Daily Briefing: Plame Returns to the Front Page
• Robertshits Capitol Hill for meet-and-greet sessions with senators; day was carefully orchestrated byEd Gillespieto monopolize the news cycle.Bush: "We're lucky to have a man of such wisdom and intellectual strength willing to serve our country." [ WP , NYT , WT ]
•State Department memo clearly designated a paragraph aboutPlameas "secret." [ WP ]
• Bushreportedly "relied as much on chemistry and intuition as on policy and legal intellect" when interviewing candidates.Bartlett: "He likes to size people up himself, make his own judgment." [ NYT ]
•Democrats resigned toRoberts' confirmation. Democrat staffer: "Bushwon. . . A lot of people are feeling that this is probably a guy who gets confirmed." [ WSJ , LAT ]
•Panel calls for repeal of alternative minimum tax. [ USAT ]
• Roberts' legal record "is simultaneously skeptical of federal power over the states and supportive of executive-branch power in foreign and military affairs, and his sparse judicial record resembles the conservatism of"Rehnquist; his words on abortion are dissected. [ WP , WP , USAT ]
•Confirmation debate likely to focus on just how conservative he is.Edwin Meese: "The president is convinced that he is a constitutionalist in the same way thatScaliaandThomasare." [ WSJ ]
•Administration advocates extension of Patriot Act as Congress tackles issue today. [ WP , NYT , WSJ , WT , USAT ]
• Roveand the Republican Senatorial Committee are unable to convinceKatherine Harrisnot to run for Senate; they fear she'll lose. [ WT ]
•Poll respondents deemRobertsacceptable but want more information. [ USAT ]
•Profiles paintRobertsas impressive man and upstanding citizen; played Peppermint Patty in the high school production of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown." [ NYT , USAT ]
•Business leaders embrace business-friendlyRoberts. [ WSJ ]
•Liberal advocacy groups concerned aboutRoberts's position on abortion; conservative groups ready to drop $20m on ad war. [ WP , WT , USAT ]
•Both sides "pushing and shoving" over CAFTA vote. [ WP ]
•Senate Judiciary Committee hears testimony about legal protection for journalists; uphill battle awaits. [ NYT ]
• Roberts' wife is staunchly pro-life. [ LAT ]
• Roberts' involvement in the Florida recount gets attention. [ LAT ]
•Diversity will wait.O'Connor: "He's good in every way, except he's not a woman." Democrat strategist: "If there were another vacancy [filled by a white man], there would be anger." [ WP , USAT ]
• Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Arabian ambassador, is resigning. [ WP , NYT , USAT ]
•Political bloggers eat upRoberts. [ WP ]
•Proposal to extend daylight saving time faces steep opposition. [ LAT ]
•Administration hopes to make UN more receptive to Republican views. [ WP ]
•MoveOn.org ad campaigns aim for the heart. [ LAT ]