Morning Bulletin – Friday, April 17, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
"Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, a staunch ally of Cuba's communist government, vowed to torpedo a final summit communique in protest of the country's exclusion," reports the Associated Press' Mark S. Smith.
"But Obama's move this week to ease travel and some other restrictions for Cuban-Americans brought an unprecedented reply from Havana. Raul Castro, who took over from his ailing brother, Fidel, a year ago, offered to talk to the Obama administration about all outstanding grievances.
"Speaking from a meeting Chavez hosted in Venezuela, Raul Castro declared: 'We have sent word to the U.S. government in private and in public that we are willing to discuss everything — human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners, everything.' Previously, Cubans had insisted their domestic politics were their own business, and administration officials were trying to determine what to make of the development.
"On Tuesday, Obama lifted limits on visits by Americans with relatives in Cuba, eased restrictions on family gifts and cash payments, and moved to allow U.S. telecom companies to expand service to the island."
"His steps weren't enough for his Mexican host, President Felipe Calderón, and the U.S. leader is likely to face pressure to move further when he attends the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago starting Friday," the Wall Street Journal's Laura Meckler and David Lunhow add.
"'The embargo has been in place since before President Obama and I were born,' Mr. Calderón said at a joint news conference here Thursday with Mr. Obama. 'And the Cuban regime is still there. I think it's time to ask if maybe the strategy hasn't worked too well. I don't believe that it has.' Mr. Obama said he had already taken significant steps. 'I think what you saw was a show of good faith on the part of the United States that we want to recast our relationship,' he said.
"'Having taken the first step I think it's very much in our interests to see whether Cuba is also ready to change.' He said that the Cuban government could take any variety of steps in a sign of good will. 'I'm optimistic that progress can be made if there is a spirit that's looking forward rather than backward,' Mr. Obama said. 'We want to be open to engagement but we're going to do so in a systematic way.'"
"Chavez said the summit's final statement and its call for greater democracy reflected American hypocrisy. 'I have no doubt there's more democracy in Cuba,' he jeered. Aides said Obama doesn't plan to meet with Chavez during a summit session, but if the fiery leftist approaches him, Obama would likely engage in polite conversation," the AP's Smith continues.
"He called instead for greater enforcement of existing laws despite the fact that, according to Mexican President Felipe Calderon, such weapons have strengthened organized crime groups in Mexico who are fueling border violence and the drug trade. 'I have not backed off at all from my belief that the assault weapons ban makes sense, and I continue to believe that we can respect and honor the second amendment right in our Constitution,' he said during a press conference with Calderon.
"'Having said that,' he continued, "I think none of us are under any illusion that reinstating that ban will be easy. So what we focused on is how we can improve enforcement of our existing law.'"
"[W]hile the two pledged their 'shared responsibility' in the drug wars during a news conference here, they seemed to diverge on the issue of the assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004," reports the New York Times' Sheryl Gay Stolberg.
"Mr. Calderón said nearly 90 percent of the weapons seized in Mexico could be traced to the United States, adding that organized crime increased after the ban expired. Mr. Obama campaigned on a platform of renewing it, but he suggested Thursday that reviving the ban was politically impossible because of opposition from gun enthusiasts. ...
"Mr. Obama's meeting with Mr. Calderón touched on a range of issues, including immigration policy, climate change and a dispute over whether Mexican trucks should be allowed to deliver goods inside the United States. But the overarching issue was drug violence."
CIA INTERROGATION MEMOS: "Baring what he called a 'dark and painful chapter in our history,' President Obama on Thursday released a collection of secret Justice Department documents that provided graphic guidance to the CIA on how far it could go to extract information from terrorism suspects," write the LA Times' Greg Miller and Josh Meyer.
"The memos provide the most detailed account to date not only of the interrogation tools the CIA employed against Al Qaeda suspects in secret prisons around the world but the legal arguments the Bush administration constructed to justify their use. At the same time, Obama assured CIA employees and other U.S. operatives that they would be protected from prosecution or other legal exposure for their roles in the nation's counter-terrorism efforts over the last eight years.
4818723"'This is a time for reflection, not retribution,' Obama said in a message delivered to CIA employees, explaining his decision to release a collection of documents that agency veterans and some senior officials in his administration had fought to keep sealed."
"Authorities said they will not prosecute CIA officers who used harsh interrogation techniques with the department's legal blessing. But in a carefully worded statement, they left open the possibility that operatives and higher-level administration officials could face jeopardy if they ventured beyond the boundaries drawn by the Bush lawyers," add the Washington Post's Carrie Johnson and Julia Tate.
"The four memos, dated from 2002 to 2005, contain few redactions, despite a fierce battle within the highest ranks of the Obama White House about the benefits of releasing the information. Intelligence experts said the documents could ignite calls in Congress and among international courts for a fresh, independent investigation of detainee treatment. The documents lay out in clinical, painstaking detail a series of practices intended to get prisoners to share intelligence about past wrongdoing and future attacks. The legalistic analysis under anti-torture laws and the Geneva Conventions is at odds with the severity of the strategies, which include 11-day limits on sleep deprivation as well as waterboarding and nude shackling. Step by step, experts considered the legality of slapping prisoners' faces and abdomens, dousing them with water, and confining them in small boxes, with the last strategy limited to two hours. The techniques were designed to inspire 'dread,' according to a footnote."
CAR CZAR: "Steven Rattner, the leader of the Obama administration's auto task force, was one of the executives involved with payments under scrutiny in a probe of an alleged kickback scheme at New York state's pension fund, according to a person familiar with the matter," the Wall Street Journal's Peter Lattman and Craig Karmin report.
"A Securities and Exchange Commission complaint says a 'senior executive' of Mr. Rattner's investment firm met in 2004 with a politically connected consultant about a finder's fee. Later, the complaint says, the firm received an investment from the state pension fund and paid $1.1 million in fees. The 'senior executive,' not named in the complaint, is Mr. Rattner, according to the person familiar with the matter. He is co-founder of the investment firm, Quadrangle Group, which he left to join the Treasury Department to oversee the auto task force earlier this year. Neither Mr. Rattner nor Quadrangle has been accused of any wrongdoing. Mr. Rattner did not return calls for comment."
"The S.E.C. complaint, filed as part of an expansive state and federal investigation into corruption at the state pension fund, details the efforts of Quadrangle to gain business from the pension fund beginning in 2004," write the New York Times' Peter Hakim and Louise Story.
"The person who received most of the $1 million-plus payment has been indicted, accused of selling access to the fund. There is no indication in the complaint that Mr. Rattner faces criminal or civil charges in connection with the inquiry."
"During a 34-minute speech frequently punctuated with applause and laughter, Palin also made jokes about the whirlwind of her life in 2008. 'I borrowed some clothes,' she said. '... Had a couple of sit-down interviews, and, oh, those went real well.'
"This morning, the Palins will attend a private breakfast event hosted by S.M.I.L.E on Down syndrome, a local group that provides resources and support for people with Down syndrome and their families. Citing security concerns and Palin's desire not to politicize the event, S.M.I.L.E on Down syndrome has declined to announce the breakfast event's location."
"Palin said the challenges she faced during her pregnancy with her son Trig, who was born with Down syndrome, gave her an opportunity to live out her anti-abortion beliefs. She said she prayed often during her pregnancy, especially after tests revealed that her son would be born with the condition," adds the Associated Press' Ken Kusmer.
"'The moment he was born, I knew that moment my prayers had been answered,' Palin said. 'Trig is a miracle. He is the best thing that ever happened to me and I want other women to have that opportunity.' She challenged the notion that children must be born perfect and that unplanned pregnancies are inconvenient and can be ended by abortion. 'I know for sure my son is perfect just as he is, made in the image of God,' she said.
"She asked the crowd to keep working for the 'culture of life' in America. 'Life is ordained, life is precious,' she said. Palin said women who can't give birth should have the opportunity to adopt children who might otherwise be aborted. She mentioned that her own daughter Bristol became pregnant as an unmarried teen and has since given birth to a son.
"Palin also took Obama to task for his support of abortion rights and embryonic stem-cell research. She said deciding when babies get human rights isn't above her pay grade — a reference to Obama's response to a question from the Rev. Rick Warren last year. The Democrat said such questions were above his pay grade."
Politico's Andy Barr points out that in contrast to the hard time she's having at home, the folks in Indiana were very excited to see her.
"Far from her home state and the controversy she left behind, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin traveled to Indiana Thursday and reminded Republicans why she remains a party heavyweight and a top prospective presidential candidate in 2012. Palin drew approximately 3,000 people to the Vanderburgh County Right to Life fundraising dinner in Evansville, an annual banquet that typically attracts some of the GOP's top national talent. Her sold-out appearance in a local exhibition hall prompted organizers to set up a paid closed-circuit broadcast at a nearby auditorium for a large spill-over crowd and led local authorities to close down nearby streets. ... Palin was mobbed by autograph seekers and picture takers as she tried to get into the fundraiser."
***"WASHINGTON UNPLUGGED", 2PM ET ON CBSNEWS.COM*** This week on "Washington Unplugged," Congressmen Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.) will debate the U.S.'s policy toward Cuba. Rep. Rush has compared his visit with brothers Fidel and Raul Castro last week as part of a congressional delegation to meeting old family. Smith on the other hand condemned the trip and meeting with the brothers, saying he was 'profoundly disappointed' members of Congress went to the country without visiting political prisoners or criticizing human rights abuses. ...
Also, Quinn Bradlee, the author of "A Different Life" and creator of social networking site friendsofquinn.com for children with learning disabilities will discuss growing up with a learning disorder as the son of famous parents, former Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee and journalist Sally Quinn.
ALSO TODAY: At 11:30 a.m. ET at the University of Missouri in St. Louis, Vice President Joe Biden will chair the third meeting of the Middle Class Task Force. Later, he'll meet with high school students at a Boys and Girls Club in St. Louis.
ECONOMY / BAILOUTS
Washington Post's Paul Kane, "Financial Crisis Must Be Probed, Pelosi Says"
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
LA Times' Ben Meyerson and Richard Simon, "Obama wants to get moving on high-speed rail"
NY Times' Elisabeth Bumiller, "Gates Takes His Case for Military Budget on the Road"
LA Times' Julian E. Barnes, "Gates hints at changes to ban on gays in military"
MINNESOTA SENATE RECOUNT
Minneapolis Star Tribune's Kevin Duchschere, "Coleman: 'I think the law is on our side"
NY-20 SPECIAL ELECTION
Poughkeepsie Journal's Jenny Lee-Adrian, "Murphy ahead by 178 votes as Dutchess count winds down"
Albany Times Union's Casey Seiler, "House race offering an inside view of the election system"
CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING
Washington Times' S.A. Miller, "Democrats pull ahead in money race"
Wall Street Journal's T.W. Farnam and Brody Mullins, "House Members Report Funding Drop"
Washington Post's Paul Kane, "3 Linked to Lobby Firm See Donations Drop"
FUTURE RACES
2009 VA Governor: NY Times' David D. Kirkpatrick and Ron Nixon, "Brother's Role in Congress Carries Weight in Race"
2009 VA Governor: Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Bill Clinton, Trump among McAuliffe's donors"
2009 VA Governor: Washington Post's Anita Kumar, "Top McAuliffe Donors Slept in Lincoln Bedroom"
2010 NY Governor: NY Times' Jeremy W. Peters, "Paterson Introduces a Same-Sex Marriage Bill"
2010 CT Senate: Boston Globe's Brian C. Mooney, "Dodd faces tough road to Senate reelection"
2010 CT Senate: Connecticut Post's Peter Urban, "Only 5 state residents donated to Dodd"
2010 FL Senate: Miami Herald's Beth Reinhard and Breanne Gilpatrick, "For Senate race, Kendrick Meek is raising big money from out of state"
2010 IL Senate: Chicago Tribune's Ray Gibson, "Roland Burris needs contributions: $845 collected so far"
2010 KY Senate: Louisville Courier-Journal's Joseph Gerth, "Bunning trails challenger in fundraising"
2010 NC Senate: Raleigh News & Observer's Rob Christensen, "Burr brushes aside to-do over ATM use"
2010 NY Senate: CQ Politics' Emily Cadei, "Maloney's Early Fundraising Could Fuel New York Senate Run"
2010 PA Senate: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's James O'Toole, "Specter 'firing back' against challenger Toomey"
ETC.
Politico's Andie Collier, "Spitzer masters the art of the recovery"
Washington Post's Philip Rucker, "Bill Richardson, at Peace In the Political Desert"