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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Considerable interest is swirling today around a couple of important "must
read" pieces we're using as fodder for the show tonight
Item: The special counsel in the C.I.A. leak case has told associates he has no
plans to issue a final report about the results of the investigation,
heightening the expectation that he intends to bring indictments, lawyers in
the case and law enforcement officials said yesterday. (NY Times)
http://fairuse.1accesshost.com/news5/nyt6.htm
And this little sugar plum from the Daily News...
An angry President Bush rebuked chief political guru Karl Rove two years ago
for his role in the Valerie Plame affair, sources told the Daily News.
http://nydailynews.com/front/story/357107p-304312c.html
Dems reacted to the Daily News piece....
Democrats asked the White House on Wednesday for details of President George W.
Bush's private conversations in 2003 with top political adviser Karl Rove after
conflicting reports about whether Bush was aware of any role by Rove in the
outing of a covert CIA operative. (Reuters)
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2005-10-19T184539Z_01_ROB966955_RTRUKOC_0_US-BUSH-LEAK.xml
While refusing to comment on an "on going investigation" McClellan said off
camera that the DeFrank piece was "inaccurate."
We'll talk to the Daily News Reporter/Washington Bureau Chief Thomas
DeFrank...DeFrank is joined by NY Post Washington Bureau Chief, Debora
Orin...The Macys and Gimbels of the New York Tabs!
Judith Miller was up on the Hill today trying to salvage her reputation by
testifying about a federal "shield law" which would protect journalists from
having to divulge their sources...We'll get into that question and whether she
was used to push bogus intell on Iraq with MSNBC's Tucker Carlson and the LA
Times' Margaret Carlson, no relation. We're calling it "The Battle Of The
Carlsons".
Shrum and Rogers will do the politics of this controversy and Frank Rich and
Byron York will get into the press angle and politics of this as well...
You've got to tune in tonight but first...Our favorite Hardball booker Colleen
King got some nice ink today in Roll Call...I unfortunately left the restaurant
early so missed this little vignette...Check it out:
Roll Call's "Heard on the Hill": Shades of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High":
Sean Penn was eatin' some birthday cake and learnin' some politics Monday night
at Bistro Bis, where he closed down the bar around midnight before heading up
to his room in the Hotel George.
The studly actor walked into the bar as a birthday party was winding down for
MSNBC "Hardball" booker Colleen King, who (finally) turned 24. Excited buddies
of the birthday girl introduced her to Penn (who, of course, they didn't know)
and he seemed just as impressed with King as she was with him. Penn, it turns
out, is a "Hardball" fan.
He asked the young booking producer if she was the one responsible for putting
Howard Dean on the show earlier this month when he made his weird "hide the
salami" comment about Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers. (Dean had suggested
President Bush shouldn't play hide the salami with a judicial appointment. Get
it? Neither do we.) "Indeed I was!" King said excitedly to Penn.
Penn opened the box of King's chocolate birthday cake and eyed it admiringly,
but waited until after the producer left to eat a slice as a nightcap with his
new pal, Joe Cirincione, the head of nonproliferation studies at the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace.
Cirincione met Penn at a dinner Monday for members of the Ploughshares Fund,
where Penn filled in as the celebrity speaker for Michael Douglas, who was off
making a new movie. Penn invited the nonproliferation guru back to Bistro Bis,
where they drank, talked politics and engaged in a little Bush bashing.
Penn had to leave, though, so he could go help his 14-year-old daughter, who
was back in California, with her homework over the phone. "I'm not sure what
kind of shape he was in to help her with her math," Cirincione joked."
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Hardball Briefing from
Washington, DC
As federal prosecutors in the CIA leak investigation reach the critical stage
of deciding whether to bring criminal charges, they are zeroing in on
contradictions between the testimony of I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, the chief of
staff to Vice President Cheney, and that of New York Times reporter Judith
Miller, according to sources close to the investigation and attorneys for
individuals enmeshed in the probe. (National Journal)
http://nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2005/1018nj1.htm
Prez Iraq team fought to squelch war critics (NY Daily News)
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/v-pfriendly/story/357109p-304302c.html
Rove cancels appearances before conservatives...Republican Party officials say
scheduling conflicts prevented outings (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9742314/
New York Times reporter Judith Miller, jailed 85 days for refusing to testify
in a federal probe that now threatens the White House, urged Congress on
Wednesday to protect journalists from having to reveal confidential sources.
(Reuters)
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2005-10-19T201013Z_01_ROB972125_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEDIA-LEAK-CONGRESS.xml
Saddam pleads innocent, trial adjourns...Ousted Iraqi leader asks judge 'who
are you,' scuffles with guards (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9652810/
Rice won't rule out troops in Iraq in 10 years...Secretary testifies before
senators seeking more specifics about war (AP)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9750947/
Iraqi insurgents kill 13 in wave of attacks...Election officials, U.S. and
British soldiers among those slain (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9659209/
White House Watch: Cheney resignation rumors fly (Washington Whispers)
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/051018/18whwatch.htm?track=rss
Miers confirmation hearings to start on Nov. 7...Democrats had sought a later
date, saying there was no reason to rush (AP)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9751269/
Court issues warrant for DeLay to be booked...Bail set at $10,000 for former
House Majority Leader (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9753864/
Fineman: When White House spin spins out of control...Lessons from the special
prosecutor's office http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9751606/
Opinion/Editorial
Pat: Bush's faith-based war http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46907
Bork: Slouching Towards Miers...Bush shows himself to be indifferent, if not
hostile, to conservative values.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007424
Bartlett: The final straw...From the conservative point of view, the list of
grievances is a long one.
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/brucebartlett/2005/10/18/171730.html
Mondo Washington: Boring from Within...Harriet Miers: This is your life
http://villagevoice.com/news/0542,mondo1,68954,6.html
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
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