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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Hardball airs tonight at 7, 11 & 4 am et and 4, 8, & 1 am pt
Tonight we'll lead with some Jacko allegedly getting roughed up by the cops story (Pat
Lalama of Celebrity Justice and Tony Potts of Access Hollywood), do a hit with Haig on
the Halliburton and Iraq contracts controversy, move over to Dick Gephardt on the Dem
primary and then do the Ridge/amnesty trial balloon controversy with J.D. Hayworth and
another one tbd in the Buzz...We'll throw in Howard definitely and Norah if she's
available..
It's been a long week folks so I hope you'll bear with us tonight before you go
out...It's cold out there but at least it's Friday...Don't forget on Monday we're
doing Lieberman at Harvard...
Mortman: Greatest political hits of 2003...Here are the Top 10 stunts in what was
surely a banner year http://msnbc.com/news/1001074.asp?0dm=C14NN
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Hardball Briefing from Washington, DC
Roff's That's politics! http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20031211-061101-4384r
Halliburton overcharged, probe finds...A Pentagon investigation has found overcharging
and other violations in a $15.6 billion Iraq reconstruction contract awarded to Vice
President Dick Cheney's former company, a defense official said Thursday.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/1004142.asp
Bush defends Iraq contracts policy...President Bush on Thursday rebuffed criticism,
most recently from U.N. chief Kofi Annan, on who gets to bid on big reconstruction
projects in Iraq, rejecting European claims that the policy might violate
international law.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/1003413.asp
Michael Jackson's brother said the pop star was physically mistreated while in custody
of the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department. Department officials disputed the claim.
(AP) http://www.msnbc.com/news/1004317.asp?0cv=LB10
The White House yesterday said a new immigration review is under way that could lead
to amnesty for millions of illegal aliens living and working in the United States.
(The Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20031211-114734-2215r.htm
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton says she will campaign nationwide to help defeat President
Bush, calling the Republican and his administration a threat to the United States.
"I can't maybe even convey it as strongly as I feel, how dangerous this administration
is to the future of our country," said Clinton, D-N.Y. (Albany Times Union)
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Dec/12122003/nation_w/119230.asp
Fresh off her trip to the political battleground of Iowa, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
will wade into Florida next week for a mega-fund-raiser for Democrats. (NY Post)
http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/13255.htm
Bush refuses to wallow in mud...President Bush will try to remain above the political
fray for longer than usual leading up to next year's election because of what his
handlers see as a significant "stature gap" between Mr. Bush and his challengers. (The
Washington Times) http://washingtontimes.com/national/20031211-114739-4969r.htm
A stunning new poll shows President Bush would clobber Democratic front-runner Howard
Dean by nearly 2-1 in politically potent New Hampshire - even though Dean has a giant
lead over Democratic rivals in the state (NY Post)
http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/13258.htm
Critics Snap at Dean's Heels Over Sealed Records (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57807-2003Dec11.html
A reporter for Time magazine suffered severe shrapnel wounds and lost his hand when he
tried to throw away a grenade tossed into a Humvee he was riding in with a Time
photographer and two U.S. soldiers, colleagues said Thursday. (NBC 4)
http://www.nbc4.com/news/2700734/detail.html
Mortars hit coalition HQ in Baghdad...One U.S. soldier killed, 14 hurt in suicide
attack Thursday (AP) http://msnbc.com/news/870749.asp?0cv=CB10
Clark's fast political learning curve...For all his political greenness, the former
commander has been a quick
study. (Christian Science Monitor) http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1212/p01s03-uspo.html
States tracked on bioterror plans...A report released Thursday found that states are
only modestly better prepared to handle bioterrorism or other public health
emergencies - partly because of local budget cuts.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/1003911.asp
Sen. John McCain said Thursday he is concerned about the failure to move ahead with
prisoners' trials at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where after nearly two years the military
has allowed just one detainee to meet his lawyers. (AP)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-12-11-mccain-guantanamo_x.htm
Joe Lieberman said Friday that Al Gore's surprise endorsement of Howard Dean in the
Democratic presidential race gave a needed jolt to his struggling campaign in part by
highlighting their differences in style and approach. (AP)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20031212/D7VCUQF80.html
President Bush headlined his last campaign fund-raiser of 2003 on Thursday, rounding
out seven months of hectic travel that has brought at least $112 million into his
record-setting re-election account. (AP)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58916-2003Dec12.html
Rush Limbaugh's spin team came up with a secret plan to save their boss after the
conservative commentator admitted he was addicted to painkillers, the Daily News
learned yesterday http://nydailynews.com/front/story/145196p-128311c.html
Judge frees 9/11 suspect in Germany...Strong doubt Moroccan knew about attacks (The
Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.com/news/1004019.asp?0cv=CB10
Opinion/Editorial
Ilana: It's hard to tell who does a more energetic St. Vitus' dance when the
"outsourcing" of high-tech jobs is mentioned: economic protectionists or free traders.
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36098
Saletan: It's Clinton vs. Gore...In New Hampshire, the Democrats split between Clinton
and Gore. By William Saletan.
http://slate.msn.com/id/2092286/
Krauthammer: Gore's Role as Kingmaker
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58105-2003Dec11.html
Coulter: Vegan computer geeks for Dean
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/coulter.html
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
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