Wonkette
• Intelligence bill stalled, but Bush signals interest. Reid: “The Congress of the United States should not leave this town until we pass this.” [NYT, LAT, USAT, WT]
• Reid promises to lead fight against Republicans’ plans for Social Security, gay marriage, and conservative judges.” [WP]
• Bush wants Snow out, considers Card as replacement. [NYT]
• McCain to introduce legislation requiring testing of sports players for steroids use. [NYT, USAT]
• AARP aims to stop privatization of Social Security: “If there’s any issue we will pull out the stops on, it’s this one.” [USAT]
• Ohio election results will be challenged. [WP]
• Greenspan’s successor has enormous shoes to fill; eyes on Hubbard. [NYT]
• Commission on WMDs keeps quiet. [NYT]
• Mission go: DeLay squeezes $16b for NASA. [WP]
• Congress split on permitting driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants. [WSJ]
• Thompson’s successor faced with enormous prescription-drug benefit program. [WSJ]
• Bush, never a one to meander, shows little interest in foreign attractions. [NYT]
• BC04 micro-managed television ad buys to target Republican voters, who tune to Speedvision and the Golf Channel. Dowd: “This year, we reached a wider audience of potential Republicans than we did in 2000.” Deutsch: “The selling of a candidate is no different from the smart media buying for toothpaste and automobiles, especially as people fragment their media habits.” [NYT]
• Republicans flip-flop, embrace 527s. [WSJ]
• Abortion opponents see conservative Senate on their side: “It will be somewhat easier for anti-choice forces to pass further restrictions on abortion, but they won’t be successful in all of their initiatives”; [WT]
• Bush will make two appointments to civil rights panel. [WT]
• Five Representatives have family serving on front lines. [USAT]
• Webb, Kirk, Dean, Ickes among those in running to chair DNC. [USAT]
• Obama, jokester: a) “I figure there’s nowhere to go from here but down, so tonight, I’m announcing my retirement from the United States Senate.” b) Enquirer headline: “Obama’s Shocking Secret: He’s Strom Thurmond’s Love Child.” c) “I’m so overexposed that I make Paris Hilton look like a recluse.” [LAT]
