White House Denies Bush-Cheney Rift
Though the White House "adamantly denies any rift" between President Bush and Vice President Cheney, "the consensus among Republicans close to the White House is that Mr. Bush may well have been angry about the actions of Mr. Cheney's office, and that he has long been aware that the vice president oversold the case on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction," the New York Times reports.
Meanwhile, friends say Cheney is "subdued since the indictment of his chief of staff and friend, I. Lewis Libby Jr., and they say they are concerned about his weight, which appears to be up again after his recent years of keeping it under control. Mr. Cheney, 64, has had four heart attacks, and in September had surgery to repair aneurysms in arteries behind both his knees."
Abramoff Scandal Threatens Lawmakers
The Justice Department "has signaled for the first time in recent weeks that prominent members of Congress could be swept up in the corruption investigation of Jack Abramoff, the former Republican superlobbyist who diverted some of his tens of millions of dollars in fees to provide lavish travel, meals and campaign contributions to the lawmakers whose help he needed most," the New York Times reports.
"Scholars who specialize in the history and operations of Congress say that given the brazenness of Mr. Abramoff's lobbying efforts, as measured by the huge fees he charged clients and the extravagant gifts he showered on friends on Capitol Hill, almost all of them Republicans, the investigation could end up costing several lawmakers their careers, if not their freedom."
Woodward's Source Was Hadley
"The mysterious source who gave America?s foremost journalist, Bob Woodward, a tip-off about the CIA agent at the centre of one of Washington?s biggest political storms was Stephen Hadley, the White House national security adviser," the Times of London reports.
Think Progress notes that if this report is true, Hadley "was intentionally trying to mislead the press and the public" last week at a news conference "by repeating information from White House officials that he knew to be false."
Earlier, Woodward told Time what made his source come forward.
Update: Newsweek takes Hadley at his word and speculates former deputy secretary of State Richard Armitage might be Woodward's source.
A Modern Day Thomas Jefferson?
Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) is "white-hot" on the presidential circuit, Washington Whispers notes. "A popular moderate in a southern state, he helped push successor Tim Kaine to victory in this month's elections and last week started his 2008 dance in New Hampshire."
"Many see him as a contemporary Thomas Jefferson, a businessman and reluctant politician who dabbles in farming and winemaking at his Rappahannock Bend farm.... At his farm, Warner grows 15 acres of grapes for nearby Ingleside Vineyards. They use the grapes in Ingleside wines and bottle a private Rappahannock Bend label that Warner offers at charity auctions."
The Washington Post has more on Warner's trip to New Hampshire.
Richardson, Biden Prepping 2008 Bids
"Democratic insiders have raised from ''possible' to 'probable' the prospect of presidential bids in 2008 by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware," Robert Novak reports.
"Richardson has said he will await his 2006 re-election campaign in New Mexico before making a presidential decision. But party insiders say now he is preparing the groundwork for a national campaign, assuming that his second term as governor is likely. Richardson is a former member of Congress, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and secretary of energy."
"There has been skepticism that Biden, whose 1988 presidential candidacy was aborted, really would try again. However, Democrats close to the six-term senator now expect Biden, who will turn 66 shortly after the 2008 election, to make a final bid for president in what may be his last shot at the White House."
Schmidt Makes Potentially Career Ending Speech
As you may have read earlier, Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH), the woman who barely beat Iraq war vet Paul Hackett (D) in Ohio's special election earlier this year, unleashed a vicious attack on Rep. John Murtha (D-PA). She essentially called the 37 year Marine veteran and purple heart recipient a coward. Later, she asked for her remarks to be withdrawn from the record.
Fortunately, Think Progress has the video. Expect it in campaign ads next year.
Andrew Sullivan: "Every time you think these Republicans can sink no lower, even after their vile smears against Kerry's service last year, they keep going. They make me sick to my stomach."
Though the White House "adamantly denies any rift" between President Bush and Vice President Cheney, "the consensus among Republicans close to the White House is that Mr. Bush may well have been angry about the actions of Mr. Cheney's office, and that he has long been aware that the vice president oversold the case on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction," the New York Times reports.
Meanwhile, friends say Cheney is "subdued since the indictment of his chief of staff and friend, I. Lewis Libby Jr., and they say they are concerned about his weight, which appears to be up again after his recent years of keeping it under control. Mr. Cheney, 64, has had four heart attacks, and in September had surgery to repair aneurysms in arteries behind both his knees."
Abramoff Scandal Threatens Lawmakers
The Justice Department "has signaled for the first time in recent weeks that prominent members of Congress could be swept up in the corruption investigation of Jack Abramoff, the former Republican superlobbyist who diverted some of his tens of millions of dollars in fees to provide lavish travel, meals and campaign contributions to the lawmakers whose help he needed most," the New York Times reports.
"Scholars who specialize in the history and operations of Congress say that given the brazenness of Mr. Abramoff's lobbying efforts, as measured by the huge fees he charged clients and the extravagant gifts he showered on friends on Capitol Hill, almost all of them Republicans, the investigation could end up costing several lawmakers their careers, if not their freedom."
Woodward's Source Was Hadley
"The mysterious source who gave America?s foremost journalist, Bob Woodward, a tip-off about the CIA agent at the centre of one of Washington?s biggest political storms was Stephen Hadley, the White House national security adviser," the Times of London reports.
Think Progress notes that if this report is true, Hadley "was intentionally trying to mislead the press and the public" last week at a news conference "by repeating information from White House officials that he knew to be false."
Earlier, Woodward told Time what made his source come forward.
Update: Newsweek takes Hadley at his word and speculates former deputy secretary of State Richard Armitage might be Woodward's source.
A Modern Day Thomas Jefferson?
Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) is "white-hot" on the presidential circuit, Washington Whispers notes. "A popular moderate in a southern state, he helped push successor Tim Kaine to victory in this month's elections and last week started his 2008 dance in New Hampshire."
"Many see him as a contemporary Thomas Jefferson, a businessman and reluctant politician who dabbles in farming and winemaking at his Rappahannock Bend farm.... At his farm, Warner grows 15 acres of grapes for nearby Ingleside Vineyards. They use the grapes in Ingleside wines and bottle a private Rappahannock Bend label that Warner offers at charity auctions."
The Washington Post has more on Warner's trip to New Hampshire.
Richardson, Biden Prepping 2008 Bids
"Democratic insiders have raised from ''possible' to 'probable' the prospect of presidential bids in 2008 by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware," Robert Novak reports.
"Richardson has said he will await his 2006 re-election campaign in New Mexico before making a presidential decision. But party insiders say now he is preparing the groundwork for a national campaign, assuming that his second term as governor is likely. Richardson is a former member of Congress, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and secretary of energy."
"There has been skepticism that Biden, whose 1988 presidential candidacy was aborted, really would try again. However, Democrats close to the six-term senator now expect Biden, who will turn 66 shortly after the 2008 election, to make a final bid for president in what may be his last shot at the White House."
Schmidt Makes Potentially Career Ending Speech
As you may have read earlier, Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH), the woman who barely beat Iraq war vet Paul Hackett (D) in Ohio's special election earlier this year, unleashed a vicious attack on Rep. John Murtha (D-PA). She essentially called the 37 year Marine veteran and purple heart recipient a coward. Later, she asked for her remarks to be withdrawn from the record.
Fortunately, Think Progress has the video. Expect it in campaign ads next year.
Andrew Sullivan: "Every time you think these Republicans can sink no lower, even after their vile smears against Kerry's service last year, they keep going. They make me sick to my stomach."
