• U.S. lowers expectations so people are satisfied election was held; turnout and results are not the point. Former official: "I don't think they're thinking of a Plan B. What they have is permutations of Plan A: You go for elections, hope for the best and if it doesn't materialize, you go with whatever emerges." [WP, WT, USAT]
• White House told Congressional leaders not to limit extreme interrogation techniques. Collins: "The conferees agreed that they would drop the language but with the caveat that the intelligence committees would take up the issue this year." In poll, sizable majorities reject techniques. [NYT, USAT]
•Bush announces testing of high school students is cornerstone of NCLB expansion: "My answer is, How do you know if a child is learning if you don't test?. . . Testing in high schools will make sure that our children are employable for the jobs of the 21st century." [WP, NYT, WSJ]
• 240,000 U.S. residents are eligible to vote in Iraqi election; some U.S. cities will have voting booths available. [NYT]
•Kennedy says administration "falsely hypes almost every issue as a crisis." On Democrats: "We cannot move our party or our nation forward under pale colors and timid voices." [WP, LAT, NYT, WT]
• 28 religious leaders urge dispatch of special envoy for peace in the Middle East. [NYT]
• Nondisclosure agreement dropped for DHS employees. [WP]
• Republican Representative says Bush's desire for guest-worker program will harm broader agenda. Hayworth: "It would just be sad for the president to tie his shoelaces together right out of the starting block." [WT]
•Shrum will write and teach at NYU. [NYT]
• Is Hadley stepping out of the shadows? [WSJ]
