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Insider Report: McCain Recruits Bush Insiders Special From NewsMax's Most Informed Sources
Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories): 1. Strategists See 3-Way (Bloomberg) Race in '08 Political strategists on both sides of the aisle are beginning to consider that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg — despite his word to the contrary might run for president as a third-party candidate after all. "People are so sick of the polarization of politics that he could make the case that it's time to move beyond the two parties and that he's the one to lead us," said Joseph Trippi, the Internet guru who helped make Howard Dean a Democratic front-runner in 2004. "Given his resources, it's all sitting there for him." And Mark McKinnon, a campaigner for President Bush and now an adviser to Sen. John McCain, told The New York Sun that if the primaries "squeeze out the moderates, you'll have an ideal situation for a third-party candidate."
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The prospect of billionaire Bloomberg tossing his hat in the ring for 2008 is disturbing to some. "There's been discussion about Bloomberg, and no one likes the idea of a third party getting in the race with millions and millions of dollars," an adviser to a leading GOP contender told the Sun. "If the Republican candidate ended up being a real firebrand like [Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas], I can see Bloomberg carving out some territory." But another Bush campaign veteran dismissed the Bloomberg talk, saying: "Is there a single American clamoring for a Bloomberg presidency? A single one?" Editor's Note:
2. Soros Linked to New Middle East Peace Group Billionaire investor George Soros met with activists seeking to raise money to promote efforts toward a two-state solution for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Soros was one of several potential donors at the Oct. 25 meeting in New York.
Former Nixon and Clinton administration insider Morton Halperin, now director of American advocacy for the Soros-founded Open Society Institute, emerged from the meeting as one of two active coordinators who will lead fund-raising efforts and plan future action for the yet-unnamed group of pro-peace activists. The other is Jeremy Ben-Ami, vice president of Fenton Communications and a former adviser to President Clinton, the Jewish publication Forward reports. The two have held a series of meetings with Jewish groups and individuals who support the two-state solution. The main question raised at the meetings, according to Forward, is whether the new group should conduct its own lobbying operations, or channel funds to existing groups. The goal now is to raise from $10 million to $15 million by early next year. In mid-October, a columnist for the Jerusalem Post accused Soros of leading a move to stitch together an American Jewish political lobby that is "anti-Israel." As NewsMax reported, columnist Caroline Glick wrote that Soros is one of a "tiny majority of American Jews" who have sought to undermine support for Israel in the Democratic Party. Soros created a stir in 2003 when he charged that Israel was partially responsible for the rise in anti-Semitic violence in Europe because of its harsh response to Palestinian terrorism. Editor's Note:
3. Giuliani Adds Ex-Bush Aide to Exploratory Committee Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has taken another step toward a 2008 White House run by hiring a top official from President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign. Sandra Pack, who is currently assistant Treasury secretary for management, will leave her post to become the chief financial officer of Giuliani's exploratory committee, The New York Sun reported. "Vastly talented, she's a seasoned pro bringing with her years of political experience," said Anthony Carbonetti, an aide to the former mayor. Pack has also served in presidential campaign positions for Sens. Bob Dole and Phil Gramm. Giuliani filed papers with the Federal Election Commission in November to set up his exploratory committee, which allows him to raise money and travel the country to gauge support for a presidential bid without formally declaring himself a candidate. In addition to Giuliani, Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Sam Brownback of Kansas have also formed exploratory committees. Editor's Note:
4. NewsMax First Reported Bolton Departure The Dec. 4 announcement that John Bolton had resigned as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations came as no surprise to NewsMax readers. Back on Nov. 9, NewsMax's U.N. correspondent Stewart Stogel first reported that Bolton would be forced out of his post in December. Stogel wrote: "There had been indications that Bolton might win Senate confirmation after the election when several key votes might be open to favoring Bolton." But the GOP's loss of the Senate "has doomed that hope . . . "In the end, the support the White House had been counting on did not materialize." A source close to the U.S. mission to the U.N. told NewsMax at the time: "This nomination is dead and we have known it for several days." The Bolton nomination had been stalled in committee since March 2005. The White House bypassed the Senate and temporarily installed Bolton in August 2005. After the Dec. 4 resignation, Stogel reported: "In recent weeks, the administration mistakenly thought it had gained the support on the Hill to get Bolton approved." But a high-ranking staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confided: "The support simply wasn't there." Editor's Note:
5. McCain Recruits Bush Insiders Two more George Bush insiders have joined Sen. John McCain's team in preparation for a likely run for the White House by the Arizona Republican in 2008. Terry Nelson, who was national political director for President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, has agreed to serve as McCain's campaign manager if he formally announces that he is a candidate. And Brian Jones, who worked for the Bush re-election campaign before taking the post of Republican National Committee communications director, has agreed to lead the press effort for McCain's campaign, columnist Chris Cillizza discloses in The Washington Post. Noting that both men served in the upper echelons of the Bush campaign, Cillizza writes: "McCain has made a concerted effort over the past few years to heal wounds from the 2000 presidential primaries when he and Bush squared off in a bitter fight. As he prepares to run for president in 2008, McCain is working overtime to court the Republican establishment – from fund-raisers to activists to operatives — and has met with considerable success." McCain had earlier recruited another Bush insider, state Sen. Chuck Larson, a major Bush fund-raiser in 2004, and former chairman of the Republican Party in the key state of Iowa. Editor's Note:
6. NewsMax Coup: McCain 'Papers' When NewsMax correspondent Kenneth R. Timmerman covered a speech by Sen. John McCain, he didn't just get the story — he got the speech. Timmerman attended an early December gathering of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs in Washington, D.C. — where McCain delivered a speech — and filed a story for the NewsMax.com Web site. In his speech, the Arizona Republican called on the U.S. to send more troops to Iraq, or risk losing the war. He also warned that a "precipitous American troop withdrawal" could lead to a region-wide conflict. After McCain finished his speech, Timmerman noticed him tossing a piece of paper aside. So Timmerman approached the senator and asked, "That wouldn't happen to be the speech, would it?" McCain replied "not this one," referring to the tossed paper, then handed over other papers and said, "but this one." So Timmerman came away with six pages of single-spaced copy — McCain's speech.
Editor's Note:
7. Bush Nephew Defends President George Prescott Bush, son of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and a nephew of President Bush, said the GOP defeat in the midterm elections was a "wake up call" for Republicans – but defended his uncle's immigration policy. At a Republican women's Christmas luncheon in Fort Worth, Texas, where 30-year-old Bush lives, he was questioned by local activist Cheryl Surber, who said many traditional Republican voters didn't support the party this year because of its lax immigration policy. Bush defended the president's support for a guest-worker program and insisted it was not an amnesty program. He did acknowledge, "I know this is an issue that divides us as Republicans." Afterwards, Surber said, "Their definition of amnesty is a whole lot different from Webster's." George P. Bush, who is vice president of a real estate investment company, "has been touted as a possible contender to further the Bush political dynasty," according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Discussing his grandfather, former President George H.W. Bush, George P. mentioned a recent speech in which the elder Bush shed tears while discussing his son Jeb. "It was an example of the raw emotions in politics," the younger Bush said. "It goes without saying that he is my hero." Editor's Note:
8. We Heard . . . THAT Hamas representatives have held secret talks with officials from the recently victorious Democratic Party. That disclosure comes from the Jerusalem Post, which cited sources close to the Hamas-led Palestinian government but did not elaborate. The Post also reported that Hamas representatives have been holding secret talks with officials from European governments, including Britain and France. The newspaper further reported that Hamas "has succeeded in convincing European officials to accept the Islamist movement's plan for a long-term hadna [truce] with Israel as a substitute for recognizing Israel's right to exist." THAT Fox News Channel's John Gibson likes NewsMax. The conservative host of "The Big Story with John Gibson" — who also has a new radio show on Fox News Talk Radio — was asked to name his favorite books and Web sites. Among the books he likes is Ann Coulter's "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)." And among his favorite Web sites: www.newsmax.com. THAT Chalmers "Slick" Goodlin, a landmark figure in American aviation history, passed away in October, just short of the 60th anniversary of the X-1 rocket plane's first flight. Goodlin flew America's first jet, the YP-59, and went on to log 26 flights on the X-1, second only to Chuck Yeager's 34. The X-1 was the first aircraft to break the sound barrier. Goodlin later became the first chief test pilot of the Israeli Air Force, and flew 40 missions in Israel's 1948 war. "Chalmers brought ethics and integrity into the aviation business world, and he was such an outstanding source of inspiration and respect to his family and friends," his wife Aila told NewsMax. Walter J. Boyne, director of the National Air & Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, wrote: "As a writer and producer of television vehicles, I have come to know many, if not most, of the great men and women of aviation history. Chalmers Goodlin ranks at the very top of this list." Editor's Notes:
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