[big campaign] Media Monitoring Report - Evening 06/02/08

podesta-emails 4,602 words email

P17 V11 P22 V15 D4

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*Main Topics: *McCain Speech to AIPAC, Obama vs. McCain on Foreign Policy, McCain and Phil Gramm *Summary of Shift:* Tonight's punditry focused on a potential conclusion to the Democratic nomination battle. Ted Kennedy is recovering from a successful surgery. Senator Byrd is being hospitalized for a fever. President Bush urged his tax cuts to become permanent. James Clyburn is expected to endorse Obama tomorrow. Obama resigned from his church. Bill Clinton blasted Vanity Fair for an article they are publishing about him. Scott McClellan continues to hit various networks discussing the faulty path to the Iraq war. Dick Cheney said he will not read McClellan's book. Also hot topics this evening, a Texas judge ordered the immediate return of polygamist sect children to their parents. Rock and Roll pioneer Bo Diddley died. A subsidiary of Blackwater bought a fighter jet for $4.5 million in February. The Iranian president made veiled threats to Israel in a speech honoring the late Ayatollah Khomeini. Fuel prices hit another record high and the Senate considers a climate change bill. Highlights: 1) McCain speech to AIPAC, attacks Obama on Iranian diplomacy a. New Gallup Poll shows 59% of Americans support Obama's approach to foreign policy, Cafferty says "bad news for John McCain" b. McCain says Obama will put Israel at risk c. Deputy RNC Chairman: McCain is trying to do "everything possible" to "change the regime in Iran" or "hurt them economically" d. Rachel Maddow points out McCain did not support bipartisan Iran divestment bill last year, while Obama did e. David Bonior: Iran has become a bigger problem under Bush-McCain policies f. Fred Thompson on Fox News says Obama's willingness to engage Iran is a symptom of inexperience g. Obama policy advisor hits back on Iran, links McCain to Bush h. NYT's Bumiller discusses McCain-Obama Iran dispute, *McDifferent* and *McWeak* on the economy 2) Phil Gramm and McCain's lobbyist problem a. Newsweek's Mark Hosenball: Gramm is a major McCain "economic adviser" and he lobbied on behalf of "subprime mortgage lenders", hurts McCain's image b. Olbermann: Gramm blocked legislation that would have hurt Bin Laden before 9/11 3) MSNBC panel discusses how McCain was "inches away" from an "unprecedented" pledge to a one-term presidency because of age 4) GOP seeking Jewish vote but Obama beating McCain with group by a "healthy margin" 5) Pfotenhauer Says McCain not avoiding talks about economy, rather Obama's "mistakes" make it too difficult to avoid discussing foreign policy 6) RNC Chairman defends McCain, slams Obama on Iraq policy 7) Chris Matthews: McCain 'Isn't so old after all' Clips: Highlight #1 *New Gallup Poll Shows 59% of Americans Support Obama's Approach, Cafferty Says "Bad News For John McCain"* (CNN 06/02/08 5:00pm) JACK CAFFERTY: We have some bad news for John McCain, who has spent the last couple of weeks beating up on Barack Obama because Obama said he would be willing to meet with leaders of countries considered to be enemies of the United States. Most Americans, most Americans support Obama. McCain was at it again today speaking to a pro-Israel group, he said it's hard to see what a summit with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would lead too, "except an earful of anti-semitic rants and a world-wide audience for a man who denies one holocaust and talks before frenzied crowds about starting another. " Well guess what? A new Gallup Poll suggests the country backs Obama. 59% of Americans responding to this Gallup Poll say it's a good idea for the president to meet with the president of Iran [...] *McCain Says Obama Would Put Israel at Risk to AIPAC *(FNC 06/02/08 6:00pm) CARL CAMERON: [...] At annual meeting of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, John McCain warned Jewish and Pro-Israel voters that Barack Obama would put the 60 year old Jewish state at greater risk with weak policy toward Iran and an accelerated withdrawal date from Iraq [...] While Obama says US foreign policy must change, McCain says the real issue should be judgment. In the wake of Ahmadinejhad's latest threats, the McCain campaign says Obama should abandon his willingness to meet the Iranian leader and the fact that he's not the McCain campaign says, proves that Obama's judgment is bad. *Deputy RNC Chairman: McCain is Trying To Do "Everything Possible" to "Change the Regime in Iran" or "Hurt Them Economically"* (FNC 06/02/08 5:15pm) JOHN GIBSON: More jabs today between Obama and John McCain, at issue is US policy in Iran and the War in Iraq. McCain calling for tough new sanctions on Iran, not talks [...] You just heard David Bonior saying that Iran is more unstable after the past eight years. Your response on that? FRANK DONATELLI: Well they're more unstable because they're ruled by someone that doesn't have the support of the general public and is pursing suicidal policies and he's somebody that's got to be stopped. I don't know how you can blame the Bush administration for that. What Senator McCain is talking about is doing everything possible, either to change the regime in Iran or to raise the stakes economically on them to such a degree by hurting them economically, that they are forced to change course. That's a far better way to approach Iran, then engaging Ahmadinejad in the first year of your administration to know preconditioned talks [...] This election is not about change or no change, it's about Change that will work versus change that won't work. *Rachel Maddow Points Out McCain Did Not Support Bipartisan Iran Divestment Bill Last Year, While Obama Did *(MSNBC 06/02/08 6:07pm) RACHEL MADDOW: I think that McCain may have goofed on Iran. Senator McCain addressed AIPAC, the hawkish pro-Israel. [clip of McCain addressing AIPAC] MADDOW: After mocking Obama's proposed talks with Iran, as you heard there, mocking them as a tried and fail policy of the past, McCain went on to propose his big new idea on Iran of his own, this worldwide divestment campaign to hit Iran economically. Now Obama's got his own AIPAC speech planned for Wednesday. You can expect a major counterpunch from Obama because it was Obama who proposed Iran divestment last year, in a bill with Sam Brownback, in a bipartisan effort that John McCain did not support. […] *David Bonior: Iran Has Become a Bigger Problem Under Bush-McCain Policies*(FNC 06/02/08 5:10pm) DAVID BONIOR: Senator McCain by the way, and if I can just say this, since he supports President Bush's policies, what we've seen during the Bush's years , is we've been more unstable in terms of our relationship with Iran, they've become more a nuclear power, and a nuclear problem [...] The present system certainly isn't working because they've expanded their nuclear capabilities more, under Bush and McCain policies [...] *Thompson Says Obama's Willingness to Engage Iran is a Symptom of Inexperience* (FNC 06/02/08 4:40pm) NEIL CAVUTO: Is this gonna be a central issue you think for Senator McCain and Republicans in general this Fall, Barack Obama's apparent willingness to talk to folks like Ahmadinejad and Senator McCain's leeriness of doing the same thing? FRED THOMPSON: Well I think it's indicative of a broader issue and that is inexperience and a bit of naivety when it comes to dealing with state sponsors of terrorism and terrorists. You know, we saw again today from Ahmadinejad just how extremist and off the wall that he is. I mean this is a religious matter to them, it's not a matter of state when they talk about the coming of the 12th Iman and the destruction of mankind and the destruction of Israel and the United States and all of that. I don't know if Senator Obama will think his eloquence will allow him to persuade Ahmadinejad to talk the 12th Iman out of coming and returning to the world. So it's part of a broader issue, yeah, it's a very legitimate one. *Obama Policy Advisor Hits Back Against McCain on Iran, Links Him to Bush*(MSNBC 06/02/08 1:16pm) ANDREA MITCHELL: There are also challenges from John McCain […] at AIPAC today talking about Barack Obama and Iran. [video clip of McCain AIPAC speech] MITCHELL: Now he—Barack Obama is going to AIPAC also. […] GREG CRAIG: It will be fairly dramatic, the differences in their approach. And *if you like the way George Bush has handled our national interests in the Middle East*— MITCHELL: George Bush has a lot of support among the Jewish community and among the people who are pro-Israel for the stance he has taken on Israel. CRAIG: Andrea, if you really believe that the war in Iraq has made us stronger in that region— […] I think most neutral and objective observers believe that we are less capable of pursuing our interests and Israel's interests as a result of Iraq. And that the strong path is for our troops to be extricated from […] Iraq, where there is no longer a serious military mission to perform. And pursue our more vital interest, which includes protecting Israel. What has happened, of course, *as a result of this current policy Iran has gotten stronger throughout the region. Hezbollah has gotten stronger in Lebanon. Hamas has gotten stronger in Gaza and in Palestine. And this is all on George Bush's watch. And I think that there's gotta be a different approach*, and a different way of handling our interests in the Middle East. And it starts with withdrawal—careful, cautious, responsible withdrawal from Iraq. *NYT's Bumiller Discusses McCain-Obama Iran Dispute, McDifferent and McWeak on the Economy* (MSNBC 06/02/08 2:06pm) [video clip of McCain AIPAC speech] JOHN HARWOOD: What do you think John McCain's trying to accomplish by pressing this argument that he's been advancing for the past several weeks—that Barack Obama has got a bad idea for negotiating with Iran? ELISABETH BUMILLER: It's a centerpiece of their strategy to really, really go after Barack Obama on his national security credentials and to question his judgment on foreign policy. […] This is a very important message for this group this morning, this Jewish group. […] The McCain campaign says this is an important part of their fall strategy […] Obama has moved away from that more recently, but McCain has not acknowledged that. HARWOOD: […] John McCain's going to Louisiana. […] What do you expect to hear from him tomorrow? And how much more aggressive is he gonna get at trying to put some distance between himself and Pres Bush? […] BUMILLER: I would expect to hear an even stronger denunciation of what happened after Hurricane Katrina. […] We are going to see him running further and further away from the President. Except when it comes to fundraising. Then you will see the President behind closed doors, raising money for John McCain. HARWOOD: *Money talks.* TAMRON HALL: […] How does Sen McCain balance that strength in foreign policy, that many perceive him to have*, with the issue of the economy? Through his own words, saying that that was his weak spot.* BUMILLER: Well he's come out with a big economic policy speech […] last month. There'll be more of that. He bristles when people what he said late last year, that he doesn't understand the economy as well as he should. […] So far, *he hasn't really addressed […] how he would […] better financial markets in the future*. He's put forth some proposals on how to help out people who are about to have their mortgages foreclosed. But right now, *there hasn't been a great deal of detail.* Highlight #2 *Newsweek's Mark Hosenball Discusses Phil Gramm and McCain Lobbyist Problem*(MSNBC 06/02/08 1:45pm) ANDREA MITCHELL: And there's another possible headache looming for Senator John McCain's campaign. The presumed Republican nominee is under fire again over ties with close advisors who have been Washington lobbyists. The latest is former Texas Senator Phil Gramm, McCain's long time friend. A familiar face on the campaign trail and in the Senate. He's also vice-chairman of UBS. And as late as this past winter, Gramm was a registered lobbyist on mortgage securities issues. […] What is Phil Gramm's role on economic advice and on how to handle the mortgage crisis? What is his campaign role? MARK HOSENBALL: The campaign basically says that he is […] a national general co-chairman of the campaign, one of five. He has the role in all aspects of the campaign essentially. […] And they also said that he is a regular advisor on economic matters to Sen McCain, although they won't talk about specifics and they say that there are other full-time advisors—he's not paid by the campaign. MITCHELL: Now of course, one could argue […] that there is no one on the Republican side who has more experience, more knowledge on a lot of these issues […] than Phil Gramm. […] So tell me, what's wrong with having Phil Gramm advising the campaign? HOSENBALL: […] *His bank […] got itself into a lot of trouble over subprime mortgages. He's been registered as a lobbyist for some of the subprime mortgage-related issues […] which have actually caused his bank to get into trouble. […] Yeah, he has a lot of experience in economic policy […] but have his economics been proven by the market and by recent events to be sound economics?* […] And not only some of the bills he's been lobbying on are questionable in retrospect; but certainly, the performance of his bank in this market has certainly been questionable in retrospect. And the shareholders are probably not very happy. I would add, incidentally, that the McCain people got very angry about this story and said 'well, you didn't point out that one of Obama's top fundraisers, but not advisers, Robert Wolfe, is also a senior executive of UBS.' Fair enough, but from what I can tell, Wolfe is not advising Obama's campaign on economics. […] MITCHELL: What about the lobbying issues, though? How does this create a problem for John McCain? And is Gramm still a registered lobbyist?[…] HOSENBALL: The bank deregistered him as a lobbyist for Congressional issues as of I think the end of April, the beginning of April. However, the bank's chief lobbyist still registered in Washington on a whole bunch of issues is somebody named John Savercool, who was for many, many years one of Gramm's top aides. *So he may not be a lobbyist, but his influence is probably still there.* MITCHELL: And do you think this is beginning to hurt McCain, who has campaigned for so long against lobbying and against special interests? Is he beginning to lose that aura? […] HOSENBALL: The problem is that Gramm is not the first lobbyist or ex-lobbyist […] to present an appearance problem […] for McCain. In fact, one of the other co-chairs of the campaign, […] Tom Loeffler, recently left the campaign after […] my colleague Michael Isikoff did a story about how he had got tons of money lobbying for Saudi Arabia. McCain has set very high standards […] for the people involved in this campaign, that they're not supposed to be involved in lobbying. *This is another appearance problem.* MITCHELL: To be continued. *Olbermann Blasts Phil Gramm for Indirectly Helping bin Laden *(MSNBC 06/02/08 8:37pm) KEITH OLBERMANN: McCain's top economic advisor was not only on the wrong side of the mortgage issue but also on the wrong side of this nation's effort to choke off the funding for international terrorists. […] As we revealed here on Countdown last week, Gramm, on the payroll of the giant Swiss bank, UBS, helping to defeat U.S. legislation that would give relief to Americans facing foreclosure, at the same time he was helping write McCain's economic policies. Now Newsweek magazine reporting Gramm's bank is undergoing investigation for alleged use of overseas tax havens to hide assets of the wealthy from U.S. authorities. On September 20th, 2001, the New York Times reported that a single Senator had blocked legislation that would've helped investigators track Osama bin Laden's financial network before 9/11. It was Phil Gramm. […] Where does this end for McCain with Phil Gramm? He's wrong on the mortgages. He obviously on the wrong side of terrorism financing. […] Highlight #3 *MSNBC Panel Discuss How McCain was "Inches Away" From Pledging A One-Term Presidency Because of Age *(MSNBC 06/02/08 6:56pm) [visual of quote from McCain] MARC AMBINDER: When he formally announced his presidential candidacy last year, Sen. John McCain was inches away from making an unprecedented pledge: if he were elected, he would serve only one term as president. It could have been an earth-shifting moment for the campaign and the primary. At the time, McCain's fundraising pace was falling well short of its target and Republicans were not treating McCain as the frontrunner. The idea to serve one term had long been discussed among top advisers, and McCain was on board. DAVID GREGORY: […] Ultimately, he didn't sign off on it at the time he actually announced his candidacy. […] What do you think the calculation was all about? TODD PURDUM: The calculation for it was to make him above politics, above ambition. To say, 'I'll take one shot at four years and that will stop me from having to run for reelection the minute I get into office. It will make me free as a bird to follow my conscience and be above politics in someway.' And the reason not to do it is it ties your hands, makes you a lame duck the moment you take office. JOHN HARWOOD: Yeah, David, it makes you above politics in a very weak way. Just like a former President, which is in fact what you would be on the way to doing as soon as you took oath of office. I think it shows John McCain had very good judgment to step away from that idea and he turned out to not need it to get the nomination. EUGENE ROBINSON: […] His mother is 96 years old and still rigorous and active. And so it's not as if he expects to be, you know, in his dotage in four years. […] RACHEL MADDOW: […] It would give him two big benefits, as Todd says. It would give him that political advantage which we've seen resonates intensely in the response to Scott McClellan's book, this idea of the permanent campaign being such a toxic part of the Washington culture. […] Yes, it makes you a lame duck but it also gives you a political advantage and as Gene has hinted at, it would take away the fact that people are thinking about him being 80 at the end of his time in office, which is what he would be at the end of a second term. […] HARWOOD: […] You're gonna see that maverick even more forcefully as he distances himself from President Bush and we're gonna see some of that John McCain we saw in 2000. Because the only way he can stay alive in this race. […] Highlight #4 *GOP Seeking Jewish Vote But Obama Beating McCain with Group By a "Healthy Margin"* (FNC 06/02/08 9:53am) MEGYN KELLY: […] Republicans are hoping that millions of Jewish voters that usually vote Democratic in these presidential elections, could choose McCain this November. […] Does McCain have a realistic shot, […] of actually winning over the Jewish vote that almost always goes democratic? MARK GINSBERG: In deed there is a very good opportunity for him to capture a much more significant slice of the Jewish vote. Many of these people […] indicate that they're uncertain of exactly which way to go. So that means a good significant percentage of the community is up for grabs at this point. KELLY: […] We expect, among other things, for McCain to rip on Obama in front of this group for not supporting the Senate Resolution that designated the revolutionary guard in Iran a terrorist organization. […] Will that resonate, do you think, with this group? GINSBERG: Well it will resonate, particularly before the AIPAC national conference, because Senator Clinton did support that legislation. As did Senator McCain, Senator Obama did not on the basis that he felt that it would in affect grant a license to the President to launch an attack on Iran. […] Having read Senator McCain's speech, […] its quit clear that I think he is going to leave the audience a little bit disappointed because he is only calling for imposing greater economic, private economic sanctions on Iran. He's not taking it to the level of the Israeli government, which there should be at least the military option on the table against nuclear weapons of Iran. […] KELLY: A recent poll shows found Obama beating McCain 6- 32, that's a pretty healthy margin among Jewish voters. Highlight #5 *Pfotenhauer Says McCain Not Avoiding Talking about Economy, Obama's "Mistakes" Make It Too Difficult to Avoid Discussing Foreign Policy* (MSNBC 06/02/08 12:28pm) TAMRON HALL: Senator John McCain is launching a new attack on Barack Obama's foreign policy. In a speech before a highly pro-Israel group in Washington this morning, he blasted Obama for opposing a resolution designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Nancy Pfotenhauer is John McCain's senior policy advisor […] So Nancy, Sen Obama has been arguing that Sen McCain represents a third Bush term and a policy that has made the U.S. and Israel less secure. How does the campaign respond to Sen Obama's claims? NANCY PFOTENHAUER: *The worst thing that can happen for Israel is for Iran to continue to gain power. And of course their big opportunity […] is if Sen Obama's plan for what to do in Iraq takes place*, where he is basically just arguing for withdrawal, which would leave a huge vacuum for Iran to step in. And of course Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism that we know. And it is absolutely foolhardy for Obama to be granting them Presidential talks, what I call premature capitulation. Giving him what they want the most, rather than forcing sanctions in place, working with our allies to really tighten things down in Iran to make it more difficult for the current regime. HALL: *The Obama campaign is also saying that Sen McCain promises sanctions against Iran that the Bush administration has been unable to persuade the U.N. Security Council to deliver.* PFOTENHAUER: And of course what Sen McCain said in his speech very clearly is that we should continue to push the U.N. Security Council, but if they do not act, that we should work on a multilateral basis with allies and people in the region. So we should be sitting down, as Sen McCain has, with President Sarkozy of France, with Prime Minister Brown in Great Britain, and *we should be ready to take action*. We should be doing things like freezing their financial assets and not granting visas. HALL:[…] It was just a few weeks ago that people were making the argument that it as the economy that would lead into the general election. But it seems that Sen McCain really has attempted to control the conversation and keep it on the track […] of foreign policy. Many obviously believing that McCain is stronger in that area, and the Republican Party being stronger in that area. *Is he trying to avoid talking about the economy?* PFOTENHAUER: *Not at all, but Senator Obama's making it impossible not to discuss foreign policy. He keeps making mistakes that are so serious and get to the core of whether or not he is qualified to be Commander-in-Chief. And I think on issue after issue, the answer is a resounding 'no.'* I'd like to back up […] to one of your earlier points. Sen McCain stressed to the audience, because it's so revealing, that Sen Obama refused to support an amendment that identified Iran's Revolutionary Guard troops as a terrorist organization. Now they are killing American soldiers. If you're not even willing to name our enemy, how could you possibly be qualified to defeat them? HALL: Well I know Sen Clinton supported that and she was under great criticism for doing that as well. PFOTENHAUER: Well 75 other Senators supported it. HALL: I know they did. But, well that's another discussion. But we're out of time. Thank you. Highlight #6 *RNC Chairman Defends McCain, Slams Obama on Iraq Policy* (MSNBC 06/02/08 3:50pm) NORAH O'DONNELL: Has the war in Iraq made Iran stronger or weaker? MIKE DUNCAN: Well, lets talk about the lack of judgment Barack Obama seems to have. You know Senator McCain has invited him to go to Iraq and he has not been there 876 days now. He has also not talked to General Petraeus not one single time. Yet he will unilaterally meet with leaders of hostile countries O'DONNELL: Since you didn't answer that question I'll ask you another one. Since you brought up the trip to Iraq, you are right John McCain has been to Iraq 8 times, Barack Obama has been there once. It has been over 870 days since he has been there, and yet John McCain can't seem to get facts straight. By any objective analysis including the Washington Post who gave John McCain three Pinocchios. Why is it that John McCain doesn't know how many troops we have in Iraq? DUNCAN: Well I know that John McCain knows a great deal more about Iraq because he has been there many more times then Barack Obama. Obama has a gap in his knowledge about rather the surge is working or not. He needs to go he needs to talk to General Petraeus. O'DONNELL: But Chairman, John McCain said we are back down to pre-surge levels and in fact we are not. We still have a hundred and fifty five thousand ( 155,000 ) troops in Iraq. How does John McCain make such an egregious mistake? DUNCAN: Norah, I can't get into verb tenses and things like that. I know John McCain understands. He has been to Iraq, as you say 8 times. He understands the troop level there. He is committed to victory for us in the Middle East. He understands how important it is. He understands how it all fits together [...] Highlight #7 *Chris Matthews: McCain 'Isn't So Old After All'* (MSNBC 06/02/08 5:27pm) CHRIS MATTHEWS: Cindy McCain is clearly having a good time. Last month she posed for this spread in Vogue. Pretty classy. And now in a new interview with U.S. News and World Report, she reveals that she feels the need for speed and rolling in high performance driving lessons. […] Hey, John's not so old after all, is he? -- Gregory E. Rosalsky Progressive Media USA 202-609-7691 (office) 707-484-3796 (cell) [email protected] --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the "big campaign" group. To post to this group, send to [email protected] To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] E-mail [email protected] with questions or concerns This is a list of individuals. It is not affiliated with any group or organization. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---