Wonkette

• Tape from Osama bin Laden surfaces, his first since December 2004: “[Al Qaeda] operations are under preparation and you will see them in your homes the minute they are ready.” [WP, NYT, USAT, WT]
• Independent counsel is unable “to say with certainty whether any criminal laws were broken” by Henry Cisneros, but there was “a coverup at high levels of our government.” [WP, USAT, WT]
• Justice Department analysis supports the legality of warrentless eavesdropping. [WP, NYT]
• Bush previews State of the Union message: “The best way to solve the deficit is to grow the economy, not run up your taxes.” [USAT, WT]
• Most Americans “could not care less” about the lobbying scandal; corruption is seen as bipartisan. [WP]
• Liberal group calls for Justice Department investigation of Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif) regarding hedge fund donations. [USAT]
• Additional Democratic senators –including Leahy and Salazar– announce their intention to oppose Samuel Alito. [WP]
• Republican National Committee set to break with Bush over immigration. [LAT]

• Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.): “I believe we lost critical time in dealing with Iran because the White House chose to downplay the threats and to outsource the negotiations. I don’t believe you face threats like Iran or North Korea by outsourcing it to others and standing on the sidelines.” [WP]
• Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) apologizes for harshness of press release that personalized the GOP “culture of corruption.” [WP, NYT]
• Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine will give the Democratic rebuttal to the State of the Union address. [WP]
• John Walker Lindh’s father asks for clemency from Bush: “In simple terms, this is the story of a decent and honorable young man embarked on a spiritual quest.” [NYT]
• Laura Bush will never run for the Senate, Bush says. [NYT]