------------------------------------------------------ The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC ------------------------------------------------------
Lots of stuff on the agenda tonight and Chris is still doing book stuff in Cambridge so we're operating in a compressed production schedule tableau, as it were... Anyhoo, for a change of pace we're going to lead the show with "The Supremes" (as we call them in DC) taking up the affirmative action policy at the University of Michigan...That'll happen next year but the debate rages nonetheless whether this is "reverse discrimination" against white folk...Terrence Pell, the lawyer for the white kids will argue the case in A and Dersh will play defense of the admissions policy...Should be quite fiesty right off the top tonight... Is Al Qaeda kickin' it with Saddam? Or, Is there a link? (for those who don't speak jive) Investigative reporter David Rose thinks so and he's written about it for the upcoming edition of Vanity Fair, that highbrow mag... In the back half we're "going political" with a Shuster package on Bush campaigning down in Louisiana today...Lots of red meat from the speech down there...We'll play the hot sound bites and contextualize things a bit with the "Clint van Zandt of MSNBC politics" and Hotline's own, Craig Crawford (who's a loyal Briefing subscriber I might add) Btw, this Saturday is that Louisiana Senate runoff with both candidates neck and neck... Ron Suskind of Esquire mag will discuss the powerful role of top Bush political advisor Karl Rove and why many are concerned inside The White House about the role of politics inside this administration... Dig this hot excerpt we're fullscreening: "Certainly in domestic policy, there has been almost no meaningful consideration of any real issues. Its just kids on Big Wheels who talk politics and know nothing... This leaves shoot-from-the-hip political calculations -- mostly from Karl's shop -- to triumph by default. No one balances Karl." In the Buzz we've got Terry Jeffrey, (who btw, just got syndicated through Creators syndicate...He's supposed to be a Briefing subscriber but I'm not sure...I'll check with him)...We'll do the Kerry speech and Clinton speech (he's speaking at the DLC conference) among other things... We hear Gephardt is having a holiday media bash today for Hill reporters...The Briefing would have loved to cover it for you but our invitation still hasn't arrived...sniff, sniff Gotta run...Keep it real...Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Briefing in Washington, DC...Weather: biting winds and freezing temperatures... Howard Mortman reveals, for the first time, the age old media mystique of the "fresh face"...This has been the hot topic du jour around the water cooler and Howard crystallizes the discussion perfectly...Looking for a fresh face...Why every Democratic candidate wants to be portrayed as new to the scene http://msnbc.com/news/839858.asp The U.S. Supreme Court will decide next year whether admissions policies at the University of Michigan that give an advantage to racial minorities can continue at the nation's colleges and universities (Free Press) http://www.freep.com/news/education/affirm3_20021203.htm The big question -- which could be answered as soon as today -- is whether the justices will agree to hear two Michigan cases and clarify how far colleges can go in giving minorities a leg up in admissions. If the justices say yes, the result next summer could be the most significant ruling on affirmative action in a quarter-century. (USA Today) http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20021202/4664902s.htm Bray: Bakke to the Future...The Supreme Court may finally strike down racial preferences. http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/tbray/?id=110002710 "I used to be known as the president of the United States," Bush said. "Now, I'm known as the father of the president or Barbara's husband." (Monroe News Star) http://www.thenewsstar.com/html/207A2DD8-2E82-4FA6-AB4D-066769B37CA0.shtml Politics, not crisis, brings Bush back...President to rally for GOP Senate candidate (Shreveport Times) http://www.nwlouisiana.com/html/3DFB51FF-F2F5-456A-9379-636B85B4A6AC.shtml Attacks continue in final debate...Landrieu, Terrell square off on abortion, taxes, ads (New Orleans Times Picayune) http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/newsstory/debate03_3.html Before she headed to Washington, D.C., to begin orientation as one of the newest Republicans in the 108th Congress, U.S. Sen.-elect Elizabeth Dole made a "get-out-and-vote" pitch in Shreveport on Monday on behalf of GOP Senate hopeful Suzanne Haik Terrell. (Shreveport Times) http://www.shreveporttimes.com/html/19CF88BB-05B5-4A3C-93BF-E2DBC9880DEA.shtml President Bush's $141 million fund-raising drive helped carry three dozen Republican candidates to victory last month, and he returns to the campaign money trail Tuesday seeking one more victory. (AP) http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=544&ncid=703&e=2&u=/ap/20021203/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush Fun Hillary News... With Republicans having won control of the Senate, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is vowing to be "outspoken" in criticizing President Bush. (NY Post) http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/63489.htm Kerry to unfurl plan to halt Bush tax cuts...At Ohio luncheon, senator to push for payroll tax rebate (Boston Globe) http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/337/nation/Kerry_to_unfurl_plan_to_halt_Bush_tax_cuts-.shtml Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry proposed new tax cuts now for the middle class, while criticizing the Bush administration's tax policy as "unfair, unaffordable and unquestionably ineffective in growing our economy." (AP) http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=694&ncid=703&e=4&u=/ap/20021203/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_economy Beam: There was one curious gap in Joe Klein's earnest and worshipful profile of Senator John Kerry that appeared in last week's New Yorker. Although Klein published characterizations of Kerry's first wife, Julia Thorne, as a depressed, dysfunctional spouse and an unreliable mother, he never bothered to call her. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/337/living/A_slight_problem_with_Kerry_profile-.shtml Milbank: U.S. Voices Doubts on Iraq Search...Bush, Aides Talk of Hussein 'Games,' Renew War Threat http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A923-2002Dec2.html "This time, as the president has said, delay and defiance will invite the severest consequences," Cheney told the guard leaders at the Adam's Mark Hotel Monday Morning. "Either Saddam Hussein will fully comply with the United Nations resolution, or the United States and a coalition of other nations will disarm Saddam Hussein," Cheney said to applause. (Rocky Mountain News) http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_1583977,00.html Monitors inspect presidential palace...U.N. weapons monitors made their first unannounced visit of the new inspections regime to one of Saddam Hussein's presidential palaces on Tuesday, the biggest test so far of new powers to inspect for weapons of mass destruction anywhere, anytime. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/842500.asp Iraqi officials have admitted they tried several times to buy aluminum tubes to build rockets - in violation of a U.N. ban on importing materials that could be used to make weapons, it was revealed yesterday. (NY Post) http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/63480.htm Key Aide Seeks Military Pledge From Turkey...Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz launched a mission to press Turkey to allow the U.S. to use its military bases for a possible war with Iraq. (The Washington Post) http://msnbc.com/news/842490.asp?0dm=N17MN Al-Qaida link seen in Kenya attacks...The United States said Tuesday there was increasing reason to believe that al-Qaida was involved in last week's dual attacks on Israeli interests in Kenya, as reports emerged that suggested authorities received bomb warnings months ago. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/840985.asp Why the Pentagon will watch where you shop New Total Information Awareness project will sniff company databases for terrorists. (CS Monitor) http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1203/p01s01-usgn.html Saudis planning financial crackdown...Shocked by devastating publicity about their charities, the Saudi government is mounting a counter-offensive, after a week of accusations that they have failed to stop money flowing to terrorists. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/842364.asp U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings plans to run for the U.S. Senate in 2004 if Sen. Bob Graham decides not to seek reelection, the congressman's spokesman said Monday. (AP) http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/4651331.htm Rendell aide is facing drug charges...Police said that a car driven by Charles Breslin, 45, nearly hit an officer. They said pills and heroin were found. (Philadelphia Inquirer) http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/4653205.htm Sen. Fred Thompson plans to lecture, write an autobiography, teach at Vanderbilt University, help some civic causes here and in Tennessee and act in movies and television (Memphis Commercial Appeal) http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/politics/article/0,1426,MCA_1496_1583750,00.html Kerry hair controversy... Facing the first national scandal of his nascent presidential campaign, Sen. John Kerry yesterday denied, through a spokesgal, that he's sporting a $150 haircut. (Boston Herald) http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/inside_track/track12032002.htm Statement: "John Kerry has never had his hair colored or highlighted although a lot of people tell him he should . . . [and] if it looks like his haircut costs $150, he must be getting an extraordinary deal, because it's not even in that ballpark. I wonder if this is a 'not so subtle hint' from some in the hair care industry that Kerry should start covering his grey, but don't expect him to star in a Just for Men commercial soon." (Lloyd Grove) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A570-2002Dec2.html Lizzie update: Spin maven Lizzie Grubman wants the remaining civil suits against her moved to Albany, saying she can't get a fair trial because of massive - and negative - publicity about her case. (NY Post) http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/63518.htm Opinion/Editorial The Wall Street Journal: Anatomy of a Slur...The New York Times smears a potential Alan Greenspan replacement http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110002711 Flight fright...Last week's missile attack on an Israeli airplane in Kenya will prove scarier in the long run for airline travelers than Sept. 11, 2001, writes James Fallows. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/842254.asp Cohen: Bush should rebuke the sins of the far right http://www.nydailynews.com/news/col/story/40325p-37984c.html Bazelon: Abortion Contortions...Arizona is funding a poor woman's right to choose. Texas could be next. http://slate.msn.com/default.aspx?id=2074736 Kaus Files: Kerry Mystery Contest Plus: Raines Remains Silent, Day 6! http://slate.msn.com/?id=2074546 Wasserman: Who profits from campaign finance? http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/4645026.htm Mallard Fillmore http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/mallard.asp Doonesbury http://msnbc.com/comics/daily.asp?sFile=db021203 ========================================= This email is never sent unsolicited. You have received The Hardball Briefing Newsletter because you subscribed to it or, someone forwarded it to you. To remove yourself from the list (or to add yourself to the list if this message was forwarded to you) simply go to http://www.msnbc.com/tools/newstools/e/emailextra.asp?nfeature=19