A promised letter from the Bush administration clarifying testimony last week by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales seems to be something of a hot potato.

Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Republican, said last night that the Bush administration had "committed" to issuing this letter by noon today.

The letter was to be sent to the offices of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat, and Mr. Specter, the panel's ranking member.

But no letter has yet been released, and there is no clear answer to the question of who is going to issue any such letter.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said during a midday briefing that the Justice Department would be releasing the letter.

But a Justice spokesman said he does not know if any letter is forthcoming.

One White House reporter said Justice was directing calls to the Director of National Intelligence's office, and that they would be issuing the letter to Mr. Leahy's office, but not releasing anything.

A DNI spokesman, however, declined to confirm whether any letter was being issued. All he could confirm is that no such letter had been issued as of mid-afternoon.

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

White House spokesman Tony Snow said House Democratic members spearheading an effort to impeach Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales are in "a race to be most toxic."

"This is the kind of thing that is designed to turn up the temperature rather than turn on the light," Mr. Snow said.

Rep. Jay Inslee, a Democrat from Seattle, is sponsoring a resolution that would "investigate whether [Mr.] Gonzales should be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors."

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, and Rep. Peter DeFazio, both Oregon Democrats, said today they would co-sponsor the measure.

"I hope that this will serve as a wake-up call to the entire Bush administration," Mr. Blumenauer said.

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

Bob Novak stopped by the Heritage Foundation today for a lunchtime discussion with conservative bloggers about his new professional autobiography, The Prince of Darkness.

While he lamented the practice of reporters acting as opinion drivers and news analysts, Novak wasn't shy about offering a few opinions of his own.

When asked to rate the current field of Republican presidential candidates, Novak didn't have any kind words for the current top-tier field of Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney and John McCain. But when pressed as to who he thinks will be the eventual nominee, Novak said he expects Thompson to get the nod.

However, Novak offered his own personal endorsement of Texas congressman Ron Paul. "He's a very engaging person... I'd like to see him as president," Novak said. "Can you imagine him at the United Nations?"

Novak had harsh words for other Republican lawmakers and causes as well. He said he didn't believe the hotly contested immigration bill equated to amnesty, but acknowledged the politics of the debate were "poison." And he described the fight over congressional earmarks as a "show," lacking substance because he believes most members of Congress will say they oppose federal spending but will turn around and vote for spending bills anyway.

When asked what he thinks of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Novak joked, "I think he's the worst leader of the Senate since Bill Frist."

-- Eric Pfeiffer, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

In an unusual twist on presidential fundraising, supporters of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) are holding a date auction tomorrow night.

"Over 100 young professionals from all over the DC-Metro area will meet on Wednesday night for an event to change America... and possibly their love lives," organizer Jim McBride wrote in a press release announcing the event at MCCXXIII's "Spank" in Northwest Washington.

Organizers will "auction" off 20 dates at the fundraiser, billed as: "Bid on your crush for Obama."

"Barack Obama is the rare candidate that inspires young people to get involved and fun themes like a date auction are a great way to harness their enthusiasm toward supporting the campaign," said McBride, president of Arlington Young Democrats who founded a group for Democrat Jim Webb in Virginia last year during the Senate race. He said he plans to start "Generation Obama in DC" on Aug. 25 to mobilize young voters.

"We [to] need move on from this 'Obama Girl' hype and translate it into something meaningful that can help Obama win the nomination," McBride said in the release, which had typos and misspelled the word "environment."

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

Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott came to the defense of Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, whose Alaska home was raided Monday by FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents in a corruption investigation.

"We all know Ted Stevens as a good man, a tireless advocate for improving the quality of life in Alaska — a decorated veteran and a true patriot of our country," said Mr. Lott, Mississippi Republican. "He's asked us to await all information during this investigation, and I will, while I'm standing by our longest-serving colleague."

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

About 400 college students braved the rainy weather today to attend the kickoff of the week-long National Conservative Student Conference hosted by Young America's Foundation.

The students come from 36 states and 180 schools, from Auburn University in Alabama to Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. Today they heard speakers such as Bay Buchanan and Seattle radio talk-show host Kirby Wilbur. Mr. Wilbur disputed the claim of some liberals that the Constitution bars religion from the public square. The Founders simply wanted to avoid having a federal established church, such as the Anglican Church in England, Mr. Wilbur said. In fact, several states had established churches supported by tax dollars, such as the Congregational Church in Connecticut.

The conference, held at George Washington University, continues through Friday. Speakers will include Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, syndicated columnist Robert Novak, economist Walter Williams, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and former Sen. George Allen.

-- Kevin Vance and Elizabeth Miller, national news interns, The Washington Times

Vice President Dick Cheney sat down today for an interview with Mark Knoller of CBS News radio, and told Mr. Knoller what he did during the two hours he was acting president on Saturday, July 21.

President Bush underwent a colonoscopy at Camp David that morning, and transferred his powers to Mr. Cheney during the procedure.

Q: About two Saturdays ago, for two hours and five minutes, you were technically acting president of the United States when Mr. Bush invoked the 25th amendment. So that certainly made you part of the executive branch.

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Correct.

Q: Did you take any presidential actions during that time?

THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, I basically wrote a letter to my grandkids.

Q: As acting president?

THE VICE PRESIDENT: As acting President.

Q: What did you say in that letter?

THE VICE PRESIDENT: A souvenir for them to have down the road some day.

Q: Were you tempted to take any actions during that period?

THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, I was not.

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

Presidential hopeful former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) is making a "BIG" push this morning to pressure Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign.

In an e-mail that also solicits donations, Edwards' campaign manager Joe Trippi asks supporters to deliver a "simple message" to the embattled top attorney.

"Remember the Constitution that you were sworn to uphold? Remember what this country stands for? Remember the laws you were supposed to defend? If you do, then do what is right — just once — and resign."

"But then again, maybe it has been so long since Gonzales read the Constitution that he forgot what this great document says," Trippi adds. "Let's remind him."

The message also says Gonzales has "no respect for the rule of law, our rights and freedoms, or the Constitution," and says he "helped enable torture at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and illegal spying on Americans."

Trippi said for each signature, the Edwards campaign will send Gonzales a copy of the Constitution. And "With your help, we can send Gonzales a really BIG message."

The BIG message? If the campaign gets 25,000 signatures, "We're going to put them at the bottom of the largest copy of the Constitution you have ever seen, and deliver it straight to Gonzales' office at the Robert F. Kennedy Justice Department building in Washington, D.C. How big a copy of the Constitution? Big. Really big."

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

Comedian Stephen Colbert dropped by the White House this afternoon to tape a segment for his show that included White House spokesman Tony Snow.

Mr. Colbert, who hosts "The Colbert Report," gained national fame and infamy for his 2006 speech mocking President Bush at the White House Correspondent's Dinner.

Mr. Snow was all smiles, however, as Mr. Colbert asked him to sign a cast on his left hand. Mr. Colbert said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, had already signed the cast and that he was trying to "heal America" and also "raise wrist awareness" by getting Democrats and Republicans to sign his cast.

The White House press office played along, filling the White House briefing room seats with various bystanders. Press office staffer Peter Seat even went so far as to give a fake "two minutes to the briefing" announcement over the intercom.

Before Mr. Colbert met Mr. Snow, however, CNN's Suzanne Malveaux asked Mr. Colbert what he was doing at the White House. Mr. Colbert's answers were almost intentionally bizarre, as if to provoke awkwardness and embarassment.

Watch Ms. Malveaux's interview of Mr. Colbert in the video below.

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

An interesting pro-Obama political YouTube video we came across today.

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

The Clinton campaign sent out two eyebrow-raising fundraising e-mails today.

The first, titled "Cleavage," rips The Washington Post for its 746-word story last week about how Sen. Hillary Clinton's cleavage was "undeniable" due to her "low" neckline when she was on the Senate floor talking about education.

"I've seen some off-topic press coverage -- but talking about body parts? That is grossly inappropriate," said Clinton senior adviser Ann Lewis in an e-mail this morning. "Frankly, focusing on women's bodies instead of their ideas is insulting. By now, the media should know
better. But they don't."

Lewis later noted that the jacket Clinton (D-NY) wore during Monday's debate was up for discussion and settled the argument about its color: coral. "Debates should be serious business. We are,
after all, picking the next commander in chief," she said.

The note included this: "Clothes? Make up? Cleavage? What's really important in this race?" Sound familiar?

The campaign sent a second note this afternoon taking a stab at Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for his remarks about Clinton's foreign policy strategy.

"Last week, one of the leading Republican candidates equated Hillary with Karl Marx. Yesterday, one of the leading Democratic candidates called her 'Bush-Cheney lite,'" said Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle "Can you imagine?? Hillary like George Bush??!! Or Dick Cheney!! You and I both know that Hillary has stood up time and time again to the failed Bush/Cheney policies."

Trouble is, Obama didn't actually "call" Clinton "Bush-Cheney lite."

Check for yourself. The Clinton campaign has provided video of the back-and-forth from yesterday on their pro-Hillary "news" site.

Settle in, folks. It's going to be a long, brutal campaign.

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

The Senate last night passed legislation to implement the final recommendations of the September 11 Commission that includes the "John Doe" provision to protect airline passengers from being sued if they report suspicious behavior that foreshadows a terrorist attack.

The measure passed the Senate on a vote of 85-8, and final passage is expected later this afternoon in the House.

The White House has not issued a veto threat, however the Bush administration opposes one provision in the bill that would require funding appropriations for secret intelligence activity be made public.

The bill also changes the formula for Homeland Security grant distribution to ensure high-risk areas including the Captiol region get a larger share of funding, $4 billion for rail, transit and bus security, funding for interoperability communications, and it strengthens security measures for the Visa Waiver Program.

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

"Get Al Gore to run again? It would be a simple slogan: Re-elect Al Gore."

-- Democratic strategist Bob Shrum telling Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert that Gore won the presidency in 2000. The line got big laughs from 'The Colbert Report' studio audience.

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

Emerging details about the history of the government's domestic surveillance program, combined with a close look at the transcript of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' testimony this week, may explain supposed discrepancies in what the attorney general said.

Democrats today called for a special prosecutor to look at whether Mr. Gonzales perjured himself in his testimony on Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

It appears that the Terrorist Surveillance Program under dispute in 2004, and under question in Mr. Gonzales' testimony, was broader and wider than the program that is now in effect.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, she thinks such a scenario is likely.

"I do believe they had a broader program," she said in an interview Tuesday.

President Bush in December 2005, 18 months after the internal disagreement over the TSP, publicly revealed that the National Security Agency was monitoring calls from suspected terrorists made to and from U.S. phone numbers.

But James Comey, the former Deputy Attorney General, told Congress in May that the TPS, at President Bush's direction, was pared down and revised in 2004 after the disagreement.

That revision was made 18 months before the president disclosed the program. That means there were likely other intelligence-gathering and surveillance measures in place in 2004 that were eliminated after the disagreement.

Those measures would no longer have been operative when the president announced the program 18 months later.

Mr. Comey was acting attorney general in March 2004, after Attorney General John Ashcroft was incapacitated in intensive care after an emergency gallbladder surgery and transferred his powers to Mr. Comey.

Mr. Comey objected to some part of the TSP on legal grounds, and on March 10, 2004, Mr. Gonzales visited Mr. Ashcroft in the hospital to see if he would take back his powers and reauthorize the intelligence-gathering activities.

Mr. Ashcroft refused, but the next day, March 11, 2004, the White House went forward with the program anyway.

Mr. Comey then decided to resign, but was persuaded to stay through the weekend.

Mr. Comey said he and FBI Director Robert Mueller went to the White House on March 12, 2004, for a regular briefing.

"As I was leaving, the president asked to speak to me, took me in his study, and we had a one-on-one meeting for about 15 minutes, again which I will not go into the substance of. There was a very full exchange," Mr. Comey said. "And at the end of that meeting, at my urging, he met with Director Mueller, who was waiting for me downstairs. He met with Director Mueller, again, privately, just the two of them. And then after those two sessions, we had his direction to do the right thing."

"We had the president's direction to do what we believed, what the Justice Department believed was necessary to put this matter on a footing where we could certify to its legality. And so we then set out to do that, and we did that," Mr. Comey said.

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse confirmed that the TSP was pared down in 2004 from its original form.

"The disagreement that occurred in March 2004 concerned the legal basis for intelligence activities that have not been publicly disclosed and that remain highly classified," Mr. Roehrkasse said.

Mr. Gonzales, in his testimony this week, skirted a very fine line in denying that the 2004 disagreement was related to the TSP program.

Mr. Gonzales said the disagreement "was not about the Terrorist Surveillance Program that the president announced to the American people."

Mr. Gonzales also said, "The president confirmed the existence of one set of intelligence activities. ... Mr. Comey was talking about a disagreement that existed with respect to other intelligence activities."

Mr. Gonzales made several statements to this effect, also saying that "the dissent was not about the Terrorist Surveillance Program that the president confirmed."

The attorney general did make one questionable statement that was not clarified like all his other statements, under intense questioning from Sen. Chuck Schumer, New York Democrat.

"The disagreement on the 10th was about other intelligence activities," Mr. Gonzales, indicating that it was not the TSP that "the president had confirmed."

But Mr. Schumer pressed hard.

"Not about the TSP. Yes or no?" Mr. Schumer said.

"The disagreement -- the reason we had to go to the hospital had to do with other intelligence activities," Mr. Gonzales replied.

"Not the TSP? If you say it's about other, that implies not. Now say it or not," Mr. Schumer said.

"It was not. It was about other intelligence activities," Mr. Gonzales said.

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

An interesting phrase from the Wall Street Journal:

Political ad-makers Russ Schriefer and Stuart Stevens, veterans of President Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaigns, on Monday emailed [Arizona Sen. John McCain's] new campaign manager -- lobbyist and longtime McCain adviser Rick Davis -- to say that they were quitting. ...

Their resignations followed a story in The Wall Street Journal Monday about Mr. Davis's business and lobbying activities. Current and former McCain campaign advisers say those activities -- which involved a business he started and another launched by an acquaintance of his -- amounted to profiteering at the campaign's expense and risked embarrassing the senator.

A lot of the cynicism in American politics today stems from the (largely unacknowledged) fact that politics is a multimillion-dollar industry. It's 15 months until Election Day, and already the major national party campaign committees have raised a combined total of $188 million for the 2008 campaign. That's not counting the money raised by individual candidates, PACs, 527s, etc.

Everyone in the politics industry can tell tales of operatives who treat campaigns like get-rich-quick opportunities. I've heard plenty of such stories over the years -- stories I can't repeat because they were told in confidence.

Grassroots contributors and volunteer activists are essential to the success of any campaign. But a major campaign -- for governor, Congress or the White House -- also requires the services of paid professionals, and if the professionals don't do their jobs right, then the labors of candidates and volunteers (and the contributors' cash) are simply wasted.

There are fortunes to be made in the business of professional politics, and there is no shortage of consultants and strategists who have raked in big money running losing campaigns. It's not that the consultants and strategists want their clients to lose, of course. It's simply that the professionals get paid, win or lose.

One of the sure signs of a doomed campaign is that the campaign budget seems to evaporate with astonishing rapidity. No matter how much money the candidate raises, the campaign's spending is like a bottomless pit, so the cash-on-hand number sinks faster than the candidate's poll numbers.

"Where did all that money go?" the candidate's disappointed supporters may wonder. "And why didn't all that spending produce a better result?"

Campaigns pay professionals for political advice, but bad advice is not necessarily cheaper than good advice. And like I said: The pros get paid, win or lose.

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

"I'm on a conference call right now. ... There's like, reporters from the New York Times."

-- Someone on Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-CT) campaign conference call Thursday afternoon. It was unclear if the voice belonged to a staffer; the campaign apparently was not utilizing the mute function.

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

Four Democratic senators this morning asked Solicitor General Paul Clement to appoint a special prosecutor who would investigate whether Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has misled Congress or perjured himself in recent testimony.

"The attorney general has provided -- at a minimum -- half-truths and misleading statements about the removal and replacement of U.S. Attorneys, about his role in trying to circumvent Acting Attorney General [Jim] Comey, and about the administration's position on the NSA wiretapping program," said a letter from the senators to Mr. Clement.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, New York Democrat, said that Mr. Gonzales' "instinct is not to tell the truth, but to dissemble and deceive."

The Justice Department has said Mr. Gonzales is standing by his testimony, and the White House this morning took aim at Democrats for their actions.

"Every day congressional Democrats prove that they're more interested in headlines than doing the business Americans want them to do," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto. "And Americans are now taking notice that this Congress, under Democratic leadership, is failing to tackle important issues."

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

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will visit President Bush's retreat at Camp David on Sunday and Monday, the White House announced this morning.

"The president looks forward to continuing consultations with the prime minister on a broad range of shared goals, including progress in Iraq and Afghanistan, preventing Iran from obtaining the means to build nuclear weapons, ending the genocide in Darfur, and protecting our homelands from the threat posed by terrorists," White House spokesman Tony Snow said in a statement.

It will be Mr. Brown's first visit to the U.S. as Britain's prime minister. He took over for former Prime Minister Tony Blair late last month.

-- Jon Ward, Washington Times

Democratic Leadership Council CEO Al From this morning dismissed as "crazy" an accusation from White House hopeful Mike Gravel that his organization "sold out" the Democratic Party.

From, speaking about politics with reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast, was asked about Gravel's comment during Monday's Democratic debate. The former senator from Alaska said: "The Democratic Party used to stand for the ordinary working man. But the Clintons and the DLC sold out the Democratic Party to Wall Street."

"It probably doesn't even need a response," From said, noting the Clinton administration's achievements, including creating new jobs and reducing poverty and crime.

"The record is very clear," he said. "I don't understand this revisionist history that somehow takes the best decade that America has had probably in the 20th century and tries to make it some sort of an abandonment of Democratic principles. It's crazy, it's wrong."

DLC President Bruce Reed predicted Democrats will do well in 2008 elections and gain more Congressional seats, brushing aside questions about low approval ratings for Capitol Hill Democrats.

Voters understand President Bush sets the agenda and Congress "does its best" to "limit the damage," he said.

"George Bush is handing us our Hoover moment but we'll only build a lasting majority if we put in place and carry out an agenda that works," Reed said.

From, instrumental in helping Bill Clinton win the presidency in 1992, had kind words for current Democratic frontrunner Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) as well.

Without naming names, From said he's heard privately from Southern governors who believe the New York Democrat and former first lady would be the strongest candidate who could win a general election in Southern states.

Across the country she has "strong support," he said, adding it is the type of support that leads him to think "she's going to end up winning the White House."

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

Democratic Leadership Council President Bruce Reed said yesterday that Sen. John Kerry's famed flip flopping explanation about $87 billion in Iraq funding was cringe-worthy.

The 2004 Democratic presidential nominee (Mass.) was "spectacularly unsuccessful" articulating his reasoning, Reed told reporters after a Christian Science Monitor breakfast today. "You couldn't ask for a worse argument."

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

A week after Democrats nearly killed the proposed "John Doe" protection, the measure was revived in a conference committee:

A late-night agreement yesterday guaranteed that so-called "John Doe" protection -- to prevent airline passengers from being sued for reporting suspicious behavior -- will get a floor vote in the House and Senate.

"This is a huge win -- a hard-fought victory for House Republicans and, more importantly, for the American people," said Peter T. King, New York Republican and ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee.

The provision survived a contentious congressional process before a House-Senate conference committee agreed just before midnight yesterday to include the measure in the final draft of the September 11 Commission bill.

The move ensures the provision cannot be amended on the floor. It is expected to come to a vote in both houses of Congress before the August recess.

Some Republican aides are attributing the mounting pressure to support the provision to press reports and the blogosphere, where bloggers turned bloggyists are posting phone numbers of Democrat congressional leaders and urging readers to call in with their support.

"The blogs have been a terrific vehicle for expressing public outrage over Democratic attempts to kill this provision," said a spokesman for [Rep. Peter T.] King.

I have personally seen ... unbelievable amounts of hits from .gov and senate.gov and house.gov, IP adresses, specifically visiting my own John Doe pieces. They were watching, they understood. We were heard and it is gratifying.

"Any person who, in good faith and based on objectively reasonable suspicion, makes or causes to be made, a voluntary report of covered activity to an authorized official shall be immune from civil liability under federal, state and local law for such report," the conference language says.

Democrats have yet to figure out a way to pretend to be in favor of even fighting the war on terror with law enforcement while actually doing the best to subvert it.

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

UPDATE 3:30 p.m.:

AllahPundit makes a sharp catch:

The new language requires that there be an "objectively reasonable suspicion" for the immunity to apply. That's the GOP's concession to the concerns of Bennie Thompson and the Democrats that people would use their "John Doe" immunity to go around making all sorts of paranoid claims. In essence, it leaves things in the hands of the jury: if a passenger is sued for making a report and the jury decides that their suspicion was reasonable, the passenger is immune. If not, no immunity.

Bloggers generally liked last night's CNN/YouTube debate, saying the event "actually lived up to its hype."

"For about two hours last night, American political discourse was more genuine, diverse and -- just as the Internet visionaries promised -- more authentic than most days on the campaign trail," Ari Melber said in a blog at The Huffington Post.

Some bloggers thought the event was such a success that they went on to say debates using reporter's questions were less effective.

"I think the formats of debate that are done by reporter questions are weak in comparison," Todd Beeton said on a thread at MyDD.com, which afterwards discussed the debate via Internet radio. "It also seems to keep the candidates on their toes a bit more, or off balance, which is good too."

Some bloggers weren't sold.

Jeff Jarvis, who championed the event Sunday as a step forward in free speech, later criticized CNN for choosing videos that made this debate "the usual horse-race blather."

"I am sorely disappointed. CNN selected too many obvious, dutiful, silly questions," Jarvis said in a wrap-up post titled "Their Debate," a slight variation from his previous entries on the debate, entitled "Our Debate." "I have no doubt -- no doubt -- that we, the people, would have done a better job picking the questions than CNN did."

He ended with: "A terribly wasted opportunity, this was."

Kos, on a thread at Dailykos.com, was discouraged by CNN's selection of pundits for the pre-debate panel. "The CNN pre-debate panel: a Republican strategist (Ed Rollins), a conservative columnist from the NY Daily News (Michael Goodwin), and a Hillary strategist. And Lou Dobbs. UGH," he said.

But in the end, Kos called the debate "pretty cool."

Michelle Malkin, who added her voice to the critics', didn't think too highly of the debate, repeatedly calling it a "circus."

"Yeah, it's tonight at 7pm Eastern. The 'historic' night on which presidential candidates will attempt to prove their hipness and Yoot Vote appeal by making contrived references to LonelyGirl15, Ask a Ninja, and these techno-fancy things on the Internets called 'blogs,'" Malkin said.

Hugh Hewitt also criticized the questions CNN chose, saying:

"Five out of six of the questions have been idiotic, while a few have been quite good. The most disingenuous moment was when Anderson Cooper protested that the "are you authentically black" question to Senator Obama wasn't his. Yes, indeed, it was Cooper's question, because CNN's staff, with Cooper's participation, selected these questions. All of these questions are CNN's, and it is silly to protest otherwise. If any of them are inappropriate or silly, that reflects on CNN's judgment."

-- Brandon Leonard, intern, The Washington Times

Anti-war and anti-Bush protesters, mainly from Code Pink, stormed toward Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales at the end of his nearly four-hour hearing today before the Senate Judiciary Committee, demanding he resign.

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

President Bush was, reportedly, not interested in the Democratic debate last night in South Carolina, where presidential candidates answered video questions submitted on YouTube by private citizens.

"Did he watch the debate?" a reporter asked White House spokesman Tony Snow this morning on board Air Force One, as Mr. Bush traveled to South Carolina.

"I don't think so. I don't think he's big on YouTube debates," Mr. Snow said.

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

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat, said today that it is likely the Senate will vote to hold Bush administration officials in contempt of Congress for not responding to congressional subpoenas.

"If they don't respond, I think there will be contempt citations from the two branches," Mr. Leahy told reporters.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr., Michigan Democrat, said yesterday he will hold a vote tomorrow to hold White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten, and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers, in contempt of Congress.

Congressional Democrats want Ms. Miers to testify on her involvement in the U.S. Attorneys firings, and they want internal White House communications from Mr. Bolten.

President Bush has invoked executive privilege, however, and said he does not have to disclose internal deliberations to Congress.

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

It's not just Fox News that has confused Sen. Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat running for president, with Al Qaeada leader Osama bin Laden.

Sen. Dick Durbin, Illinois Democrat, who is Mr. Obama's senior senator and strong ally, did it this morning in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

"It is well known that Obama, excuse me, Osama bin Laden is still at large," Mr. Durbin said, in a question to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.

The mistake drew gasps from observers in the gallery.

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

The Republican presidential race is more unsettled than it seems, says pollster Scott Rasmussen.

Rasmussen said Republicans have not organized behind any announced candidate and are waiting to see if Fred Thompson will be able to unify voters unimpressed with the Republicans' lineup.

"If Thompson collapses after entering the race, the biggest danger for the GOP is that none of the candidates may measure up to the hopes and expectations of the party faithful," Rasmussen said in an analysis released yesterday.

Thompson, who has not formally announced a run for presidency, is the first and only Republican to receive a core support of 25 percent or more, according to Rasmussen.

-- Brandon Leonard, intern, The Washington Times

That's what Sen. Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat, told Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales this morning in a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing.

Mr. Leahy, who chairs the panel, went after Mr. Gonzales in his opening statement for the attorney general's handling of the U.S. Attorneys firings and civil liberties abuses by the FBI.

Mr. Leahy said he doubts the sincerity of Mr. Gonzales' vow to fix "problems" at the Justice Department.

"Is he committed to corrective action?" Mr. Leahy said. "His lack of independence and tendency to act as if he were the president's lawyer ... makes that doubtful."

Mr. Leahy also criticized Mr. Gonzales' promise to better police the use of counter-terrorism information gathering tools as insufficient.

"With a history of civil liberties abuses and cover-ups, this administration has squandered our trust," Mr. Leahy said.

"I don't trust you," Mr. Leahy said to Mr. Gonzales.

Ranking Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, of Pennsylvania, also said that "a very heavy cloud" hangs over the Justice Department.

"We have so many items that every week a new issue arises," Mr. Specter said. "Is your department functioning?"

Mr. Gonzales did not respond to any of these criticisms in his opening statement, but instead asked the panel to help the Justice Department fight terrorism.

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The candidates have left or are leaving town, but residents aren't done with politics today. President Bush will touch down here in a few hours and talk about Iraq. Folks here are still buzzing about last night's debate, a completely new type of forum that allowed YouTubers to submit their own questions that will live on forever on the Internet.

One of the questions chosen for last night's debate comes from an old friend of our other political blog -- Remy Munosifi of McLean. Loyal readers will remember his song during the 2006 Allen-Webb Senate race, "The Macaca Blues."

He got his 15 minutes of fame and more last night as a CNN guest, and got big laughs for asking the White House hopefuls to pardon his parking ticket.

The Chris Dodd (D-CT) "Talk Clock" returned and revealed that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) had the most talk time, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and moderator Anderson Cooper of CNN. Cooper, attending the afterparty last night, joked he was getting a "death stare" from some of the candidates on the stage as he tried to direct questions to the right one after each video played.

Reporters went gaga for Obamagirl, who donned gold stiletto heels and told this Fishwrapper: "I'm still taking it all in. They answered the questions good."

Also bringing tinsel town to the Palmetto State were actors Rhys Coiro ("Entourage" fame) and Richard Schiff, who played Toby Ziegler on longtime series "The West Wing," there representing the Creative Coalition.

Schiff, checking the Yankees score on his handheld, lauded the performances of Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and noted the format allowed everyone to "become more likable."

Coiro, who plays director Billy Walsh on the HBO show, agreed: "The more you get to see all the people talk unadulterated the better."

Some in the press room were scratching their heads at the exchange between Former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) and Clinton, during which he complimented her but said, "I'm not sure about that coat," in reference to her melon-colored suit jacket.

It was an odd moment for the guy who has been ridiculed as being obsessed with his hair and looking good, and sparked a spirited discussion among reporters about its actual color. Was it salmon? Simply orange or pink?

Obama chimed in: "I actually like Hillary's jacket."

Each of the candidates played their own 30-second videos last night, and they are worth checking out if you browse the selections here.

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

OK, so far the funniest reaction I've seen is from David Weigel at Reason magazine's Hit & Run blog:

Hillary wins. Luckily, I have a passport.

Dan Riehl observes:

Obama said he sent his kids to a private school because he had taught there and it was five minutes from his home, which made it the best choice for his kids.

Yours? I guess we can bus them.

Here's more of what Mr. Obama said in Charleston:

The problem is, is that we don't have good schools, public schools, for all kids.

A U.S. senator can get his kid into a terrific public school. That's not the question. The question is whether or not ordinary parents, who can't work the system, are able to get their kids into a decent school, and that's what I need to fight for and will fight for as president of the United States.

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

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- This Fishwrapper is very pleased the snowman's question on global warming was selected for the televised debate, and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) gave a serious answer to the funny questioner: "We shouldn't have our snowmen melting or our planet melting either."

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) got big laughs for his intro video, titled "Hair." Set to the tune from the '60s-era musical, it played on embarrassing headlines revealing the former senator had gotten a $400 haircut and showed competing images of hair and scenes from Iraq and following Hurricane Katrina. It closed with "What really matters? You choose."

A question about former Vice President Al Gore's potential presidential ambitions also drew knee slapping from the audience here at The Citadel. With Gore hinting at a run, "Does that hurt y'all's feelings?" asked Jackie Broyles and Dunlap (of RedStateUpdate) from Murfreesboro, Tenn. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) joked: "I think the people of Tennessee just had their feelings hurt."

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

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- CNN's Anderson Cooper just introduced Sen. Joe Biden to the debate audience as "Congressman."

Biden (D-Del.), upon hearing the demotion, grimaced but made his way to the stage.

Reporters are watching it on a closed circuit TV in the press room before it goes live to CNN, so I don't think the viewing public noticed.

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

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Some reporters are scurrying around after noticing the Palmetto State mascot making its way through the debate filing center at The Citadel. I'm told that's a nice way of saying cockroach. My guess -- he's heading for the spin room.

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

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Good news, Dodd-iacs! That's right - Sen. Chris Dodd's "Talk Clock" is back for tonight's debate.

The candidates' talk time will be calculated and posted on his campaign site.

The senator (D-CT) also is posting "behind the scenes video" of him answering the highest rated questions on YouTube.

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

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Google touch is all over tonight's Democratic debate, especially the snack kitchen in the press filing center. Best feature: a candy bar, complete with M&Ms and organic yogurt raisins. It also has fun-shaped tables in bright colors with a flower vase on each.

Very Silicon Valley.

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

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. -- Calling tonight's debate a way of "opening up a window to the world," the YouTube founders this afternoon outlined its format and the 2,989 questions submitted during a lunch with reporters.

They also showed this compilation of You Tube's role in politics since its founding earlier this decade.

Founder Steve Chen said he views users as "one upload button away" from direct contact with the presidential hopefuls and noted how some questions were submitted via cell phone. Founder Chad Hurley chimed in the debate adds a "new level of transparency" to politics that extends "beyond Hew Hampshire and Iowa," literally to "the world."

Stay tuned. The 8 candidates will get grilled by You Tubers from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight on CNN. I think this one is my favorite, though there are some great, serious and tough questions, many of which are better than anything reporters have been asking Clinton, Obama and friends.

Also submitting questions for the Democrats were the anti-Hillary StopHerNow organizers and RNC Chairman Mike Duncan.

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

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Number of copies of the latest Harry Potter book spotted on plane ride to Charleston: 12

Number of cars sporting a Kucinich sticker in this Fishwrapper's Charleston hotel: 1

Number of times a pro-Pelosi and Reid TV ad played during the morning news: 2

Number of questions submitted by YouTubers in advance of tonight's debate: 2,989

Number of spouses named Bill who attended the Democratic candidate "spouses" lunch earlier: 0

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

Former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson continues to edge away from Rudy Giuliani among GOP primary voters, according to a new Rasmussen Poll of potential presidential candidates.

Rasmussen has Thompson, with 26 percent of likely voters, leading Giuliani by four percentage points.

Giuliani's numbers were in the 30s until surveys started including Thomspon in April.

Since then, he has struggled, last week falling to 21 percent, the lowest rating he has received since Rasmussen surveys begain January. This week he improved to 22 percent.

Thompson's support remains strong even as the media have been more closely scrutinizing Thompson's record. Still, some doubt he can has the staying power to emerge as the Republican candidate.

-- Brandon Leonard, intern, The Washington Times

Pollster Scott Rasmussen today said tonight's cutting-edge CNN/YouTube debate will not affect any Democratic candidate's standing in the race for nomination.

"As the Democratic Presidential candidates gather for yet another debate— this time in Charleston, South Carolina —some may be wondering if it's worth the effort. This is the fourth candidate debate of the season and nothing has changed since the first one ended. In fact, polling has shown an incredibly stable race," Rasmussen said in an analysis released today.

Rasmussen explains:

The debates have had little impact partly because there have been few surprises and largely because only hard-core political junkies are watching. Those watching the debates are also following news of the campaigns in other forums as well. Only a major gaffe or startling policy pronouncement will break through the news clutter and impact the general public's view of the race.

But not everyone agrees with his commentary previewing tonight's debate.

Jeff Jarvis, who writes at BuzzMachine and PrezVid, disagreed with Rasmussen and gave three reasons why the debate is important for Americans.

He said:

"The YouTube debates could fundamentally change the dynamics of politics in America, giving a voice to the people, letting us be heard by the powerful and the public, enabling us to coalesce around our interests and needs, and even teaching reporters who are supposed to ask questions in our stead how they should really do it.

The debates could also demonstrate that democracy is in good hands, that we care, we are smart, we are informed. Too often, that's not the PR we, the people, get. We're masses who don't know and don't give a [expletive deleted]. But that's not the people you see in the vast majority of YouTube's 2,000-plus debate questions.

Finally, the debates could begin to change the relationship between candidates and voters. Campaigns always have been and still are all about control, about handing down a message, about the appearance of listening."

Here's the video YouTube has been using to solicit videos from users.

For tonight's Democratic debate, 2,989 videos have been submitted with videos asking about a wide array of topics -- from the future of nuclear power in America to high college tuition fees.

-- Brandon Leonard, intern, The Washington Times