Tag Archives: clinton

Political Circus: McCain vs. Seacrest

Posted on November 5, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — Politics is serious business — but not all of the time. From the halls of Congress to the campaign trail, there’s always something that gets a laugh. Here are some of the things you might have missed.

Fightin’ words

Radio host/jack-of-all-trades Ryan Seacrest lashed out on his website at Meghan McCain after she criticized President Obama’s decision to appear on Seacrest’s show before Tuesday’s election.

Seacrest fought back on his nationally syndicated radio show. “She thinks ["On Air with Ryan Seacrest"] is just lowbrow,” he said. “I just want to be clear — it is the lowbrow show she wanted to be on twice to come promote her stuff.”

As he says on “American Idol” — Seacrest out.

Like a scene from ‘Gone with the Wind’

From Friday’s White House pool report from political website The Daily Caller: “At 9:48 POTUS and FLOTUS exited the south Portico and boarded Marine One. POTUS wore no coat over his suit, but FLOTUS wore a fashionable tan or light brown coat. POTUS put his hand on FLOTUS’ back as they walked and looked over at her, appearing to say something. And with that, the first couple was off for southeast Asia.” (The abbreviations stand for “president of the United States” and “first lady of the United States.”)

Watch where you put that hatchet

Former Delaware Senate rivals Chris Coons and Christine O’Donnell took part Thursday in a time-honored tradition in the state by burying the hatchet — literally, The Delaware News Journal reports.

Time to make the coffee

The New York Daily News reports on former President George W. Bush’s daily ritual since leaving the White House, saying his “internal alarm clock” makes him wake up before 5 a.m. And he’s taken on a more domestic role by making coffee for his wife, Laura. When outside, it’s all adventure: “He hits dirt-bike trails around Dallas regularly.”

First chef of New York?

New York governor-elect Andrew Cuomo’s girlfriend — cooking sensation Sandra Lee — won’t be taking on the title of first lady or any official duties, the Daily News reports. Cuomo’s staff says Lee “would never expect any taxpayer dollar to support the contributions she makes nor would she want to burden the state in any way.”

Notable quotable

“Tuesday night, voters completely rejected the efforts of a charismatic African-American. … Rick Fox is off ‘Dancing with the Stars.’” — NBC’s Jay Leno

The picture you need to see

From Getty Images: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton receives a Hongi (Maori greeting) during a welcome ceremony at New Zealand’s Parliament on Thursday.

Headline of the day

From Reuters:“Putin to Bush: My dog bigger than yours”

Late-night laughs

David Letterman: “[Sarah Palin] says she wants limited government. … Does she mean fewer elected officials? Or few elected officials who will resign in the middle of their term? I think limited government will be perfect for her limited abilities.”

Jon Stewart mocking the White House press corps: “Uh, Mr. President, Tom Patterson, UPI. Do you suck? Quick follow-up: do you suck so bad you don’t even know how sucky you are? I would like your answer in the form of ‘you suck.’”

Jimmy Fallon: “In his new book, George W. Bush says he considered dropping Dick Cheney from the 2004 ticket because he wanted to demonstrate he was in charge — not Cheney. But then Cheney nixed the idea, so it went back to normal. He didn’t do it.”

Political Circus: McCain vs. Seacrest

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Meek story shows Dems’ Senate fears

Posted on October 29, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — The point that many people seem to be missing in the Florida Senate saga is that this whole mess actually has very little to do with Rep. Kendrick Meek or the Sunshine State — it’s all about a much broader fear among senior Democrats that they may be about to lose control of the chamber.

There are some fascinating inside details I’ve been able to piece together about how and why this Meek story exploded into the public.

In the words of one senior Democratic Party official, the Meek story came to a head because former President Bill Clinton “flew into a purple rage” about the Democratic candidate breaking a private pledge to him to get out of the Senate race and endorse independent candidate Charlie Crist.

But a source close to Clinton said he “never saw anything close” to rage from the former president, who is at peace with how this wound up.

“He always believed this was Meek’s decision,’ said the source close to Clinton.

As for the Obama adminstiration’s role in this, I’m told by senior Democratic officials that while White House aides were in the loop on the Clinton-Meek talks, they were not driving the conversation and were not lobbying Meek to go.

Video: Meek: I’m not dropping out

Video: Clinton sets record straight

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I’m also told that senior officials deliberately kept President Obama out of the loop on these behind-the-scenes conversations because they did not want to get him personally tainted by the Meek story. That came no doubt in part because they didn’t want it to blow up in his face like the botched attempt to get Joe Sestak out of the Democratic primary in the Pennsylvania Senate race so many months ago. (Clinton was the intermediary then, too).

But all the jockeying and horse-trading is really just a sideshow. The real story is how bad the broader electoral map has gotten for Democrats heading into the final weekend of this midterm election: Top Democratic officials privately say they believe they are going to lose the House, but as they survey the country they are getting increasingly worried they will also lose the Senate.

These Democratic officials tell me they’ve reviewed private polling numbers that suggest Sen. Patty Murray of Washington has a razor-thin lead of about two points over Republican Dino Rossi despite all kinds of help from the president and first lady Michelle Obama, among others.

They’re also deeply worried about whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada can beat Republican Sharron Angle, so suddenly the “firewall” out West to keep control of the Senate might be more like a crumbling brick wall.

These Democratic officials also say in private that they think Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin is likely to lose to Republican Ron Johnson and they’re worried enough about Obama’s old Senate seat that the president is heading home to Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday night for a rescue mission to again help Democratic candidate Alexi Giannoulias in his battle with Republican Mark Kirk.

Thanks to that awful landscape, Democratic officials made the brutal political calculation to try to toss Meek aside, because if Crist somehow beats Republican Marco Rubio in the three-way battle, he has indicated he will align himself with Democrats. A Crist victory would offset a potential loss in another state like Nevada or Wisconsin to help keep the Senate in the party’s hands.

“It’s got nothing to do with Florida,” one senior Democratic Party official told me about the story that’s rocked the state. “Except that if Kendrick was at 25 percent [in the polls] there may have been some sense that he was driving African-American votes that [Democratic gubernatorial candidate] Alex Sink couldn’t get on her own.”

Instead, Meek is stuck at 15 percent in the latest Quinnipiac University poll, a distant third place behind Rubio (42 percent) and Crist (35 percent). My sources say that given that grim political reality, several top Democrats have been privately encouraging Meek to step aside for the good of the party and Clinton was brought in as the “closer” to help seal the deal.

For several days over the last week or so, Clinton believed he had persuaded Meek to throw his support to Crist. I’m told that one of many scenarios had Crist and Meek joining up this past Tuesday at an event in Florida, but there was also another more dramatic scenario: The two candidates would shock the political world by getting together shortly after last Sunday morning’s CNN debate among the three candidates moderated by Candy Crowley.

But two people close to Meek persuaded him to reconsider: his wife and Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida, both of whom made the case that he would upset his supporters, especially African-American voters who had already turned out in early voting, and jeopardize his career long-term.

At one point, Democratic officials say Meek went into “radio silence” mode, infuriating Clinton and others as they waited to see if the congressman would follow through on his private promise to get out of the race. When Meek finally emerged to tell party officials that he was staying in, Clinton was unhappy.

Shortly thereafter, the story was leaked to Politico, causing some chaos. The leak sent the message to the Democratic base that the party hierarchy does not believe that Meek can win, so the rank and file might prefer to vote for Crist instead of throwing their vote on Meek.

Top Republicans are laughing at this strategy and the broader Democratic claim that the Florida seat is still winnable for Crist. One said, “I think a fair question for the White House is this: What does it tell your Democratic base to see that senior party officials are willing to throw an incumbent African-American Democrat congressman under the bus in place of a former Republican who campaigned against the health care bill and on a pro-life platform?”

In fact, I asked top Democratic officials if it’s really worth it to try to push Meek out, even though the whole plan has now been exposed and it appears the congressman will not budge. The consensus was yes, it’s worth it simply because holding on to the Senate is the Democrat’s sole chance of keeping some power on Capitol Hill.

One senior official was particularly blunt in saying the goal among top Democrats now is to get Meek’s numbers even lower than 15 percent in the polls, perhaps even below 10 percent, in the hopes that he goes so low that Crist gets a surge of support and pulls out a comeback victory. But is this really worth the risk of dropping one of your own Democrats down below 10 percent?

“Who cares if Charlie Crist wins and he caucuses with Democrats?” this Democratic official said bluntly, adding that this strategy is critical “especially if we don’t hold on out West” in some of the other Senate battles.

In other words, time to tighten the seat belts. Tuesday might be even bumpier than expected.

Meek story shows Dems’ Senate fears

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Where are Bush, Cheney as election nears?

Posted on October 22, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — Dick Cheney is certainly not one to hold back on how he really feels. George W. Bush, on the other hand, has been mum.

Despite their differing approaches to handling the post-White House years, their absence on the campaign trail has been obvious.

“The former president has been very quiet since leaving the White House in 2008, other than appearances related to fundraising and the establishment of his presidential library,” said political analyst Bill Crane. “The vice president has primarily been visible on issues such as national defense and has traditionally not been the strongest fundraising draw.”

Cheney also has been dealing with health troubles — undergoing heart surgery in July and spending the bulk of his time since then recovering.

But that is not stopping him. The 69-year-old soon will embark on a 10-stop speaking tour this year, with additional plans next year when his memoirs are slated to come out.

While conservatives adore the former vice president, they understand that he is a polarizing figure, especially to independents, a vital voting bloc in any election.

“Conservatives would love to see Dick Cheney be more vocal,” said S.E. Cupp, a conservative blogger and co-author of the book “Why You’re Wrong about the Right.” “But at the same time, he’s not an idiot and neither are conservatives. He realizes that while that might energize the conservative base, that might not win over many independents who have a very bitter taste in their mouth from the Bush administration.”

And it shows in the polls.

A USA Today/Gallup Poll in early September found that 71 percent said Bush should get blame for the country’s economic troubles. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll taken at the same time indicated that 53 percent blamed Bush and Republicans for causing the current economic conditions, while 33 percent blamed President Obama and Democrats.

Those numbers may be why Tea Party-backed candidates such as Republican Sharron Angle and Ken Buck have made a name for themselves and are neck and neck in the polls against their Democratic opponents. They tout themselves as outside the Washington fray.

Washington insiders such as House Minority Leader John Boehner and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele are likely seen as a part of the problem to voters disenchanted with Washington.

“There’s a reason why so many of these conservative candidates are not going to John Boehner to help them to campaign,” Cupp said. “They kind of want to do it on their own to have at least an appearance of being grass-roots and unaffiliated.”

Democratic strategist Mark Siegel, who served under former President Carter, said Bush’s presence on the campaign trail would hurt the GOP candidates’ message that they would govern differently than the previous administration.

“Democrats have been saying over and over again that if you elect these new Republicans we’re just going to go back to the way things were,” he said.

Crane argues that Bush’s absence has more to do with respect.

“President Bush’s father took a similar approach during the Clinton years,” Crane said. “Having spent some time around the family … this is more about their respect for the office … as opposed to ‘fear’ by GOP challengers and incumbents about being connected with Bush, in my humble opinion.”

But Bush soon will appear from his so-called hiding when his book “Decision Points” is released on November 9. He is expected to give exclusive interviews and make appearances — after the November 2 election.

The ex-president has released a YouTube video previewing his upcoming book. In the video, Bush says he decided to take an “untraditional approach” to his memoir, forgoing an “exhaustive, chronological account of my life and years in office.”

CNN Political Ticker: Bush on ‘What I got right, what I got wrong’

Cupp said that Bush’s media blitz after the election is most likely due to his own political savvy.

“I don’t think he wants anyone to be able to say, ‘If Bush just hadn’t had said that or done that or gone there, maybe I could have won,’ ” she said. “It’s self-protection for one. I think he wants to stay out of the headlines for a bit.”

She added that this understanding of the political climate right now may be behind his decision to stay out of the spotlight.

And that is something Democrats have seized on.

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden repeatedly have invoked Bush’s name on the campaign trail — talking points that more than likely originated from a poll this summer by the Benenson Strategy Group, the president’s chief polling firm, for Third Way, a moderate think tank.

Conducted June 19-22 of 1,100 likely voters, the poll found that Bush’s economic principles are “almost universally rejected” by a large margin — and merely bringing up the former president’s name causes a swing in attitudes.

When respondents were asked whether they would prefer a candidate who “will stick with President Barack Obama’s economic policies” or “one who will return to President George W. Bush’s economic policies,” the result was a 15-point advantage for the Obama approach.

Read more about Democrats’ Bush bashing

But a lot has changed since then.

According to CNN/Opinion Research poll in October, Americans are divided over whether Obama or Bush performed better in the White House.

By 47 percent to 45 percent, Americans say Obama is a better president than Bush. But that margin is down from a 23-point advantage a year ago.

“Democrats may want to think twice about bringing up former President George W. Bush’s name while campaigning this year,” said Keating Holland, CNN’s polling director.

Many moderate Democrats in hard-fought battles this year are shying away from being seen with the president — but are putting out the welcome mat for another one: Bill Clinton.

He has stumped in conservative areas for Blue Dog Democrats and is a real asset for Democrats across the board, Siegel said.

“Bill Clinton is not governing now. And when you think back to his presidency, at least economically, you think about a booming economy and surpluses, fiscally responsible,” he said. “I could see how he would be a tremendous plus. Bubba in the South — very, very popular culturally … popular among the people who are going to be determining the fate of a lot of Blue Dog Democrats.”

Where are Bush, Cheney as election nears?

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Bill Clinton stumps for former rival in California

Posted on October 16, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Los Angeles, California (CNN) — Talk about burying the hatchet. When former President Bill Clinton turned out to rally for California Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown on Friday night, the former rivals hugged and made up. Really, they embraced.

The two have a bitter political history dating to 1992, when they ran against each other in the Democratic presidential primary.

Back then, Brown earned Clinton’s animus by refusing to drop out until well after it was clear Clinton had locked up the nomination.

Speaking before a crowd on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, Brown heaped praise on the former president.

“Let me tell you about President Clinton. I don’t need to say much. Not only was he great in office, but he has been great after he left office,” Brown said. “He didn’t retire to Palm Springs to play golf, he’s out there doing stuff. He’s helping people in Haiti. He’s fighting AIDS.”

Video: Why the California race matters

Video: Clinton instead of Obama?

Video: 2 presidents on the trail

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He cheered the former president for “motivating … the highest angles of our spirit.”

Clinton returned the favor, telling the crowd of screaming students, “I’ve known Jerry Brown for almost 35 years. When we were governors together, we strongly supported to push for green energy … he knew it was good economics when most people thought it was a fools errand.”

Reviewing Brown’s history as a two-term California governor, then mayor of Oakland and now attorney general, he enthused, “I watched him consistently choose the future over the present, but not take a meat axe to the present” insisting “that’s what you need now.”

Brown is in a tight race with former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, who has funded her campaign with more than $119 million of her own money.

It was Whitman who first brought Clinton into this race — when she ran an ad featuring old footage of then-Gov. Clinton ripping into Brown during the 1992 campaign.

A clearly irked Brown responded by making a snarky remark about Clinton’s honesty and tossing in a reference to the affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Brown later said he called Clinton’s office to apologize and the former president announced plans to endorse his old rival.

There were times during Clinton’s speech that Brown seemed to lose patience, staring at the ground or stonily straight ahead.

But there were no openly tense moments.

For most of his remarks, the former president talked about the economy, accusing Republicans of digging America into a fiscal ditch and insisting “the last thing you want to do is put the shovel brigade back in the hole.”

He made a special appeal to the crowd of mostly college students, imploring them “if young people vote as the same percentage of the electorate they did two years ago, then the good guys win.”

He also gave praise to the other candidate on the stage, lieutenant governor hopeful Gavin Newsom, who is a Clinton friend and a supporter of Hillary Clinton’s candidacy during the last election.

But Clinton offered a special compliment for Brown.

“He’s the only politician in America I’ve heard say this except me” and went on to insist that “as horrible” as the recession has been “when we come out of it, if we learn right lessons from it, we will be stronger for it.”

He criticized Whitman’s policy positions and closed with a Brown endorsement saying, “The candidates have radically different ideas: one will lead us to a brighter future and the other will lead us to a movie we’ve seen before.”

When they left the stage, the former adversaries went their separate ways. Brown walked off while Clinton worked the ropeline, crossing through the barricade and into the crowd to shake hands with just about every waiting visitor.

Bill Clinton stumps for former rival in California

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White House denies Obama-Clinton ticket in the works

Posted on October 6, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — White House spokesman Robert Gibbs is pouring cold water on the red-hot speculation — fueled by journalist Bob Woodward in a CNN interview — that President Barack Obama may create a so-called “dream ticket” of Obama-Clinton in his 2012 re-election battle.

“No one in the White House is discussing this as a possibility,” Gibbs told CNN Wednesday morning.

The speculation that Obama may dump Vice President Joe Biden as his running mate and shift him over to the secretary of state job — moving current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the VP slot — was sparked by Woodward in an interview Tuesday night with CNN’s Chief National Correspondent John King.

“It’s on the table,” Woodward said on “John King, USA.” “Some of Hillary Clinton’s advisers see it as a real possibility in 2012.”

Obama advisers outside the White House note privately that it’s significant that Woodward attributed the theory to Clinton advisers and not White House aides or Obama advisers, signaling this may only have traction among Clinton supporters hoping she would move one step closer to the Oval Office and be set up as the likely Democratic nominee for president in 2016.

Video: Woodward: ‘Hard to be president’

Woodward is the author of “Obama’s Wars,” a book that takes a close look at deliberations between Obama, Biden, Clinton and all of the other top players inside the White House over sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. The journalist suggested Tuesday that Obama will need his secretary of state to bring the party together in two years.

“President Obama needs some of the women, Latinos, retirees that she did so well with during the [2008] primaries and, so they switch jobs, not out of the question, and the other interesting question is, Hillary Clinton could run in her own right in 2016 and be younger than Ronald Reagan when he was elected president,” he said.

Clinton will be 69 years old and three months in January 2017. President Ronald Reagan was just shy of his 70th birthday in January, 1980.

“Now you talk to Hillary Clinton or her advisers and they say ‘no, no there’s not a political consideration here,’” Woodward continued. “Of course the answer is — you point out to them that her clout around the world when she goes to Europe, Asia, anywhere, is in part, not just because she’s secretary of state or because she was married to President Clinton, (but) that people see a potential future president in her.”

Back in 2008, Biden also suggested that as former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, his dream job was secretary of state. But Democratic officials privately say that after getting a taste of the number-two job as vice president, they find it hard to believe Biden still wants to be secretary of state, which would now be seen as a step down.

White House denies Obama-Clinton ticket in the works

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Meek gets a hand from pal Clinton

Posted on September 9, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

(CNN) — It’s been a long time since U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and former President Clinton met at the Suwanee Swifty store in Tallahassee, Florida.

Clinton, during his 1992 presidential bid, needed to make a stop for deodorant after landing at the airport. Meek, then a state trooper, was assigned to Clinton’s detail and accompanied the Arkansas governor.

It’s a visit both would remember for a long time — and something that would solidify a friendship lasting nearly two decades.

“We stopped at the Suwanee Swifty on Lake Bradford Road, where then-Gov. Clinton picked up some underarm deodorant roll-on. And he commenced putting it on in front of the Suwanee Swifty. As the protector of the governor, I didn’t want him to go down putting on roll-on, but we bonded through the process,” Meek recently told reporters.

A year later, Clinton, now president, was in Miami for an event at a hotel, and Meek, still a state trooper, was again part of Clinton’s security detail. As the two were walking, the president turned around to Meek and made a comment along the lines of “We’re a long ways away from Suwanee Swifty,” said Adam Sharon, Meek’s campaign communications director.

“I think that really just stood out for him as being a remarkable memory — that President Clinton in all that he had gone through that year to become president — remembers a moment in time from a year prior with Kendrick, who was a state trooper at the time,” Sharon said.

Meek, 44, now faces a tough battle to become Florida’s next senator. The Democrat, first elected to Congress in 2002, faces off against Gov. Charlie Crist, an independent, and Republican Marco Rubio.

When I first met Kendrick Meek, I knew he had the potential to become a strong leader and a fine public servant.
–Former President Clinton
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The congressman has received overwhelming support from Clinton on the campaign trail and at fundraisers before the August 24 Democratic primary. Meek squared off against billionaire Jeff Greene and won the race by double digits.

Clinton has made nine appearances for Meek. On Tuesday, the ex-president headlined a fundraiser that raked in $175,000, according to the campaign.

Clinton repeatedly has heaped praised on Meek, who represents the 17th Congressional District in South Florida.

“Almost 20 years ago, when I first met Kendrick Meek, I knew he had the potential to become a strong leader and a fine public servant,” Clinton said in a statement on Meek’s election website. “Kendrick has spent the last two decades faithfully serving the people of Florida, staying true to his core beliefs and giving everything he has to improving the lives of others.”

At a campaign event in Delray Beach in mid-August, Clinton said flat-out, “I love Kendrick Meek,” adding that “I also believe in my heart that he should be the next United States senator from Florida.”

And part of that love seems to stem from their commitment to Haiti.

Meek has been a vocal advocate on issues affecting the struggling nation. The former president’s affection for the nation and its people goes back to his honeymoon spent in the country and to his recent work there helping earthquake victims.

“There are many ways that they have come together. Obviously Florida is a critical state for any election and politics in general — but Haiti as well,” said Sharon, the campaign communications director. “Kendrick has always stood out as a leader on issues affecting the Haitian-American community and the nation of Haiti. Obviously, President Clinton has had a very long and deep tie to that nation and now in many ways more than ever.”

And then there is the relationship that further developed during the 2008 presidential election.

Kendrick spent months with the ex-president on the campaign trail in support of Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid.

The congressman said at the time that she was the Democratic candidate with the “perfect blend of leadership, talent and intellect to lead our nation in a new direction,” according to a Clinton campaign press release. He added that it was his “honor” to endorse her to become the next president.

Meek also was a senior adviser to the campaign.

His ringing endorsement and campaign help was certainly not lost on Clinton’s husband, a man known for cherishing loyalty among his ranks.

“Often on campaigns, that’s where relationships are only further cemented, and the ties become that much stronger,” Sharon said. “In all sorts of ways he has shown his support of Kendrick, and in large part it’s due to a friendship that is long-lasting, stretching back now almost two decades when both men were at different stages in their lives.”

Meek gets a hand from pal Clinton

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Settlements remain obstacle in talks

Posted on September 3, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — After two days of meetings and talks led by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Israeli and Palestinian leaders leave Washington deadlocked over the contentious issue of Israeli settlements.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met alone behind closed doors for more than an hour and a half Thursday in a State Department room just outside Clinton’s office. The one-on-one meeting followed their on-camera pledges to move the peace process forward and their hardy handshake with Clinton in the middle.

But several diplomatic sources involved in the summit said the two leaders emerged from their meeting in a stalemate over whether Israeli settlements should continue.

The two leaders met with Clinton to give a readout of their meeting.

According to Fadi Elsalameen, who accompanied Abbas, the two leaders were very blunt about their opposing views.

Video: Mitchell: ‘Two states, two peoples’

Video: Aide: Obama encouraged by talks

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Netanyahu is under pressure from the Palestinians and the Obama administration to extend a 10-month moratorium on building Israeli settlements in the disputed West Bank territory. That moratorium is set to expire September 26. Netanyahu’s conservative coalition government wants the Israeli prime minister to end the moratorium.

Elsalameen said that during the leaders’ private discussion, Abbas asked Netanyahu to extend the settlement freeze.

Netanyahu reportedly said, “I cannot extend.”

Elsalameen says Abbas responded, “Then I cannot continue.”

Before the summit even began, Abbas had threatened to abandon final status talks if Netanyahu allowed Israeli settlements to go forward. The Palestinian leader is trying to show he’ll keep his word.

Elsalameen said Clinton was asked about what would happen if Israel continued to expand the controversial Jewish settlements. Elsalameen said Clinton responded, as Obama had publicly stated, “Then all bets are off.”

Despite the standoff between the Palestinian and Israeli leadership, Elsalameen said that starting Sunday, their chief negotiators will meet on a daily basis to try to entertain compromises.

According to U.S., Israeli and Palestinian officials, the hope is that during those talks, some trust and confidence will be developed, and some of the other issues will be settled, possibly making it easier to find a formula for extending the moratorium.

The issue could then be discussed when Netanyahu and Abbas meet again in Egypt on September 14 and 15.

Both sides, and the Americans, fully expect some formula to be found at the last minute to extend the moratorium, the officials said. Obama told the leaders not to ruin this opportunity, according to the sources, and to make sure the 26th of September goes by quietly without incident

While nothing was agreed to, officials from both sides said the tone of this week’s talks was fairly decent, and they expressed cautious optimism. Netanyahu was apparently in a good mood after the meetings, and Abbas, who was nervous and tense the night before the talks, seemed to come away from them in a better mood. He didn’t feel pressured as he has been recently and was appearing to aides to be a little more relaxed and confident, they said.

Elsalameen said Abbas would be visiting Libya and Tunisia to drum up support for the Palestinian people.

CNN Senior State Department Producer Elise Labott contributed to this report.

Settlements remain obstacle in talks

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Egypt might host second round of Mideast peace talks

Posted on September 1, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — If this week’s Mideast peace talks brokered by the Obama administration go well, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is offering to host a second round of talks later this month in his country, according to two officials close to the talks.

The officials stressed to CNN that nothing is firm yet and there is a lot of progress that still needs to be accomplished starting with a dinner President Barack Obama is hosting Wednesday night with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House.

Mubarak also is attending the dinner along with King Abdullah of Jordan, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Mideast Quartet Representative Tony Blair. On Thursday, Clinton will be hosting Abbas and Netanyahu at the State Department in Washington for the actual start of direct talks between the two parties for the first time in nearly two years.

Ambassador Soliman Awaad, a spokesman for Mubarak, told reporters late Wednesday that Egypt is ready to host a second round of discussions between Abbas and Netanyahu at some point between now and September 26, when Israel’s 10-month moratorium on Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank will expire.

Abbas has declared that the peace talks will end if Israel does not extend the freeze on settlements, while Netanyahu is under great pressure within his country to end the moratorium altogether, just one of many difficult issues to be worked out.

Awaad warned that if the moratorium is not extended then “all bets are off” in terms of negotiations.

Egypt might host second round of Mideast peace talks

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Mitchell: ‘Window of opportunity’ in Mideast

Posted on September 1, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

Washington (CNN) — Fresh off a major speech on Iraq, President Obama on Wednesday turns his attention to the extremely difficult task of trying to broker Mideast peace, with his special envoy declaring there is a “window of opportunity” for Israeli and Palestinian leaders to achieve an historic deal within one year.

Former Sen. George Mitchell, Obama’s special envoy for Middle East Peace, told reporters at a briefing Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are paying close attention to polls in the Mideast which show fear there will be many more years of intense conflict if negotiations over a two-state solution collapse.

“Now, I believe that it is an awareness of these and other realities by the two leaders and their leadership that there is a window of opportunity,” said Mitchell. “A moment in time within which there remains the possibility of achieving the two-state solution, which is so essential to comprehensive peace in the region, that — difficult as it may be for both leaders, and we recognize that difficulty for both of them — the alternatives for them and the members of their societies pose far greater difficulties and far greater problems in the future.”

Several top officials close to the negotiations said it is hard to be optimistic about a peace deal right now, but hope springs eternal because at least the Israelis and Palestinians are meeting again after a year and a half of stalled talks. And Obama is getting more personally invested in the process this week because achieving a deal is one of his administration’s top foreign policy goals.

The officials close to the negotiations say that nobody directly involved in the talks is expecting an actual peace treaty to be brokered this week, over the course of two days of negotiations between Netanyahu and Abbas. They are joined by other key players from the region coming to Washington to move the talks along, including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah of Jordan.

Instead, officials are hopeful that by the end of the talks on Thursday there will be a statement revealing that a second round of talks will begin in the near future, possibly in the Middle East in order to build international confidence that they’re able to move the talks along without being too dependent on the United States to keep pushing it.

“The biggest breakthrough would be an agenda [emerging Thursday] for a second round of meetings soon to move forward,” said one top official actively engaged in the talks.

Mitchell is acutely aware of the need for the United States to walk a careful balance of staying engaged in the talks but not overwhelming or overshadowing the Israelis and Palestinians.

The envoy said there needs to be “active and sustained United States participation so that we are not on some distant sideline cheering the parties on without active participation, but at the same time we recognize that this is a bilateral negotiation, and in the end the parties must make this decision by and for themselves.”

There are all kinds of potential roadblocks to a deal, including the fact that the Palestinian view of having its own state includes getting back the land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war, and the Palestinians want East Jerusalem to serve as its capital. Netanyahu has expressed openness about a Palestinian state in theory, but that support would come with heavy conditions, including a desire to not let the Palestinians take East Jerusalem.

Another big impediment could come from the fact that Israel’s 10-month moratorium on Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank will expire September 26. Abbas has declared that the peace negotiations will end if Israel does not extend the freeze, while Netanyahu is under great pressure within his country to end the moratorium.

“Our position on settlements is well known, and it remains unchanged,” Mitchell said Tuesday when asked about the moratorium. “We’ve always made clear that the parties should promote an environment that is conducive to negotiations.”

Mitchell also declared that Obama has taken a very active, personal role in trying to broker a deal in public as well as in private and said he “will continue to be fully and actively a participant in the process, as necessary. He has many, many important obligations, but he places a high priority on comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

That personal engagement intensifies Wednesday as Obama holds a series of one-on-one meetings with Netanyahu, Abbas, King Abdullah, as well as President Mubarak. After that series of meetings, Obama will make a public statement without the other leaders at the White House.

Later on Wednesday, Obama will make another public statement at the White House but this time he is expected to be joined by the four leaders. Then the five of them will have a private dinner at the White House, joined by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who now serves as the Quartet representative trying to help make progress toward Mideast peace. The Middle East Quartet consists of the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union.

Then on Thursday, Obama will pull back from a direct role and have Secretary of State Hillary Clinton convene a meeting at the State Department between Netanyahu, Abbas, and their delegations. Follow that meeting, Mitchell is expected to make a public statement revealing where the negotiations stand.

Mitchell reiterated that the president is confident, based in part by public and private statements from both Netanyahu and Abbas, that a final deal could be achieved within one year. “We think it is realistic,” he said. “We think it can be done.”

Mitchell added, “It’s very important to create a sense that this has a definite concluding point,” he said. “And we believe that it can be done and we will do everything possible, with perseverance and patience and determination, to see that it is done.”

Mitchell: ‘Window of opportunity’ in Mideast

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To-do list: Your ideas for Obama, GOP

Posted on August 26, 2010 by admin| Comments Off

(CNN) — Strategists on both sides of the political aisle weighed in this week on what President Obama and Republicans must do before the November midterms to give their parties a boost.

The 10-week to-do lists resulted in thousands of comments and suggestions from CNN readers, ranging from constructive to highly critical.

Readers suggested Obama look for a new job and put a muzzle on Vice President Joe Biden, while commenters providing advice for the GOP recommended a muzzle for former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Mouth guards aside, readers also offered up practical guidance for Obama and the GOP. Here are some of the suggestions:

1. For Obama: Govern from the center

CNN readers say they want to see Obama get behind a more bipartisan agenda. The No. 1 thing they want to see is job creation, and they don’t want partisan games to get in the way.

Commenters advised Obama to not be influenced by those on the far left and instead focus on what the American public wants.

2. Tout the administration’s accomplishments

Supporters of the health care legislation passed this year say they’re proud of it — and they want Obama to talk about it more. “Talk up Healthcare, because so many supported the bill!” one commenter suggested.

Strategists’ advice for Obama

1. Simplify the message
2. Channel Ronald Reagan
3. Propagandize the truth
4. Go on the offense
5. Put up a fight
6. Be positive
7. Look to the future, not the past
8. Pay attention to independents
9. Be prepared for Election Day …
10. … but don’t stop at November
Read more

Obama signed the health care bill in March after a long, emotional debate in Congress. Now that the dust has settled, backers of the bill want to hear all about it.

“Talk about what you have done, and what you would like to do, and why,” another reader wrote.

3. Rise above the partisan bickering

“Quit politicking which further divides our nation,” one commenter posted.

Readers say they are sick of partisan games getting in the way of action on Capitol Hill — and they want the administration to stay out of the mudslinging.

4. Shake up the staff

Commenters are ready for some fresh faces. Even those supportive of Obama say they are ready for him to reload the strategy and bring in some new staffers.

Strategists’ advice for Republicans

1. Focus on jobs, jobs, jobs
2. Become the party of solutions, not “no”
3. Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow
4. Offense is the best defense
5. Offer a “Contract with a America” Part II
6. Embrace tea party support with caution
7. Avoid social issues
8. Appeal to independents
9. Channel Bill Clinton (yes, Bill Clinton)
10. Turn the Bush blame game around
Read more

5. Stay out of local issues

Readers say the want to see more presidential leadership from Obama. They want him to avoid getting involved with local issues and distractions and focus on the job at hand.

“Be a leader, be positive, plan for success, stay focused,” one reader said.

1. For Republicans: Steer clear of the far right commentators

Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Ann Coulter are doing more harm than good for the GOP, some commenters warned.

Readers say they want Republicans to avoid accepting what’s meant to be shock-jock entertainment as sound advice for the party.

2. Keep religion out of politics

“I’m a conservative person, and I’m all for people believing what they want to, but please keep it out of your politics,” one commenter posted.

Readers say they want Republicans to focus on issues such as jobs and the economy instead of trying to prove who is the better Christian.

3. Be conservative, but be bipartisan

Some commenters say that while they like conservatives, not all Republicans fit the bill. Readers say they want lawmakers to stick to their conservative ideas, with an understanding that working with Democrats instead of against them will be more productive.

4. Represent your constituents, not your party’s agenda

“The only thing I want to see from either party is a return to REPRESENTING THEIR CONSTITUENTS, not their party,” a reader said. “When your constituents in large numbers oppose a bill, your obligation is to them.”

“I’m tired of politicians being elected and then ignoring what their constituents want or don’t want. Suddenly the only thing they care about is party support,” the reader continued.

Commenters want their elected officials to listen to them instead of being afraid of breaking with the party.

“Show the American people that you’re capable of putting them ahead of your party,” one person said.

5. Tell the voters what will be different if Republicans take power

“Republicans are going to take back the House and Senate, and it will change absolutely nothing,” one reader said, arguing that both parties are controlled by special interests.

Voters want to know how things would change if Republicans had the majority.

Do you have more suggestions for President Obama or lawmakers? Weigh in below.

To-do list: Your ideas for Obama, GOP

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