Daily Briefing: 'The Way Forward'

• Bushshifts his response to critics of the Iraq war: "People should feel comfortable about expressing their opinions about Iraq. . . This is not an issue of who's [a] patriot and who's not patriotic. It's an issue of an honest, open debate about the way forward in Iraq." Rep.John Murtha(D-Pa.): "They have been overly optimistic, illusionary about their policy. This is not a war of words; this is a real war where people are getting killed." [ WP , NYT , WT , USAT ]

•CIA DirectorPorter Goss: "We use lawful capabilities to collect vital information, and we do it in a variety of unique and innovative ways, all of which are legal and none of which are torture." [ USAT , USAT , USAT ]

•Costs associated with rebuilding the Gulf Coast could top $100b;Bushloyalist assumes control of reconstruction effort. [ WP , WP ]

• Bushhas a little fun in China by exercising; White House officials and some journalists enjoy Outback Steakhouse there. [ WP ]

• Bushreturns home after making virtually no news on tour of Asia; the president of China is open to economic reforms but not interested in increasing political freedoms. [ WP , NYT , USAT ]

•White House associates speculate thatBush"has long been aware that the vice president oversold the case on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction." [ NYT ]

•"Firestorm" overMurthamay spill over into the issue of detainee treatment. [ WSJ ]

•The "little triumvirate" of Republican SenatorsWarner, McCain, andGrahamare forging their own path. [ NYT ]

• Samuel Alito"has sided almost uniformly with those who have complained vigorously in recent years that zealousness in enforcing the Constitution's separation of church and state has unfairly inhibited religious practices." [ NYT ]

•Interest groups move to localize the debate overAlitobeginning this holiday weekend. [ NYT ]

• Bill Clintoncalls for less "demonizing" in political debates. [ USAT ]

•With 27 months to go until the primary, Gov.Mark Warner(D-Va.) soaks up New Hampshire and admits whitening his teeth. [ WP ]

•How canHoward Kurtzbe impartial about CNN and The Washington Post? How does he even have the time to produce so much analysis? [ NYT ]