asbestos

Daily Briefing: ‘Don’t Tell Us’

Cheney urged to address the hunting accident “as early as today.” [WP]
Scott McClellan did not disclose hunter’s heart attack to reporters during White House press briefing; hunter’s death could spark a grand jury investigation, possibly with criminal charges. [WP, NYT, NYT, W$J, USAT]
Reporters cornered McClellan at the briefing. David Gregory: “Don’t tell us that you’re giving us complete answers when you’re not actually answering the questions.” David Sanger: “This is our briefing; we get to ask the questions.” [WP]
Tension between the White House and Cheney’s staff is “palpable”; Cheney “plays by rules of his own making.” [NYT, USAT]
White House successfully suppressing House investigation of NSA eavesdropping. [WP]
Jack Abramoff’s “reputation for close relationships with the White House and congressional officials enabled him to charge stratospheric fees from his lobbying clients”; lobbyist’s successful work for Malaysia “suggests closer ties than previously acknowledged between the disgraced lobbyist and the highest levels of the Bush White House.” [LAT]
Sen. Reid (D-Nev.) wrote at least four letters on behalf of tribes that Abramoff represented; staffers were in frequent contact about legislation. [LAT]

The rise of the Lincoln Group “has been built in part by exaggerated claims about its abilities and connections.” Associate of the company: “They appear very professional on the surface, then you dig a little deeper and you find that they are pretty amateurish.” [NYT]
“Organizational chaos” of the Senate is worsening, likely due to politics. [NYT]
National Counterterrorism Center manages database of 325,000 names with suspected links to terrorism. [WP]
Asbestos bill falls short of needed votes in the Senate. [WP, NYT, W$J]
Proposed restructuring of FEMA “only scratch the surface of needed changes.” [WP]
Harry Whittington has always been “a die-hard Republican.” [NYT]
Sen. Hillary Clinton: “We are approaching a real turning point” on Medicare. [WT]
George Lucas helps Democrats with “innovation agenda.” [LAT]
Firstgov.gov — upgraded. [WP]

Senior Democrats complain they have failed to seize momentum ahead of November elections. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.): “We seem to be losing our voice when it comes to the basic things people worry about.” Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.): “I think we have been very good at saying no, but not good enough at saying yes.” [NYT]
Bush’s tribute of Coretta Scott King “marks the latest step in the administration’s effort to repair its frayed relations with many black civil rights and political leaders”; televised service used as a platform to criticize administration’s policies. [WP, NYT, LAT]
Lawmakers and legal experts question why the administration doesn’t eavesdrop domestically. [WP]
Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.), chairwoman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence, calls for Congressional inquiry of domestic eavesdropping. [NYT]
Most of Bush’s State of the Union and budget proposals have been rejected in the past by the Senate. [WP]
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) is renting an apartment from a lobbyist; conflicts of interests seen. [WP]
Jack Abramoff scandal is unrelenting for the White House. [W$J]
Jockeying for 2008 is well under way. Chuck Todd: “Presidential money is almost like the housing bubble. It’s growing at such an astronomical rate, you think it can’t get any bigger.” [USAT, USAT]

Abortion debate focuses on “humanizing the unborn” in state laws. [USAT]
Lawmakers seek to curtail earmarks. [NYT]
Senate votes to consider fund for victims of asbestos. [WP, NYT, LAT]
Bush appointee at NASA resigned after resume is discovered to be forged. [NYT]
In spat between Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Obama, “no one backed down, but they agreed to move forward,” says McCain flack. [WP, LAT]
Reagan’s Navy secretary announces bid for Democratic nomination to run against Sen. George Allen (R-Va.). [WP]
86 evangelical Christian leaders announce support of initiative to tackle global warming. [NYT]