Politics chat with Susan Milligan

Susan Milligan, a reporter for the Globe's Washington Bureau, talked to readers about President Bush's State of the Union address, John Kerry's decision not to run for president in 2008, and more. Susan Milligan: Hi, folks, and welcome to the chat with Rick Klein. However, I am not Rick Klein - Rick is working on a breaking story about Kerry's decision not to run for President. I'm Susan Milligan, the Globe's National Political Correspondent, and I'm happy to take questions about Kerry, the State of the Union, the new Congress, the presidential campaign and anything else in the political sphere.

Kimmy How did you find out today about Kerry not running? Do you think it's a wise decision? He's got extensive foreign-policy experience compared to the rest of the Dems in the running. But his recent gaffes do make him a big red target.

Susan Milligan: We started hearing this morning tnat Kerry would announce his intention today not to run. It's been rumored for awhile, but today, political types were hearing he would make it official today. His recent gaffes indeed make him a big target, but he also still had a lot of problems with rank-and-file Democrats who believe the 2004 election was his to lose - and that he lost it.

Todd Were you as unimpressed with Bush's State of the Union address as your colleague Peter Cannellos was?

Susan Milligan: Well, I'm a reporter, not a columnist, so my personal opinion of his speech is not relevant. I was struck, however, by how subdued teh president was - there wasn;t a smirk in sight, and his body language was much more submissive. Either he's trying to appear more statesmanlike, or he is reacting to the fact that his party lost a lot of seats in November and he won't be able to get everything he wants from Congress anymore. baldhead2005 Who is the strongest moderate in the country?

Susan Milligan: Depends on whom you'd call a moderate. McCain, maybe.

Horatio_Machavelli Would Kerry have run if it weren't for that dumb comment?

Susan Milligan: For other chatters, Horatio means the botched joke Kerry made about uneducated people ending up in Iraq - a joke he said was meant to apply to Bush, not servicemen and women. I do think it was far more than the joke; the episode merely clarified for many Democrats what Kerry's weaknesses are. A lot of people are still very angry with Kerry for having blown the 2004 election, and didn't want to take anotehr chance on him. Democrats really got a taste of victory in the 06 elections, and they are determined not to lose the presidency in 08. I would say that the anger I heard from some Democrats about the prospect of a Kerry re-run was as deep as the anger some Democrats had about a Ralph Nader independent run.

Knitty i'd can't imagine classifying McCain as moderate, despite his other likable personality traits Susan Milligan: Well, moderation is in the eye of the beholder. McCain is moderate compared to the leadership of his own party, but he still wields power on the Hill. House GOP moderates have pretty much been pushed aside by their own leadership. I do think some of the more moderate Democrats -- including some of those recently elected from the Interior West -- are important to the expansion of the Democratic party, but they're too new in Washington to be indovidual powerhouses just yet. theoldmole Was it a breakthrough that Bush mentioned global warming? He really didn't say what he would do about CO2.

Susan Milligan: It certainly was the strongest statement he's ever made about global warming - although he didn't call it that; he called it ``global climate change,'' which sounds a little less ominous. He still does not support mandatory caps on emissions, and some experts have raised questions about just how much an increase in ethanl use can really do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Bill_Clinton Susan - do you have any advice for me to help my wife win back the White House?

Susan Milligan: Well, if she shares the name of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, at least she has the name recognition. But don't you think people will figure out you're really not the former president when you make public appearances on your wife's behalf?

Tina Susan - Isn't this an exceptionally large group of potential presidential candidates? What brought this on?

Susan Milligan: There's no incumbent running; the 06 elections showed the electorate is very willing to make a big change, so it's wide open. People are getting in unusually early - and even dropping out, unusually early -- because the crush of candidates has more people competing for campaign funds and staff.

Susan Milligan: Sorry; I accidentally deleted someone's question about a McCain-Lieberman run. I wouldn't count on it. A bipartisan ticket is appealing to many -- and it's a great story for reporters -- but I think both political parties would find it hard to stomach. They don't trust each other.

Knitty Have you heard about Senator Schumer's new book, "Positively American"? It sounds like there's some good ideas in there on how the Democratic Party can become more moderate.

Susan Milligan: I've heard of it, and have been invited to his book party next week. I have not read it.

Nookie_bear From my vantage point, Kerry's been running for president since the day he lost to Bush in '04. Now that he's finally got it out of his system, will he stop touring the country, and start attending Senate meetings and serving Massachusetts again?

Susan Milligan: Well, I do think Kerry will need to figure out what kind of senator he will be now, what issues he will focus on. It's true that much of the past four years of his life have been spent either running for president or thinking about it. Now that he's decided to put that aside, he will need to figure out how he wants to define himself as a senator. My guess is it will be foreign policy-focused, particulalry Iraq-focused. chichi Speaking of Ralph Nadar. Have you heard anything about his intentions to run in '08? How about Ross Perot? Or any other "spoilers"?

Susan Milligan: Not a peep from either camp. But it's worth noting that Independent voters are becoming an increasingly important voter group -- they made the difference in a number of the 06 congressional electons.

Arthur_Reed When Al Gore comes into town to speak about global warming, is it not a bit hypocritical that he does so in a cavalcade of 20 Lincoln Navigators?

Susan Milligan: This observation ahs been made about members of Congress, as well, who travel in SUVs while bemoaning the lack of regulation to increase fuel efficiency standards for cars. The standard answer we've gotten is that they have to transport lots of staff, etc. I don't think anyone, however, travels in a 20-car motorcade. Even the president's motorcade is shorter than that.

Nookie_bear Hey, back to global warming, Bush supports economic incentives to reduce emissions, correct? Has this type of approach worked in the past, to your knowledge?

Susan Milligan: Well, that's debatable. Some would argue that higher gas prices have led consumers to buy more fuel-efficient cars, but others would point out that there are still a lot of SUVs on the road, and that the auto business won't make them more fuel-efficient unless Washingotn forces them to do so.

Arthur_Reed As far as McCain/Leiberman, I was thinking more as a third party ticket. McCain is not well liked within the Republican Party and we all know that Leiberman in bow essentially a third party senetor.

Susan Milligan: Ah. An interesting thought, but I still think the country, for better or for worse, is pretty tied to a two-choice system for president. That may change, however, if Independents continue to grow.

Brad Although Gov. Bill Richardson (D) of New Mexico is currently polling around 2%, is it reasonable to assume that his numbers will go up as people learn about this vast experience? It seems to me that he is the ideal Democratic nominee for '08.

Susan Milligan: I rally wouldn't count out anybody right now. Clinton and Obama are supposed early front-runners, but I could easily see both of them crashing and burning -- even before the end of the year -- leaving the door open for John Edwards and for that matter, Bill Richardson. Richardson is Hispanic, and that may help him win over Latino voters. But I still think he's got a long way to go.

Arthur_Reed Call me a bit crazy but I think the most appealing name on the Republican side for 08 may be MItt Romney. I just think that by the time 2008 roles around many people will just think that John McCain is to old. There was a shot of him openly falling asleep in the middle of Bush's speech last night.

Susan Milligan: You see, this is why presidents use terms like ``axis of evil'' -- it keeps senators awake. Maybe peoepl will think McCain is too old; maybe they will think he is more experienced. Who knows? McCain's biggest problem is that he does not get along so well with the party establishment. That makes him popular with independent Republcian voters - and some Democrats, too - but it also means he's running against the machine. masstired why is it that everyone but politicians and the Globe have a problem with illegal Aliens ? Are politicians that out of touch with the rest of us ?

Susan Milligan: Well, I don't think it;s quite that stark a comparison. And remember that it is President Bush who wants a guest worker program for immigrants. The reality is that foreigners -- like many of our ancestors before us, who came to this country from somewhere lese -- want to live here and work here, and the government has to deal with that. It's a big country, so it's harder to control the borders, fence or no fence. You can take the approach that the country needs to erect a wall around itself, or oyu can take the view that some or many immigranrs should be allowed in, but you;re not going to stop people from trying to get in at any cost.

Ralphie The Senate Foreign Relations committee just approved the proposal condemning the troop increase. What do you think of this?

Susan Milligan: I think that if the White House still doesn't see how unpopular the presidnet's troop ``surge'' is on Capitol Hill, this is yet another strong message to that effect.

Ralphie How will the Iraq war be remembered 50 years for now?

Susan Milligan: Well, if I'm alive, I'll be very old then and probably wont be able to remember where I left my socks. I can't answer your question, because I have no way of knowing whether this war will fizzle out -- which it's not doing at the moment -- or escalate into some huge, regional conflict that will change the future of the Middle East. jam9 Has Kerry made his speech yet?

Susan Milligan: Do you think I'm watching C-SPAN when I'm answering your questions? I believe he will make it this afternoon.

Bill_Clinton It seems to me that every liberal candidate the Democrats have offered up in the past few decades has fared poorly (McGovern, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore - who lost as a sitting VP, Kerry...) Who would you rank as the top 3 or 4 moderates of the potential Democrats?

Susan Milligan: Again, it really depends on whom you consider moderate. Clinton's probably been less aggressively anti-war than some of her rivals; she has said she would not ahve voted for teh Iraq war if she had known in 2002 what she knows today. Still, she has not categorically renounced her vote, as others have. Vilsack is perhaps the most moderate of the initial group, but again, it depends on how you define the term. I'm not so sure the Democrats' best chance is to nominate a moderate in the hopes of winning over GOP voters - sometimes, that alienates the Democratic base and they don't come out to vote. masstired I have no problem with immigration as long as people pay their fair share. Is it time to look at a flat sales tax on every purchase ? If we did that then everyone in within our borders would pay up , and I think for ILLEGALS the US would be far less attractive if they had to pay. Why isnt this being suggested ?

Susan Milligan: There is a sales tax on purchases in most states, so I'm not sure what you mean. I'm not defending illegal activity of any kind, but I hardly think a sales tax increase would keep out illegal aliens.

JB What do you think about a McCain/Romney ticket?

Susan Milligan: With which one as president? McCain is clearly on the more moderate side of his party (although he has tried to court social conservatives), while Romney is wooing social and fiscal conservatives. They're both seeking the top job, and I can't imagine either one would entertain taking second-billing at the moment. mstone Who do you expect Sen. Kennedy to endorse at this point?

Susan Milligan: I don't know, and I'm very. very eager to find out. Last night, Kennedy was seated next to Obama, but Hillary Clinton was right behind them. Kennedy has been close to the Clintons, but I would not automatically assume he is backing her. My prediction is that he'll wait to see how the primary season unfolds before choosing one colleague over another.

Arthur_Reed After 9/11 my dad, who is 68, said to me that this War will never end, he and I will be be dead and my daughters who are 7 and 12, his grandchildren, will be in their 50's and 60's and this will still be going on. I though it was carzy talk at the time, now though as sad and depressing as it may sound, I'm not so sure.

Susan Milligan: Let's hope it's over soon. I've got time for one or two more questions, folks - then I'm on Kerry duty.

Oyster But Romney never makes the polls as a serious contender....do you think that there might be TOO many experienced and therefore more viable candidates, and that he's just watering down the vote?

Susan Milligan: It is so, so early, and the polls you are seeing now are more reflective of name recognition than anything else. And yes, he faces more experienced candidates, but sometimes a governor can emerge and beat them all out. Ask Bill Clinton.

Arthur_Reed Does Hillary play the Muslim card with Obama?

Susan Milligan: The Muslim card? I assume you're referring to an unsourced, dispauted story in Insight magazine, picked up by Fox, suggesting that Clinton was peddling a story about how Obama supposedly attended a madrassa when he was growing up in Indonesia. Both camps have dismissed that story. mstone Could Kerry make a plausible VP candidate? He's been courted in the past for that post.

Susan Milligan: Yes, but he also ran for president, and may not want to play second fiddle to another Democrat. Folks, thanks for chatting, and feel free to e-mail me at S_Milligan@globe.com I have to go back to work now.