Arlen Specter announced today that the administration has tentatively agreed to let the secret FISA court do a “one-time review” of the illegal NSA domestic spying program that has been in operation for years and will continue to be in operation indefinitely. President Bush reserves the right to change any bit of the deal he feels like changing. Mr. Specter said the agreement reflected the fact that “the president does not have a blank check.” MORE »

Happy Censure Day everyone! It’s gonna be a helluvalotta fun — we’re glued to C-Span, obvs, and you should be too! MORE »

* Jon Henke thinks the Dem’s foreign policy prospectus, though a little cliche-happy, is a good start. [Q and O]
* David Mark believes you should be suspicious of investigation-wary Republicans. The war on terror has to be conducted legally — right, guys? [JABBS]
* Arlen “Last Hope” Specter is called upon to make nice between W and the FISA court. [HuffPo]
* Enjoy the Rude One’s congressional exposition: A group of senators (”whores”) conducts a hearing (”whorefest”) on lobbying (”whoring”). They must control lobbying (”whoring”) activities, lest they get “fucked with a nine-iron.” [The Rude Pundit]
* Paul Waldman breaks the news gently: the radical Right hates you. And unlike hate-spewing Lefties, these guys get what they want. [The Fly Trap]

• Resignation of Andrew Card could be the beginning of a “second-term overhaul.” Senior official: “The president’s style is not Saturday Night Massacre.” [WP, NYT, W$J, LAT, USAT]
• Resignation of Card indicates that Bush is increasingly “deferring to the expectations of Washington conventional wisdom.” Anonymous official: “Part of what you are seeing is some adjustment to the political realities.” Ari Fleischer: “There was a drumbeat out there that the president’s staff could not miss and Bush could not miss.” [WP]
• FISA court judges voice opposition to warrentless eavesdropping. [NYT]
• Shiites contend that Bush opposes the Iraqi prime minister. [NYT]
• Department of Homeland Security is experiencing a dangerous “brain drain.” [USAT]
• Democratic leaders set to unveil plan for “real security,” though “most of the proposals are not new.” [NYT]

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* Michelle Malkin sleeps on a king-size Lego bed, in a Lego tower, surrounded by an adhesive image of a moat. Naivete sold separately. [Michelle Malkin]
* Hillary Johnson can

In this edition of Chatology, Department of Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff pulls a half-Ginsburg, spinning through both Meet the Press and This Week. On various issues, Chertoff blames Michael Brown, Mary Matalin blames the media, Joe Lieberman blames Chertoff, Evan Bayh blames the Democrats, and David Gregory blames himself. Random wisdom from Ari Fleischer: “You can be right and still be bonkers.” Speaking of which: Cheney is “almost like the wizard dealing with the muggles” — Howard Fineman.

Full rundown and highlights after the jump.

[Ed. note: Don't miss Ana Marie Cox's appearance at the National Press Club, this Wednesday, February 22, at 6:30 PM. For more details, as well as information about how to obtain tickets to this free event, click here.]

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wonkette: ted kennedy’s bugging me.
wonkette: aren’t most of these people lawyers? aren’t they supposed to know how to actually question people?
operative: is he doing the ol’, “does this bother you? I’m not touching you…” trick?
wonkette: see, that I would like.
operative: did any of them actually practice law?
wonkette: Senatorial method of questioning someone: [talk for twenty minutes.] “What do you think of that, Mr. Attorney General?”
wonkette: AG: “Allow me to make two points: 1) Trust us! 2) I’m not at liberty to make point 2.”
operative: shouldn’t they be saying things like, “Or were you not aware, Mr. Attorney General, that Al-Qaeda is left-handed?!?”
wonkette: also, kennedy is just pretending he’s a Kennedy. He only pronounces it “Chahnce” like half the time.
operative: well, it’s hard to remember to be from Mass. and be incompetent at the same time…
wonkette: Sessions: “Nearly 3,000 people have no civil rights anymore. They’re no longer with us. Due to a terrorist attack.”
wonkette: ???
operative: so, wait, by taking just a few civil liberties from all citizens, can we restore all the civil liberties to people who died on 9/11? is it like the march of dimes?
operative: personally, I’d like to see Gonzalez play it like Jimmy Stewart…”I don’t have your rights; they’re in Bill’s house, and and in Ted’s house…”
wonkette: hearing Jeff Sessions say “hezbollah” makes it all worth while.
wonkette: “Hess Buh-LAHH”
wonkette: sounds like some sort of pork-based cajun dish
operative: mmm
operative: now I’m *really* hungry
wonkette: while you eat i will decide if i think edward james olmos or carlos mencia should play gonzales in the movie-of-the-week
wonkette: CHRIS COOPER-AS-BIDEN: Now I’m just a down-home country lawyer, but allow me to flash you a cock-eyed grin while I forget to ask you a question.” MORE »

Attorney General Gonzales considers FISA to be a living document, because we cannot possibly know the original intent of its drafters. MORE »

• Samuel Alito speaks publicly for the first time: “Good judges are always open to the possibility of changing their minds based on the next brief that they read, or the next argument that’s made by an attorney who’s appearing before them, or a comment that is made by a colleague during the conference on the case.” [WP, NYT, WSJ, USAT, WT, LAT]
• 58% of Americans believe there is “widespread corruption in Washington,” according to fresh WP-ABC News poll; strong majorities approve of sweeping reforms of the lobbying industry. 53% in USAT-CNN poll believe the Abramoff scandal is major. [WP, USAT]
• Reps. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and John Boehner (R-Ohio) are the last contenders standing in the race for House majority leader; race seen as “wide open.” [WP, NYT, WT, LAT]
• FISA judges have rare private meeting at the Justice Department to discuss the eavesdropping program. [NYT]
• Confirmation hearings illustrate “a clear disconnect between the zeal of activists and the detachment of the general public.” Pollster: “You’re going to have to really get some significant news out of these hearings to move the needle in a negative way.” [WP, NYT]
• Alito’s views on the legal footing of NSA eavesdropping will be key component of the hearings. [NYT]
• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Alito: “He was nervous. He was more human than Roberts.” [NYT, WP]

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• Bush will turn over $6,000 he received through Jack Abramoff to the American Heart Association; other lawmakers are also donating or returning related funds. [WP, NYT, LAT]
• NSA whistle-blower: “I intend to report to Congress probable unlawful and unconstitutional acts conducted while I was an intelligence officer with the National Security Agency and with the Defense Intelligence Agency.” [WT]
• Liberal advocacy groups attack Samuel Alito’s character and credibility in new ad campaign; White House flack belittles move as “a desperation tactic.” The American Bar Association praises Alito with its highest rating. [NYT, LAT]
• Cheney suggests that secret eavesdropping could have prevented 9/11: “We didn’t know they were here plotting until it was too late.” [WP]
• Jack Abramoff pleads guilty in Florida, setting the stage to be a key government witness. [WP, USAT]
• Abramoff scandal may only change the dynamics of ‘06 if Democrats can successfully argue that Republicans espouse a “culture of corruption.” [LAT]

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• Senate votes to extend the Patriot Act for six months. [WP, NYT]
• Senate approves $40b in budget cuts with Cheney casting tie-breaking vote; two Republicans and 42 Democrats block plan for drilling in ANWR with filibuster. Sen. John Kerry: “I’m confident we will see another debate on ANWR.” [WP, WP, WP, WP, NYT, LAT, USAT]
• FISA judges request briefing on eavesdropping program. [WP]
• Jack Abramoff inches closer to a plea deal. [NYT, LAT]
• Bush reaches out to black critics, suggesting “that the White House has not abandoned its political goal of trying to draw black voters from Democratic ranks”; Donna Brazile speaks highly of the president’s efforts. [NYT]
• Eavesdropping program is unlikely to be challenged in court because of its secrecy. [USAT]

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