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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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The Big Story comes from the U.K. today as British Prime Minister unleashes a 50 page
dossier on Iraq and Saddam's lust for Weapons of Mass Destruction (better known as WMD
in Washington parlance)...Btw, isn't "dossier" a cool word? It has a certain James
Bond-ian panache to it...Lots of reax flooding the wires and airwaves at this
hour...We'll of course slice and dice it for the first half of the show...A number of
calls are out for guests but I just spoke with Hitchens and he's a go...We'll also get
into the broader question of U.S.-European relations vis-a-vis Iraq...
Here's the money SOT for tonight: "His military planning allows for some of the WMD to
be ready within 45 minutes of an order to use them." (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=topnews&StoryID=1489476
UK details Saddam's thirst for arms...Report says Iraq is ready to strike with germ
weapons (MSNBC) http://msnbc.com/news/812146.asp
In the D block: Are college campuses too liberal? We'll debate it with Stanley Fish,
Dean, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago and Thor Halvorssen, of the Foundation for
Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)
Btw, Our operatives are at the George Mason Campus as we speak laying the PR ground
fire for tomorrow's big College Tour with retiring House Majority Leader Dick
Armey...Here's the verbiage from GMU's website: "Hardball College Tour 2002. Hardball
with Chris Matthews. MSNBC's Chris Matthews and House Majority Leader Dick Armey go
head to head with the students of George Mason University in this live telecast. Doors
open at 7:30 pm & the program begins at 9:00 pm sharp. Seating is first come, first
serve. Concert Hall, (703) 993-8888...Campus map http://coyote.gmu.edu/map/fairfax.html
Plus, check the neato content updates to our College Tour homepage
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/tvnews/Hardball_CollegeTour/
In the Buzz we got Laura "It's not just a radio show, it's an addiction" Ingraham
(http://www.lauraingraham.com/) and Katrina vanden Heuvel...We'll do more Iraq and
some of the USA Today polls...Plus, I'm sure we'll do some more Gore from
yesterday...I hear Katrina is pumped about the speech...Who knew he was going to come
out against invasion?
RNC spokesperson Jim Dyke on Gore: "To me, he sounded more like a political hack than
a presidential candidate"
This just in...Two weeks after putting the nation on high alert, the Bush
administration was poised to lower the nationwide terror alert back to code yellow
because of disruptions in the al-Qaida terrorist network. (AP)
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&ncid=716&e=2&u=/ap/20020924/ap_on_go_pr_wh/terror_alert
Lloyd Grove neglects a write up in his column today about Saturday's Soiree but does
have a fun nugget on the NYT's Thomas Friedman, plus an OK cabinet secretary caught
with some interesting "accoutrements" in his carry on luggage...Friedman on Bush: "I
don't think he is a particularly complex human being, and a lot of the rap on him is
true: There is a real, silly frat-boy side to him....I think these guys are bought and
paid by Big Oil in America, and they are going to do nothing that will in any way go
against the demands and interests of the big oil companies"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57098-2002Sep23.html
Speaking of Saturday's Soiree, I unfortunately neglected to inform readers that among
the beautiful people in attendance was none other than ex-RNC press diva and PR guru
Louise Filkins...My apologies..
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Briefing from Washington, DC
Welcome to the big leagues, Mr. Estrada: Nominee for Court Faces Two Battles...Senate
Panel to Focus on Ideology, Immigrant Past (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57751-2002Sep23.html
A Bush vision of Pax Americana...National strategy, released Friday, calls for US
dominance to expand global peace. (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0923/p01s03-uspo.html
Balz: Gore Gives Warning on Iraq...The former vice president warned Monday that
President Bush's apparent determination to launch military action to dislodge Saddam
Hussein will "severely damage" the war on terrorism and "weaken" U.S. leadership in
the world http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56356-2002Sep23.html
Gore blasts Bush's 'cowboy' Iraq policy...Global goodwill already squandered, he tells
S.F. boosters (SF Chronicle)
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2002/09/24/MN115709.DTL&type=news
Asked the inevitable question at the close of his remarks, Gore said he would make a
decision in December on whether to seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Bush in
2004. (LA Times) http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gore24sep24.story
Gore verbate
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/transcripts/gore_text092302html
A few Democratic lawmakers are raising their hands in protest as Congress prepares to
give the president the go-ahead to "use all means" to end the threat from Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein. (AP)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2002-09-24-congress-iraq_x.htm
U.S., Britain finalize Iraq resolution...U.S. and British diplomats hope to present a
draft resolution on Iraq to their Russian, Chinese and French counterparts on Tuesday,
pending Pentagon approval of the proposal, diplomats told NBC News.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/811728.asp
Chancellor Gerhard Schr�der, who won narrow re-election on Sunday in part by opposing
an American war in Iraq, tried today to patch up relations with Washington, but
President Bush broke with protocol and refrained from making the customary
congratulatory telephone call to the German leader. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/24/international/europe/24GERM.html
German Leader Moves to Mend Ties With U.S...Controversial Minister Quits, But
Schroeder Firm on Iraq (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57658-2002Sep23.html?referer=email
S. F. Chronicle Backgrounder: U.S. vs. Iraq: Changing a Regime
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/09/24/MN151001.DTL
The commander of U.S. special-operation forces says he needs billions of dollars more
in spending and thousands more personnel to carry out an order to accelerate the
global war on al Qaeda and other terror groups. (The Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020924-1717864.htm
The U.N. inspection team that dismantled most of Iraq's nuclear-weapons program in the
1990s said yesterday it was ready to resume its work under the old conditions and,
barring a red light from the Security Council, planned to return to Baghdad as early
as Oct. 15. (The Washington Times)
http://washingtontimes.com/world/20020924-26803496.htm
U.N. knocks Israeli siege of Arafat...The U.N. Security Council approved a compromise
resolution early Tuesday demanding that Israel cease actions around Yasser Arafat's HQ
while condemning terrorist attacks. Meantime, Israeli tanks backed by helicopters
stormed into Gaza City...
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/801833.asp
Benedetto: Majority support war against Saddam However, most people want to get
backing of Congress, U.N. http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020924/4474240s.htm
Ten Americans held hostage by Saddam Hussein's soldiers during the Gulf War are suing
the U.S. Treasury Department for refusing to allow New York banks to hand over more
than $9 million in compensation from Iraqi accounts. (NY Post)
http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/57756.htm
TV stations reject ads panning Republicans...Democrats' television strategy to paint
Republicans as supporting privatization of Social Security hit a snag the last two
weeks. (The Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020924-15818798.htm
Senator Lamar!? An 11-point lead Lamar Alexander had over Bob Clement in early July in
the race for the U.S. Senate has widened even more, according to a new Tennessean
poll. (Nashville Tennessean)
http://www.tennessean.com/government/archives/02/09/22753193.shtml?Element_ID=22753193
Republican gubernatorial candidate Van Hilleary has claimed the National Rifle
Association's general election endorsement, and he took the opportunity to suggest
that a vote for Phil Bredesen is also a vote for a former Democratic vice president.
(Nashville Tennessean)
http://www.tennessean.com/government/archives/02/09/22753279.shtml?Element_ID=22753279
A Public Airing of Private Ills...In Media Glare, Candidates Now Disclose Infirmities
(The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57575-2002Sep23.html
In Alabama, Heston's Endorsement of Democratic Governor Riles His GOP Hosts...The
Alabama Republican Party thought it had scored quite a coup last week when Charlton
Heston, the actor and National Rifle Association president, took a barnstorming tour
with GOP candidates. (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57268-2002Sep23.html
The Republican challenger in Alabama's race for governor is accusing the Democratic
incumbent of taking advantage of National Rifle Association President Charlton Heston
to secure a "suspicious" endorsement from the 77-year-old actor, who has been
diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. (The Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020924-99942540.htm
Harkin camp admits leaking Ganske transcript...The campaign says, however, that it
doesn't know who taped the meeting.(Des Moines Register)
http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/19295851.html
Bringing new meaning to Monday morning quarterbacking, Wayne Allard and Tom Strickland
continued their game of political one-upsmanship Monday by blasting each other's
efforts to cheer the Denver Broncos on national TV. (Denver Post)
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E64%257E878783%257E,00.html
Bush enters state's Senate battle...He and Daschle join Torricelli-Forrester fray (NJ
Star-Ledger) http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1032858640144947.xml
NY Post Analysis: New Jersey Republican Doug Forrester hopes President Bush's visit
yesterday boosts him as a "national security" candidate, and not just the ethical
alternative to Democrat Robert Torricelli.
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/57749.htm
Sen. John McCain looks delighted. ''I've got 'em mad at me again,'' he says. Andy
Card, White House chief of staff, just called to say that he wants to work with McCain
to establish an independent commission on the Sept. 11 attacks, a proposal the
administration had been fighting for months. (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020924/4474117s.htm
Washingtonian Capitol Comment: Jerry Brown may challenge Barbara Boxer and guess who
Uncle Teddy may endorse for Prez?? Hint: it ain't his home stater John Kerry
http://www.washingtonian.com/thismonth/capcom.html
Washington Whispers: It used to be the lore of the Democratic Party: How many dead
voters could precinct captains in cities like Chicago, New York, and Philly get to the
polls? Well, times are changing under party boss Terry McAuliffe, who discovered
$200,000 a year wasted in direct mailings to 243,986 dead Dems.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/020930/whispers/30whisplead.htm#daschle
Kate Taylor: Gore blasts Bush on Iraq, and more on the debate over going to war.
http://slate.msn.com/?id=2057110&device=
Rush & Molloy: President Bush's twins are hatching one dilly of a hoedown for their
21st birthday on Nov. 25, we hear.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/story/21365p-20261c.html
Page Six: The tough guys at HBO are threatening to whack the owners of top Italian
restaurants with legal action if they don't stop showing episodes of "The Sopranos" at
their joints http://pagesix.com/pagesix/22859.htm
Interview with Rolling Stone's Jann S. Wenner...The King of Pop Culture on the state
of music, the industry slump, and the media revolution (Yale Daily News)
http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=19741
Ono charges ex-aide to Lennon with theft...Yoko Ono testified yesterday against a
former personal assistant in federal court, saying he was sworn to secrecy about her
life with John Lennon. (AP)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020924-9321292.htm
Opinion/Editorial
The Washington Times: Germany the day after...Scandals involving comments about
President Bush and Hitler, anti-Semitism and jittery economics paved the way for one
of the most unusual elections in German history Sunday.
http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20020924-8835566.htm
The Germany that can say 'no'...Washington is fuming at Germany's opposition to a
possible war against Iraq. Yet it was the United States that demanded a more
'assertive' Germany in the first place. Brave New World.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/811800.asp
Spertzel: Iraq's Faux Capitulation...A former weapons inspector explains why Saddam is
still a menace. http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110002327
Zakaria: Message to foot draggers
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57861-2002Sep23.html
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
Mallard Fillmore http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
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