Daily Briefing: Cultural Corruption

• Congressional Research Service determines that the administration should have notified all members of the House and Senate intelligence committees about NSA eavesdropping. [WP, NYT, USAT]
• Dems up the ante against the “culture of corruption”; their proposed limitations on lobbying are stricter than GOP plan. [WP, NYT, W$J]
• Republican Rep. Jerry Lewis steered $160m project through Congress after firm donated $110,000, USAT alleges; congressman denies wrongdoing. [USAT]
• Longest independent counsel inquiry ever accuses Clinton administration officials of a cover-up. [NYT]
• Human Rights Watch says the administration makes a “deliberate policy choice” to abuse detainees. [NYT]
• Costs of the war and rebuilding the Gulf Coast will exacerbate this year’s budget debate. [USAT]
• State Department will shift hundreds of diplomats to the Middle East, Asia, and elsewhere from Europe and Washington. [WP, NYT]
• Democrats urged to vote against Samuel Alito. [NYT, LAT]
• Republicans try to reassure seniors about new drug plan. [WP]
• Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) “is back!” [WP]
• Larry Wilkerson’s criticisms of the administration caused an estrangement with Colin Powell. Wilkerson: “This is not a Republican administration, not in my view. This is a radical administration.” [WP]

READ MORE: Democrats, Republicans, abuse of detainees, budget, colin powell, diplomats, eavesdropping, human rights watch, john lewis, larry wilkerson, lobbying, nsa, samuel alito, state department, trent lott