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All the entries posted on December 14, 2006.
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Home > Window on Washington > Archives > 2006 > December > 14
Thursday, December 14, 2006
And still another Texan for McCain
San Antonio lawyer Tom Loeffler, a former U.S. House member and a top backer of President Bush’s campaigns, has signed on as one of eight national finance co-chairs for Arizona Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign, which - officially - is still in the exploratory phase.
Loeffler is head man at The Loeffler Group, a governmental affairs and international trade law firm with officers in San Antonio, D.C. and Austin. He was elected to the House in 1978 and served four terms, and ran an unsuccessful race for the 1986 GOP gubernatorial nomination, which was won by Bill Clements.
Clements recently was named honorary Texas chairman of the McCain campaign. Texans Red McCombs, a San Antonio businessman, and Robert Mosbacher, a former Commerce Secretary, are the honorary finance chairmen for McCain in Texas.
Loeffler trivia: Played football at the University of Texas. Son Cullen, also an ex-Longhorn, now is the deep snapper for the Minnesota Vikings.
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Body Count
Parting with past practice, President Bush this week offered an enemy body count in the war on Iraq.
“In the months of October, November and the first week of December, we have killed or captured nearly 5,900 of the enemy,” Bush said after a Pentagon meeting.
Spokesman Tony Snow today said the enemy body count is “an important data point for Americans.”
“There is quite often the impression … that our people aren’t doing anything, they’re just targets. And I think there’s a certain amount of unease in the American public because they hear about (U.S.) deaths but they don’t hear about what’s going on,” Snow said.
“One of the things that never seems to be counterposed on the (U.S.) death counts is what our servicemen and women are doing, and one of the things they’re doing is they’re fighting the bad guys,” he added,
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Snow: I’m Sorry
Today was apology day in the White House Briefing Room as Press Secretary Tony Snow offered an “I’m sorry” to NBC’s David Gregory, he of the aggressive questioning (and shown above taking a bite out of a Scott cookie at a farewell party earlier this year for former Press Secretary Scott McClellan).
Last week, in response to a Gregory question about the Iraq Study Group report, Snow accused Gregory of “trying to frame it in a partisan way.”
Forgive me, Snow told Gregory today after the NBC correspondent asked a question.
“Before I get to that, I want to address something else, because you and I had a conversation last week that got a whole lot of play in a lot of places, where I used the term ‘partisan’ in describing one of your questions. And I’ve thought a lot about that. And that was wrong. So I want to apologize and tell you I’m sorry for it,” Snow said.
“And the reason I do that is not only because it’s the right thing to do; because I want people in this room and also people who watch these to understand that the relations in this room are professional and collegial. And if I expect you to do right by us, you have every right to expect that I’ll do right by you. So in any event, I just want to say I’m sorry for that,” he added.
Peace and love then reigned in the briefing room, at least for a few questions.
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When Less is More
By Marilyn Geewax
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Chief Economist Martin Regalia told a group of reporters Thursday that he expects the Republican-controlled White House and Democratic-led Congress to clash over budget and tax policies.
Unable to reach agreements, they will not be able to accomplish much…or so he hopes. “I’ve always been somewhat of a fan of gridlock,” Regalia said.
If Republicans and Democrats continually block each other’s ability to pass legislation, then government spending will decline, he said. While expensive but unnecessary legislation languishes, “the stuff that needs to get passed will get passed,” he predicted.
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