COMEDY CENTRAL
Sens. Joseph Lieberman and Olympia
Snowe plan on holding a “Moderates Meeting” perhaps as
early as this week, in hopes of creating at the very least an
informal voting block of like-minded Republicans and Democrats to
offset the hardening conservative and left-wing party lines.
According to a staffer in Sen. Arlen Specter’s
office, Specter was invited by Snowe, indicated his desire to be a
part of their block, but said given attempts to regain footing
among conservatives, his attendance would cause him more
problems.
Specter’s decision to decline the invitation would seem to
indicate that he is focused on wooing Republicans on the Judiciary
Committee and within his caucus before he considers other political
options.
It isn’t clear whether Lieberman and Snowe’s plans are anything
greater or more ambitious than an attempt to bring a moderate mood
to Senate proceedings, which are expected to be tough and
bare-knuckled for the foreseeable future.
“Senator Lieberman is a man with far greater respect for the
institution of the Senate than he has for giving his own political
party an edge,” says a Republican Senate staffer. “We don’t see
this as a political grab or an attempt to water down or somehow
undercut a Republican majority. Snowe, on the other hand, may have
other ideas. We’re just not sure.”
There is a school of thought among the more conspiracy-minded
Senate staffers that some moderate Republicans and Democrats could
essentially create a critical third voting block in their chamber.
A moderate group of four or five Republicans and two or three
Democrats would be enough to serve as critical swing votes in what
will surely be a number of tight votes on bills and issues the Bush
Administration has targeted as high priority: tax fairness, class
action lawsuit reform, medical malpractice, and the confirmation of
judges.
CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH
This week, the Clinton Presidential Library gets polished up for
its formal dedication Thursday, and the former President appears to
be fit and ready to go on a media blitz that only three weeks ago
he appeared unable to participate in.
“I wouldn’t say it’s miraculous, but his staff isn’t telling
people doctors are limiting him the way his staff was telling the
Kerry people that doctors were limiting him,” says a former Clinton
staffer. “He’s raring to go and grab the spotlight.”
Clinton will be appearing on all the morning shows, and most of
the network news anchors intend to broadcast from Little Rock for
the dedication of the library that cost more than $150 million to
build.
According to a former Clinton fundraiser, at least a third of
the funds came from donors outside of the United States: Saudi
Arabia, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Australia, some of the same
donors who funneled money to the Clinton-Gore election campaigns
and the Democratic National Committee in the 1990s.
Clinton has had rough patches in fundraising, and has depended
on the generosity of foreign donors to keep the library project
moving along.
Clinton has told associates that he intends to spend extensive
amounts of time at the library, where he hopes that he will be able
to create a conflict resolution center along the lines of the one
former President Jimmy Carter created at his
library in Georgia.
“His staff sees that as a way of making some money for the
library foundation, that and lots of tourists,” says the former
Clinton staffer. “Though you know the one exhibit that would
probably make him the most is the one that will never be held on
these grounds. A certain little blue dress would be the biggest
draw for the place.”
DEAN AGONISTES
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is being
encouraged not to run for the chairmanship of the Democratic
National Committee, in part because he simply doesn’t have enough
support to make a serious run.
“It would take a miracle for him to do it,” says a DNC staffer.
“There are too many respected, middle of the road party loyalists
who think he’s just a younger Nader waiting to implode.”
Right now, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack is a leading
candidate for the job, after longtime Gore and DNC activist
Donna Brazile removed her name from the running.
Gov. Bill Richardson was also thought to be a dark
horse for the job if he chose to pursue it.
Tough guy Harold Ickes is considered to be on a
par with Vilsack, though there is growing distrust among DNC
leaders about again handing over the party apparatus to someone so
close to the Clintons. Ickes, however, has just as close ties with
organized labor, which if the party is to keep up with the
Republicans must be somehow assuaged.
Dean was felt to have a shot based on the fundraising
performance he exhibited during the Democratic primary. His
campaign was credited with drawing in tens of thousands of donors
via the Internet, who donated money in small amounts similar to how
Republicans have given to their party.
But Dean had little to nothing to do with that fundraising
success. Dean insiders say that his campaign manager, Joe
Trippi, deserves much of the credit for creating that kind
of online fundraising environment.
“Dean was the draw, but the ideas were Trippi’s,” says a former
Dean staffer. “If the party is serious about somehow becoming more
progressive and appealing to younger voters, Trippi is the guy, not
Dean.”
