The Note: Loving Arms Across the Land (Spreading)

— -- WASHINGTON, Mar. 6

While Democrats on Capitol Hill reach (again and still) their moments of truth on Iraq, and while Republicans ask themselves if the US Attorney story is a huge problem or a giga-mega problem, if you want to be certain you are tracking the long term of American politics, you need to re-check in on the Hillary Clinton for President campaign today.

Clinton steps into the warm public embrace of Emily's List at midday, a cosmic event that was previewed last night in a New England bar, where on a table surrounded by Republican campaign operatives, top political reporters, and some students, one lone, iconic, and brave soul stood and belted out today's Note anthem:

I am woman, hear me roar

In numbers too big to ignore

And I know too much to go back an' pretend

'Cause I've heard it all before

And I've been down there on the floor

No one's ever gonna keep me down again

Oh yes, I am wise

But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to

I can do anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

You can bend but never break me

'Cause it only serves to make me

More determined to achieve my final goal

And I come back even stronger

Not a novice any longer

'Cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul

Oh, yes, I am wise

But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to

I can face anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

I am woman watch me grow

See me standing toe to toe

As I spread my lovin' arms across the land

But I'm still an embryo

With a long, long way to go

Until I make my brother understand

Oh, yes, I am wise

But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to

I can face anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

Oh, I am woman

I am invincible

I am strong

I am woman

I am invincible

I am strong

I am woman

Testosterone-free roaring will be the order of the day when Sen. Clinton launches a grassroots effort to mobilize women on behalf of her candidacy today.

The "Women for Hillary" effort is a series of initiatives aimed at reaching women voters.

ABC News' David Chalian reports that in a 12:50 pm ET speech to EMILY's List at the Washington Convention Center, Sen. Clinton plans to pay tribute to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and announce that she is reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act, a measure that would ensure that women are paid the same as men who do equal work. LINK

EMILY's List has endorsed Clinton and will mobilize its activists and donors in support of her candidacy.

A key piece of the grassroots effort will be an online initiative called "I Can Be President." The Clinton campaign plans to launch an "I Can Be President" web site to invite women across the country to express their support for Clinton's candidacy.

Also speaking at today's EMILY's List luncheon will be Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), who speaks at 12:30 pm ET, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who speaks at 12:40 pm ET.

Amidst the usual stupor-inducing Ann Lewis boilerplate, one finds this in the New York Times story by Pat Healy: Clinton campaign advisers "estimate that 60 percent of voters in the 2008 Democratic primary will be women, and their goal is to win at least twice as many female votes as any of Mrs. Clinton's rivals."LINK

The "legislative jujitsu" on the Iraq war continues in the backrooms of Capitol Hill today. Be sure to read Jonathan Weisman's Washington Post story on Democrats altering their plan to restrict the Iraq war. Seeknig to "placate" Democrats from Republican-leaning districts, "senior House Democrats" are "pushing a plan that would place restrictions on President Bush's ability to wage the war in Iraq but would allow him to waive them if he publicly justifies his position." LINK

"Under the proposal, Bush would also have to set a date to begin troop withdrawals if the Iraqi government fails to meet benchmarks aimed at stabilizing the country that the president laid out in January."

Prosecutorial independence will be front and center today when the Judiciary panels in the Senate and House hold 10:00 am ET and 2:00 pm ET hearings in Dirksen and Rayburn, respectively. The Democrats plan to argue that eight U.S. Attorneys were dismissed for politics -- not poor performance.

The White House announces at 9:30 am ET that former Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS) and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala have agreed to head up a presidential commission looking into not just Walter Reed but the entire veteran health-care system, reports ABC News' Ann Compton.

After yesterday's House hearing, the Senate gets its turn today to grill top Army health officials about the troubles at Walter Reed Army Medical Center at 9:30 am ET. (Sen. Clinton was scheduled to be on hand).

At 2:00 pm ET, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Sen. Dick Durbin Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), and Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) announce the HEROES plan- a new Democratic effort to fix the ailing VA medical system.

When Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson addresses the American Legion at 10:30 am ET he plans to announce measures to speed up processing of military benefit claims.

President Bush discusses the global war on terror in 10:00 am ET remarks to the American Legion at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC. He is expected to talk about the Walter Reed situation. Later today, the President and First Lady participate in greeting King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani attends a 3:30 pm ET meet and greet with area residents at Point Loma Seafoods in San Diego, CA.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was scheduled to deliver 8:45 am ET remarks to the Federation of American Hospitals' Public Policy Conference at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt speaks to the same group at 9:45 am ET.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) holds a 12:30 pm ET "meet and greet" at the Knoxville Airport Hilton in Knoxville, TN.

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) was scheduled to deliver 9:15 am ET remarks to the American Legion at the Renaissance Washington Hotel in Washington, DC.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) delivers 5:30 pm ET remarks at the opening reception of the National Council of La Raza at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. Also speaking to La Raza wil be Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL).

The AFL--CIO begins its two day winter meeting in Las Vegas, NV to set priorities for the coming year and to discuss how it will go about choosing which candidate to endorse.

Former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker (R-TN), former Sens. Tom Daschle (D-SD), Bob Dole (R-KS) and George Mitchell (D-ME) hold a 10:30 am ET news conference in the Dirksen Senate Office Building to discuss the establishment of a new bi-partisan policy center.

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark join Iraq war veterans and family members of Iraqi soldiers at a 1:00 pm ET media availability at the National Press Club to discuss plans for the March 17 demonstration at the Pentagon.

The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce continues its legislative conference at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC. Secretary Leavitt leads a 10:00 am ET panel discussion on healthcare. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) leads an 11:00 am ET discussion on immigration. Sens. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) deliver 12:30 pm ET keynote addresses, and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Colombian Ambassador Carolina Barco Isakson participate in a 3:30 pm ET panel discussion on trade with Latin America.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) holds his pen and pad briefing at 11:30 am ET in H-107 of the U.S. Capitol.

The Senate resumes consideration today of a bill (S 4) which would implement the unfinished recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. At 12:00 pm ET, the Senate begins consideration of an amendment offered by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) on collective bargaining rights for TSA screeners.

Floor debate breaks between 12:30 pm ET and 2:15 pm ET for weekly policy lunches.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer delivers 6:00 pm ET remarks on French and American approaches to "active liberty" in the Pavilion of the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC.

Politics of Iraq:

The AP reports that the White House is ready to ask Congress for additional money to support the introduction of more troops in Iraq, a change that is " embarrassing to the White House and the Pentagon, which earlier dismissed criticism from lawmakers that the original $5.6billion estimate for the troop buildup was too low."LINK

In a story circulated by the RNC and with a much different tone than the Washington Post article, John Bresnahan of Politico writes up Speaker Pelosi's Iraq funding dilemma with the liberal wing of her caucus apparently dissatisfied with a watered-down appropriations bill from Rep. Murtha without calling for a certain date of withdrawal of US troops. LINK

"Pelosi and Democratic leaders are expected to postpone markup of the Iraq bill in the House Appropriations Committee by at least a week in order to buy time to resolve the matter," writes Bresnahan.

According to a new USA Today/Gallup poll, pessimism about the Iraq war is deepening, with only 28% of Americans now saying that the U.S. will probably or definitely win the war and 59% calling the war a mistake. USA Today's Jill Lawrence has the story: LINK

Politics of prosecutorial independence:

The man at the Department of Justice responsible for telling seven US Attorneys that they had lost their job, Michael Battle, announced he is resigning from DOJ. The White House and DOJ said Battle's departure is unrelated to the current scrutiny being applied by Democrats in Congress to the firings of the US Attorneys.

The New York Times: LINK

The New York Times publishes an interview with yet another former prosecutor, Thomas DiBiagio of Maryland, who claims he was earlier pushed out of his job due to his pursuit of a couple of high profile public corruption cases which, he claims, some powerful Maryland Republicans would have preferred he not pursue. The Department of Justice called Mr. DiBiagio's version of events, 'an absolute fairy tale.' LINK

Testimony from several U.S. attorneys who were fired by the Justic Department may trigger the "first major ethics probe of the 110th Congress," reports Roll Call's Rachel Van Dongen. LINK

Firefighters host political barnburner:

On Wednesday, March 14, the International Association of Firefighters will become the first organization to hear back-to-back speeches from major presidential candidates from both parties, reports ABC News' Teddy Davis. LINK

Former New York Mayor Giuliani, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., will be among 10 potential presidential hopefuls who will give 20 minute presentations to hundreds of firefighters from every congressional district in the country who are gathering in Washington, D.C.

The forum will be the first step in the endorsement process of the I.A.F.F. The process is expected to include candidate speeches, focus groups, internal polling, and presentation of candidates' records to union membership. The union's goal is to make an endorsement in the fall.

A spokesman for the I.A.F.F. describes the group's membership as 42 percent Republican, 40 percent Democratic, and the rest as self-identified independents.

Note that Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), who might be nearing a decision about a presidential bid (and he might get in!!), will be among the speakers.

Here is the speaking order:

John Edwards

Rudy Giuliani

Barack Obama

Duncan Hunter

Hillary Clinton

Lunch

Chuck Hagel

Chris Dodd

Bill Richardson

John McCain

Joe Biden

Bush Administration agenda:

The New York Times' Rohter writes up some of the expected deliverables from President Bush's upcoming trip to South America and Notes a shift in Washington's strategy toward the region in an effort to decrease poverty and inequality. (Note, too, that Hugo Chavez plans a "countertour" while President Bush is traveling in South America.) LINK

President Bush is set to get move involved in Latin America, reports the AP.LINK

2008: Super Tuesday:

New York legislative leaders are moving forward with plans to move the Empire State's presidential primary up to February 5, 2008.

The New York Times: LINK

New York Daily News: LINK

The Boston Globe's Susan Milligan looks at the front loading of the primary schedule where "[a]t least 19 states have moved or are considering moving their primaries to the first Tuesday in February," and has former RNC chairman Rich Bond's assessment, ""It's insane. It's going to be a de facto national primary.... It's going to mean that the candidates with the highest name recognition and the most cash on hand are going to have a huge advantage over the rest of the field." LINK

With al due respect to Ms. Milligan, much of the analysis in here is arguable, at best.

Bill Brock opines in a Roll Call op-ed about the consequences of states moving up their caucuses and primaries, which leaves "most Americans out of the process, emphasizing money, surface appearances and media appeal over careful analysis." LINK

Again, sounds to us like it is possible that MORE Americans might get to be part of the process than in the past.

2008:

In a story looking at the politics of health care, the Washington Post's Christopher Lee writes that "some analysts worry that the prescriptions of the presidential candidates miss the heart of the problem."LINK

"All the talk about creating universal coverage has obscured the fact that most voters already have insurance, some analysts say, and what they are most concerned about is curbing costs."

Lee hints at the box that John Edwards has potentially put Sen. Clinton in on this issue.

2008: Republican National Convention:

The RNC announced this morning that Jo Ann Davidson and Maria Cino will serve as the chair and CEO, respectively, of the Committee on Arrangements.

The Committee on Arrangements is the RNC body charged with the planning and management of the Republican National Convention.

2008: Republicans: Giuliani:

Following their Monday piece for "World News with Charles Gibson" on the same subject, ABC News' Jake Tapper and Avery Miller look at the political resilience (for now) of Mayor Giuliani who, despite public acknowledgement of family problems, "seems coated in political Teflon."LINK

In his Political Punch blog, ABC's Jake Tapper recalls the Giuliani he reported on after the attacks of 9/11, and asks, "Was Giuliani's leadership that day enough for you?"LINK

Appearing on CBS' "Early Show," John Harris of Politico.com said that Giuliani's spat with his son is not the best way to introduce himself to the nation.

"I think there will be a whisper campaign to make sure every Republican primary voter knows about this. Other politicians are going to try to exploit it."

Note Giuliani's attempt to carve out a zone of privacy for his family, something we suspect we will be hearing more about from this campaign.

"The Democratic Party said in a memorandum sent to some reporters that Giuliani Capital Advisors had displayed "greed" when it sought millions of dollars in fees from troubled airlines," reports Christopher Cooper and Robert Block of the Wall Street Journal.

"Rudy Giuliani is very proud of his business endeavors," said Giuliani spokeswoman Sunny Mindel.

The New York Times' Buettner and Archibold write up the intended sale of Giuliani's boutique investment bank as he continues to step up his campaign activity. LINK

AP on the same: LINK

Washington Post:LINK

The Los Angeles' Times on Giuliani's strained relationship with his son: LINK

Geoff Earle of the New York Post highlights Giuliani's comments about his wife Judi when he answered a questions on the subject. LINK

The New York Daily News' Caruso on Giuliani's plea for privacy. LINK

2008: Republicans: Romney:

Roger Simon of Politico writes up Gov. Romney's plan to go from single digits in the polls to the Republican nominee. Simon highlights Romney's plan to do some retail politicking in California since it is no longer a winner-take-all state in the GOP nomination fight, but instead a winner-take-all per congressional district and Romney plans to try to use that rule change to his benefit. Also, Simon Notes, Romney is setting high expectations for his performance in the Iowa GOP straw poll in Ames, IA on August 11. LINK

Human Events' Deroy Murdock takes his turn at picking apart the "serpentine" positions of Gov. Romney. LINK

Murdock points out that while Gov. Romney opposes the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill as a "one of the worst things in my lifetime," as a gubernatorial candidate, "Romney proposed his own plan that was far Left of McCain-Feingold." Also of Note, while Gov. Romney is now saying that hosts of illegal immigrants should be "sent out of the country," only last year, he had said, "I don't believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing them at gunpoint from our country...[T]hose that are here paying taxes and not taking government benefits should begin a process towards application for citizenship."

In his National Perspective analysis, the Boston Globe's Peter Canellos cites the leaked Romney campaign memo and it's "passé strategy" suggesting to attack "bogeymen" like France. LINK

Kevin McCullough of Townhall.com interviewed Romney following his win in the CPAC straw poll about the key issues to conservative voters and Romney acknowledged that his stances have changed.LINK

The four minute Romney piece done by the Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody airs today at 10:00 am ET on the "700 Club" which can be seen at 10:00 am ET on the ABC Family Channel. You can also see it on the web: LINK

This is the interview which includes Romney labeling Giuliani as "pro-gay marriage," a claim which his campaign was not able to substantiate when asked about it last week by ABC News.

2008: Republicans: McCain:

Sen. McCain pens an op-ed for the Union Leader on immigration, denouncing the idea of amnesty while emphasizing the need to be "honest and realistic," saying, "The straight talk of the matter is that as long as there are jobs in the United States that would otherwise go unfilled, illegal immigrants will come, and the economy will eagerly absorb them, no matter what the obstacles." LINK

Maggie Haberman of the New York Post reports Sen. D'Amato (R-NY) has apparently decided to back Sen. McCain's bid for the White House despite fellow New Yorker Giuliani's candidacy. LINK

2008: Republicans: Huckabee:

In an interview with Newsweek's Susannah Meadows, former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) is asked about Giuliani, Romney, and McCain moving right. LINK

Huckabee answers: "The first thing is: imitation is the most serious form of flattery. Some are having a late adult moment to come to a position I've held since I've been a teenager. Voters will have to determine if they're seeing the politics of conviction or convenience."

Gov. Huckabee 'Decade of Duty' is available on Youtube.com LINK

2008: Republicans: Brownback:

Seanna Adcox of the Associated Press reports on Sen. Brownback's visit to South Carolina, where he called for a simplification of immigration policy, a conclusion he reached "because of more than seven years of legal wrangling he spent to get a passport for his 9-year-old son, who was adopted from Guatemala."LINK

2008: Republicans: Hunter:

Jim Faber of South Carolina's Beaufort Gazette reports on Rep. Hunter's confidence in his campaign's message, "buoyed by a third-place finish -- and statistical tie for first place" in the Spartanburg straw poll.LINK

2008: Democrats:

The Politico's Jonathan Martin looks at how Sens. Obama and Clinton attempted to balance blatant politics with subtle reverence at this weekend's Selma events, while both "also had to offer themselves as lineal descendants of the civil rights movement, even though both have only tenuous claims to it."

"Both candidates displayed a common trait: Neither one is inhibited by modesty when it comes to the politics of history and symbolic base-touching," writes Martin.LINK

Michael McAuliff of the New York Daily News previews the battle over the Jewish vote likely to be on display next week when AIPAC gathers in Washington, DC for its annual conference with Clinton and Obama receptions on the agenda. LINK

2008: Democrats: Clinton:

Mark Leibovich of the New York Times offers up a must-read, nuanced profile of Sen. Clinton on the presidential campaign stump. LINK

"She is, in this latest unveiling, the Nurturing Warrior. She displays a cozy acquaintance ('Let's chat') and leaderly confidence ('I'm in it to win it'). She is a tea-sipping girlfriend who vows to 'deck' anyone who attacks her; a giggly mom who invokes old Girl Scout songs and refuses to apologize for voting for the Iraq War Resolution in 2002. Her aim, of course, is to show that she is tough enough to lead Americans in wartime but tender enough to understand their burdens."

More Papa Leibo: "It is not easy, though, to humanize a juggernaut, which Mrs. Clinton's well-financed and hyperdisciplined campaign most certainly is. And it is difficult to appear authentic in tightly controlled settings, or conduct intimate conversations amid mobs of people, many wearing press credentials."

While in Iowa laying out her energy plan Senator Clinton "defended her past opposition to tax incentives and mandates for corn-based ethanol," reports Thomas Beaumont of the Des Moines Register. LINK

"If you looked at the transportation costs, the mandate, we thought, would directly impact the price of gas on the coasts,' Clinton said in a Des Moines Register interview near the close of her quick two-day Iowa visit. 'I never was against using ethanol. I never was against the idea that we had to try these alternatives."'

Note that Clinton bowed to Beaumont's Monday criticism and did a few local interviews -- including with Beaumont -- and a presser.

08ers will no doubt take Notice of the latest Des Moines Register poll which found 46 percent of the state's audits consider biofuels important to Iowa's future. LINK

Sen. Clinton tells Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson that her husband's appearances will be rare during the campaign. "But it'll happen when it can because, you know, I love seeing him. I love having him with me," said Sen. Clinton. "It is what we've done together for so many years."LINK

The New York Post's Fred Dicker reports that days after offering criticism of the Clinton campaign's reaction to the Geffen flap, New York State Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith got invited to fly down to Selma, AL with Bill Clinton. LINK

Sen. Clinton's commitment to shelving "don't ask, don't tell" in her now public closed press remarks to the Human Rights Campaign last week gets some New York Post ink. LINK

In their New York Post column, Dick Morris and Eileen McGann chastise Sen. Clinton for taking credit for some of her husband's accomplishments with which, the writers claim, she had little or nothing to do. LINK

2008: Democrats: Obama:

Sen. Obama's announcement-eve phone call to his pastor to disinvite him to formally participate in his Februrary 10 presidential campaign announcement gets the New York Times treatment courtesy of Jodi Kantor. LINK

"Some black leaders are questioning Mr. Obama's decision to distance his campaign from Mr. Wright because of the campaign's apparent fear of criticism over Mr. Wright's teachings, which some say are overly Afrocentric to the point of excluding whites."

"Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, said the campaign disinvited Mr. Wright because it did not want the church to face negative attention. Mr. Wright did however, attend the announcement and prayed with Mr. Obama beforehand."

Be sure to Note Rev. Al Sharpton's reaction and these final graphs of the story:

"'When his enemies find out that in 1984 I went to Tripoli' to visit Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, [Rev.] Wright recalled, 'with Farrakhan, a lot of his Jewish support will dry up quicker than a snowball in hell.' Mr. Wright added that his trip implied no endorsement of either Louis Farrakhan's views or Qaddafi's."

"Mr. Wright said that in the phone conversation in which Mr. Obama disinvited him from a role in the announcement, Mr. Obama cited an article in Rolling Stone, 'The Radical Roots of Barack Obama.'"

"According to the pastor, Mr. Obama then told him, 'You can get kind of rough in the sermons, so what we've decided is that it's best for you not to be out there in public.'"

In his New York Times column (complete with a candidate interview), Nicholas Kristof opines that perhaps Sen. Obama's not as inexperienced as conventional wisdom might suggest, but instead has the kinds of experiences (community organizer, living abroad) that might be just what the Oval Office requires. LINK

The Boston Globe's Megan Tench and Brian Mooney looks at Obama's secretish trip to Boston/Cambridge to stoke things for his upcoming fundraiser. LINK

Richard Cohen of the Washington Post hasn't endorsed, but he is heavily flirting with the Junior Senator from Illinois, because he likes the racial straight talk. LINK

The New York Post's Maggie Haberman writes up Sen. Obama's recent New York fundraising with Jay-Z, Beyonce, and others. LINK

2008: Democrats: Richardson:

Walter Rubel of the Las Cruces Sun-News reports on Gov. Richardson's efforts to push the New Mexico state legislature to work out their differences on a minimum wage hike.LINK

Richardson told the AP's Henry Jackson that he thinks the race for the nomination will be over by January 2008. "I believe the first four states, with Iowa and New Hampshire being the top ones, will determine who the president is. I always felt that way," Richardson said LINK

2008: Democrats: Biden:

No mic? No problem. When his amplification failed him during an event in Orangeburg, SC, Sen. Biden "grabbed a chair and, in the tradition of stump speeches, stood on it to make his presidential pitch," reports Yvonne M. Wenger of the Charleston Post and Courier.LINK

The State of South Carolina reports that Sen. Biden has picked up the endorsements of two of that state's lawmakers, State Sen. Gerald Malloy, and Rep. Jerry Govan.LINK

2008: Democrats: Dodd:

David Lightman of the Hartford Courant reports on Sen. Dodd's "quiet victory" over his better-known rivals in a presidential straw poll in York County, SC. The secret to his success? "He visited here," said county chairman Jim Watkins.LINK

2008: Senate: Montana:

Ari Berman of the Nation profiles "one of corporate America's favorite Democrats," Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT). Berman explores Sen. Baucus's "inauspicious start" as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who has differed with his Democratic colleagues on tax cuts, the minimum wage, and trade policy. LINK

Looking at the man behind the committee gavel, Berman writes, "Baucus seems like an accidental senator: not especially well spoken, engaging or smooth," and that "the most remarkable thing about Baucus. . .is how unremarkable he is."

Cheney:

Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Dr. Lawrence Altman report on Vice President Cheney's blood clot in his leg which many experts attribute to the long hours he recently spent aboard Air Force Two. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' James Gerstenzang and Thomas Maugh on the same:LINK

ABC News' Paul Fidalgo and Ann Compton on Vice President Cheney's pre-clot speech to the VFW, where he stated, "We're going to fix the problems at Walter Reed, period."LINK

Politics:

Jenna Bush talks to USA Today about her new book.LINK

The Hartford Courant's David Lightman looks at the struggle of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) to calm the ire of his critics, and tries to answer the questions, "Why does Lieberman incite such anger? Why doesn't he get more credit for trying to bring people together?"LINK