Category: latin america summit

Daily Briefing: 'What Freedom is All About'

• Cheney has "waged an intense" private campaign to reject changes to the guidelines concerning detainee treatment; the position is facing increased opposition from other officials and lawmakers. [WP]
• Senators express concern about misuse of the Patriot Act. Tom Coburn: "We should not ever give up freedom on the basis of fear, and any freedom that we give up should be limited in time and limited in scope." [NYT, WP]
• Bush, in Brazil: "Our goal is to promote opportunity for people throughout the Americas, whether you live in Minnesota or Brazil, and the best way to do this is by expanding free and fair trade." On the protests: "I expect there to be dissent. That's what freedom is all about." [WP, USAT, ]
• Latin America Summit proved to be no reprieve for Bush; on the first day, he did not return to his hotel until after midnight. [WP]
• New York Times on Alito: "An examination of several chapters in his life suggests he is conservative by temperament, upbringing and experience - conditions that appear to have shaped his approach to life and his work more than any narrow ideological niche." Los Angeles Times: Alito's "15 years' worth of legal opinions do not promise fealty to any ideology." [NYT, LAT]

• Reporters in Libby case "are expected to face a barrage of questions from defense lawyers. Instead of protecting sources, they could end up defending their own credibility, reputations and reporting techniques." [WSJ]
• Bush has "hit bottom in public support," unless his base loses confidence. [LAT]
• Tomorrow's gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey may illustrate national trends. [NYT]
• Joe Biden does not expect a filibuster of Alito. [WT]
• Investigation of Ahmad Chalabi is slow going. [WSJ]
• Tommy Thompson asked for a flu plan four years ago: "There is no question that the tipping point has finally arrived." [WP]
• Alito's confirmation would mean a Roman Catholic majority for the Supreme Court. [WP]
• Lawmakers allowed to donate campaign funds to hurricane relief. [USAT]

READ MORE: Media , SCOTUS , ahmad chalabi , avian flu , dick cheney , george w. bush , joe biden , katrina , latin america summit , leak investigation , lewis libby , patriot act , samuel alito , tom coburn , treatment of detainees

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