Daily Briefing: ‘Pulling Out All The Stops’

• Michael Chertoff moves to distribute DHS funds based on threats, not politics. [NYT]
• Advocacy groups “are pulling out all the stops” as Samuel Alito‘s hearings approach. [NYT]
• Administration “is trying to recalibrate the military and foreign service to better handle postwar developments in future conflicts.” Rand expert: “There is wide recognition of the need to professionalize our response to postwar challenges.” [WSJ]
• U.S. is reducing its presence in Afghanistan. [WP]
• White House will make aggressive push for rebound in ’06. Mark McKinnon: “This president has a real pattern of defying conventional wisdom.” [USAT]
• Iraq and economic issues will likely dominate the administration’s agenda in ’06. [WT]
• Democrats plan to attack Republicans for violating the public’s privacy. [USAT]
• “Democratic gains appear to be inevitable” in ’06 election, Stuart Rothenberg reports. [WT]
• Lawmakers’ divisions and inconsistencies over immigration are due in part to the public’s ambivalence. GOP pollster: “You wonder why politicians are not always consistent. It’s because public opinion’s not always consistent.” [WP]