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A teeny-tiny secret microphone–in Russia, no less!–caught President George W. Bush swearin’ like the Vice President at the Group of Eight summit meeting in St. Petersburg. Reuters reports that in a lunch conversation with Brit PM Tony Blair, Bush said Syria should lean on Hezbollah to “stop doing this shit.” Bush also said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would likely go to the Middle East soon (seeing as U.S. secretarys of state always do so well there). MORE »

Remember the pneumatic hammer attack last week that shut down the entire Capitol complex? Turns out, not a hammer: leftover War of 1812 grudge. MORE »

• Bush, “in an unusual admission,” says he regrets using the phrases “bring it on” and “dead or alive”; joint press conference with Blair has “contrite tone” because “both leaders have reached the lowest point of their careers.” [WP, WP, NYT, NYT]
• Bush orders documents seized in raid of Rep. William Jefferson’s office to be sealed for 45 days. [WP, NYT, W$J, LAT, USAT]
• Senate approves immigration legislation by vote of 62 to 36 but the next steps are “enormously difficult.” [WP, NYT, W$J, LAT, USAT]
• John Snow has told the White House he is resigning; Don Evans and Carlos Gutierrez are among those mentioned as replacements. [WP, NYT, W$J]
• Military investigation reportedly concludes that a group of marines “carried out extensive, unprovoked killings of civilians” in Iraq. [NYT]
• ABC News stands by its story about Speaker Hastert. Reporter Brian Ross: “There may be a semantics issue here as to what constitutes being under investigation.” [WP]

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* Will the kind gentleman from across the pond please refrain from burning down our fair city’s pubs, regardless of how corny they may be. [UPI] MORE »

Striking similarities exist between the U.S. and British governments. Consider the following ways in which the Brits are just like us: MORE »

• Bush was intent on invading Iraq in January, 2003, even with the knowledge that Saddam Hussein had no unconventional weapons. “Extremely sensitive” memo summarizing meeting with Tony Blair shows both leaders believed victory would come quickly and ethnic strife was “unlikely.” Bush contemplated assassinating Hussein or painting a U.S. “surveillance plane in the colors of the United Nations in hopes of drawing fire.” Chief advisor to Blair: “Our diplomatic strategy had to be arranged around the military planning.” [NYT]
• The public is losing confidence in the war and lawmakers that supported it; experts believe “this might mark a turning point in public perception.” [NYT]
• Large rallies support immigrants as lawmakers confront legislation aimed at curbing illegal immigrants. [NYT, USAT, WT]
• Pressure is on to make full disclosure of dealings with lobbyists; proposals demand accountability. [WP]
• Hillary is following Bush’s 1998 campaign strategy for her reelection. [NYT]
• Laura Bush churns through staff at a faster clip than her husband. [NYT]
• Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner is distributing PAC funds to candidates in key ‘08 states. [WT]

Sure, their food sucks. But they dress better, and they have those awesome accents. And then there’s this: MORE »

* 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]

* Reliable Source: Tony Blair’s son is trying to be inconspicuous as a Capitol Hill intern. . . Hill staffers will continue to receive free subscriptions to Hustler. [WP]
* Inside the Beltway: Laura Bush on the film “Glory Road”: “You’ll be amused when you watch the movie and you see the lines that, ‘Blacks can’t play basketball.’”. . . Humane Society wants the White House to use cage-free eggs for its East Egg Roll. [WT]
* Page Six: Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on Hillary: “I hear Bill is driving her nuts. Apparently, she came home the other day, saw him on the sofa and yelled at him to turn off ‘Oprah,’ get off his butt, and pick up the towels on the bathroom floor. And Bill said, ‘Don’t try that stuff with me. You’re trying to run this place like the House of Representatives… and you know what I mean.’”. . . Morrissey was investigated by FBI and British counterpart after calling Bush a terrorist. [NYP]

* Reliable Source: Laura and Barbara Bush travel to Rome to visit with the Pope and Silvio Berlusconi before attending the Olympics; Jenna is staying home to teach. . . Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich booed at basketball game. . . Reese Witherspoon stops by Burger King near the White House. [WP]
* Under the Dome: Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) is popular among “jocks-turned-GOP pols”. . . Tony Blair blames troubles on “The West Wing.” [The Hill]
* Inside the Beltway: King Abdullah II “likes to walk around” the Georgetown Safeway. [WT]
* Rush & Molloy: McCain flack complains director of “Why We Fight” documentary “intentionally twisted” the senator’s quotes about Cheney. . . McCain and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) lunch and laugh with Richard Gere. [NYDN]
* Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: Bill Weld lunches with John Ashcroft. . . Nora Ephron: “[Chris Matthews] is a perfect example - although obviously exaggerated - of what happens to men in the presence of Senator McCain. They lose their minds. They suck up. They turn absolutely giddy. They ask questions they don’t care about the answers to. It’s Valentine’s Day.” [NYDN]