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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Hardball airs tonight at 7, 11 & 4 am ET & 4, 8, & 1 am PT
Tonight you'll want to tune in to the show just to see our exclusives with fmr. Dean
campaign manager Joe Trippi and Saturday Night Live comedian Darrell Hammond (he's the
guy who does all the Hardball spoofs!)...
Plus, we've got a political roundtable with fmr. Senator/New Zealand
ambassador/presidential candidate/current Dean surrogate Carol Mosely Braun, USA
Today's Walter Shapiro & Hardball Briefing subscriber/Batchelor & Alexander
fill-in/MSNBC analyst/another unnamed competitor network political
analyst/Congressional Quarterly columnist/Friend of Mortman/Fmr. top Hotliner/Did I
miss anything? Craig Crawford....He's in Phoenix
Of course we'll do a hit with Shuster as well...He's down in Colubia, SC
Another big day coming on Tuesday Feb. 3rd with primaries in MO, SC, OK, AZ, NM, DE &
ND...Dig on the new Zogby numbers below...Kerry's go the big mo!
About last night...I was combing through your e-mails and a number of you were
clamoring for more discussion of General Wesley Clark and his performance at last
night's debate...We wanted to get him on but his folks are opting for a local media
strategy and bypassing us national media types...When you're e-mailing us, CC his
campaign and encourage him to come on the show...One thing you definitely gotta give
the Clark folks some props for is that at their New Hampshire post election party they
were kickin' Steely Dan's "Reelin' in the Years"...You could hear it playing in the
background when Chris Jansing was doing a hit from there...
As always, if you have any comments or suggestions about our coverage, simply hit
"reply" and fire away...
Might I add that this is Super Bowl weekend and you'll not want to get caught off
guard at those parties on Sunday when the conversation turns to politics...Watch our
show tonight and you'll be on top off all you need to know...
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Hardball Briefing from Washington, DC
Shapiro's "Hype & Glory": Kerry picks up the rhythm just as Dean screams the blues
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/shapiro/2004-01-29-hype_x.htm
Hill probers fault Iraq intelligence...Panel's early findings are similar to Kay's
(The Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4101806/
President Bush said Friday "I want to know the facts" about any intelligence failures
concerning Saddam Hussein's alleged cache of forbidden weapons but he declined to
endorse calls for an independent investigation. (AP)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040130/D80D92U80.html
Poll: Kerry leads in key states...As the Democratic contenders struggle for victories
in seven states that hold primaries and caucuses next Tuesday, John Kerry holds
substantial leads in the two states which have the largest number of delegates at
stake, according to a new MSNBC/Reuters Zogby tracking poll released Friday morning.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4105973/
Democrats heard gut-wrenching stories of a son killed in Iraq and health care benefits
denied to a dying relative, promising South Carolina voters Friday that they will
reverse President Bush's policies if sent to the White House. (AP)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040130/D80D8SA01.html
Democrats scramble for Tuesday votes...Debate behind them, new poll shows Kerry gains,
Dean falters http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4099821/
Bandy: S.C. no longer big prize for Democrats...Gephardt's exodus puts Missouri's
delegates up for grabs http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/politics/7831366.htm
The Democratic candidates who debated Thursday night focused their harshest words on
George W. Bush, repeating their now-familiar assaults on the president's conduct of
the war in Iraq and his alleged neglect of problems at home. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/44196684772E84A086256E2B00190FDD?OpenDocument&Headline=Bush,+Kerry+are+targets+in+debate++
Candidates feel cash crunch Dean, Lieberman cut costs; Kerry appears in best shape
(USA Today) http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040130/5884520s.htm
Democratic presidential contender Wesley Clark on Friday criticized rival John Kerry
for failing to take responsibility for comments he said Kerry made about affirmative
action. (AP) http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040130/D80D96NO1.html
When Rep. Richard A. Gephardt dropped his bid for the presidency, it ripped apart the
coalition of Missouri Democrats - from the governor to local autoworkers - who had
been solidly behind the congressman. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/B7CB2A407395454B86256E2B00190EDE?OpenDocument&Headline=Kerry,+Edwards+split+up+Gephardt's+base
Kerry not unstoppable, analysts say...John Kerry will be hard to beat in Tuesday's
elections, but other Democratic presidential hopefuls can curb his momentum if they
play to their strengths and his weaknesses - in the right places.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4099966/
Analysis: Dean's pitches lack heat...What Howard Dean needed to do in Thursday night's
debate on MSNBC was something best described in baseball terms: fire brush-back
pitches at front-runner John Kerry, then finish him off with a curveball for a
strikeout.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4101704/
Dean staff shake-up long time coming...Changes foreseen, but manager's departure
abrupt (The Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4101503/
Kerry says threat of terrorism is exaggerated...Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said
during last night's Democratic presidential debate that the threat of terrorism has
been exaggerated. "They are misleading all Americans in a profound way," Mr. Kerry
said when asked whether President Bush has overstated the threat of terrorism. (The
Washington Times) http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040129-115023-8966r.htm
Economic growth at 4 percent...The economy grew at a 4 percent annual rate in the
final three months of 2003 - a slowdown from the red-hot performance of the prior
quarter but still compelling evidence of a recovery in full motion at year's end.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4106255/
Opinion/Editorial
Krauthammer: Calling Iraq's Bluff
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61949-2004Jan29.html
Dionne: Kerry and the Party Establishment
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61946-2004Jan29.html
Ilana: What WMD? http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36851
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
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