The Swamp

MUTTS for mutt at Obama White House

2008-12-03T22:51:24Z

by Mark Silva

Patrick McDonnell, author of the comic strip MUTTS, will be weighing in on the great debate over the hypoallergenic search for the perfect First Pooch - pound puppy or pedigree, or perhaps one and the same -- that the Obama family is waging.

Predictably, MUTTS sides with the mutts.

Starting Monday, McDonnell will devote a weeklong story-line to the question of what kind of dog President-elect Barack Obama should adopt in the delivery of a long-held promise for his young daughters as the family takes up occupancy at the White House.

The strip's readers will find the lead characters -- Mooch the cat and Earl the dog -- discussing the Obama family's desire to adopt a dog from an animal shelter.

McDonnell is no newcomer to the question.

He is the recipient of three Genesis Awards from The Humane Society of the United States. Twice a year,, he has penned a special MUTTS "Shelter Series" story-line lauding the efforts of staff and volunteers who rescue and care for more than six million abused, neglected and abandoned animals in shelters across the United States.

For Bushes, 'careful' giving this Christmas

2008-12-03T21:40:00Z

by Frank James

First Lady Laura Bush had the media in the residence part of the White House today to show off the holiday decorations, discuss her and President Bush's plans for the holidays, their impending return to Washington and the tour they gave the White House's next occupants, the Obamas.

Among the nuggets she divulged.

-- The presidential family intends to be "careful" in its gift-giving this year (Sorry Jenna and Barbara) to reflect the mood in the country. it will be more a time for family members to enjoy each other's company that to give gifts.

-- The money saved instead will go towards the family's likely post-White House house purchase in Dallas.

-- When Mrs. Bush showed Michelle Obama the family quarters, she pointed out a window in the First Lady's dressing room that allows the first lady to spy, I mean, look down on the Rose Garden and the Oval Office to see what the president is doing.

-- They actually make brie cheese in Texas, some of which will be on the menu at the White House holiday receptions this year. (Is there a good Texas Chardonnay as well?)

]]> -- She and the president think about Abraham Lincoln the most as they walk through the White House during the quiet hours.

-- She calls the impending post-presidency period the "afterlife."

By the way, the White House's holiday theme this year is a "red, white and blue Christmas" which allowed the reuse of red and blue ornaments used in years past.

Many ornaments are new, however, made by artists representing the nation's 435 congressional districts. One ornament that won't be seen at the White House, however, is a protest decoration bearing an "Impeach Bush" message. Not surprisingly, Bush didn't mention nor was she asked about the controversial ornament.

Here's a transcript of her press availabilty:

MRS. BUSH: Good morning, everybody. Happy holidays.

Well, this is our last year here. This is the eighth time I've given this tour of the holiday decorations. And I think this year we have a very appropriate theme. It's a "Red, White and Blue" holiday, which I think is perfect for our last year -- a patriotic holiday, a way to celebrate our great country and, also, an election year, so another good reason to have bunting as part of the decorations, which you'll see in just a minute.

One of the only themes that Americans have suggested to me is a patriotic holiday. I've gotten letters from people since, really, right after September 11th that suggested we have a "Red, White and Blue" Christmas. So that's what we have this year, and I think you'll see that it's really perfect.

It gave us a chance to re-use a lot of red ornaments, because we had a lot of those, of course. We brought back some other decorations from Christmas past, just like everyone does, goes through their attic and comes up with their old decorations.

And so, in the Cross Hall downstairs, we have the presidential homes that were part of the 2001 "Home for the Holidays" Christmas. We have -- on the president's tree in the Oval Office, which some of you who've been in there have already seen, we have the ornaments from last year's Blue Room Christmas tree from the national park, because George and I both, as all of you know, love the outdoors and love our national parks.

We have LED lights on the Christmas trees, which are very low- energy-use. And I want to encourage people to -- when their old lights wear out, to think about using LED Christmas lights for energy savings.

Our White -- the big Blue Room Christmas tree is decorated with ornaments from congressional districts from all 50 states and some of the territories. We asked all of our congressmen and senators to designate an artist from their home state or their district. And so you can see them.

Our youngest artist is an 8-year-old girl from Virginia who put the cardinal, the state flower of Virginia, on her ornament. And our oldest artist is a 90-year-old man from New York, who painted Teddy Roosevelt on his ornament. So I think you'll get to see there's -- every state is represented. And you can really see the beautiful landscapes of every district, and all the wildlife. We even have a jackalope from Texas.

So this gives me also the opportunity to thank all the people who make this possible, to thank especially Nancy Clarke and all the florists who I've worked with for eight years, and it's just been a real pleasure. Thank you very, very much, Nancy.

NANCY CLARKE (White House florist): It's been our pleasure, too.

MRS. BUSH: Thanks a lot.

It's so terrific to have a staff that, no matter what idea you come up with, Nancy always says, "Great," and goes right to work. And as you can tell, these are not easy things to assemble or to put together or to build, and they always look great. I hope everyone saw the nutcrackers, the Uncle Sam nutcrackers that meet you on the East Side. Those characters, those nutcrackers, have made an appearance in several of our Christmases.

MS. CLARKE: Several.

MRS. BUSH: And this year, they're dressed as Uncle Sam holding an American flag.

I just want to tell you one other thing about Nancy Clarke. When we first came here in --

MS. CLARKE: (Laughs.)

MRS. BUSH: -- this is going to make me weep --

MS. CLARKE: (Inaudible.)

MRS. BUSH: -- and make her weep, too. When we first came here in January 1989, with President Bush, George's dad, the little girls, little Barbara and Jenna, who were 7, watched the parade from this inaugural parade stand that you see being built out in front of the White House now.

And then they watched, they said, to 102 different groups that walked through, and then they came inside. And Nancy was the one that met them at the door. And she took them to the flower shop and let them make a little bouquet for their rooms.

And they'll never forget it. And it was such a really sweet way for little 7-year-olds to be introduced to the White House.

So thank you so much for that, Nancy.

MS. CLARKE: Thank you.

MRS. BUSH: I appreciate it very much. We've had a great time working together for all these years.

MS. CLARKE: We have. We have.

MRS. BUSH: Then, of course -- and you're going to get to sample this in just a minute -- our chefs, Cris Comerford and Bill Yosses. Do you all want to move over here with me?

Like for every single event at the White House, Cris has developed a really wonderful menu that represents different parts of the United States with traditional foods like ham and other things that people like to have at Christmas, as well as lobster, a lobster salad that represents Maine, one of our favorite states to summer in with our parents.

We have cheeses from -- both from Texas --

What kind of cheeses?

CRIS COMERFORD (White House chef): We have some good brie cheeses from Texas. We also have some Southwest Leicester cheese. And also they just did some smoked Gouda for us, so this -- this homestead farm that has been really supplying us with good artisanal cheeses.

MRS. BUSH: Great. I was waiting for her to say "artisanal," because I have a little bit of trouble with that. (Laughter.) Thank you very much, Cris.

So you're going to get to see what the menu is. And I think you'll think it's delicious, like all of our guests will.

So you can imagine how Cris works through all these days. There are going to be party after party, starting -- two, there were two parties yesterday, but starting tonight with the first reception of our friends who come in from around the country. And so she'll be busy cooking -- with other cooks and chefs who come in especially for the holidays -- every day, to make sure everybody that comes here, every guest, gets an opportunity to really experience what a wonderful White House party is, especially one of the holiday parties.

Then, Bill Yosses, our pastry chef, is the creator of our unbelievable gingerbread house this year. I hope you've seen it. It's white chocolate. It's very detailed. It really is architecturally correct. The -- the beautiful capitals on the columns are carved out of white chocolate. And I think you can see that. And because we have the red, white and blue theme, we have the fife and drum corps marching across the lawn of the gingerbread house this year.

So thank you very much, Bill.

BILL YOSSES (White House pastry chef): It's a pleasure.

MRS. BUSH: Bill, also, of course -- he's already been busy and will be busy for the rest of the holidays making cookies for all the parties and all the other great holiday desserts that we'll all be enjoying. And I hope you'll get to see a little -- have a little taste of those in just a minute for the reception, as well.

So I want to thank everyone. We had over 90 volunteers that came in from around the country to help put up all these great decorations. We have 27, I think -- but I might be wrong, maybe it's 29 -- trees across -- from the East Wing all the way through the residence to the West Wing. They're all from North Carolina this year.

And, obviously, the big centerpiece of the -- of the decorations is the Blue Room Christmas tree, covered with those ornaments from all 50 states and a lot of our congressional districts.

I think we ended up with almost 370 ornaments from congressional districts around the country.

So thank you very much, Cris. I appreciate it very much.

Thank you, Bill.

(Cross talk.)

Thanks to everyone who has worked so hard to make this such a beautiful, red, white and blue holiday.

You all have any questions before we move on?

Q Is there something about the decorations you're going to miss the most?

MRS. BUSH: Well, I'll miss working with everybody. It's been so much fun over the years, to work especially with Nancy to develop these things, to figure out how we'll express these things. And so it will be the people, of course, that we'll miss the most.

A lot of the butlers that will be working, at all these parties, are men that we've known since we came here in 1989. Nancy, as I said, met us at the door, when we came in 1989.

So we have a really almost lifelong friendship with a lot of the people that work here. And I want to thank all of them, every one of them, for their friendship, for the way they take care of the president and this beautiful house.

And I also was able Mrs. Obama that they will be waiting there, to welcome them, and that they will welcome them and take care of them, just like they have taken care of us and all the presidents that have come before us. So they're the people I'll miss.

Q Where are you going to celebrate Christmas?

MRS. BUSH: Pardon me.

Q Where are you going to celebrate Christmas? Where?

MRS. BUSH: We'll celebrate Christmas at Camp David. So we'll leave for Camp David right before Christmas.

We have all members of our family coming, my mother and the girls and Jenna's new husband and all of George's brothers and their children and sister and President Bush and Barbara, we hope. And I think for any of you who are interested, Mrs. Bush got home last night from the hospital. And she seems to be doing very well. So we're very hopeful she'll be able to join us as well for Christmas.

Q How many?

MRS. BUSH: Oh, the whole family together. And this will be our, let's see, 12th year at Camp David, for Christmas, because we went for the four years George's dad was president. So I'm sure we've got the record that will never be broken. (Laughter.)

Q Is there any specific legacy you leave, as a first lady, in the White House -- (inaudible) -- that other first ladies will share?

MRS. BUSH: Well, we've worked on a lot of the rooms here. It's such a privilege to be able to live here and to be able to be the steward for all the fabulous things that are in this house; the beautiful art, the historical furniture, the beautiful building itself.

And so some of the rooms I've worked on are the library downstairs, which I love doing, since I'm a retired librarian; the Vermeil Room downstairs; the Green Room, which is also a really great room to decorate for the holidays. And the Green Room, if you've seen it, has silver eagles on the mantle and looks so pretty.

But it's been an unbelievable privilege. And I've loved having the chance to learn about everyone who's lived here before through their effects, through the ways they decorated the house or the furniture they left or the stories we know about what happened in different rooms.

This room, for instance, the East Room, which, as many of you probably know, when the very first family lived here, the Adams family, John and Abigail Adams were the first ones to live here -- even though George Washington picked the site and picked the architect, but the house wasn't finished until the second president. But this room still wasn't finished. And Abigail Adams hung her laundry in this room.

This is -- this East Room has a great history, both the site of weddings and funerals. Every president who's died in office is laid in this room in state, except for one. The -- lots of parties and dances. We had a reception here for Jenna and Henry for their wedding, which will be one of our happy memories from this room.

This is also, obviously, the room of bill signings and balls. And we'll have a ball here on Monday night for the Congress, the congressional ball.

So it's really a great thrill to have the chance to live here and be here with all of these great items.

Q Do you think we'll ever be able to return to the tradition of Christmases before 2011 (sic), when the public used to be able to come and file through --

MRS. BUSH: Well, the public still does come. We still do have public tours. We're the only house of a world leader that I know of that has public tours. The public just needs to make their reservations before, when used to -- they just lined up at the door.

But I certainly hope so. I hope that we -- and pray that we will, as time goes on, not live in a time of terrorism, where we have security concerns. And we all hope that. And that's certainly something we all pray for at the holidays.

Q Ma'am, when we're all gone and you're walking through the house at night, what's the one thing that stands out most to you? What do you like to see every day?

MRS. BUSH: Well, I love to see the Red Room. It's something that I love to look at. It's traditionally been known as the first lady's parlor. It's such a dramatic room.

But I just like to think about the people who lived here before me. When both George and me walk through all of these rooms, these rooms downstairs as well as our residence, we're very aware of all the presidents before us. And we're aware of the challenges that they faced when they lived here and the challenges and tragedies, in many cases, that their families faced while they were here.

Certainly Lincoln is the president that we think of the most often, and he lived here in what I think anyone would agree was the most challenging time, when we were at -- a country at war with itself. And while he lived here, he also lost his son. Willie died upstairs in the room that had the big Lincoln bed in it at the time, which is a room that's above the dining room at the other end of the hall.

So one thing that we take from the life stories of all the people that lived here before us -- certainly I look at the lives of the women who lived here before us -- is encouragement, really, about our country and the way we've been able to face the challenges that we've been faced with before, and the assurance, from the way that we faced those, that we'll be able to face any challenges that come again.

There's something great about the big ship America and the security and the stability of that big ship through every kind of challenge. And so that I think that's really what I think about when I walk through these halls, and that is, how fortunate we are, all of us, as -- every citizen of our country, to have all the people who went before us, who left us all the things they left us. They left us a history of laws and a Constitution that, even though we didn't live it in a perfect way, really is perfect.

Q Mrs. Bush, what are you going to present to your husband for Christmas? As you said, it's a surprise, but maybe you could tell us one of them. (Laughter.)

MRS. BUSH: This year we're going to be very, very careful at Christmas. I suspect that a lot of other American families will be the same. We're going to try to be with each other, to have what really, really matters at the holidays, which is your family and friends around you, to be thankful for our blessings, both the blessings that we have because we're Americans and the blessings that we have because of our family and how close we are.

So that's really what it's going to be.

But also -- and I'm not making an announcement here, but we will be moving to Dallas in January, and there might be a new house coming along. So I think that's where we'll spend our Christmas money -- (chuckles) -- right at the real estate time.

Yes, sir? Yes, ma'am?

Q Mrs. Bush, Christmas is about the spirit of peace. After eight years in the White House, are you disappointed that you're going to leave with not much peace, and more turmoil in the world?

MRS. BUSH: Well, sure, of course, absolutely. But I also feel encouraged. I'm very encouraged about the people of Iraq, and I think they are going to be able to build a thriving democracy, a thriving economy and democracy that people -- that they are going to be very, very proud of, and that they would not have had the chance to build if Saddam Hussein were still there.

I'm proud of the people of Afghanistan. When we look and we hear of these isolated incidences, like the girls who were disfigured with acid a couple of weeks ago as they were walking to school, we feel discouraged about it. But I know that the people of Afghanistan want to build a country where they're not afraid, and I know that the women of Afghanistan want to be able to contribute to their society and be a part of it.

And so I actually feel very encouraged about both of those countries. And I think that one of the really great legacies of my husband is that he's liberated 50 million people -- 25 million in Afghanistan and 25 million in Iraq -- and I'm proud of that.

Who hadn't asked a question?

Q This is --

MRS. BUSH: Did you ask one before? No.

Q No, I didn't.

MRS. BUSH: Okay.

Q This is your last Christmas season, after so many years in the White House. I was just wondering how you feel about it. Are you a little bit sad?

MRS. BUSH: That's right. I mean, it's mixed emotions. I'm sad to leave all the people that I've liked so much and that I've had a chance to build a friendship with over the years that I've been here, and I'm sad to leave this beautiful house. But on the other hand, in the United States you know, when you're elected president, you get four years, or eight if you're reelected. And when the end of the eight years comes, you know it's time to move on.

And so I think there is a certain not just acceptance, but also looking forward to another life -- the afterlife, as I've been calling it -- when -- (laughter) -- when we can live a much more normal life in our own home.

And so I'm looking forward to that as well.

Q Kind of piggybacking off of that, what do you imagine Christmas will be like next year? Do you think you might hang a couple of ornaments or still hosting the parties after all these years?

MRS. BUSH: Yes, I think we will be. I mean, obviously it won't be quite as elaborate. (Laughter.) I might be doing the cooking myself. But yes, I look forward to that and to having, I hope, Jenna and Henry and Barbara with us at those holidays.

They live on the East Coast. And we're going to be moving away from where they are. It's been nice to have them up here, so close, for these last few months that we've lived here. But hopefully we can lure them to Texas for the holidays.

Q Being first lady from 2001 through 2009, can you give us some of your more memorable moments over the past eight years? And also if you could, when Mrs. Obama came to visit you, can you share with us some advice you gave her, for the incoming first family?

MRS. BUSH: Well, there was something actually very nostalgic about having Mrs. Obama come, the first time she came, when -- because I remembered so well taking the tour of the White House, with Mrs. Clinton, and what -- Senator Clinton rather -- but you know, what she said to me, as we toured the White House, and then what that reminded me to tell Michelle Obama as we toured.

And there's a window upstairs in the first lady's dressing room that I also used as an office. I have a desk in there. And when I toured with Mrs. Clinton, she said, look out this window and you can see the Rose Garden and you can look right over and see the Oval Office. And she said, your mother-in-law told me, when she gave me the tour, to be sure and look out this window, that she liked to look out over there and see what George was doing, meaning President George H.W. Bush.

And so I told that to Mrs. Obama, to look out that window and be able to look over at the Oval Office or the Rose Garden, if there's an event in the Rose Garden. And then I told her she could tell that to the next person that followed her.

So I think there's a great tradition of transition in the United States.

And we certainly saw it when President Bush, George's dad, moved out of the White House, never suspecting then that we'd ever even come back to the White House, much less live here for eight years. So there's kind of a wonderful tradition of welcoming the next family in and giving that tour and showing the next family what it's going to be like.

And so we've had it, obviously, from both sides, having that tour ourselves and then being able to give it to the next president. And George brought President-elect Obama upstairs after Michelle and I toured upstairs, so he could show him the little girls' rooms. He also showed him his closet and his bathroom, just like I showed her my closet and my bathroom.

And then they rushed upstairs to look at the gym. (Laughter.) So I think there's certain things that the men wanted to look at and other things that the ladies wanted to look at.

Yes, Ken?

Q Thank you, Mrs. Bush. Do you think the nation has gotten to really know and understand your husband, or is there a great gap between the man you know and understand and the man that people think they know and understand?

MRS. BUSH: Well, I think there's a great gap. You might think that, too, since you knew him before.

Obviously, that's what happens in politics. It's something we're very, very aware of. We knew in 1992 that President Bush was being characterized in a way that he wasn't -- our father. And I think that's just what happens in politics, and it's a shame. But that's just the nature of, I think, a very, very spirited political race.

Anything else? Happy holidays, everybody. I want to invite you to the reception, and --

STAFF: The artists?

MRS. BUSH: Oh, I forgot. The artists are even standing here. (Laughter.) I didn't even see you all.

Hi, Tim, good to see you. Thanks so much. How are you? Good to see you. Thank you very much for your beautiful work. Thanks a lot. It's so fabulous.

These are -- I'm sorry, I didn't even look to my left. (Laughter.) Obviously you can tell I forgot to read the briefing paper.

This is our Christmas card. This is Tim Lawson, the artist. He's a beautiful landscape artist. And so I thought this beautiful view from the Truman Balcony would be a -- a wonderful landscape for him to paint for our last Christmas card here.

He also happens to be David McCullough's son-in-law. And I didn't think of this when I asked him to do the -- the -- this view of the White House, but obviously David McCullough, his father-in-law, has written about Truman. And so he did it from the Truman Balcony, which he said he liked a lot.

Then this is the Christmas brochure. You all will be getting a picture of it. Our artist for it is a children's book illustrator. He's done a number of children's books.

Isn't that right? What -- can you -- what are -- what's one of your books, "Happy Birthday, America"?

MR. : "Happy Birthday, America."

MRS. BUSH: That's right, is one of them. And it looks great.

And then this is the Christmas invitation that maybe some of you have already seen, and that looks so beautiful. Thank you very much. It's really lovely.

And then the Hanukkah invitation at the end, which one of our calligraphers did, and that is a drawing of the menorah that we're going to use this year for the Hanukkah party. And it is the menorah that David Ben-Gurion gave to President Truman when Israel became a state in 1948. It was a gift to the American people.

So thank you, artists. Thank you all very, very much. And I hope you all will have a chance to talk to all of them. And you can see how beautiful their work is.

Thank you very much, everyone.

Okay, everyone, thanks a lot. Happy holidays. Have fun.

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Thank you, Mrs. Bush.

MRS. BUSH: Thanks, everybody.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: "Feliz Navidad."

MRS. BUSH: "Feliz Navidad." (Laughter.) Bye-bye.

END.

Oprah's Washington: Inaugural showcase

2008-12-03T21:40:00Z

by Mark Silva

Oprah Winfrey will be hosting the TV show that goes by her name from Washington, D.C., during the week of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.

Access Hollywood has the scoop on Oprah's traveling inaugural TV show.

"I'm going to break that right here -- that's where I'm going to be," Winfrey told Access Hollywood. "See you there . . . that's the place to be."

The queen of daytime TV has reached out to the Opera House at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts for a stage for The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Winfrey, one of Obama's best-known backers, campaigned for him early in his race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and cried for him on a stranger's shoulder at his acceptance speech in Chicago on Election Night.

"There are not even words to talk about what this night means," Winfrey told Access' Maria Menounos on Election Night. "Everybody keeps using the word historic - there's never been a night like this on the planet Earth...nothing can compare to this."

Rice treads carefully in India on Pakistan

2008-12-03T20:25:00Z

by Frank James

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in India to express U.S sympathy with India in the aftermath of last week's Mumbai terrorist attacks. Her trip to India was also in part to try and ease tensions between India and Pakistan since the attackers' ties to Pakistan threaten to cause the always volatile relations between the two countries to worsen further.

Reporters asked Rice questions that she essentially dodged so as not to inflame sentiment within Pakistan.

She also sidestepped a question that she clearly thought answering straightforwardly could have provided the enemy, that is, terrorists with too much insight into what intelligence officials know.

Her answers suggest just how combustible the South Asian situation is and how careful U.S. diplomats must be in navigating the minefield of Indian-Pakistani relations.

Here's the relevant exchange with reporters:

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, the Indians have handed over another list of 20 fugitives that they would like Pakistan to deal with or to turn over. What do you think Pakistan's response should be at this time in order to ease tensions between the two countries?

SEC. RICE: Well, first of all, the Pakistani Government has said unequivocally that it intends to cooperate. And President Zardari has told me that he will follow the leads wherever they go, and I think that is a very important commitment on the part of Pakistan.

]]> I think we should - I should refrain from speculation about what the Pakistani Government might do in response to specific requests because I - what has to happen here is that there has to be a real sense of transparency, a real sense of action, a real sense of urgency, because these are terrorists who are extremists who really have the same intention and the same goal, and that is to terrorize and send messages to states around the world, including -- by the way, extremists have done great damage in Pakistan. And so Pakistan and India and the United States - and I spent a good deal of time with my British counterpart when I was in London and with their people - we all have a great interest in getting to the bottom of this and we have a great interest in bringing people to justice and we have a great interest in prevention.

And so that would be my message. I don't want to get into the specifics of what Pakistan may or may not do. But I'm going to take, as a firm commitment, Pakistan's stated commitment to get to the bottom of this and to know that these are enemies of Pakistan, as well as they're enemies of India.

QUESTION: Nidhi Razdan from NDTV. Secretary Rice, I have a couple of questions. One is that -- what would your message to the Prime Minister be this evening? And secondly, does the United States know about the alleged perpetrators of the Mumbai attack in the sense that -- you know, India believes it's the Lashkar e-Tayyiba which now goes by a different name in Pakistan. It's leader, Hafiz Saeed, has been very public anti-India speeches calling for jihad against India.

Would you be sending a message to the Pakistani Government to at least arrest him, hand him over?

SEC. RICE: Well, I have already sent a message to the Pakistani Government, and the Pakistani Government has received that message favorably, which is that wherever this leads these people have to be brought to justice. And they - we need, or the government will need, to make certain that they're doing everything that they can to garner information so that you can prevent further attacks.

I will tell you that the last - over the last seven years, the experience of bringing people to justice, the experience of learning about the way that operations are carried out, learning about money flows -- I read this morning something about trying to trace money flows. Let me tell you, don't underestimate, in any case, the importance of getting to the bottom of funding for terrorism. It has been one of the most important tools that the United States has used in helping to trace people, plots, and money.

Secondly, I will say to the Prime Minister, again, that the United States is prepared to work on the intelligence information that we have. Obviously, I'm not going to go into details on that. One of the things that we all have to be very careful about is in empowering terrorists by allowing them to know what we know. I know that very often, and I respect the role not just of the press but of those who, in democratic states, want to know. But there is an important wall that must be there so that terrorists don't know what you know. They are very active and quick at reacting when they have leads. And so I will spend some time on that.

And then finally, as I said, I'm prepared to share with the Prime Minister any ideas that we may have, given our experience, of how to move forward toward a strategy of prevention. But this is a time for everybody to cooperate and to do so transparently, and this is especially a time for Pakistan to do so.

WMD-threat panel issues report

2008-12-03T19:36:00Z

by Frank James

The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism officially issued its report today.

We've known for days that the report's takeaway message would reflect what's in the first paragraph of the report's executive summary:

The Commission believes that unless the world community acts decisively and with great urgency, it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013.

That conclusion rests heavily on the thinking of the U.S. intelligence community. Adm. Mike McConnell, the director of National Intelligence Director, said in a speech last night at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University last night.

McConnell said:

With weapons of mass destruction that could result in the death of many, many people - chemical, biological, nuclear - we assess biological as the more likely and it's better than an even chance in the next five years that an attack by one of those weapons systems will be conducted in some place on the globe - not necessarily in the United States, but somewhere.

]]> The report was a reminder, as was the press conference today, that the commission's members nearly became victims of a high-profile terrorist attack themselves last September.

Former Indiana Congressman Tim Roemer, a commission member, said the following at today's Capitol Hill press conference, as he made a point about Pakistan as a source of terrorism:

We were on our way to Islamabad as part of the mission for our work. And on September 20th in Dubai, getting ready to board the plane and go to Pakistan, we got a call from the State Department. And the State Department said: We've got good news and bad news for you. The good news is, you're not in your hotel. The bad news is, your hotel's gone. We were hours away from the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad when the terrorists hit it. That was a near miss for this commission and for its members, but certainly a signal that Pakistan -- when you're looking at the confluence of terrorism and proliferation, all roads lead to Pakistan.

Palin, Clinton treated unfairly, poll says

2008-12-03T19:35:32Z

by Laura Olson

A majority of American women voted for President-elect Barack Obama, but that doesn't mean they liked how the female candidates were treated during the 2008 campaign.

Women surveyed in a poll released this morning by Lifetime Networks as a part of its "Every Woman Counts" campaign said they feel coverage of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin was too negative and focused excessively on her looks and wardrobe.

That goes for coverage of her female counterpart on the Democratic side, Sen. Hillary Clinton, as well.

"It was a post-gender election in terms of women looking beyond their gender as voters, but not in how women believe that male and female candidates were treated differently," said pollster Kellyanne Conway of WomanTrend.

Pollsters from Lake Research Partners and WomanTrend, a division of the polling company, inc., spoke with 600 women across the U.S. between November 21 and 24, asking about the impact of the recent economic downturn as well as their impressions of the presidential election.

]]> According to the survey data, 64 percent said they felt coverage of Palin was more negative than that of any other candidate. When asked about Clinton's coverage, 31 percent felt hers too was relatively more negative.

About half said they would have liked to see more discussion of Palin's policy stances.

These women told pollsters they remain optimistic about women in politics. Clinton's and Palin's presence in the race was a "step forward" for women, and it provided encouragement that a woman would earn one of the top offices within their lifetimes.

But on issues of being taken seriously by voters and by the media, they said women still lag behind dramatically. Results showed 79 percent saying it is easier for a male candidate to be taken seriously by voters, while only 5 percent believe it is easier for a female candidate.

Even so, as Obama continued to build his Cabinet, 67 percent said he should only consider qualifications, not gender, when selecting his incoming secretaries - thought Clinton's placement as Secretary of State earned strong support from survey participants.

Women in the poll were also asked to look to their next first lady, Michelle Obama, and their expectations for her. When asked about how women would like to see her role take shape, 49 percent supported her getting involved in several issues, such as education, work-life balance and health care.

Another 38 percent said they think she should focus on her role as a wife and mother, which Obama has said she'd like to do doing her first year.

Bank bailout needs better oversight: GAO

2008-12-03T18:05:00Z

by Frank James

The circumstances surrounding the $700 billion have had a loosey goosey feel from the very beginning when Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. gave Congress his initial three page, few-strings-attached request for the money.

So it's no surprise that the Government Accountability Office would issue a report yesterday that indicated that Treasury oversight was not quite what it should be.

An excerpt:

Treasury has yet to address a number of critical issues, including determining how it will ensure that CPP (the Capital Purchase Program) is achieving its intended goals and monitoring compliance with limitations on executive compensation and dividend payments. Moreover, further actions are needed to formalize transition planning efforts and establish an effective management structure and an essential system of internal control...

Rendell: Homeland pick has 'no life'

2008-12-03T17:40:00Z

by Frank James

Darn those open mikes. The latest politician to learn that a mike must always be assumed to be live is Pennsylvania's very garrulous Gov. Ed Rendell who by now has probably placed a call to fellow Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano to apologize for a comment that could hurt a sensitive person's feelings.

As the Associated Press reports:

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell was picked up on an open microphone saying Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is a perfect fit for Homeland Security secretary because she "has no family."

Rendell made the comment Tuesday while attending a meeting of the National Governors Association in Philadelphia that featured President-elect Barack Obama.

Rendell says Napolitano is "perfect for that job. Because for that job, you have to have no life. Janet has no family. Perfect. She can devote, literally, 19-20 hours a day to it."

Napolitano has never been married and has no children. Her spokeswoman, Jeanine L'Ecuyer, didn't immediately return phone messages seeking comment.

Rendell press secretary Chuck Ardo says Rendell meant no disrespect to Napolitano and would have made the same comment if the candidate was a man.

(Rendell photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Obama calls on Fox News, mourns beard

2008-12-03T17:19:00Z

by Frank James

At the recently completely press conference at which President-elect Barack Obama officially named Gov. Bill Richardson his choice for Commerce Secretary, Obama called on Fox News's White House reporter.

The interchange was interesting for a few reasons. One, some observers had thought that Obama might be freezing out the news channel known for its conservative bent. Ed Schultz, the progressive radio host, said yesterday he hoped Fox never got to ask a question.

But Obama called on Wendell Goler, Fox News's reporter, ending that conspiracy theory.

After being called on, Goler thanked the president for calling on him. The reporter then asked one serious and one not-so-serious question.

What would Obama's reaction be if Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. dipped into the second half of the $700 billion bailout funds even before Obama is sworn in? And Goler's light-hearted question directed to Richardson: "What happened to the beard?"

]]> This was the second interesting thing about Goler's question. Obama decided to answer it first.

"I'm going to answer this question about the beard. I think it was mistake for him to get rid of it. I thought that whole western rugged look was really working for him. For some reason, maybe because it was scratchy when he kissed his wife, he was forced to get rid of it. But we're deeply disappointed with the loss of the beard."

A beard might have also given Obama's cabinet more of that "team of rivals" look though Richardson would have let his facial hair grow out quite a bit longer to get that Old Testament prophet look that was sported by a few of Abraham Lincoln's cabinet members and the 16th president himself.

As for the bailout money, Obama said he would reserve judgment until Paulson said publicly that he would draw down the second half of the money and that Congress would have to approve spending that money anyway.

Washington to Obama, morphed

2008-12-03T15:41:00Z

by Frank James

Someone took the time to morph all the faces of the 43 presidents and the one president-elect, into each other. It's interesting because it graphically makes a point made so often since Election Day and that will likely be made for a long time going forward, that President-elect Barack Obama gives the presidency a strikingly new and different look.

Maurice Ravel's "Bolero" as a soundtrack wouldn't have been my choice. A better choice might have been a loop of the musical introduction of Aaron Copeland's "A Lincoln Portrait." Or how about "Hail to the Chief?"

Bill Clinton: 'Sounding board' for HRC

2008-12-03T15:05:12Z

by Mark Silva

Former President Bill Clinton says his wife first learned of her possible future as Secretary of State the same way that most Americans first heard of Sen. Hillary Clinton's new role.

In the papers.

"She was shocked,'' Bill Clinton said in an interview with CNN. "She first read about it in the newspaper, the speculation.''

The globe-trotting former president - he was interviewed for the first time since President-elect Barack Obama's announcement of the former First Lady as candidate for Secretary of State at the end of another Clinton Global Initiative venture in Asia - discussed his own role with his wife in the new Obama administration.

"I think my involvement will be what our involvement with each other's work has always been,'' Clinton said. "All the years I was a governor and president, I talked to her about everything, and I, you know, found her advise invaluable, and I'm sure we'll talk about all of this. I really care about a lot of these profound challenges that our country and the world are facing.

"But the decisions willl have to be unlitmately President--elect Obama's decisions,'' he said. "I'll just try to be a helpful sounding board to her, but I don't think I will do any more... unless he asks me to do something specific, which I am neither looking for or opposed to.''

]]> As part of the New York senator's assignment to the State Department, the 42nd president has agreed to curtail his ventures, disclose all contributions to his foundation and check with State and the White House on the ethics of future trips.

It speaks volumes that the first words from Bill Clinton about his wife's nomination for the nation's highest diplomatic post that he voiced them in Hong Kong, at the close of another one of his foundation's Clinton Global Initiative meetings showcasing some $185 million worth of commitments from donors to do good.

The Clinton foundation reports this today:

"Examples of the impact CGI Asia commitments will have once fully implemented include:

An estimated 715,000 children will benefit from better education opportunities.
Over 260,000 adults will learn new job skills.
Of these, nearly 26,000 are teachers and 8,000 are health care workers who will benefit from new training.
Over 250,000 girls and women will be empowered with better opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.
Nearly 24,000 hectares of forest land will be protected by empowering local residents to manage their own natural resources.
The equivalent of more than 40,000 tons of CO2 emissions will be cut.
Over 700,000 people will better learn to cope with environmental stress and natural disasters.
More than 3.5 million people will gain greater access to health services.
Half a million people will now have safe drinking water, and 400,000 children will benefit from better nutrition.

Following the successful conclusion of the first day of the CGI Asia meeting, President Clinton was joined at a Gala Dinner by the Honorable Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, internationally acclaimed actor Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li, founder of the ONE Foundation, and other CGI Asia members for a special evening of music and conversation to celebrate giving and inspire Commitments to Action.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd addressed the CGI Asia meeting by video.

"We need new ideas to confront and solve the myriad of challenges which lie ahead of us this century," said Prime Minister Rudd. "I look forward to working with all those gathered at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting to move our world forward towards a new chapter in human history."

CGI participants focused on the three main CGI Asia topics: education, energy & climate change and public health. The program also acknowledged the current economic climate with a plenary session on coping with the financial crisis.

Established in 2005 as a project of the non-partisan William J. Clinton Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. The CGI community includes: CGI University, a forum to engage college students in global citizenship; CGI Asia, the first in a series of regional CGI meetings; and, MyCommitment.org, an online portal where anyone can commit to helping improve lives.''

Auto chiefs on road to DC (and bailout?)

2008-12-03T14:23:00Z

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by Frank James

The Big Three auto makers all got their restructuring plans in to Congress and their chief executive officers are all reportedly in hybrid vehicles somewhere between Detroit and the nation's capital as they head to the first of two congressional hearings this week.

As someone who's driven from the Midwest to Washington, I hope they have a few good audiobooks. Ohio and Pennsylvania are much bigger in person than they seem from a corporate jet. Maybe they'll race each other along the Ohio Turnpike to keep things interesting. It all could be a great realty TV show: "Race to the Bottom," maybe?

But, alas, it may all be for nought since there are real questions as to whether there is enough support in Congress to give at least $25 billion in taxpayer-funded loans to the companies.

The companies' plans can be found on the GM, Chrysler and Ford websites.

As Tribune reporters Ken Bensinger and Jim Puzzanghera wrote:

Together, the Big Three U.S. automakers are asking Congress for $34 billion in low-cost government loans -- $9 billion more than the roughly $25 billion the automakers had sought just last month.

GM said it would need $4 billion immediately to avoid complete collapse before year's end, plus $8 billion early next year. On top of that, the company wants access to a $6-billion line of credit. Last month it had requested $10 billion to $12 billion.

"Absent support, the company can't fund its operations," Henderson said.

]]> For its part, the automaker said it would eliminate or sell its Saab and Saturn brands, shrink its venerable Pontiac division to a few niche models, lay off tens of thousands of employees and put nearly 2,000 dealers out of business.

GM also said it would reduce pay 20% or more for four top executives and pay Chairman and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner a $1 annual salary.

Chrysler again requested $7 billion in a bridge loan to help it operate through 2009. Ford, which last month sought $7 billion to $8 billion, asked for a $9-billion line of credit but took pains to point out that it might not need the money.

'Obama not U.S.-born' meme won't die

2008-12-03T13:09:00Z

by Frank James

There are apparently still people who don't believe President-elect Barack Obama was born in Hawaii and hold therefore that he's ineligible to be president. And they are willing to spend time and money to make their case.

As Tribune reporters Sara Olken and James Janega write:

An anti-tax activist from upstate New York who is questioning whether President-elect Barack Obama is a "natural born citizen" eligible for the nation's top job said Tuesday that his non-profit group spent "tens of thousands of dollars" to get his message across in ads in the Chicago Tribune this week.

Robert L. Schulz, 69, chairman of We The People Foundation, took out ads Monday and Wednesday to raise questions about whether Obama's Hawaii certificate of live birth is authentic.

The ads echo accusations circulated online by some Obama opponents before the election. Cases challenging Obama's citizenship have been tossed out of local courts in several states, and Hawaiian officials have vouched for the authenticity of Obama's birth certificate, which is locked in a state vault. The Obama campaign likewise has always dismissed the accusations.

The Olken/Janega piece goes on to debunk the claims that Obama isn't a natural-born citizen, mentioning that some journalists have actually seen and held Obama's actual birth certificate.

]]> I'm thinking anyone still so committed to the meme that Obama wasn't born in Hawaii isn't going likely to be convinced by some journalists saying otherwise. This isn't about truth or the facts.

Swamp Sunrise

2008-12-03T12:15:27Z

Chambliss wins Georgia Senate runoff

2008-12-03T02:47:58Z

by James Oliphant and Richard Fausset

The Democrats' dream of an overpowering, filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate is officially on ice.

Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss Tuesday held on to his Georgia Senate seat, fending off a challenge from Democrat Jim Martin that went into extra innings. Martin had forced a runoff election last month after keeping Chambliss from attaining 50 percent of the vote, a requirement for office under Georgia law.

As it stands, Democrats will control 58 seats in the newly seated Senate, where 60 votes are needed to cut off debate on a bill and force a floor vote. After Chambliss' victory, only one Senate race -- in Minnesota--still remained undecided.

If Democrats had secured that super-majority, their ability to enact major legislation over Republican objections would have been substantially enhanced. This is why the Georgia contest drew national attention throughout November. Cash poured into the state from interest groups and the national political parties. Big-name politicians such as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Sen. John McCain, and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin campaigned there.

Yet one who didn't campaign for Martin--President-elect Barack Obama--could have had the greatest impact. Martin was able to advance to a runoff largely because African-Americans had turned out on Nov. 4 in huge numbers to vote for Obama.

]]> But the fear among Martin's campaign workers in Georgia has been that such a wave would be nearly impossible to replicate. And indeed, after the polls closed Tuesday, the turnout appeared to be down by more than two-thirds compared to a month ago.

Obama recorded one radio ad for Martin. And more than 200 workers from his presidential campaign descended on the state after Election Day to help the cause. But otherwise, his vaunted campaign machine did not flex its muscle for Martin--and Obama never seemed to seriously consider taking time away from his presidential transition.

As a likely result, the Republicans outspent the Democrats, fueled by a business community apprehensive about congressional approval of legislation that would make it easier for nonunion workers to organize. Chambliss' win makes the so-called "card-check" bill much less likely to clear the Senate.

A former state representative, Martin, 63, wasn't well-known to voters outside of his native Atlanta and faced an uphill battle against Chambliss. Meanwhile, during the past month, Chambliss has portrayed himself as a "firewall"--the man who could torpedo the Democratic agenda in Congress.

That argument resonated with Ralph Yoos, 61, of Powder Springs, Ga.

"I think if the Democrats got a supermajority, they'll just run over things and do whatever they want," the retired Navy man said.

Chambliss' win leaves just one seat still unfilled -- the one currently held by Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, now facing a recount with challenger Al Franken. The recount is set to be finished by Friday, but legal challenges to some ballots will need to be resolved before a winner can be declared.

Even with Democrats falling short of 60 seats, the presence of a number of moderate Republicans in the Senate means that most bills will stand a strong chance of passing, provided that votes don't fall strictly along party lines.

Chambliss, 65, was first elected to the Senate six years ago, ousting Max Cleland, a decorated Vietnam veteran and triple amputee. He was criticized then for using a campaign ad that pictured Cleland with Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.

Tuesday's victory party was staged in Cobb County, a wealthy suburb with a history of vigorous conservatism: a few years ago, the school district placed a sticker on science textbooks calling evolution "a theory, not a fact," until a federal judge deemed it unconstitutional.

His volunteers credited a massive get-out-the-vote effort for the triumph. "We had to be careful of over-saturation," said Jeff Woods, 35, of Dunwoody, Ga. "People were getting annoyed with how many calls they had received from us."

Chambliss supporter Joe Robert, 47, owner of a mechanic shop in Woodstock, Ga., said the parade of A-list Republicans who stumped for Chambliss in Georgia helped pull the party together after a bruising presidential election.

"The Republican Party, it splintered--it just went through a fire, and it was a roaster," he said. "Saxby Chambliss proves that we can (win), but it's got to be a joint effort.''

To Martin's supporters, however, Chambliss was emblematic of a time that they believe has passed.

"Most everything Saxby Chambliss does, I don't like," said Roger Johnson, a 78-year-old retired math professor and Martin volunteer from Tucker, Ga., "In particular, his support of the Bush administration policies."

The Chicago Tribune's Dahleen Glanton contributed to this report from Atlanta.