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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Hardball airs tonight at 7, 11 & 4 am ET & 4, 8 & 1a PT
We bring you the latest on the 9/11 Commission hearing on the Hill today which has the
Beltway all in a tizzy today and will also tomorrow...Rummy, Powell & "Madame
Secretary" (Albright that is) were the star witnesses...Bill Cohen was in the house as
well (he said OBL personally wanted him dead, even issued a "fatwah")....We'll talk
live with a couple Commission members: fmr Senator Bob Kerrey (He's got the second "e"
in his name, John doesn't) and fmr. WA senator Slade Gorton about what we learned
today...
More fallout from the release of the Clarke book on 9/11, Iraq, terrorism and the Bush
administration...We'll talk to Clarke's successor Wayne Downey and Clarke's fmr.
deputy Roger Cressey at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave....Cressey was one of a handful in the
Situation Room on September 12, 2001 with Clarke when Bush closed the door and said
basically "find me any shred of evidence to see if Iraq was behind 9/11" even though
he was told earlier that Al-Qaeda was behind 9/11...The White House disputes this
meeting ever taking place...
Clarke book précis (I finally found a way to work that word in the Briefing):
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040322/D81F3KG80.html
We'll also talk to Trent Lott and Bill Richardson about the hearings, the Clarke book
and something about the Dem Veepstakes but I got distracted by a phone call and
missed the tail end of the interview...
Today is the first anniversary of the capture of 8 U.S. soldiers including Jessica
Lynch. We'll talk to two of those POW's, former specialist Shoshana Johnson and
Specialist Patrick Miller who were imprisoned alongside Jessica Lynch...
By the way did you read The Reliable Source today? In case you missed it...Chris
Matthews, Not Smarting From Bush's Dumb Brother Joke (The Reliable Source)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16282-2004Mar22.html
You saw the man behind Shuster's ads last night, now read his hilarious new piece...We
give you Mortman's latest: How Bush can keep the media in stitches
Tips to keep the laughs flowing at annual dinner http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4575461/
PS we've got the video up on our site of Shuster's ads...Click & scroll
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4548790/
BTW, if any of you missed it last night, we ran a clip from last Friday's interview
with Bishop Tutu...Chris & Tutu had some words for Comedy Central's Jon Stewart...
We join last night's show progress....
Last Friday, we ran out of time with Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South
Africa, but we wanted to show you what you missed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEWS: Well, Archbishop Tutu, it seems like you`ve come here and
it`s created something of a turmoil between myself and one of my friends
and rivals, Jon Stewart. He wanted to have you on the show, but I got you
on the show. And I want to show him your book. And thanks to me and my
good offices, Archbishop Tutu, the Nobel Prize winner, is willing to send
you a book as well, Jon. So don`t complain. Be happy.
Archbishop Tutu, do you have a comment for Jon Stewart?
ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU, SOUTH AFRICAN LEADER: Yes, well, as the
chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission...
(LAUGHTER)
TUTU: ... I`ll come between you two guys. Next time, I`ll come to
your show, Jon.
MATTHEWS: OK, Well, that`s a good way to handle it.
(LAUGHTER)
MATTHEWS: Your turn next, Jon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEWS: History in the making.
End Transcript
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Briefing from Washington, DC
U.S. OK'd plan to topple Taliban a day before 9-11...Disclosure comes as panel begins
public hearing
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4585010/
President Bush said Tuesday he would have acted more quickly against al-Qaida if he
had information before Sept. 11, 2001, that a terror attack against New York City was
imminent. (AP) http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040323/D81G972O0.html
Clinton, Bush Chose Diplomacy Prior to 9/11...Administrations Failed to Aggressively
Pursue Bin Laden (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17097-2004Mar23.html
"He was very precise in issuing a personal 'fatwa' against me. I was put on a list,
there was a price tag, there were several attempts that I don't want to go into
details about going after me," Cohen told a national commission investigating the
Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=4637613
Even if the United States had gone after al Qaeda before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks
it might not have prevented them from taking place, Secretary of State Colin Powell
told investigators on Tuesday. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=MYYMKI3LULKXGCRBAE0CFEY?type=topNews&storyID=4637342§ion=news
Starting tomorrow, the most important 9/11 Commission hearings yet will scrutinize
counterterror efforts of two presidential administrations - but a star witness will
not be there. (NY Daily News)
http://www.nydailynews.com/03-22-2004/news/story/176005p-153241c.html
White House targets its former terrorism chief...Rebuts claims, launches attack on his
credibility (The Boston Globe)
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/03/23/white_house_targets_its_former_terrorism_chief/
Richard Clarke's hard-charging style...Style has served him well, but self-promotion
made him enemies (The Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4582288/
Kerry gets boost from surprising sources...Ex-Bush aide criticizes president, and GOP
lawmakers come to senator's defense (The Washington Post)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4582289/
Israel to target all Hamas leadership...Army chief also hints Arafat could be next;
gun battle in Gaza (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4575552/
Bush opponents vow ads until election...Activist groups say their spots not covered by
campaign law (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4579942/
Bush, Kerry locked in tight, fluid race, poll finds...President strong on security;
Kerry seen as job creator (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4580606/
The federal government should move quickly to upgrade emergency systems in Amtrak
tunnels under the U.S. Supreme Court and to New York's Penn Station to avoid a tragedy
as disastrous as the Sept. 11 attacks, Sen. Joseph Biden said Tuesday. (AP)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040323/D81G6SDO0.html
>From a sailing mecca to a ski resort, presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry and
>his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, enjoy the trappings of their wealth in at least five
>homes and vacation getaways across the country valued at nearly $33 million. (AP)
>http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040322/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_homes_2
Wonkette's gossip roundup
http://www.wonkette.com/archives/gossip_roundup_bob_dole_better_watch_out_for_jack_white_edition_014247.php
Opinion/Editorial
Podhoretz: Clarke is the greatest man who has ever strode this planet's surface. I
know this because I have just read his book, "Against All Enemies."
http://nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/21563.htm
Miniter: John F. Who?...Kerry's easy nomination victory may prove to be a curse.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/bminiter/?id=110004853
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
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