• Bush, with Sharon in Crawford, seeks peace, supports withdrawal from Gaza. [WP, NYT, USAT, WT]

• Republicans don't have the votes for filibuster maneuver; newer GOP senators like nuclear option. [WSJ]

• "Hunkering down" media strategy may work; see Cheney, Berger, DeLay, Plame. [WP]

• Bolton promises commitment to United Nations as Democrats try pinning him at hearing. [WP, WP, NYT, LAT, USAT, WSJ, WT]

• Unearthed papers put Negroponte "at odds" with State Department bureaucrats under Reagan. [WP]

• Most Republicans won't publicly attack DeLay. [USAT]

• Black officials accuse administration of "playing the race card" in Social Security promotional efforts. [WT]

• Bill Clinton on the outing of Finkelstein: "I was sort of sad when I read it. . . Either this guy believes his party is not serious and he's totally Machiavellian" or "he may be blinded by self-loathing." [NYT]

• Senators reluctant to make electronic filing of contributions and expenditures manditory. [WT]

• Re-examined results give Bush 25% of Jewish vote. [LAT]