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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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It's looking like we'll lead the show with Luntz on the latest polls out there...Two
big ones below...Bush's popularity rating is dipping a bit in the latest USA Today
Gallup from 63% to 58%...Plus, Chris was all hot under the collar last night about the
one published in Sunday's Philly Inquirer which said 83% of Americans support action
against Iraq only with a UN backed multilateral coaltion, while only a third support
unilateral action...We'll slice and dice the polls with Luntz and a couple of
Senators...
One of those senators will be Lindsey Graham (R-SC)...Formerly one of the House
impeachment managers who famously said (and I'm paraphrasing here) "I don't know about
you but where I come from if you're calling someone at 2 am, you're up to no
good"...Those of us impeachment junkies recall the big laugh he got from the Senate
out of that line...
In addition to the polls, we'll probably get into that Bob Novak column we got into
last night re: GOP senators giving an earful to Andy Card in that private meeting
because they felt neglected and ill considered in key decisions on Iraq and tax cuts...
In the famous "D block" debate Hack is Back...Col. David Hackworth debates with ret.
General William Perry Smith on the merits of unilateral vs. multilateral military
action against Iraq...Do we need the authority of the United Nations?
In the buzz we've got Ed Rollins, famed political consultant to Ronald Reagan, Ross
Perot and a number of other big time GOPers too numerous to mention...Still working
out final topics but we'll definitely get into the polls, foreign policy politics and
maybe the Dem field...We'll even throw in Katrina....I'm gonna read this piece during
lunch for some ideas...One story line from the capital: President Bush will have a
good war, his economic offensive shows that he will avoid the domestic traps that
caught his father, his popularity will remain high, and he will roll to a second term
in 2004. (Boston Globe)
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/014/nation/Fortunes_of_a_president_hard_to_read_at_midterm+.shtml
Dig this must cut Bush SOT: "So far I haven't seen any evidence that he has disarmed.
Time is running out on Saddam Hussein. He must disarm. I'm sick and tired of games and
deception. That's my view of the timetable,"
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=4PVR45VL5L1E2CRBAELCFFA?type=topNews&storyID=2042767
Yo and don't forget....Joe Biden joins us live tomorrow for the one, the only, often
imitated, never duplicated Hardball college tour at the U of Delaware...If you want to
kick it, click here
http://www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/01-02/hardball121902.html
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited the Briefing from Washington, DC
Bush's job approval lowest since 9/11 (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/2003-01-13-bush-poll_x.htm
Poll: Majority oppose unilateral action against Iraq (Knight Ridder)
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/4911975.htm
Fun little nugget from Page Six: The Rev. Al Sharpton got the front row on the shuttle
flight back from Washington, D.C. on Sunday, and was pleased to see his rival for the
Democratic nomination for president, Sen. Joe Lieberman, two rows back. Sharpton, who
had just appeared on "Meet the Press," exclaimed to his entourage: "That's how it's
gonna be when the votes are counted." http://pagesix.com/pagesix/28387.htm
War could be brief, planners say...An attack on Iraq would likely begin with an
intense salvo of airstrikes on "leadership" targets, followed quickly by a ground war
in the hopes that much fighting would be over in two to three weeks, war planners have
told NBC News. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/852248.asp
The White House said Tuesday "time is running out" for Saddam Hussein to disarm,
though President Bush has not decided when military action might be necessary. (AP)
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=544&ncid=703&e=1&u=/ap/20030114/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq
Inspectors widen Iraq weapons hunt...Armed with new U.S. and British intelligence
information, U.N. weapons experts on Tuesday inspected at least six suspect sites in
Iraq as part of their widening hunt for alleged banned weapons.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/842500.asp
N. Korea dismisses U.S. accusations
North Korea on Tuesday dismissed as "silly" assertions that its withdrawal from the
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty was aimed at forcing concessions from the United
States, and accused Washington of being insincere about prospects for dialogue.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/850567.asp
U.N. officials in charge of weapons inspections in Iraq said yesterday they would need
up to 10 more months to complete their work, as both the United States and Britain
downplayed the imminence of an attack and said they had no timetable for the
inspections. (The Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030114-462399.htm
Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States will need "a new arrangement"
to assure North Korea was not producing nuclear weapons if the current crisis is
defused, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=2041159
Democratic activists want to get a better idea of how the party's presidential
candidates for 2004 measure up - so they're scheduling events to parade them in front
of voters in early states and key interest groups. (AP)
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=694&ncid=703&e=5&u=/ap/20030114/ap_on_el_pr/democrats_2004
Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman said Monday he intends to compete in the Iowa
caucuses, but he hasn't lined up key Democratic supporters in Iowa, and he visited the
state only once last year. (Des Moines Register)
http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/20220161.html
Announcing his 2004 presidential bid, Sen. Joseph Lieberman didn't miss a beat Monday
in promising to help families fight off Hollywood's bad influence on kids (Variety)
http://au.news.yahoo.com/030114/11/isya.html
Sammon: Bush set to break silence in race case...President Bush is planning to side
with white students against the University of Michigan in a landmark
affirmative-action case before the Supreme Court this week
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030114-98853038.htm
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said last night that if the parties did not resolve
a dispute over how to split committee funding by early today, he would attempt to
appoint Republican committee chairmen and members without resolving the funding issue.
(The Washington Times) http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030114-828711.htm
Distaso: It's a tale of two more Democratic Presidential wannabes...Connecticut Sen.
Joseph Lieberman, who announced his candidacy for President yesterday, is well on his
way to establishing a campaign organization in New Hampshire
http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_show.html?article=17325
Exit Poll Service To Dissolve...The major television networks and the Associated Press
decided Monday to dissolve the Voter News Service exit poll consortium but have not
made a replacement plan to survey voters. (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51692-2003Jan13.html
The U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on Monday rescheduled a confirmation
hearing for later this week on the nomination of Tom Ridge as head of the new
Department of Homeland Security -- but only after reaching an agreement on who will
control the gavel and when. (Reuters)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030114/pl_nm/congress_senate_dc_1
Scalia says courts overreach on religion...Justice says framers of Constitution didn't
intend to bar God from public life (AP) http://www.msnbc.com/news/858570.asp?0sl=-12
A chilling, painstakingly detailed plot by Muslim extremists to blow up a terminal at
JFK Airport, a gas station nearby and a city clerk's office has been uncovered,
authorities said. (NY Post) http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/66568.htm
Activists Bring War Protests to Iraq...With tens of thousands of U.S. troops
mobilizing for a possible invasion, waves of anti-war activists have descended on
Baghdad to plead for a peaceful solution. (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51883-2003Jan13.html?referer=email
Former Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan is recovering from exploratory surgery at a
Washington-area hospital, his personal assistant said yesterday. (AP)
http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/66549.htm
PETA pulls campaign...People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had to pull its
latest ad campaign because of an untimely death (Jeannette Walls)
http://www.msnbc.com/news/858901.asp
John Ashcroft was preaching to the choir Monday while crusading in Denver for the Bush
administration's plan to fund religion-based social services. (Denver Post)
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E53%257E1108567%257E,00.html
Sheryl Crow, an activist for recording artists' rights, brought her own message
against a possible war with Iraq to Monday night's American Music Awards. (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030114/ap_wo_en_po/na_a_e_mus_us_american_music_awards_vignettes_1
Sneed: Guv sends greetings, a kiss, from Demland
http://www.suntimes.com/output/sneed/cst-nws-sneed14s.html
The Prowler: The Rev. Al makes the Beverly Hills scene. Also: Nancy Pelosi's new
Clintonites. http://theamericanprowler.com/article.asp?art_id=2003_1_13_23_56_16
The Who's Townshend Arrested in Porn Sweep...Townshend, the 57-year-old founder of the
Who, told reporters that he had used a Web site advertising child pornography only
while doing research. (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52135-2003Jan13.html?referer=email
Opinion/Editorial
Abrams Closing Argument: Why the U.S. needs to help smooth out tensions between Israel
and the Palestinians
http://www.msnbc.com/news/848656.asp
Buchanan and Press: Pat and Bill on the Illionois pardons
http://www.msnbc.com/news/800980.asp
Nachman: http://www.msnbc.com/news/796687.asp
Jerry Nachman gives his first posthumous 'Nachie' award to journalist Sarah McClendon.
Justice exposed...The $1.5 million book deal that Clarence Thomas signed with
HarperCollins allows him to continue to do what he's been doing as a Supreme Court
justice for a decade: Hide from any meaningful public debate or assessment. By Dahlia
Lithwick.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/858734.asp
Saletan: G.I. Joe...Joe Lieberman's risky conservative campaign
http://slate.msn.com/default.aspx?id=2076679
The Wall Street Journal: The Mideast's McCain-Feingold...Suicide bombers and campaign
finance laws, Israeli politics is complicated.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110002907
Dicker: Smears of New York http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/66489.htm
Rangel: Mandatory service might make hawks think twice
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/today/opinion_e332bbc6a45910ec00ca.html
Jimmy Carter on North Korea: Back to the Framework
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52281-2003Jan13.html
Mondo Washington - by James Ridgeway...War Bad, Economy Bad, Senate Bad; First Came
Registration, Then Internment; Racist Church Needs Converts
http://villagevoice.com/alertrd.php3?article=41198
Stephens: The Mideast's McCain-Feingold...Suicide bombers and campaign finance laws,
Israeli politics is complicated
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110002907
Ingraham: What have you done for the free world lately?
http://jewishworldreview.com/0103/ingraham.html
Sowell: Economics vs. politics
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell.html
Mallard: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/mallard.asp
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
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