Daily Briefing: 'The Stars Aligned' For Bush and Roberts
• GonzalesinformedCardof leak investigation immediately after being notified, but waited 12 hours to tell other White House staffers.Gonzales: "[W]e were advised [by attorneys], go ahead and notify the staff early in the morning, that would be okay."Biden: "Did the chief of staff pick up the phone and callKarl Rove? Did the chief of staff pick up the phone and call anybody else?" [ WP ]
•Democrats hope to turnRoberts' confirmation hearings into "larger philosophical debate with Republicans" ahead of the election. [ WP ]
•Uncertainty about the leak investigation likely to cloud the White House through the fall, or longer ifFitzgeraldextends inquiry; inconsistencies between testimonies are examined. [ WSJ ]
• Robertsparticipated in the Federalist Society from '97-98; he doesn't recall being an official member. [ WP ]
•Senior administration official onRobertsandBush: "They really clicked well. The president relies on his intuition about people as well as his views on substantive issues. In this case, the stars aligned." [ WP ]
• Bushasked prospective Supreme Court nominees about their childhoods and "major life turning points." [ NYT ]
•Dispute over release of documents related to nominees is ages old; administration will withhold some onRoberts, citing lawyer-client privilege. [ NYT , LAT , USAT ]
•Another profile ofRoberts: ready, able, and focused. [ LAT ]
•Senate Intel Committee to question "covert" qualifications of American spies. [ NYT ]
•Energy bill unlikely to protect MTBE manufacturers. [ WP , NYT , WSJ ]
• Goreputs his time and name to Current TV. [ NYT ]