Daily Briefing: Let’s Go to the Tape

• Video shows Bush was warned about the potential for a levee breach, despite denials after the fact: “Was the president misinformed, misspoken or misleading?” [WP, USAT]
• Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco hesitantly told Bush that the levees were safe on the morning of Aug. 29th. [AP]
• U.S. and India announce deal for nuclear cooperation, for energy and weapons; “new plan would allow India enough fissile material for as many as 50 weapons a year.” [WP, NYT, W$J]
• Senate passes renewal of the Patriot Act by vote of 89 to 10. [NYT]
• 54% disapprove of Bush's handling of the war on terrorism and 64% say the country is on the wrong track, according to LAT-Bloomberg poll; findings echo new Gallup poll. [LAT, Bloomberg, USAT]
• Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee,vows to stop Dubai port deal. [WP, W$J]

• Bush and McCain have become the only internationalists. [WP, NYT]
• Gonzales denies broader warrantless eavesdropping. [WP]
• Patrick Fitzgerald says Lewis Libby is “not entitled to know everything that government investigators learned about other leaks to reporters ” about Valerie Plame. [WP]
• Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs rejects proposal for ethics office. [WP]
• SEC will set guidelines for subpoenaing journalists. [NYT]
• Contracts with Pentagon intelligence agency are investigated after possible links with former Rep. Randy Cunningham (R-Calif.) surface. [WP]
• Senators call for higher fines for mining violations. [USAT, NYT]

READ MORE: Pentagon, alberto gonzales, dubai, duncan hunter, ethics, george w. bush, homeland security, india, john mccain, kathleen blanco, katrina, leak investigation, lewis libby, mining, new orleans, nuclear weapons, patrick fitzgerald, patriot act, polls, port deal, randy cunningham, sec, senate

Daily Briefing: What Makes Miers Blush

• Judith Miller recalls June 23, 2003 conversation with “Scooter” Libby about Joseph Wilson during her last day of testimony in the leak investigation; contempt-of-court threat is lifted. Attorneys believe Patrick Fitzgerald “is looking into a broad conspiracy charge against a group of administration officials or into charging one or more officials with easier-to-prove crimes such as disclosing classified material, making false statements or perjury.” [WP, WSJ, NYT]
• NBC/WSJ poll: 27% support Miers while 51% don’t know enough to venture an opinion; approval of Bush rests at 39% and only 28% of Americans believe the country is heading in the right direction — a ten year low. [WSJ]
• SEC subpoenas Frist for personal documents related to sale of health care stock; he is expected to testify under oath. [WP, NYT, WSJ]
• Bush defends use of religion to sell Miers: “[P]art of Harriet Miers’s life is her religion.” Alberto Gonzales: “I believe that she is pro-life.” [WP, NYT, WT, USAT]
• Democrats are hopeful about their political opportunities in 2006. Charlie Cook: “Right now, if I had to bet would the Democrats take the House and Senate back, I’d say no. But are the odds a heck of a lot better than they were three months ago or six months ago? Heck, yes.” [NYT]

• Study finds the Bush administration “apparently paid little or no attention” to the CIA’s prewar assessments of Iraq. [NYT]
• Miers “has wielded formidable power with fairness and attention to detail — but rarely was a strong voice in policy decisions the administration has faced.” Margaret Spellings: “She blushes when the rest of us got a little raunchy.” [WP]
• White House plan puts the CIA in command of overseas intelligence gathering and creates National Clandestine Service managed by Porter Goss. [WP]
• Rice, in Afghanistan, remains optimistic despite uptick in violence; 84 Americans have died there this year. [NYT]
• Amtrak board approves spin-off of Northeast Corridor service; Congress has final say. [NYT]
• Christian Coalition scales back; budget falls to $1.3m. [WT]

READ MORE: 2006, CIA, Democrats, Republicans, SCOTUS, White House, afghanistan, alberto gonzales, amtrak, bill frist, charlie cook, condoleezza rice, george w. bush, harriet miers, iraq, joesph wilson, judith miller, karl rove, leak investigation, lewis libby, margaret spellings, patrick fitzgerald, polls, porter goss, prewar intelligence, sec, valerie plame, war on terror

Frist Still Responding to Visual Stimuli

News of Bill Frist’s ethics troubles — his well-timed dumping of family stock and subsequent probes by both the Justice Department and the SEC — on top of his base-alienating stem-cell position shift has us wondering: At what point do we pull the feeding tube from his presidential ambitions?

Frist’s Political Future Darkens Over Questions on Stock Sales [Bloomberg]

READ MORE: 2008 campaign, bill frist, justice department, sec, senate

Daily Briefing: Wet Weekend

• Bush packs for Texas as Hurricane Rita approaches. [NYT]
• Senate Judiciary Committee approves Roberts by vote of 13 to 5. [WP, NYT, WSJ, LAT, WT, USAT]
• Defying White House calls to control spending, the Senate passes $100b bill for farm and rural development and approves $82.9b military bill. [WSJ]
• Department of Homeland Security is playing hands-on role in preparations for Hurricane Rita. [WSJ]
• Bush says pulling out of Iraq “would allow the terrorists to claim an historic victory over the United States” and “make that country a source of terror and instability… for decades.” [USAT]
• Jack Abramoff bragged about his close relationship with Karl Rove, says Tyco executive. [WP]

• Biden, Hatch captured the confirmation hearings on their camera phones. [WP]
• Minority business owners in the Gulf Coast complain that no-bid contracts block them from Katrina-related contracts. [WSJ]
• Over 100,000 are expected at anti-war rally on Saturday; Sheehan set to speak. [USAT]
• Goss still faces uphill challenge at reforming the CIA. [NYT]
• SEC is interested in Frist’s stock sale. [NYT]
• 43 countries have promised aid totaling $800m for Katrina relief. [WT]

READ MORE: CIA, Democrats, Republicans, Rita, White House, anti-war rally, bill frist, cindy sheehan, george w. bush, gulf coast, homeland security, iraq, jack abramoff, joesph biden, john g. roberts, katrina, orrin hatch, porter goss, sec, senate, texas, war on terrorism