NEWS AND OPINION:
Make that former Democratic presidential hopeful: Jim Webb announced Tuesday at a press conference at the National Press Club that he was done with the Democrats. He formally withdrew himself as a candidate but did not announce any intent to run as an independent. Yet.
“I want to see what voters have to say. While I am not going away, I am thinking of all my options,” Mr. Webb said.
He could very well have some options. A decorated combat veteran and former Navy Secretary during the Reagan administration, Mr. Webb also served as a U.S. Senator from Virginia - as a Democrat. He is a political hybrid who has also written 10 books and navigated Hollywood as a screenwriter.
“Our country is more important than a label,” Mr. Webb said Tuesday, adding, “Our political process is jammed up. It needs an an honest broker.”
PRESS GETS CREATIVE ON BIDEN CLIFFHANGER
The prospect of a sixth Democratic presidential hopeful at least has given the press something to do until the Benghazi hearings get underway. After weeks of speculation, Vice President Joseph R. Biden could reveal whether he’s primed for a White House bid any second now — this according to multiple news reports based on a single tweet from a solitary Democratic lawmaker.
But hey, it’s a presidential posture of sorts that sent journalists scurrying to drive home their own interpretations. Among the headlines from the last 24 hours:
“Biden 2016: A bad idea gets worse” (Daily Beast); “Why Joe Biden should run just in case” (Daily Caller); “Here’s why Biden should stay out of the race” (The Fiscal Times); “Joe Biden speculation is reaching a breaking point” (Business Insider); “Biden watch kicks into high gear” (Politico); “What could happen to Hillary Clinton if Joe Biden enters the race” (ABC News); “The Democratic primary doesn’t need Joe Biden (The Nation); “Debate behind them, Democrats could still see Joe Biden make grand entrance (New York Times); “Former ’SNL’ stars hope Biden runs (The Hill); “Did Biden wait too long?” (Commentary magazine); and “NH Biden backer: ’There’s an adrenaline rush’” (The Union Leader).
THAT’S $150, PLEASE
Behold: There’s some pushback against the Republican Party’s 2016 presidential convention plans, and it’s coming from journalists themselves.
The GOP plans to charge reporters a little something should they need a basic “workspace” when they show up in Cleveland in July to cover the Republican National Convention. About 350 spaces are expected to be available and will include a writing surface and an electrical outlet to charge laptop computers, phones and other devices. The charge? It’s $150 each, according to the Northeast Ohio Media Group, which has tracked the phenomenon.
Press representatives within the U.S. Capitol are not happy.
“We are disappointed in the decision by the Republican National Convention Committee to charge an access fee to cover the 2016 convention. The press, as representatives of the public, should not be charged to cover elected officials at an event of enormous interest to the public,” Heather Rothman, chair of the Executive Committee of Periodical Correspondents and Jonathan D. Salant, chair of the Standing Committee of Correspondents, said in a joint statement released Monday.
“The convention committee said reporters who don’t pay still will be allowed into the arena. But the vantage points they will be given will not allow them to follow convention proceedings, gain access to the convention floor to interview public officials, nor file stories on the event. We are concerned that the proposed fee smacks of forcing the press to pay for news gathering,” the pair noted.
“We urge the RNC to follow the precedent of previous conventions of both parties and drop plans for an access fee so the press can continue to inform the public about a major news event,” they concluded.
The GOP has its own take, though.
“There is no access fee. For outlets who request a work station be built, there will be a minimal charge at a fraction of the actual cost,” Allison Moore, the RNC’s national communications director, noted in a statement to Inside the Beltway.
The cost of creating each workstation is a reported $750. Regardless of the disagreement, the Cleveland 2016 host committee expects 50,000 attendees — and 15,000 “credentialed media” — when the three-day event gets rolling on July 18.
3 BILLION, BUT NOT IN DOLLARS
Well, at least one federal agency gets occasional relief from the doldrums of operations. The U.S. Census points out that October has been designated as National Pizza Month for the last 32 years.
And here is their official take on it all:
“No one knows the exact origin of pizza, but ancient Mediterranean cultures enjoyed flatbreads with various toppings and seasonings. An Italian immigrant named Gennaro Lombardi opened the first pizzeria in the U.S. in New York City in 1905. American soldiers who served in Italy returned from World War II with a taste for pizza and helped its climb to nationwide popularity. Now, about 3 billion pizzas are sold annually. There are some 70,000 pizzerias across the U.S., among the country’s nearly 526,000 sit-down and limited-service restaurants.”
FOR THE LEXICON
“The Berniebro” — a new variety of voter who supports Sen. Bernard Sanders for president, identified by Robinson Meyer, associate editor of The Atlantic.
“The Berniebro is someone you may only have encountered if you’re somewhat similar to him: white; well-educated; middle-class (or, delicately, ’upper middle-class’); and aware of NPR podcasts and jangly bearded bands,” Mr. Robinson writes, adding, “The Berniebro voted for Barack Obama in 2012. And 2008, if the Berniebro was old enough to vote.”
POLL DU JOUR
• 63 percent of Republican primary voters say they are “comfortable and positive” about Rep. Paul Ryan becoming speaker of the House.
• 68 percent of tea partyers, 67 percent of “very conservative” Republicans and 54 percent of moderate Republicans agree.
• 56 percent overall say they want a speaker who will stand up for GOP principles.
• 40 percent say they prefer a leader who can compromise.
• 28 percent say they are “skeptical and uncertain” about Mr. Ryan assuming the leadership position.
Source: An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll of 400 GOP primary voters conducted Oct. 15-18.
Gnashing of teeth, ballyhoo to jharper@washingtontimes.com
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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