Daily News Roundup, 11/27/07: Peace In Our Time - Preface

Only seven years into his presidency, George Bush has decided that the whole Middle East peace thing deserves some attention. A conference aimed at re-opening the Palestinian/Israeli dialogue opens today in Annapolis, Maryland.

Bush had some meetings last night and the conference has drawn attendees from 46 countries. Some of the attendees are promising — India, Pakistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and others. I am hopeful and optimistic about such developments, but the spin put on President Bush's attitude and deportment thus far in his presidency has been extraordinary. Observe the following quotes, from the Washington Post:

“The United States cannot impose our vision,” Mr. Bush told the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, in the Oval Office on Monday, before saying, and sounding, again, Clintonesque, “but we can help facilitate.”

---snip---

“The president is not a gambler,” his press secretary, Dana M. Perino, said last week.

Well that's a load off my mind, to know that we'd never be lead to doing something half-cocked or with incomplete information. I'm also glad to hear that we won't be imposing our vision on anyone. Bush will address the meeting today, so watch the TV news, if you are able. And you should catch that while you can, because Bush isn't going to stick around for much of the conference. Sure, he invited everyone to town, but he doesn't want, so much, to be "involved" in the discussions. The commitment to world peace and the spread of democracy, as always, is exhilarating.

Transparency will cost you — Governor Perry's office has decided to release the office emails requested earlier this month by John Washburn, but will also be sending along a bill.

It is a strange story. Thee charges aren't exactly enough money to be a deterrent, although I guess if you wanted all of the emails it could add up to a prohibitive cost pretty quickly. For each day of emails, the price tag is about $142, and the cost breakdown is as follows, from the Star-Telegram:

"Here's your dollar," is the message Washburn says he plans to give the Republican governor. That's the price of the CD upon which the e-mail messages would be copied. The bill Washburn got for four days of e-mail messages includes 31.5 hours of staff time at $15 an hour. That comes to $472.50. Then there's a 20 percent surcharge for overhead. That's another $94.50. Add the cost of the CD and the price tag comes to $568.

So, imagine the cost to taxpayers when Perry's wailing and gnashing of teeth over these requests requires an opinion from Attorney General Greg Abbott. Which it almost certainly will.

Yesterday's announcement by Senator Trent Lott that he is beating a hasty retreat to Lobbytown has been followed by another spate of stories outlining just how much trouble the Republican Party is in, including this one from Chris Cillizza over at the Washington Post. The number of Republican retirees from Congress now stands at 17, and I can't imagine they all decided to leave spontaneously, despite GOP assertions to the contrary. Republicans are bailing out because morale is low.

Honestly, to paint it as anything other than GOP reps looking for ways to make good on their years in Washington and maybe start making a little money is folly, especially when you consider what most of them are facing: a career spent from here until the end in the minority, without much real power to speak of, after running the store for so many years. It must be a serious bummer.

What it is not doing is preventing some stalwarts who are not retiring from hunting up some opportunities in the tumult. Cornyn and Hutchison both burned up the phones yesterday in an attempt to gather support for their own promotions.

It is worth pondering if Hutchison may have tipped her hand about the governor's race a little early, and if that will hurt her as she seeks to move from the #4 spot in the GOP Senate leadership to #3, Senate Republican Conference chair. Will other Republicans worry that she'll bail in 2009? I mean, I would, if I were them. I wouldn't give the gig to Cornyn, who is next in line behind Hutchison, because he isn't safe, but Hutchison's ambition might be troubling to the caucus at large.

Lastly today, an entertainment item. Negotiations in the writers strike seem to be progressing, as there is now speculation that a deal might be forthcoming. So, if you've been jonesing for your Daily Shows or your Colbert Reports or been living in fear that Ugly Betty will run out of episodes before you're ready to say goodbye, there may be hope for you yet. Solidarity, writers. We hope everything works out.