Daily Briefing: No 'Clear Skies'; More Al Qaeda
Today's round-up of everything you need to know: surprisingly long for a Thursday! Study up, there'll be a test before lunch.
•Key Republicans balk at $82b request for war spending;Rumsfeld, Riceon defensive.DeLay: "[W]e have found some items in foreign aid that probably do not qualify as immediate emergencies." [ WP , LAT ]
• Bush: Hey, ya know what might "save" Social Security? Raising taxes! [ AP ]
• Rumsfeldplays on his own terms with Armed Services Committee; at one point, he picks up and leaves for lunch. [ WP ]
• Goss: "It may only be a matter of time before Al Qaeda or another group attempts to use chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons." [ NYT , WT , USAT ]
• Armstrong Williams, the man who doesn't know when to shut up, says he solicited contract: "Can you imagine being embroiled in a controversy for a program educating children?" Plus: "I'm no longerArmstrong Williams. I've become a noun. And in some cases, I've become a commodity." [ NYT ]
• Specter, 75, has Hodgkin's disease. [ WP , NYT , LAT , USAT ]
• Greenspansupports private accounts, cautions against borrowing for Social Security. [ WP , WSJ , NYT , NYT , USAT ]
• Bush's promotion of Social Security plan in New Hampshire aimed atGregg, Sununu. [ WT , USAT ]
•Journalists collectively backJudith Miller.CJReditor: "At a time when she was being held up to such scrutiny for her writing on Iraq, she now is being cast in the role of journalistic martyr." [ WP ]
•In Social Security debate, both sides focus on young people, less trusting of Social Security and open to new ideas: "Their whole strategy is to get seniors to sit it out and get young people to bite." [ USAT ]
•The debate is on Social Security, not over a bill. [ NYT ]
•Democrats peeved by Republican maneuvers at ethics committee. [ NYT ]
•Lawmakers seek easing of stem cell restrictions. [ WP ]
•Clear Skies Act delayed by committee. [ NYT ]
•Log Cabin Republicans too a-scared to handle their own lobbying, hire outside groupy: "We believe there are tremendous opportunities to move legislation." [ WP ]
• Frank RichdissectsGannon/Guckert: "With real news this timid, the appointment ofJon Stewartto take overDan Rather's chair at CBS News could be just the jolt television journalism needs. . . the only road back to reality may be to fight fake with fake." [ NYT ]