Posted on 09/09/2001 7:19:01 AM PDT by Pokey78
President Bush's guest list for his first formal state dinner, honoring Mexico's President Vicente Fox last Wednesday night, was light on two normally favored categories: White House staffers and financial contributors.
The usual platoon of presidential aides was radically reduced. Among the uninvited were intimate Bush advisers Karen Hughes and Karl Rove. All senior staffers, however, were welcome to attend post-dinner entertainment and dancing.
First lady Laura Bush reduced the size of the dinner and made it clear she did not want guests who ''pay their way in''--that is, financial contributors. Nevertheless, the invitation list included a few Texas campaign money sources: rancher Tobin Armstrong and his wife, former ambassador Anne Armstrong, of Armstrong, Texas, and Dallas oilman Ray Hunt.
Labor disharmony
Relations between the Teamsters and the United Auto Workers were roiled when UAW President Stephen Yokich complained about President Bush attending a Teamsters Labor Day picnic in Detroit.
''I don't think he belongs here,'' said Yokich in Detroit. ''This is the workers' day. This is for working families and quite frankly, he isn't a friend of working families or organized labor.'' Since Bush had been invited by the Teamsters, the union's leaders grumbled that the UAW was violating the labor movement's fraternal ties.
Texas scare
On the heels of Sen. Phil Gramm's retirement announcement, Republican strategists were startled to hear that the other Republican senator from Texas--Kay Bailey Hutchison--was planning to become chancellor of the University of Texas system. But Hutchison flatly denied that report to me, calling it ''absolutely ridiculous.''
Hutchison, who has just adopted a baby, has been reported eager to return to Texas. She considered, but decided against, running for governor in 2002. The prospect of retaining two non-incumbent Texas seats, if Hutchison left the Senate, dismayed Republicans. However, now that Gramm is going, Hutchison is concerned by the need for a senator with seniority to serve her state. She indicated she is interested in the chancellor's post, but not for herself.
Safe in Louisiana
Bush administration officials are privately conceding they may as well work with Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu on Alaskan oil drilling since it now appears very difficult to defeat her for re-election in Louisiana next year.
Narrowly elected in 1996, Landrieu was a principal GOP target for 2002 from a state carried last year by George W. Bush. However, she is considered well ahead of Rep. John Cooksey, the prospective Republican nominee.
Landrieu not only supports President Bush's attempt to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration but has promised Energy Department officials she will do what it takes to pass the legislation. Republican loyalists at Energy figure that if they can't beat Landrieu, they might as well try to use her.
Whitman aloof
Low-key, moderate Republican Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio has joined conservatives upset with Christine Todd Whitman, Environmental Protection Agency administrator.
The new complaint is that Whitman half-heartedly offered her support for Voinovich's fellow Ohioan, Donald Schregardus, as President Bush's nominee to be EPA's assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance. Schregardus has come under fire from the environmentalist movement because of his pro-business record as director of the Ohio EPA.
Democratic Senators Charles Schumer of New York and Barbara Boxer of California have put a hold on the Schregardus nomination, charging him with lax enforcement of federal environmental laws.
READ: Bush is no friend of communism. He believes we should have to actually work for our raises. That's just not the American way, don't ya know? Morons!
Is Landrieu that strong that she can’t be beaten or is it that a strong statewide Republican candidate hasn’t surfaced?
Kershaw and [Lorrie] Morgan, were chosen to sing at the 54th Presidential Inaugural of President George W. Bush, a truly special event for Kershaw who has never made a secret of his own political aspirations, to someday become Governor of his home state of Louisiana.
Also, I just noticed that Kershaw could be Senator for a year and then trade with Foster since he can't run in '03.
There is no GOP candidate that has surfaced who can give her a run for her "Emily's List" money IMO. I wish the state GOP here would get their act together and field ONE good candidate. It would take someone like a Tauzin to beat her though and I doubt that he'd consider giving up his seat to risk losing to HER. Blech!
I personally wish David Vitter would run (he's the promising Conservative who took Livingston's place).
He does keep his people informed. I'm always recieving mailings from him. He is scheduled for a town hall meeting in Ponchatoula next Saturday morning, but I'm scheduled to work nights next weekend.....bummer.
No doubt....How can you compete with "Brownruts", when she can go throughout the country picking up campaign money. Cooksey and Terrel is basically limited to LA.
What happened to Edwards and his conviction? I heard he's been RV'ing with, his wife, Candy, while Alan Dershowitz appeals.
Clinton may be slick, but Edwards is the master Slickster.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.