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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Hardball airs tonight at 7p, 11p & 4a ET & 4p, 8p & 1a PT
If you've seen the Woodward book excerpt move on the wires today you already know
Chris is gonna be fired up about it tonight...We were just briefing him in his office
and he wants to come right out of the gates tonight with it...He's pumped, trust
me....We'll talk to Fmr. Clinton SecDef William Cohen & Newsweek's Jon Meacham about
it...Btw, we've got Woodward on Hardball next Wednesday, the 21st...
Plus, liberal Pennsylvania Republican Senator Arlen Specter is being challenged by
young conservative congressman Pat Toomey in the keystone state's April 27th GOP
primary....We asked Toomey & Specter on the show tonight to hash it out on
air...Toomey accepted, Specter declined....Toomey: "Arlen Specter represents the Ted
Kennedy wing of the Republican party"...Chris & Toomey also get into a hot discussion
on abortion you won't want to miss..
We finish up the show with Catholic priest, author, theologian and sociologist Andrew
Greeley...Father Greeley discusses religion, presidential politics and Catholic
politicians like John Kerry...Major gravitas...
Now back to the Woodward book....Chris will be all over this little sugar plum from
the following Post/Woodward interview..."Vice President Cheney, who Woodward describes
as a "powerful, steamrolling force" who had developed what some of his colleagues felt
was a "fever" about removing Hussein by force."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17347-2004Apr16.html
Woodward book: Bush hid Iraq war plan...CIA chief said to see 'slam dunk' on weapons
of mass destruction (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4756962/
NBC Reporter's Notebook:
The White House now confirms Woodward account that the President asked Rumsfeld to
plan for war with Iraq as early as November 21st.
McClellan said that in late November when things were "WINDING DOWN" in Afghanistan
the president talked about Iraq war plans.
"But there is a difference between planning and making a decision," McClellan said.
Asked why Tenet and other members of the foreign policy team had been kept out of the
loop, McClellan said he had not read the book.
Was Bush White House obsessed early on with invading Iraq? "That's just not the case,"
McClellan said.
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U.S. soldier apparently held captive...Two other abductions reported; five others
freed (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4684713/
Bill Rancic is 'The Apprentice'...NBC's reality-show hit, "The Apprentice," reached
its finale tonight when Donald Trump to hired contestant Bill Rancic for a job with
his organization. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4750777/
Sam Go's post-Bill victory slice & dice....Kwame, not Trump, needed to say 'You're
fired!'...If contestant had ditched Omarosa, he might have won
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4694607/
Sam Go flashback 4/14/04 MSNBC.com's Sam Go throws her support behind Bill on the eve
of Thursday's grand finale...Here's why: Bill has the edge on 'The
Apprentice'...Throughout the series, he's proven he's a leader
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4704160/
Sorry Britney, Mortman's married!...Britney's blog picks up on latest Mortman column
http://www.britneyspears.org
Should Gorelick resign from 9/11 Commission?? Vote here
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Briefing from Washington, DC
Shuster: Bush's disappearing financial advantage...Did the president's campaign spend
too much money too fast? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4751584/
Fallujah leaders meet Marines at base...Al-Sadr renews condemnation of U.S. occupation
of Iraq (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4667742/
Ret. Gen. Tommy Franks said Wednesday that President Bush didn't discuss an invasion
of Iraq with him until Dec. 28, 2001, and that intelligence indicating Iraq had
weapons of mass destruction was incorrect and "incomplete." (AP)
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/special_packages/iraq/8433657.htm
Bush, Blair embrace U.N. proposal on Iraq...Leaders hope plan paves way for more
countries to send troops http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4756790/
Specter endorses a flat tax, but Toomey calls it just talk...The incumbent supports a
19% levy without any deductions. His rival says he's failed to act. (Philly Inquirer)
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/local/8442567.htm?1c
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld never guessed the U.S. occupation of Iraq would be
so deadly, he told reporters yesterday in a rare admission of error. (NY Daily News)
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/184288p-159810c.html
Retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni wondered aloud yesterday how Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld could be caught off guard by the chaos in Iraq that has killed nearly
100 Americans in recent weeks and led to his announcement that 20,000 U.S. troops
would be staying there instead of returning home as planned. (San Diego Union Tribune)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20040416-9999-7m16zinni.html
Portugal may withdraw its national guard contingent from Iraq if the security
situation in the country continues to deteriorate, Interior Minister Antonio
Figueiredo Lopes said(AFP) http://sg.news.yahoo.com/040416/1/3jjxx.html
Iraqi Shiite cleric remains defiant...Iraqi rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr warned
the United States on Friday that Iraqis would hit back with unimaginable ferocity if
U.S. forces carried out a threat to kill or capture him.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4667742/
Iraq tours of duty extended...The Pentagon said Thursday it had extended the combat
tours in Iraq of 20,000 troops, breaking a promise to have them back home within a
year. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4739978/
Chinese hostage released...Police in Basra, Iraq, said Friday that a U.S. businessman
was abducted from his hotel by kidnappers disguised as policemen.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4684713/
Tape shows bin Laden's adaptability...Surprising tone in latest message (The
Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4752061/
Democrat John Kerry, with rockers Jon Bon Jovi and blink-182 in tow, is courting the
college crowd that typically shuns the voting booth, hoping unease about the Iraq war
and jobs propels millions of 18-to-24-year-olds to the polls in November. (AP)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040416/D82035A00.html
John F. Kerry, facing criticism from some Roman Catholics for his views on abortion
and other social issues, met yesterday with the head of a task force examining
possible sanctions for politicians who stray from the church's teachings. (The Boston
Globe)
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2004/04/16/kerry_meets_with_cardinal/
Since the days of John F. Kennedy, modern politicians have tried to have it both ways
on matters of religion - espousing personal religious beliefs that at times are at
odds with their public policy pronouncements. (AP)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040416/D81VT0TO0.html
Kerry: Bush manipulates fear of terror attack...Democrats will win 'on a fair playing
field,' he says (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4751171/
Secretary of State Colin Powell led a diplomatic offensive Thursday to placate Arab
leaders outraged by President Bush's support for Jewish settlements on the West Bank
and opposition to Palestinian refugees returning to Israel. (AP)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040416/D81VT14O0.html
Opinion/Editorial
Josh Green: Funny Business...When you're running for President, humor is no laughing
matter http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2004/05/green.htm
Peter Principles: Outsourcing to good jobs
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040415-080554-9152r
Get a grip Michael!! Ledeen: The Iranian Hand...Regime change in Tehran is necessary
for peace in Iraq. http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110004959
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