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Wonkette, Politics for People with Dirty Minds


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Wednesday05312006

Daily Briefing: The Bird Man

  • Bush nominates Henry Paulson, chairman of Goldman Sachs Group, to replace John Snow at the Treasury Department; White House sought Paulson for months. [WP, W$J, USAT, LAT]
  • White House acknowledges that Bush withheld the news at his press conference last week; Paulson’s net worth is estimated to be more than $700M. [NYT, NYT]
  • Paulson is described as “the kind of guy who thrives in a crisis” and “a committed environmentalist and bird watcher.” [WP, NYT, LAT]
  • Justice Department claims Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) tried to hide documents from the FBI. [WP, LAT]
  • Former chief of staff to Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) testifies that Abramoff “identified his ‘champions’ in government and then showered them with favors to get inside information and help for his clients.” [WP, NYT]
  • Democrats are slow to provide a specific party platform; “this cautious strategy is generating intensifying debate within the party.” [LAT]

READ MORE: 2006, 2008, Democrats, Republicans, Robert Mueller, SCOTUS, White House, alberto gonzales, bob ney, bricks, daily briefing, fbi, george w. bush, harold ford jr, henry paulson, immigration, jack abramoff, james sensenbrenner, john snow, veterans affairs, william jefferson

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Tuesday05302006

BREAKING: NEW TREASURY SECRETARY LOOKS NOTHING AT ALL LIKE HIS WALL STREET JOURNAL STIPPLE PORTRAIT

hankpaulson.jpg Seriously, is it just us? The one one the right is a like a John Turturro/John Waters-lookin’ guy.

Bush’s announcement: boring. Though we did learn that the Treasury Secretary has some sort of role in fighting terror. We suppose we shouldn’t be surprised, but we do want to know if there’s a single job in this administration that doesn’t directly involve fighting terror. Cook? First lady?

Anyway, new guy’s name is apparently Hank, which is just obnoxious for a public official.

Heck, he’s probably a nice guy — seems to have given a lot of money to conservation groups, and no one who loves trees can be all bad.

Awww, John Snow’s making one last half-assed effort to pretend that the President gives a shit about sound economic policy and that Snow had any authority. Treasury: “Key role in the war on terror.”

Paulson: does he have a cold or does he always talk like “Macho Man” Randy Savage?

Bush to Name Goldman’s Paulson to Succeed Snow at Treasury [WSJ]

READ MORE: george w. bush, hank paulson, john snow, resignations, shake-ups, terror, top, treasury department

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Friday05262006
Friday05262006

Daily Briefing: ‘Hidden Traps’

  • Bush, “in an unusual admission,” says he regrets using the phrases “bring it on” and “dead or alive”; joint press conference with Blair has “contrite tone” because “both leaders have reached the lowest point of their careers.” [WP, WP, NYT, NYT]
  • Bush orders documents seized in raid of Rep. William Jefferson’s office to be sealed for 45 days. [WP, NYT, W$J, LAT, USAT]
  • Senate approves immigration legislation by vote of 62 to 36 but the next steps are “enormously difficult.” [WP, NYT, W$J, LAT, USAT]
  • John Snow has told the White House he is resigning; Don Evans and Carlos Gutierrez are among those mentioned as replacements. [WP, NYT, W$J]
  • Military investigation reportedly concludes that a group of marines “carried out extensive, unprovoked killings of civilians” in Iraq. [NYT]
  • ABC News stands by its story about Speaker Hastert. Reporter Brian Ross: “There may be a semantics issue here as to what constitutes being under investigation.” [WP]

READ MORE: Carlos Gutierrez, anwr, brian ross, daily briefing, dennis hastert, don evans, george w. bush, house, immigration, john snow, military, senate, tony blair, william jefferson

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Friday04212006

Wonk’d: The Jowls of Life

You came through again, everyone. This week’s sightings are all over both the map and the stratified Washington hierarchy. Helen Thomas apparently likes to eat with the kewl kids, even if she’s just gumming it. Kevin Nealon, Newt Gingrich, and Marion Barry pull some nice trim. Ted Koppelhas a death wish. Morgan Spurlock keeps trying to supersize his career and Tom Friedman’s mustache of wisdom has nothing to do with Napoleon.

A whole rack more, as standard, after the jump.

Please don’t forget that Wonk’d is entirely tipster driven. So when you spot someone famous out there, make a note in your PDA, ‘cause you’ll have other hazy memories to sort through in the morning. Once you feel that reminder buzzing you, email us here, with “Wonk’d” or “Sighting” in the subject line (along with the name of the celeb that you saw). Thanks!

And speaking of sights to see: YES, we are aware of the frightening photos of Katherine Harris “getting her cougar on” with a cute young college journalist. We will be blogging about them shortly.

READ MORE: bitch set me up, dc council, marion barry, matthew cooper, patrick fitzgerald, saturday night live, DC, Media, Personalities, bill clinton, bill kristol, celebrities, famous-for-dc, famous-for-famous, fishbowl dc, fishbowldc, hamas, helen thomas, james carville, john snow, jonah goldberg, kevin nealon, malcolm jamal warner, morgan spurlock, newt gingrich, patrick gavin, pundits, ted kennedy, tom friedman, wonk’d

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Friday04212006

C’mon, Just Fire the Poor Guy Already

john%20snow%20treasury%20secretary%20humiliated.JPG

Really, this is just degrading — please, put John Snow out of his misery.

And given the state of the national debt, maybe the ninth graders should be giving Snow the “savings tips.”

Earlier: John Snow: The Next To Go?

READ MORE: White House, firings, john snow, resignations

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Monday04172006

Yosh Sez: Shake-up or Ship Out

shakeitup.jpgSHAKE UP! SHAKE UP! SHAKE UP! SHAKE UP!

Signaling a possible shake-up among President Bush’s senior advisers, the new White House chief of staff told top presidential aides Monday to expect changes that ”refresh and re-energize the team.” He invited anyone who is thinking of leaving before year’s end to do so now.

Joshua Bolten, who took over the top staff job late Friday, did not ask for anyone’s resignation in his first Monday morning staff meeting with the president’s senior aides, presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said. No one stepped forward to say they would leave, either, McClellan said.

Oh man! A shake-up! And on the Note’s day off, too! Well, not really a shake-up, but the possibility of a future shake-up is left open! It’s like the same thing! Let’s all speculate!

Who’s Out
Snow, McClellan, uh… a couple guys we’ve never heard of… and Elaine Chao. Trust us. She’s gone

Who’s In
Domestic Policy Advisor: Lou Dobbs.

Bush’s New Chief of Staff Signals Shake-Up [AP via NYT]

READ MORE: White House, john snow, josh bolten, resignations, rumors, scott mcclellan, shake-ups, yosh

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Wednesday04052006

Well, It Was Almost an Exciting Afternoon…

bushdeparture1.jpgWait, who?! Snow? McClellan? CHENEY?
bushdeparture2.jpg

Oh. Well, uh, good thing we can get a live feed of that for only 10 bucks a month.

CNN.com
Earlier: Free Live Helicopter Mountain Footage!

READ MORE: CNN, cnn pipeline, departures, dick cheney, john snow, scott mcclellan, shake-ups, speculation

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Wednesday04052006

Daily Briefing: DeLayed Reaction

  • Administration is underfunding democracy-building in Iraq; security costs receive an “enormous share” of funds as democracy and infrastructure goals are scaled down. [WP]
  • Rep. Tom DeLay “set the terms of his departure” to ensure some dignity was not lost; he was “dispirited” and viewed his Republican primary challengers as “gadflies and traitors.” House ethics panel, meanwhile, will not investigate DeLay and other lawmakers. [WP, NYT, USAT, WSJ]
  • Senate Appropriations Committee adds billions to hurricane relief package. [NYT]
  • GAO criticizes bulk of Bush’s global AIDS initiative. [WP]
  • John Snow said to be seriously mulling retirement; White House seeks successor. [NYT, WSJ]
  • DeLay decision throws Texas political landscape into “electoral free-for-all.” [NYT, USAT]
  • Democratic takeover of the Senate is deemed “distant” but “possible.” [USAT, LAT]

READ MORE: 2006, 2008, AIDS, Democrats, Media, Republicans, administration, capitol hill, cynthia mckinney, gay marriage, george w. bush, homeland security, immigration, iraq, john mccain, john snow, jon kyl, katrina, russ feingold, sex, tax cuts, tom delay, wisconsin

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Thursday03302006

Daily Briefing: ‘Get Governing’

  • Josh Bolten “is expected to press President Bush to assemble new economic and Congressional relations teams and overhaul the management of the West Wing.” John Snow rumored to be on his way out. [NYT]
  • Senate approves lobbying restrictions by vote of 90 to 8; activists are disappointed. [WP, NYT, W$J, USAT, LAT]
  • Jack Abramoff is sentenced to 70 months in jail in Florida fraud case. [WP, NYT]
  • Republicans could alienate Hispanic voting bloc with stance on immigration; topic is front and center as Bush meets with Vicente Fox. [NYT, NYT, WP]
  • Administration will impose fuel standards on SUVs, minivans, and pickups, but environmentalists are unsatisfied. [W$J]
  • Bush tells Iraqis, “It’s about time you get a unity government going.” [WP]

READ MORE: 2006, 2008, Democrats, Republicans, White House, bill frist, budget, fuel standards, george w. bush, harry reid, immigration, iraq, jack abramoff, jim mcdermott, john boehner, john snow, josh bolten, lobbying, mexico, national security, senate, vicente fox

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Wednesday03292006

White House Rumor-Mongering: Waiting for the Other Shoe(s) To Drop

Yesterday, after Andrew Card’s resignation was announced, we speculated that Treasury Secretary John W. Snow might be the next Administration official to step down. A reader offered this support for the gossip: “I live across the street from Sec’y Snow, and I never see him or his security detail anymore. The guy’s fuckin’ done.”

scott%20mcclellan%202.JPGBut Snow’s not the only one who may be on his way out. A Wonkette operative offers up two other names: White House counselor Dan Bartlett, and everyone’s favorite press secretary, Scott McClellan. In terms of timing, look for them to be gone “by the summer.” No word yet on possible replacements for Bartlett or McClellan; “Nicolle Wallace is likely to stay as communications director.”

As for incoming chief of staff Josh Bolten, our source opines that he has his work cut out for him: “What Bolten will find — and he probably already knows — is that the WH is full of supremely talented people who are awful managers of other people.”

We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again (because it can’t be said enough): Good luck, Yosh!

Earlier: John Snow: The Next To Go?
Yosh Up, Card Down: Meet the New Chief of Staff

READ MORE: Andy Card, White House, andrew card, bush, dan bartlett, george w. bush, gossip, john snow, nicolle wallace, resignations, scott mcclellan, top, unverified rumors

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Tuesday03282006

John Snow: The Next To Go?

secretary%20john%20snow%20john%20w%20snow.jpgNow that Andrew Card has resigned as White House chief of staff, the parlor game has begun. Everyone is speculating: Is this just the first of a string of resignations? If so, who will be heading out the door next?

Last week, Fred Barnes recommended that President Bush make some sweeping personnel changes: Condoleezza Rice to replace Dick Cheney as VP, Cheney to replace Donald Rumsfeld as DefSec, and replacements of Scott McClellan, Andy Card, and John Snow. Now that part of Barnes’s plan has come to pass — Card’s departure — the question becomes: What other changes are on the way?

It’s unlikely that Bush will go as far as Barnes and others have suggested. If only one of these changes will come to pass, bet on John Snow to be replaced as Treasury Secretary. The mainstream media has been rife with rumors about his departure, including the gossip that he agreed last fall to resign sometime this year. In addition, his reduced visibility as of late has been noted.

One Wonkette source, who correctly predicted Card’s resignation, cites “strong indicators” of Snow’s imminent departure. “I’d look for an announcement soon. Don’t be surprised to see Snow depart within the next 10 days.”

Very interesting… If you have anything to add on this subject, feel free to drop us a line.

A ‘Third Term’ for Bush [WSJ]
Card Resigns as White House Chief of Staff [LAT]
Where in the World is John Snow? [NY Sun]

Earlier: Yosh Up, Card Down: Meet the New Chief of Staff

READ MORE: Andy Card, White House, andrew card, bush, fred barnes, george w. bush, john snow, resignations

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