Daily Briefing: A Perfect Demographic Storm
•White House quietly projects steep cuts if promise of reining in discretionary spending is to be met; popular programs at stake. [ NYT ]
•Democrats call for investigation intoGannon/Guckert: Who? How? Gay? Huh? [ NYT ]
• Deanto make victory official tomorrow.Kerry: "This great party of ours doesn't need a makeover. This party of ours doesn't need a massive shift." [ WP , NYT , WSJ ]
•Major revision of class-action lawsuits passes Senate 72-26; limits such suits to federal courts. [ WP , NYT , LAT , WSJ ]
•Administration pressured to release full report on failure to avert 9/11 attacks. [ NYT ]
• Bushpushes Social Security plan in North Carolina, Pennsylvania.Santorumon looming crisis: "We are facing a perfect storm, a perfect demographic storm." [ WP , NYT , LAT ]
•House bill to tighten security and ease environmental laws along borders passes 261-161. [ WP , NYT , LAT , USAT ]
•Democrats turn to consultants to hone message and appeal to values voters.Richardson: "We're talking about values including better schools, access to health care, personal behavior, and I add a Western value, and that is protecting God's creation, which is land and water."Luntz: "They are picking up the language, but they don't have the genuine emotion behind it." [ NYT ]
•Many senators express discontent about proposed Defense Department budget. [ NYT , LAT ]
•Passage of bill restricting personal bankruptcy filings seems likely; supported by credit card industry, opposed by consumer groups. [ WP ]
•Democrats pick up fighting mentality.Schumer: "This is a new Democratic Party."Pariserof MoveOn: "We want to be in a position to give a backbone to the Democratic Party." [ LAT , LAT , WT , USAT ]
• McAuliffemilks final moments at top with blow-out party.Clinton: "We've got to stop beating on each other and redirect our fire against the people we disagree with." [ WP ]
•Democratic leadership question removal of House ethics committee members; switch favoredDeLay. [ WP , USAT ]
• Deaninspired by Christian Coalition; drew from extensive research on organization. [ BG ]