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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Don't leave the office yet folks...Lemme lock you on to the show lineup first...We'll
lead with Senate GOP conference chairman and rising star on the Washington power
broker circuit, Rick Santorum (PA)...That will segue into Democratic "fresh face"
Senator and former Indiana Governor Evan Bayh....We'll get into the lead Washington
Post editorial ("Bush the wedge driver"), the tax cut, and the Axis of evil "behaving
badly" stuff...
The B/C blocks will be Clarence Page and Laura "It's not a radio talk show, its an
addiction" Ingraham (Yes folks, that's really her show's motto) Dig her site:
http://www.lauraingraham.com/public/ We'll roll the Blix "no smoking gun in Iraq" sot
and play off that for a bit, throw in a little North Korea and then get into Bush
stumping for his new tax cut stimulus plan...
Mortman noted the similarities between Bush at an Alexandria, VA flag manufacturing
plant and a similar photo op by Poppa Bush in '88...I guess it's a dog whistle ("he
hears it, I don't")...
In the D block debate: Are limitless malpractice suits the only way to protect
patients, or are trial lawyers out of control? Impeachment era super law professor
Jonathon Turley joins us for that little kerfuffle...
And now for something completely different...San Mateo, CA native (El Dorado st. to be
exact) and television legend Merv Griffin joins us for the Buzz to discuss his new
book, life in television and his thoughts on current affairs...I know that street
because my pops grew up on the same block...
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited the Briefing from Washington, DC
President Bush on Thursday defended his $670 billion tax-cutting plan against
Democratic-led charges that he is favoring the rich, decrying "the class war of
politics" even as a Republican senator voiced opposition. (AP)
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=544&u=/ap/20030109/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush&ncid=703
The Washington Post: Mr. Bush the Wedge Driver
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30783-2003Jan8.html
Dana: Bush Goes With Bold Stroke...Call it boldness, or even chutzpah, but it is no
accident that President Bush twice this week stunned the capital with uncompromising
proposals. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30413-2003Jan8.html
North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations wants to talk to New Mexico Gov. Bill
Richardson, a former U.N. ambassador, and Secretary of State Colin Powell has approved
the meeting, the White House spokesman said Thursday. (AP)
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-richardson-nkorea0109jan09,0,649879.story?coll=sns%2Dap%2Dpolitics%2Dheadlines
Sen. Zell Miller, the colorful, cantankerous and conservative Georgia Democrat,
announced yesterday that he will not seek reelection in 2004 and won't campaign to
help his party hold the seat. (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30152-2003Jan8.html
PS The Briefing spoke with some top Hill insiders yesterday outside of the MSNBC
makeup room and heard the name Ralph Reed floated to replace Zell Miller....You heard
it hear first folks...
Ed Henry: Mister Sterling. A fictional Roll Call reporter and MSNBC's Chris Matthews
take turns starring in "Mister Sterling," NBC's new show about the Senate that debuts
Friday night. http://www.rollcall.com/issues/48_46/hoh/124-1.html
Mortman media swooning over Hillary...Breakout time for Senator Clinton...At opening
of 108th Congress, Hillary Clinton emerges as a party leader
http://www.msnbc.com/news/857122.asp
Film director Martin Scorsese took time out from promoting his latest movie "Gangs of
New York" on Thursday to add his name to a growing list of celebrities opposing a
possible U.S.-led war on Iraq. (Reuters)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33406-2003Jan9.html
Blix says 'no smoking guns' found in Iraq...Top inspectors brief Security Council
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/842500.asp
WashPost: U.S. shares data on Iraq...After weeks of delay, the United States has begun
providing United Nations inspectors with "significant" intelligence on Iraqi weapons
programs, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/856910.asp
Heavy equipment moved to gulf...U.S. preparations for a possible war with Iraq took a
new turn on Thursday, as Europe-based U.S. troops joined the deployment by moving
heavy equipment to the Persian Gulf region.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/852248.asp
Britain is pressing for war against Iraq to be delayed for several months, possibly
until the autumn, to give weapons inspectors more time to provide clear evidence of
new violations by Saddam Hussein. (London Telegraph)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/01/09/nirq09.xml&sSheet=/portal/2003/01/09/ixport.html&secureRefresh=true&_requestid=74494
Judges Uphold U.S. Detention of Hamdi...Courts Must Yield to Military on 'Enemy
Combatants,' 4th Circuit Rules (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30337-2003Jan8.html
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) sketched out his vision of how to overcome
racial divides Wednesday, pointing to his support for funding of historically black
colleges, programs to treat AIDS in Africa and health-care reforms to overcome racial
disparities in medical treatment. (LA Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-nufrist9jan09,0,2556277.story?coll=la%2Dnews%2Da%5Fsection
President Bush on Thursday named controversial Latin American diplomat Otto Reich to a
top White House position, avoiding a Senate confirmation battle. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2017371
Tom Brokaw, anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, talked to MSNBC's Phil
Donahue on his recent visit to Iraq. He talks about his experiences in Iraq, the
climate of the country, and being an American journalist in Baghdad.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/856774.asp
Clarence Thomas Sells Memoirs...HarperCollins Agrees to Pay Justice Seven-Figure
Advance (The Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.com/news/857032.asp?0cv=CB20
Kurtz: The Art of Withdrawal...Why has the art of extrication become so popular? On
one level, it removes you from the arena so you can avoid the slings and arrows of
political and media opponents. But shouldn't the real applause be reserved for those
who take the risks and tough it out?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32305-2003Jan9.html
Invoking the spirit of President Woodrow Wilson, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has opened
a Capitol Hill headquarters for his presidential campaign. (Roll Call)
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/48_46/news/125-1.html
Sen. Thomas Daschle's (S.D.) decision not to run for president has set off a scramble
among other Democratic contenders for the allegiance of a talented corps of political
operatives who were planning to work on the Senate leader's campaign. (Roll Call)
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/48_46/kondracke/111-1.html
HBO is developing a documentary based on a controversial book that claims Adolf Hitler
was gay. (The Hollywood Reporter)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/bpihw/20030109/en_bpihw/hitler_s_sexuality_is_hbo_topic
Page Six: "Soprano's" tough guy Joe Pantoliano blames his disastrous family reunion at
an Italian restaurant in Hoboken on party crashers.
http://pagesix.com/pagesix/66292.htm
Opinion/Editorial
Fund: Rebel Zell...Dems may think Zell Miller's the pits, but his retirement is peachy
news for the GOP. http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110002878
Ilana: Income tax: How government turns human vice into votes
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30371
The Wall Street Journal: Another Ashcroft Victory...Yaser, that's my enemy.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110002877
Stimulus plan is boost for wealthy...It is rich folks who own the most stocks and who
would benefit the most from the President's economic stimulus plan, writes BET.com
political columnist Joe Davidson.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/856810.asp
Coulter: When President Bush included North Korea in the axis of evil last year,
foreign policy experts concluded that he was a moron. On the basis of years of
scholarship and close study, the experts pointed out that Iran, Iraq and North Korea
were - I quote - "different countries."
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/anncoulter/ac20030109.shtml
Steyn: America's fake identity crisis
http://jewishworldreview.com/0103/steyn.html
Barr: Crimes before the fact http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20030109-78847680.htm
Doonesbury http://msnbc.com/comics/daily.asp?sFile=db030109
Mallard http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/mallard.asp
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