------------------------------------------------------ The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC ------------------------------------------------------
Hardball airs tonight on MSNBC at 7p, 11p & 4a ET & 4p, 8p & 1a PT Find MSNBC on your TV http://www.msnbc.com/CableOperator.asp No doubt you've heard some of the buzz surrounding ret. Marine General Anthony Zinni's (fmr. head of U.S. Central Command) interview on "60 Minutes" and his slamming of the neocons in the administration who pushed Iraq...You think we'd miss an opportunity to interview him? Heck, that's like waiving candy in front of a child! We're all over it tonight...In fact Zinni is half the show... Zinni Backgrounder: Retired Marine General Anthony Zinni, former chief of U.S. Central Command, accused senior Pentagon officials of failure in executing the Iraq war and told CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday they should resign. (Reuters) http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040524/pl_nm/iraq_zinni_dc_3 Gen. Zinni: 'They've Screwed Up' http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/21/60minutes/main618896.shtml Then we throw it over to Shuster for a live report on a big Colin Powell speech from the Ben Franklin room at State where he is expected to reiterate the President's message from last night on Iraq... Later we turn to domestic politics with another blockbuster Shuster package on the President's latest poll numbers and the spate of new ads hitting the airwaves...And he's got some doozies! The package moves us effortlessly to BC04 spokesman Terry Holt & Kerry campaign spokesman Tad Devine who'll duke it out over Iraq, the polls, the ads and other fun topics of interest... Don't miss it! Compton and Long Beach yeah you know you in trouble! Cablenewswer guy gives our graphics and coverage last night a nice little shout out! Hardball Teams Up With Posties...The lower-thirds had The Washington Post logo smack dab next to Hardball's. The show exclusively played an audio tape the Post obtained of a military hearing. Chris said the newspaper would have more details tomorrow, and urged viewers to log onto the web site "for more photos and documents." The graphic on-screen had the Post URL. WP's Dana Priest narrated a package about historical interrogation tactics. (It's about time that MSNBC/WP/Newsweek collaboration was evident on TV!) http://www.cablenewser.com/archive/2004_05_23_archive.htm#108545856325945124 Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Hardball Briefing from Washington, DC NBC: Iraq general to be replaced...Defense officials told NBC News the Defense Department will replace Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez as the top U.S. military officer in Iraq at the end of next month, stressing that the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal was not a factor in the deliberations. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5013551/ U.S. transfer plan falls short, Iraqi council chief says...Sovereignty, oil among issues before U.N. Security Council (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5046836/ Draft UN resolution on Iraq http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5052147/ Bush sets five-step Iraq plan...President Bush, seeking to convince skeptical Americans that he has a plan to bring stability to Iraq, outlined a five-step program calculated to articulate his objective of a sovereign Iraqi government. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5045174/ Post Analysis: Rallying speech doesn't answer key questions...White House repackages stalled U.S. policy http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5057065/ Shales: TV Viewers Offered Choice: 'Fear Factor' or Bush http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53329-2004May24.html Poll shows new low on approval on Iraq...Support on nearly every aspect of the Iraq conflict has declined (The Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5054721/ Michael Moran: Media takes heat from administration over Iraq...When the going gets tough, the messenger gets shot http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5023564/ Report: Al-Qaida has 18,000 ready to strike...Think tank says network boosted by U.S. conflict in Iraq (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5057703/ Gertz: The Pentagon is investigating reports that Iraqi weapons are being sent covertly to Syria and that they are fueling anti-U.S. insurgents training there, The Washington Times has learned. http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040525-121749-1468r.htm Howard: The Political Fallout: Bush's New War Plan...As Bush's job-approval numbers hit a new low, he's turning to his wife to help him make the case for his re-election http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4988490/site/newsweek/ A hooded Statue of Liberty, meant to remind viewers of Iraqis abused by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, dominates a TV ad that an anti-Bush organization will begin airing nationally next week (USA Today) http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2004-05-21-liberty_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA Kerry hints at link between oil, Iraq war...Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry yesterday suggested that America's dependence on foreign oil is the major reason the United States went to war with Iraq. (The Washington Times) http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040524-103200-9250r.htm John F. Kerry yesterday defended the idea of leaving the Democratic National Convention in July without a formal nomination as his party's presidential candidate, saying that there is ample political precedent to support it and that Republicans are complaining about the move because "someone might have a way of neutralizing their advantage." (The Boston Globe) http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/kerry/articles/2004/05/25/but_critics_say_legality_an_issue/ Tommy Franks gets honorary knighthood...Retired Army general recognized for work in Afghanistan, Iraq (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5058045/ Senator Hillary Clinton said she could support John McCain, a leading Republican senator, as the Democrats' vice presidential candidate in November's presidential election. (AFP) http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1521&u=/afp/20040523/pl_afp/us_vote_vicepresident_040523223713&printer=1 Opinion/Editorial The New York Daily News: Bush's countdown to a new Iraq http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/196578p-169796c.html Podhoretz: Bush bets the house http://nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/24664.htm Terry: Three Commandments for Iraq: http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=3946 The Washington Times: Kerry and high fuel prices...While scoring a few rhetorical points by demagoging the price of gasoline, John Kerry, the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee, has offered no serious policy proposals to resolve current energy problems. In fact, we rather doubt that Mr. Kerry is truly offended by high gasoline prices. http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20040524-090323-6885r.htm Katrina: A Middle Class Scorecard...Legislators need to put their rhetoric where their votes are. http://www.thenation.com/edcut/index.mhtml?bid=7 Hitchens: What Went Wrong...The flaw in Seymour Hersh's theory. http://slate.msn.com/id/2100717/ Fein: The decline and fall of Ahmed Chalabi is a tale of United States folly. http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20040524-090326-3370r.htm Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/ ========================================= This email is never sent unsolicited. You have received The Hardball Briefing Newsletter because you subscribed to it or, someone forwarded it to you. 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