Meet the New Guy
Craig's likely successor Jim Risch: Why couldn't the folks in New Orleans get off their butts and fix things like we do in Idaho?
--Josh Marshall
Let freedom reign
With the "surge" policy in place, this was supposed to be a summer of political reconciliation. Instead, a variety of Iraqi politicians have spent their August recess plotting a "parliamentary coup" that would "oust Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, declare a state of emergency and install a new government."
At the forefront of these efforts is former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a secular Shiite who was Washington's first choice to lead Iraq after the U.S. occupation authority ended. He now is being presented by his followers as the best hope of saving Iraq from what they say is certain catastrophe.
But Allawi's is by no means the only name in circulation. Another former prime minister, two current vice presidents, a former planning minister, an Iraqi general from the old regime and an independent Sunni parliamentarian are among those being mentioned as potential alternatives.
"Everyone is desperate to be prime minister," said Saleh al-Mutlaq, a Sunni politician who has thrown his support behind Allawi but who has also been mentioned as a potential candidate. "Iraq is producing prime ministers."
U.S. officials are not innocent bystanders in this process.
"There's been a definite change in tone from Washington, and the momentum and drive to support Allawi will increase," said Jaafar al-Taie, a political analyst involved in the new coalition's campaign. "It's not only that Maliki must go, but that the whole system must go."
According to Allawi's published program, the parliamentarians would not only appoint a new government but also suspend the new constitution, declare a state of emergency and make the restoration of security its priority. [...]
"Even when Bush tried to modify what he said, he did not go so far," said Izzat Shabandar, a strategist with the Allawi bloc. "We know that Bush from inside would like to replace Maliki, but he did not say it clearly. He chose to say it in a diplomatic way."
As Digby put it, "It's a public coup --- Americans and Iraqis alike are all reading about it and talking about it like it's a TV show and we're all waiting to see the finale."
--Steve Benen
Meanwhile, in the other war...
Over the past six weeks, the Taliban have driven government forces out of roughly half of a strategic area in southern Afghanistan that American and NATO officials declared a success story last fall in their campaign to clear out insurgents and make way for development programs, Afghan officials say.
A year after Canadian and American forces drove hundreds of Taliban fighters from the area, the Panjwai and Zhare districts southwest of Kandahar, the rebels are back and have adopted new tactics. Carrying out guerrilla attacks after NATO troops partly withdrew in July, they overran isolated police posts and are now operating in areas where they can mount attacks on Kandahar, the south’s largest city.
The setback is part of a bloody stalemate that has occurred between NATO troops and Taliban fighters across southern Afghanistan this summer. NATO and Afghan Army soldiers can push the Taliban out of rural areas, but the Afghan police are too weak to hold the territory after they withdraw.
--Steve Benen
Day late, several dollars short
The good news is the Bush White House has unveiled a plan to assist homeowners who are poised to lose their homes in the midst of the nation's crunch and housing slump. The bad news, as McClatchy's Kevin Hall reports, is that the president's plan is very thin, leaves most affected homeowners behind, and duplicates efforts that are already underway. (via TP)
The plan was announced days before Congress returns from its August recess with housing issues high on its agenda. The proposals, however, duplicate efforts already under way by Congress and other federal agencies, would help at most 21 percent of the homeowners facing foreclosures and would do little to help areas in which inflated real estate prices are a problem.
Bush called on Democrats to approve a modernization of the Federal Housing Administration, which passed the House of Representatives last year with bipartisan support but was quashed by Senate Republicans.
He promised to require greater disclosure from lenders, a move on which federal bank regulators already have provided guidance. He promised to get tough with unscrupulous mortgage brokers, but they're largely regulated on the state level. And during a briefing Friday, a senior administration official acknowledged that the plan would do little to help states with high real estate prices, such as California.
At least 2 million foreclosures tied to the sub-prime meltdown are now expected; the administration's plan should provide refinancing options to, at the most, less than a fourth of them by the end of next year.
--Steve Benen
Rice's legacy
When it comes to aides, staffers, and high-ranking officials, the Bush White House has had a reverse Midas touch. People who have reasonably good reputations before working for Bush, tend to leave humiliated. It's as if the president's inner circle is some kind of credibility-sapping black hole.
Condoleezza Rice, for example, left Stanford with at least some stature in professional circles, only to become what David Kay described as "probably the worst national security adviser since the office was created." Seven years ago, Rice was considered a fairly credible foreign policy expert, particularly on Russian policy. Today, Rice is best known for helping sell a disastrous war and losing turf wars to Donald Rumsfeld.
As Secretary of State, she has had little success improving U.S. relations with much of anyone. Rice's biggest diplomatic victory was a breakthrough deal with North Korea, in which she triumphantly accepted the same deal the Clinton administration struck years earlier.
But, never fear, Rice has a comeback plan.
... Ms. Rice is working hard to reshape her legacy in her remaining 16 months in office. She is cooperating with a range of authors who have lined up to write books about her.... Although both the Kessler and the Bumiller books are expected to be critical of Ms. Rice on many points, State Department officials say that it is unusual for a sitting secretary of state to cooperate with so many biographies. But then again, few of her predecessors had multiple authors jostling to write books about them.
Beyond trying to influence the historical record, Ms. Rice is trying hard to rewrite her legacy to include something more than Iraq. Her colleagues and friends say that she has accepted that Iraq is a stain that she probably cannot remove before she leaves office.
At the risk of sounding uncharitable, that's probably a good conclusion to accept. Rice, like her boss, has a legacy that is based entirely on the war she helped sell.
For that matter, Rice tied her fate to the president, with whom she has chosen to be inextricably linked.
By the time Rice met Bush, he had become a Christian teetotaler and a devoted family man. The two shared a strong religious faith, a belief in American power, similar senses of humor, and a conviction that sports was a metaphor for life. He admired her brains. She valued his instincts. [...]
"There was this connective stuff -- that was really fully under way by the summer of 1999," said Rice's friend Coit "Chip" Blacker. "There's a funny kind of transfer of energy and ideas that's almost -- not random, but unstructured. It's as though they're Siamese twins joined at the frontal lobe."
The president reportedly refers to Rice as his "sister," while Rice's stepmother said she "just can't say no to that man."
I'm afraid it's a little late for Rice to start wondering how history will perceive her.
--Steve Benen
Craig vs Vitter
The fact that the sex scandals involving Republican Sens. Larry Craig (gay) and David Vitter (not gay) are being treated very differently has not gone unnoticed by the GOP establishment. The NYT's Carl Hulse quoted some anonymous Republican insiders who offered an explanation.
Despite such unusual steps against [Craig], Republicans took no punitive action against Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, after his acknowledgment this summer of involvement with an escort service that the police described as a prostitution front.
Party officials said Mr. Vitter's case was different in that he faced no criminal charges and was not in the Senate but was serving in the House at the time.
It's a pretty weak case, which Greg Sargent took apart this morning.
Of course, Craig's resignation will probably shift the conversation in a new direction, but in a sense, the point is even more salient now: Vitter hasn't faced any adverse consequences at all, and the GOP establishment is content to pretend he didn't talk to the DC Madam while casting votes on the Hill. Even some conservatives, such as Ed Morrissey, are waiting for a coherent explanation:
[Vitter] didn't plead guilty in court, but unlike Craig, he openly admits he broke the law and solicited prostitutes. Others serving in Congress at the moment have pleaded guilty to misdemeanors of more import than disorderly conduct without being forced to resign. If morality and credibility are at issue, why isn't Vitter being held to that standard?
We know the answer, but it's apparently not a response the Republican establishment is anxious to acknowledge.
--Steve Benen
A masterful con job
A couple of days ago, the NYT reported that the White House "is growing more confident that it can beat back efforts by Congressional Democrats to shift course in Iraq." It's not because conditions in Iraq have improved, and it's not because the president's policy is producing results, but because the administration has "a sense the dynamic has changed."
It's all about some amorphous "sense" that's entirely independent of reality. Consider what we've learned this week. The GAO prepared a "strikingly negative" assessment of conditions on the ground, with no political progress (the intended point of the "surge") and little evidence of reduced violence. Of the 18 Iraqi benchmarks, Bush's policy has come up short on 15. An independent federal commission believes Iraq's 26,000-member national police force is beyond repair and might need to be disbanded altogether. A working draft of a secret document prepared by the U.S. embassy in Baghdad shows that the Maliki government is rotten to the core. Iraqi civilian deaths are getting worse, not better. The latest data shows U.S. troop fatalities worse every month this year compared to the same months last year. A smidgeon of evidence pointing to at least marginal political progress late last week turned out to be smoke and mirrors.
It's against this backdrop that the White House and its conservative allies boast, "See? This is the progress we've been waiting for." More importantly, the conventional wisdom in DC is suddenly in agreement that they're right.
How on earth is this happening? Kevin Drum explains that Gen. David Petraeus has run a methodical political campaign that has produced exactly the desired effect.
[Petraeus is] keenly aware of the value of both the media and public opinion, and he did what any counterinsurgency expert would have counseled in his circumstances: he unleashed a hearts-and-minds campaign aimed at opinion makers and politicians. For months the military transports to Baghdad have been stuffed with analysts and congress members, and every one of them has gotten a full court press of carefully planned and scripted presentations, tightly controlled visits to favored units, and assorted dollops of "classified" information designed to flatter his guests and substantiate his rosy assessments without the inconvenience of having to defend them in public.
And it's worked.... Five months ago Petraeus was guaranteeing to wavering Republicans that they'd see progress in August, precisely the month when the PR campaign was scheduled to go into high gear. Today he's issuing dire warnings about al-Qaeda hegemony and nine-dollar gas if we leave, circulating bio pages that let his staff know whether they're dealing with friend or foe among visiting congress members, and insisting repeatedly that violence is down in classified briefings where he doesn't have to publicly defend his figures.
If these don't sound like the actions of an honest broker to you, they don't to me either. They sound like elements of a campaign with one overriding purpose: to convince politicians and opinion makers that we're making progress in Iraq regardless of whether we are or not.
As con jobs go, this is a masterful one.
--Steve Benen
EC Saturday Roundup
Fred Thompson isn't skipping the Republican debate this Wednesday, after all — he's buying a 30-second ad to run right before it. That and other political news of the day in today's Election Central Saturday Roundup.
--Eric Kleefeld
A 'zero tolerance' policy on 'serious transgressions'?
I've let my subscription lapse on Republican Talking Points Weekly, but it's pretty obvious that the Powers That Be have a clear message in the wake of the Larry Craig scandal: this shows that the GOP means business.
On Thursday's edition of "Hardball," for example, Tom DeLay, who inexplicably has been assigned to defend the Republican Party on issues relating to scandals and corruption, told Chris Matthews, "I'm not defending Larry Craig, if he's guilty. What I do know is the Republicans, as they have in the past, when you have members that have problems or scandals and they are found guilty, the Republican Party does the right thing and kicks them out."
The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes emphasized the same point in his latest column, arguing that the party is "intent on pushing scandal-plagued members of Congress out of office and far from the media spotlight."
Republicans are desperate not to have another corruption-driven defeat in 2008. So when House Republican leader John Boehner, whip Roy Blunt, and others in the hierarchy met in a private retreat outside Washington last December, the corruption issue headed their agenda. They adopted a zero tolerance policy. They want no House candidates with corruption problems on the ballot. In 2006, four House members resigned (two later went to jail).
Boehner came up with a vague phrase for the sort of scandal they had in mind. It's one with "a clear indication of serious transgressions." In Boehner's mind, an FBI raid on your home or your wife's office is such an indication.
It all sounds very nice, but there's ample reason for skepticism. In fact, this "zero tolerance" talk might make for pleasant-sounding p.r., but I don't think the party leadership means a word of it.
Consider the scandal sheet Paul Kiel put together the other day, which helped prove that this year is poised to be as shameful for the GOP as last year.
Of the 11 lawmakers on the list, Craig has resigned and Renzi has said he won't seek re-election. Everyone else -- including those whose homes have been raided by FBI agents -- remains in good standing. Indeed, Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), one of the more notorious members on the list, announced this week that he will seek a 16th term next year. "I never seriously contemplated not running again," he said in an interview. If there was an outcry in GOP circles based on their "zero tolerance" policy, it was awfully hard to find.
It gets back to the same point we've emphasized again and again this week -- Republicans will act swiftly to purge the party's scandalous members when they won't suffer political consequences for it. All the other arguments are hot air.
--Steve Benen
"I apologize for what I have caused"
Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), as expected, announced his resignation just minutes ago, citing his ongoing scandal as an "unfair distraction" to his constituents. He added, "I apologize for what I have caused," though that's just vague enough to leave ambiguities.
Craig did not respond to reporters' questions after reading his brief statement, though his office said it would issue a written Q&A this afternoon with more details.
--Steve Benen
Compassionate conservatism - Katrina edition
Apparently, on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina ravaging the Gulf Coast, conservatives have decided they've grown tired of the topic.
GOP presidential hopeful Rep. Tom Tancredo (Colo.) said Friday it is "time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station" and urged an end to the federal aid to the region that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina two years ago. [...]
"The mentality that people can wait around indefinitely for the federal taxpayer to solve all their worldly problems has got to come to an end," said Tancredo.
That would be the same federal government, of course, that neglected the victims before the storm hit, as the storm hit, after the storm hit, and for the two subsequent years that followed. Indeed, for all the rhetoric we've heard, as of this week, "none of the 115 'critical priority projects' identified by city officials" for publicly funded rebuilding efforts "has been completed." Of the $34 billion "earmarked for long-term rebuilding," less than half "has made its way through federal checks and balances to reach municipal projects."
What's more, it's not just Tancredo. Over at Townhall, John Hawkins offered this jaw-dropper.
Two years after Katrina, everywhere you turn, there are people carping, whining, and kvetching. Just why hasn't the pity party for the citizens of New Orleans run out of booze and chips yet? [...]
Let me tell all the citizens of New Orleans something that should have been told to them 18 months ago: it's time to stop playing the sympathy card and get over it.
Nobody is owed a living for the rest of his life because he had a bad break two years ago. Yet, we still have people affected by Katrina who have FEMA paying their rent. How sad and pathetic is it that these shiftless people are still leaching off their fellow citizens? Since when is being in the path of a hurricane supposed to give you a permanent "Get Out of Work Free" card?
If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't believe it.
--Steve Benen
Henry Waxman still wants the private White House emails staffers used to circumvent the Presidential Records Act. Yesterday, Justin Rood reported that the Bush gang isn't exactly anxious to cooperate with the investigation.
The White House will not identify a private company which appears to be involved in the disappearance of millions of White House e-mails.
The company was responsible for reviewing and archiving White House e-mails, a White House official told congressional staff in May, according to a letter yesterday from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif. Congressional investigators asked then for the name of the company and "have repeatedly requested" the information since then, according to Waxman.
They are still waiting for an answer, the chairman wrote to White House counsel Fred Fielding. [...]
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel declined to tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com the company's name or explain why the White House would not provide it to Congress.
Nothing suspicious about that. Nothing at all.
Waxman asked the White House to come up with the company's name by Sept. 10. We'll see how that goes.
--Steve Benen
If Craig had tried the truth
When Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested, his first instinct was to blame the police for trying to "entrap" him. When Craig held a press conference this week to defend himself, his second instinct was to blame The Idaho Statesman for causing him undue stress.
Ezra poses a hypothetical that I've been pondering the past few days: what if, instead of lashing out, Craig's crisis-management strategy had simply been based on the truth?
What would happen if Larry Craig came out as a gay man, apologized for his tortured life in the closet and the unseemly things his personal conflicts made him do, and then said that, nevertheless, he'd always been a good and dedicated senator to the people of Idaho, and he meant to retain his seat and keep fighting for the upward redistribution and failed wars (or whatever) that first turned him onto public service?
He might lose the next election, of course. But maybe he wouldn't. And maybe he'd tap into an unexpected wellspring of libertarian attitudes and relative tolerance. Why not try?
To be sure, this approach has far more merit than, say, the wide-stance strategy, but in this case, I'm hard pressed to see how it would have helped. Indeed, absurd rationalizing probably made matters worse, but I suspect the truth would have led Craig to resign anyway.
For one thing, he pleaded guilty, which effectively sealed his fate. For another, Craig may still be in denial about his sexual orientation, and probably isn't anywhere close to being able to come out of the closet.
Moreover, as unfortunate as this may be, homophobia is still a major problem in today's Republican Party. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) gets caught up in a prostitution scandal, and the party establishment says it's "unfortunate." Craig gets caught up in a gay-sex scandal, and the GOP leadership calls it "unforgivable." As Josh put it, "If you're a Republican and you want to misbehave sexually, make sure it's with a chick."
As for Ezra's point that Craig could point out how reliable he's been on "fighting for the upward redistribution and failed wars," but that leads to Craig's other problem: he's from Idaho, where a conservative governor can appoint a conservative replacement to advance the same conservative agenda.
With that, I might add one small caveat to Josh's maxim: If you're a Republican and you want to misbehave sexually, make sure you come from a state with a Democratic governor.
--Steve Benen
The Big Picture
It's always good to seek out the larger lesson behind a political scandal. So in this case, it seems to be, If you're a Republican and you want to misbehave sexually, make sure it's with a chick.
Late Update: Also, make sure you've got a Democratic governor.
--Josh Marshall
Giuliani Tries to Get Back in the Game
The battle to see which Republican presidential candidate can appoint people to key positions just before they are exposed in career-ending personal transgressions or criminal acts, or both, just keeps chugging along. Tonight, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani tries to get back in the game. But after Mitt Romney's success with Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), it's just hard for the others to compete.
The thin gruel Giuliani's come back with looks like a sign of how Romney now dominates the contest.
Tonight, Barry S. Edward, organizer of Rudy's Reagan Day Dinner fundraiser in Pinellas County, stepped down from his position after his criminal record of extorting sex and trafficking in stolen state computers was revealed.
Edwards called the 1998 arrests "old news", but decided to step down because "I'm not relevant and I shouldn't be the story."
Explaining the incidents, the Miami Herald writes ...
The two criminal incidents involving Edwards were unrelated, and occurred within months of each other in 1998.According to a Florida State University arrest affidavit: Edwards was first charged after a 19-year-old FSU political science intern claimed Edwards, then an adjunct professor, plied him with beers, trolled briefly for prostitutes, watched ''heterosexual'' pornography and then exhorted him to masturbate in a game.
The intern said Edwards threatened him with bad grades if he didn't ''get into it.'' He declined to press charges. Edwards said the claims were ''lies'' but he didn't ''want to revisit it.'' Edwards was fired from FSU.
Shortly after his extortion arrest, state Capitol police then arrested Edwards on charges of theft, burglary and dealing with stolen property after the cops said he stole at least $10,000 worth of computer equipment from offices of the Florida Legislature.
The student later decided not to press charges and Edwards was allowed to plead 'no contest' in the computers case.
--Josh Marshall
EC Happy Hour Roundup
Tom Tancredo calls for an end to federal aid for Katrina survivors, says that it's "time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station." That and other political news of the day in today's Happy Hour Roundup.
--Eric Kleefeld
Man Bites Dog
Freed from the need to keep his silence, Karl Rove has written a piece on the Bush presidency. Verdict: Best president ever.
I believe history will provide a more clear-eyed verdict on this president’s leadership than the anger of current critics would suggest.President Bush will be viewed as a far-sighted leader who confronted the key test of the 21st century.
He will be judged as a man of moral clarity who put America on wartime footing in the dangerous struggle against radical Islamic terrorism.
--Josh Marshall
Monitoring the World
I'll still stick to the point that the real news of significance for our democracy are the oppo research sheets Green Zone authorities are circulating about visiting Democratic lawmakers. But this is a pretty choice moment too ...
But even such tight control could not always filter out the bizarre world inside the barricades. At one point, the three were trying to discuss the state of Iraqi security forces with Iraq's national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, but the large, flat-panel television set facing the official proved to be a distraction. Rubaie was watching children's cartoons.When Moran asked him to turn it off, Rubaie protested with a laugh and said, "But this is my favorite television show," Moran recalled.
Porter confirmed the incident, although he tried to paint the scene in the best light, noting that at least they had electricity.
"I don't disagree it was an odd moment, but I did take a deep breath and say, 'Wait a minute, at least they are using the latest technology, and they are monitoring the world,' " Porter said. "But, yes, it was pretty annoying."
Best technology, monitoring the world. I guess at this point we're just living in a Waiting for Guffman movie or Best in Show.
--Josh Marshall
Disgusting
This story in this morning's Post about Green Zone authorities putting out 'tip sheets' about visiting Democratic lawmakers that read like they were written by the RNC is a really big deal. It's all par for the course for this administration, how they've politicized every branch of the government and every agency, eroding democratic institutions in American while they pretended to build them in Iraq. In fact, from the start the White House tried to stock the Green Zone and the US occupation authority with GOP operatives. But I thought that had changed a little. This latest incident, though, should trigger a number of forced retirements and resignations.
--Josh Marshall
Reid Backs Off Firm Troop Withdrawal Timetable
Signaling a major change in negotiation strategy, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says his demands for a firm commencement date for troop withdrawals from Iraq this coming spring has become an "obstacle" and that he is willing to compromise with Republicans on the issue.
Late Update: Reid's spokesman responds to our query about his remarks, leaving little doubt that he's open to the possibility of funding the war this fall without withdrawal timelines. --gs
--David Kurtz
Craig Denounced FBI for Stevens Raid
It was just earlier this month that Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) was defending Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) from FBI tactics that Craig called "a bit Gestapo-like." (Too bad Stevens can't return the favor.) Here's the full quote, as reported by The Politico:
"I think some people say, 'Ah, but for the grace of God go I.' Especially when you have the allegations, you have the judicial segment of our government, the executive branch, out raiding the homes of senators, that is a very frightening proposition. It is a bit Gestapo-like in its style and tactics ... When the FBI was offered a key and invited into the home, they chose publicize it to make sure the media was there first, and they broke in. That is gamesmanship. That makes senators very, very angry when they attempt to cooperate when for reason they are caught in these webs and yet they are denied that for the sake of the judiciary’s publicity. That is wrong.’’
"Caught in these webs"?
We posted on Craig's comments at the time, but they take on a whole new flavor now, don't they?
[Great catch by TPM intern Will Thomas.]
--David Kurtz
Bush Justice
The investigation of the politicization of hiring practices at the Department of Justice appears to be broader than first believed. Among the practices that the DOJ inspector general and the Office of Professional Responsibility are looking into are what kinds of questions were asked of job applicants. As part of the investigation, they have sent a survey to DOJ hires inquiring whether they were asked things such as, Should gays be allowed to marry? Have you contributed to Republican candidates? What kind of conservative are you? More here.
--David Kurtz
Hear, Speak, See No Evil
Poor Ted Stevens. The much-investigated senior senator from Alaska is so hamstrung by his own legal troubles that his lawyers have barred him from commenting on the Larry Craig bathroom imbroglio.
--David Kurtz
Flashback
The Larry Franklin-AIPAC case--was it lobbying or espionage?--has been flying mostly under the radar of late. But arguments made in the case yesterday suggest this could get pretty interesting if the defendants have their way:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other senior intelligence officials should not be forced to testify about whether they discussed classified information with pro-Israel lobbyists, federal prosecutors argued in a closed-door court hearing Thursday.Two former American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbyists facing espionage charges have subpoenaed Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, Deputy National Security Adviser Elliott Abrams and several others to testify at their trial next year. . . .
Attorneys for lobbyists Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman have argued that the Israeli interest group played an unofficial but sanctioned role in crafting foreign policy and that Rice and others can confirm it.
Trial is set for early next year.
--David Kurtz
Bush Admin Sides with Infant Formula Lobby
This is deservedly getting a lot of attention this morning. From WaPo:
In an attempt to raise the nation's historically low rate of breast-feeding, federal health officials commissioned an attention-grabbing advertising campaign a few years ago to convince mothers that their babies faced real health risks if they did not breast-feed. It featured striking photos of insulin syringes and asthma inhalers topped with rubber nipples.Plans to run these blunt ads infuriated the politically powerful infant formula industry, which hired a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a former top regulatory official to lobby the Health and Human Services Department. Not long afterward, department political appointees toned down the campaign. . . .
The ads ran instead with more friendly images of dandelions and cherry-topped ice cream scoops, to dramatize how breast-feeding could help avert respiratory problems and obesity.
--David Kurtz
EC Morning Roundup
Manhattan District Attorney Arthur Branch's fictional career continues, as TNT has no plans for now to stop showing Fred Thompson's Law & Order reruns. That and other political news of the day in today's Election Central Morning Roundup.
--Eric Kleefeld
Today's Must Read
Finally, we're getting more of a glimpse into the netherworld occupied by Thomas Kontogiannis, and it sure is murky.
Kontogiannis is the briber of Duke Cunningham who has pleaded guilty and will be a key witness in the upcoming trial of two other alleged Cunningham bribers, Brent Wilkes and Kontogiannis' own nephew, John Michael.
Kontogiannis' plea agreement and the legal proceedings surrounding it were originally kept secret, and he was not even fingerprinted at first, all of which, combined with his history of getting off pretty easy for serious felony convictions, gave rise to speculation about Kontogiannis' ties to U.S. intelligence.
The judge in the case has now unsealed some of the records of the legal proceedings, and sure enough, Kontogiannis says bribing Cunningham was basically just the cost of doing business: "My interest is (the) United States, basically. And (Cunningham) was in a position that I could reach and tell (the government) information that I was gathering from all over the world.”
It's hard to tell whether Kontogiannis fancies himself a real-life Jack Bauer, or if he just pulled the wool over the eyes of his presumed handlers. Spencer has the details.
--David Kurtz
Craig On Way Out?
CNN: Sources say Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) may resign as early as today.
Actually this is pretty remarkable if true:
A GOP source with knowledge of the situation told CNN's Dana Bash that the Republican National Committee was poised to take the extraordinary step of calling on Craig to resign.However, that move was put on hold, the source said, because top party leaders have received indications that Craig himself is preparing to step down.
Sources have confirmed that high-level meetings on the matter were being conducted in Idaho on Thursday.
I don't recall a national party publicly calling for the resignation of a sitting senator of its own party ever before. Perhaps our Senate history buffs can help us here. More at TPM's Election Central.
--David Kurtz
The Confidence Game
White House "confident" it will win Iraq fight against Dems. In other news, salesman confident you will enjoy that used car.
--David Kurtz
The Muck Gap
Okay, it's the unreported political story of the year: the GOP's ability to dominate scandal news even while in the minority. Usually, the majority party, with more power and money, takes the scandal cake. It's almost an iron law of politics. But whether it's lobby shop or the restroom, the GOP has so far been able to reverse the historical tide, maintaining a decisive muck advantage even in the political wilderness.
In fact, the Muck Gap remains so great that we even caught CNN (see today's episode) yesterday trying to fudge the numbers to make muck seem more bipartisan than it is.
We run the numbers in today's episode of TPMtv ...
--Josh Marshall
Internet Could Have Saved Sen. Craig?
According to an article in today's Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, more avid web readership might have saved Sen. Larry Craig's (R-ID) career.
As a number of TPM Reader/Google sleuths have been telling us, there are sites out there that rate different public sex bathrooms around the country. One of them sounds sort of like it's the Zagat's of gay public restroom sex. And that bathroom at the Minneapolis airport is like the Spago of sex bathrooms.
In any case, this from the Strib reporters ...
Another Web site lists Twin Cities-area malls, parks, health clubs and even a "cruisy toilet" at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Many postings list the best times to go and give graphic reviews of the venues.An airport bathroom, specifically one near a shoeshine stand behind the ticket counter, generated the most comments until Web-site users posted warnings in June that men were getting arrested there. Craig was arrested shortly after noon on June 11 in the main men's public restroom of the North Star Crossing in the Lindbergh Terminal.
It's not clear from the article exactly which review web site they're referring to or whether the warnings about the sting showed up in advance of Craig's June 11th arrest. But it seems that closer scrutiny of the web and available ratings sites could have kept Craig from his rendezvous with destiny.
--Josh Marshall
EC Happy Hour Roundup
Wyoming GOP official makes a candid admission: His state party is trying to wreck the primary calendar. That and other political news of the day in today's Happy Hour Roundup.
--Eric Kleefeld
Of All the Bathrooms in All the World
Sen. Craig was familiar with this particular Minneapolis airport restroom:
Officer: You, you travel through here frequently correct?Craig: I do.
Officer: Um,
Craig: Almost weekly.
Officer: Have you been successful in these bathrooms here before?
Craig: I go to that bathroom regularly.
Officer: I mean for any type of other activities?
Craig: No. Absolutely not. I don't seek activity in bathrooms.
Sigh.
--David Kurtz
This is Sad
We're going through the airport police audio tape of their interview with Sen. Larry Craig following his arrest. Among the highlights:
Officer: Well, you're not being truthful with me. You're not being truthful with me, Senator. I'm real disappointed in you right now. . . .
Then a little later:
Officer: Okay, sir. We deal with people who lie to us every day.Craig: I'm sure you do.
Officer: I'm sure you do to [sic] sir.
Craig: And gentleman so do I.
By the end, it's hard to tell whether the officer's "disappointment" is the stuff of interrogation room tactics or genuine:
Officer: Okay. Then it was your left hand. I saw it with my own eyes.Craig: All right, you saw something that didn't happen.
Officer: Embarrassing, embarrassing. No wonder why we're going down the tubes. Anything to add?
Craig: Uh, no.
Shortly thereafter, the interview concludes.
--David Kurtz
Bush Visits That Part of the World
When my wife was in school in Louisiana, she had a teacher who began a sentence one day with, "When you leave Louisiana and go to America . . ."
Now, Louisiana has long been different from the rest of the country, its French and Spanish colonial roots long pre-dating Anglo influence. In south Louisiana in particular, where the geographic isolation of bayou country was not penetrated until the commercialization of oil and gas deposits well into the 20th century, the Anglo influence not only came late but often came as unwelcome.
So there is precedent for Louisiana to consider itself a land apart, but I'm not sure there is any precedent for a President of the United States to refer to contiguous U.S. territory as if it were a foreign land in quite the same way President Bush did yesterday while visiting New Orleans on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall there:
"[T]he taxpayers and people from all around the country have got to understand the people of this part of the world really do appreciate the fact that the American citizens are supportive of the recovery effort.""I come telling the folks in this part of the world that we still understand there's problems and we're still engaged."
"We care deeply about the folks in this part of the world."
He might as well have been talking to tsunami survivors in Indonesia.
Late Update: As a couple of readers have pointed out, there is a precedent for a U.S. President to refer to U.S. territory in this way: President Bush himself has done it consistently since shortly after the storm. On September 2, 2005, speaking in Mobile, Ala., the President said, "[N]ow we're going to go try to comfort people in that part of the world." And the pattern of oddly distancing the devastated Gulf Coast from the rest of the country has continued ever since, as ably documented by the blog "Right Hand Thief."
--David Kurtz
Iraqi WMD Finally Found! Democrats in Disgrace
It's been more than four years since the invasion of Iraq. And countless wingers have lost their sanity and dignity over the failed hunt from Iraqi stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. But vials of Iraqi WMD have now been found ... in the inspectors' file cabinets at the UN in New York.
--Josh Marshall
A Possible Dem Pick-Up?
We'll know tomorrow whether Sen. John Warner (R-VA) will run for re-election next year. Warner is 80 years old. The race for his seat, if empty, would be a major flashpoint in 2008.
--David Kurtz
Careful What You Ask For
Almost as soon as Sen. Larry Craig issued a statement Monday afternoon saying he should not have pleaded guilty in the Minneapolis airport restroom case (his press flack told Roll Call it was all a “he said/he said misunderstanding”), speculation began swirling that Craig may face legal consequences for disavowing his guilty plea. That was only compounded by his public appearance the next day, in which he announced that he had finally retained legal counsel to review the case. The LA Times has a good overview of the possible consequences for Craig of trying to reopen his case--none of them good.
--David Kurtz
Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places
Sen. Larry Craig is not getting much love at home in Idaho either. The GOP governor and longtime Craig ally reiterated that Craig is a friend but is declining to say one way or the other whether Craig should resign.
--David Kurtz
New Surge Meme: Gas to $9
Is this outside their area of expertise?
Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV) just got back from Iraq and he says that Petraeus, Crocker and the chieftains of the Iraqi government told him not only that there would be genocide if the US left but that gas prices would go to $8 or $9 a gallon.
The Nevada Republican, who returned Tuesday from his fourth trip to Iraq, met with U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Iraqi Deputy President Tariq al-Hashimi and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh."To a person, they said there would be genocide, gas prices in the U.S. would rise to eight or nine dollars a gallon, al-Qaida would continue its expansion, and Iran would take over that portion of the world if we leave," Porter said Wednesday in a phone interview from Las Vegas.
Is it Petraeus or Crocker who's got the oil price analysis portfolio?
Someone remind me.
--Josh Marshall
Tucker the Tough
TPM Reader RK:
Carlson beat up a man? A fully grown man? Please. Tucker Carlson could be beaten into submission with nothing more than a heavy thought.
--David Kurtz
EC MORNING ROUNDUP
The Hillary campaign will divest themselves of money from convicted fraud Norman Hsu — but there are no plans yet from the Obama camp to do the same. That and other political news of the day in today's Election Central Morning Roundup.
--Eric Kleefeld
But even the President of the United States
Sometimes must have
To stand naked.
-- Bob Dylan
--Josh Marshall
"Going" Problem
It has been a difficult summer for Republican politicians staying within the law in their use of public bathrooms. In today's episode of TPMtv we take a look at the misunderstood/mistaken/mixed-up cases of State Representative Bob Allen (R) of Florida and Idaho Senator Larry Craig (R).
--Ben Craw
EC Happy Hour Roundup
The influential New Hampshire Union Leader challenges Fred Thompson to declare already, and show up for a September 5 debate. That and other political news of the day in today's Happy Hour Roundup.
--Eric Kleefeld
What About Sen. David Vitter?
So how will Senate Republicans square their calls for Sen. Larry Craig's resignation with their support for Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)?
Let's put it this way: Vitter did more than slide his foot under a bathroom stall. He has as much as admitted to breaking the law by paying for prostitutes proffered by the D.C. Madam. He left precious little ambiguity in his public statements, though he didn't go quite as far as Craig's guilty plea.
But that is a slim reed of a difference. Is the only real difference for GOPers that Vitter was in for straight sex (though apparently pretty kinky straight sex, by one account) whereas Craig went in for gay sex in public places?
There's been considerable commentary on conservative commentators' double standard for Vitter and Craig. But it's a standard GOP senators are going to have to answer for, too. Let the squirming begin.
Late Update: I included the last link above, to Kevin Drum, because it specifically lays out one possible reason for the double standard: Craig's replacement would be appointed by a Republican governor, Vitter's by a Democratic governor.
--David Kurtz
Fox: Hillary and Obama Recruit Castro
Fox New breaks open the story of the Castro-Hillary-Obama alliance ...
--Josh Marshall
A Push, Not a Jump
In a sign of how toxic the political environment is for Senate Republicans, the GOP leadership in the Senate asked Sen. Larry Craig to give up his committee assignments--and then put out a public statement about it. The move is supposedly temporary, until the Ethics Committee sorts out the complaints against Craig over his conviction in the airport bathroom incident. One of those ethics complaints yesterday came from none other than the Senate GOP leadership itself.
Meanwhile, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), one of the most vulnerable Republicans seeking re-election next year, this afternoon called publicly for Craig's resignation. Nearly simultaneously, Sen. John McCain, a presidential candidate, did so as well. No Democrats in the Senate have yet said Craig should resign.
While most Senate Republicans can't distance themselves from Craig fast enough, Trent Lott, having been through the wringer himself over the comments he made about Strom Thurmond that cost him his position as Senate majority leader, is more circumspect, telling Bloomberg TV's "Money & Politics":
I am shocked and I am disappointed at you know, this turn of events. . . but I also have learned the hard way that before you jump to conclusions or call on people to do one thing or another at least know all of the facts and you know take advantage of an opportunity to hear what, you know, really happened."
That's the sober assessment of a politician who has stared into the abyss.
Election Central has a rundown on what happens if Craig were to heed the calls to step down.
--David Kurtz
The Few, the Proud, the Senators
As you can see over in our news section, two senators (McCain and Coleman) have called on Sen. Craig (R-ID) to resign. I strongly suspect that a number more will by the end of the day.
Now, the senate's an awfully clubby place. And senators have been known to do some awfully freaky stuff.
So here's my question: when was the last time a senator called for a fellow senator to resign his office?
--Josh Marshall
Tucker Carlson: Yeah, I Beat Up a Gay Guy for Hitting on Me
My pal Steve Clemons is guest-blogging at Andrew Sullivan's site this week. And he has a post about this astounding admission/boast of Tucker Carlson's that he bashed, literally bashed, a gay man who hit on him in a public bathroom.
--Josh Marshall
Rep. Hoekstra (R): Craig must resign.
Rep. Hoekstra (R) of Michigan says Sen. Craig must resign.
Who he's speaking on behalf of isn't exactly clear to me.
--Josh Marshall
Helluva Job, Larry
CNN: White House "disappointed" with Craig.
Another bit of understated reporting: "The general sentiment among Craig's fellow Idaho Republicans who talked to CNN's Dana Bash in Boise was that Craig's explanation is not credible."
--Josh Marshall
It's All a Misunderstanding
I wasn't familiar with the BBC comedy show "Little Britain" until TPM Reader BW sent me this clip, apropos of the Larry Craig incident. I feel like I've missed out.
--David Kurtz
All Hail the New Era of Bush
For all its well-earned reputation for cynicism, the Washington press corps, or some elements of it, has sure taken a rosy-eyed view of the Gonzales resignation.
The Los Angeles Times called it a "blessing" and an "opportunity" for President Bush, and "a chance to salvage his relationship with Capitol Hill and the legacy of his second term."
Roger Simon at The Politico says Bush is putting his legacy above loyalty: "Once famous for his loyalty to subordinates, Bush is now showing himself very capable of jettisoning the ones who create too much controversy." Very capable?
And everyone seems to be of the earnest opinion that Bush must nominate as Gonzales' successor someone of great independence and integrity to restore the Department of Justice. Wouldn't that be great.
TPM Reader MT isn't buying it, and neither am I:
Democratic lawmakers, such as Senator Schumer, and countless left-leaning bloggers have given their prescription for the AG nominee: he should be independent, not a member of the Bush inner circle, more loyal to the law than to the GOP, etc. But after watching the video of the petulant, irritated Bush making his brief statement about losing Gonzo, and hearing his claim that a good man had been "dragged through the mud," I can't help but think that the AG nominee will not be independent of the White House in any way, and will, in fact, be a middle finger to the Democrats in the Senate. Bush the spoiled brat will not be cooperative, but will instead take his ball and go home. After watching his temper tantrum, I don't see how any sane person could get a sense that the White House will capitulate on the next AG.This just seems self-evident at this stage.
If, as the evidence overwhelmingly suggests, Gonzales was a mere Bush flunky, a cipher, an amiable man doing the bidding of more powerful and more sinister men, then his departure can hardly be said to herald a new era so long as Bush (and Cheney) occupy the White House.
There is a persistent meme in press coverage that Bush--like Reagan--remains a fi