In the words of our tipster: “This is the look that comes over your face when you’re staring at the two people you hate most.” 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]

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An exit strategy for Iraq? Um, still working on that, check back later. But we may have one for the U.N.! MORE »

* Over 1,300 Iraqis have died in the past week due to the sharp uptick in violence. Asks one Iraqi, “And they say there is no sectarian war? What do you call this?” [WP]
* 70% of Americans are against the Dubai port deal, including 58% of Republicans; Bush’s approval rating slips to 34% in NYT-CBS poll. [NYT]
* Coast Guard assessment cited “many intelligence gaps” in Dubai port deal. [WP, NYT, USAT, WT]
* Senate drafts bill to curb earmarks. [WP]
* India meets Bush with a new sense of empowerment. [NYT]
* Intelligence agencies remain in bureaucratic disarray. [NYT]
* Administration will oppose new United Nations panel on human rights. Kofi Annan: “I think we should not let the better be the enemy of the good.” [WP]

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Or, rather, just like our very own U.S. Congress: MORE »

* White House waited over 14 hours before disclosing Cheney’s hunting accident; it’s “highly unusual, if not unprecedented, for the White House to allow a private citizen serve as its de facto spokesman.” [WP, NYT, USAT]
* Scott McClellan faced “the media equivalent of birdshot.” NBC’s David Gregory during the gaggle: “Don’t accuse me of trying to pose to the cameras. Don’t be a jerk to me personally when I’m asking you a serious question.” [WP, NYT]
* Administration vows to reform FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security to prevent future failures. Michael Chertoff: “I am accountable and accept responsibility for the performance of the entire department, good and bad.” [WP, W$J]
* Draft United Nations report sharply criticizes treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: “The U.S. government should either expeditiously bring all Guantanamo Bay detainees to trial. . . or release them without further delay.” [WP]
* Administration spent $1.6b on public relations contracts from 2003 to mid-2005. [WP]

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OK, a guilty admission on our part: this site has never been known for being a hotbed of intelligent analysis of the day’s events re: “all things political”, so much as being a hotbed of who’s bedding Washington hotties (The answer? Me, of course. A sex-laced shout-out to Nicole W. in Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s office (D-IL). See you tonight, babe!). With that in mind, then, we thought we’d take a stab at being solemn, as opposed to sex-obsessed. Ain’t that noble? Here goes. MORE »

• Names & Faces: Kofi Annan names Yo-Yo Ma as a United Nations peace envoy. [WP]
• Inside the Beltway: Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) maintains her lead in early ‘08 Power Rankings; Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) jumps to first place from third. [WT]
• Inside Politics: Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) will announce tomorrow whether he will run for re-election. [WT] MORE »

• Democratic leaders believe the “ethics-corruption issue,” not Samuel Alito, will win them seats in November. [WP, W$J]
• Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) says he has enough votes to be the next majority leader. Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio): “We’ll see where the votes really are.” [USAT]
• Bush orders insurers to fill gaps in Medicare program; “Republicans have joined Democrats in asserting that the federal government botched the beginning of the prescription drug program.” [NYT]
• Under pressure of Jack Abramoff scandal, Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) will temporarily step aside as head of the House Administration Committee. [WP, NYT]
• Twenty-five year friendship with Abramoff is “proving highly inconvenient” for Ralph Reed as he runs for governor of Georgia; his records have been subpoenaed. [WP]
• After signing bills, Bush maintains the presidential power to override them. Political professor: “The president is basically saying that those structural changes are nice, but I don’t have to listen to anybody in particular.” [NYT]
• Sen. Specter (R-Penn.) vows to look “closely” at NSA eavesdropping: “I don’t see any talk about impeachment here.” [NYT, WT]
• Success of Alito challenges the conventional wisdom on the Supreme Court and abortion. Sen. Feinstein (D-Calif.): “I do not see a likelihood of a filibuster.” [NYT, WT]
• At the hearings, Alito said “I don’t know” 29 times, Democrats mentioned Vanguard 68 times, and Republicans uttered “integrity” 43 times. [WP]
• Laura Bush is “irritated” by criticism of the administration’s AIDS prevention program in Africa. [WT]
• At the United Nations, the administration takes a defensive posture regarding human rights. [WP]
• Opponents of abortion are making strides outside of the political arena. [NYT]

• After successfully shifting its rhetorical strategy on Iraq, the Bush administration rethinks its plans for the second term; Dan Bartlett and Nicolle Wallace pressed for Bush to admit mistakes. Former Rep. Vin Weber (R-Minn.): “I don’t think they realized that Iraq is the totality of their legacy until fairly recently. There is not much of a market for other issues.” Grover Norquist: “The lesson from this year is you cannot do anything dramatic unless you have 60 votes.” [WP]
• Jack Abramoff, “an ingenious dealmaker who hatched interlocking schemes that exploited the machinery of government and trampled the norms of doing business in Washington,” is at the center of “what could become the biggest congressional corruption scandal in generations.” Former Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.): “This is at a scale that is really shocking. There is a certain kind of arrogance that in the past you might not have had. They were so supremely confident that there didn’t seem to be any kind of moral compass here.” [WP]
• Department of Homeland Security is crippled by mismanagement and financial problems, audit finds. Inspector general’s report: “The circumstances created by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita provide an unprecedented opportunity for fraud, waste and abuse.” [WP]
• Officials deny that secret radiation detection specifically targeted Muslims. [WP]
• Iraqi election results are called “credible and good” by top official at the United Nations. [WP, NYT]
• Bush’s “authority to conduct the war on terrorism as he sees fit” is at the core of the debate over eavesdropping and the Patriot Act. [USAT]
• The relationship of Bush and Cheney is “closer than it has ever been,” says senior administration official. [WT]

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