*WHOSE CREDIBILITY? The Washington Post seems bent on aiding the Democratic strategy of trying to convince Americans that President Bush deceived the country prior to going to war in Iraq. But who is deceiving whom?
The lead of a story describing a Washington Post-ABC News poll last week said, "Most Americans believe President Bush either lied or deliberately exaggerated evidence that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction in order to justify war." The third paragraph said: "The survey found that while nearly seven in 10 think Bush 'honestly believed' Iraq had weapons of mass destruction . . ." What the Post poll shows is that if they ask enough questions, they can find the answers they need to spin the news.
*TORCH IS BACK: In the week leading up to the Wisconsin primary, a state that former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean once said he had to win, Dean began viciously slashing at Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the frontrunner, and bringing former Democratic Sen. Bob Torricelli of New Jersey back into the political limelight.
Dean attacked Kerry for allegedly using "politically corrupt fundraising mechanisms," one of which, Dean claimed, involved Torricelli. Dean noted that Torricelli "raised money for both" Kerry's campaign and an independent group that ran ads against Dean. The Boston Globe, however, reported that Dean conceded to reporters "he had no proof that Kerry had prior knowledge of Torricelli's involvement" with the independent group.
*DEAN'S DAFFY ENDORSEMENT: Dean then made a point of saying that Democratic Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina would be a better Democratic presidential candidate than Kerry.
"I think Senator Edwards is a stronger candidate in the general election than Senator Kerry is," Dean told the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal. On the CBS "Evening News," Dean said: "I've always said on the record I thought Senator Edwards would be a stronger candidate against George W. Bush than John Kerry, because when Senator Kerry's record is examined by the public at a more leisurely time when we're not having primaries every week, he's going to turn out to be just like George W. Bush."
*STEINBERG STUMPS: Perhaps the most curious wrinkle in Dean's assault on Kerry came when Dean's wife, Dr. Judith Steinberg, announced that she would be stumping with her husband in Wisconsin.
Up until now, Steinberg has hardly ever hit the campaign trail, coming out only after the New York Times ran a front-page hit piece on her. But on February 11 the Dean campaign released a letter from Steinberg to Wisconsin voters. "I am happy to be visiting in Wisconsin with my husband," she wrote. "I am a doctor, not a politician, and Howard to his great credit has never expected me to campaign for him. Despite his intense passion for public service, Howard has not made his public aspirations become his personal obligations. . . . I'm trying to help him in the way that works best for our family."
*ZIP PATROLMEN'S LIPS? Congress exempted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which now oversees the Border Patrol, from many civil service protections-a move most conservatives supported. But now that may allow DHS to issue new personnel rules that could effectively ban Border Patrolmen from speaking out against President Bush's de facto amnesty proposal.
"I don't know what kind of protections we will have," T.J. Bonner, president of the Border Patrolmen's union, told HUMAN EVENTS. "If the new rules are like the Department of Defense rules, I won't be able to talk to a reporter freely like this without risking my job."
*ZELL EXCELS AGAIN: Sen. Zell Miller (D.-Ga.) has become the first Democratic senator to co-sponsor SJ Res 26 (HJ Res 56 in the House), the Federal Marriage Amendment. The lead Senate sponsor is Republican Sen. Wayne Allard of Colorado. In addition to Democrat Miller, the Senate co-sponsors so far include five Republicans: Sam Brownback (Kan.), Jim Inhofe (Okla.), Jeff Sessions (Ala.), Jim Bunning (Ky.), and Richard Shelby (Ala.).
*FREEZE OR CUT? At a closed-door meeting of House Republicans on the budget last week, sentiment was strong for freezing discretionary non-Defense and non-Homeland Security spending. As Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R.-Mo.) told HUMAN EVENTS' John Gizzi following the meeting, "The President is so close to a freeze with his [0.5%] increase in spending not related to Homeland Security and Defense that moving to support a freeze would not be a problem. He takes the same heat for such a small increase that he would take for supporting a freeze." However, many conservatives want more than a freeze in this part of the federal budget, they want real cuts.
*'ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS': Earlier that day, Gizzi asked White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan if the President could support a limited freeze such as the one advocated by House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (R.-Iowa). McClellan dodged the question, but said something conservatives who want to impose fiscal discipline could begin working with. "The President has worked very hard to hold the line on spending commitments during a time of war," said McClellan, "and will be working with Congress to pass a budget with enforcement mechanisms."
