Shailagh Murray

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Washington Post national political reporter Shailagh Murray was online Monday, July 9, at 11 a.m. ET.

The transcript follows.

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Shailagh Murray: Greetings chatters. It's a scorching day in D.C. ... what's on your minds?

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Washington: Does George W. Bush just not care anymore? I mean, he is so painfully unpopular in and outside of his party it's like he can just do whatever he wants and suffer no consequences (other than more bad press, which goes nowhere). Thoughts?

Shailagh Murray: Perhaps this is what it's like when you're halfway through your junior year in high school and realize that it doesn't make sense to spend much time studying -- that 2.8 grade point average ain't moving.

I think George Bush probably cares a great deal about the Iraq situation, and I think that probably overshadows just about every other concern. But I'm just guessing.

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Pelosi challenge: I don't know much about California politics, but is it safe to assume that Cindy Sheehan's proposed challenge to Nancy Pelosi's congressional seat has about a snowball's chance?

washingtonpost.com: Sheehan Presses Bush Impeachment; Activist Tries to Force Pelosi's Hand With Threat of '08 Challenge (Post, July 9)

Shailagh Murray: Has it ever snowed in Pelosi's district?

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Live Earth: So what was the actual goal of the concerts? To raise money? For what?

washingtonpost.com: All Together Now: The Rockers of Live Earth Lift Their Voices in Support of a Greener Globe (Post, July 8)

Shailagh Murray: Looked to me like a global version of preaching to the choir. But hey, if no one under 30 ever buys an Escalade, maybe the world one day will be a better place -- at least parking-wise.

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Washington: So all I heard for months was that Thompson was going to announce the week of July 4th. Well, July 4th comes around and ... nothing. What gives?

washingtonpost.com: Fred Thompson and the Tennessee Money Machine (washingtonpost.com, July 9)

Shailagh Murray: All you heard for months? You need some hobbies.

But you raise a reasonable point, and the Thompson non-announcement should be a reminder to all of us who cover politics how dangerous it is to predict anything. Few decisions, even big ones, are made far in advance, and they're all subject to change.

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Philadelphia: Is it possible that the Iraq War will end up dividing Democrats as much as Republicans? While a lot has been made of the eventual Republican stampede away from the president, it seems like we could have a situation later this year and in 2008 where congressional and presidential candidate Republicans are in agreement for a new strategy encompassing some sort of drawback or slow withdrawal while Democrats are divided regarding an immediate withdrawal versus a drawback or slower withdrawal.

Shailagh Murray: An excellent question, and the answer is yes. The main dividing line between Democrats is the nonpolitical types like Carl Levin and Jack Reed in the Senate, who are trying to advance serious policy alternatives, vs. the '08 candidates, who are consumed with satisfying the liberal base. You see how both Clinton and Obama have traded in their sensible shoes -- until recently, neither had endorsed a withdrawal deadline -- and now are advocating the most impractical stiletto on the shelf, the funding cut-off.

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Live Earth Hot Air: I will pay more attention when they start sponsoring legislation to create a carbon tax that directly ties people's pocketbooks to green's policies.

Shailagh Murray: That's sort of what I was getting at.

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Bethesda, Md.: When it comes to Iraq, do you get the sense that Bush is able to differentiate between what is best for his administration and what is best for the country?

Shailagh Murray: This is so hard to gauge. I would imagine -- and hope -- that he would see the two interests as one. But this war would be a daunting challenge under any political circumstances.

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Potomac Falls, Va.: I heard a poll result yesterday (didn't catch who the pollster was, but it was on the national news segment at the start of the hour on WTOP) that 45 percent of the public supports impeachment of Bush and 54 percent supports impeachment of Cheney. Not "percent of Democrats" -- percent of the public! Are you finding this, or was that an aberration?

Shailagh Murray: So who would be impeached first? We'd be that much closer to President Robert C. Byrd.

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Salinas, Calif.: Hi Shailagh. Re: Your response to Pelosi challenge: I've been to San Francisco -- it's not that hellish (still, Pelosi would be a bigger windmill for Sheehan in S.F. than Dubya ever has been anywhere).

Shailagh Murray: I love San Francisco. I have a lot of relatives there. But I don't think it snows that often.

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Washington: Wait, so are you saying that pulling out the troops is not a "serious policy option"? How is that any less serious than the 100 other things that will accomplish nothing but continued chaos?

Shailagh Murray: It can be a serious policy option, and still be a bad idea. And a lot of Democrats consider immediate withdrawal with no ifs, ands or buts to be a bad idea.

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Ellicott City, Md.: Scooter popped out that check pretty quick and pretty painlessly. Did it come from his defense fund? Do people have to pay taxes on all that money given for their defense? I would view it the same way as winning the lottery unless the lawyers were working pro bono.

Shailagh Murray: I would assume you'd have to pay taxes -- I wouldn't think a defense fund would qualify for tax-exempt status. But I will throw it out there for all you accountants and tax lawyers ... wait, those were my old readers at the Wall Street Journal.

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Richmond, Va.: Hello! Thank you for your work and taking our questions. I have to admit, I am a "green crazy"! I think the emphasis on the environment and global warming is excellent. However ... in your opinion has this gone mainstream, or have any chance of going mainstream? Leadership-wise this seems to be important to a few (Al Gore, for example) and a few celebrities. (And yes, I wish they had not driven to the Live Earth Concert in limos and SUVs! LOL) Has this issue penetrated the grassroots far enough that it really is an election issue? Or is it still a subject that is mainly of interest in TV Land only? Thanks!

washingtonpost.com: All Together Now: The Rockers of Live Earth Lift Their Voices in Support of a Greener Globe (Post, July 8)

Shailagh Murray: As you regulars know, this is my favorite issue to play the contrarian.

I think celebrity-driven causes are vulnerable to becoming trivialized. On the one hand they do attract a huge amount of attention, and raise interest among people who aren't exactly reading daily newspapers, if you know what I mean. On the other hand -- as an earlier writer pointed out -- tackling global warming and significantly reducing the U.S. dependence on foreign oil is going to require a political consensus. This is similar to the Iraq debate -- it's Republicans who will end the Iraq war, not Democrats, because it's GOP lawmakers who are the holdouts.

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Arlington, Va.: Two questions today. So Cindy Sheehan's considering a run against Nancy Pelosi if she doesn't deliver articles of impeachment soon. For argument's sake, say Cindy Sheehan runs and wins. Say also, for argument's sake, that Cindy Sheehan successfully impeaches Bush and Cheney and removes them from office. Now if I remember my eighth-grade Social Studies correctly, that would mean that the Speaker of the House then becomes president -- in which case, Cindy Sheehan would become president through presidential succession! Do I have this correct?

Secondly, with Bush continuing to defy congressional subpoenas, how likely do you find it that Congress will successfully find this administration in criminal contempt? And if so, what happens then?

Shailagh Murray: For argument's sake, let's say that I weren't female, but male, and instead of a peripatetic East Coast upbringing, grew up in Orange County with a father who played catch with me two hours a day, every day -- would I be a major league pitcher instead of a Washington Post reporter?

That's roughly the equivalent of the scenario that you have presented.

On your first point, let's say all that happens. There's no way Rahm Emanuel and Steny Hoyer would let Cindy Sheehan jump in line ahead of them.

On your second point, the House Judiciary Committee or the Senate Judiciary Committee must vote out a contempt citation, then it has to pass one chamber -- likely the House (then it will be up to a Bush-appointed U.S. Attorney to convene a grand jury). But that's only happened once in history. The expectation is the House will come to some accommodation with the White House before that, which is usually how these things turn out.

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Charleston, W.Va.: How long will it take for people to get mad about all the unsafe Chinese food and other products that are coming into the country?

Shailagh Murray: A great question. Perhaps this represents the stirrings of a bigger backlash against all cheap #$%&. Or at least I hope so.

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Washington: What can possibly be gained by congressional hearings into the Libby commutation? Clearly Bush had the authority to do this, and he did it. Q.E.D. I'm old enough to remember when President Ford appeared before a congressional committee to explain his pardon of Richard Nixon. But Bush is no Ford, and unlike the Ford pardon, I don't think this action is going to look better over time.

Shailagh Murray: Yaawwn. That's my view of the Libby flap. What on earth did people expect Bush to do?

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Baltimore: If Bush is losing support for backing immigration reform, who is gaining for doing nothing about this issue?

washingtonpost.com: Upcoming Discussion -- Outlook: Bush's Recent Blunders Leave Him Base-less (washingtonpost.com, noon ET today)

Shailagh Murray: Immigration reform is over, done, dead. The talk radio people won. And if you're a Republican, you need to think long and hard about the implications of that.

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Boston: You write: "And a lot of Democrats consider immediate withdrawal with no ifs ands or buts to be a bad idea." Who is advocating such a plan? Is that your representation of what the liberal base of the Democratic Party is advocating? I suspect you're building a straw man here, but I'm happy to be corrected.

Shailagh Murray: There are straw men on both sides of this debate -- and they more or less have to exist, to create boundaries and keep the pressure on.

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Cheverly, Md.: A couple of years ago it was widely speculated that Secretary of State Rice was a prime candidate for vice president or even the presidency someday. With the growing discontent with the war and other Bush foreign policies is she still a realistic candidate for one of these positions?

Shailagh Murray: No.

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New York: Is Richard Armitage dead? Why doesn't anyone try to interview him?

Shailagh Murray: A better question: Would Bush have commuted his sentence?

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Warrenville, Ill.: Ms. Murray -- earlier you responded that impeaching Bush and Cheney would lead us to President Byrd. But seriously, isn't the Speaker the next in line? My sense -- please tell me if you think that I'm wrong -- is that Speaker Pelosi has no interest in becoming President, especially in circumstances that could look only as if impeachment moves were in her personal best interest. Besides, almost half of the country may think that Bush and Cheney should be impeached -- and presumably found guilty and removed from office -- but the Democrats in Congress seem to have no such desire. Yes? No?

Shailagh Murray: I'm surprised at how much steam this impeachment movement seems to be gaining. But then again, look at Bush's poll numbers. Ironically, however, that's a good argument for not proceeding -- further destabilizing what already looks to be a swaying house of cards.

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St. Paul, Minn.: Hi Shailagh -- thanks for taking my question. In your estimation, what is it going to for a real shift in policy in Iraq to take place? I'm sorry, but I guess I'm just not seeing "abandonment" in Lugar, Domenici, et al. Now when some pro sure diehards change their minds (Sessions, McCain and their ilk) then I might be convinced. Are we going to see another week or two or posturing and dancing around, only to be back where we started, or is this time somehow different?

Shailagh Murray: This will be a fascinating two weeks, for all of you following the war debate closely. The degree to which Republicans rally around the Salazar bill (which turns the Iraq Study Group report into official U.S. policy), who else speaks up, how the White House responds, whether Republicans vote for more muscular Democratic amendments on the war -- all are vital questions that will determine the future course of the war.

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Philadelphia: Thanks for taking questions today in this sweltering heat -- no wonder Congress used to take those summer breaks before air conditioning ... the good old days...

Now to my question: folks don't seem to be "happy" with the job Congress is doing. Do you think the country has become radicalized as a function of the state of government -- in the sense of "being governed" -- and that current Congress-folk are behind the trend? If that surmise is correct, do you sense that the Congress-folk are worried? I personally believe there will be a huge radical reaction in all of the elections next year and woe to those that aren't prepared for it -- and 12 years of Democratic ascendancy.

Shailagh Murray: That's a complicated question. American voters are so cautious, by and large. They dated Dean, then married Kerry. Of all the Democrats to choose from this year, the wife of a former president is the frontrunner in the polls. If you consider the environment right now, I wouldn't want to be an insider on either side -- but then again, in January perhaps troops will be coming home. I think when voters get disillusioned, they are less likely to turn to the other party than to turn away all together. But who knows? As I said earlier, you can't predict anything in this business.

Take care everyone, and thanks for participating. Cheers.

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