DNC launches new website on McCain VP picks

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) held a conference call to announce the launch of its new website, www.TheNextCheney.com. Brad Woodhouse, DNC Senior Communications Director, said the website highlights Senator John McCain's (R-Ariz.) potential vice-presidential picks, aiming to illustrate that a combination of McCain and any of the choices only means "more of the same."

The website lists Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Governor Charlie Crist of Florida, Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Senator John Thune (R-SD), Carly Fiorina, Fred Smith, and Congressman Eric Cantor (R-Va.) as McCain's roster of potential vice presidents, but Woodhouse said the DNC may add more to the list. Woodhouse said any McCain ticket means only "more of the same" seen from the Bush-Cheney administration. Mike Gehreke, DNC Research Director, said McCain will have a very hard time picking a running make who can differentiate him from the negative legacy of the Bush administration.

McClellan testifies in Congress

Former White House Press Secretary under George W. Bush Scott McClellan testified under oath before the House Judiciary Committee. McClellan presented the committee with his knowledge of the lead-up to the war in Iraq and the Valerie Plame leak, two topics he discusses in his book “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception.”

McClellan stated that he did not know if the leak of former covert CIA agent Valerie Plame was used as a way to further criticize Plame’s husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson. In his book, McClellan says that he finds it unlikely that President Bush would have authorized Scooter Libby to leak classified information and said he cannot rule out Vice President Cheney give the authorization. Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) said that the statements made in McClellan’s book are enough to consider impeachment proceedings on Cheney.

On the Iraq War, McClellan said that counterevidence is crucial in the lead-up to a war and that the Bush White House ignored evidence that was contradictory to the administration’s goals. Though he admitted Bush never used words like “shade the truth” or “propaganda,” McClellan said that the war was presented to Americans in those manners.

McClellan explained that the purpose for writing his book was to share his experiences with the American people and to analyze how a popular governor became a polarizing president, frequently beginning his responses by reminding the committee that he discussed the answer in his book. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) posed questions to McClellan that challenged his motivations for writing the book, asking about the political positions of the book’s editors and inquiring on the profits McClellan will receive. After McClellan repeatedly said “Can I finish my response?” as Smith interjected with additional questions, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) apologized to McClellan, stating that the committee’s purpose was to investigate topics discussed in the book, not to question McClellan’s character.

China, Cuba drilling for oil off Florida

Three steps that must be taken to maintain the United States’s economic position in the world were cited by Vice President Dick Cheney at the United States Chamber of Commerce. Cheney thanked the Chamber for understanding economic issues and motivated it to assist policy makers in decision making.

Cheney defended tax cuts made by President Bush, saying that a sudden tax increase is “not the prescription” the United States needs to secure its economic status. Cheney said that if Bush’s tax cuts are allowed to expire, taxes will increase by $280 billion a year. The thousand dollar per child tax break given to families would be halved, causing an average of $1,800 increased taxes for 116 million Americans. Cheney said that this “government greed” would have the most harmful effect on Americans in the lowest tax brackets.

Cheney also promoted free trade initiatives and argued against the protectionism promoted in some of the presidential campaigns. He said that a free trade agreement with Colombia would benefit the United States by allowing American products to enter Colombia without tariffs. According to Cheney, 90 percent of Colombian goods already enter the United States duty free. Cheney said that protectionism brings “false comforts” and that the demise of a trade agreement with Colombia would not only hurt the American economy, but would also cause the United States’s image in Latin America to suffer.

In light of increased gas prices, Cheney advocated that the United States increase domestic oil production, saying that an increase in supply is the only way to lower prices. Cheney supported initiatives that develop new energy technologies but reiterated that the United States’s dependence on oil cannot be erased overnight. Cheney not only pushed for oil production in ANWAR, but also supported oil production off of the East and West Coasts. Cheney said that China and Cuba are producing oil off the coast of Florida, noting that “even the Communists” understand increased oil production is economically vital.

Cheney echoes Bob Dole: McClellan a “miserable creature”

Vice President Dick Cheney criticized the press at the National Press Club when referring to the Pulitzer Prize won by the New York Times for a piece that divulged information pertaining to US security, an action that he deemed was “less than honorable.” When asked, Cheney said that the most difficult part of his jobs involves the press since his role as an adviser necessitates an ability to keep important information secret.

Cheney said that the surge of forces in Iraq has been “enormously successful” and added that no terror attack on the United States in seven years can be attributed to the United States’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. The vice president stated that a successful president must make unpopular decisions, comparing President George W. Bush’s actions to the difficult choices made by President Lincoln during the Civil War. Cheney said that invading Iraq and Afghanistan will be viewed positively in ten to fifteen years and that the suggestion that the Bush administration acted rashly is false.

Cheney said that oil prices would be a factor in the upcoming presidential elections. He said that the “era of oil” is not ending and that the United States needs to do more to increase domestic production of petroleum. Cheney criticized those who try to limit domestic production and added that a repeal of federal gas taxes would do little to alleviate high prices if supply is not increased. Cheney added that Senators John McCain and Barack Obama will make strategic decisions when choosing a running mate, ignoring the status of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

When prompted to comment on the release of a book by former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, the vice president laughed quietly and said that former Sen. Bob Dole’s (R-Kan.) condemnation of McClellan as a “miserable creature” was accurate. In addition, Cheney revealed that he is an eighth cousin Barack Obama and said he would not be opposed to a family reunion. When discussing his family’s history, Vice President Cheney said that he is descended from two different Cheney families and emphasized that his family was never from West Virginia, a comment that surprised the audience.