Daily Briefing: Seriously Depressed About ANWR

•Republicans concerned about impact of investigation intoDeLay. Consultant: "If death comes from a thousand cuts,Tom DeLayis into a couple hundred, and it's getting up there." [ WP ]

•Conservative Democratic lawmakers challengeBushon Social Security. White House flack: "The easiest way to explain Democratic unity is that the labor unions and the AARP won't let them discuss this." [ WSJ ]

• Dodd, Bidennote shift in administration's policy on Iran. [ USAT ]

• Riceon '08: "I will not run for president of the United States." Let Veep speculation begin. [ WP , NYT , LAT ]

• Ricejets to Asia seeking resolutions for North Korea, Taiwan. [ WSJ ]

• Bushrepeatedly mentionsTocquevillein off-the-cuff remarks: "de Tocqueville, the Frenchman who came to America in the early 1800's, really figured out America in a unique way. . ." [ NYT ]

• Bushmakes lame jokes, sympathetic audiences laugh;WaPosees news value. [ WP ]

•DNC launches counter campaign toBush's 60-day Social Security tour. [ WT ]

• Stevens"seriously depressed" about ANWR: "I've been at this too long." [ WP ]

•Reform of Social Security would require massive public education effort. [ WSJ ]

• Daschle, recruited byDole, joins law firm of Alston & Bird. [ WP , NYT ]

•Liberal bloggers hold press conference calls to get message out. [ NYT ]