Daily Briefing: Roberts Tells Some, Ari Tells Something
• Fitzgeraldhas queried more administration officials than previously known: "All that is known at this point are the names of some people he has interviewed, what questions he has asked and whom he has focused on." [ WP ]
•14,000 pages of documents shed light onRoberts' opinions; for one, he "encouraged a cautious approach by courts and federal agencies in enforcing laws against discrimination." [ NYT , USAT , WT ]
•Parties have yet to agree on timetable forRoberts' confirmation hearings and the vote. [ NYT ]
•Documents showRoberts"was [a] significant backstage player in the legal policy debates of the earlyReaganadministration" and his "sometimes smart-alecky tongue." [ WP , NYT ]
•Energy bill nears passage; ANWR and other controversial plans are left out of the legislation. [ NYT , WSJ , WP , WP ]
•White House will not releaseRoberts' tax returns. [ WP , ]
• Bushwill visit Capitol Hill to push CAFTA. [ WSJ , NYT ]
• Fleischertold grand jury that he never saw the State Department memo and was notNovak's source. [ NYT ]
•Americans in Gallup poll are pessimistic about Iraq war and 51% believeBushdeliberately misled about WMDs. [ USAT ]
• Bushsays he's "more committed than ever" to private accounts, but momentum seems to be with alternative ideas. [ WSJ , WT ]
•Congress crams legislative action in before recess. [ NYT ]
•Affect of divisions at AFL-CIO on political parties is unclear; Republicans sense opportunity. [ WSJ , WP , USAT ]
• Gonzales: "[A] Supreme Court justice is not obliged to follow precedent if you believe it's wrong." [ WP , NYT ]
•Congress advocates review of Cnooc's offer for Unocal. [ NYT ]
•Senate appears ready to protect gun makers from civil suits. [ WSJ ]
• Hillary's talk of unity riles the left. [ WP ]
• Bush's agenda curtailed by presidential ambitions of numerous senators. [ USAT ]
• Patakiwill not seek re-election for governor of New York. [ NYT ]
•Plurality of ex-lawmakers find work as lobbyists. [ WP ]