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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Hardball airs live tonight at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT...It replays at 11 pm & 4 am ET and 8 pm
& 1 am PT
Today voters in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas go to the polls tonight to
vote on the Democratic nominee...I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say John Kerry
cleans up big tonight...The important news we're focusing on is really Florida, a
"top, key, battleground (insert your cliche here)" state...Kerry was down there
stoking the flames of '00 with comments such as:
"We will identify those districts where people have had trouble voting in the past,
trouble showing up and being told, 'well, we don't have you registered' or 'you didn't
do this or that', and we're gonna pre-check it, we're gonna have the legal team in
place, we're gonna take injunctions where necessary ahead of time, we'll pre-challenge
if necessary, but i guarantee you not only do we want a record level turnout to vote,
we want a guarantee that every vote is counted, and we will do that"
Plus...
"You'd think that somebody, remembering what happened here in this great state, who
was finally put in office by the Supreme Court of the United States, would actually
recognize the divisions in the nation and try to reach out, but oh no..."
Here's Bush in Texas yesterday: "My opponent clearly has strong beliefs - they just
don't last very long"
In politics we call that "energizing the base"... We've got the bites cut and
hopefully Chris will throw to 'em....
Our political panel tonight: Norah, Howard and Pat...Our guests: Congressman Bob
Wexler (No, he's not "too impeachment"...Those days are long gone) and Congresswoman
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (and no, she's not "too Elian" that's Lincoln Diaz-Balart)
In the B block we'll talk to fmr. HUD Secretary/Bush Florida pick for Senate/friend of
Elian Mel Martinez...How's the campaign going? What's his strategy for victory? How
will he defeat Larry Klayman and Bob Smith? It's quite a formidable duo...We'll ask
him...
We'll also talk to everyone's favorite pick from Florida for Dem veep, Senator Bob
Graham plus Kerry's Florida chairman, Congressman Kendrick Meek, Carrie's son...Do his
constituents want revenge for '00?
Lots of ghosts of FL '00 lurking about tonight...Pls join us...
Oh, and it's about time we gave Robert Cox over at http://thenationaldebate.com/ a
nice shout for all the wonderful work he does...If you're a political media junkie
like us you'll dig his site...And hey, get over there and give Chris some love in
Robert's online poll of the best talk show host...
Did you miss Omarosa's first primetime interview last night? Everyone was fired up
about that one! Click here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4489787/
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Hardball Briefing from Washington, DC
Kerry Slams some more: "If the president of the United States can find the time to go
to a rodeo, he can find the time to do more than one hour in front of a commission
that is investigating what happened to America's intelligence and why we are not
stronger today,"
WP: Bush approval ratings slide...President Bush, the target of months of criticism
during the Democratic primary season, has seen public support fall to the lowest level
of his presidency for his performance on the economy and the situation in Iraq, a new
Washington Post-ABC News poll has found.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4482401/
Kerry visits South Florida...On the eve of today's Florida presidential primary, Sen.
John Kerry rouses supporters with talk of avoiding another recount battle and
protecting Social Security. He also strikes at the GOP. (Miami Herald)
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/8139905.htm
John Kerry said Monday he is ready to go to court -- even before the November election
-- to ensure that he does not lose Florida's 27 electoral votes because of ballot
problems (Palm Beach Post)
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/tuesday/news_04d4e4290587121e005c.html
Bush launches early attack on Kerry...Senator accused of trying to weaken intelligence
services (The Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4482814/
A Democratic-leaning group financed in part by billionaire George Soros plans to run
$4.5 million worth of TV ads in 17 presidential battleground states, beginning
Wednesday, that criticize President Bush's policies and priorities. (AP)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/03/08/politics1916EST0753.DTL
In Florida Martinez's candidacy seen gaining strength...A poll of voters shows former
U.S. Housing Secretary Mel Martinez gaining on former Rep. Bill McCollum -- a boost
that comes on the heels of Katherine Harris' decision not to run. (Miami Herald)
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/8134939.htm
The White House said on Tuesday it was possible President Bush could be questioned
longer than an hour he agreed to by a commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks, an apparent concession that came after criticism from Democrat John Kerry.
(Reuters) http://news.myway.com/top/article/id/380018|top|03-09-2004::12:08|reutershtml
Secretary of State Colin Powell rejected as "absolute nonsense" Democratic
presidential candidate John Kerry's claim that Powell has been undercut by Bush
administration hawks led by Vice President Dick Cheney (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040309/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_powell_2
And thanks to http://wonkette.com for clueing us into the following piece...Bush,
House GOP at odds: Fissure revealed as tempers flare over Wolfowitz briefing
http://www.hillnews.com/news/030904/bush.aspx
Ashcroft to have gall bladder removed...Attorney general suffering from gallstone
pancreatitis (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4480512/
CIA chief George Tenet said Tuesday he doesn't believe the Bush administration
manipulated intelligence to justify war in Iraq but declined to say whether he tried
to cool U.S. officials' rhetoric about the now-disputed claim Iraq possessed weapons
of mass destruction. (AP) http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040309/D81706981.html
Haitians happy to live in Florida (The Washington Times)
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040308-115058-2376r.htm
Terrorism ranks highest as 'critical threat' to U.S....Americans see international
terrorism as the most critical threat to the United States, according to a new Gallup
Poll that suggests that unless a candidate is seen as strong in the war on terror,
voters will not view his campaign as credible. (The Washington Times)
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040308-115920-6690r.htm
Shiites criticize Iraqi constitution...The leader of Iraq's biggest Shiite political
party on Tuesday had a mixed message about Iraq's interim constitution.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4448093/
Shister: Brokaw as Kerry's running mate? Anchor says no
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/magazine/daily/8138519.htm
Opinion/Editorial
Katrina: Bush's 9/11 campaign commercials are reckless and offensive. Depicting
firefighters carrying bodies, draped in American flags, out of the World Trade Center
rubble, they trivialize the rescue workers' sacrifice, exploit the victims' families
and mock the enormity of the national tragedy
http://www.thenation.com/edcut/index.mhtml?bid=7&pid=1307
James Mann: The True Rationale? It's a Decade Old
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A35472-2004Mar6?language=printer
Barnicle: A friend of mine lost his boy on 9/11. He was a handsome young man who
worked hard to climb fast in finance and he died with all the others who simply woke
up and went to work that day in the World Trade Center: the cooks and clerks,
millionaires and merchant bankers, firefighters, cops and other innocent citizens.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/170975p-149231c.html
Margolis: Would Kerry Really be all that different from Bush?
http://www.eric-margolis.com/
Saletan: Confidence Man...The case for Bush is the case against him.
http://slate.msn.com/default.aspx?id=2096654&;
Mallard Fillmore http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/mallard.asp
Steiner Cartoon http://www.washtimes.com/national/steiner.htm
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
Mallard
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