The group some label the conservative counterpart to MoveOn.org is using the Web to hit House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, for underestimating the cost of a gallon of gas during an interview last week with CNN's Larry King.

During the interview, Pelosi says gasoline increased threefold since President Bush took office and has risen to $2.56 a gallon. However, gasoline costs $3.60 per gallon nationally, according the Department of Energy. The conservative group Freedom's Watch took that snippet from the interview and is circulating it online via YouTube. So far it's got nearly 6,000 views and a pick up on the site RedState.org.

Politicians walk a careful line to ensure they don't appear out of touch with voters. Failed Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani came under fire during his campaign for underestimating the cost of a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. Former president George H.W. Bush came under fire for being impressed with a long-implemented grocery store item scanner.

"When the Speaker of the House can't remember what a gallon of gas costs, it suggests she is painfully out of touch," Freedom's Watch spokesman Ed Patru told The Washington Times. "We don't know whether she's oblivious to the price of gas or had a momentary lapse in the middle of an interview with Larry King. … But what we do know is this Congress promised it had a plan to lower gas prices, gas prices have gone up about a $1.25 since she's been Speaker and the only substantive thing this Congress has done on the issue is to pass an energy bill that raises energy costs."

Update: A spokesman for Pelosi writes in to explain what happened.

"That Freedom's Watch video is obviously edited to take it out of context," wrote Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly. "Of course she knows the price of gas. She just misspoke. That is clear from her response to Larry King, when he said $3.50, she replied, '$3.50, oh, down six cents. It's higher where I'm from in California, sad to say.' Clearly, she thought she had said $3.56."

You can watch the group's video below:

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Kudos to The Washington Times' Joe Curl, whose story on Republican Sen. John McCain's superstitious tendencies was mentioned on last night's Colbert Report.

Here's video from the segment:

Reporter Christina Bellantoni's story on Freedom Fries was mentioned on the show in 2006, and her voice once made a cameo in a clip from a Nancy Pelosi press conference.

Facing a wide disparity with their Democratic counterpart, the House Republican campaign arm said it hopes to raise $7 million during its annual President's Dinner June 18 in Washington.

Rep. Tom Cole, Oklahoma Republican, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), set his goal today for the fundraiser, a joint effort with the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).

"This event will help raise the funds necessary to combat the radical liberal agenda that the Democrats have for America," Cole said in a statement. "Our members are showing an unprecedented interest in our success and it is because of them that we will have every resource we need to be competitive in November."

The NRCC ended last month with $7.1 million in cash on hand, far below the Democratic Congressional Campaign Commitee's $44.3 million.

Cole said Rep. Jeb Hensarling, Texas Republican, will will be chairman of the dinner.

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Michigan Democrat, said today he wants to understand why gas prices are on the rise.

Conyers plans to hold a series of hearings with oil executives beginning May 7 under the watch of the committee's Task Force on Competition Policy and Antitrust Laws. Conyers sent a letter to Abdalla Salem El-Badri, Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, asking him to testify before his committee May 22 either in person or via teleconference.

"As consumers face rising gas prices in excess of $4.00 a gallon in some areas, oil companies are reporting record profits," Conyers said in a statement. "In the past few days, British Petroleum announced a 63 percent rise in profits for the first quarter of this year, Shell announced a 25 percent rise in earnings, and ConocoPhillips is up 17 percent. At the same time, OPEC announced that oil prices could hit $200 a barrel. Americans are forgoing planned vacations, paying higher prices for food, and struggling to pay for their daily commutes — all because of gas prices. They deserve to know why."

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Our top story looks at how air marshals sent to protect flights are being denied access to planes because their names match up with suspected terrorists on a federal "no-fly" list.

At the White House yesterday, President Bush blamed congressional Democrats for blocking his efforts to keep down the cost of gas. Democratic leaders responded by saying Bush was passing the buck.

On the campaign trail, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama disavowed his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Obama said he was "outraged" and "insulted" by comments Wright made during several recent public appearances.

On Capitol Hill, a bill that seeks to modernize benefits for military veterans is likely to head to the House floor today.

— The Washington Times editors

Kevin Freking of the Associated Press yesterday reported on a survey concerning how Americans are dealing with the gas crunch. Are you struggling to pay at the pump? Have you changed your lifestyle behaviors? Let us know. No cursing, please. Seriously.

By Kevin Freking
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tue Apr 29, 6:21 AM ET

WASHINGTON — Paying for gasoline easily tops the list of economic woes facing families in the United States, according to a survey on how changes in the economy have affected people's lives.

About 44 percent of survey participants said paying for gasoline was a "serious problem" for them. Across all income levels, the cost of gas was the most frequently cited economic concern. The price of gas nationally averaged $3.60 a gallon on Monday, according to the Energy Department.

More than a quarter of households earning more than $75,000 a year described paying for gasoline as a serious problem. For those with incomes of less than $30,000, about 63 percent felt that way.

In a distant second and third place among participants' economic concerns were: getting a good-paying job or raise, 29 percent; and paying for health care and health insurance, 28 percent.

Following in fourth place was difficulty paying rent or mortgage, 19 percent.
Many participants in the survey, nearly three in 10, said they put off or postponed getting health care they needed in the past year. Nearly a quarter of participants skipped a recommended test or treatment. Nearly the same number didn't fill a prescription.

The survey of 2,003 adults was conducted April 3-13 on behalf of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which conducts health research. The survey's margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

— Maria Stainer, assistant managing editor of the Continuous News Desk, The Washington Times

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, and Sen. Arlen Specter, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today urged Senate Democrats to approve three circuit court nominations before the Memorial Day recess next month.

Specter has threatened to stop Senate business if Democrats continue to refuse to address judicial nominations sent by President Bush.

Specter and McConnell sent a letter to their Democratic counterparts today on the matter. Here's the full letter:

April 29, 2008

Dear Senators Reid and Leahy:

We write to express our serious concern regarding statements made by Chairman Leahy during last week's Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting. In discussing Senator Reid's April 15, 2008 commitment[1] to confirm three more circuit court nominations before the Memorial Day recess, Senator Specter asked Chairman Leahy to clarify whether he was saying he would not honor the commitment if the scheduling was not "convenient for the two Michigan nominees." In response, Chairman Leahy stated, "I will do everything possible to get it [done] by Memorial Day, but if the White House slow walks [the Michigan nominees' paperwork], we probably won't."[2]

As we all know, there are several time-consuming steps in the judicial confirmation process, including a Federal Bureau of Investigation background investigation, the issuance of a rating by the American Bar Association (ABA), a hearing, questions for the nominee following the hearing, a Committee vote, and finally a floor vote. Given these standard prerequisites and Judge Helene White's recent nomination date of April 15, 2008, we do not believe regular order and process will allow for her confirmation prior to May 23, 2008. In addition, the FBI is currently conducting a supplemental investigation for Mr. Raymond Kethledge, which must be completed prior to his hearing. Chairman Leahy's statements insinuate that, if the Committee cannot process Judge White and Mr. Kethledge prior to the recess, then the straightforward commitment made by the Majority Leader and, by reference, Chairman Leahy will not be honored.

We would hope, given the likelihood that Judge White and Mr. Kethledge cannot be confirmed prior to the recess, that, in order to fulfill the commitment, Chairman Leahy would turn to other outstanding circuit court nominees pending in Committee who have been ready for hearings and waiting far longer than Judge White or Mr. Kethledge. As we have mentioned previously, Mr. Peter Keisler has already had a hearing and has been waiting for over 660 days for a simple Committee vote, and Judge Robert Conrad and Mr. Steve Matthews, nominees to the Fourth Circuit, are ready for hearings and have been waiting for many months. Both Judge Conrad and Mr. Matthews have enjoyed strong home-state support from their Senate delegations, one of whom is a valued member of the Committee. All three of these nominees deserve prompt consideration by the Committee and up-or-down votes by the full Senate.

It is simply a matter of fairness to include in the commitment, nominees who clearly can be processed and who have been ready for hearings and pending the longest. Further, we object to the selective importance that the Judiciary Committee is placing on home-state senatorial support. The Committee appears to view the support of Republican senators as a necessary, but insufficient, condition for their constituent nominees; while at the same time deeming dispositive the views of Democratic senators, either for or against a nominee. As the Majority Leader himself noted, such disparate treatment is patently unfair.[3]

The clock is ticking. It has now been two full weeks since your commitment to do 'everything' you could to confirm three more circuit court nominees by the Memorial Day recess. Yet since that commitment, the Committee has only scheduled one hearing for one circuit court nominee. More troubling still is the fact that the Chairman strongly intimated last week that the Committee may refuse to honor the commitment, not because it is impossible for it to do so, but because the Chairman's preferred queue of nominees will not be ready in time due to the standard requirements of the FBI and the actions of a third party (the ABA), upon which the Democratic Majority has placed particular importance over the years.

If the Committee does not hold a hearing for two circuit court nominees prior to May 6, 2008, it is exceedingly unlikely that the Senate will be able to confirm at least three circuit court nominees prior to May 23, 2008, given the standard amount of time it takes to move a nomination through the steps in the confirmation process. In order to honor the commitment, we respectfully urge the Committee to schedule hearings for Judge Conrad and Mr. Matthews, and hold a Committee vote for Mr. Keisler as soon as possible.

We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Senator Mitch McConnell, Senate Republican Leader
Senator Arlen Specter, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee

[1] "Senator Leahy and I are going to do everything we can to approve three circuit court judges by Memorial Day. … Who knows, we may even get lucky and get more than that.” (Cong. Rec. S3013-14 (daily ed. Apr. 15, 2008) (statement of Sen. Reid)); see also id. at S3014 ("I will do everything within my power to get three judges approved to our circuits before the Memorial Day recess.").
[2] "I will set a course. I will set the agenda. I will discuss it with my caucus. But, certainly, after waiting several years, the White House has it in their power to move very quickly by getting material up here. … I had a talk during the Easter Recess with the President's counsel urging him to go forward and get the paperwork here and we can move. We will then schedule these. I will do everything possible to get it by Memorial Day, but if the White House slow walks it, we probably won't." Chairman Leahy, Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting, April 24, 2008.
[3] "I say to my friend from Kentucky, no, it should not be because you have two from the same party from one State and they are not our party, that should not cause them not to have their nominee approved." (Cong. Red. S3013 (daily ed. April 15, 2008) (statement of Sen. Reid)).

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

The Republican National Committee today criticized an ad created by its Democratic counterparts, saying it uses some of the same footage as liberal filmmaker Michael Moore in his 2004 movie "Fahrenheit 9/11."

The ad condemns a statement Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain made during a campaign stop in New Hampshire, where he said he would support a U.S. presence in Iraq for as many as 100 years. The ad was made by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and shows the scene of an improvised explosive device detonating near soldiers. The same scene appears to be present in Moore's award-winning documentary.

"For the DNC to deploy such footage in a political advertisement suggests at best a lack of appreciation, and at worst a disrespect, by the DNC for the sacrifices America's brave men and women have made and continue to make to protect our freedoms on the front lines in the war against radical Islamic extremism," RNC Chairman Mike Duncan wrote in a letter today to DNC Chairman Howard Dean.

The letter cites a blog post from ABC News showing the footage from both the ad and Moore's film. A Democratic strategist with the firm that made the ad told ABC that his firm purchased the footage from the nonpartisan stock photo and film supplier Getty Images.

Yesterday the RNC wrote to MSNBC, NBC and CNN urging them to yank the ad off the air. Dean said the ads would continue to run and that charges from the RNC that the it is misleading were spurious.

Update: A spokesman for the DNC writes in to give a response from DNC Communications Director Karen Finney.

"The images were purchased from Getty Images and were created by Associated Press Television and have been used by a number of projects, including Frontline's documentary, 'Bush's War,'" Finney said in the statement. "The Democratic Party will not be lectured to about patriotism or the well-being of our brave men and women in uniform by a Republican Party whose leader misled us into the war, sent our troops without the proper equipment, and has not done nearly enough to ensure we honor their service when they come home."

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Our top story today is an in-depth interview with Gov. Haley Barbour, Mississippi Republican. He praises likely GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain for what he said was a moderate record.

Another top story is a look at how the Supreme Court upheld an Indiana law requiring voters to show an ID before casting their ballot. Republicans praised the ruling as a common-sense decision while Democrats said it would lead to voter disenfranchisement.

We're also following the aftermath of three tornadoes that ripped through southeastern Virginia.

Be sure to check out our update on exciting changes coming to The Washington Times.

— The Washington Times editors

Republicans are claiming that a Democratic ad attacking Republican presidential candidate John McCain is "maliciously false and misleading" and should be kept from the airwaves.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) today faxed letters to CNN and MSNBC urging them to avoid airing the ad, which is critical of a statement McCain made during a campaign stop about the U.S. occupation in Iraq possibly lasting 100 years.

The ad is paid for by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and shows McCain making the statement in New Hampshire while showing images of combat troops and the costs and death toll of the war in Iraq.

"It's unquestionable that the DNC is misleading the American people," said RNC Chairman Mike Duncan during a phone call today with reporters. Duncan cited the nonpartisan Web site FactCheck.org, which called attacks by the DNC on McCain's 100-year statement a "rank falsehood."

RNC general counsel Sean Cairncross said the ad is misleading and praised a Federal Election Commission complaint filed Friday by the Virginia Republican Party charging that the DNC illegally coordinated with the campaigns of Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Cairncross said this constituted an in-kind campaign contribution over the federal limit of $5,000.

"We belive that the DNC is operating wholly unconstrained by law," Cairncross said.

The ad is slated to begin running tomorrow and is part of a three-week national ad buy. DNC Chairman Howard Dean dismissed criticism of the ad and of the FEC complaint.

"That is nonsense. There's no proof of that whatsoever," Dean told reporters today. "John McCain is completly out of touch with what the American people understand about the war in Iraq ... I'm astonished that a veteran like John McCain would think that we could occupy Iraq for 100 years without any consequences."

You can watch the ad in question below:

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, slammed the Supreme Court for a 6-3 ruling issued today upholding an Indiana law requiring would-be voters to show a photo identification.

"The Indiana law and others like it are roadblocks to democracy — these laws place an unnecessary burden on elderly and low-income voters, not to mention other voters of disparate racial and ethnic backgrounds, among others," Reid said in a statement. "This is not the end of the road. While today's decision denies a facial challenge to the Indiana law, it allows future challenges in which there is more evidence of the harms caused by photo-ID laws."

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Our top story by S.A. Miller looks at the speech delivered by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright before the National Press Club this morning.

Reporter Sara Carter brings us a look at how the Department of Defense trains operatives to interrogate terrorism suspects.

An investigative piece looks at how former Sen. Robert G. Torricelli is funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars from his 2002 Senate campaign to a private foundation registered in his name, an arrangement that troubles campaign-finance and tax experts.

From our foreign desk, Bolivia's leftist government has established dozens of camps in the Andes in Peru. Peruvian authorities worry they are harboring future terrorists.

On the campaign trail, our look at how Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain is combatting questions of old age has been picked up by CNN's political ticker blog.

— The Washington Times editors

The Democratic Senate campaign arm took a shot a Sen. Elizabeth Dole, North Carolina Republican, for refusing to condemn a political ad sponsored by her state party that includes inflammatory video from Sen. Barack Obama's pastor condemning the United States.

Dole said she is choosing not to insert herself in the tangle because the ad, slated to run on Monday, attacks the two Democrats running for governor and is unrelated to her own senatorial campaign. Likely GOP presidential candidate John McCain urged state party officials to stop the ad. The spot lambastes the two Democratic candidates, Richard Moore and Bev Perdue, for both endorsing Obama, who has refused to completely renounce Wright.

"I am concentrating on getting my work done here in the Senate, and I'm just not going to get into refereeing a third-party political ad that has nothing to do with my race," Dole said yesterday.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) pointed out today that Dole's state party was heavily involved in her last campaign.

"Elizabeth Dole simply isn't telling the truth when she says the North Carolina Republican Party has nothing to do with her race," said DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller. "They spent nearly $50,000 getting her elected in 2002 and are certain to play a role in this year's campaign as well. Elizabeth Dole has the power to stop this ad with one phone call, and instead of making phony excuses, she needs to do it immediately."

Mark Stephens, a consultant for Dole's campaign, echoed the senator's reasoning for not inserting herself into the ad war and forwarded The Washington Times a letter sent today to Jerry Meek, chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party, urging him to shun all third party political advertising.

"They're talking the talk; this alllows them to walk the walk," said Stephens, who said the North Carolina Republican Party, The National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Republican National Committee have all said they would not involved in Dole's race as long as their Democratic counterparts pledge the same.

Here's the ad, taken from the state party's homepage:

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Our top story today looks at how the White House and North Korea are renegotiating a nuclear deal to include greater verification measures.

Our national security reporters give details on Syria's nuclear program and how the U.S. government delayed releasing these details to avoid stirring up trouble in the Middle East.

On the campaign trail, Republican candidate Sen. John McCain toured Louisiana with Gov. Bobby Jindal, Louisiana Republican, and blasted President Bush for his handling of Hurricane Katrina.

Another important story looks at how Senate Democrats are pressuring OPEC nations to increase oil supplies, hoping this will help rein in gas prices.

— The Washington Times editors

The House Democratic campaign arm today filed a second complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against the conservative activist group Freedom's Watch, this time alleging that the conservative group crossed the line in attacking a Democratic Louisiana House candidate.

Last week the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee filed a complaint alleging that the conservative advocacy group was illegally colluding with the Republican campaign arm on the same race.

Yesterday's complaint alleges that Freedom's Watch crossed federal guidelines governing how far a nonprofit advocacy group can go when inserting themselves into a political race. The advertisement in question attacked the tax record of Louisiana House candidate Don Cazayoux.

"In this instance they went to far," said DCCC spokesman Doug Thornell. "[T]hey went too far by highlighting essentially a vote he took and basically taking a clear position on his qualifications for public office."

The FEC lacks enough members for a voting quorum and is unlikely to act on this complaint any time soon. Meanwhile, Ed Patru, a spokesman for Freedom's Watch, dismissed the second complaint and said the ads would continue to run.

"The DCCC appears to have used last week's absurd complaint as a template for this latest complaint," Patru said. "It is recycled nonsense designed to distract from Don Cazayoux's record of tax hikes and his support of Barack Obama's expensive government run health care scheme."

The DCCC last night issued an online video attacking the similarity between the ad from Freedom's Watch and another from the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee.

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

In our top story today, CIA Director Michael Hayden will tell Congress that Syria's nuclear plant was nearly completed before it was destroyed by Israel in September.

Another top piece looks at Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's $3.5 million overnight fundraising haul after her Pennsylvania primary victory.

We're also following how Sen. John McCain is undergoing an image makeover regarding domestic issues.

And be sure to check out our in-depth exclusive interview with White House Budget Director Jim Nussle.

— The Washington Times editors

Today's top story is Sen. Hillary Clinton's victory in the Pennsylvania primary.

Another story to highlight comes from our business desk. It's about how the food industry is calling on the government to step in and control the practice of speculative buying. Industry leaders say it's driving up the price of food. It's been picked up by Matt Drudge.

Jerry Seper's reporting on an espionage suspect arrested for charges of giving U.S. military secrets to the Israeli government is also worth a look.

We're also following how the Bush administration is urging China to stop sending weapons to Zimbabwe, a country engulfed in turmoil following uncertain elections held in March.

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Uh-oh. Look out. Somebody is going to keep a close eye on NBC's "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert, who appears to be a gorilla to some. Is he King Kong? MIghty Joe Young? The designated "Tarzan" here is Todd Gitlin, a journalism and sociology professor at Columbia who will trail after Mr. Kong, I mean, Mr. Russert, on behalf of the Columbia Journalism Review.

"Among Washington media, Tim Russert is an 800-pound gorilla, often setting the press-politics tone for the week on his venerable 'Meet the Press' program. In our eyes, he exemplifies much is right and wrong with the insider D.C. political press," say the editors of the magazine.

The new feature — appearing each Monday at www.cjr.org — is called Russert Watch, and it can be found here:

http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/russert_watch_sunday_42008.php?page=all

Jennifer Harper, National Reporter, The Washington Times

The top story we're following today is the Pennsylvania primary. Folks are reading our piece on how the candidates are playing the "expectations game." The article's been picked up by CNN's political ticker.

Another top story looks at how rising food prices are impacting Haiti.

We're also following how Hamas leaders have denied statements of concession touted by former president Jimmy Carter.

Today is Earth Day and our Sean Lengell took a look at how substantive global warming legislation has stalled on Capitol Hill.

Another top story looks at how the World Health Organization is in a dispute with Indonesia over sharing samples of the bird-flu virus.

— The Washington Times editors

Tony Snow, long time Fox News host and former editorial page editor for The Washington Times, is now a political commentator for CNN, according to Jon Klein, the network's president. He begins now — as in today — offering the conservative take on things.

Mr. Snow has a sterling record: He was the convivial press secretary for President Bush from April 2006 to September 2007 and spent a decade in front of Fox News cameras.

"In the White House, Tony brought a remarkably human touch to the discussion of public policy," Mr. Klein said. "He will contribute a unique breadth of political and journalistic expertise."

The suave and civil Mr. Snow is ready to roll, calling this "the most exciting and unpredictable political year in memory.

"The big challenge in 2008 is to develop deep, creative and aggressive analysis of both political parties, their candidates and campaigns," Mr. Snow continued. "I'm eager to get started, since this race is sure to shape American politics for years to come."

— Jennifer Harper, national reporter, The Washington Times

Mark Begich, a Democrat and mayor of Anchorage Alaska, today said he plans to run against Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican in the U.S. Senate.

Begich faces an uphill money battle against Stevens, a powerful fixture on Capitol Hill and former chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

Democrats are hoping to capitalize from Stevens's embattled reputation. He is under federal investigation for his ties to an oil contractor convicted of bribing state lawmakers. Last fall FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents raided his Anchorage home.

"It's rare that we see a challenger raise as much money as an incumbent, but what we've see is that money is just one piece of the puzzle," said Matt Miller, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "We're going to help Mark Begich in any way possible. We are 100 percent behind his candidacy."

The National Republican Senatorial Committee launched a Web site pointing out Begich's tax history, which includes repeated late payments.

A request for comment from the Begich campaign was not immediately returned. You can watch his campaign announcement below:

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

The Senate Democratic campaign arm is outpacing its Republican counterpart in fundraising by a two-to-one margin, according to the most recent reports filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

FEC reports due yesterday show the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) raised $16.9 million during the first quarter of 2008 and ended that period with $37.8 million in cash on hand, a figure more than double the $17.3 million in cash on hand held by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).

"We are receiving donations from people around the country who have never before contributed to Democrats," Sen. Chuck Schumer (pictured at right), New York Democrat, chairman of the DSCC, said in a release. "With an outstanding field of candidates and grassroots enthusiasm throughout the country, we are well on our way to strengthening our majority in November."

A spokeswoman for the NRSC said Republican voters have been reluctant to donate to Republicans, but she said that donations have been picking up.

"In the beginning of the cycle, we saw a lot of fatigue as far as giving to Republicans, and I think we're recovering," said NRSC spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher. "I don't think our goal is to beat the DSCC, but certainly our goal is to be competitive in November."

House Republicans are lagging behind as well. You can view FEC filings uploaded thus far.

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

The military has granted questionable waivers to convicted felons, allowing them to serve in the armed forces, according to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, California Democrat.

Waxman today wrote a letter to David Chu, an under secretary at the Department of Defense, demanding to know why these waivers had been granted to felons convicted of sexual assault and terrorist threats. The full text of his letter is below:

The Honorable David Chu
Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
U.S. Department of Defense
4000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-4000

Dear Dr. Chu:

Thank you for responding to the Committee's request for information regarding military personnel waivers issued to U.S. service members. The data you provided the Committee shows that there was a rapid rise in 2007 in the number of waivers the Army and Marine Corps granted to recruits convicted of serious felonies, such as aggravated assault and burglary. Some recruits were even granted waivers for felony convictions involving sexual assault and terrorist threats. I am writing to seek more information about these trends and their implications for military readiness.

In response to our October 18, 2007, request, you provided the Committee with statistics regarding personnel waivers granted in 2006 and 2007 to enlistees who had been convicted of felonies. Your office informed Committee staff that due to poor recordkeeping and maintenance, you are unable to provide similar information for prior years or regarding serious misdemeanors. According to the data provided to the Committee, the Army and Marine Corps significantly increased the number of waivers they granted for enlistees with felony convictions from 2006 to 2007. Army waivers increased from 249 waivers in 2006 to 511 waivers in 2007, while Marine Corps waivers increased from 208 waivers in 2006 to 350 waivers in 2007. Both branches increased the number of waivers they granted for almost every type of felony offense.

In addition, the new data provided to the Committee shows for the first time some of the offenses for which the Army and Marine Corps have granted waivers. In 2007, the Army and Marine Corps granted 87 waivers to enlistees who had been convicted of "[a]ggravated assault, assault with a dangerous weapon, [or] maiming," 248 waivers to enlistees who had been convicted of "[b]urglary," and 130 waivers to enlistees who had been convicted of "[n]arcotics or habit-forming drugs; wrongful possession or use (marijuana not included)." The Army and Marine Corps also granted small numbers of waivers for the crimes of "[r]ape, sexual abuse, sexual assault, criminal sexual abuse, incest, or other sex crimes," "[i]ndecent acts or liberties with a child, molestation," and "[t]errorist threats including bomb threats."

I understand that there can be valid reasons for personnel waivers and recognize the importance of providing opportunities to individuals who have served their sentences and rehabilitated themselves. At the same time, concerns have been raised that the significant increase in the recruitment of persons with criminal records is a result of the strain put on the military by the Iraq war and may be undermining military readiness.

To help the Committee understand these issues, I request that you provide the Committee with the following documents:

1. Any documents created by the Department of Defense, Army, Navy, or Marine Corps that explain, discuss, or relate to the increased number of personnel conduct waivers since 2001;

2. Any documents created by the Department of Defense, Army, Navy, or Marine Corps that explain, discuss, or relate to the lowering of standards for enlistees and whether this has any relation to meeting recruitment goals;

3. Updated 2007 and 2008 data on the Distribution of Conduct Waivers by Offense Type for the Department of Defense, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force;

4. Any data, studies, or analysis done by the Department of Defense, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Air Force on the impact of increasing the number of personnel conduct waivers or on the performance of those enlistees for whom waivers were granted; and

5. Documents describing any programs that the Department of Defense, Army, Navy, or Marine Corps have in place to provide additional training, counseling, or oversight to those enlistees for whom waivers were granted.

Please provide these documents and information to the Committee as soon as possible but in no case later than May 20, 2008. In addition to the above documents and information, we also request that you provide a briefing on these issues on or before May 22, 2008.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is the principal oversight committee in the House of Representatives and has broad oversight jurisdiction as set forth in House Rule X. An attachment to this letter provides additional information about how to respond to the Committee's request.

If you have any questions regarding this request, please contact Susanne Sachsman of the Committee staff at (202) 225-5420.

Sincerely,

Henry A. Waxman
Chairman

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Our top story this hour looks at how undecided Democratic primary voters who wait until Election Day before choosing a candidate have overwhelmingly gone with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Another top story spotlights a new poll showing Clinton is pulling ahead of her rival Sen. Barack Obama.

Rowan Scarborough's piece on Muslims asking Republican candidate Sen. John McCain to stop using the word "Islamic" when describing terrorists is also worth reading. It's been picked up by the site IslamiCity.com.

RealClearMarkets has picked up our guest commentary from John Shadegg and Herb Morgan on the recently-passed Senate mortgage bill.

Also worth highlighting is our piece about how hearings for three detainees at Guantanamo Bay have raised new doubts about whether a Bush administration plan to try suspected terrorists in military tribunals can be saved.

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Chairman Chris Dodd, Connecticut Democrat, said today he is skeptical of President Bush's pick to replace outgoing Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, whose term ends today.

Bush today named Steve Preston (pictured at left), head of the Small Business Administration, as his pick to head the agency. Jackson, who resigned from his post recently, is the subject of a federal grand jury investigation into suspected cronyism involving a multimillion dollar redevelopment project in New Orleans.

Preston must be approved by the Senate, and Bush urged that body to "quickly consider" the nominee and ratify him on a timely basis."

"He's a hardworking, dedicated professional," Bush said during remarks announcing his choice. "In fact, he was confirmed to his current post by the United States Senate without a single vote in opposition. Let's hope the streak continues."

However, Bush's hope could be unfulfilled, as Dodd today expressed concerns that Preston's background is not housing-centric. Dodd's committee must approve the nominee before his name can be sent for full Senate consideration.

"[T]he president's choice has no apparent housing background, which raises questions," Dodd said in a statement. "Nevertheless, I look forward to learning more about Mr. Preston and his qualifications for this important job at this trying time in our nation's economy."

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Celebrities who insinuate themselves into politics and presidential campaigns amount to little more than hot air, steam, inert gas — take your pick. The partisan celebrity just doesn't resonate with Americans. A new Harris poll found that only 29 percent of us say involvement of the rich and famous in presidential politics is a "good" thing. The figure is 16 percent among Republicans, 45 percent among Democrats. A whopping 85 percent say they have not taken any action or supported a cause at the behest of some singer, actor or famous person, while 51 percent say celebrities are not effective at influencing public policy.

Just not in the script, apparently.

Some are better than others, though. Oprah leads the list of "effective" stars, with 49 percent saying she is good at championing a cause. Bono and Angelina Jolie followed, with 32 percent and 31 percent, respectively. It kind of plummets from there, though. Among the findings: Jane Fonda weighed in with 11 percent, Susan Sarandon with 10 percent, Barbra Streisand with 8 percent and, at rock bottom, Sean Penn with 7 percent.

The survey of 2,500 adults was conducted March 11 and 18.

— Jennifer Harper, national reporter, The Washington Times

Consultants Richard Shapiro and William Weary will complete a review of the House Page Program, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, and Minority Leader John Boehner, Ohio Republican, said today.

"In addition to bipartisan legislation signed into law last year, updated rules for the Page Program and the House Inspector General's report, this independent review will ensure that a program created in 1827 effectively supports the operations of the House and serves the interests of the pages in 2008," Pelosi and Boehner said in a joint statement.

Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said the page program hadn't been updated since the early 1980s and that the two men are expected to release their findings sometime this fall. Their contract will be handled by the House clerk's office. Democratic Reps. Dale Kildee of Michigan and Diana DeGette of Colorado and Republican Reps. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina and Rob Bishop of Utah sit on an institutional board overseeing the program.

The page program came under increased scrutiny in 2006 after it was revealed that former Rep. Mark Foley, Florida Republican, had sent sexually explicit messages to young pages. Despite the scandal, last year saw the House Page Program increase in popularity.

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

The latest ad created by Al Gore's climate change awareness campaign features House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, and former spearker Newt Gingrich, a Republican, making nice on a couch parked outside the Capitol steps.

The speakers smile at each other throughout the spot and explain how they disagree on most things but do agree that climate change is something that needs attention and action.

Check it out below:

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

The chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) today slammed Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican, for criticizing Pope Benedict XVI on the issue of immigration and urged Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain to distance himself from the congressman, one of McCain's backers.

Yesterday Tancredo denounced comments Pope Benedict made during an address to Catholic bishops urging them to accept and welcome immigrants.

"I want to encourage you and your communities to continue to welcome the immigrants who join your ranks today, to share their joys and hopes, to support them in their sorrows and trials, and to help them flourish in their new home," Pope Benedict told the bishops gathered at the United States at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

Tancredo, who recently finished a failed presidential bid based on a platform of fighting illegal immigration, accused Benedict of making "amnesty a key issue in his papacy."

"I am not taking issue with the pope's moral authority and respect his views on the threats of Islamic immigration," Tancredo said in a statement. "However, it is not in his job description to engage in American politics."

This morning DNC Chairman Howard Dean called on McCain to distance himself from Tancredo.

"If John McCain is serious in his pledge to run a respectful campaign, he should immediately denounce Tom Tancredo's insulting remarks about Pope Benedict XVI," Dean said in a release. "After years of failing to address immigration reform, the Republican party has instead used the issue to scapegoat people to win elections."

When contacted by The Washington Times, the McCain campaign had no comment and referred questions to the Republican National Committee.

"At this point, Howard Dean will do and say absolutely anything to distract from his party's bitter infighting," said RNC spokesman Alex Conant. "Voters will see this for what it is — desperation."

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid applauded the Senate for last night overwhelmingly adopting a bill aimed at creating 40,000 new jobs for highway and transit projects. Last night's Senate vote was 88-2.

"Investing in our nation's roads, highways and bridges is one of the best ways to stimulate our weakening economy," Reid said in a statement. "At a time when we are losing tens of thousands of jobs a month and our nation is sliding into recession, Democrats are doing everything possible to strengthen the economy and give more hard-working American families the security of a good job."

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Our top story today looks at how Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama has rejected an unsolicited endorsement from Hamas. It's already received several pickups in cyberspace.

Another top story is our coverage of Pope Benedict's visit and the Mass he celebrated yesterday before 46,000 people at Nationals Park. You can also read the transcript of his White House address.

We're also following Citigroup's $5.1 billion loss posted during the first quarter of this year.

Our reporting on North Korea's nuclear past is worth highlighting.

— The Washington Times editors

Anticipating next Monday's filing deadline, the Republican National Committee (RNC) said today that it ended March with $31 million in cash on hand and free of debt.

While previous Federal Election Commission reports show Republican congressional campaign arms have lagged behind their Democratic counterparts, past reports show the national GOP has an edge over the Democratic National Committee.

"The RNC is very fortunate to enjoy the support of hundreds of thousands of donors, in addition to the fact that the president has invested time and energy to ensure Republican candidates have the necessary resources to communicate our message and mobilize the vote this fall," RNC Chairman Mike Duncan said in a release.

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

Our top story online right now looks at how Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton revisited the controversial comments made by her opponent's pastor as they dueled during last night's debate.

Another top storyline we're following is the pope's visit to the United States. Today he's celebrating Mass at Nationals Park.

We're getting a lot of pickups of our story on a nuclear attack threatening Washington, D.C., including Matt Drudge and Instapundit.

Another popular story on our site is Bill Gertz's write up of how tension at the Taiwan Strait has lessened.

And finally, our editorial on former president Jimmy Carter's visit with Hamas leaders has been featured at Real Clear Politics.

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times

It seemed more than a bit odd to more than a few people that the White House tonight is holding a dinner honoring visiting Pope Benedict XVI, but the pope isn't scheduled to be at the dinner.

The official word is a bit confusing.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said on Saturday he didn't know why the pope was not on the guest list.

Yesterday the official word was that the pope would be attending a prayer service with U.S. bishops at around the time of tonight's state dinner.

Some blogs made it out to be a papal snub of the White House or an example of incompetence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to schedule.

The pope was also expected to be a no-show tonight at his 81st birthday party that some people thought was being thrown for him by opera star Placido Domingo at the Italian Embassy.

Another snub?

"I was a bit surprised at first when I heard about the White House dinner," said Michael Novak, a Catholic and a scholar in religion, philosophy and politics at the American Enterprise Institute.

Mr. Novak told The Washington Times the whole dinner thing was scheduled with the Vatican some time ago.

He said a Vatican and a White House official each told him the pope never said he was going to attend the White House dinner.

"It was coordinated with the Holy See," said Mr. Novak, who said he talked with the Vatican embassy and the White House.

Mr. Novak was invited and planned to attend the White House dinner for the pope tonight.

"There's going to be Catholic leaders in town from all over the country for the pope's visit, and by and large these people have been very strong supporters of President Bush's," Mr. Novak said.

"It was too good a political opportunity to miss," he said. "That's the only way I can dope this out."

He said he couldn't remember the last time any pope attended a state dinner.

UPDATE: The latest White House briefing didn't add much in the way of clarity of explanation:

From the briefing:

Q: There hasn't seemed to be, from the podium there, a lot of talk about this being a state visit. But it is a state visit.

Question from a reporter: And do you know of any other state visit in which the guest of honor did not attend the dinner, the state dinner?

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino: No, I do not know that. But you understand the — what we have said is that we knew we wanted to give this dinner. The Pope had a schedule that he was already planning to have, and the President said that he would like t