Washington Wrap

Dotty Lynch, Douglas Kiker, Steve Chaggaris, Clothilde Ewing, Nicola Corless, Smita Kalokhe and Joanna Schubert of The CBS News Political Unit have the latest from the nation's capital.

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Killing Him Softly With His Words: No, it's not a line from the Roberta Flack/Fugees' song, it's from an internal memo sent by Republican strategist Frank Luntz. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the July 10 memo, outlining several ways to oust Gov. Gray Davis, encourages Republicans to "kill Davis softly."

The 17-page letter warns recall proponents that ousting Davis will be difficult saying, "Anyone who thinks this is a slam dunk is nuts." Voter uncertainty will be a significant impediment for the recall activists as they attempt to lure voters away from the unpopular governor. However, the memo includes 17 ways to discredit Davis and increase Republican support.

Luntz advocates concentrating on Davis' lack of leadership rather than policy failures. "Voters are more likely to throw out Gray Davis for his inability to lead than for allowing too much spending." The memo urges recall supporters to repeat such messages to "destroy whatever's left of Gray's credibility."

Also hoping to capitalize on Davis' low approval ratings, Luntz asserts that the governor's unpopularity is one of the recall's greatest advantages. "The fact is, the more Davis speaks, the lower his popularity goes … the more he talks, the easier the recall becomes," states the memo.

Although Davis' ratings are in the low 20s, the Democratic National Committee has vowed to stand by the governor. The Los Angeles Times reports Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the DNC, pledged that Davis would be the only Democrat on the ballot. "If you are a California voter and you want to vote to recall Gray Davis, you are not going to have an option but a bunch of right-wing conservatives on the ballot. That's going to be your option." McAuliffe hopes that keeping other Democratic candidates of the ballot will give Davis a better chance of retaining the office. DNC leaders have also promised to devote the organization's full resources to the Davis campaign.

McAuliffe's remarks were a signal not only of party unity, but of the fact that Democrats are viewing the recall as certain to get to the ballot. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday, "A number of people thought that we could still stop the collection of signatures. My point to my colleagues is: That is over. The signatures are there. So now we have to deal with defeating the recall."

Democratic Party leaders are preparing for the recall by rallying the support of fellow Democrats. California Democratic Party spokesman Bob Mulholland said that former President Bill Clinton will make an appearance in California to give support to Davis in the near future.

Some Of My Best Friends Are Lobbyists: The Charlotte Observer has found that 39 lobbyists gave a total of $40,792 to the presidential campaign of Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C. It's all perfectly legal, except that Edwards has vowed not to accept money from lobbyists.

Well, actually, that's lobbyists who are registered in Washington, not lobbyists registered in state capitals – a distinction the paper says Edwards doesn't always make clear in his populist speeches on the stump.

"Since Sen. Edwards doesn't represent state governments there's no conflict for him accepting money from state lobbyists. If there are donations from Washington lobbyists, we'll return them," Jennifer Palmieri, Edwards' press secretary, wrote in an e-mail to the paper.

Four who might be looking for checks in the mail are former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta, Victoria Rollins (who, among other things, has spent a lot of time "vetting" candidates for vice president) lawyer Abbe Lowell and former Ambassador to Romania Jim Rosapepe. All four were registered to lobby in 2002 but haven't yet registered this year (although they don't have to until August).

Palmieri said the campaign would return any contributions for people registered in 2003.

Joe Knows Jobs: Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., visited a New Hampshire factory Friday to upbraid the Bush administration's economic policy, specifically what the Democratic presidential hopeful calls the "hemorrhaging of manufacturing jobs." The AP reports that Lieberman called for more business-friendly tax incentives and tougher trade policies to ignite the moribund sector.

In all, Lieberman's plan would cost about $10 billion annually to ease what he dubbed the "crisis within a crisis" in the manufacturing sector.

Lieberman, speaking at a high-tech factory in Salem, said the tax cuts instituted since President Bush took office have hurt workers. He also criticized his Democratic rivals - Rep. Dick Gephardt in particular – for backing protectionist trade policies.

"Rather than thinking we can build walls around our economy, as some Democrats would have us do, I want to build bridges to markets around the world for American-made goods," Lieberman said in a not-so-thinly veiled reference to Gephardt, a leading opponent of NAFTA and other free trade agreements.

The swipe at Gephardt is the latest in a series of critiques Lieberman has leveled at his fellow presidential aspirants in recent days, in an effort, perhaps, to dispel his "nice guy" image and carve out a niche for himself as the most conservative Democrat in the race. In recent days, Lieberman has called Howard Dean unelectable, accused fellow Sen. John Kerry of being inconsistent on Iraq and slammed Gephardt (again) on his health care proposal, which Lieberman says is too expensive.

On trade, Lieberman said he would enforce free-trade agreements already in place more aggressively than the Bush administration has, particularly with nations running trade surpluses with the U.S, like China. Lieberman also said he'd crack down on piracy of intellectual property, close a tax loophole that allows offshore companies to save $2 billion annually and double the number of trade law enforcers abroad. Lieberman would also give companies tax credits based on the percentage of manufacturing jobs they kept in the U.S; eliminate capital-gains taxes for small- and medium-sized companies that reinvest in manufacturing jobs; give tax credits for businesses to purchase certain IT equipment and software; and expand the federal grant program for ailing manufacturing areas, the AP reports.

Getting Fit: President Bush may be looking to fatten up his campaign wallet while in Dallas, but before the Friday evening fundraiser he will stop at the Lakewest YMCA to talk with kids about health and fitness.

"The children in this neighborhood may never have another opportunity like this," Yvonne Jo Harris, vice president for the Metropolitan Dallas YMCA, told the Dallas Morning News. "This tells these kids that they're important."

Mr. Bush will talk to the kids and teenagers attending the YMCA summer camp about exercise and preventative checkups as part of the "Healthier US Initiative," which encourages Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles.

Meanwhile in Washington, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. says he's on his way back to the active lifestyle he once enjoyed. Best known on Capitol Hill for his rotund appearance, Nadler will go under the knife a second time in order to shed pounds, the AP reports.

Nadler, who is 5'4" and at his heaviest weighed 338 pounds, was once ridiculed by former Sen. Al D'Amato, R-N.Y., who called him "Jerry Waddler." The congressman underwent a procedure last year in which part of his stomach was removed and has dropped about 75 pounds as a result. He'll be undergoing phase two of the surgery which involves bypassing part of his small intestine making it harder for his body to absorb calories.

As for the 75 pounds he's shed so far, he credits not only the surgery but some lifestyle changes. Nadler said he is much more careful about what he eats and is looking forward to the things he'll be able to do as he starts to lose more weight.

"When I was in the state Assembly, I played second base," he said. "I haven't played softball in a long long time, I'd like to do that again."

Nadler, who hopes to get down to 160 pounds, decided to have the surgery to speed up his weight loss.

"You don't do this unless you've tried every other way," he said. "Obesity is a great public health menace in our country ... and people ought to think more about doing this kind of thing."

What's Happening This Weekend: President Bush continues his quest to break more fundraising records and is scheduled to attend events on both Friday and Saturday in Texas. Dennis Kucinich hopes to raise a little himself at a fundraising dinner in Washington State. Meanwhile, Iowa and New Hampshire see a lot of action, with Howard Dean, Bob Graham, Dick Gephardt, John Kerry and Joe Lieberman all putting in appearances in at least one of the early primary states over the next three days. Al Sharpton takes a different tack; leaving for Africa on Saturday.

Friday:

President Bush tours the Lakewest Family YMCA, followed by remarks on physical fitness, then travels with the first lady to headline a Bush-Cheney fundraiser in Dallas and then heads to Crawford. Howard Dean held a campaign speech on Iraq war and intelligence in Des Moines and continues to campaign in Iowa. John Edwards speaks at the Arizona Education Association Leaders' Conference in Litchfield Park, Ariz. Bob Graham attends "Politics and Eggs" forum in Bedford, N.H. John Kerry campaigns in Iowa. Dennis Kucinich attends fundraising dinner in Seattle. Joe Lieberman campaigns in Epping and Manchester, N.H. No public events scheduled for Dick Gephardt.

Saturday:

President Bush and first lady headline a Bush-Cheney fundraiser in Houston. John Edwards speaks to the New Mexico Democrats' State Central Committee meeting in Albuquerque. Dick Gephardt attends three house parties, participates in roundtable on health care and local economy and tours a local park in New Hampshire. Bob Graham at meet-and-greet and tour of the Revolutionary War festival in Exeter, N.H. and meets and greets race fans in Loudon, N.H. John Kerry speaks with Scott, Jackson, Jones and Dubuque County Democrats in Iowa. Dennis Kucinich campaigns in Seattle. Al Sharpton leaves N.Y. for a fact-finding trip to Liberia. No public events scheduled for Howard Dean or Joe Lieberman.

Sunday:

Dick Gephardt visits three diners and house party in Manchester, then attends a house party in Derry, then goes on to Nashua where he hosts a picnic at the Nashua Pride Holman Stadium and throws out the first pitch at Nashua Pride baseball game. Bob Graham campaigns in Iowa and California and appears on CBS's "Face the Nation." Dennis Kucinich campaigns in Oregon. Al Sharpton arrives in Ghana and meets with Liberian opposition groups. No public events scheduled for Howard Dean, John Edwards, or Joe Lieberman.

Quote of the Day: "She reminds me of my mother." -- Ari Fleischer telling David Letterman that Helen Thomas was the person in the White House press corps who drives him nuts. (CBS Late Night with David Letterman)