Survey respondents confirmed what has long been speculated about former Sen. Fred Thompson -- he's considered the most conservative candidate by many voters, according to a new Rasmussen Poll.

Mr. Thompson received a conservative nod from 44 percent of those surveyed, edging ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, with 41 percent.

With 38 percent, Sen. John McCain was third, and Rudolph Giuliani trailed the pack of Republican candidates, with 23 percent.

But not everyone is convinced of Mr. Thompson's dedication to conservative values. Just check out the video below.

In an unsurprising contrast, 47 percent of likely voters said they place the leading Democratic candidate, Sen. Hillary Clinton, in the liberal category, according to a different poll by Rasmussen.

The poll also shows that Mrs. Clinton is the most divisive player in the race. Although she has the highest base support among Democratic candidates, 46 percent of respondents said they would definitely vote against her if she were to wind up on the general election ballot.

Former Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama virtually tie for second place in the liberal category, with 42 percent and 41 percent, respectively.

To balance the scales, this Fishwrapper found a parody video on the strange bumper sticker intiative started by the Edwards campaign to encourage protests against the Iraq war.

-- Brandon Leonard, intern, The Washington Times

This fishwrapper caught a brief glimpse of the White House briefing room while carrying a few things over to the newly renovated work space in the White House.

From what I saw, the wall behind the new White House podium is made of glass, with the White House logo stenciled or etched in white.

I'm also told that flat screen TVs will be on the wall on both sides behind the podium.

All in all, it's going to look very high tech and a bit futuristic.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

A war protestor on a hunger strike collapsed today in Sen. Joe Lieberman's office, according to the feminist anti-war group Code Pink.

An aide to Mr. Lieberman, a Connecticut independent and steadfast supporter of the war, confirmed the incident.

Code Pink member Leslie Angeline, 50, traveled from her home in the San Francisco Bay-area to stage a hunger strike in demand of a meeting with Mr. Lieberman and has gone without food for 10 days, said Code Pink spokeswoman Dana Balicki.

After Ms. Angeline passed out, she was taken by ambulance to George Washington University Hospital for treatment, Ms. Balicki said.

"We'll see if she gives [the hunger strike] up for health reasons. But it is my guess she will continue until she meets with the senator," she said.

Ms. Angeline started the hunger strike out of outrage over Mr. Lieberman's remarks condoning military action against Iran, according to the group.

In a June 15 appearance on the CBS program "Face the Nation," Mr. Lieberman said the U.S. should launch a strike against Iran if Tehran keeps supplying weapons to terrorists in Iraq.

She previously met with Mr. Lieberman's legislative director, who assured Ms. Angeline that the senator believes diplomacy is the first and best option in dealing with Iran.

But Ms. Angeline wants to hear it directly from the senator, Ms. Balicki said.

-- S.A. Miller, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

Conservative bloggers wasted little time weighing in on the defeat of the Senate immigration bill, which was voted down 53-46 this morning.

Michelle Malkin, blogging live from the Senate floor today, posted this minutes after the vote:

"VICTORY. 53 No's. Shamnesty is dead. A stake through the heart...The work of immigration enforcement and border security continues."

From Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarters:

The problems of immigration did not disappear with the failure of the cloture vote a few moments ago... [Congress] needs to address border security and visa-program problems immediately. Congress has left these problems simmering for over 21 years. Their failure to address the issue over two decades has demonstrated that Washington does not consider those issues a very high priority, and the Senate's insistence on tying them to normalization underscores that. Poll after poll shows that Americans don't believe Congress when it says it will do something -- and so Congress needs to demonstrate their competence first before we take a flyer on creating another vast bureaucratic nightmare.

And over at Hugh Hewitt's blog, Dean Barnett writes:

What happened over the past month was the first real skirmish in a civil war for the soul of the Republican Party. You had good guys like Hoekstra, DeMint, Sessions and Vitter doing battle with an exhausted Old Guard (Lott, Voinovich et al.) who have forgotten what their party stands for and who they represent. Happily, the good guys won this round.

Let's hear from you, Fishwrap readers: any winners on this issue?

-- Tarron Lively, reporter, The Washington Times

Here's an update to the last posting on campaign cash. Clinton campaign guru Howard Wolfson tells reporters, "Simply put, this has been a great quarter for us," and predicts the campaign will raise around $27 million this period.

In a detailed memo that declares Hillary Clinton (D-NY) won the first two debates, Wolfson talks about Bill Clinton being an asset to the campaign.

"To put that figure in some perspective, it is more than any Democrat has ever raised in the second quarter of the 'off' year. While that figure is record setting, we do expect Senator Obama to significantly outraise us this quarter," Wolfson wrote. "Bottom line is that both campaigns will raise a great deal of money and that we will have all the resources we need to compete and win."

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Hillary Clinton staffers have been saying for weeks they think Barack Obama might outraise their boss this quarter and bring in $30 million or more. It's the typical expectations lowering game, but Obama (D-Ill.) announced on his Web site this morning he'd gotten even more donations this cycle than last time around.

The two senators were neck-and-neck in dollars raised last quarter, though Obama, in second place in most polls, had nearly double the number of donations made to his campaign. A push allowing donors to be considered for dinner with the candidates seems to have helped Obama fill his coffers, and the campaign pointed reporters to the site, which said this morning he had gotten 336,258 donations from 243,088 people as of 6:53 a.m.

The campaign sent an e-mail to supporters a few hours later, saying the number had jumped to 337,986 donations from 244,788 people as of 10:59 a.m. Doing the math, this suggests he got 1,728 contributions over a 4 hours and 6 minute period. Obama staffers say the fast pace is real, and note many of the donations are $5, $10 or $20.

Clinton (D-NY) has been doing her own major fundraising push - including a high dollar dinner with mega investor Warren Buffett this week and a note from her husband, the former president - before Saturday's filing deadline.

Her staffers are tight lipped on numbers of donors or dollars raised so far.

An e-mail from the former first lady this morning to supporters says she is "ready for change."

"I'm ready to push the restart button on the 21st century. Ready to say goodbye to Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzalez, Karl Rove, and George Bush," Clinton said. "After June 30, all eyes will be on us, sifting through our FEC reports, trying to determine if we have real grassroots strength. Will you step up today to help us pass this test?"

Meanwhile, former Sen. John Edwards is still raising money off Ann Coulter.

"You are the heart and soul of this campaign. You get what we're about. You know that personal attacks from folks like Ann Coulter are just attempts to distract from the issues that matter," writes deputy campaign manager Jonathan Prince in an e-mail. "And you're the reason her strategy can never succeed."

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

"When I'm president I'll work to make you proud every day." - Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), in this morning's fundraising push.

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican and presidential wannabe, sent a head of lettuce and a fruit basket to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff today to dispute his claim that enforcing immigration laws would cause a food shortage.

"The administration has taken hyperbole to a whole new level this time," Mr. Tancredo said.

"They are now trying to convince the public that without amnesty, the American people are going to starve? The agriculture industry and the free market has managed to keep producing through floods, droughts, and $3 per gallon gas. I doubt very seriously that a nominal increase in labor costs is going to be the end of lettuce as we know it."

National Journal's Hotline quoted Mr. Chertoff telling reporters today that "We're living in a world in which lettuce and fruit is not being picked because we are enforcing the law."

Mr. Tancredo signed the accompanying card, "Much, much more where this comes from."

-- Audrey Hudson, national security reporter, The Washington Times

The surge of 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq, announced by President Bush on Jan. 10, apparently only officially began on June 15.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said today that the U.S. is "12 days into the most significant military action in a very long time."

The reason for the six-month time lag between announcement and official start is, technically, that it took that long for all five brigades of combat troops to arrive in Iraq.

But the first soldiers to head over as part of the surge began arriving in Iraq soon after the president's announcement.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

The Republican Jewish Coalition gathered signatures from six former U.S. ambassadors on a letter today calling for former President Jimmy Carter to be fired as honorary chairman of Democrats Abroad, a foreign policy arm of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

The group says it targeted Mr. Carter because of his recent comment that it was "criminal" to withhold aid to Hamas, which the State Department has designated a terrorist organization.

"It is difficult for us to understand how Carter can be deemed fit to serve as Honorary Chairman of Democrats Abroad after having urged support for Hamas," said the letter to DNC Chairman Howard Dean.

-- S.A. Miller, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

President Bush called new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown this morning "to congratulate him on his premiership," said Gordon Johndroe, National Security Council spokesman.

"The President said he looks forward to working closely with him. The two leaders reaffirmed the close bond between the United States and the United Kingdom and agreed to continue the strong and cooperative relationship," Mr. Johndroe said.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

In 1957, President Eisenhower spoke at the dedication of the Islamic Center of Washington D.C., where President Bush spoke this morning for the second time in his presidency.

According to a booklet handed out by the mosque, the only American leaders to speak here since Mr. Eisenhower are Vice President Al Gore and Mr. Bush.

Mr. Eisenhower, speaking at the mosque's dedication on June 28, 1957, told his audience that "America would fight with her whole strength for your right to have here your own church and worship according to your own conscience."

"I am convinced that our common goals are both right and promising," Mr. Eisenhower said. "Faithful to the demands of justice and of brotherhood, each working according to the lights of his own conscience, our world must advance along the paths of peace."

In 1996, Mr. Gore, celebrating the Muslim new year, said that "America is an experiment to see whether people of different beliefs, religions, colors, and ethnic backgrounds can live together as neighbors. We have sought unity in diversity."

"The Islamic world has also sought unity in diversity," Mr. Gore said. "This great religion, practiced by a third of the world's population, has a great deal to teach all people. Among its lessons is the need for tolerance alongside faith."

Mr. Bush spoke at the mosque for the first time six days after the Sept. 11 attacks, and sought to reassure the American public that the ideas voiced by Mr. Eisenhower and Mr. Gore about the nature of Islam were true.

"These acts of violence against innocents violate the fundamental tenets of the Islamic faith," Mr. Bush said. "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war."

Mr. Bush today challenged Muslim leaders to denounce acts of terrorism around the world committed in the name of Islam.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

President Bush spoke this morning at the Islamic Center of Washington, the largest mosque in D.C., on Massachussetts Avenue.

Inside the mosque, even Secret Service agents had to abide by the Muslim custom of removing their shoes upon entrance.

And so the stern-looking men stood at attention, hand over hand and wearing dark suits, wearing only socks.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

"He's got a great shot from 15 feet out." - Center for National Policy president Tim Roemer, a former Democratic congressman, explaining how Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) is a great athlete when introducing the 2008 candidate.

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

"Haircuts and hatchet jobs" was such a hit, the John Edwards campaign is going for round two.

The Democrat's campaign sent a fundraising e-mail with the subject line "The Right Wing's Worst Nightmare" and featuring a photo of Ann Coulter.

The e-mail takes you to the Edwards (NC) site and plays a Coulter clip from yesterday saying on "Good Morning America" show, "If I'm going to say anything about John Edwards in the future, I'll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot."

The clip does not use the entire Coulter quote, which was in response to a question about her indirectly calling Edwards a "faggot" earlier this year.

"I wouldn't insult gays by comparing them to John Edwards. Now, that would be mean," she said. "But about the same time, you know, Bill Maher was not joking and saying he wished Dick Cheney had been killed in a terrorist attack. So I've learned my lesson. If I'm gonna say anything about John Edwards in the future, I'll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot."

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

The actor-turned-politician isn't "officially" running, but he sure acts like he is.

Thompson opened a campaign office this morning at the Fall School Building in downtown Nashville, and tonight he is partying with his friend Mike Curb, owner of Curb Records (home to LeAnn Rimes).

Even the New York Times' Caucus political blog took note.

He hasn't officially announced his run for president and insists the office space is another exploratory step.

Last Wednesday, in The Fred Thompson Report for ABC News, the former senator cited Washington Times' reporter Audrey Hudson's findings on CAIR's tax stubs saying, "The good news is that the financial support CAIR claims to have among American Muslims is a myth. We know this because The Washington Times got hold of the group's IRS tax records."

Rumor has it that he will formally enter the race next Tuesday.

This Fishwrapper searched for the location of Thompson's new building and found another complex, "Thompson Fred Reelection Campaign," almost a mile away from the new office's location. (See map here.)

-- Brandon Leonard, intern, The Washington Times

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) is up on the Granite State airwaves today with what his campaign is calling a major buy in the key early primary state.

The New Hampshire ad includes his standard stump line: "It's time for the president of the United States to ask Americans to be patriotic about something other than war."

His first ads focused on the fight over the Iraq war supplemental spending bill on Capitol Hill, and featured regular people asking Congress not to "back down" from withdrawing troops because of President Bush's veto threat.

Campaign strategist Joe Trippi told reporters on a conference call today that Edwards is making his case on television to get out of third place in New Hampshire polls.

Also, Deputy Campaign Manager Jonathan Prince said yesterday's "Haircuts and hatchet jobs" e-mail push was "one of our best fundraising emails of the entire campaign."

Both men predicted the campaign would meet its $9 million fundraising goal for the quarter, which ends Saturday, and said they were ahead of budget and able to get up the TV ads up in New Hampshire a week earlier than expected.

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

What conservative blogger wasn't liveblogging the cloture vote on the immigration bill this morning?

Over at MichelleMalkin.com, her lead story is a liveblog from the Senate floor today.

HotAir launched a video campaign against reviving the bill, calling a vote for cloture equal to one for amnesty, and Allahpundit posted entries live throughout the lunchtime vote.

Even Captain's Quarters updated readers as the votes were unveiled this morning.

The result: a 64-35 vote to bring the bill back to the floor.

The irony: 5 out of 10 Americans stand in opposition while almost 7 out of 10 senators push for "a comprimise."

In the end, what are we, the people supposed to think? Is anyone listening up on The Hill?

-- Brandon Leonard, intern, The Washington Times

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson's surge into frontrunner terroritory continued this week as he pulled ahead of Rudolph W. Giuliani with 27 percent support among Republicans, compared to 23 percent for the former New York mayor, according to a new Rasmussen Poll.

Mr. Guiliani had led the pack of nomination hopefuls for the past five months before the deck shuffled two weeks ago.

Mr. Thompson's sudden rise to the top coincided with Arizona Sen. John McCain's falling out of favor with Republican voters, down from 18 percent in mid-May to 11 percent this week.

Not only has Mr. McCain lost support among primary voters, but he also fell 10 points in his matchup against Democratic frontrunner Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, according to a Rasmussen Poll released yesterday.

Rumors circulated Sunday that Mr. McCain was dropping out of the race, but he and others have strongly refuted these claims.

He said if you believe he's dropping out of the race "you must be smoking something stronger than what is legal" in the following video. (*Hat tip to Drudge for pointing this one out.)

Nationally syndicated columnist Michael Barone, a senior writer for U.S. News & World Report with years of experience watching politics, wrote yesterday:

"Why is the Republican primary electorate so fluid? One reason is that none of the candidates matches, or has matched until very recently, the issue preferences of the conservative Republican base. That's why Thompson, who seems a closer match, has moved up rapidly, to the point he led Giuliani by 1 percent in the most recent Rasmussen poll."

The announcement buzz surrounds Mr. Thompson's campaign, with some expecting him to announce as early as Tuesday.

With all the activity in other Republican campaigns this week, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's support has remained steady at 12 percent, a mark which he's hovered around for the past three weeks.

Since he hasn't gotten a lot of attention recently, this fishwrapper went searching for all things Mitt Romney and found this. Enjoy!

-- Brandon Leonard, intern, The Washington Times

Here are a few stories on our radar this morning. Hillary Clinton will get some headlines tonight when mega investor Warren Buffett headlines a fundraiser on her behalf. Already she has made news this morning, with the AP reporting she will pick up the endorsement of former South Carolina Gov. Richard Riley.

Mr. Riley served in her husband's administration as secretary of education and is one of the Palmetto State's most respected Democrats.

Former Sen. John Edwards worked the comedy circuit last night, appearing with wife Elizabeth on NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno." There were no shortage of haircut jokes, some made by the North Carolina politician himself.

In the money expectations game, Sen. Barack Obama, Illinois Democrat, notes on his campaign site the presidential hopeful "this week" has gotten 2,754 donations from 2,704 donors. The fundraising period ends Saturday and all the Democrats are scrambling to generate last-minute cash.

Also worth noting, the Draft Gore folks started running radio ads yesterday in Iowa to try and convince the former veep to run in 2008.

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Check out Sen. Barack Obama's first television ads. The Illinois Democrat's biographical spots are going up in the key early state of Iowa. The campaign classified the ad buy as "low-level" and said they go beyond "just campaign rhetoric."

In one, a Republican state senator from Illinois talks about working with Mr. Obama to get things done in the statehouse:

The other highlights Mr. Obama's work as a Chicago community organizer and his choice to work to improve Chicago instead of taking a high-powered law firm job:

Both include clips of Mr. Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, when most voters first noticed the presidential candidate.

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

It must be the day for attention-getting e-mail subject lines.

"Hello from Hillaryland" reads one campaign e-mail from Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY).

"What Inspires You?" asks Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in his fundraising request.

But former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) takes the cake with a "Haircuts and hatchet jobs" subject on an e-mail blasting negative campaigning.

"What happens when the candidate who will shake up Washington the most also has the best chance of getting elected?" the e-mail starts. "Everyone who likes things just the way they are gets scared and goes on the attack. If they can't attack the substance, they'll create 'scandals' any way they can. We are fighting back hard but we need your help."

Obama took a different tack, asking for cash but promising, "This is the last you will hear from me until after the June 30th deadline."

The Hillaryland memo was an update on the former first lady's recent activities, and encourages supporters to host a debate watch party July 23.

Edwards' deputy campaign manager Jonathan Prince said the other candidates are attacking his boss because they fear he is the only candidate who can win a general election, and said it is a repeat of the 2004 campaign.

"Last time they attacked his hair; this time it's his haircut. But it's the same sad game. And this time, we can beat it," Prince wrote, adding a postscript trying to debunk the New York Times story on the Edwards poverty center.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has his own ploy — comparing himself to former President Clinton.

"It was only 16 years ago that another small state governor found himself facing better funded and more well-known rivals. As late as December 1991, 70% of Americans didn't even know who this candidate was," wrote pollster Paul Maslin in the Richardson e-mail.

"But by December 1992 Bill Clinton was preparing to move in to the Oval Office. If Bill Richardson can get enough people like you behind him, there is absolutely nothing stopping him from taking off. But to get to those voters, we need resources now."

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

President Bush issued a 206-word statement in response to the Supreme Court's decision today rejecting a lawsuit against the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and the office's promotion of federal funding for religious charities.

Here is the full text of the statement:

"Today's Supreme Court decision marks a substantial victory for efforts by Americans to more effectively aid our neighbors in need of help. The Faith-Based and Community Initiative can remain focused on strengthening America's armies of compassion and expanding their good works. Similar efforts by governors and mayors in states and cities all across the country can also continue to advance.

"From the first days of my Administration, we've championed the idea that those in need are better served when government draws on the strengths of every willing community partner -- secular and faith-based, large and small. My Administration has eliminated regulatory and policy barriers in the Federal agencies, delivered training and development to more than 50,000 social service entrepreneurs, and competitively awarded tens of thousands of Federal grants to faith-based and community organizations for service to others at home and abroad. These efforts fortify America's safety net and expand our nation's supply of compassion.

"This ruling is a win for the thousands of community and faith-based nonprofits all across the country that have partnered with government at all levels to serve their neighbors. Most importantly, it is a win for the many whose lives have been lifted by the caring touch and compassionate hearts of these organizations."

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

Sen. Barack Obama, Illinois Democrat, was the first 2008 candidate to rip into Vice President Cheney today, saying the Republican veep's actions are an example of the dishonesty in government he has been assailing.

"Throughout this administration, Vice President Cheney has consistently sought to operate in secrecy and thwart rules designed to ensure the public's right to know how their business is being done," Mr. Obama said in a statement. "I believe strongly that democracy works best when it does its work in the daylight. In an Obama administration, we will launch the most sweeping ethics reform in history so that we can restore an open, honest government that finally makes real progress on the challenges facing the American people."

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- No Celine Dion for Sen. Hillary Clinton on Saturday night as she entered the Alltel Arena for a major fundraising dinner.

Clinton (D-NY) didn't play her recently chosen campaign theme song, Dion's "You and I" as she made her first presidential campaign visit to her old stomping ground.

Instead, the former first lady opted for an equally obnoxious tune -- "Who Says You Can't Go Home" -- and played it twice.

Jennifer Nettles crooned about how it "feels like I've never left" and judging by the warm reception the senator received, it's an accurate sentiment.

A friend of Fishwrap tell us it was a record turnout for the Arkansas Democratic Party, and could raise more than $200,000. The stands were packed with eager Hillary fans waiting for her speech.

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

LITTLE ROCK -- The airport here in Little Rock offers tons of political paraphernalia in honor of its native son and former first family.

Bill Clinton's smiling face appears in stores throughout the terminal, along with displays hyping his presidential library downtown.

There are figurines, coffee mugs and each Clinton's autobiography.

Also prominently displayed in two bookstores - two recently released anti-Hillary books and "The Clinton Crack-Up."

No sign of Republican 2008 hopeful Mike Huckabee, the state's former governor, at the airport so far. And the bestselling books by Sen. Barack Obama, Mrs. Clinton's chief rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, are nowhere to be found.

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

ISI's Collegiate Network had a reception Thursday at the University Club, after which the crowd adjourned to Fado.

It so happened that I had just finished editing Ralph Hallow's article for Friday's paper about efforts of conservative movement leaders to find the "next wave" of young leadership. Mr. Hallow quoted a remark by David Keene of the American Conservative Union:

Mr. Keene said the problem in finding young leadership is that "the so-called conservative movement of today consists of many young people attracted to politics by one or another politician but without a lot of thought about the philosophical underpinnings that united previous generations of conservatives."

Are young conservatives really so lacking in "philosophical underpinnings"? Mr. Sheahan answered by telling about meeting with conservative students at one campus who wanted to form a club. Mr. Sheahan said he suggested calling the club the Friedrich Hayek Society or the Milton Friedman Society.

The reaction? Blank stares. "They had no idea who they were," Mr. Sheahan said.

Perhaps Mr. Keene is onto something ....

--Robert Stacy McCain, assistant national editor, The Washington Times

House Republicans are up in arms about a Web site set up by the Democratic staff on the House Judiciary Committee to solicit tips from Justice Department employees about "the possible politicization of the United States Department of Justice since 2001."

Staff for House Minority Leader John Boehner, Ohio Republican, sent out an e-mail with the title: "Send us your innuendo, your heresy, your conjecture. We'll investigate."

Rep. Lamar Smith, Texas Republican, complained that the Web site appeared aimed at gathering information that would be shared only with Democratic staff and lawmakers.

"Let me say I hope that this Web site was not set up with members' knowledge and I trust that it will be taken down immediately," said Mr. Smith, during a hearing with Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty today.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr., Michigan Democrat said he knew nothing about the Web site, and a committee spokeswoman said the Web site was set up "by the committee."

When asked if that meant committee staff, the spokeswoman, Melanie Roussell, said, "the committee."

Rep. Linda Sanchez, who chairs the commercial and administrative law subcommittee, promised Mr. Hunt she would look into whether the Web site was improper.

The Web site says it was "created in response to numerous requests by current or former career attorneys of the Department of Justice who have advised Members and staff of the House Judiciary Committee that they are concerned that the Department has become unduly politicized in pursuing its important law enforcement functions."

Rep. Chris Cannon, Utah Republican, said "the creation of a secret Web site to collect gossip and rumors only accessible by the majority party, and only about the Bush administration, is blatant partisanship."

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

President Bush is ending his day today by headlining a fundraiser for Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican, who has been one of the staunchest opponents of the president's immigration reform bill.

Mr. Bush made much-mentioned remarks about the fundraiser last week, at a lunch with Senate Republicans. Many who attended the meeting said his joke about still being willing to raise money for Mr. Sessions cut through the tension.

Mr. Sessions is traveling with the president today in Alabama, and during a tour of a nuclear power plant in Athens, Ala., Mr. Sessions was asked if the president has changed his mind on the immigration issue.

"Well, I will say that he's mentioned it," Mr. Sessions said. "But he isn't doing any real selling."

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

Critics of Michael Moore, who was in Washington last night to preview his latest documentary, "SiCKO," acknowledge the gaps in the United States health care system, but say his film's oversimplifications are "liberal red meat offered up to the masses for monetary gain."

"SiCKO presents the cure or panacea for America is in Canada or France when these governments themselves admit they have serious problems," said Dr. David Gratzer, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a New York think tank advocating economic liberty and individual responsibility.

Dr. Gratzer, who was born in Winnipeg, Canada, said he used the terms "Canada" and "wait times" in a Google search and the Canadian Health System's Web site was the first link that came up, containing links to statistics on wait times for Canadian hospitals.

The movie, which had its global premier at the Cannes Film Festival in late May, compares the health care experiences of insured Americans to the expriences of patients in Great Britain, Canada and France and indicts insurance companies and government as the primary causes of poor health care in the United States. (Find Michael Moore's synopsis here.)

In an interview at Democracynow.org, Michael Moore said: "The reason we don't have a better system is because we've been made afraid of socialized medicine, the Canadian system, whatever, and trying to scare the American people, using ignorance as a way to increase the level of fear in the country."

However, Dr. Getzer said there is "no vast conspiracy with drug companies, Dick Cheney, because he's got to be in there, and malcontempts to rob the American people of health care."

The documentary opens across the country on June 29. Moore's D.C. appearance was at a screening for members of Congress and some health care lobbyists at Uptown Theater on Conneticut Avenue in Northwest Washington.

Here's the trailer.

-- Brandon Leonard, intern, The Washington Times

At least three leaders from the Lancaster County, Pa., Amish community are walking the halls of Congress today, lobbying lawmakers to stop a road that is planned through the heart of their farms.

Geoffrey B. McCullough, an attorney with the Amish leaders, said the community rarely if ever sends its leaders to Washington to talk to Congress.

"That shows how important this is," Mr. McCullough said.

The Amish leaders talked to Rep. Joseph R. Pitts, Pennsylvania Republican, and will this afternoon speak with Sen. Robert Casey Jr., Pennsylvania Democrat.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

When Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales testified last month before the House Judiciary Committee, Chairman John Conyers Jr., Michigan Democrat, kicked several protesters from the group Code Pink out of the hearing room.

Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty is testifying today, and the Code Pinkers were back, and this time Capitol Police ejected them, on threat of arrest, before the committee members even came into the room.

About eight women, wearing pink and orange shirts, foam tiaras on their heads, and holding signs such as, "Fire the liars," were told to leave.

One woman talked on her cell phone as she walked out, and told the officers, "My lawyer wants to know why I can't stay."

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., chairman of the Foriegn Relations Committee, today said the U.S. and its European allies should forge a new strategy for dealing with Russia.

"Over the last seven years, Russia has slipped into a mire of authoritarianism, corruption, and manufactured belligerence," the Delware Democrat said at his committee hearing on U.S.-Russian relations.

"In view of these stark realities and the Kremlin’s charged rhetoric about the United States, the most important conclusion we can draw about our strategy for dealing with Russia is that we need a new one,” Mr. Biden said.

"A joint U.S.-European approach would not and should not constitute a threat to Russia. Indeed, I believe the principal goal of such an effort should be to refocus the Kremlin on all that Russia stands to gain from working with the West -- and all that it stands to lose by sticking to a zero-sum mentality.

"The West needs to offer a clear vision of the positive role Russia could and should play as a leader in the international community. We need to devise incentives that will recognize and reward Moscow’s efforts to deal responsibly with the many common challenges we face.

"Conversely, if Russian leaders continue pursuing a zero-sum diplomacy, then it is time we address the issue together with our allies," he said.

-- S.A. Miller, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign has chosen four donors to dine with the Democrat next month.

The winners of a fundraising push are Jennifer Lasko of Lake Worth, Florida; Margaret Thomas-Jordan of Gonzales, Louisiana; Michael Griffith of Fernley, Nevada and Haile Rivera of Bronx, New York.

"We'll fly you in, I'll pay for dinner, we'll sit and we'll talk about what we need to do to change this country," the 2008 hopeful said in a Web video.

The campaign said yesterday the dinner will take place at a restaurant in D.C.

Rivera works at a New York food bank and founded a nonprofit to get kids involved in civics.

Griffith is a miner in western Nevada whose donation to Obama was his first time getting involved in politics.

Thomas-Jordan is the wife of a U.S. serviceman in Iraq. The couple has two children and she is in nursing school.

Lasko, a former Republican, is a firefighter who hasn't been active in campaigns since Ronald Reagan was reelected in 1984.

In a statement, Obama said the donors "are representative of the millions of voices that have been drowned out by the special interests in Washington."

“This dinner is about hearing from the everyday experts on how we can work together to change the problems facing this country today,” he said.

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Ideas were the original motivation of the conservative movement, and the greatest source of conservatism's strength, M. Stanton Evans told young activists Wednesday night, as he talked about the era of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan:

What was driving people was the philosophy. It was the ideas, it was the principles, not power for its own sake, not just being there to be part of the system, not playing the game. It was standing up for principles that were basic to the conservative movement. That's something that pragmatism and accommodation, waffling cannot supply, that is the commitment and motivation of people who are moved by principle, that is the greatest asset to the conservative movement has had.

-- Kevin Vance, intern, The Washington Times

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney aired a new TV ad today in Iowa and New Hampshire touting his record of turning around the 2002 Winter Olympic Games as president of the organizing committee and turning around Massachusetts as governor -- feats he promises to repeat as commander in chief.

The ad, which can be viewed here, follows this script:

Mr. Romney:

"We have an opportunity to really make a change in this country.

"Government is simply too big. State government's too big. The federal government's too big. It's spending too much.

"I'm going to cut spending. I'm going to cut taxes.

"Lower marginal tax rates for all Americans. Get taxes down. Make them simpler, and flatter, and lower.

"I've brought change to every institution I've touched. I'm going to work like crazy to go to Washington and bring change there.

"I'm Mitt Romney and I approved this message."

-- S.A. Miller, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

Check out these two interesting items about Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), examining whether he could win the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination over Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), who holds solid leads in polls.

One from a conservative viewpoint, the other from a liberal.

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) could not escape the boos this morning when addressing the liberal activists at the Take Back America conference.

She was cheered when talking about domestic policy, but when it came to the war, the heckling didn't stop.

It was a better reaction than last year, when she was booed loudly for saying she was against a "date certain" for troop withdrawal. Many attending this year lauded Clinton's recent votes against the war funding supplemental.

This morning antiwar group Code Pink was out in full force, flashing peace signs, waving handmade signs and shouting "Out of Iraq now!" throughout Clinton's address.

When she talked about Iraq being a catastrophe, protesters shouted: "You voted for it!"

The boos came when she praised the troops for doing what they'd been asked to do and said, "It is the Iraqi government that has failed."

Clinton kept her composure, telling the crowd: "I love coming here every year," getting some laughs.

"I see the signs: 'Lead us out of Iraq now,' that is what we are trying to do," she said, and kept right on going with her speech, touting her own bill to deauthorize the war.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Oh.) took the stage immediately following Clinton, and his fiery speech about impeachment and ending the war immediately brought the crowd to its feet multiple times.

He was interrupted by an "I love you!" and shouts of "Thank you!"

Next up: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat also sure to draw the
wrath of attendees who think she capitulated to President Bush on the war funding.

-- Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times

There were details about White House Budget Director Rob Portman's resignation announcement yesterday that didn't make it into our print edition today, so here it is for all you political junkies.

Mr. Portman told reporters that a run for governor of Ohio in 2010 is "a possibility," saying, "There's always a governor's race in Ohio in 2010," when asked about future prospects.

Ohio Republican Party Deputy Chairman Kevin DeWine said he was excited at the idea of a Portman candidacy in 2010.

"His credentials are second to none and he would be a fine addition to the statewide ticket in 2010," Mr. DeWine said.

But Mr. DeWine appeared to wavve off speculation that Mr. Portman might also consider a run for the U.S. Senate if Sen. George Voinovich, Ohio Republican, does not run for re-election in 2010.

"We have every indication that Senator Voinovich will be running for re-election," Mr. DeWine said.

Meanwhile, spokespersons for all three of the leading Republican candidates for president in 2008 said it was too early to say whether Mr. Portman would sign on as an advisor and power broker in the crucial swing state of Ohio.

But Mr. Portman will be a valuable pickup for whoever can land him, said one spokesperson who asked to remain anonymous.

"Rob Portman is a well respected conservative voice in the campaign. He'll be influential in whoever's campaign he joins, both in the primary, speaking to conservative issues, and in the general, being from a swing state," the spokesperson said.

At least one liberal think tank said Mr. Portman's departure was not caused by his stated desire to spend more time with his family, but rather by as yet uncovered scandals that he would not want to be associated with.

"All of us who have researched Rob Portman think he's an upstanding person," said Faiz Shakir, research director at the Center for American Progress. "We have concerns that scandals he may be uninvolved with might have hastened his departure to clear his name of it."

As for Jim Nussle, the former Republican congressman from Iowa who lost his bid for the Hawkeye state governor's mansion, Democrats who had worked closely with the former House Budget Committee chairman lavished him with an odd mixture of praise and criticism for his new boss, President Bush.

"Jim Nussle worked for Iowa in Congress for nearly two decades, and I'm sure he'll continue to work to advance Iowa's interests in his new position as President Bush's budget director," said Rep. Bruce Braley, Iowa Democrat, who neglected to say whether Mr. Nussle will advance America's interests. "I hope that his experience in Congress as House Budget Chair will help President Bush appreciate the budget priorities of the American people."

Comments from Rep. John M. Spratt, South Carolina Democrat and current House Budget Committee chair, exhibited even more vacillation.

During the afternoon, Mr. Spratt was quoted as saying that Mr. Nussle "is well-versed in the budget and knows the principles of the Congress well, so I think he'll do well."

Later in the day, however, Mr. Spratt's staff e-mailed out a prepared statement, in which the congressman said that when Mr. Nessle was in Congress, "though Jim and I disagreed on policies, the disagreements never were personal."

"Indeed, Jim was a fair and honorable chairman. Democrats have fundamental disagreements with the Bush Administration about our nation's priorities, and I doubt that a new director at OMB will change those priorities," Mr. Spratt said. "But in selecting Jim Nussle to succeed Rob Portman, the president is replacing one able and knowledgeable man with another. While I expect that we will disagree much more often than we will agree, I congratulate Jim Nussle on his nomination, and I look forward to working with him."

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times