Daily Briefing: ‘Happy Days Are Here Again’

• Libby is expected to be charged today with making false statements to the jury; investigation of Rove will continue as Fitzgerald will extend the inquiry. McClellan will not brief today and Bush will spend the weekend at Camp David. [NYT, WSJ]
• Libby shops for an attorney; Rove looks for a P.R. team. [WP]
• Next Supreme Court nominee could be named within days; “aggressive opposition from conservatives” caused Harriet Miers to withdraw. The “endgame” began early this week. [WP, WP, NYT, NYT, WSJ, LAT, WT]
• The worst week of Bush‘s political life is not over yet. Scholar: “Is there a Howard Baker moment? And if there’s a Howard Baker moment, who’s Howard Baker?” [WP, NYT]
• Miers nomination “was an episode that seemed wholly out of character with the president’s style.” Brownstein: “[T]he president no longer can consistently impose his will on his party, much less the Congress or the country.” [WP, LAT, USAT]
• “Senators came to bury Miers yesterday, not to praise her,” Milbank writes. Lott sings “Happy Days Are Here Again!” [WP, WT]
• Miers remained upbeat and loyal throughout the process. Former colleague: “The White House didn’t pay attention, and the right just chewed her up. It was like a gang, a lynch mob.” [NYT, WP, WSJ]
• Conservative pundits had their way. Charles Krauthammer: “I guess she reads my column.” [WP, LAT]
• Bush was apparently the last to know of her withdrawal. [WT]

• Gender thought to be less of a factor this time; the challenge is finding the next John Roberts. [WP, NYT, LAT, USAT]
• Source of forged uranium reports is still unknown after two-year FBI investigation. [NYT]
• Senators outraged over record profits at big oil companies. [WP, NYT, LAT]
• Senate earmarks $8b for avian flu readiness. [NYT]
• Debate over prewar intel is at the heart of the leak investigation. [WSJ]
• EPA endorses Clear Skies legislation; said to be the most feasible plan. [WP]
• House approves first round of military base closings. [WP]
• The Senate Armed Services Committee challenges the nominee for chief spokesman at the Pentagon. [NYT]
• Coin dealer in Ohio indicted for illegal donations to Bush‘s campaign fund. [LAT,]