Just POlitics

Hillary: ouch

Time’s columnist Joe Kline offers a review of Hillary Clinton’s prospects of becoming President, and it is clear that Bill Clinton shouldn’t be looking at redecorating the White House any time soon:

But Clinton is a judicious hawk on foreign policy and has learned her lessons on domestic-policy overreach. No less an expert than Newt Gingrich says, "Hillary has become one of the very few people who know what to do about health care." Still, she has some very real political limitations. She has a clenched, wary public presence, which won't work well in an electorate that prizes aw-shucks informality; she isn't a particularly warm or eloquent speaker, especially in front of large audiences. Any woman running for President will face a toughness conundrum: she will constantly have to prove her strength and be careful about showing her emotions. She won't have the luxury of, say, Bill Clinton's public sogginess. It will take a brilliant politician to create a credible feminine presidential style. So far, Senator Clinton hasn't shown the ease or creativity necessary to break the ultimate glass ceiling.

Clinton fundraiser

The NY Post reports on Hillary Clinton’s fund-raiser, David Rosen. It seems that Ray Reggie-- hose sister married into the Kennedy clan -- wore a wire while having dinner with Rosen. The Post reports:

The partial transcript isn't definitive, but prosecutors, in other filings, claim to have witnesses who say Rosen told them there was "no way" he could truthfully report the Aug. 12, 2000 gala's cost.

The fundraiser in question was a big gala in Hollywood that allegedly cost $2 million and raised $1.4 million.

Rosen also confided about a big Clinton donor who, after a night of partying, sent hookers to the hotel rooms of two Clinton loyalists. It seems that one of the loyalist, while playing golf with Bill Clinton the next day, called the donor. Next, President Clinton gets on the phone and says, 'I just wanna tell you something . . . The day I'm outta office, I'm going out with you.' "

American indecency

The UPI offers an analysis of how media and conservative organizations have come together to fight greater government intervention into media’s growing indecency. The group’s goal is to put the responsibility back on the parents:

The new organization is called the TV Watch Coalition, and its mission is to serve as a counterweight to those who are instigating for a government crackdown on broadcast indecency. TV Watch is made up of the parent companies of CBS, Fox and NBC, as well as the American Conservative Union, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Americans for Tax Reform, the Creative Coalition, the Center for Creative Voices in Media and others.

DeLay’s slow roast

The Washington Post offers a long article that suggests that Majority Leader Tom DeLay is less aggressive these days because of media’s demonization of him:

Instead, with Democrats determined to press the controversy -- hypocritically, in the eyes of DeLay's supporters -- the realistic goal is less vindication than to limit the political damage, this adviser said. The widespread assumption within DeLay's office is that the travel allegations are headed for a House Ethics Committee inquiry, which could take months. DeLay allies in Congress acknowledge that there will be pressure from Democrats and Republicans to reprimand the majority leader -- at a minimum. That would be his fourth ethics admonishment, following three that were issued in rapid succession last fall.

Senators hope to resolve a major transportation bill and other legislation before the chamber is consumed by what could be a bitterly partisan confrontation. That is why numerous aides say a filibuster showdown is most likely in about two weeks -- shortly before the Memorial Day recess. But Frist spokesman Bob Stevenson said Friday the issue "could come up at any time."

Where are the Democrats?

The White House is changing the focus on Social Security to the question of: What are the Democrats doing about solving Social Security’s fiscal failings?

Democrats have refused to engage the issue and continue to leave President Bush all alone in confronting Social Security’s problems.

Democrats seem to believe that ethics charges and a theme of power mania by Republicans is enough to provide them with political success. It appears that Democrats will continue to resist working on the nation’s problems.

In an article on the subject, the NY Times offered this insightful outlook on how the Democrats are thinking:

But the idea that you cannot beat something with nothing may be one of the biggest myths in Washington, said Guy Molyneux, a Democratic pollster who has been working with opponents of Mr. Bush's approach to Social Security.

Mr. Molyneux cited Republicans' success in blocking President Bill Clinton's health care initiative in the early 1990's. "The key question is, are you in a climate where the public is demanding action on Topic X?" he said. "If you can convince the public that a particular solution is bad enough, they'll settle for the status quo. The president's plan gives us plenty of room to make that case."

The place to watch is the House of Representatives and whether Congressman Bill Thomas (R-CA), Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means can package together a bill that combines a fix for Social Security and private retirement accounts into a retirement savings solution. Expect hearings on businesses abandoning their retirement legacies through bankruptcy. A solution to this is something unions and Democrats would have to support.

Two Supreme Court openings?

As the end of the Supreme Court’s session approaches, so does speculation about resignations. The names of Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor have again surfaced as potentially stepping down from the nation’s high court. Reports are that the White House is taking routine preparation for nominating two justices to the Supreme Court.

Brownback’s late beginning

Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas received mention of his presidential hopes on Iowa television Sunday. Iowa Republican poohbah Doug Gross commented on Brownback’s poor start at a Des Moines breakfast Gross attended and left before Brown back appeared (Brownback was 30 minutes late.)

Thus far, more than seven candidates for president on either the Democrat or Republican sides have begun activities in Iowa.