Daily Briefing: The 'Cool' Governor
• Bush, visiting New Orleans, fields complaints about government's response. [ WP , NYT ]
•White House dismisses doubts aboutMiers.Thune: "It has been my expectation thatPresident Bushwould nominate someone in the mold ofJustices ScaliaandThomasand it is my hope thatHarriet Mierswill prove to be such a person." [ WT ]
• Michael Leavittoutlines flu pandemic fears: "What if it weren't just New Orleans. What if it were Seattle, San Diego, Corpus Christi, Denver, Chicago, New York? Make your own list." [ USAT ]
•Documents related toMiersfrom 1995-2000 released by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission "provide a glimpse into her views on the proper separation of powers and the debate over making the civil justice system more fair and predictable."MiersconsideredBushto be "cool" and "the best governor ever." [ WP , NYT ]
• Fitzgeraldconsidered relentless, aggressive, and apolitical. [ USAT ]
•Military considers special force for natural disaster relief. [ NYT ]
•Cuts in programs proposed by Republicans will likely to be scaled back due to Katrina and rising energy prices. [ WP ]
•Liberals worried the window of opportunity to tackle issues of health care, housing, jobs, and poverty has closed with conservatives winning out. [ NYT ]
• Angela Merkelto become first female chancellor of Germany. [ USAT , FT ]
• Ricecalls for "elections that are free and fair" in Central Asia. [ NYT ]
•FBI may loosen hiring standards to accept applicants who used marijuana in their youth. [ WP ]
•Lawmakers take up blogging. [ WP ]
• McCainstumps forSchwarzenegger. [ LAT ]
•Medicare Q&A. [ NYT ]