Wonkette

• Army Gen. Abizaid contradicts Cheney: “I believe there are more foreign fighters coming into Iraq than there were six months ago. There’s a lot of work to be done against the insurgency.” Rumsfeld says a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq would be a “lifeline to terrorists.” [WP, NYT, USAT, WT]
• Democratic lawmakers call for Rove to apologize for his comments about 9/11. McClellan: “If people want to try to engage in personal attacks instead of defending their philosophy, that’s their business, but it’s important to point out the different approaches to this when it comes to winning the war on terrorism. That’s all he was doing.” [WP, NYT, LAT, WT]
• House restores $100m to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. [WP, LAT]
• Greenspan, Snow disagree with proposed trade sanctions for China. Snow: “I cannot overstate my firm believe that resorting to isolationist trade policies would be ineffective, disruptive to markets and damaging to America’s special role as the world’s leading advocate for open markets and fair trade.” [WSJ, NYT]
• Republicans raised the issue of Social Security but gave no popular, long-term solution. Thomas: “We’re not moribund. We’re not disheartened or whatever. We’re working on the larger project.” [WP]
• Gonzales, Miers, Card, Rove are interviewing candidates for Supreme Court nomination. [WT]

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• Email trail shows Abramoff likely laundered funds. [WP, USAT, NYT, WSJ]
• Frist on Bolton vote: “It’s really between the White House and Chris Dodd and Joe Biden.” [WP]
• Bush turns eye to domestic affairs and redirects message to “working families.” [WP, NYT]
• DNC study of the 2004 vote in Ohio finds major problems from but no fraud. Dean: “The results show that our election system failed the citizens of Ohio in 2004 and in particular failed African Americans, new registrants, younger voters and voters in places using touch-screen machines.” [WP, NYT]
• Bush’s strategy of spending “political capital” is exploited by Democrats; Republicans seeking re-election are less loyal. [USAT]
• House Republicans support Social Security proposal that downplays private accounts. [WP, USAT, USAT]

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Congressman Markey consorts with constituents. Tragedy ensued later that afternoon when Clifford mistakenly entered Senator Frist’s office, where he was quickly euthanized and dissected. — WONKETTE

[Jamie Rose for The New York Times]

• Bush, Frist now want a deal to bring Bolton to a vote. Rove: “The Democrats continually are changing the goal posts. It is clear their object is to obstruct.” [WP, NYT, LAT, WT, USAT]
• Congressional Democrats increasingly critical of Bush’s handling of Iraq. Feinstein: “There is rising concern that everything seems to be going the wrong way.” Rove: “[The insurgents] have misjudged the American people, though. And they have certainly misjudged this president.” [WP]
• Email released by Abramoff shows ethics lawyer approved his support of DeLay; lobbyists can’t pay, but lobbying groups can. Aspen Institute is top sponsor of congressional travel. [WP, USAT, USAT, NYT]
• Bush green-lights Republicans in Congress to propose reforms for Social Security that do not include personal accounts. Cato analyst: “Shuffling the deck and getting some new ideas on the table offer a chance to open this debate up again.” [LAT, WSJ, NYT]
• Senators believe the elimination of the estate tax for most tax brackets can pass this summer. [WSJ]

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• Democrats block vote on Bolton again; Bush may issue recess appointment. [WP, NYT, LAT, WT]
• Bush says strategy for Iraq “is going to work”; Hagel thinks “the reality is that we are losing in Iraq.” [NYT, WP]
• Rice challenges Egypt and Saudi Arabia to embrace democracy: “Throughout the Middle East, the fear of free choices can no longer justify the denial of liberty. It is time to abandon the excuses that are made to avoid the hard work of democracy.” [WP, NYT]
• Firm that funded DeLay’s trips says payments were approved by House ethics lawyers years ago. [NYT]
• Bush warns Gitmo detainees are “dangerous people” who should not be released: “I have an obligation, as do all of us who are holding office, to protect our people.” [WT]
• Liberal and labor groups try to uproot Social Security proposal from House Ways and Means Committee. [WP]

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A Wonkette operative observes another lacuna in the round-up of possible paternity suit partners listed in the Craigslist collection of capital fucks: the flaks. He writes with more:

Since the Intern Guide to Humping and Fisting (sic) seems to be a team effort, here’s a journalist’s counterpoint to what a previous poster called “the communications side.”
 
Capitol Hill spokespeople: If you don’t mind that these mouthpieces don’t know the difference betwen “lie” and “lay,” go for it! The self-loathing that consumes their soul makes them easy to bed, and they pull so many talking points out of their asses that they won’t object if you want access. The dullest to chat with but freakiest in bed are the House flaks, but don’t be fooled by the male ones who brag about how “big” their “member” is. They don’t mean what you think they mean. As for the women, they’re the only humans alive (well, “alive”) who will believe you if you tell them that you “forgot” that they don’t swallow. The ones who work for Senators aspire to be White House Press Secretary, so watch out or you’ll be hearing “what I actually said was that I would CONSIDER reciprocating.”
 
Public Relations: The ones who work for lobbyists have more cash and generally get decent social invites. Married? Not a problem! That ring on their finger is really more of a “guideline.” If the ones who work for causes (tax reform, private Social Security accounts, tax breaks for llamas) think they’re winning you over or, even better, think that you’re a kindred spirit, then you can pretty much live out any fantasy.
 
Whatever you do, be careful. All communications folks are vindictive bastards. They keep lists. They gossip more than any other professional (well, “professional”) class in DC. They don’t so much have an “O” face as a “manufactured outrage” face. Still, if you’ve ever fantasized about saying “no, I love those sneakers with that suit,” go for it.

We can’t help but note that bloggers have also been left out of the guide. Perhaps “fucking a blogger” is redundant? — WONKETTE MORE »

The transcript for this portion of the hearing on the Downing Street Memo goes something like this:

“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. That’s the scriptural verse chiseled into the martial at CIA headquarters. Well, thanks to the Downing Street minutes, we now know the truth. And the question for us is whether we have respect for the Constitution. Whether we have enough courage that we will pursue the purveyors of consequential falsehood so that the truth … Oh my, that woman just pulled her tit out.”

Barbara Walters was unavailable for comment. — WONKETTE MORE »

The weather has cooled but the Senate is HOT! Vote for the hottest at, predictably enough, www.hottestussenator.com. They’ve ruled out Obama, for obvious reasons. (Too hot.) It’s the right election at the right time: Now that we know the only members worth screwing sit in the Senate, it’s awfully helpful to know which Senator is worth screwing the most. An accurate assessment would probably involve an analysis of positions outlines, legislation enacted, and funds raised, but an inaccurate assessment simply takes a gander at Lisa Murkowski’s “war chest.” Hubba hubba! Still, who wouldn’t want a piece of Santorum’s ass? Decisions, decisions. In the end, however, we’re going with a write-in campaign:

Carl Levin is hot. — WONKETTE MORE »

• Bush’s approval rating down to 42% in NYT/CBS poll, with substantial doubts about Social Security and Iraq; approval of Congress at 33%; and 61% say country is headed in the wrong direction. Respondent: “It’s all a political thing and they’re forgetting the basic needs of the people.” [NYT]
• Republicans look for alternative solution for Social Security in hopes of claiming any victory; White House pins failure on Democrats. [WSJ]
• Administration watered-down G-8 report on global warming. [WP]
• Senate presses environmentally friendly provisions in energy bill. [WP, NYT]
• Bush assails Iranian election, tells Iranian people that “the people of America stand with you.” [WP, NYT, USAT]

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All this bruhaha about the conditions at Gitmo. Look, the detainees have never been denied fruit. Water, maybe, trials, definitely. But they’ve got more fruit than Miami Beach. Also, apparently, a beautiful view. Yesterday Sen. Jeff Sessions, R- Ala., “expressed impatience at Democrats who called for more legal rights for detainees. He said the newly constructed facility at Guantanamo was on ‘a beautiful site’ and ‘would make a magnificent resort.’” Of course! A resort! With, uhm, very late check-out: “As for the detainees held there, ’some of them need to be executed,’ Sessions said.” MORE »

• Gawker pins the Pampers on the tail of “a gifted and well-known newspaper editor liked to have sex wearing diapers.” [Gawker] MORE »