Wonkette

• Congress is expected to vote next week on the renewal of the Patriot Act; Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) threatens to use the filibuster. [WP, NYT, USAT, WT]
• House votes mostly along party lines to pass more tax cuts. [WP, NYT, LAT]
• Administration linked Iraq and al Qaeda with information received from prisoner who “fabricated [the tie] to escape harsh treatment”; Democrats seek access to White House documents about prewar intelligence. [NYT, NYT]
• Time reporter Viveca Novak meets with Patrick Fitzgerald regarding her conversations with Karl Rove. [NYT]
• Second business partner of Jack Abramoff is near a plea agreement with prosecutors. [WP]
• American and Saudi officials wrote about Osama bin Laden’s interest in using civilian aircraft back in 1998. [NYT]

• Bush is welcomed by Republican candidates as fundraising tool; president has helped raise over $50m this year. [WP]
• European officials seem satisfied with Rice, but questions about treatment of detainees remain. [WP, NYT]
• Democrats request more papers about Samuel Alito’s tenure as a federal judge and government lawyer. [WP]
• Democrats are rethinking their presidential primary schedule. [WP]
• Republicans in Texas aren’t worried about DeLay or 2006. [NYT]
• Rumsfeld has no plans to retire. [NYT]