• Administration likely to get its way on the renewal of the Patriot Act. [WP, NYT, LAT, USAT]
• Libby’s attorneys plan “to use Woodward’s testimony to try to show that Libby was not obsessed with unmasking Plame and to raise questions about the prosecutor’s full understanding of events.” [WP, WP, USAT]
• Revelation of Woodward’s knowledge of Plame extends life-span of the leak scandal. [NYT, USAT]
• Woodward’s “handling of the matter has now raised questions about his paper’s credibility and has roiled The Post’s newsroom.” [NYT]
• Alito’s 1985 memo fuels partisan fire. Schumer: “Anyone who thinks that this nomination is a foregone conclusion is sadly mistaken.” [NYT, WT]
• Cheney attacks critics of the Iraq war at a conservative gathering: “The president and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone, but we’re not going to sit back and let them rewrite history.” [WP, NYT, LAT]
• Administration strategy attacks Democrats critics and courts congressional Republicans. Nicolle Wallace: “Our strategy has to include hitting back. . . and calling them out for what are actually lies.” [USAT]

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• Reliable Source: Conservative group charges P. Diddy with pushing liberal activism with “Vote or Die” campaign. . . Robert Downey Jr. got a massage from a local Aveda salon. [WP]
• Under the Dome: Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Ken Mehlman, and Jon Stewart named as most influential American Jews by The Forward. . . Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) really likes to use metaphors. [The Hill]
• Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: Handwriting analyst says Lewis Libby is “a person with big ideas who does not always bring his imaginings into reality.” [NYDN]
• Cindy Adams: Harold Ickes fell off his motorcycle. [NYP]

• Senators, by vote of 79 to 19, pass a resolution marking next year as “a period of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty. . . thereby creating the conditions for the phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq.” Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.): “Staying the course will not do.” Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.): “It’s a continuation of the oversight we’ve been conducting for years in the United States Senate.” WP, NYT, WSJ, USAT]
• Senators from both parties “are demanding that the administration show that it has a strategy to turn the conflict over to the Iraqis and eventually bring U.S. troops home.” [WP]
• Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) defends critics of the war: “[T]he Bush administration must understand that each American has a right to question our policies in Iraq and should not be demonized for disagreeing with them. . . to not question your government is unpatriotic.” [WP]
• Oil executives did meet with Cheney’s energy task force in 2001. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.): “The White House went to great lengths to keep these meetings secret, and now oil executives may be lying to Congress about their role in the Cheney task force.” [WP]
• Alito tries to downplay conservative remarks from 1985. [WP, NYT, LAT]
• Rice reaches deal on access to the Gaza Strip. [WP, NYT, NYT, USAT]
• Lewis Libby plans to “seek testimony from journalists beyond those cited in the indictment and will probably challenge government agreements limiting their grand jury testimony.” [NYT]

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• Washington Whispers: This week the RNC will release clips of top Democrats warning of the threat from Iraq. . . Samuel Alito is a “regular guy,” meaning he drives a 1999 Ford Taurus to purchase generic items from Safeway. . . Ted Kennedy’s position on Medicare was ripped by Jimmy Smits on “The West Wing”. . . Mike McCurry, John Podesta are advising Viktor Yushchenko, the president of Ukraine. . . Bush gave Laura green earrings and a necklace for her birthday. [USN&WR]
• Inside the Beltway: Bushes went to church without their pool reporter. [WT]
• Rush & Molloy: Clinton avoids solo picture with supermodel. . . Republican operatives are investigating Clinton’s relationship with a Westcheter divorcee. . . Al Franken to Arianna Huffington: “We can [bleep] now!” [NYDN]
• Liz Smith: Autographed copy of Libby’s novel goes for $24,000. [NYP]
• Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: Grove is auctioning his signed copy of Libby’s novel on eBay. [NYDN]
• Cindy Adams: McCain publishes new book for parents and kids. [NYP]

• 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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• Cheney has “waged an intense” private campaign to reject changes to the guidelines concerning detainee treatment; the position is facing increased opposition from other officials and lawmakers. [WP]
• Senators express concern about misuse of the Patriot Act. Tom Coburn: “We should not ever give up freedom on the basis of fear, and any freedom that we give up should be limited in time and limited in scope.” [NYT, WP]
• Bush, in Brazil: “Our goal is to promote opportunity for people throughout the Americas, whether you live in Minnesota or Brazil, and the best way to do this is by expanding free and fair trade.” On the protests: “I expect there to be dissent. That’s what freedom is all about.” [WP, USAT, ]
• Latin America Summit proved to be no reprieve for Bush; on the first day, he did not return to his hotel until after midnight. [WP]
• New York Times on Alito: “An examination of several chapters in his life suggests he is conservative by temperament, upbringing and experience - conditions that appear to have shaped his approach to life and his work more than any narrow ideological niche.” Los Angeles Times: Alito’s “15 years’ worth of legal opinions do not promise fealty to any ideology.” [NYT, LAT]

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• Reliable Source: Prince Charles and Camilla determined the guest list for tonight’s reception at the British Embassy. . . Michael Brown called himself a “fashion god” in an email dated Aug. 29th. . . Lewis Libby, like Harriet Miers, failed to pay bar dues. [WP]
• Under the Dome: Congressional candidates’ creative fundraising methods –such as dating for a donation– backfire. . . Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.) gets married. . . Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is not running for president in ‘08: “[S]omeone needs to be the designated driver. I’m in detox.” [The Hill]
• Page Six: Clinton reportedly has two escape clauses from his Harlem lease: “one, if Hillary runs for the Senate and loses, two, if she runs for president and wins.” [NYP]

• Reliable Source: Nancy Reagan, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld and Tom Brokaw will attend tomorrow’s White House dinner for Prince Charles and Camilla. . . Patrick Fitzgerald is a “confirmed bachelor”. . . John Roberts was Groucho Marx for Halloween. [WP]
• Inside the Beltway: White House pool report: “In what has become something of a custom on Monday mornings in October, President Bush today announced a Supreme Court nominee.” [WT]
• Under the Dome: Interest in Scooter Libby’s 1996 novel spikes. . . Joe Biden’s not so-secret for fundraising: “Find enough beautiful women and enough guys will show up.”. . . Robert Byrd is a product of the Spanish flu of 1917-1918. . . Jane Harman, 60, runs 26-mile Marine Corps Marathon in five hours and 23 minutes. [The Hill]
• Ben Widdicombe’s Gatecrasher: Alito’s son: “I became interested in politics and got involved with Gary Condit (not like that). I served as a parking aide to Nancy Pelosi (I won’t even start on her), but was fired when Barbara Boxer came onto me.” Widdicombe responds, “Since when did college kids get so picky about sleeping with senators? No wonder the country’s going to hell.” [NYDN]
• Page Six: McCain and Giuliani dined together recently. . . Charlie Rangel asks that Cheney be tested for mental illness. . . Tucker Carlson and Moby will attempt comedy with Triumph the Insult Dog. [NYP, NYP, NYP]
• Cindy Adams: Jon Corzine’s ex-wife tells-all. . . George H.W. Bush is planning another parachute jump. [NYP]

• Samuel Alito rallies the Republican base while riling liberals; the fight “seems to be the political confirmation battle that both sides have been gearing up to fight for more than a decade.” Harry Reid: “Bush would leave the Supreme Court looking less like America and more like an old boys club.” Orrin Hatch: “This one is going to be Armageddon.” [WP, NYT, NYT, NYT, LAT, WT, WT, USAT, USAT]
• Alito will shift court to the right: “On some of the most contentious issues that came before the high court, Alito has been to the right of the centrist swing voter he would replace.” [WP, LAT, USAT, USAT]
• Alito’s fate rests in the vote of moderate Republicans; filibuster remains available. [WP, LAT]
• Alito was an easy second choice for Bush; Karl Rove phoned key conservative leaders before the announcement. [WT, WT]
• Bush’s selection of Alito works to unite his party after misstep of Miers. [WP, LAT]
• Abortion seen as the central issue. [NYT, NYT, LAT]
• Alito “has a strong free-market philosophy likely to please corporate America,” say experts. [LAT]
• At trial, Scooter Libby’s interests will be divorced from the prerogatives of the White House. [WP]
• More than 30,000 people have paid tribute to Rosa Parks at the Capitol Rotunda. [WP, USAT]
• Scott McClellan takes fire from correspondents. Terry Moran: “There’s been a wound to your credibility here. A falsehood, wittingly or unwittingly, was told from this podium.” [WP]

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• Washington Whispers: Howard Dean to push “Democratic values” to voters; DNC pollster: “This is the opening for a sea change.”. . . GOP pollster finds discontent among Bush’s base with his foreign policy. . . George Allen seen as early ‘08 frontrunner. . . Antonin Scalia decries the use of foreign law to decide domestic cases. . . Republicans see viable presidential campaign from Hillary. . . Hurricane response boosts Haley Barbour’s ‘08 odds. [USN&WR]
• Inside the Beltway: Buchanan: “George W. Bush is in big trouble, and so are we.”. . . Coulter receives $5,000 honor from the American Compass. . . Helen Thomas goes on Bill Maher’s HBO show. [WT]
• Inside Politics: Clinton criticizes the media for not being skeptical of politicians and says Democrats need to take a stand: “[W]e basically let political ads turn every player in this drama into a two-dimensional cartoon instead of a three-dimensional person.” [WT]
• Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: Scooter Libby tried doing tequila shots with Maureen Dowd at 2003 Bloomberg party; The New Yorker has excerpted the sex scenes from his 1996 novel. . . Laura Bush gives April Ryan an hour-long tour of the White House family quarters after a “softball interview”. . . NPR’s Noah Adams mistakenly announces the indictment of NPR’s Libby Lewis. [NYDN]
• Cindy Adams: Helen Thomas says Scooter Libby would not act without Cheney’s permission. . . Did Cheney cancel a hunting trip because of traffic complaints? [NYP]

• Bush will nominate conservative appeals court Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court; his resume is similar to John Roberts‘ and he has upheld restrictions on abortion. [WP, AP, Reuters]
• Filibuster fight may loom. Harry Reid: “If he wants to divert attention from all of his many problems, he can send us somebody that is going to create a lot of problems.” Arlen Specter: “There could be a real tough battle here and a real tough fight, depending on whom the president puts up.” [WP, NYT, WSJ, LAT]
• 55% in Gallup Poll believe the Bush presidency is a failure; Bush starts a busy week of his comeback strategy with Supreme Court nomination. Nicolle Wallace: “We’ll be going around the [media] filter to communicate directly with the American people about the things they care about.” [USAT]
• Reid calls for Rove’s resignation and an apology from Bush; Rove, meanwhile, “remains in significant [legal] danger.” [WP, NYT, WT]
• Bush pays tribute to Rosa Parks at Capitol Hill ceremony. Condoleezza Rice in Montgomery: “I can honestly say that without Mrs. Parks, I probably would not be standing here today as secretary of state.” [NYT]
• Scooter Libby “has no sense of entitlement, no sense that he’s been victimized. Just an attitude of ‘circumstances have to be dealt with,’” says Mary Matalin; friends plan on establishing legal fund as his defense expands. [WP, NYT, WSJ]

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