Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean can't comment on all the convention fussing and fighting surrounding left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore's anti-President Bush film "Fahrenheit 9/11."
Top party leaders, in fact, kept their distance from the movie and its producer during this week's Democratic National Convention, reports Marc Morano, CNSNews.com's senior staff writer.
"I have not seen the movie, so I can't comment on it," Dean said.
When pressed for his reaction to Moore's harshly critical statements about Bush, Dean replied: "To be honest with you, I am not sure what that is, either. I haven't paid that much attention."
Others apparently want Moore permanently out of the picture, so to speak, or as CNN anchor Bill Hemmer told the filmmaker during an interview this week: "I've heard people say they wish Michael Moore were dead."
The New Republic reported that a visibly angry Moore later confronted the popular CNN anchor on the convention floor and spouted: "'Some people want you dead? Some people want you dead,' Bill? Why would you say that on live TV? Would you say that to (George) Bush or (John) Kerry?"
Before the anchor could respond, Moore stormed off, saying Hemmer and others in the news business are responsible for U.S. casualties in Iraq because they aren't doing their jobs.
PASS THE KETCHUP
"It is unfortunate that you instinctively assume the investigation into the Berger matter has anything to do with Sandy Berger 'the Democrat.' The fact is, I don't care if it's Sandy Berger or Warren Burger or Veggie Burger who walked off with 'code word' documents. It's the walking off - the consequences of it, the fact that it could happen - that concerns the committee."
- Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, Virginia Republican and chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, responding to a letter from Rep. Henry A. Waxman, California Democrat and the committee's ranking member, who suspects that politics is behind an investigation of former Clinton National Security Adviser Samuel R. Berger's apparent theft of sensitive documents from the National Archives.
NO TAKERS
Leaders of the Democratic Party have charged repeatedly that federal education-reform initiatives such as President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act are "underfunded."
Well, says Rep. John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican and chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, get a load of these apples.
The chairman has produced new Education Department figures showing that states have access to more than $16 billion in "unspent" federal education funds - including more than a half-billion dollars appropriated during President Clinton's administration.
WHERE YOU BEEN?
Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, were in Casper, Wyo., to attend their 45th high-school reunion.
The vice president said he had to laugh when a former classmate walked up to him and said, "Gee, whatever happened to you, Cheney?"
100 MILLION VICTIMS
Congress is moving closer to approving Maryland and Constitution avenues NE as site of the Victims of Communism Memorial to remember a death toll from Berlin to Beijing, Hanoi to Havana, that was greater than all of the wars of the 20th century combined.
The memorial will feature a replica of the Goddess of Democracy statue, as well as an eternal flame and bronze panels with quotes from heroes of the Cold War.
The proposed site, recommended by the National Park Service and part of the master plan for memorials in Washington, is one block from the U.S. Capitol and would be directly across the street from the Veterans of Foreign Wars headquarters, whose members fought against communism on several fronts.
NO JOKE
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling on the nation's largest radio network to apologize for remarks by comedian Jackie Mason, who they said labeled the Muslim religion a "murderous organization" that teaches "hate, terrorism and murder."
Seeing fit to add that Mr. Mason is also "pro-Israel," the council says he voiced his opinion while a guest host of Jim Bohannon's show, syndicated nationally by Westwood One.
GADHAFI PR
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has hired himself a public-relations firm.
"$1.2 million is a very big number for government work, especially for a two-person firm," Kevin McCauley, editor of odwyerpr.com, tells The Beltway Beat.
Having recently abandoned its weapons of mass destruction program in favor of better ties with the United States, Libya has given Fahmy Hudome International (FHI) a $1.2 million one-year pact to improve the nascent diplomatic relationship, McCauley reveals.
"Randa Fahmy Hudome, who served as associate deputy secretary of energy in the current Bush White House, heads FHI," he says. "Hudome will approach U.S. government officials, think tanks, 'influentials,' nongovernmental organizations on behalf of Col. Moammar Gadhafi's regime."
HARE-Y KERRY
He was known for a manner imperious,
With pretensions that now seem delirious,
For a man in the habit
Of a powder-blue rabbit
Can't expect to be taken too serious.
- F.R. Duplantier Continued... |