Post Politics Hour

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Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with 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 Congressional reporter Lyndsey Layton was online Friday, Jan. 26, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the latest political news and The Post's coverage of politics.

Political analysis from Post reporters and interviews with top newsmakers. Listen live on Washington Post Radio or subscribe to a podcast of the show.

A transcript follows.

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Lyndsey Layton: Good morning everyone! What a busy week -- State of the Union, Iraq resolutions, the Libby trial. What's on your minds?

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Duluth, Minn.: Thanks to all of you at the Post for these chats -- I'm a frequent reader, but this is my first question. I have questions regarding Dana Milbank's story this morning on the Libby trial: First, he writes "Memo to Tim Russert: Dick Cheney thinks he controls you." But the article goes on to say that the White House wanted to to on "Meet the Press" because one "pro" to that would be to "control message." Do you think this note, as written in the article indicates the White thought it could "control Russert" or that if they spoke out about it, in general, they could help "control the message" rather than leaving it to others, and that going on a high-profile platform like "Meet The Press" would help accomplish that. That's how I read it -- am I wrong?

Also, the article talks about the White House releasing information on Fridays to take advantage of lower readership/viewership of the Saturday media, implying (in my mind) that this is somehow unique to this administration. But hasn't that been common in other administrations and by other politicians of both parties, to throw "bad" stories "out with the trash?"

And finally, the article says, "Bush aides charged with speaking to the public and the media are kept out of the loop on some of the most important issues." Again, isn't that common among all administrations so that the wrong info isn't leaked or shared with public at inopportune times for a variety of legitimate reasons? Thank you.

washingtonpost.com: In Ex-Aide's Testimony, A Spin Through VP's PR (Post, Jan. 26)

Lyndsey Layton: Good morning Duluth. I think the very clever Dana Milbank is correct in his interpretation. In her testimony, Cathie Martin basically said that Meet the Press was a successful venue for the White House and "control message" means they felt assured they wouldn't face an aggressive, hostile questioner who could reveal inconsistencies or otherwise damage their spin.

Regarding the other two points: yes, dumping bad news at 5 p.m. on a Friday is a time-honored tactic not new to this White House, as is keeping the press flacks out of the loop. And while we all know it's not original, it's unusual to get a straightforward description of those practices from someone who currently practices them.

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Washington: I feel that Eleanor Holmes Norton looks more like a pretend representative when she touts her new powers to vote on the floor of the House unless it counts. What's the point of voting if it doesn't count? This new privilege make her look as pathetic as Paul Strauss did in Libby Copeland's article in The Post. He ran around the Senate trying to get someone to notice him but was comforted by the fact that he could eat lunch in the Senate dining room and ride the Senators-only elevator. Now Ms. Norton can vote all she wants to unless it would matter. She should take a stand. Full voting rights for the District or no voting.

washingtonpost.com: Shadow Delegation Toils in Obscurity for D.C.'s Day in the Sun (Post, Jan. 16)

washingtonpost.com: Delegates Gain Limited Voting Rights (Post, Jan. 25)

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Washington. The startling thing was watching the floor debate on this, which went on seemingly for hours, with Democrats and Republicans making all sorts of impassioned speeches about ... what? A symbolic vote that, as you say, will be tossed out if it comes at a point when it would actually mean something? Mrs. Norton, however, continues to press for full voting rights for the District -- something that Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says he supports and will schedule for a House vote sometime this spring.

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Fort Lauderdale, Fla. : Some of us outside the Beltway anticipated Libby's trial as a yawner, rehashing old stuff. Wrong. Now we wonder if Plame's Outing might be more comparable to the third-rate burglary at the Watergate, as far as revealing unsavory tactics traced to the Oval office. Is our revised view overstating the possibilities?

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Fort Lauderdale. I doubt the Libby trial is going to lead to complete upheaval of the executive branch but -- hot dang -- isn't it juicy?

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New York: This is unbelievable:

"The president had strong words for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who are lining up to support resolutions opposing his decision to send 21,500 troops to Iraq. He challenged them to put up their own ideas. "Some are condemning a plan before it's even had a chance to work," he said."

Haven't we given him four years to make it work?

Lyndsey Layton: As Jon Stewart says, "everybody deserves a seventh chance."

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California: So is it safe to assume that Ms. Martin's career in the current administration will be quietly and severely curtailed?

Lyndsey Layton: I was wondering about just that thing as I was reading today's account of the trial.

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San Francisco: Hello Lyndsey and thanks for chatting today. Do you know when the Washington Post pollster plans to start asking about impeachment? Seems like it's been a while since we saw a question asked about impeachment -- now that Bush is below 30 percent in some polls, his war policy's being soundly rejected and his Vice President is portrayed in a Federal Courthouse as the architect of the Valerie Plame outing -- shouldn't The Post poll on impeachment?

Lyndsey Layton: Hi San Francisco. I don't think impeachment is at the top of the pollster's list, since there isn't any serious impeachment talk in Congress at the moment.

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Crestwood, N.Y.: Good morning! Why is it so terribly difficult for Sen. Warner, who I am informed is not going to run again, to take a stand against the "surge" without diluting language and hedging his bets? He seems to be holding back from saying what he really believes on Iraq. What is the worst thing that could happen to him if he joined Hagel and said "enough is enough"? Or is it more important that he is perceived to be leading the GOP Senators on this issue, no matter what the final resolution says?

Lyndsey Layton: My sense is that Warner is trying to word a resolution that other Republicans will endorse, lending it credibility. That also boosts his self-image as a statesman and not a flamethrower.

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Bethesda, Md.: Martin was Director of Communications for the VP. Yet, by her own admission, she had little hands-on experience with the press. Am I missing something? How do you get hired for or conduct that job without dealing with the press? Seriously, who was she "directing communications" with?

Lyndsey Layton: Your tax dollars at work. The director of communications is a couple of levels above the people who actually call back the reporters (and know their phone numbers) to deliver the message crafted by the director of communications.

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Washington: Who are you? I've never heard of you before.

Lyndsey Layton: I'm a lovely individual. Ever since my parole, I've been working hard to get back into the mainstream. I enjoy African basket-weaving and merengue dancing. And who are you?

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Boston: I've read of several instances in which the President and his cohorts refer to the opposition pejoratively as the "Democrat Party," and I understand Bush even did it during the State of the Union address. How immature is this? I guess we shouldn't be surprised after these guys eschewed diplomacy with our NATO allies during a pivotal period of international relations and instead resorted to renaming French fries on Capitol Hill and on Air Force One. Is it any wonder the world is a mess? How many more days until he is gone?

washingtonpost.com: President's Sin of Omission? Dropped Syllable in Speech Riles Democrats (Post, Jan. 25)

Lyndsey Layton: January 20, 2009.

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Arlington, Va.: Crestwood NY said Warner is not running again? I thought he was running -- do we know? If not that Warner, maybe the other will be our Senator. I'd be happy with either.

Lyndsey Layton: I do not believe that Senator Warner has announced his intentions. If he has, I missed it.

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Clifton, Va.: Excuse me, have any of you left-wing Birkenstock non-leg-shaving leftist yellow-bellied cowards ever read the Constitution specifically on impeachment? Thirty percent approval rating in the polls is not mentioned. High crimes and misdemeanors -- ever heard of it? Ms. Plame was not a covert agent at the time she was outed. Please get off it.

Lyndsey Layton: Whoa, it's too early in the morning to think about hairy legs in Birkenstocks. But point taken, thanks.

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Atlanta: Good morning. Do you think John McCain's current support for Bush's troop surge and his past positions on the war in Iraq might hurt his presidential ambitions? Also, do you think his involvement in the 1980s savings and loan scandals might resurface if he does run in 2008?

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Atlanta. Yes, I think it's clear that McCain's Iraq stand is a problem for him with the electorate, and it will likely get worse if the "surge" does not go well. I'm not as certain that the savings and loans scandals will become an issue.

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Arlington, Va.: Did I hear correctly that Pelosi, Lantos and some others are heading for Iraq today? What do you think will come of it?

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Arlington. Yes, Pelosi is in Iraq, and it's hard to say what will come of the visit. It was significant when Sen. John Warner went a few months back and came back to announce that things were going "sideways", an assessment that carried a lot of weight and had an impact within his party. I'm not quite sure what Pelosi and others can say at this point.

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Indianapolis: I am not a Bush supporter, but San Francisco's comment that because Bush's positive polling numbers are below 30 percent, that is a cause for impeachment is a misunderstanding of the whole process. Although just think of the fun if all elected officials were impeached if their polling numbers got below 30 percent!

Lyndsey Layton: Thanks, Indianapolis.

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Cedar Grove, Md.: Hi Lyndsey, and thanks for taking our questions. Is there any concern within the Democratic party that given the current national security climate Barack Obama's name will prove to be an albatross that will impact his electibility? It seems to me that since 9/11 xenophobia has skyrocketed and that there are masses of voters who will associate his name with a general fear that foreigners are out to get us. I realize it's kind of preposterous, but after the past two elections I wouldn't put anything past the electorate.

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Cedar Grove. There have already been a couple of weird things regarding Obama -- the dubious report that he attended a madrassah as a child and an instance where one of the cable shows displayed a photo of Osama Bin Laden but mistakenly labeled it with Obama's name. And I'm certain that some small corner of the electorate will be fixated on his name -- which becomes his challenge as a candidate.

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Columbia, Md.: Who is Ms. Layton? She's a Wesleyan University (Conn.) graduate who previously worked at the Patriot (Quincy, Mass.) Ledger before moving to D.C. -- from a fellow alum who is glad to see you on the national political beat.

Lyndsey Layton: Thanks, Columbia. (What class?) I've been at The Post since '98 and spent most of that time on the Metro staff covering public transportation. Covered the Iraq invasion as an embedded reporter in 2003, did time covering Cheney during the '04 campaign. And joined our Congressional team shortly after the mid-terms.

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Rochester, N.Y.: To all these people writing in to say that Bush shouldn't be impeached on the basis of his approval rating, you should note that many Constitutional scholars believe that his manipulation of intelligence and use of warrantless wiretaps both constitute "high crimes and misdemeanors." I hope that you'll mention this or run this or my earlier comment along these lines.

Lyndsey Layton: My pleasure. Thanks for writing.

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Plano, Texas: Thanks for taking questions. What are Hagel's chances with the base? Also, how long does Huckabee realistically have to get into the race or wait until next time?

washingtonpost.com: Hagel Ponders White House Run As War Criticism Raises His Profile (Post, Jan. 26)

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Plano. As my colleague Shailagh Murray describes in today's Post, Hagel's chances with the base are next to nil. He's pretty well set himself apart from the right wing and has become a darling of the anti-war protesters. As for Huckabee, he could wait a while and hope that Romney or McCain disintegrates.

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Russert: This isn't exactly a state secret. Folks have been calling Russert the "attack poodle" for years. This is especially true when he likes or respects the person he interviews. Perfect real-world example. Which Presidential candidate, when attack-poodled about his lack of foreign policy experience on MTP gave the answer that he would bring in good experienced people and listen to their advise?

1. Howard Dean (2004)

2. George W. Bush (2000)

Answer? Both. Almost to the letter the same. Bonus Round, where the scores can really change. Now, given near identical answers, Russert replied...

1. Favorably for both.

2. Unfavorably for both.

Trick question! In fact, Russert took the exact same answer to declare George W. Bush a smart manager and Dean unprepared for office. Russert has been a joke for years, it just took courtroom testimony for the rest of the media to admit it.

Lyndsey Layton: Thanks for sharing.

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Rockville, Md.: Any thoughts on Cheney's dust-up with Wolf during their Q&A session?

Lyndsey Layton: Are you referring to the questions about Mary Cheney? That comment about questions regarding her as "crossing the line" is a favorite of the Cheneys. It allows them to claim the high ground and triggers some sympathy from viewers. I was surprised at how Wolf seemed cowered by the exchange.

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Cabin John:1. Re: Pelosi going to Iraq: When Sen. Brownback was asked why he now opposes Bush on Iraq, he said simply, "Because I went to Baghdad." So maybe it is important for members of Congress to go!

2. Re: Dafna Linzer's very scary article today: Why does the Administration think that killing any and all Iranians it can find in Iraq is going to dissuade Iran's nuclear ambitions? I'm completely missing the connection.

Lyndsey Layton: Hi Cabin John. Certainly, I think it's important for members of Congress to get a sense of the situation in Iraq for themselves. I just wonder what Pelosi will gain -- she has already termed this war a disaster.

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Lyndsey Layton: Folks, we've run down the clock. I apologize if I didn't get to your question this week -- please tune in again. And have a great weekend!

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