Tip Sheet for the Week of April 8 - 12

This partial transcript of The Beltway Boys, April 6, was provided by the Federal Document Clearing House. Click here to order the complete transcript.

MORT KONDRACKE, CO-HOST: It's Fred's turn in the hot seat, and here's the Tip Sheet for next week's action.

Item one, it's back to work for Congress, and the energy bill is priority number one for the Senate.

FRED BARNES, CO-HOST: Well, Democrats lost out on their crown jewel in the energy bill, you know, CAFE standards, make cars require that they get better mileage by making them unsafe, among other things, so I don't think they're going to let Republicans have their crown jewel, which is drilling in Alaska. So we'll get a stripped-down bill, if any bill at all.

KONDRACKE: I say no bill, and if Saddam Hussein succeeds in organizing an oil embargo against the United States, it's curtains for both sides.

Item two, homeland security director Tom Ridge will be – will brief but not testify before two House committees next week.

BARNES: Well, House Republicans have accepted this idea that he brief but not formally testify. Senate Democrats, particularly Robert Byrd of West Virginia, has not. You know, this Byrd-Ridge fight, struggle, very uninteresting. I'm tired of it. Let's move on.

KONDRACKE: The answer is to create a confirmable, Senate confirmable position...

BARNES: Yes, OK.

KONDRACKE: ... like the Office of Management and Budget director.

BARNES: That's not going to happen this year.

KONDRACKE: Item three, the Florida Democratic convention is next weekend, and it looks like just about every presidential hopeful is going to be in attendance.

BARNES: Well, the thing not to watch for is Alec Baldwin, really, the actor, your favorite actor, giving the keynote address. The guy to watch there, Al Gore.

Now, as you know, Mort, Al Gore is very unpopular among Democratic elites inside the Beltway. But the grassroots activists in the party will be at this convention. My guess is, they're going to give Gore a very enthusiastic reception.

KONDRACKE: And wild for Lieberman.

Item four, Tuesday, April 9, will be the funeral of England's queen mum at Westminster Abbey.

BUSH: Well, they ought to get rid of the royalty in England. The last really classy one was the queen mother.

KONDRACKE: They like Elizabeth too.

And item five, Attorney General John Ashcroft will be a guest on the David Letterman show next week.

BARNES: Why...

KONDRACKE: Is he a comic?

BARNES: ... why is he doing the – boy, (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

KONDRACKE: Exactly.

BARNES: Why is he going on Letterman? Why doesn't he go on Leno?  Leno is much...

KONDRACKE: Probably wasn't asked.

BARNES: Well, I – he – look, he can get on, he can call and say, Ask me. But Leno's much nicer to Republican. Letterman likes Democrats.

KONDRACKE: And all they're going to talk...

BARNES: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

KONDRACKE: ... all they're going to talk about is that statue that he wanted to cover up...

BARNES: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

KONDRACKE: ... that naked lady.

BARNES: Might be funny, though.

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