob Casey, who is regularly identified as pro-life and against gun control:

“Somebody's position on choice can't be a litmus test. I'm as pro-choice as they come, [but] Bob Casey has been a tremendous friend of working people."

Dean dismissed his fellow liberal party activists who worry that Democrats are “anointing” Casey in favor of a less moderate candidate:

"It's unlikely, for example, that Bob Casey in the Senate would support these extreme nominees the President has for the courts. it’s a qualitative improvement for the community that believes in a woman's right to choose."

So, there you have it from the head of the Democratic Party. Casey may call himself pro-life, but it won’t stop him from voting pro-abortion should he get into the Senate.

[Posted 03/30 01:03 PM]

The Hill reports a group of conservative leaders are organizing to defend the record of Tom DeLay.

Congressman Eric Cantor and nearly two dozen conservative leaders, including American Conservative Union Chair David Keene, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Leadership Institute President Morton Blackwell and Heritage Foundation President Edwin Feulner met last week to discuss a DeLay defense strategy.

Cantor:

“It was a rallying cry to our conservative community that we are under assault. We need to fight back. We’re going to have a challenging year with the judicial issue bubbling up in the senate and the impact it may have on our ability to get things done.”

The group plans to make phone calls and increase visibility in Republican districts where conservative support for DeLay “may be waning.”

[Posted 03/30 11:03 AM]

I have a new article posted on the main site today. It’s about Michael Schiavo attorney George Felos. He has some unusual views on life and death, including a belief in his own powers of telekinesis. This same man who believes he can cause planes to crash with only the powers of his mind is the one calling the Schindler family “fanatics.” Please check it out when you have a chance.

[Posted 03/30 10:38 AM]

The DNC has sent out a letter to supporters announcing a Social Security reform protest tomorrow in Washington. Calling it a “Retirement Security National Day of Action in Washington, DC”, the group will hold a press conference and rally tomorrow at noon. From the letter:

“Please join others who support Social Security and oppose those who wish to dismantle it for a rally and press conference starting at noon at 1845 K St., N.W. Together, we can show those who are funding the GOP effort to privatize our retirements that we won't let Republicans sell our retirement security to Wall Street.”

[Posted 03/30 10:33 AM]

On Monday, I reported a source telling the Beltway Buzz there was talk of a merger between the Club for Growth and the National Taxpayers Union.

Last night, I was contacted by NTU. They say there is no merger in the works and send along the following statement:

"There is no truth whatsoever to any rumor of a merger between the Club for Growth and National Taxpayers Union. As we do with many other organizations, NTU will continue its cordial working relationship with the Club for Growth on issues of mutual concern. After the truth, there's nothing more to tell, so I will simply reiterate that there are no merger plans of any kind between the National Taxpayers Union and the Club for Growth."

Pete Sepp
Vice President for Communications
National Taxpayers Union

[Posted 03/30 09:29 AM]

The New York Times and other media outlets are running with reports that liberal activist group Campaign for America’s Future is targeting Tom DeLay with ads in his own district.

The NYT gets seven paragraphs into insulting DeLay before noting the involvement of CAF, where much of the NYT criticism material originates.

Though the NYT notes George Soros is a major financial backer of CAF, the article fails to mention that Nancy Pelosi is also a supporter, linking to the group on her government homepage.

What’s more, CAF co-director Robert L. Borosage and chair of the Progressive Majority, of which Pelosi is a member.

[Posted 03/30 09:06 AM]

The mainstream media finally gets around to reporting that the so-called “GOP memo” claiming political advantage for Republicans in the Terri Schiavo debate may in fact be a hoax.

Democrat Senator Frank Lautenberg has called for an investigation into the memo and Hill sources tell me Republicans in the House may be about to do the same.

I will say one thing in defense of the Washington Post’s Mike Allen. Powerline blogger John Hinderaker has based part of his criticism noting the memo was not printed on letterhead. I can say with authority to readers that most memos like this, because of their very nature, are rarely printed on letterhead.

Nonetheless, I believe the memo is fake. Much like the liberation of Iraq, the fight to save Schiavo is one of principle not polling.

[Posted 03/30 08:50 AM]

In his new Democracy Corps memo, Stan Greenberg attempts to explain why Democrats have lost the Catholic vote and how they can reclaim it in future elections.

In 1996, Bill Clinton carried the Catholic vote 48 to 41 percent. Al Gore lost the Catholic vote 52 to 45 percent. And John Kerry, himself a Catholic, lost the Catholic vote by a “stroking” 13 points, 43 to 56 percent. According to Greenberg, Kerry lost Catholic ground to Bush in swing states including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Specifically, Greenberg blames Kerry's lack of vision and moral centering on his inability to carry the Catholic vote.

Greenberg argues that Democrats can readily win the support of Catholics who are “less observant, those looking for a more modern Church, and those who highlight community as a principle value.” But to win back a majority, he notes the Democrats will have to find common ground with culturally conservative voters.

[Posted 03/30 08:28 AM]

As I reported yesterday, the AARP is waiting for President Bush in Iowa today. As the Washington Post explains, “Over this week and last, AARP, the nation's largest lobby, will have spent more than $5 million on ads attacking the president's Social Security plan -- nearly three times as much as all the supporters of his proposal put together. That's just for starters."

I got a hold of AARP’s new poll numbers, which in their own words, “found that most AARP members just don't like private investment accounts that drain funds from Social Security and the more they learn, the less they like them.”

Their results show that 50 percent of sample AARP members oppose the idea of diverting $1,300 of their Social Security taxes into personal accounts.

Looking behind the numbers though, only 46 percent oppose private account that “drain” funds from the Social Security fund.

AARP polled 1,000 members with a 4 percent margin of error.

Of course, what the AARP fails to mention in their polling analysis, and what they failed to tell polling respondents, is that the president’s plan will not affect their Social Security benefits. Hard to believe the results wouldn’t have been somewhat different with full disclosure.

[Posted 03/29 05:39 PM]

USA Next head Charlie Jarvis has sent another open letter to AARP members. It reads in part:

“AARP, more than any other group in America, bears primary responsibility for the developing financial crisis of Social Security. That’s right. This fact surprises some people, but it’s true.”

More:

“AARP should be excoriated for enabling and creating the financial problems in Social Security for which they now claim to have solutions. Unfortunately, AARP’s “solutions” are the very same bad policies that turned Social Security into a massive ticking debt bomb – tax hikes, benefit cuts for millions of future retirees, and continued spending of every cent of the Social Security Trust Fund.”

[Posted 03/29 03:09 PM]

In a move of unintended irony, the Senate’s only black member, Barack Obama, has written a letter to MoveOn members urging them to financially support the re-election of former KKK member Robert Byrd.

After his election victory last year, an avalanche of tilted media praise followed portraying Obama as the “purple state,” “moderate” and “maverick” before casting his first Senate vote.

Obama’s record in Illinois politics was far from moderate as this MoveOn pitch illustrates. Then again, now that Democrats have embraced MoveOn, Obama can defend himself as simply doing the work of the party. From the letter:

“Robert Byrd understands just how sacred the Constitution of our country truly is and fights every day to protect it.”

“Now he needs our help. In 2006, Senator Byrd will be the target of Republicans because he stands up for what he believes.”

[Posted 03/29 02:47 PM]

When President Bush travels to Iowa tomorrow to promote Social Security reform, the AARP will be waiting for him. Wednesday, the group will release a new poll of its members on personal accounts “carved” out of Social Security.

Later, the AARP will hold a rally “with more than 100 AARP members” in Des Moines.

It safe to assume the poll will show AARP members opposed to personal accounts. However, there’s also a high probability that the questions were weighted to get the kind of response AARP was looking for. The AARP, along with other groups, have been critical of the White House for enlisting crowds of supporters at their rallies. Well, how many of those AARP rally participants do you think will be reform advocates?

[Posted 03/29 01:35 PM]

During the president’s Rose Garden speech on freedom and democracy today, he made the following comments about the new Iraqi National Assembly:

“By electing 275 men and women to the transitional national assembly, the Iraqi people took another bold step toward self-government. Today, Iraqis took another step on the road to a free society when the assembly held its second meeting. We expect a new government will be chosen soon and that the assembly will vote to confirm it. We look forward to working with the government that emerges from this process. We're confident that this new government will be inclusive, will respect human rights, and will uphold fundamental freedoms for all Iraqis.”

[Posted 03/29 01:03 PM]

The Club for Growth is starting a new tv ad campaign today in three states, including South Carolina. The SC ad targets Lindsey Graham for supporting a payroll tax increase as part of a Social Security reform package. Club President Pat Toomey:

"Lindsey Graham's proposal of a huge tax increase as part of a reform package would squander this opportunity and do more harm than good."

National Taxpayers Union President John Berthoud added:

"Raising the cap on earnings subject to payroll taxes is not only economically destructive, but it's unfair and wrong. 'Reforming Social Security' should be an exercise in improving public policy, not making things worse."

The ads will also target Democrats Ben Nelson and Kent Conrad, as part of a larger $10 million ad campaign supporting personal accounts.

[Posted 03/29 11:42 AM]

MSNBC just announced that the Reverend Jerry Falwell has suffered a “massive heart attack” and is in critical condition.

[Posted 03/29 11:29 AM]

At today’s gaggle, Scott McClellan was asked to respond to the formation of Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances. Bob Barr, Grover Norquist and David Keens formed the group to protest elements of the Patriot Act. McClellan responded:

“We have a different view, obviously. The president supports provisions of the Patriot Act and thinks they should be renewed.”

[Posted 03/29 11:19 AM]

McClellan also announced Laura Bush is traveling to Afghanistan today and will return Thursday morning. The first lady will spend five hours on the ground meeting with Afghan women and President Hamid Karzai.

[Posted 03/29 11:15 AM]

At today’s gaggle, Scott McClellan announced President Bush will hold a Rose Garden ceremony on democracy later this morning. The president will honor Iraqis who voted in January’s elections. A group of visiting Iraqi lawyers, Iraqis living in the U.S. and Iraqi religious representatives are scheduled to be in attendance.

[Posted 03/29 08:44 AM]

A group of 50 ex-diplomats have signed a letter to Richard Lugar urging the Senate to reject the nomination of John Bolton as U.N. Ambassador. The letter-writers are a mix of Republicans and Democrats who have served in multiple administrations for varying degrees of time.

However, the basis for their opposition to Bolton seems unusual. Primarily, they criticize Bolton for putting U.S. interests above those of other nations. These diplomats also are upset that Bolton, “without evidence,” has pressured Cuba and Syria about possible biological weapons programs.

Aren’t these perfect reasons why Bolton should be confirmed?

[Posted 03/29 08:35 AM]

Just when it seemed there couldn’t be another sad story connected with Terri Schiavo, there is one. A group called Response Unlimited has purchased the list of Schiavo donors and will sell them to marketing outlets.

Response Unlimited will ask $150 a month for 6,000 names and $500 a month for 4,000 email addresses of people who responded last month to an email financial plea from Bob Schindler. From the group’s website:

"These compassionate pro-lifers donated toward Bob Schindler's legal battle to keep Terri's estranged husband from removing the feeding tube from Terri. These individuals are passionate about the way they value human life, adamantly oppose euthanasia and are pro-life in every sense of the word!"

[Posted 03/29 08:06 AM]

The Washington Post writes, “conservatives may be splitting” on Social Security reform. The WP cites diverging opinions from the “conservative intelligentsia” over what is the best reform route.

Some free market experts feel the president’s ideas are too timid. Others, like Harvard economist Robert Barro, don’t like the idea of additional government involvement:

“There is no good reason to go beyond the minimum standard; that is why I view personal accounts as a mistake -- they enlarge a Social Security program that already promises too much.”

Regardless of which plan is offered, some feel President Bush simply needs to outline a proposal to build support for reform. AIG’s Kevin Hassett:

"If the White House doesn't have a plan soon, it’s very unlikely the White House will win."

[Posted 03/28 05:26 PM]

Is a merger about to happen in the anti-tax crowd? A source close to the Beltway Buzz calls in to say there is talk about a possible merger between the Club for Growth and the National Taxpayers Union.

I’m not seeing anything out there right now to back this up, so it’s pure speculation at this point. If you know of or have heard any such rumors, send the Buzz an email – epfeiffer@nationalreview.com

[Posted 03/28 03:55 PM]

European officials are pushing for a “European counterweight” to Paul Wolfowitz at the World Bank. The current number two at the World Bank is China's Shengman Zhang, who serves as managing director.

Traditionally, the U.S. chooses the head of the World Bank, while Europe selects the head of the IMF. There was some initial resistance to Wolfowitz, but potential critics such as Germany quickly voiced support for his nomination.

However, there does appear to be strong support for placing a European in place of Zhang. At the IMF, the U.S. is able to pick the second in command to whomever the Europeans choose to head that organization. However, the U.K. Treasury is concerned that placing a European, instead of a representative from a “developing nation” would be bad politics.

[Posted 03/28 01:49 PM]

Roll Call reports (subscription required), Democrats and labor are hoping to “duplicate the level of coordination” they have used against Social Security reform on judicial nominations.

Senior Democrat aides are meeting today at AFL-CIO headquarters with “top union officials and other interest groups” who support judicial filibusters. Officials from the AFSCME and the SEIU will also attend.

If the partnership goes well, don’t expect it to end with circuit court nominees. Harry Reid spokesman Jim Manley said, “The immediate focus is on the so-called nuclear option. There’s a short-term and a long-term strategy here. We also need to start looking ahead at what could be a debate over a Supreme Court vacancy.”

[Posted 03/28 12:03 PM]

Bloomberg reports that Democrat Senator Kent Conrad recently told supporters that “he saw a kernel of a good idea” in President Bush’s talk about personal accounts. Conrad adds “he’d support the accounts … on three conditions: that they don’t require ‘steep’ benefit cuts or ‘massive’ borrowing, or weaken the current system.”

Conrad adds he would prefer add-on accounts. The White House has been said to be pressuring Conrad by attempting to persuade Governor John Hoeven to challenge Conrad. However, Hoeven has not said whether he will run and has “declined” to be interviewed about Social Security.

[Posted 03/28 11:57 AM]

Senate Finance Chair Chuck Grassley says he is “finding little clamor” for Social Security reform in his home state of Iowa. Grassley: “What I need to hear people say is, ‘We expect you to fix this.’ I’m not hearing that.” Grassley adds he thinks, “It’s very difficult for me to say today that we’ll present a bill to the president.”

[Posted 03/28 11:49 AM]

Here's a different kind of beltway buzz.

Political Money Line reports (scroll to bottom left of page) that on April 5th the 100 block of D Street SE Washington will prominently feature two of the District’s most intoxicating substances: alcohol and money.

Four GOP House members will be holding fundraisers on the same day and all will include alcohol "tasting" events. Chris Chocola will host a “Margarita Tasting” party, Clay Shaw will have “Bourbon Tasting,” Nancy Johnson has “Martini Tasting” and Mark Foley will feature “Wine Tasting.” All four members have townhouses near each other on the block.

[Posted 03/28 10:51 AM]

If there’s one thing Slate loves, it’s promoting contrarian ideas. Most of the time, they are wrong. If stranded in the sands of Arabia, it wouldn’t take long for Slate to assert, “It’s really not that dry outside.”

For example, Slate was one of the first publications to run exit polling numbers they hoped were true, claiming President had “already lost” the 2004 presidential election.

Slate enlists the New Republic’s Michael Crowley to argue Republican moderate senators no longer affect GOP policy. Crowley describes GOP tax-cuts as an “obsession” with only the moderate GOPers willing to bring “sanity” back to the budget.

However, Crowley gets his math wrong, citing outdated numbers. In fact, the moderate senators Crowley claims lack influence successfully removed savings from the budget while simultaneously raising tax cuts above the original $70 billion marker he cites.

He is correct in stating that swing votes will be critical for approving an end to judicial filibusters. Crowley and Slate are clearly worried that their “fantastic four” are losing patience for the Democrat filibusters. Hopefully, on this point, they are right.

[Posted 03/28 09:58 AM]

Now that large majorities of the public are convinced of the problems facing Social Security, Republicans plan to move forward with a focus on personal accounts as the solution to long-term solvency questions. The Washington Times notes that RNC Chair Ken Mehlman distributed a memorandum reading, ‘More people have come to understand the structural problems facing Social Security's solvency over the last two months, and thus, the issue has become more important to them.”

[Posted 03/28 09:50 AM]

Reader Matthew writes in regarding today’s Time poll:

“Yes Bush's approval rating is at 48% in the new Time poll. But what you did not mention is that only 26% of Republicans were polled. 33% of Democrats and 27% Independents were polled as well. Since when are there more independents than Republicans? Even with a unkindly weighted poll Bush almost polls @ 50%. If the sampling was correct I think Bush would be @51%. The battleground poll was polled at around time and showed Bush @ 53%.”

I agree with Matthew’s assessment of sampling errors in most mainstream polls. However, voter registration has consistently showed independents as the largest registered block, outpacing both the GOP and Democrats. Bush likely is hovering at around 50 percent approval. Even the Time poll has him with only 46 percent disapproval. But with Gallup and Time showing a downward trend, there is mounting evidence the president’s numbers have taken a hit in the last two weeks.

[Posted 03/28 08:56 AM]

The new Time poll adds weight to last week’s Gallup poll showing a significant drop in the president’s approval rating. In the new Time poll, President Bush’s approval drops five points from last week to 48 percent.

The poll also shows 68 percent of Republicans “believe it was wrong” for Congress to intervene on Schiavo.

Though the Schiavo numbers apparently work against Bush and Congress, it is economic indicators that seem to be doing the damage to the president’s approval rating. A majority of respondents disapprove of the way the White House is handling the economy and Social Security reform.

[Posted 03/28 08:47 AM]

U.S. News writes that Rick Santorum is trying to “soften” his image to increase his 2006 re-election hopes. The evidence so far: Santorum was not “the face of the GOP” in the Schiavo debate, has pushed for a minimum wage increase, is opposing the WH on Amtrak funding and recently said he is questioning his own support for the death penalty.

[Posted 03/28 08:43 AM]

The Dallas Morning News is reporting that some “nervous” Republicans are urging Kay Bailey Hutchison to not make a primary challenge to Texas Governor Rick Perry. However, members of Hutchison’s camp insist their support is strong enough regardless of what decision Hutchison makes. As an indicator of Hutchison’s intentions, the story notes she will make four fundraising trips to Texas this week and already has a comparable campaign fund to compete with Perry. Experts say a primary battle between Hutchison and Perry could cost $50 million.

[Posted 03/28 08:26 AM]

Roll Call reports (subscription required) liberal activist group Drive Democracy has been urging its members to send in photographs and descriptions of their physical ailments to Bill Frist’s office. Drive Democracy said the action is meant to mock Frist for his involvement in the Schiavo legislation.

The letter on Drive Democracy’s website reads in part:

“Are you sick? Injured? Worried about a medical problem, but can’t afford a physician? Well, worry no longer! Because Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, MD, doesn’t even need to see you to make a diagnosis and prescribe care.”

[Posted 03/28 08:16 AM]

Ron Brownstein has an in-depth look at the political ramifications stemming from culture of life issues.

Brownstein references polls showing most Americans against government intervention with Terri Schiavo and speculation that could swing voter support against the GOP. However, Brownstein says:

“Most political strategists in both parties agree that the specific controversy over Schiavo is likely to fade from public attention long before it can influence the 2006 congressional elections, much less the next presidential race.”

In regards to cultural conservatives who perhaps think Bush and Congress did not do enough, Gary Bauer counters:

“There are some on the right who feel that Gov. Bush and President Bush have not gone far enough. But quite frankly, it's impressive to see what they were willing to do on an issue where fairly early on it was obvious that the general public is divided at best.”