Daily Briefing: Phone Lines Lighting Up All OVer
• Ricetestifies for nearly 10 hours: "The time for diplomacy is now."Boxer: "Your loyalty to the mission...overwhelmed your respect for the truth." [ WP , NYT LAT , LAT ]
•Conservatives irked byBush's lack of aggression on marriage amendment. Focus on the Family flack: "I am sure [White House] phone lines are lighting up all over." [ WP ]
• Thomas(R-Calif.) joins chorus of critics over Social Security plan, says partisanship is killing important opportunity; proposes gender-adjusted benefits. [ WP , NYT ]
•Six members of Senate Intelligence Committee fired in Republican shakeup. [ LAT ]
• Gonzalesdenounces torture by U.S. personnel, but declines specifics; supports extension of assualt weapons ban. [ WP , NYT , WT ]
• Bushadvocates economic sanctions against Chinese firms working with Iran. [ WP ]
• Leavitt, at confirmation hearings, says FDA needs leadership. [ WP , NYT ]
• Kerry, atRicehearing, makes jokes and swings: "You know, we went in to rescue Iraq fromSaddam Hussein, now I think we have to rescue our policy from ourselves." [ NYT ]
•NASA scholar: "In my more than three decades in government, I have never seen anything approaching the degree to which information flow from scientists to the public has been screened and controlled as it has now." [ WP ]
•Social Security hotline encourages changes. [ WP ]