Kerry to CNN: 'Too much made' of mistake

Posted by Christi Parsons at 2:20 pm CST

The first thing pundit James Carville did on stage Thursday was to comically imitate the way his fellow members of the “commentariat” hyperventilated over the political significance of the most recent elections.

The next thing he did was to sincerely hyperventilate over the significance of the 2008 election – a schtick his audience at the 9th Annual American Democracy Conference let him get away with because they were mostly political junkies, too.

“It’s going to be the mother of them all,” Carville predicted of the ’08 presidential race. “It’s historical. We’re on the precipice. We’re in a paradigmatic transformational blah blah blah.”

In Carville-speak, that seems to mean this one is going to be the most entertaining in recent history.

Posted by Stephen Hedges at 12:37 pm CST

There is war, and then there is football.

A banner hanging today inside the Pentagon's busiest entrance reads: "Army Football: Making Navy Look Good Since 1890." Obviously put up by Navy fans.

Army and Navy play each other this weekend in Philadelphia. The two collegiate teams first met in 1890 at West Point. Navy won 24-0.

For the record, Navy has had 50 wins, Army 49 wins. There've been seven ties. Navy won seven of the last ten games, mostly by large margins.

Posted by Frank James at 12:12 pm CST

The White House gave some journalists an opportunity to preview this year's decorations as well as the food to be served at the many holiday parties President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush will host this year.

Our intrepid photographer, Pete Souza, had a chance to see the decorations and sample the food. Here are some his photos with Pete's captions.

The official White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room is seen from the Cross Hall. The official tree is an 18-foot, 6-inch Douglas fir from Leighton, Penn. (This is not the same tree seen in this space earlier in the week; that tree is the Capitol Christmas tree and will be on display in front of the U.S. Capitol). Chicago Tribune photo by Pete Souza.

Posted by Frank James at 11:14 am CST

What does it mean to be an American?

It’s not an academic question. For many immigrants who become U.S. citizens, it has meant having to pass an exam given by immigration officials with softball questions like “What are the colors of our flag?” and “What was the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims brought to America.?”

Posted by Michael Tackett at 10:57 am CST

Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, billing himself as the keeper of small-town values and virtues, became the first Democrat to formally announce that he wanted to be the next president of the United States.

In the pleasant setting of Mt. Pleasant Iowa, where Vilsack once was mayor, the governor ticked off a list of accomplishments during his tenure, from education to energy independence, that he hopes will find a warm embrace among Democrats who might be seeking the hotter candidates like Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Clinton of New York.

Posted at 6:10 am CST

Good morning.

Please make sure to read Mark Silva's postings during the wee hours from Jordan where he is with President Bush who was in Amman to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Here are some of today's scheduled Washington events as reported by the Associated Press in its daybook.

ALL DAY

Nov. 29 - 30. AIDS SUMMIT — CDC, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Academy of HIV Medicine and the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research sponsor "Opportunities for Improving HIV Diagnosis, Prevention and Access to Care in the U.S.," a two-day summit of nearly 300 of the nation's leading medical, government and community experts.

Location: Mandarin Oriental Hotel (Sackler Room; Ballroom Level) 1330 Maryland Ave. SW.

Posted by Mark Silva at 3:30 am CST (and 11:30 am Jordan time)

AMMAN, Jordan – Six months after the seating of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and nearly four years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, President Bush today committed the U.S. to "accelerating'' the transfer of responsibility for security inside Iraq to al-Maliki's government – with Bush voicing unqualified support for the prime minister. Yet, while forces in Washington call for a gradual withdrawal of U.S. forces, the president adamantly warned that he plans no "graceful exit'' anytime soon.

Bush, standing alongside al-Maliki at a press conference following a private meeting, said: "He's the right guy for Iraq, and we're going to help him, and it's in our interest to help him, for the sake of peace.'' And, asked if the U.S. effort in Iraq has been worthwhile, Bush said: "You bet it's worth it in Iraq, and necessary.''

President Bush and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki fielded several questions at their press conference today in the Four Seasons Hotel, Amman. Photo by Silva.

Posted by Mark Silva at 12 am CST (and 8 am Jordan time)

AMMAN, Jordan -- The delayed meeting of President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki finally is underway here, according to the report we have from the pool -- not to be confused with that luscious pool lurking outside our hotel window on a bright, cloudless morning here -- the reporting pool.

And soon we will make our own actual personal crossing to the hotel across the street where the president and prime minister are meeting. And soon, you will be hearing from someone other than the "senior administration officials'' who for the last couple of days have been explaining away that embarassing memo that the White House produced about al-Maliki and explaining away the fact that Bush, al-Maliki and King Abdullah II of Jordan did not meet and dine together last night.

This is the pool at our hotel in Amman. Photo by Mark Silva

Posted by William Neikirk at 4:03 p.m. CST

Twelve states and 13 environmental groups urged the Supreme Court today to force the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate "greenhouse gas" emissions from new vehicles in order to prevent global warming.

The hearing showed how difficult it is to deal with an issue that deeply concerns the scientific community. There is no absolute proof that catastrophic climate change will indeed occur, despite alarming projections contained in a number of studies.

Posted by Frank James at 2:15 pm CST

CNN reported today that former Secretary of State Colin Powell who’s in the United Arab Emirates for a business gathering, said the violence in Iraq is indeed a civil war.

In its report, the cable channel paraphrased Powell as saying the Iraqi turmoil “meets the standard of civil war and that if he were heading the State Department now, he might recommend that the administration use that term.”

Posted by Mark Silva at 1:50 am CST (and 8:50 pm Jordan time)

AMMAN, Jordan – The meeting that President Bush was supposed to have with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki tonight is off. So is the dinner that they were to share with King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Bush did dine with the king – but al-Maliki was dining "with someone else,'' the White House says, insisting that this last-minute change of plans had nothing to do with today's revelation of a once-secret White House memo that questioned al-Maliki's competence to lead his government. The memo posed the question of whether al-Maliki is not up to the task, deceiving the United States or simply "ignorant'' of what's going on in the streets of Baghdad – where members of his government are protesting his meeting with the U.S. president.

Posted by Frank James at 1:31 pm CST

Sometimes press conferences can have the feel of the old Abbott and Costello "Who's on first" comedy skit. Today was one of those days in the press briefing, or gaggle, in Jordan.

Dan Bartlett, counselor to the president, was explaining to the White House press corps why Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki wasn't going to be meeting tonight with President Bush and King Abdullah of Jordan.

The reason Bartlett gives--that the king and Maliki have met so there was no reason to have the planned three-way, seems a little odd to a skeptical mind. Why wouldn't the three men all want to sit down together to make sure they were all on the same page? Something doesn't add up.

But it's the interchange between Bartlett and the reporters that's fun to read.

Posted by Frank James at 12:34 pm CST

A conservative Internet magazine is reporting that Sen. Barack Obama’s ascendancy as a presidential prospect has sent shudders through the camp of Sen. Hillary Clinton which fears the Illinoisan could hurt her bid if she decides to run as expected.

Insight, the (subscription required) magazine of the Washington Times newspaper, reported the following in this week’s issue.

Sources close to Ms. Clinton said she has been concerned that Mr. Obama could outdo the New York senator in getting support from the minority and liberal base of the Democratic Party. They said Ms. Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have been discussing a strategy on how to deal with Mr. Obama and whether he could be persuaded to join a Clinton ticket.

Posted by David Lightman at 11:36 am CST

Media experts and Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman today issued their annual video game report card, assessing how easily children can get access to violent games, and the news was generally upbeat.

Big retailers and game-makers are cooperating in limiting children's access to violent games, Lieberman, D-Conn. said.

But, he added, "there is a weak link"--parents.

"It's time to focus on parents and urge them to pay attention," he said. "Play what your kids play--if you can."

The 11th annual report card is based on surveys taken in September and October. The National Institute on Media and the Family surveyed 52 video game rental or retail stores in 12 states.

Posted by Christi Parsons at 11:30 am CST

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) is hanging out with hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean this week, touring his native Haiti as a guest of a non-governmental organization he founded to improve the Caribbean nation.

Schakowsky said she is embarking on her second trip to the country to learn more about rebuilding and peace efforts there -- and to inspire future conversations about how the U.S. can help the impoverished and strife-torn country.

“My hope is to make some contacts and see what is the best way that the Congress can be helpful,” Schakowsky said shortly before her Wednesday departure. “I’d like to establish myself as a contact in the U.S. House as someone interested in Haiti.”

Posted by William Neikirk at 11:05 a.m. CST

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has decided against running for president in 2008. That surprise announcement came today from the senator himself. It reduces what is expected to be a still-large Republican field.

"In the Bible, God tells us for evereything there is a season, and for me, for now, this season of being an elected official has come to a close," he said in a statement. "I do not intend to run for president in 2008."

So far, he is the most prominent potential contender to forgo the race. Former Democratic Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia announced earlier that he will not run in 2008. Another possible candidate, Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), has announced his intentions, but since his loss in the Nov. 7 election, it is presumed he will not put his hat in the ring.

Posted by Mark Silva at 4:50 am CST

RIGA, Latvia – Following the leak of a memorandum in which President Bush's national security adviser pointedly questioned the competence of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's young government in confronting sectarian violence within Iraq, the Bush administration insisted today it has faith in al-Maliki.

"The president has confidence in Prime Minister Maliki, and also the administration is working with the prime minister to improve his capabilities in terms of dealing with the fundamental challenges in Iraq,'' Tony Snow, the White House press secretary, told reporters in Riga this morning.

This stood in dramatic contrast to a classified administration memo stating "the reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action.'' Some of the government's actions, the memo states, have actually contributed to sectarian strife.

Stephen Hadley, the president's national security adviser, was not making a "summary judgment'' about the government in Iraq, senior administration officials insist. But they are devoting a serious amount of time today to damage control over the judgments that Hadley did make in a leaked memo. Photo by NATO.

Good morning.

Hard to see the sunrise, the Washington monument or much of anything else today, it's so foggy.

Here are a few Washington events of note for Wednesday, November 29, as collected by the Associated Press.

President Bush is attending the NATO Summit in Latvia before flying to Jordan.

The Commerce Department is releasing the Gross Domestic Product report for the 3rd quarter. 8:30 a.m.

Posted by Rick Pearson at 3:48 CST

The incoming majority leader of Democrats in the U.S. House stopped briefly in Springfield on Tuesday to pay homage to a Republican president and the Democratic majority in the Illinois legislature.

But amid the partisan game playing that Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is expecting in the new Congress next year, he was looking forward to only one game-tonight’s University of Maryland showdown with the Illini in Champaign.

Posted by Mike Dorning at 3:45 pm CST.

Sen. Barack Obama has a scheduled another high-powered media appearance as he promotes his best-selling book and mulls a potential presidential bid: Jay Leno's Tonight Show.

Obama will appear on the popular NBC late-night television show on Friday, taping the show earlier in the day, said Robert Gibbs, a spokesman for the Illinois Democrat.

Obama already was scheduled to be in Southern California for a previously announced speech earlier in the day at Saddleback Church, the mega-church pastored by Rick Warren, a leading evangelist and author of the Purpose Driven Life.