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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Things are in flux this hour at Hardball...We had a show laid out around 9:30 this
morning, which changed at 11 am which is now mutating once more at 12:30 and so
on...Such is the nature of the business we have chosen...
Here's what I know at this hour...We'll do the big story of Bush's Middle East Summit
(just announced this morning) with Israeli PM Ariel Sharon and Palestinan PM Mahmoud
Abbas...Former Israeli PM Ehud Barak will offer his unique take on the situation...
Also big today, President Bush signs the tax cut which just passed Congress...Will it
be what the economic doctor ordered? Fmr. House Majority Leader Dick Armey weighs
in...(Yeah I know, "weighs in" is one of those typical TV production teases, dare I
say cliche, but hey, it works)...Plus, whatever happened to fundamental tax reform?
Remember when Armey was pushing the flat tax and doing your tax returns on a postcard??
Plus, has Al-Qaeda moved to Iran? We'll ask terrorism analyst Steve Emerson...
In the B/C blocks, we'll talk to Democrat Senator Joe Biden about everything....He's
the top Dem dog on the Foreign Relations Committee so we'll focus on that but I'm sure
Chris will throw in a question or two about the Dem primary field and whether he'll
jump in or not...We informed you in yesterday's Briefing that he's waiting until
perhaps September to reveal his presidential ambitions...
In the D block we'll examine that vexing question of the Weapons of Mass Destruction
(WMD) in Iraq...Rummy admitted yesterday that they may have been destroyed already,
thus fulfilling our U-N objective before the war...But the question remains, does if
matter if we find WMD or was liberating Iraq enough and worth the cost? Plus, what
does it say about our intelligence that we knew Hussein had all this evil material
aimed at us and now we can't find it?
Al "I'm in charge here" Haig will do the Buzz one on one...We'll lead with the Middle
East Summit and this weekend's G-8 Summit...Come to think of it, we'll put some of
those D block questions to Al as well....
Join us tonight at 7 pm, 11 pm & 2 am eastern only on MSNBC....The power of NBC News
on cable 24/7...Bank on it..
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Briefing from Washington, DC
Bush to sign tax cut he once belittled...White House now says $350 billion bill will
boost economy (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.com/news/906941.asp
President Bush's signature on tax-cutting legislation will within weeks start speeding
refunds to parents and fattening paychecks and investor earnings. (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&e=4&u=/ap/20030528/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_taxes
Lieberman slams Bush "The administration of George W. Bush has pursued a Flintstones
agenda in a Jetsons world," Lieberman said in remarks prepared for delivery at the
University of California, San Diego, on Wednesday. "And in so doing, George Bush has
let the sparks of innovation fall to the floor. As your president, I will make sure
they spread to a much bigger, broader fire." (AP)
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/text/2003/may/27/052701047.html
Bush to meet with Sharon, Abbas...Peace plan parley set for Wednesday, ' conditions
permitting' (MSNBC) http://msnbc.com/news/801833.asp?0cv=CA01
After a meeting of the G-8 in Evian, France, and visits to Poland and Russia, Bush
will travel on June 3 to the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik to meet with
Arab leaders. He will be in Aqaba, Jordan, on June 4 for joint and individual meetings
with Sharon and Abbas and an appearance with Jordan's King Abdullah. (Milbank)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48397-2003May28.html?nav=hptop_tb
Democratic presidential hopeful John F. Kerry is using President Bush's fund-raising
to motivate his own donors, urging them to help counter the $200,000 or more each
member of Bush's new group is hoping to raise. (AP)
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/148/nation/Kerry_cites_Bush_money_machine_in_fund_appeal+.shtml
Arafat assertions sow confusion...Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat stepped in Tuesday
to assert that he -- not prime minister Mahmoud Abbas -- is in charge of Palestinian
negotiations with Israel.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/801833.asp
WashPost: Bush looks to gain Mideast momentum...President Bush's emerging strategy for
restarting the Middle East peace process is a throwback to a concept articulated by
his father in the 1980 presidential race: Momentum - or the appearance of movement -
is the key to success.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/918780.asp
Iran on Wednesday denied U.S. charges it had secret nuclear facilities or harbored
members of the "fanatic" al Qaeda network and accused Washington of double standards
in the war on terror. (Reuters)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=716&e=12&u=/nm/20030528/ts_nm/iran_usa_dc
Report: 5 Riyadh bomb suspects held...Saudi authorities have reportedly arrested five
men suspected of involvement in the deadly suicide bombings in Riyadh.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/918858.asp
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit last week to President Bush's ranch in Texas
was punctuated by an unannounced, last-minute surprise: Mr. Bush invited his house
guest to sit in on his highly classified morning intelligence briefing, the daily
global review of terrorist threats, loose nukes and brewing hot spots. (The New York
Times)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=68&ncid=703&e=5&u=/nyt/20030528/ts_nyt/meanwhile__back_at_the_ranch
The old Voter News Service that caused such a ruckus in the 2000 presidential election
has been reinvented...Five television networks have signed agreements with the
Associated Press to provide vote-tabulation services starting with the 2004
presidential primaries, AP announced yesterday (The Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030527-111709-4217r.htm
Experts in Islamic law are being called to testify in the lawsuit of a Muslim woman
fighting a state order to take off her veil for her driver's license photo. (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030528/ap_on_re_us/license_veil_10
Quick Takes: Donahue's delivery sealed with a dis
http://www.suntimes.com/output/quicktakes/cst-nws-qt28.html
Opinion/Editorial
Pat's must read piece: The radicalization of Middle America
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=32790
Bombing by the numbers...Judging by recently released statistics by the U.S. Air Force
on what it did during Gulf War II, the air campaign wasn't as modern as it looked. By
Fred Kaplan.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/918533.asp
Ilana: Downsizing jobs, outsourcing lives
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=32789
Dowd: In-a-Gadda Da-Vida We Trust
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/28/opinion/28DOWD.html?ex=1054785600&en=0fe6732222eed050&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE
Saletan: Progressive Tacks...The Democrats turn left.
http://slate.msn.com/default.aspx?id=2083603
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
Mallard http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/mallard.asp
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