Daily Briefing: Will the Real Bill Frist Please Stand Up?
* Federal spending has grown faster underBushthan any president sinceFranklin Roosevelt.John Kasich: "Republicans have gotten the sense that they're going to get elected by passing out money to people." [ USAT , USAT ]
* Republican divisions over the budget and immigration reduce chances of passing legislation this week. Sen.Richard Durbin(D-Ill.): "There's a chasm between the House and Senate." [ NYT , LAT , USAT ]
* GOP strategists see the strong economy as a ticket to victory in November elections. [ WT ]
*Josh Boltenwill have to "reunify Republicans behind the administration and keepMr. Bush's presidency from sinking into lame-duck status." [ NYT ]
* Gen.Anthony Zinnicalls forRumsfeldto resign: "Integrity and getting on with the mission and doing it right are more important than loyalty." [ NYT ]
* Sen.Bill Frist(R-Tenn.) treads carefully in the Senate with his sights set on the White House: "The real Bill Frist, [voters] don't really see." StrategistScott Reedon his immigration bill: "He really needs to deliver if he's going to look at exploring a presidential race." [ NYT ]
* 26 Hispanic lawmakers represent diversity of opinion on immigration reform. [ USAT ]
* Campaigns are increasing their use of online video to provoke emotional responses. Ad guru: "If you're running a congressional race and [the candidate has] 300,000 voters in his district and he's got to spend money on television that reaches outside the boundaries of his district, he's really wasting money." [ WP ]
* Sen.Barack Obama(D-Ill.) criticizes the administration's energy policy: "Saying that America is addicted to oil without following a real plan for energy independence is like admitting alcoholism and then skipping out on the 12-step program." [ AP ]
* Pro-choice groups are invoking God like their pro-life counterparts. [ NYT ]