Former Bush Lawyer Accused Of 1st Degree Strangulation: On Suicide Watch in Conn. Jail

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Police suspect he tried to kill his wife last night. Certainly messier than Karl Rove's divorce. So much for family values. John Michael Farren was general counsel and vice president of external affairs for Xerox Corp before he became a White House lawyer for George W. Bush. The father of two children -- ages 6 and 4 months -- also served in the Commerce Department as under secretary for international trade under Bush's father. The Stamford Advocate is reporting Farren's 43-year-old wife is lapsing in and out of consciousness at a hospital in Norwalk. Her lawyer says Bush Administration lawyer Farren beat her with a flashlight. The newspaper said Farren is on suicide watch and is being held on a $2 million bond. This link takes you to a list of White House staffers and their salaries in the Bush administration.

There is more abut Farren's background in the American Presidency Project's papers, including details about two years with the Republican National Committee in the early 1980s.

RNC's New Obama Parody Ad: Uses Fake Germans To Claim USA Marxist Support

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- This Republican National Committee web video has been launched as some kind of effort to mock the huge crowd that Illinois Sen. Barack Obama drew last week in Berlin. There are no jackboots or brownshirts. But the young Germans are portrayed as a bit moronic and myopic, or perhaps as hip dunderheads. The point isn't exactly clear. Still, the ad could backfire if it is seen as insulting by the Germans -- key allies in NATO and major trading partners. Watch and you'll see a casual reference to Marxists in America who plan to vote for the Democratic presidential candidate, and someone poses in a Che t-shirt. All this is supposed to be in good clean fun because the RNC says:

"In the aftermath of Obama's European campaign swing, the Web video provides a parody of what an Obama TV ad in Berlin, Germany might look like, with video commentary from Obama's international fan base."

RNC Chair Mike Duncan Writes Ohio Republicans: Send $$$ To Defeat Hillary

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Republican National Committee has already started using Sen. Hillary Clinton -- whom it deems the presumptive Dem nominee -- as its bogeywoman to scare the wits out of the GOP legions. Letters from RNC Chair Mike Duncan landed in mailboxes across the state last week describing the likelihood of a Hillary presidency as a coming Category 5 disaster. Duncan and the GOP appear to be praying she wins the nomination -- indeed, Ohio Deputy Chair Kevin DeWine joked Friday that he had endorsed the New York senator. The fundraising letter repeatedly invokes Clinton's name in an appeal for cash.

"Either Senator Clinton will become President and -- with the full compliance of a large liberal majority in Congress -- raise your taxes, pack the judiciary with left-wing activist judges, gut our military and intelligence services, ignore the problem of illegal immigration, expand the federal government's power and influence, and staff every federal agency and bureaucracy with cronies, Big Labor bosses and radical environmentalists . . . "

Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, John Edwards and Barack Obama, though mentioned, were spared the serious demonizing. GOP Chair Duncan trotted out the 2000 contest between George Bush and Al Gore and noted how just a few votes affected the outcome.

"I have no doubt that 2008 will be exactly the same -- just a few voters in each precinct across America will make the difference between Senator Hillary Clinton becoming President Hillary Clinton and working with a massive liberal majority in Congress, or a new President and a restored GOP majority."

A Day That Shall Live In Infamy For Hillary? 5th Anniversary Of Iraq War Vote

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Republican National Committee is not going to let people forget that on Oct. 11 2002 the Democratic Party's leading presidential candidate voted to authorize the use of force against Iraq. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was certain five years ago "that a vote for this resolution best serves the security of our nation."

Now, of course, there is sharp debate over whether she got it right or flubbed when given an opportunity to challenge a foreign policy disaster in the making. At the time, the resolution was recognized as a measure allowing President George Bush to invade Iraq, a move that set the stage for a war that has grown increasingly unpopular.

The GOP even has a video of Hillary speaking in the Senate on that fateful day. If she wins the nomination, it is a scene that will be replayed endlessly, a scene that might have more impact on anti-war Democrats than those Republicans who believe President Bush was right.

Oops!!! Somebody Needs To Tell GOP That Black History Month Was Last February

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- The Republican National Committee seems to be in the midst of celebrating black history month today, which is odd because the rest of the nation marked the annual event in February. In fact, it has been commemorated during February since 1960, a month significant to the father of black history, the late Carter G. Woodson, because it has the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

Maybe the GOP failed to notice Black History Month has passed. Or maybe it is getting an early start on 2008. Or maybe it just doesn't care much about the details of black history.

Whatever the explanation, the Republicans look to be sloppy, or lazy, or plumb uninformed. Perhaps all three. The current announcement about black history month says:

"Bringing African Americans back to the Party of Lincoln has been a central priority of President Bush, RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman and is the mission of the RNC's Team Leader Outreach Program."

Ooops again!!! Mehlman resigned as RNC chair several months ago.

Ohio's Right-Leaning Bloggers: For Now, None Make The Top 40

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ohio's hardworking bloggers who plug GOP politics or conservative issues deserve better. None in the Top 40, not even an honorable mention. Surely, somebody on the Ohiosphere's right is a .300 hitter.

Compiled by RightWingNews, the list tries to measure influence and reach. RWN is an important national blog that is one of only 14 linked on the Republican National Committee's official Website. Two Minnesota blogs, Captain's Quarters and Powerline, are ranked Top 40 material. But that state is hardly a key political battleground -- at least, not when measured against Ohio which decides who wins the White House.

RWN says August is a slow month and somebody different could be in the Top 40 when a new list is compiled later this year.

"Additionally, it's worth noting that there are more than a few blogs, even what are normally very good blogs, that would make the list (or rank higher), that seem to have a case of the 'summer blahs.' August in a non-election year, could fairly be said to be the absolute low point of the political cycle. Congress isn't in session, traffic drops, and there usually isn't comparatively, that much going on. So, perhaps, it's not surprising that so many bloggers are catching up on some much needed rest and foregoing their normal level of posting this month."

So, Ohio's righties are drowsy. Or nodding during the Dog Days. Somehow can't believe that.

RNC Radio Ad For Tonight's Dem Debate: Questions Hillary, Obama On War

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A 60-second Republican National Committee radio ad began airing in Charleston, S.C. today, just ahead of the Democratic presidential debate scheduled to take place at the Citadel, a military academy. The ad poses questions for Senators Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, the frontrunners, and implies they are not delivering "principled leadership" on the War in Iraq. It says they have altered positions, but does not say that the has grown increasingly unpopular with the public.

For some reason, the GOP chose not to mention former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards regarding the war. Or anything. Does this mean the guys at RNC headquarters now view Edwards as a non-important, non-viable candidate for the nomination? Or could they not fit him into a short radio ad? Probably the latter.

The voice on the advertisement belongs to an Iraq War vet. The ad's appearance on the day of the debate shows Republican strategists -- at least those put in place by Karl Rove at the White House -- so far have no intention of backing away from the war, or softening their rhetoric aimed at critics.

How Soon We Forget: Conservatives Slammed Edwards Over Gay Remark

CLEVELAND (TDB) -- When former Sen. John Edwards was the Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2004, Republicans were in high dudgeon accusing him of taking a cheap shot at Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian. By comparison, Ann Coulter's ''faggot" remark is radiocative.

Edwards mentioned Mary Cheney's sexual-orientation during a Cleveland debate at Case Western Reserve University. It touched off a hurricane of condemnation that nearly rivals the Category 5 storm now battering Ann Coulter, who dismissed Edwards as a "faggot" last week.

This Meet the Press transcript has former RNC chair Ken Mehlman firing flak at both Edwards, and Sen. John Kerry, for even discussing Mary Cheney, an official in the Bush campaign at the time, and using the word "gay." Mehlman said her lifestyle was a personal issue and off-limits. Neither Edwards nor Kerry used a slur to point out her sexual orientation.

MR. MEHLMAN: Well, Tim, I think it's pretty simple and I think that, as you pointed out, most of the American people understand it, and that is, it's wrong to bring up the private life of a member of the vice president or president's family to make a political point. It's that simple.

MR. MEHLMAN: Tim, I think fundamentally it's pretty simple. Again, you don't use the private lives of the member of the family for political purposes.

MR. MEHLMAN: Remember the famous Dean scream? The famous Dean scream was seen as relevant because it was a window into something that people thought was bigger. And I think what you saw when John Kerry--when he brought that inappropriate point up in the debate, it was part of a larger pattern here, a pattern of someone who is literally willing to say anything--anything--in order to win.

Mehlman's larger point is clear -- there are inappropriate topics that should be off-limits. By the standard he laid down in 2004 over the Edwards incident, Coulter's ''faggot" remark was nuclear by comparison. She's radioactive.

A portion of the exchange between Dick Cheney, John Edwards and moderator Gwen Ifill at the Cleveland debate that kept the row going is as follows:

IFILL: Senator Edwards, 90 seconds.

EDWARDS: . . . Now, as to this question, let me say first that I think the vice president and his wife love their daughter. I think they love her very much. And you can't have anything but respect for the fact that they're willing to talk about the fact that they have a gay daughter, the fact that they embrace her. It's a wonderful thing. And there are millions of parents like that who love their children, who want their children to be happy.
And I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, and so does John Kerry.
I also believe that there should be partnership benefits for gay and lesbian couples in long-term, committed relationships.
But we should not use the Constitution to divide this country.
No state for the last 200 years has ever had to recognize another state's marriage.
This is using the Constitution as a political tool, and it's wrong.

IFILL: New question, but same subject.
As the vice president mentioned, John Kerry comes from the state of Massachusetts, which has taken as big a step as any state in the union to legalize gay marriage. Yet both you and Senator Kerry say you oppose it.
Are you trying to have it both ways?

EDWARDS: No. I think we've both said the same thing all along.
We both believe that -- and this goes onto the end of what I just talked about -- we both believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.
But we also believe that gay and lesbians and gay and lesbian couples, those who have been in long-term relationships, deserve to be treated respectfully, they deserve to have benefits.
For example, a gay couple now has a very difficult time, one, visiting the other when they're in the hospital, or, for example, if, heaven forbid, one of them were to pass away, they have trouble even arranging the funeral.
I mean, those are not the kind of things that John Kerry and I believe in. I suspect the vice president himself does not believe in that.
But we don't -- we do believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
And I want to go back, if I can, to the question you just asked, which is this constitutional amendment.
I want to make sure people understand that the president is proposing a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage that is completely unnecessary.
Under the law of this country for the last 200 years, no state has been required to recognize another state's marriage.
Let me just be simple about this. My state of North Carolina would not be required to recognize a marriage from Massachusetts, which you just asked about.
There is absolutely no purpose in the law and in reality for this amendment. It's nothing but a political tool. And it's being used in an effort to divide this country on an issue that we should not be dividing America on.
We ought to be talking about issues like health care and jobs and what's happening in Iraq, not using an issue to divide this country in a way that's solely for political purposes. It's wrong.

IFILL: Mr. Vice President, you have 90 seconds.

CHENEY: Well, Gwen, let me simply thank the senator for the kind words he said about my family and our daughter. I appreciate that very much.

Ex-RNC Chair Mehlman Joins Firm Started By Ex-DNC Chair

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Bob Strauss says he's "delighted" the political operative and Harvard Law grad who helped put George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in power is now a partner at Akin Gump, the law and lobbying firm Strauss founded in the 1940s. Strauss stressed bipartisanship in announcing recently departed RNC Chair Ken Mehlman was coming aboard. And the firm said he would specialize in solving "challenges" facing clients in the legislative, regulatory and public relations arenas.

"As a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, I am delighted that Ken Mehlman, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, will be back at Akin Gump. We are a diversified and bipartisan firm, and Ken fits in perfectly," Strauss said in a statement from Washington.

Mehlman: "I look forward to working some of the world's best lawyers to develop some of the most creative and effective solutions to solve problems at the nexus of business and public policy."

Mehlman became RNC chair in 2005. For two years, he was the party's national spokesman and public face. He moved into national politics in 2000 as field director for Bush, where he organized the Iowa caucuses. He then became White House political director. In 2003--04, he was the campaign manager for the president's reelection campaign.

Background on Akin Gump is HERE.