Tuesday Morning Must-Reads
Rove Refuses to Deny Contacting DOJ about Siegelman Prosecution [Raw Story] ABC's George Stephanopoulos talked with Karl Rove about his role in the prosecution of Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Rove repeated the claim that he learned about the prosecution in the newspaper but refused to deny that he had contacted the Justice Department to discuss the prosecution. Partial Transcript: STEPHANOPOULOS: We're just about out of time. As we know and our viewers probably know you were subpoenaed this week by the house Judiciary Committee to give testimony on any involvement you may have had with the prosecution of the former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. He's claiming there was selective prosecution. He's out on bail now even though he was convicted. He said your fingerprints are all over it. The House report said -- "in Selma 2007 a Republican attorney for northern Alabama named Jill Simpson wrote an affidavit stating that in November 2002 she heard a prominent Alabama Republican operative named Bill Canary say that Karl Rove had contacted the Justice Department about bringing a prosecution of Don Siegelman. The question for Mr. Rove is whether he directly or indirectly discussed the possibility of prosecuting Don Siegelman with either the Justice Department or Alabama Republicans." did you?
McCain's Distortations on the Webb GI Bill [MyDD] This past week John McCain failed to show up for the important vote on a measure that would increase benefits for veterans -- a 21st century update to the G.I. bill -- legislation that he opposed in rhetoric but would not officially do so in the congressional record. Today, McCain went further, taking a swing at the legislation, saying that the increased benefits could lower the number of troops serving in the U.S. military. Sen. John McCain asserted that the G.I. Bill sponsored by Virginia Sen. James Webb will drive soldiers out of the armed services at a time when the country is trying to expand the size of the military. Speaking at a Memorial Day ceremony, McCain praised Webb as "an honorable man who takes his responsibility to veterans very seriously." And he said the bill, which would increase benefits for veterans after serving one tour, is a way of offering the nation's "deep appreciation" for the veterans who have served. But McCain insisted that he takes "a backseat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans." And he predicted that Webb's bill would reduce the military's retention rate by 16 percent.
Time to Take Back the White House [Taylor Marsh] I will never forget election night, November 2000. I was living overseas, hosting a party for a rowdy Democrats Abroad group. I'll never forget the ecstasy of Al Gore being declared winner of Florida after a nail-biting night of state-by-state returns. We cheered and jumped around like kids, dialed up relatives in the US, popped the cork... Well...you know the rest of the story: chads, lawsuits, Supreme Court briefs, outrage, heartbreak, regret. Mostly, though, the injustice of it all. The injustice was wrenching. Our candidate lost the White House over a handful of votes in the swing state of Florida even though he won more votes nationwide. There you have it. Reality sunk in and George Bush moved into Al's house on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Dual about Iraq Moves to NM [Tribune] Sen. John McCain stood before hundreds of flag-waving veterans and their families Monday and vowed not to waver in his support of the Iraq War. "Even," he said, "if I must stand athwart popular opinion." Sen. Barack Obama addressed a separate audience of veterans and received vigorous applause when he declared, "As many of you know, my intention is to bring this war in Iraq to a close and to start bringing home our troops in an orderly fashion." If Labor Day is the traditional opener to the fall presidential race, this Memorial Day offered at least a preview into the summertime duel between McCain and Obama, who for the first time were campaigning in the same swing state on the same day. As McCain spoke about the costs and sacrifices of the Iraq War at the Veterans' Memorial in Albuquerque, Obama praised the patriotism of America's soldiers before taking voters' questions—and hearing their frustrations about Iraq and a host of other concerns—at an outdoor forum here.
Bad News for GOP/Good News for McCain [Real Clear] The recent loss of formerly deep-red congressional districts to Democrats is supposed to be awful news for John McCain. Actually, the opposite could be true. We keep hearing that if Republicans can't hold onto voters in northeastern Mississippi -- or in Baton Rouge, La., or in the Chicago suburbs where former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert held sway -- they're done for. The GOP's rocket is hurtling to earth, and not even a special-case Republican like McCain can stop it.
The Running Mate Choice [NYT] My first thought on the running mate question is that to balance his ticket, Barack Obama should pick a really old white general. Therefore, he should pick Dwight Eisenhower. John McCain, on the other hand, needs to pick someone younger than himself. Therefore, he also should pick Dwight Eisenhower. My second thought is that most of the commentary on vice president picks is completely backward. Most discussion focuses on what state or constituency this or that running mate could help carry in the fall. But, as a rule, recent vice presidential nominees haven’t had any effect on key states or constituencies. They haven’t had much effect on elections at all, except occasionally as hapless distractions.
