Post Politics Hour

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Don't want to miss out on the latest buzz in politics? Start each day at wonk central: The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post's team of White House and Congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.

Washington Post White House reporter Jim VandeHei was online Friday, Dec. 23, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the latest in political news.

The transcript follows.

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Jim VandeHei: Happy Holidays. Tis the season, so be nice to your chatter and no nasty e-assaults from the bloggers.

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Somerset, Ky.: It appears that Sen. Trent Lott is on the fence in deciding whether to leave the Senate in order to make money or go back after his leadership position. Given his testy relationship with the White House over Katrina -- what do you think his future holds?

Jim VandeHei: I think Lott is one of the most fascinating people to watch in the Senate today. He is a sharp strategist and it's no accident he is taking a whack at Bush and fellow Republicans who turned on him not so long ago. he has a long memory and clearly has not forgotten that it was the White House and a few Senate Republicans who will conspired to help oust him as majority leader after making what many considered to be racially insensitive remarks. So will he stay? A friend of his told me Lott has nothing better to do and still wants to climb back into leadership, so he will probably stay. Money is an issue, it appears. But power is hard to give up.

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New York, N.Y.: The President has basically argued that as Commander-In-Chief, he has the authority to do whatever he wants to fight the "War on Terror." In light of this argument, what does it matter whether or not the Patriot Act is renewed?

Jim VandeHei: You are not the only person making this argument. Clearly Bush wants as much statutory power as possible and therefore wants and needs the Patriot Act extended. We should post the Daschle the editorial in our paper today because it gets at the issue many -- including Republicans -- are raising: If Bush needs the NSA eavesdropping power, why not ask Congress to make it a law.

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Boston, Mass.: Easy - no complaints here. The VandeHei-Milbank-Froomkin triumvirate would make a killing if The Post wants to start charging for access. What can we plan to see as some of the earliest "big" stories in the New Year? Alito? More domestic security exposes? People finally asking (repeatedly) where UBL is?

Jim VandeHei: I think we will see a robust -- and long overdo -- debate about how much spying power the government should have in the post 9-11 world. remember, lawmakers passed the original patriot act and war authorization resolution at time when patriotic passions were running high and no one wanted to be see as soft on terror. I think the Patriot Act debate and hearings over the NSA intercepts will keep this debate alive. that is a good thing. Alito will be a big story, though it does not appear it will be the donnybrook once predicted. Iraq, Iraq, Iraq. And one dose of economy and the immigration wildcard.

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Reston, Va.: Are congressional hearings going to be held on the NSA domestic spying issue?

Jim VandeHei: Yes. Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he will begin hearings as early as next month.

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Clifton, Va.: Why should Bush go to Congress to ask for for to intercept these calls? You cant trust Congress to keep intel methods and programs secret! Lincoln didn't go to Congress either and neither did FDR or Wilson! You all need to read your history. Pelosi would give it all up if she thought she could gain some political advantage. She is already providing aid and comfort to the enemy and should be tried for treason!

Jim VandeHei: I don't think anyone is advocating that Bush ask Congress before each intercept and there is a process by which Bush can brief Congress in secret. The question is whether Congress should grant the legal power to conduct the NSA program like it authorized the new surveillance powers included in the Patriot Act.

Treason seems awfully harsh.

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New York, N.Y.: Is there info coming out today about Alito? I thought I saw a story on it, but can't find it anymore.

This would be a perfect Friday afternoon for a White House document dump, yes?

Jim VandeHei: There is an AP story about an abortion-related memo Alito wrote in the 1980s. I have not had time to dissect it. maybe we can post a link to that, too.

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Osh Kosh, Wis.: Hurry up and come home.

Jim VandeHei: That's the kind of soft ball I like, Dad. Not until the Packers start winning again.

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Hancock, Maine: Hey Jim, no Abramoff? Is his deal gonna fall through?

Jim VandeHei: I have no idea if there will be a deal. these things take time and all I know is this is going to be a HUGE story next year if lawmakers and staff get indicted. You should read the stories by our investigative team on the web: They have been way ahead of the competition on this story and left papers such as the NY Times playing catch-up.

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Gloucester, Va.: It appears from the recent Congressional resistance that the President's stock of 'political capital' is running rather low. (And the recent revelations of the NSA wiretapping suggests that it won't be recharged any time soon.) Traditionally, Presidents -- especially second-term ones -- have regained some standing by proposing broad initiatives that have bi-partisan appeal. Given that his last proposal on Social Security privatization flopped badly, and the federal debt growing, what do you see as some possible ideas for such proposed initiatives?

Thanks, and keep up the great work.

Jim VandeHei: I do not thing Bush will doing anything as big and bold as Social Security reform in his State of the Union. I suspect he will try to do more on health care because costs are out of control and way too many people are without coverage, which is driving up the rates for everyone else. Bush has a big, big problem in thinking big: conservatives want to shrink government, which has grown by 33 percent since Bush took office. Usually big programs equal big spending. Look for Bush to proposed bigger cuts in spending than he has before to finance some new initiatives.

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Brunswick, Maine: Two other potentially big stories for the new year: Fitzgerald and Abramoff. Both investigations could be very embarrassing for the administration and members of Congress.

Jim VandeHei: Yes and Yes. It looks like Rove will remain under investigation into the new year and if he were to be indicted that would be an even bigger story than the Libby indictment. The Abramoff probe has the potential to rock Washington.

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Chicago, Ill.: Mr. VandeHei,

Are you on the White House's payroll? Your reporting is always subject to these stupid nuances as if you think the public is a bunch of stupid, gullible, idiots. For example, the last story you posted - the executive branch trying to expand its power. The story should be - Does the executive branch believe its above the law. Reporters like you are bringing The Washington Post down just like the NYT.

Jim VandeHei: Happy holidays

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Leaks, leaks, and more leaks...: I find it very interesting that all of the recent leaks have had to do with privacy and civil liberty concerns. Is it possible that the career-staffers (are they less political?) have serious reservations about the administrations current stances and positions on these matters and that is what is making them leak? After all, we have seen recent news in various situations where the staffers were overruled by their politically appointed boss. Maybe they feel they have no other recourse than to leak the issues to media and hope they report on it. Finally with that train of thought, why wouldn't someone leak to Congress instead and what does that say about Congressional perception that they didn't? They have investigative powers, not the media? Your thoughts?

Jim VandeHei: Great question in so many ways. You are right that a lot of career professionals -- those not appointed by Bush -- are raising concerns about the president's policies. Sometime they have their own political agenda but often they have the experience and commitment to government to speak out when they think a white House is abusing power. Why talk to us and not Congress. for starters, a story on the front page of the post or times can get results. Also, this Republican-run congress has been reluctant to investigate a Republican president.

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Silver Spring, Md.: In the event that the election results in Iraq confirm the preliminary results and the Shiite fundamentalist party achieves a majority or at least comes close, how will the White House spin that as good news? Having a Iraqi Shiite theocracy aligned with Iran, a country that really is pursuing nuclear weapons, can't be good for us. Can it?

Jim VandeHei: My hunch is Bush will say he never promised a Jeffersonian Democracy with leaders that look, act and practice their faith like most Americans. Democracy inherently involves choice and the White House can not control the will of the Iraqi people. I think Bush would also say there is a difference between the Shiite leaders in Iraq and Iran and that other political alliance in Iraq would resist any alliance between the two powerful Middle East nations. But this is one of the points Bush's critics often make: what if we build up a powerful government and powerful army (trained and financed by us) that turns on the United States?

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Charles Town, W. Va.: Mr. VandeHei, thank you for taking questions.

Hypothetical question: I know it's a big IF, but if the president is impeached for spying on Americans, wouldn't Cheney also have to be impeached, since he clearly knew about it and supported? And are we certain that the speaker of the house didn't also know about it and support it?

Whether impeachment is warranted or not, don't you think those calling for it will eventually back off rather than risk unraveling the entire government.

Jim VandeHei: I don't know of anyone with any power seriously weighing the impeachment of Bush. I know some liberals are trying to pressure papers, including mine, to poll on the topic and write about it, but it is not a serious topic among Democrats in Washington.

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Rockville, Md.: Possibly tangential to politics in general but what's the discussion in The Post newsroom about the NYT's decision to hold the domestic spying story for an entire year. Is it confirmed the NYT had this story before the election and sat on it? Care to comment?

Jim VandeHei: I think most give them the benefit of the doubt, but wonder why they would sit on such a high-value story. I think we need to wait and hear the behind-the-scenes story before popping off.

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Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.: What did you give/get for Secret Santa this year?

And who got the most drunk at The Post Holiday party? I'm guessing Dana Milbank.

Jim VandeHei: I gave Froomkin a new name for his column -- and the blogs more reason to hate me.

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Denver, Colo.: Is an increased congressional oversight of the executive branch's actions a sufficient rallying cry to give either the Senate or House back to the Democrats? What are the odds as seen inside the beltway?

Jim VandeHei: I don't think "Vote for Oversight, Vote Democrat" is a winning slogan. But I do think if Democrats will control of either chamber one of the biggest changes you will see is a dramatic escalation in the number of investigations and subpoenas, which would be bad news for the executive branch.

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Lexington, Va.: I am so angry about the sorry state our once great nation is in that I don't know which way to go first. We have a scandal a week and a Congress that can't seem to get it's collective head out of a very dark place.

These elected people are supposed to be taking care of the business of the nation and the people in it. Instead, they are playing corporate backstabbing games for power and turf control.

Is there any hope this will change soon?

Jim VandeHei: To quote Howard Dean, "You have the power." Washington responds to those who vote and there are times when voters stand up toss a bunch of members out because they sick and tired of DC. It happened in 1994 and Democrats hope it will happen in 2006. The central problem of the Dem strategy to focus on ethics is that they don't have clean hands either.

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Austin, Tex.: Do you think that Bush may have gone too far in trying to expand presidential power at the expense of the other two, supposedly coequal, branches of the federal government?

It seems to me that the Congress and, to some extent, the judiciary, have begun to push back. And I wonder if this whole issue of separation of powers isn't driving the process at least as much as ideological or political differences per se.

What do you think?

Jim VandeHei: What was most striking to me this week in reporting out a story on Cheney's assertion that Bush inherited a weakened executive branch is how many Republicans think the vice president is stuck in a time warp. This was true in the 1970s, these Republicans said, but the White House is arguably stronger than it has ever been. I do think Congress is pushing back and wrote about this in today's paper. You can view the story on the web; Charles Babington, our Congressional ace, was the co-author.

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Rolla, Mo.: On impeachment -- I understand no one is discussing it now, nor should they seriously. However, what about a prediction that exactly a year from now we will be discussing it after a number of what-ifs materialize? In other words, your prediction of whether impeachment is a topic a year from now IF Libby/Rove-Abramoff-Spying worst case scenarios are followed by a power shift in Congress?

Jim VandeHei: Only if Fitzgerald finds Bush and/or Cheney did something illegal, which we have no reason to believe he has. The threshold for impeachment, by design, is very high.

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Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.: Hi Jim!

Do you see a conflict for reporters to go on TV shows and give their opinion? What is the allure, BTW? I wouldn't subject myself to the cameras unless some insurgent had an AK-47 pointed to my head.

Jim VandeHei: There would be a huge conflict if I or we have our opinion on TV. As for the allure? It's the fame and chicks. Actually I think it is a good way of generating more interests in what we are writing and providing greater context for viewers. Some reporters get paid -- and that is an allure, too.

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Jim VandeHei: That's all folks. Happy holiday and send all complaints to Dana Milbank and Tom Edsall.

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