Inside Politics

Almost funny

“Everything you need to know about Wednesday’s debut episode of Air America’s ’The O’Franken Factor’ is this: Al Franken actually said the sentence ’Think globally, but act locally,’ ” Michael Graham writes on National Review Online (www.nationalreview.com).

“No, it wasn’t a punch line,” said Mr. Graham, who is a talk-radio host.

“I happen to think the name ’The O’Franken Factor’ is the best thing about the show. Nobody needs a lancing of the ego as badly as the preeningly pompous Bill O’Reilly, who combines the journalistic integrity of Walter Winchell with the self-effacing modesty of Howard Stern.

“Unfortunately, the counterpoint to pomposity is wit, a commodity in dangerously short supply on Franken’s first outing. His closest brush with comedy was a bit where Franken’s cohorts allegedly had Ann Coulter locked in the green room and had cranked up the thermostat. What made the joke work was the listener’s knowledge that, had the media-omnipresent Coulter been invited, she would have gladly been O’Franken’s first guest. And she would have stolen the show, which in this case would only qualify as a petty larceny.”

Bunning’s joke

Sen. Jim Bunning’s re-election campaign issued an apology after Mr. Bunning, Kentucky Republican, said a potential opponent looks like one of Saddam Hussein’s sons.

The senator made the comment about state Sen. Daniel Mongiardo during a speech at a Republican event March 20. Mr. Mongiardo will face Mr. Bunning in the November election if he wins the Democratic primary as expected.

“We’re sorry if this joke, which got a lot of laughs, offended anyone,” said Mr. Bunning’s campaign manager, David Young.

Mr. Bunning apparently did not compare Mr. Mongiardo specifically to either of Saddam’s sons, Uday or Qusai, the Associated Press reports. The brothers were killed in a firefight with U.S. soldiers July 22.

Ads, part 1

President Bush’s re-election campaign will begin airing a TV ad this weekend that hammers his Democratic opponent, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, for his long history of supporting higher taxes.

“He opposed tax relief for married couples 22 times,” the ad states, and “opposed increasing the child tax credit 18 times.

“Kerry supported higher taxes over 350 times,” continues the 30-second spot. “He even supported increasing taxes on Social Security benefits and a 50-cent-a-gallon tax hike for gasoline.”

The ad concludes that Mr. Kerry’s record on the economy is “troubling.” It will be aired nationwide on cable and local affiliates.

Ads, part 2

Sen. John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, says President Bush’s economic policies have moved U.S. jobs overseas in a new ad that quotes the president’s advisers as saying that “moving American jobs to low-cost countries” is good for the economy.

“While jobs are leaving our country in record numbers, George Bush says sending jobs overseas ’makes sense’ for America,” says the ad, presented Wednesday. The spot then details the presumptive Democratic nominee’s economic plan that he says will create 10 million jobs.

The 30-second ad will start running today in 17 battleground states, the Associated Press reports. It is Mr. Kerry’s first negative commercial since focus has shifted to the general election.

The four-term senator ran at least a dozen ads assailing Mr. Bush or his policies during the primary campaign. His first ad of the general election was a response to a Bush commercial that Mr. Kerry argued misinterpreted his tax plans.

Democratic cash

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised about $7 million in March, completing its best quarter of the campaign cycle, and has a war chest of roughly $6 million, officials said Wednesday.

The March total also was swelled by a major fund-raising event that 35 Democratic senators attended that brought in roughly $3 million.

Despite the gains, Democrats lag millions behind their Republican counterparts, the Associated Press reports. The GOP committee reported cash on hand of $12.9 million a month ago and is expected to release updated figures for March in the next few days.

Arnold’s training

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican whose campaign was dogged by charges of sexual misconduct, voluntarily took a training course after his election about preventing sexual harassment.

The two-hour course was conducted by a deputy attorney general who is a specialist in employment and discrimination law, Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Margita Thompson said.

Mr. Schwarzenegger took the course earlier this year along with his senior staff, who were required to take the class as part of his administration’s policy, the spokeswoman said. The training is optional for statewide elected officials, the Associated Press reports.

Bush fund-raiser

President Bush said yesterday “the country is better off” with Republicans in control of the House and voiced confidence that their majority would be expanded in the November elections.

“By ensuring that we have a Republican majority in the House, you are helping our confident and hopeful agenda,” Mr. Bush told about 2,700 donors at a dinner that raised $7 million for the National Republican Congressional Committee, which recruits and raises money for Republican House candidates.

Republicans have a 228-205 majority in the House, with one Democratic-leaning independent and one vacancy.

“We intend to increase the Republican majority in 2004,” Mr. Bush said. He recalled the bad days for Republicans, pointing to Vice President Dick Cheney’s entry into Congress in 1979 as a House member from Wyoming.

“When Dick came to Congress, the House held 277 Democrats and only 158 Republicans,” he said. “Things are a lot different today and the country is better off for it.”

Hudson’s move

The conservative Hudson Institute will move its headquarters from Indianapolis to the District.

“With the war on terrorism overarching national concern, it is the board’s opinion that Hudson should return to its roots of national security and foreign policy by placing greater emphasis on these research areas. The best place for Hudson to do this is in Washington, D.C.,” said Hudson Institute President Herb London.

The institute’s headquarters will begin operating from Hudson’s current office in the District beginning June 1.

• Greg Pierce can be reached at 202/636-3285 or gpierce@washingtontimes.com.