Daily Briefing: Prez Offers Global Welfare Plan
•Bush's budget to be announced today: 0.7% proposed cut in domestic spending; proposed consolidations and squeezes affect 150 programs; also, screw Amtrak! Pentagon to receive extra $19 billion, excluding war costs. But wait: foreign ops and development pricetag up by 17%?! Someone's been toking up with Bob Geldof again... [ WP , WSJ , NYT , WT ]
• Cheneysays personal retirement accounts could cost trillions. [ WP ]
•White House wants to cut federal farm subsidies by $6b over 10 years. [ WSJ ]
•Deficit tests nerves of many Republicans; majorities of voters surveyed disapprove ofBush's handing of deficit. [ WP ]
•Analysts unimpressed by budget maneuvers: "What's unrealistic is that they are trying to fund a government with today's demands on a 1950's stream of revenue." [ NYT ]
• Brownstein: "Is it already time for the White House to unveil Plan B on Social Security?" [ LAT ]
• Bushwants to trim Medicaid costs. [ WSJ ]
•Conservative House Republicans pledge unity on social and economic issues. [ WP ]
• Riceaccurately predicts Super Bowl outcome; she wakes early, exercises often, "obsessively eats light," and likes the press. [ NYT ]
• Ricebefriends Europe, speaks of challenges facing Middle East. [ WSJ , USAT ]
•On the airwaves, conservative groups promoting Social Security plan vie with AARP, unions, and liberals. [ USAT ]
• Kerrysettles in to swipingBushfrom the sidelines. [ WT ]
•Report from commission on intelligence due next month. [ WP ]