Press Briefing by Dana Perino

Q So he [Attorney General nominee Mike Mukasey] wrote this letter to the 10 Democrats who sit on the Judiciary Committee, and he said, “waterboarding, as it’s been described to him, is repugnant.” And I’m just wondering, in your view, can something be repugnant but also legal?

MS. PERINO: Look, as I said, I’m not going to comment on any techniques, I’m not going to comment on any of it. That was his personal view, and the senators, if they want to ask him more questions about that, should confirm him and then they’d have the opportunity to do so.

Why do I smell a write-in campaign in the works?

Thirty senators signed this letter, seeking to prevent Bush from launching a unilateral war on Iran:

We are writing to express serious concerns with the provocative statements and actions stemming from your administration with respect to possible U.S. military action in Iran. These comments are counterproductive and undermine efforts to resolve tensions with Iran through diplomacy.

This includes the Senate vote on September 26, 2007 on an amendment to the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. This amendment, expressing the sense of the Senate on Iran, and the recent designation of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, should in no way be interpreted as a predicate for the use of military force in Iran.

We stand ready to work with your administration to address the challenges presented by Iran in a manner that safeguards our security interests and promotes a regional diplomatic solution, but we wish to emphasize that offensive military action should not be taken against Iran without the express consent of Congress.

Did yours?

Press Briefing by Dana Perino

Q Since [Karen Hughes] assumed the position of Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, according to a Pew survey, the U.S. image remains abysmal in most Muslim countries. Favorable views of the U.S. in Turkey are at 9 percent; in Egypt they’re 21 percent; in Pakistan they’re 15 percent; in the Palestinian Territories they’re 13 percent; in Morocco they’re 15 percent.

MS. PERINO: I think I get your point.

Q But in Germany, in just the past two years, the favorable view of the U.S. has dropped from 42 percent to 30 percent. Do you discount those numbers? I just want you to address what has happened since she has taken on that role. It sounds like she didn’t do –

MS. PERINO: I’m not going to comment on that poll and I think it’s preposterous to think that you could question Karen Hughes’s achievements in terms of being responsible for the numbers in a particular poll. That’s ridiculous….

Q So in your mind, she has succeeded in her goal of outreach to the Arab world, based on those numbers that I just cited?

MS. PERINO: Look, I’m not going to comment or respond to a poll that you just read out… What I can tell you is that she has done amazing work.

This clip is all you really needed to watch of the Democratic debate last night.

We see Hillary lamely blaming the National Archives for the Bill Clinton orchestrated attempt to suppress documents that might actually shed some light on what First Lady Clinton’s policy role was in that White House.

This is the first time I’ve seen Hillary genuinely flustered — just making it up as she answered. Fumbling on about the 20 million pieces of paper at the Archives, topping it off with this lame bit of technocratic mumbojumbo about how the “Archives will move as fast as its circumstances and processes demand.”

This artless Clintonian dodge was clearly Barack Obama’s best opening.

And he starts strong, with a jab about Cheney-esqe secrecy and an effective upper-cut: “not releasing these records — a the same time, Hillary, that you’re claming this [time in the White House] as the basis of your experience — is a problem.”

But then Obama — who earlier jokingly compared himself to Rocky, with Hillary, implausibly, as Apollo Creed — pulled his punches. He shadow boxed for the next two minutes with high-minded platitudes about bringing people back into the process, blah, blah, blah, inflicting no more damage and tiring everybody in the audience out.

Fortunately for Hillary, this fight night was a spit decision. Edwards and Obama both had good showings — defusing each other’s appeal. Worse, Chris Dodd also woke up. And Joe Biden lit up the stage with his novel arguments about Pakistan — and of course his line of the night about Rudy Giuliani:

“There’s only three things he ever mentions in a sentence: a noun, a verb, and 9/11.”