Main Grind | Hot Topics | DayAhead

The Morning Grind / DayAhead

Revenge, revulsion ... resignation?

By John Mercurio
CNN Political Unit

	ON CNN TV Stay with CNN-USA for updates, analysis and perspective on the images of Iraqi prisoner abuse newly seen by members of both houses of Congress. Also: How the scandal looks from the campaign trail. VIDEO CNN's Jeff Greenfield on the power of imagery, now and in history. PLAY VIDEO CNN's Jamie McIntyre on the Taguba testimony. PLAY VIDEO CNN's Brian Todd on the seven U.S. soldiers accused of abuse. PLAY VIDEO RELATED Taguba: No direct order given for abuse Gallery: Abuse at Abu Ghraib prison (Contains graphic content. Viewer discretion advised.) • Inhofe: Prisoners 'terrorists' • Support mixed for Rumsfeld • Senate passes corp. tax bill • Poll: Bush at new low • Timeline: Iraq abuse case SPECIAL REPORT • The Candidates: Bush | Kerry • The Issues • The Money • The Polls • Timeline • Special Report YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Morning Grind Donald H. Rumsfeld Bill Clinton Bill Richardson or Create your own Manage alerts | What is this?

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- It's hard to see how any news story could displace coverage of the ongoing probe into the Iraqi prisoner abuse, given the searing images released yesterday of American Nicholas Berg just before his beheading and the new pictures the Senate will see today of prisoner abuse.

Contenders, however, include:

Despite the pocketbook nature of these stories, Americans' visceral reaction to the beheading of the 26-year-old Pennsylvania businessman is sure to dominate debate as the Bush administration weighs its next move in Iraq.

Discussion of the Berg photos will surely arise this morning when Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Richard Myers return to Capitol Hill for a Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing.

Among the questions UNlikely to be asked: Do the photos enrage Americans so much that abuse of Iraqi prisoners seems more palatable? And do claims by Berg's executioners that they were retaliating for Abu Ghraib throw Rumsfeld into more turmoil?

New photos and computerized video of Iraqi abuse will be available for Senate viewing today in a secure room in the Capitol, Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner said yesterday. Afterward the photos and video will be returned to the Pentagon.

For his part, Kerry was informed of Berg's murder as he prepared to leave Louisville, Kentucky, where he delivered his second day of speeches on health care reform. After being told of the execution, he talked by phone with his chief foreign affairs advisor, Rand Beers.

Kerry cries foul over vote 'game'

Kerry's allies on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, are busy today explaining why his absence yesterday didn't actually doom a push to extend unemployment benefits. Democrats tried to attach the benefit to a corporate tax bill. But in a 59-40 vote they fell just shy of the 60 votes needed to overcome objections that extending the benefits violated last year's budget deal.

Republicans pounced. "Last month, John Kerry was pushing for the extension of unemployment benefits," Bush/Cheney spokesman Steve Schmidt said. "Today he had the chance to actually vote on that question but was too busy playing politics when he would have made the difference in the Senate."

Kerry, who was stumping in Kentucky while the Senate roll call was read, said yesterday that Republicans engineered the vote to embarrass him. "We were told no matter what would happen they would change a vote in the Senate, and they were not going to let [the extension of unemployment benefits] happen. So it's really not a one-vote margin. They don't want it to happen," he said in Jacksonville late yesterday. "They're playing a game."

That may well be true. Still, we look forward to watching Kerry offer that explanation during his next jobs bus trip through Ohio.

Also today, Bush-Cheney '04 will launch a new Web ad and a new TV ad. The Web ad features first lady Laura Bush talking for about two minutes about how important education is to her and to the president. The 30-second TV spot also focuses on education.

Among the 50 or so Web sites that will carry the ad are Yahoo, MSN, parents.com, weather.com, LHJ.com (Ladies' Home Journal), and the Web sites of key regional newspapers from Detroit to St. Louis to Philadelphia in markets that are also part of the television advertising.

Uh, weather.com?

Clinton: Jailbird no more

Meanwhile at the Apollo, Bill Clinton, fresh from finishing his 900-page memoir, told a MoveOn.org fund-raiser that he's been in "writer's jail up in Chappequa for three months." He said it was "awful."

"I have done nothing but try to finish the story of my life," Clinton told the crowd. "It was hard enough to live it the first time. It's been awful the second time. And I can't go anywhere. So I feel like I got a long prison sentence and I got furloughed tonight to come see you guys and listen to music."

Other Apollo highlights: Clinton said the only way Democrats can lose the White House this fall is if "we are lazy or dumb."

V.P. tea leaves

Bill Richardson, just days after he was re-introduced to New Yorkers in a glowing New York Times profile, also attended the Apollo fund-raiser.

And finally, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack holds a news conference in Des Moines this morning. State business only, we're told, but we'll monitor the event for any questions tossed on other issues.

Story Tools		Click Here to try 4 Free Trial Issues of Time!

Panel: Spy agencies in dark about threats • White House calls pope inspiration for millions • Lott delays vote on base closing nominee • Former Clinton adviser Berger to plead guilty

EU 'crisis' after summit failure • Iran poll to go to run-off • 40 million credit cards exposed • U.S. House votes to keep U.N. dues