Washington Wrap
Dotty Lynch, Douglas Kiker, Steve Chaggaris and Clothilde Ewing of The CBS News Political Unit have the latest from the nation's capital.
Never Going To Say Good-bye: Ari Fleischer may have said good-bye to the White House press room, but that doesn't mean he's done speaking up for the president. According to the AP, the former White House spokesman is raising campaign money for his former boss in Dean Country. Fleischer, who until the middle of July was the president's press secretary and public face, will be in Burlington, Vt., to help raise about $100,000 on Thursday.
The private luncheon at the Vermont National Country Club will take place in Dean's backyard, about a mile and a half from his national headquarters. Skip Vallee, the Republican National committeeman for Vermont who organized the luncheon, said Fleischer's appearance had nothing to do with Dean's surge in the polls.
"I think Ari's visit has more to do with the Middlebury connection and my request for the fundraising help," Vallee said. Fleischer graduated from Middlebury College in 1982.
Fleischer says he doesn't plan on engaging the Dean campaign during his trip because it's too early to know if he'll even be the nominee.
Meanwhile, Dean is back in Vermont following his "Sleepless Summer" tour, which took him to nine cities in four days. He'll have a quiet day, but is expected to stop by a rally in support of Verizon Wireless union workers in Burlington.
Another GOPer Opts Out: Another day, another Republican decides against challenging a potentially vulnerable incumbent Senate Democrat.
Wednesday, Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., nixed a run against Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln, who Republicans are hoping to knock off in 2004. "This is not the time to abandon the job I have," Huckabee said at a news conference yesterday.
Huckabee's decision is interesting since he is term-limited when his term expires in 2006 and he could have run for the Senate while sitting as governor. Perhaps he's setting his sights on taking on first-term Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., in 2008.
Meantime, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., who was widely expected to seriously challenge Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid, decided Monday he'll stay in the House. "There is no doubt in my mind that I could defeat the existing senator on Election Day, but my decision has nothing to do with Sen. Harry Reid," Gibbons said at a news conference.
Other Republicans abandoning Senate bids in 2004 include: former college basketball coach Dale Brown against Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.; Rep. Jennifer Dunn, R-Wash., against Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. (although Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash., did decide to run); and HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson and Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., against Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc.
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., is still waiting to hear if he'll have a formidable GOP challenger. There's talk about former Rep. John Thune, R-S.D. - who lost a 2002 Senate race by 524 votes - taking him on.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee sees this as a positive sign. "They are running into the hills," DSCC spokesman Brad Woodhouse told the Washington Times.
Democrats need to keep in mind that it will still be an uphill battle just to keep the Senate at a 51-49 Republican majority. The Dems are defending 19 out of the 34 Senate seats up in 2004, with 7 of those in states that voted for President Bush in 2000.
Quote of the Day: "Sometimes people want a little more. Like a little experience." California Gov. Gray Davis on Arnold Schwarzenegger. (The New York Times)