The Hardball Briefing for August 13, 2003
-- The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC -- Hardball airs at 7p, 11p 2a in the East and 4p, 8p 11p in the West...You've got no excuse for not watching... Tonight's big story is the arrest of those 3 dudes in the surface to air weapons sting...What went down and what does it mean for the war on terror? We'll talk to terrorism analysts Larry Johnson and Steve Emerson plus Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, author of the book Funding Evil 3 arrested in missile-smuggling plot...A British citizen was arrested in New Jersey and accused of trying to smuggle surface-to-air missiles into the United States, authorities said Tuesday. Two others were also arrested. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/951575.asp In the B block we bring you fmr. CA Gov/Senator and San Diego mayor Pete Wilson who is now a top spokesman for Arnold's campaignWe'll ask him when Arnold's gonna get specific on the issues and lay out some platforms and such... Few Details From Schwarzenegger...California Voters Waiting for Candidate's Platform (The Washington Post) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50881-2003Aug12.html In the D block we'll do the Libya payoff story and what it portends for other terrorist deals...Libya, the United States and Britain have signed off on a deal under which Tripoli would accept responsibility for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, diplomats said Tuesday. http://www.msnbc.com/news/951507.asp We'll talk to Allan Gerson, Author of The Price of Terror: How the families of the victims of Pan Am 103 brought Libya to justice Tony B-1 will be in the Buzz with a Dem strategist TBD...We'll do the NYT story on Clinton advising Davis, The new Wash Post Poll and maybe some Dem primary story... Tony: Wishing California well http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/tblankley.htm Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Briefing from Washington, DC Major Philly gaffe by Kerry yesterday!! Steak Raises Stakes for Kerry in Philly...If Sen. John F. Kerry's presidential aspirations melt like a dollop of Cheez Whiz in the sun, the trouble may well be traced to an incident in South Philadelphia on Monday. (The Washington Post) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51517-2003Aug12.html More follow up on Arianna gratuitous publicity grab on the back of Arnold On Saturday, the day Schwarzenegger filed the paperwork for his gubernatorial run, bystanders noticed rival candidate Arianna Huffington waiting in her car for hours outside the Los Angeles County registrar's office. She sat there and camped out, and as soon as Arnold's caravan pulled up, she hopped out of the car and got into the melee, says our spy. Huffington was able to get her picture taken and share the limelight, but while her rep admits that was the intention, he claims she only waited 15 minutes. Meanwhile, although Gov. Gray Davis criticized Schwarzenegger for announcing his candidacy on Jay Leno's Tonight Show, insiders tell us Davis secretly called Leno and asked to appear on the program himself. The governor was turned down - and he is not happy about it, says our source. Leno's reps did not return calls. (Page Six) http://www.nypost.com/gossip/38822.htm Bush Ratings Stabilize Despite Economic Ills...Post poll shows war, budget fueling partisan division, foreshadowing contentious reelection campaign. (The Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.com/news/951647.asp?0dm=N21CN Fun Clinton News... Even with Barry Bonds in the ballpark, President Bill Clinton was the biggest hit at Shea Stadium on Tuesday night. (AP) http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2cid=545u=/ap/20030813/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbn_mets_clinton_8printer=1 California's Embattled Governor Gains a New Adviser: Bill Clinton (NY Times) http://nytimes.com/2003/08/13/national/13CLIN.html Americans troops face fresh attacks...Two U.S. soldiers were killed and three wounded in bomb attacks on their military convoys in Iraq over the last 24 hours, the military said Wednesday. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/870749.asp Former Gov. Pete Wilson is quickly becoming the political face for Arnold Schwarzenegger, moving everything from his political team to his policy positions into the actor's camp. (SF Chronicle) http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/08/13/MN199899.DTL Calif. contenders whittled down...The number of Californians who had filed to challenge Gov. Gray Davis rose to nearly 250 Tuesday as election officials went through applications submitted by Saturday. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/945950.asp Dilemma over Schwarzenegger films...California broadcasters will be unlikely to show Arnold Schwarzenegger movies or TV shows with Gary Coleman in them for fear of other gubernatorial candidates requesting equal
Jesse Ventura on Hardball Tonight!
-- The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC -- Hardball conveniently airs at 7 pm, 11 pm 2 am eastern (4, 8 11 pm pacific) exclusively on MSNBC As promised, we're leading with Jesse Ventura tonight and his thoughts on Arnold and the Recall...Although he's a buddy of The Terminator (Arnold attended Jesse's gubernatorial swearing in back in the day) he's not a fan of the Recall...We'll ask him why and get his advice for Arnold on running as a celebrity politician...I'm not sure if Barnicle's gonna ask JV about the smell of the race but it sure would be nice to ask him about the taste...When NBC's Al Roker was competing with his team, Roker's Smokers at the Memphis BBQ national championship, the judge asked Al Tell me what I'm supposed to be tasting as he ate Al's offering...I think it's a great, dare I say, counterintuitive question... We'll do more Jesse in B but throw in Dreier to play defense for Arnold...He's a big backer if you haven't noticed... In the back half we're doing Whole Lotta Luntz part deux! Back by popular demand...You want him, you got him...Quite Frankly, it's more Frank and his Iowa Dems Frankly discussing the candidates and issues effecting this Primary in a Frank focus group, to be quite Frank about it...This is must see TV for all you presidential campaign staffers... Dornan of course continues as anchor buddy and we'll probably throw in a Dem strategist type for the back half... Pls join us at the aforementioned times...Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Briefing from Washington, DC President Bush added to his swelling re-election fund Monday, scooping up $1 million in a half-hour speech here...Bush hit two states that he won in 2000 but that had tilted to Democrat Bill Clinton at least once. It was his first trip since starting a monthlong break on his Texas ranch Aug. 2. (AP) http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1151slug=Bush%20Politics George Will: Recall and Ruin http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46940-2003Aug11.html Fund's Diary: No Cakewalk...Schwarzenegger faces obstacles en route to Sacramento. http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110003874 More from that poll we featured on last night's show...Schwarzenegger seizes early lead...NBC News poll: Majority of Californians want Davis out http://www.msnbc.com/news/951060.asp Actor Missed Elections...Schwarzenegger did not cast a ballot in 5 of last 11 CA elections, twice losing chance to vote for Bush. (SF Chronicle) http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/08/12/MN277951.DTL California Faces New Recall Burden...Election officials across California say staging a recall election with nearly 200 candidates is posing monumental challenges that include using ballots that may confuse voters and be difficult to tabulate. (The Washington Post) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46636-2003Aug11.html Schwarzenegger seizes early lead...Most California voters believe Gov. Gray Davis should be thrown out of office, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is the favorite to replace him, an NBC News survey shows. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/951060.asp Schwarzenegger in his own words: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ownwords12aug12235621,1,4661080.story I love this one...Attorney General John Ashcroft will embark on a multi-city tour later this month to talk about the war on terrorism and the benefits of the USA Patriot Act, officials said Monday. (AP) http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1152slug=Ashcroft%20Tour The Rev. Al Sharpton says his run for the White House has something in common with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger's candidacy for governor of California. (AP) http://augustachronicle.com/stories/081203/met_124-1448.shtml The last sighting of the Democratic presidential candidates - before they were buried in the news by Arnold Schwarzenegger - was last week in Chicago, when they were vying in vain for the AFL-CIO's endorsement and jousting over whether centrism or liberalism was the best path to the White House. (The Philadelphia Inquirer) http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/6512714.htm Democratic presidential candidates blasted California's recall campaign against Gov. Gray Davis on Monday, calling it part of a larger Republican assault on the U.S. electoral process. (Reuters) http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNewsstoryID=3259614 The two Democrats running for president next year who are also up for re-election to the Senate are losing support back home because of positions they have taken on the national campaign trail. (The Washington Times) http://washingtontimes.com/national/20030811-114014-6303r.htm Bush Tries to Boost Environment Image...Trips Intended to Fend Off Criticism (The Washington Post)
The Hardball Briefing for August 5, 2003
-- The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC -- We lead Hardball with the burning question: Who's more dangerous: Osama or Saddam? We whupped Iraq, but Saddam's still on loose...We whupped Afghanistan but Osama's still MIA...Are we any safer? Why all the onerous terrorist threats and new terror tapes? How many wars will it take to get off this merry-go-round? Have we lost focused on Al-Qaeda in order to get Saddam? Are our forces stretched too thin? Sacred Rage author and LA Times hot shot Robin Wright opines on the matter this evening...Plus, Retired General Wayne Downing will let us know how the War on Terror is playing in Peoria...LiterallyHe's out Peoria today but I doubt he'll be doing the Luntz thing...Expect some serious military analysis for sure... In the B block we're taking you out to The Windy City and the big AFL-CIO confab...As a matter of fact, we'll talk to one of their grand poohbahs, Richard Trumka. He'll size up the Dem field and maybe give us a preview as to who they'll endorse...The guy to watch is Gephardt...He got the Teamsters endorsement and desperately needs this one too...Tonight the AFL-CIO is hosting a big Presidential Forum which airs after our show but we'll bring you the hot sound tomorrow... In the D block we'll do the big issue of North Korea and our diplomatic dance over there...They've said of our diplomat over there, John Bolten, such human scum and bloodsucker is not entitled to take part in the talks, in response to Bolten saying that living in North Korea is a hellish nightmare. Quite an egregious obloquy wouldn't you say? We've got a Hawk (Jed Babbin), who hasn't met a rogue nation he doesn't want to pre-emptively strike and Clyde Prestowitz, an anti-Hawk and former Reagan guy who wrote a book about the U.S. entitled Rogue Nation and who hates the pre-emptive doctrine...Watch for sparks to fly... In the Buzz we've got a Norah, Clarence Stephen Hayes threesomeWe'll continue with the Dean stuff as he was out on the Today show this morning saying he is going after Nader/McCain/Perot voters...Can he do it? Plus, Gore's going to give a big speech on Iraq this Thursday but says he ain't running...What's his gig? Plus, we'll follow up on the Colin Powell story from yesterday: who planted the retirement story and why? I've also cut some Fritz Hollings sound from his presser yesterday where he's slamming Bush... Pls join us...Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Hardball Briefing from Washington, DC The White House yesterday stood behind a top arms-control official's description of life in North Korea as a hellish nightmare and rejected Pyongyang's demand that he be banned from upcoming talks on the North's nuclear weapons program. (The Washington Times) http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20030804-111212-6491r.htm Pyongyang, calling a senior American official human scum for criticizing North Korea's leader, banned him from U.S.-proposed multilateral talks on its suspected development of nuclear weapons. (AP) http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20030804-121425-6611r.htm New Mortman content: What do Democrats really want?...Polls show schizophrenia, angst, fickleness guide voters http://www.msnbc.com/news/947009.asp Howard Dean said Tuesday he has the best chance of beating President Bush because he appeals to supporters of former independent candidates John McCain, Ross Perot and Ralph Nader as well as to Democratic Party faithful. (AP) http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=storyu=/ap/20030805/ap_on_el_pr/dean_politics_6 Fresh Face Alert: He's a Washington outsider, a fresh face, at a time many Democrats may be looking for someone who hasn't been part of the Washington establishment. (Des Moines Register) http://www.dmregister.com/opinion/stories/c212/21916593.html Fun Clinton News Former President Clinton rallied the ground troops of the Democratic Party - organized labor - with a pep talk to union leaders gathered Monday to draw up a political strategy they hope will take back the White House in 2004. (AP) http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-wh/2003/aug/04/080405030.html Fun Hillary News Hillary and Rudy - the best of friends? Asked last night by Tonight Show host Jay Leno if she thought Rudy Giuliani would challenge her for the Senate in 2006, an evasive Hillary Rodham Clinton did a political soft shoe. (NY Post) http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/2440.htm Former Gov. Howard Dean will attend the court appearance of his teenage son today on charges he was one of several teens involved in a scheme to break into a country club and steal alcohol. (Barre Montpelier Times Argus) http://timesargus.nybor.com/Regional_News/Story/69660.html Powell denies departure plans...Secretary of State Colin Powell dismissed as nonsense and gossip a report that he and his top
The Hardball Briefing for August 11, 2003
-- The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC -- Housekeeping right up front: Chris is on vacation this week so we've got Barnicle in the chair with a twist...B-1 Bob Dornan will be co-hosting, serving as an anchor buddy as we call them in the Biz...A color commentator if you will...It may get a little crazy but you've come to expect that from our show...Barnicle will be out of Boston and Dornan's here in DC...No surprise we're going big on Arnold and the Recall tonight...We're throwing together a fun cast of characters including San Fran mayor Willie Brown, Congressman David Dreier, GOP Strategist Ed Rollins and others...A couple of polls taken over the weekend show Arnold would steal the show if the vote were held today... In the back half of the show we've got a Luntz extravaganzaCall it Whole Lotta Luntz...All apologies to Zeppelin...He's done some serious focus grouping among Iowa Dems and we'll get their read on the primary, the importance of their First in the Nation status and the current bumper crop of folks vying for that Presidential nomination...Btw, Biden just released a statement this morning: He's officially out of consideration...Not gonna do it... Hardball: The only show that dares to ask the tough questions like: What's this race gonna smell like?...Pls join us tonight at 7 pm, 11 pm 2 am eastern... Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Hardball Briefing from Washington, DC GI killed, 2 hurt in Iraq bomb attack...Violence ebbs in southern city of Basra, coalition says (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.com/news/870749.asp?0cv=CB10 Running Man's in N.Y.C. today...Ah-nold brings his campaign to New York today when he comes to City College to visit an after-school program he helped found to help city kids, many of them homeless, avoid drugs, gangs and violence. (NY Daily News) http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/story/108183p-97772c.html Only in CaliforniaAs Schwarzenegger tries out for governor, America's largest state is hosting a helluva show. But politics isn't just a circus. Behind the recall-and what's at stake. (Newsweek) http://www.msnbc.com/news/950553.asp?0cv=KA01 A key California Democrat yesterday all but conceded the gubernatorial race to Arnold Schwarzenegger, while the state's senior U.S. senator focused on saving the party rather than Gov. Gray Davis. (The Washington Times) http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030811-123909-5137r.htm A Gallup survey released last night found 64 percent of voters favoring the recall. A Time magazine/CNN poll taken Friday , showed 54 percent in favor of ousting the governor, with 35 percent willing to keep him in office. Even among Democrats, only a scant 51 percent majority backed Davis. (SF Chronicle) http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/08/11/MN296167DTL All That's Missing Is the Popcorn...Come one, come all, to the greatest political show of the fall as Arnold Schwarzenegger vies for a chance to run California. Inside his stunning decision-and why it would be a mistake to write off his chances. (Time) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030818-474507,00.html Gov. Gray Davis called the effort to recall him an insult to those who voted for him last year, and Bill Simon, one of the Republicans challenging him, cited his vision for the future Monday and promised to be the candidate of ideas. (AP) http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=storycid=511e=3u=/ap/20030811/ap_on_el_gu/davis_recall Arnold's Finances: The movie star earned $26.1 million in 2001 and paid $7.4 million in state and federal taxes, and, the year before, he made $31.1 million and paid $10.8 million in taxes. (San Jose Mercury News) http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/6506298.htm Scores file for Calif. recall...With California Gov. Gray Davis fighting for his job, at least 150 potential replacement candidates will angle for attention as party leaders search for strategies in an election with no historical precedent. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/945950.asp Jesse Has Advice for Arnie...Be yourself. Be Arnold. Scripts are for actors (Time) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030818-474508,00.html As governor, Mr. Schwarzenegger would be a darker villain than any he has faced in his movies, said the Rev. Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition, who has formed a group called Californians for Moral Government to stop the actor's march on Sacramento. (NY Daily News) http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/story/108184p-97773c.html In a season of excess, it had to happen - a command performance every day this week for Democratic presidential candidates. (USA Today) http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/2003-08-10-forum-frenzy_x.htm Democrats Unlikely to Retake Majority in House...Strong GOP
