Posted on 05/14/2005 11:12:38 AM PDT by aculeus
WASHINGTON -- Members of the inner circle of high-ranking House Republicans privately agree that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York is an absolute lock for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination and will not be easy to defeat in the general election.
The same lawmakers believe the Republican race to oppose Clinton is wide open but regard Sen. George Allen of Virginia as having the edge over Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee. The consensus among them is that Allen is a better candidate than Frist and will the advantage over him in GOP primaries. The House members see little or no prospect for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCain of Arizona or Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
The Clinton-vs.-Allen forecast by the leading House members duplicates the National Journal's poll of insiders from both parties.
LOTT'S DEAL
Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott's efforts to broker a compromise on judicial confirmations angered Majority Leader Bill Frist, but in fact he never was close to completing a deal with moderate Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson.
Lott was trying to show that every effort had been made to negotiate a settlement before Republicans attempted to use the "nuclear option" (a phrase coined by Lott) to force a majority vote on judicial confirmations. Nelson, who is up for re-election next year in conservative Nebraska, wants to separate himself from other Democrats.
Internal Senate Republican politics are at stake. With Frist not seeking re-election in 2006, Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell is heavily favored to succeed him as majority leader. However, Lott is a long shot to seek and regain his old leadership position.
AMBASSADOR TO EU
Veteran Washington lawyer and Republican activist C. Boyden Gray recently sat down with Howard Kohr, executive director of American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), in an effort to counteract Jewish opposition to Gray as U.S. ambassador to the European Union.
Neo-conservatives inside the administration have advised President Bush that Gray would be a poor selection to go to Brussels. According to sources close to the situation, White House national security aide Elliott Abrams has opposed Gray in writing.
Gray was White House counsel in the first George Bush administration and has led citizens' efforts for the confirmation of George W. Bush's judicial nominations.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE POLITICS
Diminishing Democratic support for efforts to curb unregulated campaign spending by "527" organizations are reflected in the withdrawal by co-sponsors of the bill that would close the loophole in the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform act.
Of the eight original Democratic co-sponsors of the loophole closer, four have withdrawn: Reps. Timothy Bishop and Michael McNulty of New York and Reps. Xavier Becerra and Barbara Lee of California. In a House floor statement, Becerra expressed a "growing discomfort" that the bill "may actually limit voices too dramatically without offering other alternatives." Three Republicans are co-sponsors.
Of more than $600 million in 2004 unregulated 527 contributions, a big majority of the money -- roughly two-to-one -- was spent supporting John Kerry and other Democratic candidates and trying to boost Democratic voter turnout.
CORRECTING BILL THOMAS
After the U.S. Capitol was evacuated last Wednesday, a Capitol police officer shouted, "Stay there!" to a portly lawmaker who was prematurely trying to return from a holding area to the abandoned building. It was Rep. Bill Thomas of California, the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
The policeman's admonition caused consternation among lawmakers who witnessed it, because nobody speaks harshly to the hot-tempered, imperious Thomas. In this case, however, Thomas just smiled and followed directions.
Police gave Speaker Dennis Hastert a specially guided path out of the Capitol, but other House members -- including Thomas -- were on their own.
©2005 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
townhall.com
But if both candidates are Senators, that becomes moot (thought you're right, it's generally always true otherwise.)
Agree...VERY formidable gentlemen. Nearly impossible to caricature like Kerry oe HRC. Tough. Richardson is my "favorite" Dem outside of Zell.
Fine, don't believe it. But please assume it. Too many defeats have come at the hands of those who underestimated a Clinton. She will be forrmidable, and have very stupid American women behind her, and then entire MSM beating the "first woman president" drum every single day. We cannot take anything for granted until she conceeds defeat.
Could not agree more. Useless body. Keep it around, but reduce its power to something like the House of Lords. Then Lord Voinovich could bleat all he wanted, to little effect.
IMHO the serious issue about 2008 is debate format.When you really analyze it, the presidential "debates" we have had have all been joint news conferences, really. And once you understand the perspective of journalism, you understand that journalists always will try to make a Republican look bad. It takes a Ronald Reagan to convert that situation to his own advantage. And Ronald Reagan is dead.
From a Republican perspective, practically everything is wrong with the "great debate" format:
All of these things could be readily eliminated if the debates were done on the radio:
- hostile moderator
- time pressure
- video display
- no notes/aids allowed.
Wonderful idea, but nothing recommends it to the mainstream press, which wants a superficial process which they can manipulate for their own purposes. Any Republican who wants this format will have to really be a tough negotiator to get it.
- The time could be equalized between the two candidates by the simple expedient of controlling the microphone with a chess clock.
- Since radio time is nowhere near as expensive, the debates could be longer and/or more frequent. That would drastically reduce the time pressure.
- Without the video, the candidates could relax and really discuss the issues - and the two candidates could be in different locations without prejudice. Therefore it would be practical to have more debates.
- Without the video, the candidates could use notes or even laptop computers for easy reference.
When I first saw the headline on Drudge, I thought it said "Hillary vs. Alien".
I would say to Hillary: "Senator, you're no Sigourney Weaver"!
"On a more personal note, Virginia Sen. George Allen said, "Legal immigration has been and is the lifeblood of our nation. My own mother followed the process and emigrated to the U.S. from Tunisia after World War II. I have the greatest respect for the ingenuity, discipline and determination that so many of our newest citizens show in their work and lives."
"But illegal immigration is not only unfair to the thousands of men and women who waited their turn and worked hard to come to America, but is also a threat to our nation and state socially and economically," Allen said.
"I support the strict enforcement of our immigration laws and hope that legislators in Virginia and my colleagues in Congress will join me in supporting laws to make illegal immigration more difficult and unappealing."
Really?
How many "tough" questions did Kerry have to face?
I'm still waiting for answers to questions that old media never did ask.
yeah but you'll never see Hill in a duck blind. Bubba will be doing all that for her as her proxy.
Wait until she tries to paint herself as a supporter of gun rights and hunters.
She's got a serious "man" problem..NASCAR, college football fans or hunters are going to vote for Shrill Hill?
Massive spending increases
More federal debt
Continuation of the open-border policies
More job outsourcing
Bigger trade deficits
Higher health care costs
Weaker dollar
More BATFE agents
Weaker military, stretched out all over world
Increased surveillance and police state attitude toward US citizens.
(But keep voting party label.........)
Screw that. The "insiders" have given us such statists as Ford, Bush, and Dole.
Here's a novel idea: let's just pick the best man or woman for the job and support them. That strategy worked out okay with a guy named Reagan.
Ditto. Hey this election broke the most important historical trend known! The Redskins win/loss pattern and GOP candidates. Think about it..Allen's Dad was Redskins coach...hmm...
Best chance: Ohio. Next best: NOrth Carolina
Go, Allen!
He couldn't possibly be worse on immigration than Dubya. btw, i think we should track down Allen's statements re this Bush amnesty thing.
i agree. screw the "insiders". but I think George Allen just MIGHT be the best man (or at least one of the better men) for the job. we'll see.
yes. it brings him within a heart beat of the presidency.
McCain is a maverick, but he isn't a liberal.
What have you been SMOKING today?!? Is this really Andrea Mitchell posing as a freeper?
"Maverick" is the media code word for LEFTIST.
he'll be a pain for the Republicans, but he'll never join the Democrats.
and you know this how?
Not to take the thread off topic..but...
Reagan was a once in a generation type of politican. The man was just short of brilliant. He spent years and years developing his political philosophy from the private sector. He was completely unique in that reqard. I urge all of you to read "God and Ronald Reagan". His disturst of the communists internationally was developed slowly over time in the 40's and 50's. Ask youself, could a primary B-level actor married to a more sucessfull actress and divorced pull off what Reagan did in this media culture? People point to Arnold as a possible example but Reagan's writing and ideas clearly seperate him. George Allen isn't Reagan nor is Tom Tancredo.
I LOVE Reagan, but it is thoroughly possible that someone like George Allen could prove to be more conservative as far as Presidential decisions than Reagan.
Allen could do this if he
1) not allow ANY type of amnesty for illegals.
2) make sure never to appoint leftists like Sandra O'Connor or Anthony Kennedy.
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