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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Hardball airs at 7, 11 & 4 am et and 4, 8, & 1 am pt...
Some of you who are night owls or have trouble sleeping will want to take special note
of our new overnight (actually early morning) time...It brought me no small joy to
hear my local radio news this morning "brought to you by Hardball w/Chris
Matthews"...The promo went on to say something like "presenting Iraq: The Real Story
all week, every minute"...It gave me a renewed sense of purpose as I left home for my
morning commute...Be that as it may, I'm fronting a "must read" Washington Post piece
that I believe will serve as a good editorial road map for the front half of the show
tonight...
Here it is: Is This Hussein's Counterattack?...The recent string of attacks on U.S.
and allied forces in Iraq has appeared to be so methodical and well-crafted that some
top U.S. commanders now fear this may be the war Saddam Hussein and his generals
planned all along. (The Washington Post) http://msnbc.com/news/992941.asp?0cv=CA01
President Bush's approval ratings are taking a turn for the better, boosted by a
recovering economy that has driven unemployment claims to the lowest point of his
presidency, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/992733.asp?0dm=N16MN
Haig will do the military stuff and Peggy will do the NBC/WSJ poll in the A block...
We'll talk to some U.S. soldiers freshly back from Iraq about what it's like on the
ground in Iraq and their sense of the mission over there...
In the Buzz we'll talk to Tony and one of our producers, Noah Oppenheim, who is on the
ground with Arnot...
Tony's latest: http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/tblankley.htm
We're working on a couple of other guests but they aren't in the can just yet so I
don't want to reveal any names...
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Hardball Briefing from deep inside the
Beltway..
>From the "Hot" File...
The President has two fundraisers in Florida today -- one in Buena Vista at the Disney
Grand Floridian Resort and one in Ft. Myers at a private residence.
At the Buena Vista fundraiser he will raise $860,000 and 600 will attend. They will
dine on a menu of cinnamon rolls, chicken salad and crispy treats in the shape of
Mickey Mouse.
At the Fort Myers event, he will raise $1.7 million and 700 will attend.
Schroeder: Chris Matthews for president? Well, maybe not, but John Kerry, who is
running for that high office, may need to take a few notes from the shouting
journalist who is proving to be a bit more popular -- among the cop crowd, at least.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34395-2003Nov12.html
The United States wants to speed up the transition in Iraq to self-rule and is
consulting with Iraqis to do just that, President Bush said Thursday. He did not
elaborate, but the U.S. administrator in Iraq has returned to Baghdad, reportedly with
a proposal to hold elections in the first half of 2004 and leave the drafting of a
constitution for later. http://www.msnbc.com/news/992125.asp
"We're looking at all sorts of ideas and we do want to accelerate the pace of reform,"
Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters. (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=1&u=/ap/20031113/ap_on_re_mi_ea/us_iraq
Moran: Picking off the stragglers in Iraq...Is targeting U.S. coalition allies a new
strategy? http://www.msnbc.com/news/992530.asp
The forces opposing the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq total no more than 5,000
insurgent fighters, the top American general in the region said Thursday. (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=3&u=/ap/20031113/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_us_military
Fun Clinton News...
Small Chinese clothier courts Clinton...Bill Clinton, spokesmodel? A small clothing
manufacturer in eastern China says it hopes to sign the former U.S. president to
represent its brand, citing his "worldwide charisma." (AP)
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2003/11/13/small_chinese_clothier_courts_clinton?mode=PF
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will use a weekend appearance in Iowa to tout the
field of candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination and make it clear she
won't be among them. (AP) http://www.theunionleader.com/prez_show.html?article=28867
Iraqi police: Saddam's around Tikrit...Saddam Hussein has disguised himself and moves
around outside of his hometown of Tikrit, an Iraqi police official said.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/993053.asp
Japan balks at sending Iraq force...As the death toll from an attack on an Italian
compound in southern Iraq rose to 32, including 19 Italians, Japan announced it was
deferring the planned dispatch of non-combat troops to Iraq.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/870749.asp
Barring a major change of plans, Gen. Wesley Clark will be a no-show at the Democratic
National Committee-sanctioned New Hampshire Presidential debate on Dec. 9. Clark has a
long-scheduled appearance at a New York City fundraiser (Manchester Union Leader)
http://www.theunionleader.com/opinion_show.html?article=28873
Kerry Campaign Puts Hope in Shaheen...Kerry hopes that Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire's
former governor and a popular and influential Democrat, will translate her experience
and appeal into a primary victory. (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33646-2003Nov12.html
Clark Urges New Focus on Terrorist...Democratic Candidate Would Shift Forces to Hunt
Bin Laden (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33647-2003Nov12.html
Between raising money for a campaign already estimated to have more than $100 million,
President Bush is speaking out on how to help the elderly pay for prescription drugs,
a hot political topic in a state important to his re-election. (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=2&u=/ap/20031113/ap_on_el_pr/bush
The FBI is attempting to determine who mailed four threatening letters, each
containing a powdery substance, that were received at The Washington Post and other
locations in the past 10 days. (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34337-2003Nov12.html
Government grows past Bush's cap...Discretionary spending jumps 12.5 percent last year
(The Washington Post) http://msnbc.com/news/991867.asp?0sl=-12
Marc Morano: Jesse Jackson, NASCAR Say Reported Split 'Greatly Exaggerated'...Jesse
Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH organization claims that, contrary to published media reports,
NASCAR is still working with and supporting Jackson's initiatives in motor sports.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=\Nation\archive\200311\NAT20031113a.html
President Bush said Thursday he welcomes the massive protests expected in London
during his visit next week because "I don't expect everybody in the world to agree
with the positions I've taken." (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&ncid=703&e=6&u=/ap/20031113/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_britain
Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.) compared the blocking of one of President Bush's judicial
nominees, African-American Janice Rogers Brown, to a lynching. (The Hill)
http://www.thehill.com/story.asp?id=140
Pill-popping Rush Limbaugh is out of detox and "super psyched" to return to the
airwaves, his brother says. (NY Daily News)
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/136447p-121327c.html
The United States has reached some preliminary conclusions in a planned major
realignment of its military forces worldwide, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said
Thursday at the start of a trip to discuss the moves with key allies Japan and Korea
(Reuters) http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=3813242
Opinion/Editorial
Yepsen: Yepsen: Come see Hillary - and, oh, the candidates
http://www.dmregister.com/opinion/stories/c5917686/22740317.html
Jersey City folks take note...Barnicle: Exchange Place a truly American revival
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/col/mbarnicle/
Fund's Diary: The Bloom Is Off...New York's tasteless, clueless mayor.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110004293
Reese: Choose The Right Gun http://reese.king-online.com/Reese_20031112/index.php
Corn: Bush's Unreliable Intelligence...Bush sticks to a Big Lie about the CIA's prewar
intelligence. http://www.thenation.com/capitalgames/index.mhtml?bid=3&pid=1062
Hitchens: Restating the Case for War...Waiting for Saddam to change is what got us
into this mess in the first place. http://slate.msn.com/id/2090772/
Novak: Democratic race is Dean's to lose
http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/cst-edt-novak13.html
The Washington Times: Dean's decisions
http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20031112-093413-7565r.htm
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
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