Fletcher To Hold "Unity" Rally — Without The Other Candidates
In Kentucky today, Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) will be holding a post-primary unity rally. One problem: His opponents in the Republican primary, Anne Northup and Billy Harper, won't actually be there. Northup has simply sent a "positive letter" to the rally, and won't be involved in the campaign, and Harper is out of the country. Others attending the rally include the state's GOP Congressional delegation, many of whom endorsed Northup in the primary.

Poll Has Even More Bad News For Fletcher
In the Kentucky Gubernatorial Race, Democratic nominee Steve Beshear has built his campaign in part on a call to expand gambling in the state and collect government revenues from it, a proposal Fletcher has derided as being a platform "based on what we can do with the roll of the dice." The new SurveyUSA poll — which has Beshear up 62%-34% — shows support for legal gambling in the state is at 81%, versus only 16% who think gambling should not be allowed.

Selective Outrage From The Right On War Funding
Steve Benen documents an overlooked aspect of the current war debate: Right-wing critics who are now outraged about Hillary and Obama's votes against the Iraq War funding bill didn't seem to mind so much when President Bush himself vetoed the last war-funding bill sent to him by Congress.

MoveOn: Send Weak Tea To Reid
MoveOn.org has announced a novel form of protest at Democratic leaders over the Iraq funding bill: They are calling upon members in Harry Reid's home state of Nevada to send bags of "weak tea" to Reid, borrowing from the term Reid himself used last week to refer to the idea of an Iraq funding bill that did not include a timeline for withdrawal. MoveOn is seeking 360 Nevadans, exactly the number the of Senators and Congressmen from both parties who voted for the bill.

Direct Mail Firm Shareholders Sue CEO Over Clinton Largesse
Vinod Gupta, a longtime Democratic donor and CEO of direct mail firm InfoUSA, is facing a shareholder lawsuit over payments made to Bill Clinton for corporate consulting work since he left office. The irate shareholders state that Gupta's favors for the Clinton's, which have over $900,000 in travel expenses and a $3.3 million consulting deal for Bill, all on the company's account, amount to a "waste of corporate assets." "The dispute over Gupta's bankrolling of the Clintons offers new detail about how successfully Bill Clinton has leveraged the inner circle of donors he cultivated during his tenure in the White House to his personal financial benefit since he left office," The Washington Post reports. "In addition, it suggests the degree to which Hillary Clinton's political career is also benefiting from those connections."

Auto Industry To Run Ads Against Mileage Standard Increases
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is running a radio and newspaper ad campaign starting this weekend, calling upon members of Congress to oppose a proposal to increase the fuel mileage requirements for cars and trucks by 10 miles per gallon over the next ten years. The ads will be targeted at states with a high proportion of truck and SUV drivers.

McCain: "It's no more amnesty than I am a Martian."
John McCain defended the immigration deal in a conference call with Iowa reporters: "It's no more amnesty than I am a Martian." McCain also issues an ultimatum to opponents of the legislation. "I believe that if you are opposed to this legislation, then you have the obligation to propose something of your own."

Arpaio Denounces McCain: Put Illegal Immigrants In Jail
In Arizona, popular yet controversial Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio put out a statement lambasting McCain's immigration legislation. "All they talk about is amnesty, deportation and border security because Washington politicians are scared to death to talk about putting these illegals in jail when there are already laws on the books to allow it," Arpaio writes. Arpaio is an Arizona Republican who is not supporting his home state's candidate, and is instead boosting Mitt Romney.

Fred Thompson Blames Reagan For Illegal Immigration Problem — And Terrorism
At Thursday night's Connecticut Republican dinner, Fred Thompson had very strong words for the 1986 immigration bill signed by President Reagan, which he says encouraged more illegal immigration by granting amnesty for the people here at the time. "Twelve million illegal immigrants later, we are now living in a nation that is beset by people who are suicidal maniacs and want to kill countless innocent men, women and children around the world," Thompson said.

Hillary Unveils Health Care Proposals
Hillary Clinton is walking upon ground that proved to be treacherous for her in the early 1990's, rolling out a set of health care proposals. While her proposals mainly focus on preventive health care and electronic record-keeping in order to lower costs, one aspect could have a tough time passing: "As president, I will end the practice of insurance company cherry-picking once and for all by allowing anyone who wants to join a plan to do so and prohibiting insurance companies from carving out benefits or charging higher rates to people with health problems."

Edwards Campaign: Hillary Is Taking Our Health Care Proposals
"Today's ideas have a familiar ring," said Edwards campaign spokesman Mark Kornblau, talking about Hillary's proposals for health care. "John Edwards proposed specific steps to make health care affordable three months ago and — from preventative care to chronic care to paperless records — Senator Clinton has followed him down that path. We welcome her support and eagerly await her plan for universal coverage."

NH GOP Chair Solicits $10,000 Contributions From Candidates To Speak At Dinner
New Hampshire Republican Party chairman Fergus Cullen is taking the unusual (for New Hampshire) step of soliciting donations of $10,000 from the Presidential candidates for a "premier speaking opportunity" at the state party's June 6 fundraising diner. A donation of $5,000 will grant a less cushy "opportunity to speak." The New Hampshire GOP, out of power in state government since last fall, and owing $125,000 over five years to the state Dems in a settlement for the 2002 phone-jamming, needs the money.

Rudy Accuses Hillary And Obama Of Being "Anti-Troops"

In an interview with ABC News radio, Rudy Giuliani said that Hillary and Obama's votes against the no-withdrawal-timetables Iraq funding bill showed that they had "moved from being not just anti-war, but to being anti-troops." No response yet from either Dem.

Intelligence Committee: Administration Ignored Warnings That Iraq Would Turn Out Badly

By a 10-5 vote — Eight Democrats plus Republicans Olympia Snowe and Chuck Hagel — the Senate Intelligence Committee has issued a report accusing the Bush Administration of ignoring warnings from the nation's spy agencies in 2003 that Iraq could degenerate in the wake of a U.S. invasion, creating a situation ultimate benefitting Al-Qaeda and Iran. In his dissent, the committee's head Republican Kit Bond said the committee "has become too embroiled in politics and partisanship to produce an accurate and meaningful report."

Several White House Candidates Didn't Read The NIE

Ben Smith reports that numerous Presidential candidates are now admitting they did not read the National Intelligence Estimate before voting on the Iraq War, but simply received briefings about it from the White House. The ones who have admitted to not personally readiing it: Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Chris Dodd — and they're the ones who have admitted to it so far. By contrast, Senators who did read the classified document included Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Dick Durbin (D-IL).

Poll: In Kentucky, Fletcher Facing Landslide Defeat

In the first poll released since Tuesday's Kentucky primary, SurveyUSA has incumbent Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) losing in a landslide to the Democratic nominee, former Lt. Governor Steve Beshear, by a margin of 62%-34%. Interestingly, the poll shows that half of those who voted for Fletcher's two challengers in the Republican primary now intend to vote for Beshear.

Brownback: Religion Belongs In Public Life — But Not Theocracy

Sam Brownback told a group of Christian conservatives in Iowa that religious faith has an important role to play in politics: "I believe we should celebrate faith, not run it out of the public square." Brownback also stressed, however, that he is not advocating theocracy, the direct control of government policy by religious leaders. "I think it would be bad for religion," Brownback said. "I also think it would be bad for government."

Romney Loses Marsha Blackburn To Thompson

Mitt Romney has lost the endorsement of Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), a strong conservative who served as a national co-chair for the Romney campaign and now intends to join up with the expected campaign of fellow Tennessean Fred Thompson.

Edwards Proposes "Total Force GI Bill"

Presidential hopeful John Edwards proposed a number of policies to aid service members, including expanded health and other benefits and a "Military Families Advisory Board" at the Department of Defense. — T. W. Farnam

Key New Hampshire Legislator To Hold House Party With Biden

Joe Biden will be holding a house party in New Hampshire next Friday at the home of New Hampshire state Senator Lou D'Allesandro. A leading Democrat in the state legislature, supported John Edwards in the 2004 cycle. Is he playing the field this time?

Poll: Chambliss Potentially Vulnerable

A new survey from independent pollster Insider Advantage shows Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) potentially vulnerable to a challenge by former Governor Roy Barnes (D), edging Barnes by a mere 42%-40%. Barnes has not shown any interest in the race, was used as a baseline measurement for a well-known Democratic name. Barnes was defeated for re-election in 2002, the same year that Chambliss was elected to the Senate over one-term Democrat Max Cleland. The poll showed Chambliss beating current candidate Vernon Jones, the CEO of DeKalb County, by a wider 48%-31% margin.

Anti-War GOP'er Gilchrest Faces Primary Challenge

Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), who has voted with the Democrats on war funding during this Congress, now has an opponent in the Republican primary. State Sen. Andy Harris, a Johns Hopkins obstetric anesthesiologist and a commander in the Naval Reserve, has formed an exploratory committee to challenge Gilchrest from the right, saying that "People across the country desire to return to the Reagan values that brought the Republican Party to power — fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense, traditional values and an optimistic view of this country and its role as a world leader.

Paccione To Run Again In Musgrave's District

Right-wing Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) may be in for a rematch with her 2006 opponent, former state Rep. Angie Paccione. Paccione has announced that she will seek the Democratic nomination for a rematch, and has a new campaign Web site up. Currently there are two other Democrats seeking the nomination: State Sen. Brandon Shaffer, and ex-Republican Eric Eidsness, who served in the Reagan Administration and took 11% of the vote last year as the Reform Party candidate.

Fred Thompson Wows Connecticut Crowd With Jokes

Fred Thompson had a good reception at dinner for the Connecticut Republican Party last night, impressing the crowd with humor. On his 2002 retirement from the Senate, Thompson said, "After eight years in Washington, I longed for the sincerity of Hollywood." And when he told the audience that he had an important announcement to make, "Law & Order will return for an 18th season," a woman shouted back to him: "We need you for a different job!"

Video: Bird Defecates On Bush

Here it is — A YouTube of President Bush being struck by bird dung while taking a question about Attorney General Alberto Gonzales:

Slow news day, so indulge us on this one. Take a look at Matt Drudge's latest blaring headline:

If you click on that huge headline, you get sent to an item at The Politico, where an anonymous aide to John McCain is quoted slamming Obama with the phrase. Also note that the bottom link in the upper right corner contains a link to another assault on Obama from McCain himself.

Obama, meanwhile, released his response to McCain nearly three hours ago. No sign of that anywhere on Drudge. Anonymous aide blasts Obama and it's Drudge's lead story. Obama himself faults McCain on the record -- no link at all. Funny, that.

Like we said, slow news day.

McCain hits back at Obama's broadside from earlier today:

"While Senator Obama's two years in the U.S. Senate certainly entitle him to vote against funding our troops, my service and experience combined with conversations with military leaders on the ground in Iraq lead me to believe that we must give this new strategy a chance to succeed because the consequences of failure would be catastrophic to our nation's security.

"By the way, Senator Obama, it's a 'flak' jacket, not a 'flack' jacket."

By the way, Senator McCain, you've been consistently wrong about Iraq for five years now.

So why should anybody listen to you anymore, and who cares whether you know how to spell "flak" if your military experience didn't lead you to see that Bush's Iraq adventure would turn out to be an interminable disaster that has killed thousands of Americans and maimed many thousands more?

Update: And by the way, Senator McCain, the New Oxford American Dictionary says "flack" is okay, after all:

And by the way, Senator McCain, here, courtesy of TPM Reader MM, is an example of the "flack jacket" spelling in the Army Times.

Update II: And by the way, Senator McCain, you voted against funding our troops when you opposed the last war-funding bill that Democrats sent to the President.

From a new WNBC/Marist poll out today (link not yet available):

Most Americans do not believe either the Bush Administration or the Department of Veterans Affairs has done a good job in meeting the needs of the men and women who have returned home from Iraq. 70% disapprove of the job the Bush Administration has done and 65% do not think the Department of Veterans Affairs has done well.

Here's what's interesting about this. While the public sees Bush's policies as wasteful of the lives of American soldiers and against their interests -- frequent polls show that Americans think the war was not worth fighting, and now this poll shows that they think he's letting Iraq veterans down -- Americans do appear to think of Bush as overwhelmingly supportive of the troops in a general way.

A recent CNN poll, for instance, found that 83% of Americans think Bush supports the troops, 57% strongly. And while 73% saw the Dem Congress as supportive of the troops, only 31% saw them as strongly supportive.

One possible explanation for this could be the general meaninglessness of the phrase "support the troops." For all we know, the 83% who think Bush supports the troops think he either wishes them well or wants them to succeed, neither of which have anything to do with the actual policies he creates that directly impact them.

The Marist numbers above would seem to suggests that Dems have been successful in getting the public to see Bush policies as hurting the troops, which they've done by pushing the Walter Reed scandal and other stories. But these storylines don't appear to be putting much of a dent in the perception that Bush is more "supportive" of the troops, whatever that means, than Dems are.

You might point out that given the general meaninglessness of the phrase, perhaps this doesn't matter all that much. But let's fact it, it would be much better for Dems if voters saw them as wishing the troops well to the same extent they seem to think Bush does. Or, better still, if voters took actual policies into account when thinking about who supports the troops and who doesn't.

The back and forth between Dem and GOP Presidential candidates is heating up big time over Iraq.

Barack Obama has just unleashed the following statement hammering John McCain and Mitt Romney for criticizing Obama's vote with the majority of Americans and against the no-timetables Iraq War funding bill. Both of them lobbed familiar attacks at Obama -- surrender, white flag, blah, blah, blah. Obama's response:

?This country is united in our support for our troops, but we also owe them a plan to relieve them of the burden of policing someone else?'s civil war. Governor Romney and Senator McCain clearly believe the course we are on in Iraq is working, but I do not.

?And if there ever was a reflection of that it's the fact that Senator McCain required a flack jacket, ten armored Humvees, two Apache attack helicopters, and 100 soldiers with rifles by his side to stroll through a market in Baghdad just a few weeks ago.

?Governor Romney and Senator McCain are still supporting a war that has cost us thousands of lives, made us less safe in the world, and resulted in a resurgence of al-Qaeda. It is time to end this war so that we can redeploy our forces to focus on the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 and all those who plan to do us harm.?

Note the direct mockery of McCain's Baghdad Stroll. Now, Barack, that's just not done. We just don't go there with McCain. Everything he does is born of unimpeachable integrity, so we don't take such a tone with him. D.C.'s elders will be very unhappy with your incivility and will be shaking their heads and murmuring their disapproval.

Seriously, one thing that deserves constant debate is whether the Dems are hitting back effectively and hard against the GOP's endlessly predictable national security attacks. This, incidentally, is why we often posts statements like these in full -- so you can evaluate the Dems' responses in light of that question.

So how's this latest? Is Obama hitting the mark here? Or does this fall short? Thoughts?

"Is it possible to be quoted yawning?"

-- Hillary spokesman Philippe Reines, quoted by The Washington Post responding to the lack of damaging revelations in two new and heavily-hyped Hillary books.

Check out the statement John McCain uncorked this morning blasting Hillary and Barack Obama for voting yesterday against the no-withdrawal-timetables Iraq War funding bill:

"I was very disappointed to see Senator Obama and Senator Clinton embrace the policy of surrender by voting against funds to support our brave men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"This vote may win favor with MoveOn and liberal primary voters, but it's the equivalent of waving a white flag to al Qaeda."

Yep -- everybody except for MoveOn members and liberals wants Bush to get his war funding with no strings attached.

Oh, the mendacity, the mendacity!

Check out these numbers from the latest CBS/New York Times poll:

Which of these comes closest to your opinion? 1. Congress should block all funding for the war in Iraq no matter what; 2. Congress should allow funding, but only on the condition that the U.S. sets benchmarks for progress and the Iraqi government are meeting those goals; OR 3. Congress should allow all funding for the war without any benchmark conditions.

Block all 13%
Fund with benchmarks 69%
Allow all 15%

So nearly 70% in the latest poll want the war funded on the explicit condition that the funding comes with benchmarks that the Iraqi government is meeting. In other words, a huge majority wants the funding of the war to be conditioned on the Iraqis meeting the benchmarks. Yesterday's bill doesn't have that provision.

Wow, so nearly 70% of the public are MoveOn members and liberals. Guess they're doing much better than anyone thought.

Update: I should add an even better piece of evidence contra McCain: Back when the Dems passed their initial supplemental with a withdrawal timetable, solid majorities supported this approach in every poll I saw. Hillary and Obama were reflecting the desires of solid majorities by voting against the bill yesterday. McCain is just makin' it up.

Update II: Ask and ye shall receive. Here are three polls showing solid majority support for withdrawal timetables before the veto.

And here's a post-veto poll showing a solid majority wanted Congress to send another bill back to the President with withdrawal timetables. And 61% supported sending a bill with real enforceable benchmarks -- again, which this bill didn't have.

Webb: The Democrats Are A Senate Minority On Iraq — Blames Lieberman
Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) put out a statement explaining his vote for the Iraq bill last night: "I worked very hard to try to persuade the Democratic leadership to include clear, restrictive language in this Supplemental. I did not succeed, and was disappointed in many of the provisions that remained. However, we are working under the reality that, on the issue of Iraq, this Senate does not have a Democratic majority. From the outset, we are a minority of 49, given Senator Lieberman’s position on the war. This reality dictates our conduct. On the one hand, I find myself unable to vote against a measure that is necessary to fund our troops who are now in harm’s way. On the other, I will not relent from my continuing efforts to bring this occupation to an end."

Poll: Hillary Climbing, Rudy In Decline — And Majority Of Republicans Unsatisfied
The new CBS/New York Times poll shows Hillary Clinton's national lead over Barack Obama increasing, from 39%-24% in early April to 46%-24% now — and John Edwards has shriveled from 21% to 14%. On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani's lead over John McCain has shrunk from 47%-25% down to 36%-22%, with Mitt Romney growing from 10% to 15%. But the current GOP'ers should watch out — only 38% of Republicans are satisfied, compared to 57% who want more choices.

Iowa Dems Not Worried About Hillary Skipping State
Iowa Democrats are not concerned about recent Clinton campaign internal memo suggesting that Hillary bypass Iowa, chalking it up as a purely hypothetical scenario that the campaign won't actually pursue. "I've spoken with them in the past about the focus on Iowa and also the need to make sure their attention continues to go into the living rooms and not just the large forums. And they have been very receptive to that," said Sandy Opstvedt, an Iowa labor activist and member of the DNC's executive committee, who is currently neutral in the campaign.

Minimum Wage Increase Will Pass
The Democrats succeeded in keeping a minimum wage increase tied to the Iraq funding bill, with a vote of 348-73 in the House. The President will sign the bill, meaning that the minimum wage will increase for the first time since 1997, going from $5.15 to $7.25.

Obama, Giuliani Favored Picnic Guests
Although Hillary has a double digit lead in national polls, most people would prefer to spend their Memorial Day with her rival Barack Obama, according to the AP. However, Hillary is actually beating Obama among Democratic respondents alone. Out of the major Republican candidates, Rudy Giuliani takes 37% to John McCain's 27%. — T. W. Farnam

Poll: Americans Support Immigration Bill's Proposals
The new CBS/The New York Times poll finds overwhelming support among the American public for the proposals being put forth in the immigration bill. Most notably, maintaining a guest-worker program, allowing illegal immigrants to attain legal status by paying a fine, and the creation of renewable "Z-Visas" all have support of over 60%. Opinions are spread fairly evenly across partisan identifications — meaning even Republicans support the bill by a wide margin. Oddly enough, though, 69% simultaneously think illegals should be prosecuted and deported.

Gingrich: I Want Real Debates
When asked what sort of developments in the Republican field might keep out of the Presidential race, Newt Gingrich said he's frustrated with the lack of substantive policy discussions in the GOP Presidential debates "I’d like to see a willingness to reject the standup, American Idol-style non-debates and insist on genuine dialogue," Gingrich said. One example Newt offered: The idea of a debate focused entirely on illegal immigration, between John McCain and Mitt Romney.

Richardson Blasts Dem Leadership
Bill Richardson has slammed the Democratic leadership for giving in to the White House on the timetable issue, saying simply that "It is wrong for the Congress to abandon a withdrawal timetable." Congress, Richardson said, should move to deauthorize the war, and for a very simple reason: "The president could not veto it," as it is Congress' authority along to declare war.

House Passes Ethics Bill
The House passed legislation requiring campaigns to disclose bundling of financial contributions by lobbyists. More information would be made available online, and breaking the rules would result in prison time. Differences with a Senate version passed in January must be reconciled in conference. – T. W. Farnam

McCain To Raise Money In Massachusetts
John McCain intends to raise money in Mitt Romney's Massachusetts stomping grounds, with a fundraiser scheduled for next month in Boston. Among the events organizers are former Acting Governor Jane Swift and former state GOP chairwoman Jean Inman.

Rudy Names Donald Trump Jr. As "All-American" Fundraiser
Rudy Giuliani has tapped 29-year old Donald Trump Jr. to serve as one his top-level fundraisers, dubbed "All-Americans." Rudy's All-Americans are committed to raising between $25,000 and $1 million for the former Mayor's campaign. Donald Trump Sr. has also done fundraising for Rudy.

Conservative Pastor Criticizes Huckabee Over Pulling Out From Carter Event
Marty Duren, an influential pastor in the Southern Baptist Convention, is publicly criticizing Mike Huckabee for withdrawing from a Baptist event in January organized by Jimmy Carter. Huckabee pulled out as a result of Carter's recent remarks about President Bush. "This, to me, is a clear confounding of the two kingdoms," Duren wrote on his blog, referring to the "kingdoms" of God and of politics. "What conservatives are about to do is pull out of the program (even though they’ve been invited) and then criticize it for being too liberal. You can’t have it both ways."

Brady Named "Mayor" of Capitol Hill
Congressman Robert Brady (D-PA) has been named Chairman of the House Administration Committee, replacing the late Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA), who died of cancer last month. Brady, who ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Philadelphia last week, can take some consolation his new chairmanship — it is unofficially dubbed "Mayor of Capitol Hill."

Stender Files Against Ferguson, But Not Yet Certain About Candidacy
New Jersey State Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D) has filed to seek a rematch against GOP Congressman Mike Ferguson. However, Stender's chief of staff said the filing was for legal reasons, so Stender can continue to accept money coming in. Stender has not affirmatively stated that she will run again, but is strongly considering it. In 2006, Stender lost to Ferguson by a 49%-48% margin, his worst showing in his four elections in the district.

Huckabee Builds Whole Fundraiser Around Edwards' Haircuts
Forget Howard Dean's 2004 campaign fundraising baseball bats: Mike Huckabee now has a barber pole theme for measuring his contributions, all designed to make fun of John Edwards' $400 haircuts. Huckabee explains on the campaign's Web site that he got such a good reception to his joke about Edwards' haircuts at the recent South Carolina debate, "So we added a Barber pole to my campaign website, the kind that hangs inside or outside of barbershops all over this country, but probably not where John Edwards gets his haircut!"

The suspense is over: Both Hillary and Obama voted against the no-timelines Iraq War bill.

Obama's statement:

"This vote is a choice between validating the same failed policy in Iraq that has cost us so many lives and demanding a new one. And I am demanding a new one.”

“We must fund our troops. But we owe them something more. We owe them a clear, prudent plan to relieve them of the burden of policing someone else's civil war. We need a plan to compel the Iraqi people to reach a political accommodation and to take responsibility for their own future. It's time to change course.”

“I opposed this war in 2002 precisely because I feared it would lead us to the open-ended occupation in which we find ourselves today.”

“This President has led us down a disastrous path and has arrogantly refused to acknowledge the grim reality of this war, which has cost us so dearly in lives and treasure.”

“After he vetoed a plan that would have funded the troops and begun to bring them home, this bill represents more of his stubborn refusal to address his failed policy.”

“We should not give the President a blank check to continue down this same, disastrous path.”

“With my vote today, I am saying to the President that enough is enough. We must negotiate a better plan that funds our troops, signals to the Iraqis that it is time for them to act and that begins to bring our brave servicemen and women home safely and responsibly.”

Update: Here's Hillary's statement:

“Tonight I voted against the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill because it fails to compel the President to give our troops a new strategy in Iraq. I believe that the President should begin a phased redeployment of our troops out of Iraq and abandon this escalation. I fully support our troops, and wish the President had followed the will of the people and signed the original bill we sent which both funded the troops and set a new course of phased redeployment. But the President vetoed Congress’s new strategy and so Congress must reject the President’s failed policies. I will also continue to press with Senator Byrd for our legislation to end the authorization of the war in Iraq.

"While I am deeply disappointed that the supplemental does not provide for a new course in Iraq, I want to recognize the many worthy parts of this bill: funding to help those sickened in the aftermath of 9/11, additional relief for Katrina and Rita victims, homeland security funds for high-threat cities like New York City, resources to protect parts of New York affected by recent flooding, $650 million for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the first federal minimum wage increase in ten years. I support these measures but cannot support this Emergency Supplemental which will not change our course in Iraq.”

House Passes Iraq Funding
The House of Representatives voted 280-142 in favor of funding the Iraq War without any binding benchmarks to measure progress. While the vote was roughly two-to-one in favor of passage, 140 Democrats voted No, and the bill passed on the strength of 194 Republican Yeas plus 86 Democrats, including Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Curiously, Congressman David Obey (D-WI) voted against the very measure he helped to negotiate, as did Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- the only member of the House leadership to vote against it. The bill goes to the Senate for expected passage tonight.

Just Over One Percent of Iraq Funding Tied to Benchmarks
Only $1.6 billion of the $120 billion Iraq funding bill before Congress is tied to benchmarks for the Iraqi government, according to the AP. The bulk of the money, $99.5 billion, goes straight to the Defense Department and other provisions of the bill allocate $465 million for fighting wildfires and $425 million for rural schools. — T. W. Farnam

Gore To Hit Late Night TV
Just to remind you, Al Gore will be featured on two late-night comedy shows tonight: The Daily Show and The Late Show With David Letterman.

Edwards Hits Back At Bush and Rudy
John Edwards struck back at the rhetoric coming from President Bush, Rudy Giuliani and others over his declaration that "War On Terror" is just a "bumper sticker slogan." Edwards said, "What we are seeing now in this campaign is John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and the other Republicans running for president of the United States are trying to be a bigger, badder George Bush. Is that really what America wants over the next four years?"

Romney Joins In, Slams Edwards
Mitt Romney has now pounced on Edwards' anti-Bush rhetoric. "Remember that old Edmund Burke quote, it's a famous quote, 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,'" Romney said. "And that, I am afraid is the boiled down version of what John Edwards said, is that good men should do nothing. Put their head in the sand and hope it all goes away."

Poll: Fred Thompson Running Second In Florida
A new poll by California-based pollster Datamar has non-candidate Fred Thompson running a close second in Florida, with 22% to Rudy Giuliani's 27%. Mitt Romney is third with 18%, followed by John McCain at 12%.

Brownback Calls For The Keeping And Publicizing Of Cultural Statistics
Sam Brownback has said that the federal government should actively keep track of various social indicators and publicize them, so that the American public can react to the news and judge themselves on it. "What would happen then in a state like Iowa, or in my state of Kansas, if you started having data out like that? 'Out of wedlock child birth rates up seven percent from a year ago' — What would happen?" Brownback asked rhetorically. "...People would react to it."

Romney: I'm Not Anti-Gay — And I've Had Gay Staffers
Mitt Romney has said he is not anti-gay — he merely opposes gay marriage, because he believes it is not beneficial to children — and when he was Governor he had gay people in his cabinet and other positions. "I oppose discrimination against gay people," Romney said. "I am not anti-gay. I know there are some Republicans, or some people in the country who are looking for someone who is anti-gay and that's not me."

Edwards Backs Immigration Sponsorship For Gays
John Edwards has come out in favor of allowing gays to sponsor foreign partners to come into the United States, just as married homosexuals are able to sponsor each other for the purposes of immigration.

Obama, Richardson, Edwards to Attend YearlyKos
YearlyKos announces that Democratic presidential candidates John Edwards, Sen. Barack Obama and Bill Richardson will attend the convention this August in Chicago. Their forum will be moderated by New York Times Magazine writer Matt Bai and DailyKos editor Joan McCarter. — T. W. Farnam

Brownback Endorsed By "Jane Roe"
Sam Brownback has been endorsed in his campaign for President by Norma McCorvey, aka "Jane Roe," the plaintiff in Roe v. Wade. In 1995, McCorvey became a born-again Christian and a pro-life activist

Dems Add $4 Billion Annually to Farm Bill
The Des Moines Register reports that Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and House counterpart Collin Peterson (D-MN) will add up to $20 billion in price subsidies over 5 years to the farm bill. Harkin had previously talked about cutting price supports in order to free up money for other projects. Peterson has not committed to spending all $20 billion on price supports, but has said there will be increases. – T. W. Farnam

Allen Speaks About GOP Field
George Allen, the former Senator and Presidential frontrunner before his dramatic "macaca" implosion last year, has given an interview to Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network, and given his input on the current GOP field.

Simon Will Not Challenge Renzi
Democrat Ellen Simon, who lost 51%-44% against Congressman Rick Renzi (R-AZ) last year, says she will not seek a rematch against the scandal-plagued Congressman, who just weeks ago was dodging rumors of an imminent resignation.

Ron Paul Challenges Rudy — To Read Some Books
During his news conference today at the National Press Club, Ron Paul defied Rudy Giuliani to read a set of books on foreign policy, most notably the 9/11 Commission's report, and still be able to say that American foreign policy has not inflamed Arab and Muslim enmity against the United States. "I don't think he's qualified to be President," Paul said. "If he was to read the book and report back to me and say, 'I've changed my mind,' I would reconsider."

Bush Hit By Bird Droppings At Press Conference
At the moment President Bush said, "I've got confidence in Al Gonzales doin' the job," during his press conference today, a bird flew overhead and defecated upon him.

The American people were squarely behind withdrawal timetables right up until the Democratic Congressional leadership caved and decided to send the President a no-timelines, non-binding benchmarks Iraq War funding bill, the new CBS/New York Times poll finds.

Do you think the United States should or should not set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq sometime in 2008?

Should 63%
Should not 34%

The kicker: A surprising 42% of Republicans were for setting a timetable. Independents were for a timetable by a margin of 61%-34%.

What's more, the people also wanted benchmarks with far stronger enforcement language than the Dems ultimately got, and it wasn't even close:

Which of these comes closest to your opinion? 1. Congress should block all funding for the war in Iraq no matter what; 2. Congress should allow funding, but only on the condition that the U.S. sets benchmarks for progress and the Iraqi government are meeting those goals; OR 3. Congress should allow all funding for the war without any benchmark conditions.

Block all 13%
Fund with benchmarks 69%
Allow all 15%

The poll didn't ask directly if the public would support Congress sending another bill with binding withdrawal timetables to the President, such as the one he vetoed last time around. But nonetheless, the numbers are clear: The American people overwhelmingly wanted withdrawal timetables, or at the very least some sort of binding benchmarks, and the Democratic Congress has failed to force the President's hand to make it happen.

Meanwhile, the Dem Congress' fearsome adversary, President Bush, has a miniscule 30% approval rating, an all-time low in CBS/NYT polling.

The pressure has apparently gotten to John McCain over his recent absenteeism from the Senate, which we first noticed last week. After missing every single floor vote held from April 16 to the present — a total of 46 consecutive missed votes — in order to focus on campaigning for President, McCain made it to the floor today to cast a vote.

And what crucial measure was it that merited his attention? It was an amendment to the immigration bill by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), "To exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas."

A McCain aide has told the local press, "Although he has missed a few votes, he works really hard to ensure that he has not missed any votes in which his vote would have been the determining one." But here's the thing: This amendment wasn't controversial, and passed 87-9. This leads us to believe McCain simply had to show up for a vote in order to stop the talk about his absences.

At today's presser, President Bush told reporters that lack of support for his policies would put their own children in danger:

Asked by NBC's David Gregory why anyone should view him as credible on the war, Bush gave an answer that included this about the terrorists:

"They are a threat to your children, David."

And in response to The New York Times's Jim Rutenberg, who asked why Bin Laden is still at large, Bush gave an answer that included this about terrorism:

"It's a danger to your children, Jim."

I'm a better daddy-protector than you are -- now that'll make 'em think again about asking tough questions! If you do, the Prez names you on national TV, suggests he understands the threat to your own kids better than you do. Sadder and sadder...

...oh, and I know Rutenberg, he doesn't have kids, Mr. President.

You don't ordinarily think of "public service announcements" as making for compelling TV, but a new PSA from New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is an absolute must-see. As you may know, Corzine was grievously injured and almost died in a car accident last month in which he was not wearing his seatbelt. In the ad, he urges people not to make the same mistake he did — and the result is very, very powerful. To watch it, click here.

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With the House set to vote on the no-timelines Iraq War funding bill later today, The New York Times provides a glimpse into the thinking among top Dems that led to the current proposal:

...in recounting the leadership’s thinking, senior Democrats and other officials said that by early this week they had concluded there was no alternative but to give ground to President Bush despite their view that he had mishandled the war and needed to be put under tighter Congressional rein.

Democrats said they did not relish the prospect of leaving Washington for a Memorial Day break — the second recess since the financing fight began — and leaving themselves vulnerable to White House attacks that they were again on vacation while the troops were wanting. That criticism seemed more politically threatening to them than the anger Democrats knew they would draw from the left by bowing to Mr. Bush.

Oooooooooooooo, scary! If we didn't give Bush his way, the White House would have criticized us!

Seriously, the Times account dovetails with what we've heard from multiple Dem staffers. And it has to be said that this is, like, soooooooooo June 2006. Recall that last spring many Dems were terrified of taking on the GOP and the White House over Iraq because they worried that the Republicans would tell the electorate an irresistable story: Dems are weak, and Republicans are strong. When Dems finally realized that Republicans would tell this story no matter what they did, they started telling the story their way: The war in Iraq is a disaster; it has made us weaker; Dems want to end it, and Republicans don't. The rest is history. Dems won the argument.

Now Dems appear to have let their own worries about the potential story that Republicans will tell -- Dems are on vacation while the troops are wanting! -- largely shape their course of action here. Sure, you want to game out what the opposition will do. But Dems, Republicans are going to keep telling the story this way no matter what you do. Indeed, the President just reminded everyone at today's presser that some Dems didn't want to support the troops -- even though the Dem leadership has already agreed to give him his no-timelines funding. Why not start by deciding what the right policy is, and then tell your story as forcefully as you can? Dems can win arguments, as 2006 showed.

But look, what's done is done. And now that we're finished popping off, it needs to be said that generally this new Dem Congressional leadership has repeatedly defied expectations with its willingness to take on the White House. Just not this time.

Meanwhile, here are a couple things to watch for related to the upcoming House and Senate votes on the supplemental. The key outstanding questions: How effective will pressure from antiwar groups on Dem legislators prove in driving down the number of House Dems who will vote for the proposal? This is key, because the lower the Dem support for it, the more the GOP and the White House will own this policy. Second key question: Which way will Hillary and Barack Obama go?

We'll be bringing you more coverage of this throughout the day. Stay with us.

Bush To Hold Press Conference — At Very Exact Time
It has just been announced that President Bush will hold a press conference from the White House Rose Garden, scheduled precisely on the White House's press list as "11:01:30 a.m." The press conference will deal with two key issues faced by the administration: Funding of the Iraq War, and the immigration bill.

Rudy Hits Edwards Over "War On Terror" Label
Rudy Giuliani attacked John Edwards yesterday in New Hampshire, over Edwards' claim that the "War On Terror" label is simply a political slogan. "One of the democratic Presidential candidates today gave a speech in New York and the speech that he gave suggested that the global war on terror was no more than a slogan of George Bush’s," Rudy said. "I understand the zeal and the overzealousness that some of these people have to attack George Bush. It comes out a of a political process. I think it is wrong. I think it doesn't put George Bush’s presidency in proper perspective."

Edwards, Dodd Hit Other Dems Over War Funding
John Edwards and Chris Dodd have turned up the rhetoric against their fellow Democratic Presidential candidates, taking a firm stance that Congress should not agree to President Bush's demands on war funding. "Congress should send the president the same bill he vetoed again and again until he realizes he has no choice but to start bringing our troops home," Edwards said yesterday. Chris Dodd was just as forceful: "If we are serious about ending the war, Congress must stand up to this president's failed policy now — with clarity and conviction."

Novak: Bush Won The Funding Showdown
Bob Novak writes in his latest column, "President Bush has won a rare showdown victory over Congress simply because Democrats felt they could not afford the risk of letting a war in progress run out of money." Novak added that if the Congressional Democrats were not willing to face the President down in 2007, they certainly won't be willing to in 2008, an election year.

Ron Paul To "Educate" Rudy
Ron Paul will hold a news conference today before the National Press Club in Washington, accompanied by Michael Scheuer, the former head of the CIA's Bin Laden Unit, to hit back at Rudy Giuliani's condemnation of Paul's position on 9/11 and the motivations of Al Qaeda. The official billing of the event is that it is to "educate former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on foreign policy."

Richardson Comes Out Against Immigration Bill — From The Left
Bill Richardson, who initially said he would support the immigration deal, has now come out against it after saying he read it more closely. Richardson's objections are from the liberal end, opposing restrictions on immigrants sponsoring family members to come over, the guest-worker program's creation of second-class laborers, and the construction of a border fence.

Conservative Enlists Labor's Help To Stop Immigration Bill
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) has written a letter to the leaders of three top labor unions — the AFL-CIO, SEIU and the Teamsters — asking their help to stop the immigration bill, with its guest worker provisions, from becoming law. "To protect the American workers that we all represent, we must prevent this bill from becoming law," Smith said. Will labor be receptive to Smith's call? He received ratings for 2005 of 13% from the AFL-CIO, and 11% from SEIU.

New Hampshire Could Move Up Primary Even Further
The New Hampshire Union Leader reports that with Florida moving up its primary to January 29, it's now increasingly likely that New Hampshire will move its primary up even further before the national parties' desired date of January 22. "The New Hampshire primary — which by state law must be a week before any 'similar election' — could be Jan. 15, or perhaps even Jan. 8," the Union Leader writes. New Hampshire's Secretary of State is empowered to set the primary date unilaterally, without needing further legislative authorization.

NRCC To Target Freshman House Dems
The NRCC will launch a national advertising campaign targeting a group of freshman House Democrats who picked up seats from the GOP last year. The ads will slam the Representatives for voting with Nancy Pelosi, and target Pelosi's visit to Syria and plans to raise taxes. Radio ads will run against Reps. Nancy Boyda (KS) , Chris Carney(PA), Joe Donnelly (IN), Brad Ellsworth (IN), Gabrielle Giffords (AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Steve Kagen (WI), Tim Mahoney (FL), Jerry McNerney (CA), Carol Shea-Porter (NH), Heath Shuler (NC), and Tim Walz (MN). The NRCC will also run automated phone calls against Reps. Jason Altmire (PA), Joe Courtney (CT), John Hall (NY), Nick Lampson (TX), Harry Mitchell (AZ), and Zack Space (OH).

South Dakota GOP'ers Planning Around Tim Johnson
In South Dakota, numerous Republicans are planning around a possible open Senate race if Democratic Senator Tim Johnson retires, or even the potential of taking on the incumbent who is currently out of action due to medical treatments. The current names who have been the most active are state Rep. Joel Dykstra and businessman Sam Kephart. In the case of an open seat race, at-large Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin would in all likelihood be the Dem nominee.

New Hampshire Dem Establishment Backing Pro-Lieberman Senate Candidate
Democratic Senate candidate Katrina Swett is being backed in the primary by a multitude of names from the party establishment, including former Manchester Mayor Bob Baines and state Sen. Lou D'Allesandro. Swett, as we pointed out two months ago, not only continued to support Joe Lieberman's bid for re-election after he lost the Democratic primary, but also claimed that "no less a progressive Democrat than Barack Obama chose to support his candidacy" after the primary — a complete fiction.

Arizona Republican Calls For McCain's Resignation

Arizona State Rep. Russell Pierce, a staunch conservative Republican who is a critic of the immigration bill, has called upon John McCain to resign from the Senate over his absenteeism. "We need a Senator," Pearce said. "I think if McCain wants to be a full-time candidate and not be at the Senate, he ought to consider resigning."

Poll: GOP In Third Place In Self-Identification; Bush Approval at 32%

A new Hotline/Diageo poll finds that the GOP is in third place in self-identification by registered voters. Democrats have 35% of voters, 28% say they are Independents, and a mere 26% say they are Republicans. President Bush's approval rating, meanwhile, checks in at 32%; only 23% of independents approve of his performance.

House Dem Staffer To Leadership: Clean Up Your Message On Iraq

A staffer for a House Dem tells the Democratic leadership that it's time to clean up its message on the no-timetables Iraq War funding bill.

Chris Dodd Will Vote Against No-Withdrawal Iraq Bill

The Senator explains his decision here. Still unknown: How will Hillary and Obama vote?

Rudy Allies Hitting Back At Jerry Hauer

Rudy Giuliani's people are striking back at Jerry Hauer, who has questioned the validity of Rudy's Hero-of-9/11 image by talking about Rudy's decision to place the emergency command center in the World Trade Center complex — by bringing up a 2004 TV appearance where Hauer solidly stood by the decision:

Rudy Pans McCain Immigration Bill

Rudy Giuliani is blasting the proposed immigration bill coming from John McCain and other Senators. "I've gone over this thing about four times. I'm a lawyer," Giuliani said. "I've actually written laws, argued cases. I'm having a hard time understanding this law."

Senate Halves Number of Guest Workers

A Democratic amendment to the immigration bill passed 74-24 in the Senate, cutting the number of guest workers from 400,000 to 200,000. — T. W. Farnam

Boehner's Office On "Piece Of Shit" Remark: "An Off-The-Cuff Wisecrack"

A spokesman for John Boehner has responded to reports that he called the immigration bill a "piece of shit" at a private fundraiser: "Mr. Boehner’s comment was nothing but an off-the-cuff wisecrack made jokingly during a private gathering. While he has serious concerns about the Senate bill, it’s unfortunate that this comment in particular found its way into print."

Bill Richardson: To Latinos, I'm "Bill Richardson Lopez"

Bill Richardson has a strategy for reaching out to the Latino community, and letting them know that he is one of them despite the Anglo family name passed down from his paternal grandfather: "I am saying 'It's Bill Richardson Lopez and I am one of you and I would like you to consider me, not because I am Hispanic but because I have the best program for the country.'" In the Spanish-speaking world, it is not uncommon for people to mainly use their father's surname, but occasionally tack on their mother's maiden name afterwards — such as Markos "Kos" Moulitsas, who sometimes goes by Markos Moulitsas Zúniga.

Right-Wing Press Really Loves Ann Romney

Ben Smith has unearthed what may be the worst example of political writing we've ever seen.

Romney Blasts ABC For Revealing Covert Activity In Iran

Mitt Romney has come out strongly against ABC News' reporting of covert CIA activity to undermine the Iranian government: "The reporting has the potential of jeopardizing our national security, stated quite plainly, it has the potential of affecting human life, we may never know."

Romney Camp Silent On Massachusetts-Bashing Ad And The Boston Media Market

A fun post-script to an ad we highlighted today from Mitt Romney's campaign, which speaks ill of liberal-leaning Massachusetts, where Romney served as Governor: The campaign is declining so far to say whether the ad will run on Boston channels that reach part of New Hampshire.

Edwards Pick Up Labor-Friendly NJ State Senator's Support

John Edwards has been endorsed by New Jersey State Senator Stephen Sweeney, who is the head of an ironworkers union and chairs the Senate Labor Committee. Edwards is also supported by former state Labor Commissioner A.J. Sabath, former Governor and current State Senate President Richard Codey, and others in the legislature.

Bush's Rating Hits Sustained Trough In Rasmussen

Rasmussen Reports, the polling firm that has tended to give President Bush his best approval ratings, has recorded President Bush's approval rating at 35% or below for the last seven days, his lowest showing ever with them. In the last week, the President has broken his all-time low approval record with them twice, first sinking to 34%, and then 33%.

Lobbyists: Hey, We Really Want To Help Obama

Some lobbyists are reportedly unnerved by Barack Obama's policy of not accepting contributions from lobbyists — they sincerely want to see him win, and would like to help out. "Most people really want to help him," said one anonymous K Streeter, talking about lobbyists who would like to donate to Obama's campaign. "They are thinking further down the road, doing what lobbyists do: plan and strategize."

McCain Loses Top South Carolina Staffer

McCain campaign South Carolina political director Brad Henry (not to be confused with the Democratic Governor of Oklahoma, of the same name) has quit the campaign, and is going back to work for State Attorney General Henry McMaster, who has endorsed McCain.

Huckabee Says He's Okay Being A Lesser-Known For Now

Mike Huckabee says he's fine with being towards the back of the pack for now, as that will focus scrutiny on the top three contenders "Have they ever taken a position that's consistent and stuck with it?" said Huckabee during a visit to Texas, where he endorsed a national sales tax to replaced existing federal taxes.

Kucinich Opposes Iraq Hydrocarbon Law

Dennis Kucinich is voicing his strong opposition to any Iraqi benchmark that calls for passage of the proposed Hydrocarbon Act, as well as the proposed act itself. Kucinich said, "We must not be a party to any attempt by multi-national oil companies to take over Iraq’s oil resources. This is an outrageous exploitation of a nation torn apart by American intervention."

Tancredo Responds To Reported Support From David Duke

Tom Tancredo responded to an interviewer's question about reports that his campaign has been endorsed by David Duke: "I don’t know what David Duke likes about me and I don’t know what to do about it. You know, I am a compassionate person. What I say about immigration has nothing to do with racism. Nada. My press secretary’s name is Carlos Espinosa."

Mary Cheney Gives Birth

Vice President Cheney's openly gay daughter Mary has given birth to a boy, Samuel David Cheney. Mary Cheney was impregnated by artificial insemination, and will raise the boy with her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe.

New Hampshire State Senate Committee Preserves State's Libertarian Heritage

In New Hampshire, the State Senate Transportation and Interstate Cooperation Committee has recommended the defeat of a bill to require seatbelt usage while driving. The bill will still likely come up for a vote on the floor, but this does not bode well for passage. New Hampshire is the last state in the Union that does not outlaw driving without buckling up.

How Much Do People Lie To Pollsters About Their Own Participation?

If the new Hotline/Diageo poll is to be believed, the American people are extremely active in party politics. In response to the question: "Thinking now about primary elections for national, state and local office, how often would you say you vote in your party's primary?", 64% of respondents said they always vote in party primaries, and 23% said they nearly always vote in primaries. Compare this to yesterday's Kentucky primary, which had a turnout of around 20% of registered voters, a pretty good result for a heavily contested race.

Atrios makes some strong points in arguing that Congressional Dems should vote against the no-timelines Iraq War funding bill:

Right now they've established the worst of all worlds: they appear to have lost; they've done nothing to halt the war; they've put up a bogus bill which if they support will allow conservative Republicans to continue to screech while letting Republicans in swing districts vote for it and claim they've done something to tie the president's hands. If this is the bill, let it be a Republican bill.

On that score, it's worth noting that the Dem leadership still hasn't figured out what its messaging should be here. Dem Rep. Rahm Emanuel, for instance, is out there praising the effort as "the beginning of the end of the President's policy on Iraq," and Dem Senate leader Harry Reid has made similar noises. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is so disappointed that she's voting against the bill. If this is the successful effort Emanuel and Reid claim it is, why is Pelosi saying she may vote against it?

The Dems -- reflexively -- want to claim some measure of victory here. After all, you have to "win," otherwise D.C. pundits will call you a loser. But as a Dem House staffer remarked to me earlier today, why bother declaring victory here at all? It wasn't a victory. The President basically got his way, and the Dems didn't. And that's fine -- let that be the story. As the staffer suggests, why not acknowledge that this is a crappy bill -- and let it be seen as the President getting his way? Dems had to pass this bill because the Commander in Chief wouldn't let the Dem Congress do what the American people wanted it to do.

"Never mind declaring victory," this staffer says. Indeed. This policy belongs to the people who "won" -- the President and the GOP.

John Edwards makes no effort to conceal the fact that his foreign policy views have changed. To his credit, he frequently says he was wrong in voting for the Iraq War, for instance.

Today Edwards made big news during his foreign policy speech by blasting the phrase "war on terror" and saying that it was a "bumper sticker" slogan that was actually weakening the U.S. internationally.

But Edwards didn't always look askance at the phrase. He used it repeatedly during the 2004 campaign, a quick Nexis search shows. On CNN on October 21, 2004, he said that stopping terrorists before they harm us is "by far the most effective way to win this war on terrorism." A few days earlier he said that Bush's Iraq invasion had turned "the focus away from the war on terror." There are other examples from that year and before.

Edwards' critics and rivals will argue that this proves that his move to the "left" on foreign policy issues is born of optimism. But perhaps his views on this genuinely evolved, just as they did on his war vote. So what's the explanation? An Edwards campaign adviser emails us the following:

John Edwards has seen the Bush administration use the phrase to justify everything they do. So although he believes that there are terrorists and terrorism, the phrase itself has become a political tool the right uses to justify whatever they want to do -- like Guantanamo, like Abu Ghraib, like warrentless wiretapping of Americans here at home.

Has he used the phrase before? Yes. He has and does believe that America should fight individual terrorists and terrorist groups when they pose a real threat. But as a political doctrine, as a slogan, as a universal justification it must be rejected because of what Bush and friends have done with it, because it?'s backfired, making America less safe.

Whaddaya think?

The scoop of the day in the Presidential race is this Associated Press story saying that a member of Hillary's campaign wrote an internal memo making the case for why she should skip the caucuses in Iowa, where John Edwards is leading in the polls.

As you know, that guy Hillary is married to skipped Iowa in 1992 en route to the White House, making the story that much more sensitive.

But she's not skipping Iowa, however. Hillary spokesman Phil Singer emails over the following:

Senator Clinton and her campaign are unequivocally committed to competing in Iowa. Senator Clinton will be in Iowa the next three weekends, our staff continues to grow each week -- in fact, we have more than doubled the size of our field staff in the past month alone -- and we’ve got over ten offices across the state. The memo reflects the thoughts proposed by one member of our staff and it is not the opinion of the campaign or of Senator Clinton.

As Ben Smith aptly notes, perhaps the really interesting question here is "the fact that multiple, anonymous, `senior,' Clinton aides would describe such a memo on background," despite the Hillary camp's notorious discipline.

Okay, Joe Klein has just sent me an email responding to the scathing criticism of him contained in former Kerry strategist Bob Shrum's forthcoming book.

And Klein's response is worth dwelling over, because it sheds some fascinating light on -- and reveals some interesting insidery details about -- the relationship between two significant D.C. players, Klein and Kerry.

A quick recap. Shrum is about to release a new memoir of his campaign experiences called No Excuses: Confessions of a Serial Campaigner. The book is already stirring all sorts of D.C. chatter because it reportedly has a bunch of behind-the-scenes tell-all detail about Shrum's work for various campaigns, including the 2004 Kerry effort.

Over at TNR, Michael Crowley has posted an excerpt from the book containing a particularly eyebrow-raising series of criticisms of Klein:

Klein himself was trying to play many parts. He was not only reporting on the campaign and preparing to write a book about consultants; he was also a constant critic and yet another sometime adviser. After the Kerry appearance at the Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner, he told [Kerry spokesman] David Wade: "Great speech, but it's too late"--then turned around and stalked away. With Klein, it was almost always too late for us, in part because we didn't always take his persistent advice. He would chastise Kerry on the phone when he didn't like a speech, counseling both Kerry and me about what the canddiate should say and what our strategy should be. He argued to Kerry, for example, that his health care plan should call for an individual mandate, requiring all Americans to buy health insurance. Rejecting his advice was uncomfortable for Kerry, who liked Joe, craved his approval, and worried what his columns would say when we didn't take his recommendations.

Shrum also added that a mutual friend of both men brokered "several long evenings at Joe's house where he importuned me with his ideas for the Kerry campaign."

As you can see, Shrum is asserting flatly that Klein aggressively tried to advise Kerry on political and policy matters -- an overstepping of bounds for a journalist, and an uncomfortable, though not-unheard-of, role for a pundit. Shrum is also insinuating -- though not outright charging -- that the threat of bad coverage from Klein hovered over any decision Kerry made not to follow Klein's advice.

Eyebrow-raising stuff. But how true is it?

We emailed Klein for comment, and he just sent over a long response. Check it out after the jump.

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The full text of John Edwards' speech today at the Council on Foreign Relations is now available. It's after the jump. Let us know what you think in comments.

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John Edwar