—9:30 am: Senate convenes with cloture vote expected on medical malpractice legislation
—9:30 am: Secretary Rumsfeld and General Franks testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee
—10:00 am: House convenes for legislative business
—10:30 am: House Democratic Leader Pelosi leads press conference on education funding in House appropriations bill, Capitol Hill
—11:00 am: Senator Kennedy leads press conference to announce release of Families USA report on the cost of prescription drugs
—11:15 am: Senator Kerry makes remarks on homeland security, Hampton, NH
—1:00 pm: President and Mrs. Bush attend dinner with African business leaders
—3:00 pm: Congressman Gephardt discusses health care with community leaders, Sioux City, Iowa
— 5:30 pm: Senator Graham attends closed meetings, New York City

NEWS SUMMARY

For the maniacally focused eviction crew at the Democratic National Committee led by Vilmain and Wachs, today might be a good time to call for a snap election.

While the president kept up his obsession with reporters asking multi-part questions at his Pretorian press conference this morning, back here at home, he might just be thanking his lucky stars that there is no federal recall law like that wacky one they have in the Golden State.

Okay, we hereby acknowledge that we are exaggerating for dramatic effect — something The Note apparently feels compelled to do in the increasingly competitive world of morning drive-time online political journalism.

The president is still the 1,200-pound gorilla of American politics who can sit wherever he wants.

But if one felt inclined to impose an organized construct on this themeless pudding of a political day, it would be that while the POTUS is away, the domestic and foreign policy legs of his presidency are starting to drift ever so slightly down toward his still-muscular ankles.

AP doomsayer Will Lester reports: "The American public has growing doubts about President Bush's efforts to improve the nation's economy and improve its health care system, a poll says, but they're not convinced that Democrats have the answers." LINK

"Bush's approval rating stood at 60 percent in the survey released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, a significant drop from his 74 percent rating on April 9, the day the 40-foot statue of Saddam Hussein fell in Baghdad and U.S. commanders said the Iraqi ruler's reign had ended."

Still, Lester Notes that Democrats don't seem to be benefiting directly from dissatisfaction with the president, "with just 38 percent saying Democrats could do a better job on health care and 31 percent picking the Republicans … ."

But, "unhappiness with Bush's effort to revive the economy has increased from 53 percent in May to 62 percent."

But but but again: "The Democratic field of nine candidates still hasn't produced a White House hopeful who could count on widespread name recognition and enthusiastic support, according to the poll."

So there's the rub for Terry "The Macker" McAuliffe and his team of all-stars: is it possible for the weak, underfunded, disorganized, feuding, undisciplined set of loosely connected individuals and organizations that make up the Democratic Party to take advantage of the weak economy, the 9/11 questions, the Niger falsehood, the Cheney executive branch prerogative assertions, and everything else to make political hay and drive the president's numbers down even more BEFORE there is a Democratic presidential nominee?

The first chance for reporters or civilians to ask The Pride of Syracuse about all of this is not until 7:30 pm, when he is the guest speaker at the Democrat Network Group at the Hawk and Dove Pub. It's a meet and greet for young Democrats.

Some Democrats say that traction will not be seriously achieved until someone is on the glide to receiving the nomination at the Fleet Center; other Democratic voices don't want to wait until then.

Bob Kuttner's Boston Globe column paints a dismal picture of the economic future of America, and says that that leaves the president politically vulnerable. LINK

It's a perfectly reasonable case, but Kuttner leaves out of the equation that there would need to be some Democrat to make the case effectively for things to really stick.

It's still a curiously quiet time for those Democratic candidates, what with battery replenishing, strategy meetings, and other private stuff, but they are doing some moving about.

Senator Graham visits New York City tonight for some of that aforementioned private stuff. Congressman Gephardt campaigns in Iowa today. Senator Kerry campaigns in New Hampshire today.

If you are into the Invisible Primary, you'll want to read Glen Johnson on John Kerry and Ron Brownstein on Howard Dean, both highlighted below.

As for the man who got fewer votes than Kathleen Connell in 1998:

--Governor Davis' advisers are working on parallel tracks — preparing both a legal strategy to delay a recall election and a campaign strategy to engage in one.

--The legal strategy primarily focuses on the requirements for signature collectors to be registered voters as well as the validity of circulating petitions over the Internet.

--If the Davis camp is not able to delay the recall and depending on when the Secretary of State certifies the ballot measure, the election could be as early as late October--not November as is commonly thought in some quarters.

See our California recall section below for more.

National security politics, 9/11:

Rumsfeld? Uncooperative?

The White House this morning finds itself in a position at once familiar and strange.

Familiar, because the executive-power-enhancing Bush Administration is used to claims that it erects too many barriers between its decision-making offices and the machinery that exists to hold it accountable.

Strange because the salvo this morning came directly from a respected Republican it appointed and was aimed at what is arguably this White House's best credential: its ability to protect the country from another terrorist attack.

Democrats wonder why Bush polls so high despite the economy and Jason Miner's well-researched briefing books.

One reason: its ability to convince the American people that Bush is skillfully leading the nation to safer waters.

So anything that questions the content of Bush's leadership is bound to be taken very seriously by Mr. Bush's senior political and policy staff.

Last night, Thomas Kean (and Lee Hamilton) were keen to use the bland phrasing of passive-aggressive bureaucratese to make their points about the 9/11 commission they lead: "most of the documents we need are still to come … "

And they used soft language: "Extensive and prompt cooperation from the United States government, the Congress, state and local agencies and private firms is absolutely essential." … "Conditions have been imposed in some cases with respect to our access to, and usage of, materials." The clear implication is that the White House, by dint of pride or by a dollop of fear, is stonewalling.

"The criticism today from Mr. Kean and Mr. Hamilton clearly took senior administration officials by surprise and brought a fresh round of attacks on the White House from Congressional Democrats who have said that the administration is trying to stonewall a politically damaging inquiry," the New York Times ' Shenon writes. LINK

"In their statement, Mr. Kean and Mr. Hamilton said that the 'problems that have arisen so far with the Department of Defense are becoming particularly serious.' They noted that the Pentagon had not responded to a series of requests for evidence from several Defense Department agencies, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which is responsible for guarding American airspace from terrorist attack."

"'Delays are lengthening and agency points of contact have so far been unable to resolve them,' the statement said. 'In the last few days, we have been assured that the department's leaders will address these concerns. We look forward to seeing the results.'"

"Mr. Kean and Mr. Hamilton suggested that the Justice Department was behind a directive barring intelligence officials from being interviewed by the panel without the presence of agency colleagues."

We're not sure what to make of Shenon's final paragraph:

"Although their intent today was clearly to create discomfort at the White House, Mr. Kean and Mr. Hamilton said repeatedly that they were optimistic that the panel could complete its work on time and that it would offer the most complete account available of the events that led to the terrorist attacks."

Former Governor Kean turned up on Today to make his case this morning.

The Hill's Hans Nichols reports that on June 27 Democrats dumped Steven Cash, their top aide for the Select Committee on Homeland Security, indicating a level of "friction" among Democrats over "how Democrats plan to use the panel to bolster their national security credentials." LINK

National security politics, Niger:

The Washington Post 's Walter Pincus ends his look at congressional Democrats itching for a fight over President Bush's now-acknowledged-erroneous claims about Iraq and uranium in his State of the Union address with a round-up of 2004 presidential candidate tsk tsking. LINK

Other Dems, including Senate Minority Leader Daschle piled on, calling for hearings, and John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), the senior Democrat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said he wasn't surprised.

"'The whole world knew it was a fraud,' Rockefeller said, adding that the current intelligence committee inquiry should determine how it got into the Bush speech."

Republicans including Senator Rick Santorum (Pa.), and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (Texas) defended the president. "'[The information] has since turned out to be, at least according to the reports that have been just released, not true,'" Santorum said.

"'The president stepped forward and said so," he continued. "I think that's all you can expect."

Highest and best, not lowest and least, indeed.

The Boston Globe 's Robert Schlesinger writes, "Although it has been publicly known for several months that the Niger allegations were based on forged documents, White House officials have only this week publicly acknowledged that Bush should not have recounted them." LINK

James Gerstenzang of the Los Angeles Times plays catch up. LINK

Michael Kramer writes about presidential lying in the Daily News of New York. LINK

ABC 2004: The Invisible Primary:

The New York Times ' Adam Nagourney unsheathes the fruits of his long weekend in New Hampshire with a look at how the Democrats are (mostly) reluctant to Collide in the Post -Columbia world. LINK

Still, Nagourney Notes that oddly timed Gephardt press release pushing back hard on Kerry's "if an attack happens on PBS, does it make a sound?" health care criticism; Dean's continued criticism of his opponents; Dick Swett's encouraging Lieberman to swing for the fences; and the consensus of among presidential campaign advisers (and you know who you are) who say intra-party attacks are inevitable and advisable.

Lieberman:

He may lag behind some of his brethren in the Democratic-wannabe-presidential field, but a new Gallup Poll shows Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman leading his rivals on the household name front, The Washington Times ' Donald Lambro reports. LINK

Forget the talk about Lieberman being too right for primary voters. According to Gallup, Lieberman has "broader appeal by region, gender, political ideology and age, especially among younger voters, and among educational levels," Lambro writes. And he's seven points behind the Rev. Al Sharpton among black voters.

Eyer … .ayooooo!

Michigan frontrunner/Senator Lieberman had harsh words for Ward Connerly's desire to set up a racial privacy referendum in Michigan. !!!In a conference call with Michigan reporters!!! LINK

With a St. Paul, Minnesota byline, David Lightman Notes that the '04 Dems "seem frightened of" the gun issue. LINK

And then turns his article into a trademark "Did Lieberman change his position" questionnaire.

"Connecticut Democrat Joseph I. Lieberman has gotten a bitter taste of how sensitive the issue can be. Gun control groups, which have long regarded him as an ally, are disappointed in his recent comments." LINK

"What's stirring concern about Lieberman among gun control groups is his reply to a question at the May 2 South Carolina candidates' debate."

"Lieberman has an exemplary gun control record; according to the Brady Committee to Prevent Gun Violence, he has voted its way 90 percent of the time on key votes since 1991. But he differed with Al Gore in 2000, when Gore wanted to license all new handguns bought by consumers."

"'I do not support that proposal,' Lieberman said in May in response to a question at the South Carolina debate. 'I have never supported such a proposal.'"

"But he ran with Gore, it was pointed out."

"'Gore came out with that position before I came onto the ticket. The issue never really came up,' he said."

"Lieberman went on to explain: 'American citizens have a right to own firearms.' But, he added, that right, like all others, has limits."

Dean:

The Los Angeles Times' Ron Brownstein breathes in the Tao of Trippi, and looks at the history of (mostly failed) insurgent candidates for president. LINK

Brownstein Notes Dean's uncommon position (fundraising capacity, no frontrunner in his way, the frontloading, the web), but says the Doctor will face a superdelegate firewall because, like past insurgents, he will alienate the party Establishment.

But as Dean reminded a mini-gaggle of reporters outside a buggy Deerfield, New Hampshire house party on Saturday, he was chair (and vice chair) of both the DGA and the NGA, and those are not positions one gets without having (and leaving with) national political ties and experience.

Dick Morris' New York Post Dean column (as with most Morris things) gets some stuff so right, and some so wrong. LINK

The right: Dean's fundraising advantage is bigger than it seems (although Morris strangely leaves out the matching funds part of that); there does seem to be an opening for Lieberman to attack Dean; Dean's current standing on the war against Iraq and on gay issues would make election tough in the general.

The wrong: Dean's rhetoric and record are not the liberal cartoon Morris paints; the media/wise guy propagation of the notion that "Gephardt must win Iowa/Kerry must win New Hampshire/Edwards must win South Carolina" is both Old Think and bad for democracy; and Dean just might (although it will be tough) be able to change his image on national security and gays.

The New York Post 's Eric Fettmann says Dean is no Jimmy Carter. LINK

Ruth Marcus and the Union Leader: Perfect together. LINK

Phoebe Dinsmore writes in the LA Times that Rush Limbaugh has been on the Internet for years and she feels slightly insulted by Mr. Brownstein. LINK

Ms. Dinsmore: we know just how you feel.

Gephardt:

Another day, another SEIU health care pitch. LINK

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Deirdre Shesgreen and Bill Lambrecht continue with day five of their Gephardtpalooza. Today the headline is: "Congressman banks on strong union with labor." (Great pun!) LINK

The tag team pretty much say it all in the seventh paragraph: "Gephardt's commitment to pro-union issues and hard-edged trade policies goes a long way toward defining the politician that Gephardt has become and the kind of president he would be. Labor's response to Gephardt's entreaties will go a long way in determining how far Gephardt will go in his drive for the Democratic Party nomination."

Edwards:

Senator Edwards released a statement applauding the Microsoft news: LINK

John Wagner reports for the Raleigh News & Observer that Edwards "has secured the endorsements of another 24 'prominent South Carolina Democratic leaders and activists,'" according to one of his campaign announcements. LINK

Mr. Wagner also writes up former Senator Jesse Helms' comments to National Journal. Senator Helms apparently has very little faith in Edwards' ability to win the nomination.

Will Saletan is a Benny Hinn true believer: LINK

"Edwards doesn't have Dean's fearless clarity or his fire at the podium. What he has instead is a working-class background (unlike Dean, who grew up on Park Avenue), an ear for plain language, candor about his caveats, and a Clintonesque knack for relating to people and engaging complex issues." LINK

"A year ago, Edwards batted his eyelashes and talked down to audiences like an oily courtroom lawyer. He hedged his statements in a way that suggested ignorance or cowardice. No more. If Dean's strength is speaking bluntly to the right, Edwards, like Joe Lieberman, has shown a facility for speaking bluntly to the left. In Concord, he stiff-armed a series of demands. Would he support medical marijuana? Not until the scientific debate was resolved. Would he denounce Israeli atrocities? He rejected the premise. Would he repeal the USA Patriot Act? 'You need to know I voted for it,' he told the questioner."

And Will was able to write all that without having sweat pour down his face, because he watched it all courtesy of Brian Lamb.

An anonymous &c'er at TNR tries to figure out whether Senator Edwards's cultural argument about corporate responsibility will work. LINK

Kerry:

The Boston Globe 's Nantucket bureau chief got an on-the-lawn interview with an "unusually relaxed" John Kerry. LINK

The must-read nuggets are as numerous as a McNuggets 18 pack (not the more diet-conscious 6 pack):

-- Kerry will probably stage a formal announcement in September or October, perhaps in front of Old Ironsides.

-- There's the full roster of 21 political advisers, who got to spend the holiday on the island in strategy meetings — and this list includes more of the non-white, non-male attendees than yesterday's partial list. (Question: who is mad they WEREN'T invited?)

-- There's the touting of more fall endorsements (just in case similarities to the Dole campaign aren't clear enough yet).

It's a must read, Note readers.

Senator Kerry called on the U.S. to ask other countries to send troops to Iraq, saying he, unlike President Bush, had no problems asking French and Germany to help. LINK

Pretty Edwardsian-sized crowd the Massy Senator drew for his house party last night, apparently.

Kucinich:

The Note wants to have a dinner party, with all the guests drawn from Dennis Kucinich's endorsement list, and we want Jeff Cohen to help us set it up.

The latest ones: Granny D (Doris Haddock), Tom Hayden, and Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.

Graham:

"U.S. Senator Bob Graham will report next week that he raised about $2 million for his presidential campaign during the three-month period that ended June 30, his campaign said Tuesday," the Miami Herald 's Peter Wallsten reports. "That total — at the bottom of the campaign's estimated range — leaves Graham with slightly more than $1.5 million in the bank as he begins a critical period in which he will try to demonstrate his viability in a crowded Democratic field." LINK

The AP roundup has news of Senator Graham's eight Iowa offices. LINK

Yesterday, Florida Republican Congressman Mark Foley officially announced for Graham's seat. LINK

ABC 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:

Even with yesterday's ruling, it's still not clear how much info the Cheney energy task force has to provide. LINK

With echoes of Keith Olberman on the Lewinsky scandal and "America Held Hostage", The Note inaugurates today a new feature — Day 55*: THE BUSH-CHENEY WEBSITE DOESN'T LIST CONTRIBUTORS.

Even though none of the other presidential candidates are cyber-listing their donors in real time, President Bush has always held this up as an important step to take.

We know they will do it eventually but what's the hold up — we need data.

The Hill's Peter Savodnik gets a "source close to the president's reelection campaign" to say "Bush will run 'big time' on revamping the Social Security system." (Note Note: Aren't Bush supporters supposed to stay away from the "big time" quotes?)

LINK

"Reforming Social Security is almost certain to figure prominently in President Bush's reelection campaign next year, pitting pro-privatization Republicans against Democrats worried about the ups and downs of a market-based pension system," The Hill reports.

AP reports, "A routine exam Tuesday found that Vice President Dick Cheney's high-tech pacemaker is working fine and has not even had to be activated." LINK

Florida Governor Jeb Bush believes Republican state senators are to blame for the failure to pass his type of med-mal legislation, and so he's taken the unusual step of criticizing his own party as obstructionist. LINK

California recall:

Secretary of State Kevin Shelley may not have certified the recall petition just yet, but both recall supporters and Governor Davis' allies are moving ahead with the assumption that he very well could do so in a couple of weeks. Let the campaign begin!

The Los Angeles Times' Gregg Jones picks up the ball and moves it way down the field. Now that the signatures have been collected and (mostly) submitted, Mr. Jones looks at how team Davis is gearing up to play offense. LINK

"Experts looking for ways to potentially derail the historic vote pointed to requirements in the state election law that specify those who circulate petitions, as well as those who sign them, must be registered voters. Many of the paid signature-gatherers employed by the recall campaign are professionals who move from state to state, following campaigns that hire them and pay per signature."

"Davis advisers also said the petitions might be vulnerable because many were downloaded from the Internet, and election law requires that each petition specify the name of the county in which it is circulated, and that all signatures gathered must be from voters registered in that county."

Recall organizers have publicly stated that they hired signature collectors from other states and still don't appear worried.

"Recall proponents said they were anticipating legal maneuvers by the Davis forces."

"'I would not be surprised if the governor and his supporters would stop at nothing to derail the recall, based on the tactics they've tried to employ in harassing the signers and circulators of petitions,' said Thomas Hiltachk, legal adviser to the recall campaign. 'But I'm not aware of any grounds for a legal assault on the process.'"

Dan Walters of the Sacramento Bee asks all the questions left hanging out there about the recall and then endorses both Senator Feinstein and former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan as replacement candidates. LINK

Speaking of Senator Feinstein and other Democrats that yet may choose to throw their hat in the ring, the Associated Press gets this very present tense quote from Chairman McAuliffe. LINK

"'Everybody is holding very firm. No Democrat is doing anything but fully supporting Gray Davis in this,' said Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe. 'There are conspiracy theories galore, but I can tell you, there are no secret meetings or anything.'"

In John Broder's New York Times ' write-up of the near inevitability of the recall happening, Davis spokesguy Steve Maviglio employs the now-in-vogue "bring them on" to describe the Governor's camp. LINK

We haven't heard language like that since he was beating back the likes of Dick Zimmer and Mike Pappas in the trenches of Garden State politics.

The Wall Street Journal 's John Harwood thinks Arnold's movies are bad; that Feinstein might still run; that a brutal Davis assault on whoever and whatever threaten him will probably save his job in the end; and, most of all, that the recall is bad for California and bad for America.

It didn't take the anti-recall group, Taxpayers Against the Governor's Recall, very long to take this exchange from last night's "Captial Report" and throw it into a press release.

CNBC's Alan Murray asked Congressman Issa about a radio ad highlighting some of his youthful troubles with the law.

Alan: "Is this true?"
Rep. Issa: "No it isn't true."

Alan: "Have you ever been arrested for car theft?"
Rep. Issa: "The truth is a relative term."

Politics:

The Hill's Peter Brand reports that House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is seeking a "K Street" lobbyist "to work on her staff as a liaison between her office and the K Street lobbying world." LINK

Ed Henry's Heard on the Hill may provide some fodder for Senator Daschle's second campaign ad. If only he had that footage of Mr. Thune at the MCI Center.

"As he gears up for another Senate bid, ex-Rep. John Thune (R-S.D.) has joked that Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle's (D-S.D.) anti-Bush comments are more 'south of France' than South Dakota."

"So you can imagine HOH's surprise to hear that Thune was spotted attending last month's Dixie Chicks concert at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C."

Roll Call 's Chris Cillizza is ready to cover the Daschle v. Thune showdown.

"In an early warning shot to potential Republican challengers, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) has already put in place much of his senior campaign staff, banked $3 million and is set to debut the first television ad of his 2004 campaign today."

"Even as Daschle gears up, sources familiar with the thinking of former Rep. John Thune (R) believe he is strongly leaning toward entering the Senate contest and will announce his decision in early fall."

Nineteen years in a coma … This Arkansan thinks Ronald Reagan is the leader of the free world … . we wonder whether he thinks Bill Clinton is still the state's executive. LINK

Kennedy-Cuomo:

The Washington Post 's Michael Powell backs into airing all the unconfirmed tabloid reports by posing as a sociologist and media critic. LINK

Rush and Molloy add Jack Nicholson to the saga. LINK

Big Casino budget politics:

The New York Times ' Robert Pear has that old Washington stand-by: he covers a letter from Senate Democrats to the president saying he better side with the august chamber's version of the Medicare bill over that emanating from the People's House, or else. LINK l

And the Washington Post 's ageless David Broder (nice psychedelic tie on "Meet," David … .) columnizes that passing the bill out of conference and selling it to seniors might both be tougher than the CW would have it. LINK

The Des Moines Register ed board is down on the emerging plan. LINK

If it's good enough for Congress — and federal retirees — it still doesn't make it into the Medicare bill. The Washington Post 's Spencer Hsu reports that federal retirees will keep their prescription drug benefits — and they're better than the ones being fought over in the Medicare legislation. LINK

Vicki Kemper of the Los Angeles Times takes a look at the role being played by private insurance companies as Congress attempts to create a prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries. The private companies apparently care a lot about the bottom line. LINK

BCRA:

The AP's Anne Gearan writes: "Hundreds of pages of new filings arrived at the [Supreme Court] Tuesday from politicians, political advocacy groups and others fighting new restrictions on campaign fund raising and advertising." LINK

* Marked from the filing of the CREEP with the FEC.