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All the entries posted on February 05, 2007.
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Home > Window on Washington > Archives > 2007 > February > 05
Monday, February 5, 2007
Republican Presidential Field Tops In Divorces
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s entry into the Republican presidential campaign gives the emerging GOP field the edge over the Democrats in the number of divorces or annulled marriages.
The GOP has long touted itself as the party of family values, but its developing 2008 presidential field has recorded four divorces and one annulment, compared to three divorces among the Democrats.
In addition to Giuliani, who has had one marriage annulled and another end in divorce, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is twice divorced and Sen. John McCain of Arizona has one divorce.
Among the Democrats, Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio has had two divorces and Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut has one.
The longest married 2008 presidential candidate is a Republican, former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, who has been married 38 years to the former Anne Davies.
Romney is followed in the Republican field by Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, married 34 years to his wife, Lynn; former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, married 33 years to his wife Janet; Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, married 30 years to his wife Lynn; Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, married 24 years to his wife, Mary; and Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, married 22 to his wife Lilibet.
Retired NATO Commander Wes Clark of Arkansas and his wife Gert have been married 36 years, the longest among Democrats.
They are followed closely by Gov Bill Richardson of New Mexico and his wife, Barbara, 33 years; former Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa and his wife, Christie, also 33 years; and Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, 31 years.
The rest of the Democrats are former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and his wife, Elizabeth, married 29 years; Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware and his wife, Jill, also married 29 years; and Sen. Barrack Obama of Illinois and his wife, Michelle, married 14 years.
Biden’s first wife, Neillia Hunter, died in an auto accident in 1972, six years after the couple was married.
Work in Progress
There’s progress - see below, Head of the Republic Party Speaks to Dems- but Bush administration officials have not completely eradicated the “Democrat Party” reference that so irks Democrats, who are members of the Democratic Party.
This today from Rob Portman, head of the Office of Management and Budget, during a briefing on the proposed budget released today:
“And how did 1 percent come about? It came about because we looked back at what Congress has actually done the last few years, including this year with a Democrat Congress.”
A few minutes later, Portman - a former GOP congressman - said:
“I’m really encouraged by what I hear … when the president talked about a balanced budget at the House Democrat retreat on Saturday, you might have noticed, he got an ovation because members, I think, on both sides of the aisle are eager to show constituents, to show the American taxpayer that we can get our fiscal house in order here short-term.”
That was the Democratic retreat where Bush joked about saying “Democrat Party” in his State of the Union address and referred to himself as head of the “Republic Party.”
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Needler-in-Chief
The budget and Iraq talk over with, President Bush found a moment today to lob a good-natured barb or two at David Gregory, NBC’s White House correspondent and sometime substitute “Today” show host.
Here’s the dialogue, which came after Bush made brief comments and took a couple of questions at today’s Cabinet meeting. See above, shot during the six minutes or so the press pool was allowed into the Cabinet Room after the session.
“Where you been?” Bush asked Gregory, back from a stint on the morning show.
“I’m here,” Gregory accurately responded.
“You’re a big shot,” said Bush. “You’re trying to get in the big time. You’re leaving us. Leave no administration behind. Let us know when you get to be like the ‘Today’ show thing and all that. That way we can say we knew you when, we knew him when.”
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Baby Hugger-in-Chief
That’s documentary filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi holding three-month-old son Paul Michael Vos on Saturday shortly after the baby met with the president of the United States. It was something of a reunion for Ms. Pelosi and the president, whom she documented in her “Journeys with George” film about the 2000 campaign.
The meeting came Saturday while Bush was in Williamsburg, Virginia to talk to the House Democratic Caucus led by Alexandra’s mom, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“I’m proud to have met your grandchild,” Bush told the speaker. “I know the mother well. If the child has as much spunk as the mother, she’s going to have a fantastic life.”
For details about what’s going on here, click Continue Reading.
Later Saturday, Bush said his appearance at the Democratic event allowed him “to hug a few babies.”
“Still has the touch,” the speaker said.
What we don’t have, at this point, is a photo of the president and the Pelosi grandson. White House says it was a “closed press” event, but is looking into the possibility of releasing the picture.
What we do have, above, is a photo of Bush, pre-presidency, and Pelosi, pre-pregnancy, taken in March 2000 aboard the then-candidate’s campaign plane. That’s a non-alcoholic beer in the candidate’s hand.
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