Daily Briefing: Scott McClellan Saves Animals

•Senate votes to extend the Patriot Act for six months. [ WP , NYT ]

•Senate approves $40b in budget cuts withCheneycasting tie-breaking vote; two Republicans and 42 Democrats block plan for drilling in ANWR with filibuster. Sen.John Kerry: "I'm confident we will see another debate on ANWR." [ WP , WP , WP , WP , NYT , LAT , USAT ]

•FISA judges request briefing on eavesdropping program. [ WP ]

• Jack Abramoffinches closer to a plea deal. [ NYT , LAT ]

• Bushreaches out to black critics, suggesting "that the White House has not abandoned its political goal of trying to draw black voters from Democratic ranks";Donna Brazilespeaks highly of the president's efforts. [ NYT ]

•Eavesdropping program is unlikely to be challenged in court because of its secrecy. [ USAT ]

•Department of Homeland Security was a mess from its inception. [ WP ]

• Scott McClellanhas lost hair from the stress, some colleagues say; "When briefings get tense, McClellan's voice can become robotic, as if he's a hostage reading a statement. His body language can betray unease: He starts blinking rapidly and he clenches his shoulders as an interrogator unfurls a question." [ WP ]

•Congress has not found a way to ween off foreign oil. [ WP ]

•National Security Agency's image has been "muddied considerably" by eavesdropping program. [ NYT ]

• Jeanine Pirrodrops bid to oust Sen.Hillary Clinton; will run for attorney general of New York instead. [ WP , NYT , LAT ]