------------------------------------------------------
The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
------------------------------------------------------
Hardball airs tonight at 7p, 11p & 4a ET & 4p, 8p & 1a PT
So it appears Bin Laden is back with a new audiotape out and he wants to make a
deal...A "truce" with European countries...It basically goes like this: You get all
your troops out of Islamic countries and we'll stop the terrorist attacks....Europe
has responded with a resounding "No Dice, Osama."
We'll talk to terrorism expert Neil Livingstone & Newsweek reporter Richard Wolffe
who'll get us up to speed on the tape, its contents and global reaction...
We jump back into the Battle for the White House with a little David Shuster
cross-talk on the campaign ad wars...Then we open up the arena to our combatants:
CREEP spokesman Terry Holt (CREEP, btw, is Nixon-era old school shorthand for
committee to re-elect the president) and Tony Coehlo, former Gore campaign chairman,
fmr. Dem congressman & head of the DCCC back in the '80's...He is widely credited with
being the man who first shook the corporate money tree for Democrat's back in the
'80's; basically the Tom DeLay for the Dems...In cable TV parlance we call him a
"strategist." We're expecting him to "come to play" tonight...
Remember Michael Kelly? He was a journalist/columnist with The Atlantic Monthy &
Washington Post among other outlets during his distinguished career...He also holds
the unfortunate distinction of being the first journalist to die in Iraq last year...A
new collection of his work has been compiled into a book as an encomium and Ted Koppel
wrote a panegyric in the intro...We'll spend much of the back half talking to Ted
about Michael, Iraq and the journalists working over there...Ted, btw, was over there
for five weeks last year and also covered the Vietnam conflict...
Kelly's work during the Clinton impeachment era was some of his best stuff ever...If
you agreed with Chris on impeachment you'll love my favorite Kelly piece
http://www.usactuary.com/I_Still_Believe.html
Kelly was also a staunch supporter of the war in Iraq, which perhaps is why his
collection of writings just out is titled "Things Worth Fighting For"...
Pls join us tonight before you get into "Apprentice finale mode"...Btw, if you're not
watching Apprentice I hear that Buchanan & Perle mix it up pretty good tonight on
Scarborough Country, 10 PM ET...Definitely a "TIVO This" segment, Robert Cox!
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Briefing from Washington, DC
'Bin Laden' offers Europe truce...In a recording broadcast on Arab satellite networks
Thursday, a man who identified himself as Osama bin Laden offered a "truce" to
European countries that do not attack Muslims. Britain, Germany and Italy quickly
spurned the offer.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4743768/
Excerpts from Osama tape: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4744890/
The reasons behind the pre-Sept. 11 intelligence failures just kept growing: not
enough staff, poor technology, inadequate information-sharing, a piecemeal approach to
intelligence analysis. (AP) http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040415/D81V93S80.html
3 Japanese hostages released...Three Japanese hostages whose captors said would be
burned alive unless Japan withdrew from southern Iraq were released Thursday, Japan's
government said. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4684713/
Iranian diplomat shot dead in Baghdad...First secretary of embassy is killed in car
near embassy (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4746451/
Envoy urges interim Iraqi government...U.N.-appointed administration would take power
(The Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4742390/
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican ally of President Bush, says Iraq is "a
mess" and voters are rattled. He ought to know: He's attending two funerals this week
of servicemen killed in the Persian Gulf nation. (AP)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040415/D81V9EOO0.html
Iraqi politicians called obstacle to U.S. force...Iraqi politicians are playing a
growing role in blocking U.S. commanders from unleashing fatal force on insurgents.
(The Washington Times) http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040415-124445-9395r.htm
Sharon gets big boost from Bush...President Bush's unprecedented U.S. backing for
Israel to keep parts of the West Bank lifted support Thursday for Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon and left angry Palestinian leaders seeking international help.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4724610/
Post Analysis: Backing Sharon could help Bush in Nov....But move carries foreign
policy risks, too http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4743012/
For the second time since taking office, President Bush marks the April 15 tax-filing
deadline in Iowa, a state he is eager to win in November after narrowly losing it in
the election four years ago. (AP)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040415/D81V972O0.html
Kerry Says Bush's Stubbornness Hurts Troops...Policy in Iraq 'Costing Us Money And . .
. Lives' (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12944-2004Apr14.html?referrer=email
Bush curtailing ads as Kerry ramps up...President's campaign says pullback is part of
'wave' strategy (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4749342/
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry told well-heeled party donors on Thursday
he plans to launch an advertising campaign next week that is designed to define him
for voters largely unaware of him. (AP)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040415/D81V92K80.html
President Bush's $10-million-per-week advertising blitz, intended to define John F.
Kerry as a liberal who voted against defense and intelligence spending, was firing up
some voters in swing states -- until the news coming out of the 9/11 Commission
started to drown out Bush's ads. (The Boston Globe)
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/04/15/shifting_sands_stymie_bush_kerry_campaigns/
John Kerry raked in a whopping $6.5 million for his campaign yesterday - shattering
President Bush's all-time record for a single day's fund-raising haul. (NY Daily News)
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/story/183804p-159500c.html
Curry: What Kerry's 20 years of Senate votes reveal...Welfare reform and Iraq votes
diverge from decidedly liberal record http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4741992/
Pressure is growing for Jamie S. Gorelick to resign from the September 11 commission
for what the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee has called "an inherent
conflict of interest." (The Washington Times)
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040415-124435-3755r.htm
Cheney warns of new Asia arms race...Vice president travels to S. Korea after address
to Chinese students (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4717576/
Spain will legalize homosexual marriages and grant equal rights to gay couples,
incoming Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Thursday. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=4838845
Opinion/Editorial
Pat: Soldier on, escalate or get out?
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38031
Reese: Learning-Disabled...The Bush administration, I fear, is severely
learning-disabled. http://reese.king-online.com/Reese_20040412/index.php
Daniel Gross: Bush's Secret Tax on Democrats...How the Alternative Minimum Tax has
become a Republican weapon. http://slate.msn.com/default.aspx?id=2098757
The Wall Street Journal: Gorelick's Wall...The Commissioner belongs in the witness
chair. http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110004956
Saletan: Trust, Don't Verify...Bush's incredible definition of credibility.
http://slate.msn.com/default.aspx?id=2098810
=========================================
This email is never sent unsolicited. You have received
The Hardball Briefing Newsletter because you subscribed to it or,
someone forwarded it to you.
To remove yourself from the list (or to add yourself to the list if this
message was forwarded to you) simply go to
http://www.msnbc.com/tools/newstools/e/emailextra.asp?nfeature=19
<http://www.msnbc.com/tools/newstools/e/emailextra.asp?nfeature=19>
