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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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The Smart Money on this morning's Hardball production call was that Iraq was the big
story...There's a number of things out there which struck our attention:
Item: The Washington Post's lead story on congressional authorization before heading
into Iraq...White House counsel Alberto Gonzales is said to have prepared a document
for Bush saying he needs no approval from Congress to use force against Iraq...
Item: Former Sec. of State James Baker authored a piece in yesterday's New York Times:
"The United States should advocate the adoption by the United Nations Security Council
of a simple and straightforward resolution requiring that Iraq submit to intrusive
inspections anytime, anywhere, with no exceptions, and authorizing all necessary means
to enforce it." He also suggested ground forces and a military occupation was
necessary...A lot of buzz on this yesterday on the Sunday shows...
Watching Ari's presser from the "Western White House" it's clear this is a huge
story...He said consulting congress was a "sine qua non" which I gotta give him points
for...Very smooth rhetorical flourish...Bohler take note...
Item: Pentagon officials are suggesting in The New York Times today that Saddam may
pursue an urban, guerrilla warfare strategy against U.S. forces...Mogadishu redux?
Item: The State Department will start training Iraqi dissidents in the art of "spin"
so they can get and stay "on message" as we say in DC...
We'll talk former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, Senator Chuck Hagel and Ken
Adelman (a former Reagan defense/arms control dude) in the A & B blocks...C will be
Howard (yes, Fineman is back) on the "regime change" politics inside the White House...
I'm talking to "B-1" Bob Dornan and he's fired up about being in the Buzz
tonight...He's all over the congressional authorization issue...Center left
commentator Carl Jeffers from the Seattle Times will jump in as well...
We'll debate the proposed smoking ban in New York City for the D block...Mayor
Bloomberg wants bars and restaurants smoke free as in California...I asked Chris: if
that was law, where would the Rat Pack go for a drink? Should be a smokin' segment!
(I had to get that cheesy pun in)
Real Deal topics include the latest musings from Katherine Harris, Al Franken, Henry
Kissinger & Martha Stewart...
Oh, and yes Chris is back tonight on the show!
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited the Briefing in Washington, DC
WashPost: Bush aides say no Iraq war vote needed...Lawyers for President Bush have
concluded he can launch an attack on Iraq without new approval from Congress, in part
because they say that permission remains in force from the 1991 resolution giving
Bush's father authority to wage war in the Persian Gulf
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/799070.asp
..Two senior administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said White
House counsel Al Gonzales advised Bush earlier this month that the Constitution gives
the president authority to wage war without explicit authority from Congress. (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=512&ncid=716&e=1&u=/ap/20020826/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq_22
Consultation Flashback (8/22): On Iraq, Bush to Consult With Allies and
Congress...President Reiterates Call for 'Regime Change'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46821-2002Aug21.html
War Powers Resolution of 1973
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/onpolitics/transcripts/warpower.htm
Cheney Lays Out Case Against Iraq (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020826/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq_24
According to Pentagon officials, Saddam Hussein will use the threat of urban warfare
if the Bush administration moves to attack. (NY Times)
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=68&ncid=68&e=3&u=/nyt/20020826/ts_nyt/iraq_said_to_plan_tangling_the_u_s__in_street_fighting
Iraqi opposition to learn the art of Spin...Dissidents to Aid Case for Iraq
Action...U.S. to Coach Baghdad's Opponents for Debate (Washington Post)
http://msnbc.com/news/799071.asp
Baker's piece: The Right Way to Change a Regime (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/25/opinion/25BAKE.html
Amid an intensifying debate over whether the United States should attack Iraq, former
Secretary of State James Baker won early support on Sunday for suggesting the United
Nations send in weapons inspectors backed by the threat of force (Reuters)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020825/ts_nm/iraq_usa_dc_8
Senators back forced checks of Iraqi arsenal...Key senators yesterday expressed
support for a plan to get U.N. approval for forcing weapons inspections on Iraq before
taking military action against Saddam Hussein. (The Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/default-20028264367.htm
GOP split over Iraq strategy...Prominent Republicans split yesterday over a call to
President Bush to link military action against Iraq to Saddam Hussein's refusal to
allow UN weapons inspections (NY Daily News)
http://nydailynews.com/front/story/13902p-13190c.html
Rowan Scarborough: Pentagon brief details Iraq's arms capability...The Pentagon is
circulating a detailed assessment of Baghdad´s nuclear, biological and chemical
weapons programs. http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/default-200282643144.htm
Hawks, Doves and Dubya...To move forward on Iraq, the president must first end the war
between his troops (Newsweek) http://www.msnbc.com/news/798832.asp
Benedetto: President Bush is to meet with Saudi Ambassador Bandar bin Sultan at his
Texas ranch Tuesday to try to mend the long and mostly friendly relationship between
their countries. (USA Today) http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020826/4391204s.htm
Officials promise action at Earth Summit...Government officials, environmental
activists and business leaders promised Sunday the upcoming World Summit on
Sustainable Development will be about action -- not just words -- to save the
environment and combat poverty.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/798955.asp
The Earth Summit opens on Monday in Johannesburg, giving world governments driven by a
mix of idealism and realpolitik just 10 days to agree on ways to haul millions out of
poverty without poisoning the planet. (Reuters)
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/ns/story.jsp?floc=FF-PLS-PLS&id=404928752&dt=20020825211300&w=RTR&coview=
U.S. general: 'Long ways to go' in Afghanistan Despite improved security, the country
is still unstable (USA Today) http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020826/4391202s.htm
The Israeli army came under fire yesterday after Israel Radio broadcast an
investigative report that found that the looting of Palestinian property by Israeli
troops was more widespread than previously thought (NY Post)
http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/55734.htm
Bill Gertz, defense and national security reporter for The Washington Times, in his
new book, "Breakdown" (Regnery Publishing), details pervasive intelligence problems
that allowed the United States to be blindsided by Islamist terrorists on September
11. http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/default-20028264297.htm
Biowarfare specialist Steven J. Hatfill, who has said repeatedly he had nothing to do
with last fall's anthrax attacks, was critical yesterday of Attorney General John
Ashcroft and the FBI for labeling him a "person of interest" in the federal
investigation - and for telling Mr. Hatfill's girlfriend he was a killer. (The
Washington Times) http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20020826-19169397.htm
A letter said to have been written by Osama bin Laden just weeks ago, has surfaced on
the Web. (NY Post) http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/55732.htm
NY Politics: Carl McCall's running mate for lieutenant governor, Dennis Mehiel,
admitted yesterday that he fathered two out-of-wedlock children, with two different
women, while married to his first wife. (NY Post)
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/55715.htm
NH Politics: GOP May Feel Generation Gap in N.H. Primary (Wash Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60967-2002Aug25.html
Women advance in governor races Record number could win election (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020826/4391127s.htm
Lambro Analysis: Losses expected by GOP in states
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020825-11542611.htm
Kurtz: All in a Day's Work...On 9/11, Chasing the Story That Chased Back
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60883-2002Aug25.html
Al Gore might have had a statewide recount if he hadn't decided to "unleash the dogs
of war" on Secretary of State Katherine Harris in Florida's postelection chaos.
(Tallahassee Democrat)
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/news/local/3932932.htm
"Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer on President Bush: "He was terrific today. I'm a big
fan," (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/08/25/MN60693.DTL
Fans of the booted "Opie and Anthony" radio show were flooding the Internet over the
weekend with speculation that their afternoon heroes may soon be back on the air - to
face off against ratings leader Howard Stern in the morning. (NY Post)
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/55717.htm
Rush & Molloy: James Woods is looking out for Rudy Giuliani...The actor, due to play
America's mayor in a cable TV movie, has demanded a rewrite of his script because it
didn't make Giuliani look heroic enough, according to sources.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/story/13840p-13137c.html
Lizzie Grubman: "Of course, I'm afraid. It's fear of the unknown. You don't know what
to expect. The reality is, I'm sure I'll ... break ... I don't know what I'll have to
face. I just know I have to deal with it." (Cindy Adams)
http://www.pagesix.com/cindyadams/cindyadams.htm
Opinion/Editorial
Zakaria: To Fire on Iraq, Use a Trigger...However justified, America will not initiate
a war with another country without a specific provocation. We are simply not going to
do it http://www.msnbc.com/news/798785.asp
Neal Justin: Media coverage goes 24-7 for 9-11; is it too much?
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1706/3182895.html
Fire fight...Green groups began slamming President Bush's forestry plan as soon as he
announced it. But Bush's proposal to reduce forest fires by cutting down trees does
get it half right, writes Douglas Gantenbein.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/798257.asp
Blast from the past: Appeasement, Then and Now...Do liberals really believe in liberal
principles? http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/rbartley/?id=110002152
Novak: GOP rebels fight budget battle
http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/cst-edt-novak26.html
Ex. RNC chief Rich Bond: Waging class warfare...Democratic Party tactics will fail
again http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20020826-29401293.htm
Horowitz: Ted Koppel's Spin Zone: How Nightline Controls What
You See http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/horowitz.html
Mallard Fillmore http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/mallard.asp
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
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