By MICHAEL FALCONE

NOTABLES

• 'WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG?': ABC News reached out to a number of Clinton insiders yesterday to get reaction to the former secretary of state's press conference on Tuesday. Many of them we spoke to expressed relief that she finally addressed the e-mail controversy, and are relatively confident the story will subside, according to ABC's LIZ KREUTZ. However, one longtime Clinton confidante, who requested anonymity in order to speak candidly, offered up this insight: "Those of us who are hardcore supporters are a bit mystified to why this took so long to provide what was as very logical explanation. This didn't require a computer scientist giving explanations. Why did it take so long?…Is this the old Hillary or the new Hillary? Is there a new Hillary? Can there be a new Hillary?"

• HOW THE CLINTONS USE E-MAIL: Hillary Clinton says she sent more than 60,000 emails during her four-year term. Her husband isn't quite so e-savvy. President Bill Clinton has sent only two emails in his lifetime, both during his tenure as commander-in-chief, his spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal. It's been widely reported that Bill's first email - supposedly the first e-mail ever sent by a sitting president - went to Sen. John Glenn, an astronaut who at the time was orbiting the Earth aboard the space shuttle Discovery, ABC's ERIN DOOLEY notes. "Hillary and I had a great time at the launch," Clinton wrote in 1998. "We are very proud of you and the entire crew, and a little jealous." http://abcn.ws/1BrsOFd

• ANALYSIS - ABC's RICK KLEIN: We know buyer's remorse, but is there signer's remorse, too? The remarkable Republican unity shown in 47 senators signing the letter to Iranian leadership appears to have had real costs to efforts to oppose a nuclear agreement. Until now, the skepticism in Congress - and, therefore, the potential congressional responses - was remarkably bipartisan in tone. Now Democrats are united again - in denouncing a letter they view as somewhere between inappropriate and treasonous. The letter appears to have come together quickly, before last week's snowstorm had members of Congress rushing to airports. It may have come together too quickly; several senators have indicated they weren't prepared for or expecting the blowback. Sen. John McCain conceded to Greta Van Susteren on Fox News that "maybe that wasn't the best way" to assert Congress' role in approving an Iran deal. It marked a major move, yes, but it may have limited Republicans' options and flexibility going forward.

THE BUZZ

with ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI

THAT TIME AARON SCHOCK TALKED ETHICS RULES ON 'TOP CHEF.' Embattled Congressman Aaron Schock may have said he "certainly hope[d]" he didn't break federal law but that he's "not an attorney" when Politico asked him Tuesday, but it appears he was well-versed enough in Congressional ethics rules to have schooled some "Top Chef" contestants on them in a 2010 episode of the series, ABC's ALI DUKAKIS notes. In the clip from the 7th season, Schock teaches the chefs about the guidelines governing the acceptance of food and beverages by members of Congress - or the "toothpick rule" - during the show's visit to Washington, D.C. "When you become a new member of Congress and win an election, the first day is spent on ethics. Believe it or not, a good portion of that discussion is about food. Basically, the Ethics committee wants to make sure that there's not too much undue influence between the elected officials and the paid lobbyists in Washington, D.C." WATCH: http://www.hulu.com/watch/166081

SECRET SERVICE AGENTS PROBED FOR ALLEGEDLY DRINKING, CRASHING CAR IN WHITE HOUSE BARRIER. Two U.S. Secret Service agents are under investigation over allegations that they were under the influence of alcohol while driving a government vehicle near the White House and crashing it into a barrier, a Secret Service official confirmed to ABC News Wednesday. The incident, which was first reported by the Washington Post, is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. The two senior members of the president's detail had left a late-night party for a retiring agent when they allegedly hit the barricade near the White House, according to ABC's JACK DATE and JONATHAN KARL. The White House said yesterday that President Obama is aware of the allegations and supports Secret Service Director Joe Clancy's decision to turn the investigation over to the DHS Inspector General for a thorough review. http://abcn.ws/18cPwFB

PAUL RYAN FACING $100K LAWSUIT FOR AIDE'S CAR ACCIDENT. Rep. Paul Ryan is facing a lawsuit seeking $100,000 in damages after one of his aides crashed the congressman's SUV more than a year ago, allegedly causing personal injuries to two people in another vehicle. Ryan, the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means committee and the former Republican vice presidential candidate in 2012, was not a passenger in the vehicle, a Chevy Tahoe, during the wreck on Feb. 25, 2014, ABC's JOHN PARKINSON reports. The vehicle was driven by Ryan's current chief of staff, Kevin Seifert, who served as the Wisconsin Republican's press secretary at the time of the accident and was "acting within the scope of his employment when the motor vehicle accident occurred," according to court records obtained by ABC News. http://abcn.ws/1Mslk6E

IRAN LETTER: 165,000+ SIGN PETITION TO PROSECUTE GOP SENATORS FOR TREASON. A petition on whitehouse.gov calling for charges to be filed against the 47 senators who sent an open letter to the leaders of Iran, possibly in violation of the Logan Act, has collected more than 165,000 signatures in less than two days. Because the petition exceeded 100,000 signatures within 30 days, the White House is required to respond, ABC's KATELYN MARMON writes. The creator of this petition, known only by the initials C.H., alleges that the 47 senators "committed a treasonous offense when they decided to violate the Logan Act, a 1799 law which forbids unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments." The letter, which was published on Monday, warned Iranian leaders that any nuclear deal they sign with President Obama won't last past his second term. http://abcn.ws/18cGM2j

SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY FIRES BACK AT ANTI-WAR PROTESTER. Anti-war protesters from Code Pink are a frequent sight at congressional hearings involving senior national security officials from the Obama administration. Typically there's almost no acknowledgement of their interruptions as the protesters are escorted out of a hearing room by Capitol Police. But one protester got under Secretary of State John Kerry's skin at a hearing yesterday on the authorization for the use of force against ISIS. Kerry grew annoyed when the protester said the war "is killing more innocent people," according to ABC's LUIS MARTINEZ. http://abcn.ws/1wvqj4o

READY FOR COTTON 2016? Has the "Ready for Cotton" movement already begun? A state senator in Sen. Tom Cotton's home state of Arkansas is introducing legislation that would allow U.S. Senate and House candidates to also appear on the ballot as a presidential or vice presidential hopeful. State Sen. Bart Hester introduced it after Cotton gained notoriety for penning an open letter to Iran about the fragility of nuclear talks, which was signed by 47 Republican senators, ABC's ALI WEINBERG reports. Hester said he had Cotton in mind although the two did not discuss the bill. "Tom Cotton would be my current idea of someone who should be afforded this opportunity," Hester told the AP, adding that once he told Cotton after he submitted the bill, Cotton "didn't wave me off, but certainly didn't say 'go pass this bill.'"

WHO'S TWEETING?

?@jamesgoldston: . @ABC's compelling journalism; @Disney/ @ABCNetwork's hit programs & @Yahoo's vast digital network joining forces. http://abcn.ws/1xgfCO8

@FrankBruni: Ready for Hillary? No, desperate for her. @nickconfessore, @MaggieNYT and @JMartNYT on the mood among Democrats, http://nyti.ms/19d6SU0

?@AriFleischer: I'm sure Sec State Clinton was busy at work. But she spent half her time on email sending personal messages? Who believes that?

@USATOnPolitics: . @ScottWalker: "Maybe we're the front-runner" for GOP presidential nod http://usat.ly/1E80Prr via @ccamia

@Schultz44: Report: Wind power could be 35% of supply by 2050 via @djusatoday http://usat.ly/1C8lm2v