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Why Is The White House Press Corps Ignoring Rove?

By Judd Legum on Jul 6, 2005 at 4:22 pm

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan took questions from the press today aboard Air Force One. No one asked him about Karl Rove’s role in outing undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame.

Yesterday, McClellan held a press conference and no one asked him about Karl Rove’s role in outing undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame.

In fact, no member of the White House press corps has asked McClellan about Rove’s role in the Plame outing since his lawyer admitted on Saturday that Rove was one of Matt Cooper’s sources. (And there are plenty of good questions to ask.)

Why is the White House press corps ignoring this story?

Politics

EXCLUSIVE: Interview With Former Senator And Law & Order Star Fred Thompson

By ThinkProgress on Jul 6, 2005 at 2:43 pm

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Today, the White House announced it has called on Law & Order District Attorney Fred Thompson to shepherd the next Supreme Court nominee through the nomination process. The former Tennessee Senator is also well-known for his supporting role in Die Hard 2, starring Bruce Willis. Below is an exclusive ThinkProgress interview with Thompson from earlier today.

Question: We were surprised to learn this morning that you would be temporarily leaving your successful acting career on Law & Order to guide the nominee through the Supreme Court nomination process on behalf of the White House. What was your response when President Bush called you on the phone?

THOMPSON: listen to his response here

Question: And if that’s what you told the President, what are you saying to all the conservative interest groups who want the president’s ear on the next Supreme Court nominee?

THOMPSON: listen to his response here

Question: What were your marching orders from Karl Rove?

THOMPSON: listen to his response here

Question: News reports indicate that the White House and the Senate Republican leadership have been asking right-wing groups to cool their rhetoric. Can you describe the scene at the White House over the past few days?

THOMPSON: listen to his response here Read more

Security

What Do the Iraqi People Want?

By Guest Blogger on Jul 6, 2005 at 12:40 pm

With debate over what to do in Iraq heating up inside the Beltway, it’s important to ask: what do the Iraqi people think about our troops?

Getting a straight answer to these questions is next to impossible in war-torn Iraq, but some groups have taken the pulse of the Iraqi public regularly. According to one recent poll sponsored by the U.S. government, 45 percent of Iraqis support the insurgent attacks against coalition troops and a majority of Iraqis oppose having the U.S.-led multinational force in the country, and feel less safe with foreign troop patrols in their neighborhood.

If democracy means giving people a voice in issues that affect their lives, then maybe the Bush administration should organize a public referendum on this key question, as suggested by others.

– Brian Katulis, Director of Democracy and Public Diplomacy

Politics

Happy Birthday President Bush

By Faiz Shakir on Jul 6, 2005 at 11:38 am

Today is President Bush’s 59th birthday. You’re probably wondering what the President would like to receive on this grand occassion. So, based on what Bush has said in the past, here are his birthday “wishes”:

A Magic Wand

Bush: “I wish I could simply wave a magic wand and lower gas prices tomorrow.” [4/20/05]

More Free Time to Workout

Bush: “I wish I had time for a workout.” [11/13/03]

Questions Written Out In Advance

Bush: “I wish you’d have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it.” [4/13/04]

More Time to Fish

Bush: “Gosh, I wish we were fishing.” [7/30/04]

More Love For One Another

Bush: “I like to remind people, you know, that — I wish government could make people love one another. I would sign the piece of legislation.” [10/8/03]

A War With A Timetable

Bush: “I wish I could tell you that — what the timetable is going to be.” [4/29/02]

A War Without Troops

Bush: “You know, I wish I never had to commit troops.” [10/11/04]

A War Without a President

Bush: “I wish I wasn’t the war President. Who in the heck wants to be a war President? I don’t.” [8/6/04]

Politics

MD Governor: Racial Discrimination “Not My Business”

By Judd Legum on Jul 6, 2005 at 9:05 am

On June 20, Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich raised $100,000 at a fundraiser at the all-white Elkridge country club. And he doesn’t see anything wrong with it. Here’s what Ehrlich had to say in a radio interview yesterday:

I don’t know what their membership is, and guess what? It’s not my business…It’s a private club, which we rented.

Just to be safe, Ehrlich added the decision to hold the fundraiser “was made by his campaign staff, not by him.” Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, who is an African-American, didn’t care about the club’s discriminatory policies either:

I don’t know that much about the club, the membership, nor do I care, quite frankly, because I don’t play golf. It’s not an issue with me.

Under Maryland law private clubs are allowed “to exclude women, Jews, blacks and other minority groups if its members so desire.” That doesn’t mean the state’s leaders should patronize groups that institutionalize bigotry. Racial discrimination, no matter where it occurs, is everyone’s business.

UPDATE: Email Steele and Ehrlich.

Media

Where’s that Pulitzer?

By Robert Gordon, Guest Blogger on Jul 6, 2005 at 7:10 am

The New York Times has a very good story about how the White House and Senate leadership are telling right-wing pressure groups to cool their jets and lay off Alberto Gonzales. But the piece is marred by this astonishing blind quote:

A senior White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity because most staff members are not authorized to speak about the vacancy, said the push against Mr. Gonzales would not influence Mr. Bush’s thinking. “He has talked at some considerable length about his view on who he thinks would be qualified to be a Supreme Court justice,” the official said. “And he’s going to make his decision in a deliberate manner.”

The official added, “At the end of the day, the president is going to decide this based on those principles, not from any pressure from the groups.”

This echoes the Times’ piece on Monday about the role of ideology in nominations hearings. It featured this gem:

A senior White House official, who insisted on anonymity in discussing the early phases of the nomination, echoed Mr. Sessions and other Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, saying, “There has been a long-term standard that the appropriateness of questioning does not include asking judges to take specific sides or positions regarding cases they may hear one day.”

Come on. Why is self-serving spin and empty assertion being treated like a scoop? We all need help understanding the nomination process, but this isn’t helpful. As one well-known jurist, Judge Judy, puts the point: Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining.

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