niger
Daily Briefing: What Would Gotti Do?
• Supreme Court, by 6 to 3 vote, rules against the administration and John Ashcroft to allow Oregon to practice physician-assisted suicide. [WP, NYT, NYT, W$J, USAT, WT]
• “High-level intelligence assessment” from early 2002 downplayed the likelihood of Niger providing uranium to Iraq. Admin official: “The president has said the intelligence was wrong, and we have reorganized our intelligence agencies so we can do better in the future.” [NYT]
• Jack Abramoff had a “few staff-level” White House meetings; officials are not releasing specifics. [USAT]
• Republicans outline their proposals to limit lobbying; some plans contain plenty of loopholes. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.): “It is like asking John Gotti to do what he can to clean up organized crime.” [WP, WP, NYT, NYT, W$J, USAT, WT]
• Kidnappers of American journalist in Iraq issue ultimatum: release all female prisoners in Iraq or she will be killed. [WP]
• Senators ready their inquiries of NSA eavesdropping; determining its legality will “prove tricky.” [W$J]
• New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin apologizes for suggesting that “God is mad at America” and the city will be a “chocolate city.” [WP]
• Scott McClellan criticizes Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) characterization that the House is “like a plantation”; White House flack says remarks were “way out of line” and “out of bounds.” [NYT]
• Sen. Clinton is avoiding Iowa and New Hampshire while quietly laying the foundation for a presidential run; “neither she nor her political advisers want to do anything that might suggest that she has ambitions beyond” New York. [NYT]
• Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) announces he will vote for Alito. [WT]
• Abramoff adds drama, uncertainty to Ralph Reed’s race. [USAT]
• Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) decides to seek a fourth term. [NYT]
• Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) quits all-male Harvard club. [WT]
READ MORE: 2006, 2008, SCOTUS, White House, bill nelson, harry reid, hillary clinton, intelligence, iraq, jack abramoff, john ashcroft, katrina, lobbying, new orleans, niger, ray nagin, samuel alito, scott mcclellan, ted kennedy, trent lott, uranium
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,]
READ MORE: SCOTUS, White House, avian flu, bill frist, charles krauthammer, epa, george w. bush, harriet miers, iraq, john g. roberts, karl rove, leak investigation, lewis libby, military base closing, niger, ohio, oil, patrick fitzgerald, pre-war intel, pundits, scott mcclellan, trent lott, valerie plame