"Inside Politics"
September 7, 2003
POLITICAL POINTS
Tripped Up at the Debate
By MICHAEL JANOFSKY - [The New York Times]
There is debate prep, and there is debate prep.
Behind the scenes at Thursday's Democratic presidential debate in Albuquerque, it appeared that few candidates gave much thought to the act of walking out onstage to take their places. Howard Dean appropriately enough, was the first to appear, receiving hearty applause as he entered from stage right and made his way to the far left. But it could be said that, on the long march to his lectern, at least, he peaked too early: at the third lectern, that of former Senator Carol Moseley Braun, he tripped over the riser that had been set up for her so she would not appear too short. Senator Edwards was next, smoothly striding to his own place without stumbling, but also without attracting as much attention. Representative Richard A. Gephardt followed, walking a bit laboriously across the stage to greet his rivals, but for his trouble he, too, tripped over Ms. Braun's riser.
Senator Kerry, the tallest contender at 6 feet 4, pointed to Representative Dennis Kucinich's riser and facetiously asked why he had not been given one too. Senator Lieberman, who like Dr. Dean also stood on a riser, revealed his own onstage bit of debate-prep business: when the cameras were aimed elsewhere, he whipped out a stick of lip balm and girded for verbal combat.
Loyal to Bush,
Up to a Point
Representative Patrick J. Toomey, a three-term Republican from Allentown, Pa., has been one of President Bush's staunchest allies, voting consistently for policies promoted by the White House. Such loyalty would be rewarded, yes? Not necessarily.
Mr. Toomey, who is stepping down to mount a primary challenge next year against Senator Arlen Specter, slammed straight into a White House policy on whom it supports. Never mind that Mr. Specter, a four-term moderate, has frequently annoyed the Bush administration by siding with Democrats. It's an election year. "Senior administration politicos told us it was official White House policy to support incumbents," said Mark Dion, Mr. Toomey's chief of staff.
Recruiter Rove:
Hard to Resist
No sooner had Senator Peter G. Fitzgerald of Illinois announced that he would not seek a second term than President Bush's chief political strategist, Karl Rove, was on the phone to Jim Edgar, the former Illinois governor, with a simple message, as Mr. Edgar recalled: "We want you to run."
A few days later, Mr. Edgar's phone rang again. This time it was Mr. Bush himself, urging him to "think about it." Then he got a follow-up from Mr. Rove.
The same friendly persuasion has played out countless times since Mr. Bush took office. In the 2002 election cycle, the results were outstanding. Republicans extended their majority in the House by six seats and regained control of the Senate.
This year, the going has been tougher. Despite the arm-twisting, Mr. Edgar and a host of others with impressive credentials and name recognition have resisted Mr. Rove's entreaties ? some for family reasons, some for interest in a different office. The group includes Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, Representative Jim Gibbons of Nevada, Representative Jennifer Dunn of Washington, former Gov. Ed Schaefer of North Dakota and Housing Secretary Mel Martinez, a Floridian.
Though he resisted the appeals of Mr. Rove, Mr. Edgar said he was impressed that the White House was taking such an aggressive approach to recruitment.
It was not welcome news to Mr. Rove, an important presidential aide who likes to get his way. "He was genuinely surprised and disappointed," Mr. Edgar said. "I could hear the tone of his voice."
But it was welcome news to the Democrats. Senator Jon Corzine of New Jersey, the chief fund-raiser for Democratic Senate candidates, declared in a fund-raising letter about to come out: "By any account, this has been a hopeless summer for G.O.P. Senate recruiting efforts."
Back in Fray
After the Tears
Enid Greene is back, and it has been quite a while since she left.
Once a rising Republican star in the House from Salt Lake City, she served only one term, which was most memorable for an extraordinary news conference of more than four hours, during which she cried a lot and accused Joe Waldholtz, who was her husband at the time, of "tricking" her. A judge later agreed, sending him to prison for three years for a check-kiting scheme that had spiked her 1994 campaign coffers by $3 million.
Now, Ms. Greene has resurfaced. She was recently elected vice chairwoman of the Utah Republican Party, a job she said could propel her back into elective office.
3-Legged Cat
Seeking Fame
Right now the most famous pet in America is a Scottish terrier named Barney. But if a Democrat moves into the White House, it could be a parakeet ? or a three-legged cat.
Each candidate was asked to identify the current family pet. Only three Democrats have one. Dick Gephardt has a yellow Lab named Zach. Howard Dean has a three-legged cat named Katie. John Kerry has a German shepherd named Kim and a parakeet named Sunshine.
Mudslinging
At Cyberspeed
If you're slinging mud, sling it properly. Sling it out loud, on the record, and take the heat. Or, whisper it discreetly to one or two trusted reporters.
Aides to various Democratic presidential contenders have revved the spin cycle to a new speed. In the hours after Thursday night's candidates' debate in Albuquerque, snarky e-mail messages to the news media ? in the guise of helpful information ? flew through cyberspace to the reporters covering the debate. The campaigns apparently figured that they could influence the write-ups on the speech, and escape with clean hands.
So they thought.
Example No. 1: An aide to Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut circulated an 800-word missive, labeled ON BACKGROUND, blasting Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor, for supporting positions on trade that would cost the United States "more than $1.2 trillion and nearly 8.2 million jobs each year."
Such positions, the writer said, are "clear . . . and reckless."
Example No. 2: A mid-level aide to Senator John Edwards dashed off a note "for your off-the-record review" that included a recent Associated Press article from Orangeburg, S.C., instructing Democratic candidates how to appeal to South Carolinians. The point seemed to be that most do not, with the possible exception, of course, of Mr. Edwards.
Example No. 3: Someone working for Senator Bob Graham of Florida sent around a one-pager "For Background Purposes Only," criticizing Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts for making an issue of his military service in Vietnam. Its title: "John Kerry: The Political Convenience of Vietnam."
Maybe that's why one mailbox is called "trash."
Week Ahead
For a high-profile candidate, Howard Dean got off easy in last week's debate among the Democratic presidential contenders. Only Joe Lieberman and Dennis Kucinich whacked him. The field's next chance is Tuesday night in Baltimore, where all the Democrats but Bob Graham have committed to a debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus. This much is certain: The White House will be watching. It will be on Fox, the network of choice at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. |
