•Bush squashes "global struggle against violent extremism" phrase: "Make no mistake about it, this is a war against people who profess an ideology, and they use terror as a means to achieve their objectives." [NYT]

• Congress skims $8.5b from highway bill. [WSJ, NYT]

•Roberts admits not disclosing that he registered as a lobbyist in 2001. [LAT, NYT]

•Bush lauds the economy in new effort to raise his approval rating by claiming responsibility for "economic vitality." [WP, LAT, WT]

• Democrats plan to quiz Roberts on discrepancies in his stated opinions. [WP]

•Roberts aided gay activists during Supreme Court case in 1996 with pro bono work. [LAT]

• In the Reagan administration, Roberts helped to "develop a new, more conservative approach to civil rights and voting rights." [NYT]

• Republican lawmakers instructed to brag about federal spending. Coburn: "You have to be courageous to not spend money and we don't have many people who have that courage." [WP]

•Gingrich tells Republicans to study Ohio results: "It should serve as a wake-up call to Republicans, and I certainly take it very seriously in analyzing how the public mood evidences itself. . . If we don't think now, then next September [2006], people will panic when it's too late." [WP, LAT]

• FBI searches the homes and car of Rep. Jefferson (D-La.) as part of corruption investigation. [WP]

• Loopholes in ethics rules enable lawmakers to get what they want. [WP]

• America Coming Together unwinds. [NYT]

• '08 race has officially begun in polls and on C-SPAN. [WT]