The issue is Darfur and the killing...

Posted by Mark Silva at 12:12 pm CDT

President Bush, who has worked hard to court the Latino vote during two election campaigns, made it clear today that he does not welcome a new National Anthem sung in Spanish. Bush was asked in a Rose Garden press conference if he thinks the anthem will carry the same meaning in Spanish.

"No I don't,'' Bush said. "Because I think the National Anthem ought to be sung in English. And I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English, and they ought to learn to sing the National Anthem in English.''

Posted by Frank James at 9:17 am CDT

Not to be outdone by Rep. Rahm Emanuel's (D-Ill.) poetic attack on House Republicans, Republican National Congressional Committee communications director Carl Forti offers a response in limerick form.

I actually received his response yesterday but didn't see it in my email inbox until this morning. Sorry, Carl.

"Steny" refers to Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) who as minority whip holds the second-highest post in the House Democratic leadership. Hoyer is known for his open door to K Street lobbyists, K St. being shorthand in the nation's capital for the lobbyists community in town.

Good Morning.

Here are a few Washington events of note for Friday, April 28, as gathered by the Associated Press.

President Bush is meeting with the President Ilham Aliev of Azerbaijan this morning.

8:30 a.m. Commerce Department releases the Gross Domestic Product for the first quarter.

10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. WATER QUALITY — US Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment Program releases a nationwide assessment on volatile organic compounds in wells and groundwater.
Location: Room 2318, Rayburn.

Posted by Frank James at 3:21 pm CDT

Amid all the partisan finger-pointing on Capitol Hill over rising gas prices, comes a voice from the moderate middle belonging to Republican Rep. Sherwood Boehlert from upstate New York.

Boehlert, chair of the House Science Committee, dismisses many of the ideas currently coming from those in his own party as well as Democrats. “The American public deserves better,” he says.

Posted by Mark Silva at 3:15 pm CDT

As the White House prepares for a new press secretary who is a veteran commentator for Fox News, Tony Snow, a conversation with the outgoing press secretary, Scott McClellan, aboard Air Force One today offers some comic relief.

It seems one reporter wanted to get the television in the press cabin switched from Fox to CNN and encountered some turbulence. This just in, from the official White House transcript:

Posted by Naftali Bendavid at 2:39 pm CDT

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) Thursday staged the latest in a series of Democratic events designed to highlight high gas prices and blame the Republicans for them. Emanuel and Schumer, two scrappy urban politicians who are among their party's top strategists, are in charge of the Democratic efforts to retake the House and Senate, respectively. Democrats hope high gas prices present a big problem for Republican efforts to retain control of the two chambers.

"The oil issue is a metaphor for what's wrong with the people in charge," Schumer said, citing what he called Republican cronyism and incompetence. "The things we see in Iraq, we see in oil, we see in Medicare, we see in issue after issue after issue after issue."

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 1:12 p.m. CDT

In Washington, politicians often pass for celebrities. Until, of course, a real celebrity comes to town.

Today, the spotlight was on George Clooney, who is seeking to draw fresh attention to the violence that has killed more than 200,000 villagers and driven 2 million people from their homes in Darfur in western Sudan

To make his case, the movie star appeared at a news conference with Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan.). It’s not often that reporters from MTV or “Extra” find themselves crowding into a small room at the National Press Club, fighting their way to the podium as Clooney showed a dramatic video presentation of his recent travels to the region and of atrocities that have taken place.

Posted by Frank James at 10:40 am CDT

As someone who majored in English in college, I have a fondness for poetry. Apparently, so does Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who has borrowed from Elizabeth Barrett Browning to take some political potshots at congressional Republicans. The "letter" he refers to in his introduction is, of course, fictional.

My guess is that congressional Republicans may respond with their own poetry. I have some ideas about lines they could use. There are some particularly good ones from Shakespeare. But I'll leave that to them. I'll post whatever response they come up with. Here's Emanuel's press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 27, 2006

Dear K Street, How Do I Love Thee?

Posted by Frank James at 10:26 am CDT

This has been reported elsewhere but a colleague just passed this item along about an Air Force pilot who was literally in a jam recently when the canopy of his Lockheed Martin F-22 A Raptor, the U.S. military’s newest aircraft and the most sophisticated fighter in the world, got stuck in the closed position, trapping the pilot for five hours.

Firefighters eventually had to saw a hole in the canopy to free the pilot. The canopy, which will have to replaced, cost an estimated $180,000.

Good morning.

Here are some Washington events of note for Thursday, April 27, as gathered by the Associated Press.

10 a.m. JOINT ECONOMIC — Full Committee. Hearing on the economic outlook. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke.
Location: Room 216, Hart.

8:30 a.m. BUSH AIDE-TRIAL — Claude Allen, former domestic policy adviser for President Bush, is scheduled to appear in court on charges he was trying to receive a refund for items he didn’t purchase at a Montgomery County, Md. Target store.
Location: Montgomery County District Court, room 302, 50 Maryland Ave., Rockville

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration hold a briefing on efforts to deal with illegal drugs, money laundering and terrorism. 10:30 a.m.

Christina Norman, president of MTV Networks, speaks at National Press Club luncheon. 12:30 p.m.

1 p.m. CHERTOFF — Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff speaks at a public forum on a wide range of issues, including immmigration, border security, storm preparedness and other issues.
Location: Dewberry Hall, Johnson Center, George Mason University.

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 8:53 p.m. CDT

It wasn't quite a heckle, but it was definitely a hiss. And Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is barely accustomed to either kind of expression.

As he delivered a keynote speech at the League of Conservation Voters annual dinner in Washington on Tuesday night, the applause was plentiful as he talked about the dangers of climate change. The reception was positive throughout much of his 25-minute address until he uttered two words: "cellulosic ethanol."

Posted by Mark Silva at 4:30 pm CDT

Karl Rove, the president’s chief political adviser, today made his fifth appearance before a federal grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA agent’s identity in 2003.

Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, the Chicago-based U.S. attorney running the investigation, has advised Rove that he is not a target of the investigation, according to Rove’s attorney, Robert Luskin.

Posted by Mark Silva at 11:10 am CDT and updated at 1:50 pm CDT

It seems that few are happier about President Bush's hiring of Fox News commentator Tony Snow as White House press secretary today than the Democratic National Committee and its many minions.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has circulated a press release highlighting the more critical comments that Snow has made about Bush -- Snow once suggesed that "the English language has become a minefield for the man.'' Now, Snow has had plenty of positive things to say about Bush, calling the president's foreign policy "brilliant,'' for instance.

Posted by Andrew Zajac at 10:05 a.m. CDT

A story in today's Tribune about a planned Spanish language version of the Star Spangled Banner quoted a blogger on the conservative Free Republic web site who sarcastically noted the advance of Mexican-American syncretism by writing, "Welcome to the United States of Mexico."

Too late, amigo. That name's already taken.

Posted by Mark Silva at 8:50 am CDT and updated at 9:15 am CDT

Tony Snow, a Fox News commentator who as recently as February panned the domestic agenda of the Bush administration as "listless,'' stepped forward today to serve as chief spokesman for a White House attempting to regain the traction of a stalled domestic agenda.

President Bush stood alongside Snow in the press briefing room of the White House this morning with prepared humor ready for all of the criticism that Snow has directed at the president as host of the Tony Snow Show on Fox Radio and a weekly columnist featured at townhall.com

Posted by Frank James at 6:49 am CDT

This official White House photo by Eric Draper from the White House web site caught my eye. From yesterday's Cabinet Room meeting with senators on immigration legislation, it is President Bush portrayed as the bridge across the bitter partisan divide. During his first presidential campaign, Bush marketed himself as a "united, not a divider" and this photo obviously harks back to that catchphrase.

Good Morning.

Here are some Washington events of note for Wednesday, April 26, as collected by the Associated Press.

The Supreme Court meets to hand down decisions and hear arguments. 10 a.m.

1 p.m. RECORDS ACCESS — The National Archives holds a news briefing to announce the results of an audit of the withdrawal of records from public access.
Location: Room 105, National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

1:30 p.m. VIDEO GAMING — The Congressional Sex and Violence in the Media Caucus holds a news conference to release a study of video game content and ratings, call for a greater transparency and accountability and discuss the impact of vioelce in video games and interative media on youth.
Location: Cannon Terrace.

Posted by Rick Pearson at 6:45 pm CDT

This just in, from Chicago, where the national association of state attorneys general is meeting, and the generals are abuzz about the letter from the Bush Justice Department in Washington today calling on all generals to watch for gasoline price-gouging.

They're already on the case, some say.

Posted by Andrew Zajac at 2:04 p.m. CDT

Remember that Three Stooges scene where all of the stooges try running through a door together and wind up yelping, getting stuck and falling?

That's what it's like in DC today with pols from both parties rushing to demonstrate their concern about high oil prices. Nobody's got a balm that really works for distress at the pump, but there's no shortage of people telling you that, by golly, they're taking action.

Posted by Frank James at 10:50 a.m. CDT

If we could harness the energy from all the partisan sniping over gas prices on Capitol Hill, we wouldn’t make a dent in the nation’s energy woes but at least we’d have an inexhaustible supply to work with.

The charges and countercharges are coming fast and furiously. House Majority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) took the opportunity today to bash Democrats for failing to support Republican energy policies, the implication being that Democratic obstructionism has contributed to the higher prices.

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 10:40 a.m. CDT

President Bush, fresh back in the capital from a California weekend, has invited eight senators to the White House this afternoon to talk immigration.

It is, perhaps, a welcome change of subject for the administration. While there is little agreement on what steps should be taken to reach immigration reform, could a renewed debate on the matter offer a temporary lifeline for the president?

This week, Washington has become consumed by the rising price of gasoline. This, after all, is a matter that directly impacts virtually all voters. So there is a fresh round of finger-pointing and political worry about the potential effect it could have on the midterm elections.

Posted by Mark Silva at 10:10 am CDT

President Bush, calling for a federal investigation of any possible price-gouging as gasoline prices soar past $3 per gallon, also said today he has ordered the government to ease up on national petroleum reserves this summer to offer as much oil as possible on the open market.

“The first thing is to make sure that American consumers are treated fairly at the gas pump,’’ Bush said during a speech in Washington outlining a four-point plan for confronting the rising prices of gas. “The one thing they will not accept is manipulation of the market, and neither will I…. This administration is not going to tolerate manipulation.’’

Posted by Andrew Zajac at 4:55 p.m. CDT

Newspapers, like voters, get used to politicians. Once they endorse an officeholder a time or two, an editorial board's nod is almost automatic until the politico decides to hang it up or gets caught flagrante delicto.

So it's noteworthy that Cleveland's Plain Dealer, after serially endorsing Dennis Kucinich for various public offices, this week endorsed Barbara Ferris, his challenger in the Democratic Congressional primary.

Posted by Frank James at 4:06 pm CDT

Well, they warned us that they would do it and now they have. House Speaker Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), the Senate majority leader, have officially asked President Bush for a federal investigation into oil companies and higher gas prices.

"Anyone who is trying to take advantage of this situation while American families are forced into making tough choices over whether to fill up their cars or severely cut back their budgets should be investigated and prosecuted," they said in a letter to the White House.

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 12:47 pm CDT

This afternoon, the Ohio Democratic Party announced that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will be the featured speaker at the state's biggest fundraising dinner of the year.

Add it to the list.

So far this year, in addition to campaigning for other Democrats from coast-to-coast, the junior Illinois senator has headlined Demomcratic dinners in Connecticut and Minnesota. Nebraska and West Virginia are on the upcoming list.

Posted by Mark Silva at Noon CDT

As the Bush administration casts new players for a bid to revive the president’s second-term agenda, Fox News radio host Tony Snow is widely mentioned as a potential press secretary.

If so, Snow will have his work cut out for him in the selling of the president’s domestic policy, which Snow has dubbed “listless.’’ Bush must have been listening to “hucksters’’ when he formulated his new policy on alternatives to oil consumption, Snow wrote in a recent column, dismissing key elements of the American Competitiveness Agenda that the president proposed this year as “pure Clintonism.’’

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 11:19 a.m. CDT

It is no accident that Laura Bush has been dispatched to Connecticut today.

Since President Bush took office, the first lady has been among his biggest assets. She has traveled across the country and the globe, promoting the Bush administration its policies through a rose-colored light. And by nearly all accounts she has been successful.

But her trip to Connecticut highlights what could be her toughest assignment yet: campaigning for at-risk Republicans in the midterm election campaign.

Good morning.

Here are some Washington events of note for Monday, April 24, as culled from the Associated Press.

President Bush is speaking on immigration reform in Irvine, Calif. and then attending a Jon Porter for Congress reception in Las Vegas.

Congress returns from its two-week spring recess.

1 p.m. NASA-BLACK HOLES — Astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory hold a media teleconference to announce a fundamental discovery about black holes.

7 p.m. CLINTON PORTRAITS — The National Portrait Gallery unveils the portraits of former President Clinton and Hillary Clinton.
Location: First floor, Smithsonian Castle, 1000 Jefferson Dr. SW.

Posted by Mark Silva at 9:50 am CDT

Remember Katherine Harris, Florida's chief elections officer in that disputed presidential election of 2000? A member of Congress now, she is running for Senate. But first she has to explain a $2,800 dinner she shared with a defense contractor, Mitchell Wade, who had given her illegal campaign contributions and bribed a California congressman.

Harris maintains she had no idea the dinner at Citronelle, one of Washington's most exclusive restaurants, cost $2,800. To make amends, she is giving $100 to charity. She figures that will cover her share of the food she consumed, and that the $2,800 dinner tab certainly must reflect some of the pricey bottles of wine the place offers, which her host was taking home with him.

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 3:37 pm CDT

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt dismissed the comments made today by Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, in an earlier posting.

"Democrats can focus their efforts on exploiting a national tradegy if they choose," she said in an email to the Tribune. "But Republicans plan to continue an honest debate on how to better protect our nation and strengthen our economy."

Posted by Jill Zuckman at 3:22 pm CDT

Still worried about rising gas prices and their impact on the November elections, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist plan to ask President Bush on Monday to investigate the possibility of price gouging by the oil and gas industry.

In a letter to Bush, the two top Republicans will ask that the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission investigate the sharp rise in prices, said Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean.

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 1:31 pm CDT

NEW ORLEANS - Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean said today that President Bush's legacy would be forever tarnished by the government's response to Hurricane Katrina.

"This is a searing, burning issue and it's going to cost George Bush his legacy and it's going to cost the Republicans the House and maybe very well the presidency in the next election," Dean said, standing outside the shell of a home in the devastated Lower Ninth Ward. "People will never forget this."

More than six months after Katrina struck, Dean is making his first visit to New Orleans. He took time out from a Democratic National Committee meeting to don a white hazmat suit as he helped clean out a gutted home.

"This is why Republicans will be out of business," Dean said.

Posted by Mark Silva at 10:10 am CDT and updated at 3:20 pm CDT

The editor of a newspaper whose vocal reporter interrupted the ceremonial arrival of President Hu Jintao of China on the South Lawn of the White House this week with a protest about human rights abuses in China has apologized to Hu’s host, President Bush.

Of course, Bush too had apologized to Hu for the extraordinary outburst from the camera platform on the White House grounds, normally insulated from any of the protests that take place almost daily on the sidewalks of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House.

Good Morning.

Here are some Washington events of note for Friday, April 21, as culled from the Associated Press.

President Bush speaks on competitivness in San Jose, Calif.

The annual G-7 Meeting is hosted by Treasury Secretary John Snow.

Posted by Naftali Bendavid at 1:32 pm CDT

Every new administration arrives determined to conquer Washington. But Washington always wins.

I remember sitting in Karl Rove's office in the heady days shortly after President Bush's election. Rove was proud of his role as a student of American history--his office decor included a campaign banner for Abraham Lincoln--and he was determined that the Bush administration not repeat the mistakes of its predecessors. The main lesson of presidential history, Rove seemed to feel, was this: Lay out your agenda and don't deviate from it. Don't get knocked off course. Don't lose your focus.

Posted by Frank James at 12:19 pm CDT

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is one of several lawmakers scheduled to meet this afternoon with Chinese President Hu Jintao at Blair House, across the street from the White House.

Kirk, co-chair of a bi-partisan group of House members called the U.S.-China Working Group, told me in an interview the topics he and several other lawmakers intend to cover in their scheduled meeting with Hu.

Posted by Mark Silva at 10:30 am CDT

Imagine that the job-posting looks something like this:

Wanted: A new White House press secretary who stands ready to tell the truth to the public.

Yet, as the White House casts about for a new spokesperson to replace resigning Press Secretary Scott McClellan, one reliable expert on political communication suggests another job description for the new hire: A press secretary who stands ready to tell the truth to the president. This suggestion is worth further examination at a time when the White House has started rolling out its own electronic daily summary of the morning's news - that is, news reported from a perspective most favorable to the White House.

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 9:44 CDT

NEW ORLEANS -- The annual meeting of the Democratic National Committee convenes here today, with leaders from across the nation gathering to discuss the state of the Democratic Party.

The agenda is part housekeeping -- which states, for example, should hold their presidential primary contests between Iowa and New Hampshire in 2008? It is part strategy -- what type of message should Democratic candidates employ for the midterm elections in November? And it is part symbolic -- chairman Howard Dean and other Democrats are fanning out across the city to spend an hour or two pitching in at a civic clean-up project that doubles as a photo opportunity.

Good morning.

Here are some Washington events of note for Thursday, April 20, as gathered by the Associated Press.

President Bush meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Chinese President Hu Jintao speaks to the U.S.-Chinese business community. 7:30 p.m.

Prime Minister Fuad Abdel Basset Siniora of Lebanon speaks at the Wilson Center for International Scholars on issues facing the Arab world. 11 a.m.

Posted by Mark Silva at 10:10 am CDT and updated at 11 am CDT

Scott McClellan, the calm voice of an embattled White House throughout the most tumultuous times of the Bush administration, announced today that he will step down as press secretary to President Bush.

The departure of McClellan, a Texan who has served as a loyal spokesman for Bush in various capacities since the president's days as governor of Texas in the late 1990s, signals a high-profile effort by the Bush administration to reshape the public message that is coming from a presidency struggling with daunting public disapproval. At the same time, the president's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, will be shedding his duties as a policy adviser in the White House -- a role that Rove assumed after serving as "the architect'' of Bush's reelection in 2004, when Rove became deputy chief of staff.

Posted by Frank James at 8:00 a.m CDT

The nuclear bunker buster bomb has gotten a bad rap. That was at least the message I came away with from a recent session with reporters hosted by the Bush administration official who heads the agency that maintains and designs the nation’s nuclear weapons.

Linton F. Brooks, head of the Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration, which also works on non-proliferation issues, had a few reporters in recently to chat about his agency’s work.

Good morning.

Here are some Washington events of note for Wednesday, April 19, as culled from the Associated Press.

President Bush is visiting and speaking at Tuskegee University in Alabama.

3 p.m. BALDRIGE AWARDS — Presentation of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award to six organizations from Minnesota, Louisiana, Texas (2), Oklahoma and Michigan.
Location: Washington Hilton & Towers, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW

Chinese President Hu Jintao arrives in Washington. Evening.

9:30 a.m. ENDANGERED RIVERS - The American Rivers organization holds a news conference to release the Most Endangered Rivers report for 2006. The rivers are in Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Location: National Press Club.

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 3:14 p.m. CDT

It's Spring Break, of sorts, in Washington and with the Senate and the House in recess, members of Congress have hit the road for the second week in a row.

While most Americans might spend money during their vacations, politicians typically raise it. And Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is doing just that.

The destination: Texas and Florida.

The beneficiary: Hopefund, his political action committee, as well as Democratic candidates.

Posted by Andrew Zajac at 10:26 a.m. CDT

Who says the Taxman doesn't have a heart? Or at least a sense of tradition?

Filers in six eastern states and the District of Columbia have until midnight tonight, three days beyond the regular April 15 deadline, to file returns.

Posted by Mark Silva at 9:50 am CDT

President Bush, declaring that “I’m the decider,’’ forcefully insisted today that he has decided that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will remain in charge of the military despite the calls of several former generals for the secretary’s resignation and criticism of his handling of the war in Iraq.

“I hear the voices, and I read the front page, and I know the speculation,’’ Bush said, appearing openly irritated by a question about Rumsfeld shouted by a reporter in a Rose Garden ceremony.

Posted by Mark Silva at 8:28 a. m. CDT and updated at 9:45 am CDT

Jim Towey, assistant to the president and director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, will announce his resignation today to take a job as president of a small Catholic college in Pennsylvania.

And President Bush has tapped Rob Portman, a former congressman from Ohio who serves as the U.S. Trade Representative, as his new budget director. Portman will replace Josh Bolten, the former director of the Office of Management and Budget who became Bush's chief of staff on Saturday and signalled this week that he wants to swiftly make "some changes" to "energize" the White House staff at a "challenging" juncture in the administration.

Posted by Mark Silva at 3:25 pm CDT

When President Hu Jintao of China meets with President Bush at the White House on Thursday, don't watch for any press conferences with the two presidents.

When Bush plays host to visiting foreign leaders of major nations or when he visits them, he often joins his counterpart in a brief "press availability," with two questions permitted from each nation's press. But, by "mutual agreement" of Hu and Bush, the two will hold no such press availabilty after their hour-long private meeting, according to a senior Bush administration official.

Posted by Mark Silva at 8:50 am CDT

Speak now, or hold your peace through the remainder of the year.

This was the message of the president’s new chief of staff in a meeting with senior staffers this morning. Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten, planning to “change some things’’ at the White House, convened his first Monday staff meeting with a message that he hopes to “energize’’ President Bush’s team at a “challenging’’ time and that anyone who is thinking of leaving should speak up soon - he hopes to have a team in place that will serve at least through the end of 2006.

Good Morning.

Here are some Washington events of note for Monday, April 17, as gathered by the Associated Press.

President Bush is in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington:
11:15 a.m. Tours Europa Stone Distributors, Inc. Sterling, Va.
11:30 a.m. Participates in roundtable discussion on taxes and the economy at Europa Stone.

Vice President Cheney is in the state of Washington campaigning and speaking at an Air Force base.

Congress is still in recess for another week.

8 a.m. - 2 p.m. EASTER EGG ROLL — The White House holds its annual Easter Egg Roll.
Location: White House, South Lawn.

Posted by William Neikirk at 12:12 pm CDT

Believe it or not, this busy city shuts down at times. People take time off to go to a museum, a play or even a baseball game. When Congress is out of town (which is it is more often these days) and the president is on the road (which he is more often these days), leisure is widely practiced.

OK, OK, I went to a baseball game on Thursday afternoon to watch the woeful Washington Nationals play the hard-hitting New York Mets. In the crowd, I recognized some congressional staffers and executive-branch workers, as well as people who labor for think tanks or who lobby for various interests, all part of the private superstructure that exists here because the government is here. They saw the chance to seize a day and they took it. My first reaction was to say to myself, "Must be nice," but then I realized that would be hypocritical, because here I was, too. Leisure on a working day does tend to bring on guilt

Posted by Frank James at 10:25 a.m CDT

I was busy covering the immigration debate on Capitol Hill last week so I didn’t have a chance to blog about a non-immigration happening that occurred on the Senate floor and didn’t get much attention and is still relevant.

It amounted to some senatorial trash talking over Iraq. It all started a week ago Thursday when former Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry to took to the Senate floor to say that the U.S. should give the Iraqis an ultimatum. Either form a unity government by May 15 or the U.S. would commence a drawdown of troops.

Good morning.

Here are some events of note in Washington for Friday, April 14, as culled from the Associated Press.

President Bush is at Camp David in the Maryland hills for the Easter weekend, and Congress is in the midst of a two-week break.

10 a.m. CUTTER INCIDENT — The American Enterprise Institute holds a discussion on the Cutter Incident in which hundreds of children died or were injured from improperly prepared polio vaccine in the 1950s, with Paul Offit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Randy Bovbjerg of the Urban Institute and John Calfee of AEI.
Location: 12th floor, AEI, 1150 17th St. NW.

Posted by Frank James at 11:25 am CDT

Our sister newspaper, the Los Angeles Times, has a new national poll out today which tracks with other recent polls on immigration, President Bush, the Republican-led Congress and Congress.

The Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll of 1,357 adults conducted from Saturday to Tuesday indicates that a majority of those surveyed seemed conflicted on immigration. (Read Ron Brownstein's analysis.) They favored a compassionate approach towards illegal immigrant immigrants already here but a crackdown on those poised to come.

Posted by Mark Silva at 11:15 am CDT

If the upcoming meeting between President Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao proves to be as filled with the “style’’ that Chinese leaders crave in summits such as these and lacking in the “substance’’ that wary American senators are looking for, experts suggest, the Bush-Hu encounter could serve mainly to inflame a growing sentiment toward protectionism and trade sanctions in the U.S. Congress.

With U.S. imports from China exceeding U.S. exports to China by a margin of six-to-one, the trade imbalance between the two world powers has become a primary cause of friction in what the Bush administration calls a “complex’’ relationship between the two nations.

Good morning.

Here are some Washington events-of-note for Thursday, April 13, 2006, culled from the Associated Press.

President Bush addresses the National Small Business Week Conference. 10:50 a.m.

Congress is in a spring recess.

Posted by Mark Silva at 3 pm CDT

Bill Clinton came to town today to pick up an award and the $50,000 that comes with it. He left with a funny tale about first coming to work here.

Clinton, the 42nd president, also is the recipient of the 2005 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding. Arriving to collect his award at a luncheon in Washington today, Clinton recalled coming to work as an aide in Sen. Fulbright’s office here in the late 1960s.

Posted by Frank James at 2:00 pm CDT

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has just emailed a handout on its preparations for the coming hurricane season.

April appears to be the month when FEMA issues its press release about approaching hurricanes. Last year, for instance, feeling confident, it titled its press release "Hurricane Season 2005: Building on Success."

But that was then. This year, with all its failures in response to Hurricane Katrina, FEMA has dropped the "success" business though they're still sounding pretty confident. "FEMA: Ready for 2006 Hurricane Season," is the title of today's press release.

Posted by Mark Silva at 1:19 pm CDT

“My last flight on the plane, guys,’’ White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card said aboard Air Force One last night, on a return trip with the president from Des Moines to Washington. “It’s really sad.’’

The longest-serving presidential chief of staff since Sherman Adams served President Dwight Eisenhower, Card will leave behind him nearly five-and-a-half of the most eventful White House years in modern times when he calls it quits on Friday.

Posted by Frank James at 11:25 am CDT

I received another email this morning about my and Matthew Chayes's immigration article on Monday's immigration marches.

This reader had some interesting personal observations about the contribution made by illegal immigrants. I thought I'd share them with readers of the Swamp.

Hi Frank,

I have nothing critical to say about your article on immigrants. I've read some of the critical emails in response to the story. Frankly, I find the article to be tame compared to what I have read in A.P., Reuters, & the N.Y. Times. Therefore, I see no reason for the "excitement". One critical email that you published suggested that "tax-paying Americans" are supporting illegal immigrants. This comment suggests that illegals do not pay taxes. This is nothing but a popular MYTH THAT IS TOTALLY UNFOUNDED.

Posted by Frank James at 10:55 am CDT

I just happened to catch part of an interview this morning on C-Span with John O’Sullivan, the editor-at-large for National Review who was discussing illegal immigration.

I don’t have a transcript of O’Sullivan’s exact comments so I’ll need to paraphrase. Borrowing Abraham Lincoln’s phrase, O’Sullivan talked of the “mystic chords of memory” Americans share and suggested that illegal immigrants create discord since they don’t share the same history and culture.

Posted by Frank James at 7:05 am CDT

Good morning. Here are some Washington events-of-interest for Wednesday, April 12, 2006, from the Associated Press.

MULTI-DAY EVENTS

April 10 - 12. HUMANITARIAN AID — InterAction holds a conference focused on global humanitarian and development assistance, peace and security and U.S. foreign assistance reform.

Highlights:

12:30 p.m. Former President Clinton speaks on disaster recovery efforts from the 2005 Asian tsunami.

Location: L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480 L'Enfant Plaza, SW

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 10:16 p.m.

DES MOINES – On the eve of his first campaign visit to Iowa, Sen. John McCain has reeled in one of the state's best-known Republicans to join his 2008 team.

Chuck Larson, the former chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa and a state senator from Cedar Rapids, has jumped aboard the McCain bandwagon. He will be at his side Thursday as the Arizona Republican travels to four Iowa cities, launching his effort to win over GOP activists in a state that kicks off the road to the White House.

"He has a proven track record of leadership and independence that will be warmly embraced by the American people," Larson said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. "John McCain is one person Americans can trust."

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 2:02 p.m. CDT

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is spending the day in Chicago, where she is delivering an evening speech at the Economic Club of Chicago. A crowd of up to 2,300 is expected to be on hand for the club's annual dinner featuring the biggest name in Democratic politics.

To be sure, Clinton is a terrific draw for Democrats. She is headlining a fundraising luncheon this afternoon at the Palmer House in downtown Chicago for Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., who is running for the U.S. Senate.

But a few days ago, organizers of the fundraiser grew nervous. The guest list, it seems, looked anemic. It was not growing as quickly as the Casey campaign had hoped.

Posted by Frank James at 12:40 pm CDT

The story Matthew Chayes and I wrote in today's Chicago Tribune about yesterday's marches resulted in a few emails, mostly critical of the story or the liberal media generally for being politically correct and coddling illegal immigrants.

I thought I'd share them and see what kind of discussion they launch. I'm withholding the names of the emailers however since I don't have their permission to use them.

Good morning.

Here are some Washington events of interest for Tuesday, April 11, as gathered by the Associated Press.

President Bush makes Medicare drug benefit and political speeches in Missouri and Iowa.

Vice President Cheney throws out the ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals home opener against the New York Mets.

WAL-MART BANK — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. holds a hearing on Wal-Mart’s application for federal deposit insurance to start its own bank.
Highlights:
9:10 a.m. Rashmi Rangan of the Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council, Waiching Wong of the Greenlining Institute, Thomas Stevens of the National Association of Realtors, Andrew Grossman of Wal-Mart Watch, Edmund Mierzwinski of USPIRG.
9:55 a.m. David Bonior of American Rights at Work, Jack Blum of Americans for Democratic Action, others.
10:40 a.m. Peter Wallison of American Enterprise institute, Jim Tozzi of the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness, Randall Dodd of the Economic Policy Institute.
Location: FDIC’s Virginia Square Auditorium, 3501 Fairfax Dr., Arlington.


10:30 a.m. HISTORIC RECORDINGS - The Library of Congress will announce the fourth annual selection of the 50 historic sound recordings to be added to the National Recording Registry during a news conference. A previously undiscovered jazz recording will be unveiled, and Firesign Theatre will perform comedy routine. Participants include Martha Reeves, former lead singer of the classic Motown group Martha and the Vandellas and currently a member of the Detroit City Council; Bob Hendrix, vice president, Experience Hendrix; Firesign Theatre, renowned ``Beatles of Comedy’’ troupe; Deanna Marcum, associate librarian for Library Services, Library of Congress; Gregory Lukow, chief, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division.
Location: Members’ Room, first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE.

Posted by Frank James at 11:53 a.m.

While much of last week's attention was focused on the Senate as it grappled, unsuccessfully, with immigration and border enforcement legislation last week, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy gave little noticed testimony before a House committee that provided another dimension to the problem.

Appearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing last Tuesday on the federal judiciary's budget, Kennedy was asked by Rep. Todd Tiarht (R-Kan.) if the federal courts had any control over the number of cases they handle.

Kennedy's answer was illuminating. He said the nation’s weak border enforcement is contributing to an explosion of criminal cases, placing an extraordinary burden on federal courts in the nation’s southwest.

Posted by Mark Silva at 10:30 am CDT

The White House today is working to tamp down media reports over the weekend about contingency plans that the United States military could be making for a strike against Iran as "wild speculation.''

“We’re pursuing a diplomatic solution,’’ White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said of efforts by European leaders and the United Nations to avert the development of nuclear weapons in Iran. “Our focus is on finding a diplomatic situation.’’

Good morning.

Here are some Washington events of note for Monday, April 10, as culled from the Associated Press.

Congress is on a two-week spring break.

Vice President Cheney is on the campaign trail, speaking on behalf of congressional candidate Van Taylor in Waco, Texas, and for Sen. Jim Talent in Missouri.

Posted by Mark Silva at 6 am CDT

President Bush, who has opened himself to public questioning and criticism during the last few weeks, encountered an extraordinarily blunt critique this week in Charlotte, N.C., from a man who asked the president if "from time to time... you have the humility and the grace to be ashamed of yourself.''

The president had stopped at Central Piedmont Community College on Thursday to talk about the "war on terror.'' But a fellow named Harry Taylor who rose to speak his mind seemed more troubled by the National Security Agency's clandestine surveillance of people in the United States suspected of communicating with terrorists outside. And no, Bush told Taylor afterward, he isn't sorry for that.

Posted by Mark Silva at 2:36 pm CDT

The White House spent a lot of time today talking about why it publicly released a declassified summary of a National Intelligence Estimate of Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction on July 18, 2003, at a time when people were questioning the administration's intelligence.

It was "in the public interest'' at the time to rebut questions about the accuracy of the administration's pre-war intelligence, said White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan -- allowing, as the administration has many times since then, that the information later proved to be flawed.

Posted by William Neikirk at 11:00 am CDT

Families have budgets, businesses have budgets, and organizations have budgets. But this year, Congress may not be able to pass a budget for the United States government.

Budget negotiations in the House of Representatives collapsed Thursday night because moderates and conservatives in the Republican Party couldn't agree on what should be in it. Additionally, Democrats wanted nothing to with a budget stamped "GOP," especially since they are vying to take charge next year.

Posted by Ken Bredemeier at 6:00 a.m CDT

Good morning.

Here are some events of interest in Washington on Friday, April 7, culled from the Associated Press.

There could be White House reaction to the disclosure that President Bush authorized the leak of classified information in defense of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

10 a.m. HALLIBURTON-IRAQ — The Senate Democratic Policy Committee holds a hearing on whether the contracting firm of Halliburton failed to provide clean water to troops in Iraq.
Location: Room 138, Dirksen.

3 p.m. Federal Reserve Board releases the consumer credit report for February.

Posted by William Neikirk at 3:55 pm CDT

Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the Georgia Democrat accused of hitting a Capitol police officer, just can’t seem to keep out of trouble. As she was on her way to the House of Representatives to apologize for her incident, a reporter trying to question her was shoved by a person walking alongside the congresswoman.

The reporter, from an Atlanta television station, identified the person doing the shoving as a bodyguard for the congresswoman, but a McKinney spokesman said she has no bodyguards. She did, however, have aides accompanying her to the House, the spokesman said. "I haven’t seen the tape, so I don’t know who this person was," the spokesman said.

Posted by William Neikirk at 1:30 pm CDT

Three congressmen called a press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday to announce support of a bill that would require the federal government to report its finances in the same way that every business in America is supposed to do. Only five reporters showed up.

But the lawmakers, Republicans Mark Kirk of Illinois and Chris Chocola of Indiana and Democrat Jim Cooper of Tennessee, insisted that their simple little bill would serve as a wake-up call to Americans that the financial shape of the federal government is much worse than they suspect.

Posted by Mark Silva at 1:30 pm CDT

President Bush authorized the release of once-classified information in the summer of 2003 about Iraq's suspected pursuit of weapons of nuclear weaponry to help bolster the administration's case for the U.S.-led invasion, a former high-level White House aide has told federal prosecutors.

Lewis "Scooter'' Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney and assistant to the president, made the assertion in testimony to a federal Grand Jury probing the leaking of a CIA agent's identity in 2003, according to a new filing in federal court by Chicago-based prosectuor Patrick Fitzgerald.

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 9:25 a.m. CDT

Is the Senate close to reaching a bipartisan deal on immigration?

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said today that an agreement could be announced as early as noon. For more than 90 minutes this morning, Durbin and a small group of Republican and Democratic senators worked behind closed doors to hammer out details.

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 8:30 a.m. CDT

Before questions were asked about China and immigration, before people raised concerns of climate change and pension reform, the first topic up for discussion at the weekly Illinois Senate breakfast was something far more parochial: White Sox vs. Cubs.

Posted by Ken Bredemeier at 6 a.m. CDT

Good morning.

Here are some Washington events of interest for Thursday, April 6. Listings from the Associated Press.

President Bush is on the road again with a familiar topic, speaking about the the war on terrorism in Charlotte, N.C. at 10:45 a.m.

10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. FOSTER CARE — The Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care hosts a briefing on ``Strengthening Courts, Improving Foster Care: A Progress Report from the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care.’’ Participants include Bill Frenzel, chairman, Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care, guest scholar, economic studies, The Brookings Institution; and Lee F. Satterfield, associate judge, Superior Court of the District of Columbia, former presiding judge, D.C. Family Court.
Location: Room H-137, Capitol.

The National Geographic Society holds a news conference detailing the discovery of an ancient manuscript containing the only known copy of the Gospel of Judas. 10:30 a.m.

10 a.m.---The House, with pressure coming from some members to cut spending and from others to save key programs affecting key voter constituencies, has scheduled a vote on the budget resolution for the fiscal year starting next October.

Posted by Frank James at 8:55 pm CDT

The American Conservative Union released its annual ratings of members of Congress today. There weren't really any surprises.

Generally speaking, Republicans who represent solidly conservative states or districts get the highest ACU scores while Democrats in the most reliably liberal districts or states get the lowest. For such Republicans and Democrats the high and low ratings, respectively, are a badge of honor.

Posted by Frank James at 5:00 p.m. CDT

After reading the Swamp posting on Brian Doyle, the DHS deputy press secretary arrested on charges of preying on a minor, commenter Tom wrote that he had seen a mention on thinkprogress.org of another Homeland Security Dept. official who had engaged in lewd conduct with a minor.

Thanks, Tom, for reminding me of that incident which I had frankly forgotten. The incident he's referring to involved Frank Figueroa who last October was relieved of his post as head of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Tampa, Fla.

Posted by Frank James at 3:47 p.m CDT

The National Republican Congressional Committee, whose goal is to increase the Republican majority in the House, could barely conceal its satisfaction that Rep. Jan Schakowsky's husband Robert Creamer was sentenced to a five-month prison term Wednesday.

The committee quickly issued a press release after the sentencing. It consisted of quotes from news outlets and a comment from Schakowsky from last year, calling her husband's wrongdoing a "mistake."

Posted by Frank James at 3:20 p.m. CDT

The arrest of Brian Doyle, Homeland Security Dept. deputy press secretary, in an underage computer sex sting, is about to become a much bigger headache for Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

Homeland Security Committee Chair Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has announced that his committee is launching an "aggressive" probe into DHS's hiring and security-clearance practices that will focus on Doyle but look at the larger problems unveiled by Doyle's computer usage at the agency.

Here's an excerpt from the press release. " 'Mr. Doyle allegedly used a government-issued computer to provide potentially sensitive information over the internet to a complete stranger,' King said. 'What if the person on the other end had been a member of al-Qa'ida or a similar terrorist organization and used this information to blackmail Mr. Doyle?' "

Posted by Frank James at 1:00 p.m.

All over Washington, reporters have already either deleted or are close to deleting the phone number for Brian Doyle from their Blackberries. I haven’t done so yet but likely will soon.

Doyle, as you probably already have heard, was the Homeland Security Department deputy press secretary arrested yesterday for allegedly having lewd Internet communications about sexual relations with someone he thought was a 14-year old girl who actually was a police investigator working undercover.

Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 11:32 a.m. CDT

Alexander Hamilton, of course, was the nation's first treasury secretary. As such, he is remembered as the architect of American prosperity, the man who laid the foundation for the nation's modern economy.

Today, in his historical name, the Brookings Institution launched The Hamilton Project a strategy to study the challenges facing the country's economic prosperity, opportunity and growth.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who was tapped to put his name on the effort, talked about the "real consequences" of today's changing global society. At the beginning of a conference at the Washington nonpartisan organization today, Obama reminded the deep thinkers on both sides to remember one thing: "There are people in places like Decatur, Ill., and Galesburg, Ill., who believe this may be the first generation in which their children do worse than they do."

Posted by Frank James at 6:00 a.m. CDT

Some Washington events of interest for Wednesday, April 5, 2006, from the Associated Press.

American Enterprise Institute holds a discussion on repairing the U.S.-Taiwan security relationship, with Rep. Rob Simmons and former Pentagon official Mark Stokes. 8 a.m. Rayburn House Office Building, room B-338

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist speaks at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Policy Insiders event. 8:30 a.m. 1615 H St. NW.

Homeland Security Department holds a workshop, "Transparency and Accountability: The Use of Personal Information within the Government." 8:30 a.m. Reagan Trade Center.

Center for American Progress holds a discussion on "Disadvantaged Young Men: Advancing Policy solutions to Address their Needs," with Peter Edelmen of Georgetown University Law, Harry Holzer of Georgetown University Public Policy Institute, Ronald Mincy of Columbia University School of Social Work, others. 9 a.m. 10th floor, 1333 H St. NW.

Posted by Frank James at 4:38 p.m. CDT

As mentioned in an earlier posting, this was pen-and-pad day in the House where congressional leaders in shirtsleeves speak to reporters in an informal setting without television cameras around.

Rep. Steny Hoyer, the Maryland Democrat and second-highest ranking member of the minority party in the House had his pen-and-pad session with reporters today shortly after House Majority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) had his.

Hoyer ushered reporters into part of his office with sofas and upholstered chairs, a room whose most distinctive feature was a large copy of the John Trumbull painting "Washington Resigns his Commission" hanging on the wall.

Posted by Frank James at 2:06 p.m. CDT

House leaders on both sides of the political divide regularly hold what are called pen-and-pad briefings for journalists, informal sessions from which television cameras are banned where they sit with reporters, first making a brief statement then opening up for questions.

Today was pen-and-pad day and, as you might expect, there was a lot of journalistic interest in the announcement by Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.,) the indicted former House Majority Leader that he would be resigning from the House.

Posted by Michael Tackett at 11:49 a.m. CDT

Tom DeLay, the last of the the leaders of the Republican Revolution still standing, has finally been consumed by his own fire.

The Texas tough guy, the enforcer to the visionary leader Newt Gingrich and his brainy and unyielding No. 2, Dick Armey, DeLay was the one who started out after the historic elections of 1994 in the apt role of party whip. He counted votes and kept score in many other ways as well. You were with him or you were against him. He could dispense favors and he could deliver punishment. He had a blinding clarity when it came to compromise, namely that it was the practice of squishy Democrats.

Posted by Mark Silva at 9:12 am CDT and updated at 9:50 am CDT

The White House is gearing up for a day of anticipated criticism from Democratic leaders certain to pounce on Texas Rep. Tom DeLay’s decision not to seek reelection in the midst of a broadening investigation of influence peddling by disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

President Bush was flying to Washington from a season-opening baseball game in Cincinnati on Monday when DeLay telephoned Bush aboard Air Force One to inform him of his decision, the White House says. And the White House was quick today to commend DeLay as an ally on everything from tax cutting to fighting the war against terrorism.

Posted by Frank James at 6:00 a.m. CDT

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley will discuss how the Air Force can continue to use its capabilities to contribute effective joint warfighting while pursuing an aggressive program of recapitalization. 8 a.m.Capitol Hill Club, 300 First St. SE.

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns speaks at the Government Performance Summit. 8 a.m. Wyndham City Center Hotel, 1143 New Hampshire Ave. NW.

Richard Nesbitt, CEO, Toronto Stock Exchange, speaks at a breakfast briefing. Topic: "The Case for Free Trade in U.S.-Canadian Securities: The Time Is Now." 8:30 a.m. National Press Club, Ballroom.

Pew Hispanic Center Director Roberto Suro and Pew Research Center President Andrew Kohut hold a briefing on a new survey on immigration. 9 a.m. St. Regis Hotel, 16th and K Sts. NW.