Wonkette

* Reliable Source: Former Clinton staffer tries to sell official White House program signed by Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin on eBay for $50,000. . . Robbery scare at the home of Ken Mehlman. [WP]
* Under the Dome: Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) reads blogs of all persuasions. [The Hill]
* Inside the Beltway: Chief Justice John Roberts’s speech at the Reagan Library was “absolutely captivating.” [WT]
* Inside Politics: Wall Street Journal editorial board on Sen. Feingold: “He’s had the courage to put on the table what Democrats are all but certain to do if they win either the House or Senate in November.” [WT]
* Rush & Molloy: Bono thinks Bush is “funny” and recalls Bob Geldof spraying Tony Blair with saliva. [NYDN]
* Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: George Clooney feels “abused” by the Huffington Post: “I stand by what I do, but I’m very cautious not to take giant steps onto soapboxes because I think they’re polarizing.”. . . Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer approached by staffers of “The Bachelor.” [NYDN]
* Cindy Adams: House Republicans schedule another vacation period from Friday to the 27th. [NYP]

(Actually, the afternoon after; but hey, she’s probably just waking up now…) MORE »

* Republicans are breaking with Bush over homeland security issues, once thought to be his chief selling point. Senior White House official: “We’ve got a period of time when the news that’s dominating the headlines is not good and some Republicans are going to feel free to distance themselves from the president, but at the end of the day, I don’t think the breach is deep or lasting because this is the president’s strong suit. I think it’s about this moment in time. I don’t think it’s fundamental.” [WP, NYT, WT]
* Gonzales implies that warrant-less eavesdropping is more widespread than Bush suggested. [WP]
* Supreme Court justices “seemed aware of stepping into an epic soap opera” starring Anna Nicole Smith; Chief Justice John Roberts mentions the “substantial amount of assets” involved. [WP, USAT]
* Administration officials “could find no shelter” from questions about Dubai port deal. [WP]
* Bush stands by port deal on principle. [WP, NYT]

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Today the Supreme Court is hearing oral argument in the case of Marshall v. Marshall, No. 04-1544. The case presents an important, difficult, and highly technical question about the intersection between federal and state jurisdiction in probate proceedings. MORE »

“Here, you’ve still got some of Schumer’s spittle on you…” MORE »

* Reliable Source: Sen. Barack Obama on winning his Grammy: “I’m going for an Emmy next year, best supporting actor in a drama starring John McCain.”. . . Richie Sambora was partying with Mike McCurry as news of his divorce from Heather Locklear was breaking. . . John Roberts has friendly run in with Carol Channing at GWU. . . Fictional black president in “24″ receives warm welcome in D.C. [WP]
* Rush & Molloy: Ann Compton and Mike Allen scuffle with one of the Pope’s nuns. [NYDN]
* Cindy Adams: Fictional, “nasty” love affair is written about Bush and Martha Stewart. [NYP]

Click to enlarge, but don’t say we didn’t warn you. 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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• NSA eavesdropping may face legal challenges in Florida, Ohio, Oregon, and Virginia; White House insists that Bush has acted properly. Prosecutor: “If I’m a defense attorney, the first thing I’m going to say in court is, ‘This was an illegal wiretap.’” [NYT]
• Democrats divided over ‘08 primary schedule. [WP]
• Anti-war sentiment does not appear to be eroding support of Sen. Hillary Clinton. Director of MoveOn.org: “The genius of Bill Clinton is that he was always perceived as loyal to his base. But we didn’t have an issue during his presidency that was as divisive as Iraq.” [NYT]
• GOP strategist is criticized for taking on Mexico as a client. [NYT]
• Advocacy group called Move America Forward staunchly defends the war in Iraq with new ad campaign. Co-founder: “The White House has really done a poor job of getting the message out, which is why we’ve had to step into the breach.” [WSJ]
• Liberal Democrats may alienate moderates with recent stances on national security. DLC memo: “In shaping alternative policies — particularly on national security, terrorism and Iraq — Democrats have to be extremely careful to avoid reinforcing the negative stereotype that has cost us so much in the last two national elections.” [WT]
• Chief Justice John Roberts brings humor and social skills to the Supreme Court; “there are signs he will be a more dynamic chief than his predecessors.” [USAT]
• The first dog to walk on the Senate floor dies. [WP]

• Washington Whispers: John Kerry hunted birds, grilled meat, and watched football on male-bonding trip to Nebraska. . . Conservatives say Alito and Roberts are not enough to overturn Roe. . . Blogs excite Sen. Ted Kennedy but he doesn’t use a computer. . . Friends push Dick Armey as the next treasury secretary. [USN&WR]
• Inside the Beltway: DNC’s anti-Rep. Jean Schmidt billboards were rejected by ad agencies. [WT]
• Page Six: Jenna Bush reportedly lost her wallet –with her ID and $1,000 in cash– while trying to lose a suitor. [NYP]
• Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: Is Arthur Sulzberger Jr. the next to go at the Times? [NYDN]
• Rush & Molloy: Condoleezza Rice is granted access to Mozart’s piano. . . Al Gore set to meet-up with college roommate Tommy Lee Jones. [NYDN]

• Kaine and Corzine win gubernatorial races in Virginia and NJ; Texas approves ban gay marriage. [WP, WP, NYT, USAT]
• Frist and Hastert seek investigation into the disclosure of CIA’s “black sites” to the Washington Post. McClellan: “The leaking of classified information is a serious matter and ought to be taken seriously.” [WP, NYT, WT]
• Alito “has signaled he would be highly reluctant to overturn long-standing precedents” such as Rove v. Wade. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine): “At this point, I see no basis for invoking ‘extraordinary circumstances’ and for anyone to mount a filibuster.” [WP, NYT, LAT]
• Schwarzenegger’s initiatives are rejected; his “celebrity may not be the tonic it once was.” [LAT, LAT, USAT]
• Election came at a sensitive time for both parties, especially the GOP. [NYT, WSJ, LAT, USAT]
• House to decide fate of ANWR; Senate approves drilling by vote of 51 to 48. [WP]
• Grassley (R-Iowa) proposes $70b in tax cuts. [NYT, WSJ]

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• Supreme Court agrees to hear case regarding the legality of military tribunals; Roberts is recusing himself. [WP, NYT, NYT, USAT, WSJ]
• Bush: “We’ll aggressively pursue [potential terrorists], but we’ll do so under the law. . . We do not torture.” [WP, USAT]
• Democrats want to question administration policy-makers and speechwriters for inquiry of pre-war intelligence; subpoenas may be issued. [WP]
• Republican budget cuts unlikely to pass without restructuring. Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.): “They are a long way away from getting the votes. Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, whatever — for every person, there’s an issue.” [WP]
• Bush “put his credibility on the line” with last-minute campaigning for Jerry Kilgore, making the outcome of the Virginia gubernatorial race “a referendum on his troubled presidency.” [WP, NYT, WT, USAT]
• Troop-rotation plan could lead to a drawdown of U.S. troops in Iraq in 2006. [WSJ]

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When we read that young Sam Alito had supported the notion that “no private sexual act between consenting adults should be forbidden” — not he’s not even limiting to groups of two! — we thought we knew him. Sure he seemed sedate when Bush introduced him, but surely he must be set to trade video collections with Clarence Thomas and pick pubic hairs out of his tallboy. But it turns out this is not the case. Despite Judge Alito’s pansexual enthusiasm, he is a complete dork. Which we love. MORE »