Hello Everyone,
Evelyn here,
The following is an excerpt from Mike Allen's Politico Playbook
for Sunday, May 04, 2008.
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Guam by seven, J-Mart on the age issue, Perino in Pueblo, Townsend to CNN
By: MIKE ALLEN
May 04, 2008 08:22 AM EST
BREAKING NEWS: RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) _ Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the year-end goal for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is still achievable.
Good Sunday morning. Hope Den 2 is having a chigger-free campout. And remember you'll never get to the Eagle's nest if you put rocks in your backpack.
FRANCES FRAGOS TOWNSEND will be announced tomorrow as a CNN contributor, joining former colleague Tony Snow. Townsend was Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, and is a Yankee fan.
Ambassador Nancy Brinker, the State Department's Chief of Protocol and founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, will be honored this week as a member of the TIME 100. Cokie Roberts writes in the new issue: "After being named ambassador to Hungary in 2001, Nancy brought breast-cancer awareness to a wider world, and now, as White House chief of protocol, she has enlisted the ambassadors to a dozen countries to race in recognition of the needs of local women."
MAKING NEWS THIS MORNING: Senator Obama on "Meet" and Senator Clinton on "Week": Can he sound confident but not cocky? Can she seem personable but not cloying? Can he address a host of vulnerabilities without providing ammo to the opposition? Can she make a convincing case that this is not fast becoming a vanity candidacy?
AS GOES GUAM? - "Obama wins close race, beats Clinton in Guam" - HAGATNA, Guam (AP) - Barack Obama defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton by SEVEN VOTES in the Guam Democratic presidential caucuses Saturday. The count of more than 4,500 ballots took all night. Neither candidate campaigned in the U.S. island territory in person, but both did long-distance media interviews and bought campaign ads for the caucuses."
"Slate's Timothy Noah rewrites the VandeAllen piece of March 21 ("The Clinton myth") as "Hillary Clinton, Fairy Princess: Can we please stop pretending she has a plausible chance to win the nomination?":
"Here's a rule I would like every political reporter, campaign official, TV talking head, and politician in the United States to follow. Go ahead and say, if you like, that Hillary Clinton retains a serious chance of winning the Democratic nomination. If you say this, however, you must describe a set of circumstances whereby this could happen. Try not to make it sound like a fairy tale."
Politico's JONATHAN MARTIN takes a creative look at the AGE issue for Senator McCain by examining how it has played in past high-profile campaigns: "Is John McCain Ronald Reagan or Bob Dole? Or, more to the point, will McCain be perceived as the vigorous, wood-chopping proclaimer of 'Morning in America' or as a cranky senior senator prone to gaffes and the occasional stage tumble?
"The sensitive question of age - one of the trickiest and most unpredictable in the political playbook - has been touched upon only glancingly since McCain became the de facto GOP nominee. But it is certain to hover over a candidate who will be 72 by Election Day. For all the ink spilled on whether the country is ready for a woman or African-American, polls indicate that more Americans worry about having a president over 70. ...Pew surveys taken in February and again last month showed that when voters are asked what word they would identify with McCain, "old" was far and away the choice.
"Recent presidential history shows being a septuagenarian is not a disqualifier. Reagan was 73 in his 1984 reelection campaign and won a 49-state landslide. Dole, however, was the same age when he ran for president in 1996 against Bill Clinton and was never really in contention. ...
"Ed Rollins, Reagan's reelection campaign chief, said campaign aides knew in the years leading up to the election that age would be an issue and prepared for it. 'We showed him as very active - lifting weights, swimming, riding his horse and chopping wood,' Rollins said,recalling a Parade magazine cover story in early 1984 that detailed the president's workout regimen. And as he did with many troublesome questions, Reagan used his own wit and impeccable timing to defuse the age issue. He invited the topic - and then promptly disposed of it by showing just how sharp he still was."
Newsweek's Allison Samuels on "Why Oprah Winfrey left Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church": "Winfrey was a member of Trinity United from 1984 to 1986, and she continued to attend off and on into the early to the mid-1990s. But then she stopped. ... According to two sources, Winfrey was never comfortable with the tone of Wright's more incendiary sermons, which she knew had the power to damage her standing as America's favorite daytime talk-show host.
"Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost,' said one longtime friend, who requested anonymity when discussing Winfrey's personal sentiments. 'She's always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart.' ... But Winfrey also had spiritual reasons for the parting. In conversations at the time with a former business associate, who also asked for anonymity, Winfrey cited her fatigue with organized religion and a desire to be involved with a more inclusive ministry."
Political reporters still working on their humility (in other words, political reporters) might want to check the headline on the cover of yesterday's Daily Racing Form: "History appears stacked against favored Big Brown."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Big Brown backed up his trainer's boasts with an explosive finishing kick and won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
BUT: "The cheers for the winner's 4 3/4 -length victory were cut short when Eight Belles, the runner-up, collapsed while galloping out near the second turn. She broke her two front ankles and was euthanized on the track minutes later."
Mark Halperin's "The Page" at TIME.com ran a cheeky "YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS UP" headline: "Hillary Clinton enthusiastically picked a filly named Eight Belles to win the Kentucky Derby and compared herself to the horse. Eight Belles finished second. The winner was the favorite, Big Brown. Eight Belles collapsed immediately after crossing the finish line, and was euthanized shortly thereafter."
Also per The Page: "TOM HANKS: 'I WANT BARACK OBAMA TO BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF OUR COUNTRY.' Actor/activist who had given money to both the Illinois Senator and Clinton posts compelling video on his MySpace page explaining his choice."
The environmental Friends of the Earth Action endorses
OBAMA. President Brent Blackwelder in a release: "The 'gas tax holiday'
debate is a defining moment in the presidential race. The two other candidates
responded with sham solutions that won't ease pain at the pump, but Senator
Obama refused to play that typical Washington game. Instead, Obama called for
real solutions that would make transportation more affordable and curb global
warming. He showed the courage and candor we expect from a president."
Ask J.T. Rethmeier what a Maddog does. ("He
bites!")
Phil Musser reported last night: "Alexandra Ladd Musser joined the world today at around 1:30. Thank goodness she looks like mom."
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS DANA PERINO? White House Press Secretary Dana Perino donned gown and hood yesterday to deliver the commencement address yesterday at her alma mater, Colorado State University-Pueblo. The Pueblo (Colo.) Chieftain described her as an "energetic speaker," and reports that she told the 500 students she's living a dream job: 'I have had the time of my life in the White House ... I've learned so much. I study every night as if I'm going to have a final every day for the rest of my time at the White House. If I mess up, I'm just not going to flunk; I could start a war." The Wyoming native is a 1993 graduate of CSU-Pueblo, which was then the University of Southern Colorado.
Perino told the ABC affiliate in Colorado Springs, KRDO NewsChannel 13: "I never thought that I would be a commencement speaker. In fact, I'm still a little surprised that I am. ... I'm actually nervous." The Rocky Mountain News says she also appeared at a fund-raising reception for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer, who's running against Rep. Mark Udall (D-Col.) in November for the open Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Senator Wayne Allard. President Bush and Vice President Cheney have also raised money for Schaffer.
L.A. Times A1, "Tuesday's primary unlikely to end Democratic race: Obama continues to lead among delegates, but his recent troubles keep Clinton's hopes alive. Barring an unexpected sweep, they're probably both in the race until June," By Mark Z. Barabak and Cathleen Decker:
"[Obama] missed a chance to close out the Democratic presidential nominating fight by losing Ohio to rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, then lost again in Pennsylvania. His big lead over Clinton in national polls disappeared. Worse, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. - Obama's longtime pastor - resurfaced, spitting fire during a National Press Club appearance. The Illinois senator was badly burned in the process.
"Yet for all that, Obama remains a strong favorite to win the nomination. The simple reason is mathematics: His lead among elected delegates makes it virtually impossible for Clinton to win without having the nomination handed to her by party insiders, the so-called superdelegates. ...
"The latest count by the Associated Press showed Obama with 1742.5 delegates to Clinton's 1,607.5. It takes 2,024 delegates to clinch the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August. Among superdelegates, Clinton's once-dominant lead has been winnowed to less than two dozen. There is little reason, however, for the former first lady to quit, as long as she continues to win and Obama struggles, as he has since his allegiance to the incendiary Wright became an issue."
Politico's John Bresnahan, "Cazayoux wins La. special election": "In a close race featuring millions of dollars in bruising television ads, Democrat Don Cazayoux defeated Republican Woody Jenkins on Saturday, winning another House seat for Democrats that had been long held by Republicans. The National Republican Congressional Committee and several conservative groups poured nearly $1 million into the race in an effort to tie Cazayoux to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The ads called the state representative "too liberal" for the district, which had been held by Republicans since 1974. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and labor unions responded with their own million-dollar ad blitz bashing Jenkins, a former state representative.
"In the end, with more than 100,000 votes cast, Cazayoux defeated Jenkins, 49 to 46 percent."
Speaker Pelosi: "Don Cazayoux's victory this evening proves once again that Americans across our country want real solutions and reject Republicans' negative attacks.'
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel: 'Democrats are winning in solidly Republican districts because the country agrees it's time for a change from the status quo in Washington. Louisiana has sent a clear message about that need for change. Don Cazayoux will be a strong advocate for the middle class families of Louisiana and will be a valuable addition to our caucus.'
BUSINESS BURST, from Bloomberg News: "Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer walked away from his bid for Yahoo! Inc. after a disagreement on the price, a setback to his efforts to catch Google Inc. in the online advertising market. The world's largest software maker said it offered to raise its $44.6 billion bid by about $5 billion, to $33 a share. Yahoo demanded $37, Microsoft said in a statement."
DESSERT, from AP: "Former U.S. Senator Edward Brooke has refused to comment about whether he had an affair with Barbara Walters in the 1970s. Brooke says he has a lifetime policy and practice of not discussing his personal and private life, except for what he wrote in his recently published autobiography, 'Bridging the Divide: My Life.' The 88-year-old former senator from Massachusetts says a relationship with Walters wasn't mentioned in his book. In an appearance on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' scheduled to air next Tuesday, Walters shares details of her relationship with the married Brooke that lasted several years in the 1970s. Brooke was a moderate Republican who took office in 1967. He was the first African-American to be popularly elected to the Senate. Walters said he and she knew that public knowledge of their affair could have ruined their careers. At the time, Walters was a rising star in TV news and co-host of NBC's 'Today' show. She would soon jump to ABC News."
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Evelyn out..
