Daily Briefing: War Still on Terror
• Bushsquashes "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 ]
• Robertsadmits not disclosing that he registered as a lobbyist in 2001. [ LAT , NYT ]
• Bushlauds the economy in new effort to raise his approval rating by claiming responsibility for "economic vitality." [ WP , LAT , WT ]
•Democrats plan to quizRobertson discrepancies in his stated opinions. [ WP ]
• Robertsaided gay activists during Supreme Court case in 1996 with pro bono work. [ LAT ]
•In theReaganadministration,Robertshelped 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 ]
• Gingrichtells 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 ofRep. 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 ]