Meet the next president of Russia, 42-year old Dmitry Medvedev. By a strange coincidence, former chief of staff to Vladimir Putin, who anointed him today.
** HUCKABEE AND GIULIANI TIED IN CNN NATIONAL POLL, CLINTON LEAD DOWN. In a poll completed last night, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee are in a statistical dead heat, 24% to 22%. Mitt Romney trails with 16%, followed by John McCain at 12% and Fred Thompson at 10%.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has 40% to Barack Obama’s 30%. John Edwards is a distant third at 14%.
These are big gains in CNN’s soundings for Huckabee and Obama. Huckabee picked up 12 points in the past month, while Thompson dropped 9 points. Huck’s got some teflon.
Incidentally, I’m hearing that former President Bill Clinton, frustrated with his wife’s campaign, which is now threatened by Obama in all four of the earliest states, is pushing for some changes.
** GIULIANI IN SAN FRANCISCO. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who may or may not be the Republican presidential frontrunner, is in California for fundraising today and tomorrow and did a public event at an eatery that is a San Francisco institution, Mel’s Diner on Van Ness Avenue’s old auto row. He ducked into the diner, once a drive-in — long before I had a birthday dinner there — quipping that he’s from a city just like the City by the Bay. Well, not exactly.
Giuliani committed a bit of news, calling for a corporate tax cut. Calling for corporate tax cuts in San Francisco? Counter-intuitive, to be sure, until you consider that in the huge California presidential primary, which Giuliani must dominate if he is to win the nomination, each congressional district has an equivalent number of delegates. And even though there aren’t many Republicans in the Bay Area, their votes are actually more important on a per capita basis than those in the Republican stronghold of Orange County. So Giuliani appeals with his social liberalism, environmental moderation, tough on terror stance, and enough fiscal conservatism.
“Right now, I think the most important thing we could do to reinforce the dollar, to build our economy, to take care of some of the problems that people see creeping into the economy, I think it would be a really bold move if the President would reduce the corporate tax from the present 35%, which is the second highest in the world, reduce it down to 25%.”
Giuliani noted that some Congressional Democrats are calling for a corporate tax cut, too, to 30%. Meanwhile, the Time Magazine Man of the Year for his role in the aftermath of 9/11 has a big debate coming up this week in Des Moines. And polls showing slippage in a number areas around the country, including a new national poll by CBS News showing him essentially tied now with the surging Mike Huckabee.
** X MARKS THE SPOT. A new X-Files movie started shooting today in Vancouver. I don’t know the plot. Yet.
** UK PRIME MINISTER VISITS AFGHANISTAN AS TALIBAN STRONGHOLD FALLS. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was in the vicinity today as Afghan forces, led by 3000 British troops and several hundred Americans, recaptured the Taliban’s only urban stronghold, in a town called Musa Qala. It was the biggest NATO offensive since the ouster of the Taliban government in 2001 following Al Qaeda’s strike on 9/11.
** ARNOLD’S VAGUE EXPENSES. This is one of the few un-recycled stories in California politics of late, this morning’s LA Times report that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn’t been reporting the specifics of what the vast sums raised by his California Protocol Foundation go toward. This is the tax-exempt group formed to finance his residence in Sacramento — a suite at the fabulous Hyatt Regency at Capitol Park — and his travel. The hotel suite for a year has been widely reported at $60,000-plus. The travel, however, is much more. And it seems Schwarzenegger hasn’t been revealing those related expenditures. Which, since they amount to private jet travel, topline hotels, and various ancillaries amount to very big money.
What’s surprising is we haven’t heard about this before, as it’s been going on since the former action superstar’s election in 2003. With scores of reporters whose sole beat is the state Capitol, not to mention angry opposition campaigns in 2005 and 2006, it seems a natural.
I thought he had been reporting the specifics. I remember when Schwarzenegger was thinking of running, and he asked how Gray Davis got back and forth from LA to Sacramento. I explained that the governor flew on Southwest Airlines out of Burbank Airport. It was a funny moment … Schwarzenegger, late arriving at the airport, relegated to boarding group C, stuck in a middle seat.
Joking aside, this is a big slip-up.
** RUSSIA: MEET THE NEW BOSS. A week earlier than scheduled, United Russia named its candidate for president in next March’s election. It’s current Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who prior to his deputyship served for six years as deputy chief of staff and chief of staff to President Vladimir Putin. He is, naturally, Putin’s pick, after a round of Kremlin negotiation, though the announcement was stage managed today with several parties joining in the annnouncement. Including, as touted, the opposition Agrarian Party. Which is so powerful a force it won no seats in parliament eight days ago.
Medvedev, a nice-looking, pleasant fellow won out in a competition for Putin’s favor over several other candidates. For a long time, fellow Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov was seen as a likely pick. But Ivanov is an old KGB hand, a contemporary of the 55-year old Putin, a general in the foreign intelligence service and defense minister from 2001 to 2007 while Russia made hardline military moves.
Medveved, in contrast, is a lawyer, with no intel or military background. He speaks fluent English and comes out of the crew of market reformers around Putin in his St. Petersburg days in the ’90s. Medvedev gave a well-received speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos early this year.
He’s a good new public face for Russia at a time in which it may have to present a softer-seeming line in geopolitics. While the US and Iran were seemingly heading to war — which NWN didn’t buy — Russia could play both countries against one another. But if the US and Iran are heading toward an uneasy rapprochement, for the purpose of settling the security and political situation in Iraq, Russia needs more flexibility from a PR standpoint. Having an intel/military/power type, a siloviki, in the presidential slot would make that more difficult.
The Russian stock market today hit all-time highs after the naming of Medvedev. Led by natural gas giant Gazprom. Of which Medvedev is, yes, the chairman!
And yes, the headline is a reference to a famous Who song.
** WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS WAS. President Bush’s press secretary, Dana Perino, confessed over the weekend on an NPR show that when a reporter referenced the Cuban Missile Crisis during a recent press briefing, she didn’t know what it was.
Okay then. It’s merely one of the seminal events in modern political history, as well as a classic case study in high-stakes crisis management.
As we’ve discussed a few times here on NWN, with period video, it was only one of the most important events of the Cold War. The Soviet Union secretly moved nuclear weapons into Cuba, 90 miles off the coast of the US. President John F. Kennedy learned of it, instituted a naval blockade of Cuba, and both nations moved to the brink of nuclear war before the Soviets agreed to withdraw the weapons.
** RIGHT-WING NEWS SERVICE SAYS ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF PERSECUTED BY BUSH ADMINISTRATION. An Orange County media outlet called Full Disclosure, which is actually a conservative outlet, has an extensive interview with Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, who is under federal indictment for systematically using public office to enrich himself. The outlet puts forward a unique rationale for Carona’s indictment. That he was indicted because, as a staunch conservative, he opposed President Bush’s more liberalized immigration policies.
** SCHWARZENEGGER CLOSETED IN PRIVATE CAPITOL MEETINGS TODAY. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is holding private discussions today in California’s Capitol. He’s looking at the budget situation, in fresh trouble from the housing market slump and economic slowdown, as well as the ongoing impasses on water policy and health care reform.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel.
You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti.
While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.
** TRACK GLOBAL AND U.S. ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Crude oil are trading up in the $89 to $90 per barrel range.
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That’s right, they were discussing the Genesis Device invented by Kirk’s old gal pal.
>Dana :
Star Trek II: The Wraith of Khan (this is from Friday’s thread–was busy this weekend putting on party for transit group at venerable Taix in Echo Park section of L.A.)
>Bill Bradley :
That was in one of the movies, right?
>Dana :
I prefer Doctor McCoy’s description:
“According to myth, the Earth was created in six days…”
Dec 10, 2007 03:32 PM
To crush your enemies, drive them before you, and hear the lamentation of their women.
I taught my little nephew to say that.
His parents were very happy with me …
>Brasky :
“It’s the ancient tradition, you know, telling stories around the fire.”
“Conan – what is best in life?”
http://tinyurl.com/yrynqk
Dec 10, 2007 03:15 PM
Why haven’t I ever used an oral record?
I feel like I’ve been wasting my time using knots on strings for my sensitive record keeping.
I like the “oral record” idea.
What do you mean you didn’t know? I presented my oral record to you. Have you forgotten? Did you not hear it? …
“Oral Records”? Why not? Welcome to “Conan the Governor!”
“Oral Records”? Why not? Welcome to “Conan the Governor!”
Crom laughs at modern accounting methods!
“I’m hearing that former President Bill Clinton, frustrated with his wife’s campaign, which is now threatened by Obama in all four of the earliest states, is pushing for some changes”
Yeah, HE wants to run for president.
Sounds like there are no shortage of cooks in the Clinton campaign.
Obama gained about 20% (from 25 pts to 30 pts) and Hillary lost about 10% (44pts to 40pts) in the last month. Two more months of that and Hillary is in second place NATIONALLY. But for the Democrats, the real action is in the early primary states.
But the national poll is REAL bad news for Giuliani, who has adopted a Tsunami Tuesday strategy – Huckabee is within striking distance in some of those races and will be even better position if/when he wins the early primary states.
Boy – this IS fun. Too bad Edwards hasn’t been able to reap any benefits from the Clinton Collapse(TM).
That’s because Edwards is the main reason Hillary is still highly competitive.
That’s because Edwards is the main reason Hillary is still highly competitive.
BC is the master chef of American politics.
Interesting. Is she syphoning off from Edwards and that is what is keeping her afloat as Obama ascends?
If it comes down to Clinton vs. Obama where will most of Edward’s supporters migrate?
>Bill Bradley :
That’s because Edwards is the main reason Hillary is still highly competitive.
That’s pretty good.
Hillary doesn’t draw from Edwards.
Edwards draws from Obama.
Edwards is splitting the non-Hillary vote.
If he is able to force Hillary down into third in Iowa, he is playing a big role blocking her.
If he fails to do that, he is helping her.
Hillary sounds like a loser. I don’t know anybody who likes her. She’d be anonymous if she hadn’t snagged Clinton.
Hillary sounds like a loser. I don’t know anybody who likes her. She’d be anonymous if she hadn’t snagged Clinton.
The “X-Files?”
With Duchovny and Andreson? What about AD Skinner?
The GOP system for allocating delegates is insane. It would seem that the California Republican district-by-district system combined with the winner-take-all nature of the Giuliani strongholds of NY, NJ & CT creates a real possibility of Giuliani winning a majority of the delegates but losing the “popular vote.” Wouldn’t this increase the likelihood of a third-party pro-life candidacy against Giuliani in the general?
Speaking of the above – I’m confused. When did the CA GOP abandon winner-take-all for district-by-district?
I don’t know.
Incidentally, NWN passed 46,000 comments sometime in the past week.
Incidentally, NWN passed 46,000 comments sometime in the past week.