Daily Briefing: Old and New Battles

• Former federal procurement officer David Safavian convicted on four of five counts of lying and obstruction related to his dealings with Jack Abramoff. [WSJ; AP]
• The Senate will debate its own Iraq war resolution today, in the wake of of last week’s partisan debate in the House. [NYT; LAT]
• Bush issues stern warning to Iran on its nuclear program. [NYT]
• Closely divided Supreme Court issues Clean Water Act ruling that is “likely to lead to new regulatory battles, increased litigation by property owners and a push for new legislation.” [NYT; LAT]
• Bush raises $27 million for Republican congressional campaign committees. [WP]
• Two U.S. soldiers missing since last week have been found dead south of Baghdad. [WP; NYT]

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Daily Briefing: When ‘Lunch is Just a Lunch’

• 53% disapprove of Bush in WP-ABC poll. Two-thirds complain about gas prices and a majority think the administration can reduce them, painting “a portrait of national frustration with the direction and leadership of the country, which, if not reversed in coming months, is likely to color the environment for next year’s midterm elections, putting incumbents in both parties on the defensive.” 52% think Bush should meet with Sheehan; Democrats and independents are disappointed by their leaders. [WP]
• Reagan library finds thousands of Roberts-related documents; officials rush to sort them out before next week’s confirmation hearings. [NYT, LAT]
• Bush decides to tap oil reserves; returns to Washington to orchestrate response to Hurricane Katrina. [WP, WP]
• Oil prices likely to pass $3 a gallon this weekend. [WP]
• Incomes have not grown in five years and the poverty rate has increased to 12.7%, the Census Bureau reports. [NYT]
• Bush compares Iraq war to WWII: “They will fail, because the terrorists of our century are making the same mistake that the followers of totalitarian ideology made in the last century. They believe that democracies are inherently weak and corrupt and can be brought to their knees.” [WP]
• Administration has drafted rules that weaken environmental oversight for power plants, allowing for the release of more pollution. [WP]

READ MORE: White House, china, cindy sheehan, environmental regulations, george w. bush, hurricane katrina, iraq, jesse helms, john g. roberts, meth, oil, polls, poverty, president hu, richard clarke, war on terrorism