On "The Situation Room" today, we asked viewers the following three questions, and here are some of our favorite responses that we didn't get to read on air:

Should the government have access to Americans' financial records?

They already do have access, Jack. I'm not thrilled about it. Like everything else the government touches, it's less, not more secure... There should be some kind of judicial oversight to make sure they absolutely have a need to know.
Jim, Redwood City, California

Yes. If they are tracking terrorists and catching them, I don't care. I have nothing to hide. I believe the only people who would be against it are the law breakers and the terrorists.
Terry, Vestal, New York

This administration has repeatedly manipulated the system to violate the Constitution and the rights of its citizens. Once again we find the attitude that they are beyond the law.
Dianne, Lexington, Kentucky

*****

Do the arrests of the latest batch of terror suspects make you feel more secure or less?

No, I don't feel safer. Why don't they get Bin Laden or secure our borders?
David, Brunswick, Missouri

I feel more secure since the recent arrests of terrorists in the U.S. We need to hear specifics on what the FBI and CIA are doing for the citizens of the U.S.
Alisha

What terror suspects? This is no more than a publicity stunt on the part of the administration to try and justify their illegal actions to the American people.
Gene, Houston

*****

How do Westerners and Muslims change the perceptions each has of the other?

Do as religious people do, have a combined bazaar of crafts, foods and games. If the various Christian organizations and Muslim organizations reach out to socialize with each other, many would find huge similarities. If for no other reason, it will get these people away from the news media that paints EACH group in a very narrow vein. I find it insanely ironic that all religions preach LOVE, yet most often religion is the cause of WAR.
Robert, Port Richey, Florida

Westerners and Muslims can improve relations by lowering their voices and refraining from trying to force their religious beliefs on others. The history of religions is a sad one with great harm and suffering being dealt to others in the name of different faiths.
Mac, DeLand, Florida

Personal data on 28,000 U.S. sailors and their families appeared on a public Web site this week, the Navy said Friday. The Navy is encouraging affected servicemen to visit their Web site for more details.

To the Moon, Mars and beyond
World renowned physicist Stephen Hawking says humans could have a base on the Moon in 20 years and a colony on Mars in 40. We examine how close this is to becoming a reality. Project Constellation, NASA's answer to the 2004 Presidential mandate for space exploration, calls for a manned lunar mission within 12 to 14 years, which will pave the way to establishing a lunar outpost and eventually send humans to Mars and beyond. Watch how NASA's plans on sending astronauts back to the Moon.

Miami terror plot
We show you where to get the latest resources on the arrests of seven men allegedly involved in a plot to bomb the Sears Tower in Chicago, including photos and the indictment detailing the plans. (Read the indictment in PDF form)

Suing over spying
AT&T and the Justice Department are in federal court today asking a judge in San Francisco to dismiss a class action lawsuit that alleges AT&T provided the NSA access to customer phone and Internet communications. The Justice Department argues allowing the case to proceed could cause "grave damage to national security."

Demystifying "Swift"
The Bush administration today defended a newly revealed secret program, initiated in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, to track people suspected of funding terrorism. We examine the magnitude and reach of SWIFT, the international consortium used by the government to obtain data on the global movement of money.

The Internet offline
We examine the question: Is the U.S. prepared for a disabling cyber attack? A new study (PDF) spearheaded by some of the nation's top business leaders says no. Go to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team's Web site to learn what the government is doing to plan for a possible cyber attack.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta -- the only Democrat in the Bush Cabinet -- is resigning next month.

White House spokesman Tony Snow made the announcement at the White House briefing on Friday. He said Mineta wasn't forced out of the job and that the president was "happy" with him.(Full story)

"He has informed the president that after five and a half years he will be stepping down," Snow said, adding "that's a long time."

The resignation will be effective July 7.

Mineta served as a member of the House from 1975 to 1995, representing a district in California's Silicon Valley. Before he joined President Bush's administration, Mineta, 74, served as secretary of commerce under President Clinton.

DNC moves closer to changing the presidential primary calendar

Democrats took a step closer Thursday towards altering the party's 2008 presidential candidate vetting process when a Democratic National Committee panel voted overwhelmingly to recommend adding two more states to the early part of the nominating calendar.

The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee did not choose the states, but decided that a caucus would be held between the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, followed immediately by an additional primary before other states would be allowed to hold presidential primary contests.

In July, the DNC Rules Committee will select the two states to recommend to the full DNC membership, which will vote on the proposal in August at the DNC's summer meeting in Chicago.

The vote all but assures that Iowa and New Hampshire will have to share their privileged status as the first proving grounds for Democratic presidential candidates in 2008.

A Republican rule adopted in 2004 prevents the GOP from changing its primary schedule until the 2012 presidential contest.

Don Fowler of South Carolina, a DNC Rules member and an outspoken critic of the plan, conceded at the outset of the vote that he did not have the support to prevent the proposal from moving forward and chose not to require a lengthy debate on the issue.

But two other DNC Rules members, Mark Brewer of Michigan and Kathy
Sullivan of New Hampshire, expressed opposition to the plan. Brewer argued that, in order to achieve the DNC's goals of infusing more ethnic, economic and regional diversity into the primary process, more states would need to be included early on in the primary process.

"I think we have to have at least three or four (states) to achieve those goals," he said.

Sullivan said she opposed the plan because it would encourage
front-loading of the primary calendar and might violate New Hampshire state law, which requires no other primary or caucus be held seven days before the New Hampshire primary.

John Distaso, the dean of New Hampshire political reporters, writes up a more detailed account of reaction from Granite State officials in today's edition of the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Hawaii,
Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina and West Virginia are vying for the two early calendar slots. Nebraska, which initially asked to be considered for an early primary position, has withdrawn its application.

***

Fowler calls for additional DNC neutrality in 2008

A condition the 10 states and District of Columbia must meet in order to be considered for an early caucus/primary position is assurance that state party leaders would remain neutral in the presidential primary process. In a June 12 letter, the DNC asked the prospective contenders if a current rule is already in place governing this, and if not, "indicate the extent to which the prospective state is wiling to implement one."

During yesterday's conference call, Fowler asked how the DNC could impose such a restriction on state party leaders if it did not require all 30 members of the Rules committee to take a similar pledge.

"I just can't imagine you would establish that standard for state parties and not ourselves," Fowler said. "It is just inconsistent to not make any sense."

Fowler argued that since the Rules committee has considerable power within the DNC, a similar restriction would help avoid conflicts or the appearance of a conflict of interest during the presidential selection process. The DNC requires the chairman, officers and staff to remain neutral during the primary, but there is no such restriction on Rules committee members. Expect to hear more about this issue at the Rules committee's next meeting in July.

***

Edwards fined

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-North Carolina) 2004 presidential campaign was fined $9,500 for violating contribution laws in 2003, the Federal Election Commission announced Thursday. Tab Turner, the donor who solicited four $2,000 contributions from colleagues in Jan. 2003 for Edwards and then reimbursed them with a company credit card, was fined $50,000. Turner, whose law practice Turner and Associates is based in Little Rock, Arkansas, also used the credit card to make an illegal campaign contribution in his own name and to pay for various campaign expenses.

Federal law prohibits donors from making contributions in other peoples' names, and prohibits direct corporate contributions to a federal candidate.

Edwards, who is considering another run for president in 2008, did not contest the FEC's ruling and Edwards' spokeswoman Kim Rubey described the FEC's announcement to CNN's Robert Yoon as "old news."

"All the issues that were raised today had been addressed by the campaign back in 2003," she said, adding that the campaign returned all of the illegal contributions referenced in the FEC complaint.

***

Cheney speaks to CNN's King

Vice President Cheney sat down for an exclusive interview with CNN's John King yesterday and covered topics ranging from Iraq and North Korea to how people perceive him personally. On the 2008 presidential race, Cheney wouldn't acknowledge a favorite but noted "We may get involved eventually." To view the full transcript of the Cheney interview click on this link.

ADMIN TAPPING INTO BANK RECORDS: Under a secret Bush administration program initiated weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, counterterrorism officials have gained access to financial records from a vast international database and examined banking transactions involving thousands of Americans and others in the United States, according to government and industry officials. The program is limited, government officials say, to tracing transactions of people suspected of having ties to Al Qaeda by reviewing records from the nerve center of the global banking industry, a Belgian cooperative that routes about $6 trillion daily between banks, brokerages, stock exchanges and other institutions. New York Times: Bank Data Sifted in Secret by U.S. to Block Terror

HADLEY ACKNOWLEDGES U.S. MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM READY: Senior Bush administration officials said publicly for the first time yesterday that the United States is set to shoot down any North Korean missile launch that threatens the United States. National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley, briefing reporters during President Bush's brief visit here, said the United States has a missile defense system with "limited operational capability" that could be used to try to shoot down an incoming North Korean missile, but he added that U.S. officials were vigorously pursuing a diplomatic push to head off a test launch by Pyongyang. Washington Times: U.S. set to down Korean missile

FBI ARRESTS SEVEN ALLEGEDLY PLOTTING TO ATTACK SEARS TOWER: FBI agents in an undercover sting operation arrested seven terrorism suspects in Miami on Thursday who allegedly were plotting to attack the Sears Tower in Chicago, the FBI headquarters in Miami and other U.S. buildings, officials said. The suspects had "aspirations" but "no means" to attack the Sears Tower or other buildings, a senior federal law-enforcement source said. The men were all Muslims who thought they were plotting "in conjunction with Al Qaeda" but they really were dealing with law-enforcement undercover agents, one law-enforcement official told The Miami Herald. The men, who told neighbors in the Liberty City area of Miami that they were starting a children's karate class at a warehouse, had been plotting for an undetermined amount of time, but their scheme was thwarted well before any attack could be carried out. Chicago Tribune: FBI: Sears Tower targeted

SENATE VOTES DOWN BOTH IRAQ WITHDRAWAL PROPOSALS: The Senate on Thursday roundly rejected two Democratic proposals to begin pulling troops out of Iraq, as Republicans and Democrats staked out starkly different positions heading into Congressional elections this fall. The more far-reaching measure, calling for all United States combat troops to be withdrawn within a year, failed 86 to 13, with no Republican supporters. An alternative, backed by the Democratic leadership and calling for troop withdrawals to begin by the end of the year without setting a deadline for complete withdrawal, was also defeated, 60 to 39, with one Republican voting with the Democrats and six Democrats joining the Republican majority. New York Times: Senate Rejects Calls to Begin Iraq Pullback

CHENEY ON CNN: "THE WORST POSSIBLE THING WE COULD DO IS WHAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE SUGGESTING": Withdrawing American troops from Iraq would embolden terrorists and leave the United States and its allies vulnerable to new attacks, Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday. "The worst possible thing we could do is what the Democrats are suggesting," Cheney told CNN's John King in an interview at the vice president's residence... Neither an immediate nor phased withdrawal would confer any protection on the United States, Cheney said. "If we pull out, they'll follow us," he said of terrorists. "It doesn't matter where we go. This is a global conflict. We've seen them attack in London and Madrid and Casablanca and Istanbul and Mombasa and East Africa. They've been, on a global basis, involved in this conflict. CNN: Cheney: Iraq pullout 'worst possible thing we could do'

Read the full Cheney interview transcript here.

CROWLEY NEXT AT DCCC? Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) has opened the door to chairing the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) next cycle, should the opportunity arise. "I would be open to talking" to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) about the job, he said yesterday. "I have offered myself in service to the caucus in many ways. I do recognize the demands of that job." Crowley is chairman of the DCCC's business council. Earlier this week, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) said he would not serve a second term as chairman of the House Democrats' campaign operations so that he could spend more time with his family. The Hill: Rep. Crowley is 'open' to a bid for DCCC

MORE PROBLEMS FOR NEY? In the fall of 2004, Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) told Senate investigators that he was unfamiliar with a Texas Indian tribe represented by lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Days later, evidence emerged that the congressman had held numerous discussions with Abramoff and the Indians about getting Congress to reopen their shuttered casino. Ney's statements to staff members of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee were included in the panel's 357-page report on tribal lobbying, released yesterday after two years of hearings and investigation... Ney's comments to the panel could add to his problems with the Justice Department... A spokesman for Ney said yesterday that in his interview with the Senate committee, the congressman did not initially recognize the name of the tribe. Washington Post: Senators' Report On Abramoff Case Disputes Rep. Ney

REED "A CENTRAL FIGURE IN MR. ABRAMOFF'S LOBBYING OPERATION": A bipartisan Senate report released on Thursday documented more than $5.3 million in payments to Ralph Reed, the former director of the Christian Coalition and a leading Republican Party strategist, from an influence-peddling operation run by the corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff on behalf of Indian tribe casinos. The report by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee portrayed Mr. Reed, now a candidate for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in his home state of Georgia, as a central figure in Mr. Abramoff's lobbying operation, the focus of a criminal investigation by the Justice Department. New York Times: Senate Report Lists Lobbyist's Payments to Ex-Leader of Christian Coalition

JOHN EDWARDS... "SOUNDING LIKE A CANDIDATE": Former Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards says he will do "anything" to get ordinary Americans to pay attention to poverty -- even at the risk of sounding like a 2008 presidential candidate. Edwards, who ran for the Democratic nomination in 2004 before joining Massachusetts Senator John Kerry on the ticket, has focused on the issue since he left the Senate last year, as director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While the job has given him the opportunity to raise the visibility of poverty in the U.S., it has also given him plenty of opportunities to keep himself visible. One came yesterday, when Edwards, 53, visited Washington for a speech at the National Press Club. Bloomberg: Edwards, Sounding Like a Candidate, Calls for Fighting Poverty

DUNCAN DROPS OUT; A "STARTLING MOVE THAT RESHAPES" THE RACE: Revealing that he received a diagnosis of clinical depression this week, Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan bowed out of the race for governor yesterday, a startling move that reshapes this year's contentious gubernatorial campaign. Duncan's decision eliminates the need for a long and costly Democratic primary that some had feared would leave the eventual nominee depleted of cash and politically bruised. In an attempt to unite his party, Duncan endorsed Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley in the fall contest against incumbent Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican. Baltimore Sun: Duncan bows out

LIEBERMAN REJECTS WITHDRAWAL OPTIONS, HITS LAMONT FOR WAFFLING: By voting Thursday with Republicans to reject two Democratic proposals to set a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman once again egged on anti-war Democrats backing his challenger, Ned Lamont. But Lamont also gave Lieberman an opening: By urging the senator to support the less aggressive of the two withdrawal plans - one with no firm deadline - Lamont appeared to back away from comments in recent weeks supporting an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from combat. "I support the Levin-Reed Amendment on U.S. Policy in Iraq, and I urge Senator Lieberman to do the same," Lamont said in a statement posted Wednesday on his website... Lamont said Thursday night that he still supported an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from combat and would have voted for setting a firm deadline. Hartford Courant: Lamont Wavers, Rival Camp Says

"VOTE 4 MISS ANGELA": An obscure candidate in a down-ticket Georgia race is getting some much-needed attention from a rap campaign song that pummels voters with a simple, mind-numbing lyric: "Vote 4 Miss Angela." That's Angela Moore, a 43-year-old medical personnel company owner making her first run for office in Georgia's packed Democratic primary for secretary of state. She was relatively unknown until her campaign rap, written and performed by a 12-year-old boy, began making the rounds on the Internet. It has received 26,000 hits in the three weeks since it's been posted on her campaign Web site. AP via Yahoo! News: Rap song draws attention to Ga. Candidate

On "The Situation Room" today, we asked viewers the following questions, and here are some of our favorite responses that we didn't get to read on air:

What does it mean when the Army raises its enlistment age to 42?

It means that there are not enough men and women signing up to go to Iraq and either get killed or come back with parts of their body missing. I doubt raising the enlistment age to 42 will help, because the older you get the smarter you become.
Bill, Quarryville, Pa.

It means that the administration is getting desperate for bodies and the draft can't be far behind this move.
Burt, Sun Lakes, Ariz.

Mr. Cafferty, it looks like it means we're going to see some new faces in the Situation Room pretty soon.
John, New York

***
Has U.S. foreign policy become a threat to global security?

If you have to ask the question, you're not paying attention. U.S. policy is not only a threat to world peace and security, it has devastated the nation and it's about time someone said something and it's about time we hold this administration and both parties responsible.
Seth, Los Angeles

Of course not. If you honestly believe that a North Korean nutcase, with nuclear weapons and a desire to test an intercontinental missile, who can't feed his own people, but insists on keeping the 3rd or 4th largest standing army in the world to protect a country no one has an interest in isn't a threat, then you have forgotten all of your history.
Vaughn, Springfield, Ill.

Yes, our foreign policy is hurting our standing - we need more friends than enemies. We had plenty of friends after the 9/11 attacks even in the Arab world. The President has reduced our number of friends slowly and steadily, and it has made our situation all the more dangerous.
Bud, Colorado Springs, Colorado

A complete transcript of John King's exclusive interview with Vice President Dick Cheney is now available.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Republican leaders formally announced plans for a new
round of hearings on sharply different immigration reform plans Thursday, a move critics say is likely to kill any chance of a bill passing this year.

"We want to make sure that the Congress gets it done the right way, and
not to be rushed just because it's an election year," House Speaker Dennis
Hastert, R-Ill., told reporters.

Hastert and other Republican leaders say they're still pushing for a
compromise with a measure the Senate passed in May.

But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said the hearings will take the immigration issue "out of Washington and probably past the election."

It's getting hot out here
According to a panel of the top climate scientists in the world, the Earth is the hottest its been in 400 years. The study was conducted at the request of Congress and released online today by the National Academy of Sciences

Abramoff scandal:
After a two-year investigation, today Arizona Sen. John McCain's Senate Indian Affairs Committee issues their definitive report on how disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and former Tom Delay aide Michael Scanlon bilked six Indian tribes out of at least $66 million dollars.

Bluegrass big brother?
Did Ernie Fletcher, the embattled Republican Governor of Kentucky, block state employees from reading liberal Web sites? That's exactly what some liberals in the Bluegrass state allege. But a state spokesperson says it intends to block access to all Web sites where state employees spend too much time doing non-government related business including all blogs. Our Internet team investigates.

Muslims vs. Westerners?
A new report released today credits the war in Iraq as just one factor adding to worldwide mistrust between Muslims and Westerners.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A railroad worker who said she was punished on the job after complaining of sexual harassment won a unanimous victory Thursday at the Supreme Court, which upheld a jury award that held her supervisors accountable.

The issue resolved around a federal law known as Title VII, which prohibits employers from retaliating against workers claiming sex or race discrimination.

"The anti-retaliation provision protects an individual not from all retaliation, but from retaliation that produces injury or harm," wrote Justice Stephen Breyer for the other eight benchmates. "We believe that there was a sufficient evidentiary basis to support the jury's verdict."

Three months into her job as a forklift operator at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway yard in Memphis, Tennessee, Sheila White complained about sexual harassment and discrimination by her male boss, who had never supervised a woman worker before.

Her immediate supervisor was investigated, suspended and ordered to take sensitivity training. But ten days after making her allegations, White was transferred to work as a regular track laborer, a more physically demanding yet equal paying job.

After White complained to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, she was suspended without pay for 37 days for "insubordination." Lawyers for the railroad argued that her job transfer caused her to suffer "no economic effect."

The case was closely watched by businesses and worker-rights advocates.

In another decision, the Supreme Court placed a greater legal burden on criminal defendants seeking to prove they were coerced into committing a felony.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney criticized Democratic efforts calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, predicting that such an act would still leave the United States vulnerable to terrorists. (Full story)

"The worst possible thing we could do is what the Democrats are suggesting," Cheney told CNN. "And no matter how you carve it -- you can call it anything you want -- but basically, it is packing it in, going home, persuading and convincing and validating the theory that the Americans don't have the stomach for this fight." (Watch the interview at 7 p.m. on CNN's "The Situation Room")

Some Democrats have advocated an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Others have pushed for a phased troop withdrawal. On Thursday, the Senate rejected two such Democratic efforts. (Full story)

"If we pull out, they'll follow us," Cheney said of terrorists. "It doesn't matter where we go. ... And it will continue -- whether we complete the job or not in Iraq -- only it'll get worse. Iraq will become a safe haven for terrorists. They'll use it in order to launch attacks against our friends and allies in that part of the world."

Cheney also spoke about the possibility that North Korea will carry out a missile test. U.S. and South Korean officials issued warmings, along with Japan and Australia, after saying earlier this month that they believed a North Korean Taepodong-2 missile was being fueled and readied for a test.

"I think, at this stage, we are addressing the issue in the proper fashion," said Cheney.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Mexican national lost his appeal Thursday at the Supreme Court, which upheld a deportation order that prevented the former illegal immigrant from remaining in the United States and seeking legal residency.

The justices voted 8-1 that a 1996 federal law tightening restrictions on illegal immigrants applied to Humberto Fernandez-Vargas. He had been in the United States for years prior to the passage of the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which took away the right to appeal a pending deportation order. (Full story)

The court concluded even long-time illegal immigrants were not immune, because the simple act of remaining in the United States represented "an indefinitely continuing violation" of their immigration status.

There is broad disagreement over how many people this ruling would affect. David Gossett, Fernandez-Vargas' appellate attorney, said that as many as 100,000 people are in similar situations, but federal immigration authorities said the number is far fewer.

Warner builds '08 operation through PAC

Just look at former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner's (D) fundraising as of late and there is no question he is running for president.

Warner raised more than $1.1 million last month for his Forward Together political action committee and he has $4 million in the bank to help pay for travel, staff and make strategic contributions to candidates in key states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina as he explores a White House bid. (See below for the Latest 2008 PAC rundown).

He also unveiled a new networking effort Wednesday that will eventually give 10 Democratic candidates $5,000 each, with one of them getting the "grand prize" of having Warner host a fundraiser. Modeled after the NCAA March Madness college brackets, Warner's political supporters will choose five winners each from the East and West, and from this pool a grand prize winner will be announced.

"Mark Warner is building a presidential campaign that involves raising a lot of money early and spending some money," said Stuart Rothenberg, publisher of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report and a columnist for Roll Call. "This is the only vehicle for Mark Warner to raise money, so this is where we see he is running for president and putting together a national operation."

Rothenberg is referring to the fundraising efforts by other potential 2008 Democratic candidates such as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York) and Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), who are raising money in other federal accounts. For example, Clinton only has $100,000 in her PAC, but she has about $20 million in her Senate campaign account. And while Kerry's PAC shows a balance of $500,000, he has more than $14 million in other federal accounts.

On the Republican side, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) and Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) have most actively employed their leadership PACs to explore presidential bids. (See below for the Latest 2008 PAC rundown).

Rothenberg describes these "leadership" PACs as "getting around money ... to help collect chits and show the flag around the country."

Getting around is precisely what Warner needs to do in the coming months as he tries to build a national base and position himself as the alternative to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York). Today, Warner kicks off the NDN's annual meeting in Washington.

***

The latest 2008 PAC rundown

Federal political action committees are often used by potential presidential candidates to help pay for travel, staff and as a pool of money to make donations from to candidates in key states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. CNN's Robert Yoon gives Grind readers the latest look at some possible 2008 candidates' leadership PACs.

Raised in May 2006

Democrats:
Wesley Clark (D) - WesPAC: $25,544
Hillary Clinton (D-NY) - Hill PAC: $122,479
Russ Feingold (D-WI) - Progressive Patriots Fund $270,968
John Kerry (D-MA) - Keeping America's Promise $270,848
Mark Warner (D-VA) - Forward Together PAC $1,129,893

Republicans:
Bill Frist (R-TN) - Volunteer PAC $466,211
Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) - Solutions America $159,022
Chuck Hagel (R-NE) - Sandhills PAC $19,469
John McCain (R-Arizona) - Straight Talk America $488,214

Spent in May 2006

Democrats:
Wesley Clark (D) - WesPAC: $57,805
Hillary Clinton (D-NY) - Hill PAC: $150,235
Russ Feingold (D-WI) - Progressive Patriots Fund: $112,402
John Kerry (D-MA) - Keeping America's Promise $256,897
Mark Warner (D-VA) - Forward Together PAC $508,060

Republicans:
Bill Frist (R-TN) - Volunteer PAC $449,052
Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) - Solutions America $141,390
Chuck Hagel (R-NE) - Sandhills PAC $60,400
John McCain (R-Arizona) - Straight Talk America $803,517

Cash on hand as of May 31, 2006

Democrats:
Wesley Clark (D) - WesPAC: $16,101
Hillary Clinton (D-NY) - Hill PAC: $100,240
Russ Feingold (D-WI) - Progressive Patriots Fund: $545,628
John Kerry (D-MA) - Keeping America's Promise $501,869
Mark Warner (D-VA) - Forward Together PAC $4,079,249

Republicans:
Bill Frist (R-TN) - Volunteer PAC $659,490
Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) - Solutions America $241,294
Chuck Hagel (R-NE) - Sandhills PAC $138,617
John McCain (R-Arizona) - Straight Talk America $761,845

***

Knitting together the Democratic factions

Once a political action committee dedicated to electing centrist Democrats, the NDN has transformed itself in recent years into a center to bring the various factions of the Democratic Party together. Today, the organization kicks off a two-day conference and will hear from three potential presidential candidates: former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D), Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York) and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D), as well as liberal blogger Marko Moulitsas and Service Employees International Union official Eliseo Medina.

"We believe the only way we are going to succeed as modern progressives or new Democrats is by the whole progressive movement succeeding," NDN President Simon Rosenberg said in an interview with the Grind earlier this week. "We are really trying to help everyone work together. Our ideas and values are not going to win the big debate right now unless the whole progressive movement wins."

And Rosenberg said he thinks Democrats want to hear potential presidential candidates explain their plan of "how we are going to get back into power."

"Democrats want to win and there is a lot of optimism about '08 being a good year," he said.

***

Lincoln saves Clinton

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York) owes Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas) a bowl of Senate bean soup for helping her dodge questions last night about a possible 2008 presidential run. Clinton and Lincoln appeared alongside the seven other Democratic women senators to discuss politics and policy on CNN's "Larry King Live." But when King asked the senators if they would support Clinton if she decided to run for the White House, the New York Democrat unsuccessfully tried to steer the conversation in another direction. That is when Lincoln stepped in.

"She wants to take one step at a time and get it right," Lincoln said, referring to Clinton's Senate re-election campaign.

The comment gave Clinton the split second time she needed to regroup.

"We want to focus on what we can get done in this Congress," Clinton said. "And then we need to focus on our elections in November because, as you say, we're running for re-election."

But we must note, Clinton never ruled out running for the White House in 2008.

***

Edwards poverty crusade

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-North Carolina) continues his crusade to end poverty today, outlining a plan to do so over the next 30 years during a lunchtime speech at the National Press Club. Edwards, who is considering another run for the White House, will also speak to the current debate among Democrats about the future direction of the party.

"I believe in a party willing to take stances that are right, whether or not they are popular," Edwards will say, according to advanced excerpts of his speech provided to CNN. "This is the tradition of America, fighting for what is right regardless of the odds, regardless of the power of those on the other side. It is what the Democratic Party I believe in is all about. We do not have to posture or to accept mediocrity or compromise our values. We can decide to be great, we can address great problems, we can see great possibilities."

Edwards will also say that if Democrats want to be leaders, "we have to represent something greater than our own self-promotion.

"We have to believe that our country is more important than ourselves," Edwards will say. "These times are critical, so let me be clear: in this battle for the soul of our Party, no less than the future of America and the future of the world are at stake."

***

The vote to pull out of Iraq

The Senate is scheduled to vote around 11 a.m. on two different Democratic proposals concerning U.S. troops in Iraq. The first amendment -- that is supported by the Democratic leadership -- calls for the beginning of redeploying troops by year's end and requires President Bush to submit a more detailed redeployment plan to Congress. The second plan -- being advanced by Sens. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) and Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) -- calls for the withdrawal of troops by July 1, 2007. Both amendments are expected to fail with the leadership backed plan getting close to 40 votes and Kerry-Feingold attracting as many as 15 supporters, Democratic sources tell the Grind.

"Today, the real choice facing this body is a choice between doing nothing -- the so-called 'stay the course' option the President and his supporters advocate -- or changing the course and providing our troops and the Iraqi people a way forward," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) will say just before the vote, according to excerpts of his speech provided to the Grind. Reid will not vote for the Kerry-Feingold amendment.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. commanding general in Iraq is considering recommending a small reduction in troop levels, military sources told CNN.

Gen. George Casey is mulling a cut that would gradually reduce, at most, the equivalent of as many as two brigades -- an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 troops. The United States now has about 127,000 troops in Iraq.

Sources said it would be a gradual move, and could involve postponing or delaying troop rotations as opposed to a direct pullout. There would be a lot of options for Casey to make adjustments to the plan, depending on how he sees the security situation evolve.

Casey and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld briefed key lawmakers in closed-door breakfast meetings on Thursday.

U.S. WANTS ANSWER FROM IRAN NEXT WEEK; AHMADINEJAD SAYS MID-AUGUST: Speaking firmly but softly, the Bush administration is looking for an answer from Iran as early as next week on a package of inducements designed to halt its development of what the United States fears are nuclear weapons. The U.S. and its partners are holding open the option of seeking a U.N. Security Council resolution to force Iran's hand if Tehran does not respond or if its response is unacceptable. By making a public show of unity with the Europeans, Russians and Chinese, the administration is both signaling Tehran there is little to be gained by trying to promote division and also closing ranks for any U.N. drive for sanctions against Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that his country would respond in mid-August to the package of incentives. AP via Yahoo! News: White House seeks prompt reply from Iran

BUSH CALLS "THREAT" COMMENT "ABSURD": With thousands of anti-American protesters crowding Vienna's streets, an irked President Bush snapped yesterday at a suggestion U.S. foreign policy has become a threat to global security. "That's absurd," Bush barked at an Austrian reporter during a press conference with European Union President and Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel. "We'll defend ourselves, but at the same time, we're actively working with our partners to spread peace and democracy... It's an absurd statement." Europe's anti-Americanism flooded Vienna, where more than 3,000 Austrian police expected about 10,000 protesters at multiple demonstrations coinciding with the U.S.-EU summit. New York Daily News: No welcome mat for W

GOP NOW "EMBRACES" IRAQ AS ELECTION ISSUE: Just a few weeks ago, some Republicans were openly fretting about the war in Iraq and its effect on their re-election prospects, with particularly vulnerable lawmakers worried that its growing unpopularity was becoming a drag on their campaigns. But there was little sign of such nervousness on Wednesday as Republican after Republican took to the Senate floor to offer an unambiguous embrace of the Iraq war and to portray Democrats as advocates of an overly hasty withdrawal that would have grave consequences for the security of the United States. Like their counterparts in the House last week, they accused Democrats of espousing "retreat and defeatism." New York Times: Rallied by Bush, Skittish G.O.P. Now Embraces War as Issue

SENATORS TO VOTE ON WITHDRAWAL PLANS: Senators today will be forced to take a position on two different proposals for withdrawal of troops from Iraq, the votes coming in an election year where polls show support for the conflict is steadily declining. Democrats are sponsoring both plans, one to start a "phased redeployment" by Jan. 31, the other to pull out combat troops by July 1, 2007. Sen. John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, spent most of last night arguing for his pullout measure, offered as an amendment to the defense authorization bill. He said the money and resources used since the Iraq war began in March 2003 have distracted the United States from the war on terror. "We want their government to stand up. The best way to stand it up is to shift responsibility," he said. Washington Times: Senate to vote on Iraq pullout

LARGE PROFITS RESULT OF EARMARKS? House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) made a $2 million profit last year on the sale of land 5 1/2 miles from a highway project that he helped to finance with targeted federal funds. A Republican House member from California, meanwhile, received nearly double what he paid for a four-acre parcel near an Air Force base after securing $8 million for a planned freeway interchange 16 miles away. And another California GOP congressman obtained funding in last year's highway bill for street improvements near a planned residential and commercial development that he co-owns. In all three cases, Hastert and Reps. Ken Calvert and Gary Miller say that they were securing funds their home districts wanted badly, and that in no way did the earmarks have any impact on the land values of their investments. But for watchdog groups, the cases have opened a fresh avenue for investigation and a new wrinkle in the ongoing controversy over earmarks -- home-district projects funded through narrowly written legislative language. Washington Post: Lawmakers' Profits Are Scrutinized

SPECTER TO HOLD HIS OWN IMMIGRATION HEARINGS: One day after Republican leaders in the House of Representatives announced they will put a sweeping Senate immigration bill under summer-long scrutiny with a series of public hearings, Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., countered with plans for hearings of his own. Specter said his sessions, beginning July 5 and lasting through the summer, will highlight "the need for a comprehensive bill" instead of the more narrowly focused border-security legislation that the House approved last December. USA Today: Republicans plan dueling hearings on immigration

BLOOMBERG, WILLIAMS TALK TERROR CUTS ON THE HILL: Protecting major American cities against terrorism requires investing federal dollars not just in high-tech gadgets but also in police officers working in uniform and under cover, the mayors of New York and Washington told a House committee on Wednesday. The joint message, from Mayors Michael R. Bloomberg of New York and Anthony A. Williams of Washington, came as the two protested a plan by the Department of Homeland Security to cut grants to the cities by 40 percent in the coming year... [T]heir allotments were cut, at least in part, because of plans to use the money to pay police officers instead of investing in antiterrorism tools or training, Mr. Bloomberg told the House Committee on Homeland Security, calling such a choice shortsighted. New York Times: Mayors Protest Cuts in Antiterrorism Funds

WILLIAMS' LAST CANNONBALL: D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams made his last cannonball dive into a city swimming pool Wednesday morning. Since 1999, Williams has marked the beginning of the city's summer parks and recreation program with a dive into a city pool. News4's Tom Sherwood reported Wednesday that Williams probably holds the record for mayoral cannonballs, eight in eight years. "I'm hoping that my legacy will be that my successor, whoever that successor is, will do an annual cannonball," said Williams. NBC4: Mayor Makes Last Cannonball To Open Pools

BID TO RAISE MINIMUM WAGE KILLED IN SENATE: A battle over whether to raise the minimum wage is spilling into the hard-fought congressional races, with several Democratic challengers staging campaign events on the issue and Democrats promising to increase the wage as one of their first acts should they win control of Congress... The fight heated up Wednesday as the Senate rejected a proposal by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) to boost the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over the next two years. The vote was 52-46 in favor of the higher wage, with eight Republicans joining Democrats to back the change, but that left proponents eight votes short of the 60 necessary to prevail under a parliamentary deal between the two parties. Chicago Tribune: Senate kills minimum pay boost

MOLLOHAN HELPED WIN CONTRACTS FOR HIS CHARITY'S BENEFACTORS: Representative Alan Mollohan helped funnel at least $179 million in U.S. government contracts over the last six years to companies that gave to the West Virginia Democrat's family-run charity, tax records and other documents show. The money went to 21 companies and nonprofit groups that contributed $225,427 to the Robert H. Mollohan Family Charitable Foundation in 2004 -- almost half of the charity's revenue, according to the documents. The congressman, an Appropriations Committee member whose finances are under federal investigation, is the secretary of the foundation, which is named for his father. The charity, which distributes scholarships to West Virginia students, raises most of its money from corporate sponsors of an annual golf tournament attended by Mollohan, 63. The event gives company executives an opportunity to meet with him in a casual setting without having to report the donations as lobbying expenses. Bloomberg: Mollohan Helped Steer U.S. Contracts to Family-Charity Donors

AG. DEPT. HIT BY HACKER: A hacker broke into the Agriculture Department's computer system and may have obtained names, Social Security numbers and photos of 26,000 Washington-area employees and contractors, the department said Wednesday. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said the department will provide free credit monitoring for one year to anyone who might have been affected. The break-in happened during the first weekend in June, the department said. Technology staff learned of the breach on June 5 and told Johanns the following day but believed personal information was protected by security software, the department said. AP via Yahoo! News: Hacker enters Agriculture dept. computers

SENATORS REFRAIN FROM PICKING A FAVORITE '08 COLLEAGUE: By the time the smoke clears from the 2006 elections, Senators on both sides of the aisle will be confronted with an unwelcome question: Who are you backing for president? For now, though, most of them are running away from the question of which Senator, of the 12 potential candidates now being talked about, gets their endorsement for president. "I don't expect to be picking a horse," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). "It's really not my vote that counts. It's the vote of the Republican primary voters." "They're working very hard to get people on board," said one GOP Senate aide of the would-be presidents. "But unless it's a home-state Senator, they're asking a lot this far out. Tough to stick your neck out like that this early." Roll Call: Who's Your Favorite? Senators Stay Mum

SPITZER LEADS BY AT LEAST 40 IN NY: Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is holding on to a huge lead over his two opponents - Republican John Faso and Democrat Tom Suozzi - in the race for governor, a new poll yesterday showed. The Quinnipiac University survey found Faso making no significant gains against Democrat Spitzer since knocking former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld out of the GOP primary earlier this month. Democrat Spitzer led Faso, a former Assembly minority leader, by a lopsided 66-20 percent, compared to the 67-16 percent lead he held a month ago. The poll of 1,204 registered voters also found Spitzer leading Suozzi, the Nassau County executive, 76-13 percent, compared to a 73-13 percent lead held by Spitzer four weeks ago. New York Post: Spitzer Miles Ahead in Poll

MI GOV RACE NEARLY TIED IN POLLS: Michigan's gubernatorial race between Democratic incumbent Jennifer Granholm and Republican challenger Dick DeVos is close, according to a poll released Wednesday. Forty-six percent of 600 likely voters said they would vote for DeVos, while 44 percent said they would vote for Granholm. Ten percent were undecided. The poll, by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA, had a sampling error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points. AP via Yahoo! News: Poll shows Michigan governor race close

Minding MySpace
MySpace is implementing new security measures protecting users under the age of sixteen. Will they work? This week a fourteen year-old girl sued the popular Web site, alleging she was sexually assaulted by an older man she met on the site.

Your personal records
House lawmakers invited, and in some cases, subpoenaed companies in the business of selling other people's personal information to testify on Capitol Hill today. Listen to archived audio of the hearing revealing the type of information these companies provide, to whom, and under what conditions. CNN has acquired some of thousands of subpoenaed documents (PDF) that the committee is reviewing, so you can see for yourself the details of how these companies work.

Vet victims
The Veterans Affairs Department has just announced that it will cover the cost of credit monitoring services for any of the millions of veterans potentially at risk for identity theft following a data security breach last month involving a laptop computer.

World refugee reponse
We examine reaction to yesterday's World Refugee Day and explore a new global campaign from the UN Refugee Agency. Click here for a response to CNN's coverage of the global refugee crisis.

Watch "The Situation Room" at 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM, and 7:00 PM, ET for these stories and more from our Internet reporters.

WASHINGTON (CNN)-- The Department of Veterans Affairs will offer a free credit-monitoring service to all veterans effected by the data theft of confidential information on veterans, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson announced Wednesday.

About 26 million listings -- including names, Social Security numbers and other sensitive information -- were on a laptop computer stolen from the Silver Spring, Maryland, home of a VA employee. About 17.5 million people are actually at risk, said Nicholdson, because millions of names were duplications, were for deceased people or did not list an address.

Nicholson said there is "no evidence" the data has been used inappropriately to this point. Neither the laptop nor the data have been recovered.

Weterans will receive a letter with a personal PIN number, so they can monitor their credit, according to Nicholson. The company providing this service will be chosen after a competitive bidding process.

Nicholson would not put a price tag on the service, but said it's "not going to be cheap."

The employee who took the data home did so without approval, and is on administrative leave while the investigation continues. Nicholson said he wanted the employee fired but was told he couldn't fire him because of the "due process rights" the employee has.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Seven U.S. Marines and a Navy medical corpsman will face charges ranging from murder to making false statements in connection with the April 26 killing of an Iraqi civilian near the town of Hamdaniya, Pentagon sources said Wednesday.

The charges are scheduled to be announced Wednesday afternoon at Camp Pendleton, California, the Marine base where all eight have been held during a military investigation.

A Pentagon official familiar with the results of the investigation told CNN the charges against all eight will include murder, kidnapping, conspiracy, larceny and making false official statements. (Full story)

GOP holds a $15 million cash advantage heading into midterms; but Senate and House Democrats flex fundraising muscles

Republicans hold an overall cash advantage on Democrats heading into November, new campaign finance disclosure reports show. But when viewed by individual campaign committees, Senate and House Democrats have more money in the bank for the midterm elections than their GOP counterparts.

The $15 million gap that separates Republicans and Democrats is due to the fact that the Republican National Committee has four times more money available than the Democratic National Committee. As of May 31, the RNC had $43.1 million in the bank, while the DNC reported $10.3 million in its war chest.

The combined cash-on-hand for the DNC, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is $68.3 million, while the RNC, National Republican Senatorial Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee total is $83.3 million.

The RNC's fundraising dominance over the DNC can be attributed to several factors, led by the Republican control of the White House. Still, some Democrats are angry and are questioning DNC Chairman Howard Dean's ability to raise funds as well as his decision to invest in rebuilding party infrastructure in "red states" instead of spending all of its resources in trying to take back control of the House and Senate. For his part, Dean defends the 50-state strategy, and he released a letter yesterday from Utah State Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Holland, Jr. praising it. Georgia State Democratic Party Chairman Bobby Kahn and other state Democratic leaders have told the Grind they, too, support Dean's initiative.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats have $15 million more than Senate Republicans; while in the House ,Democrats have a $2.6 million cash-on-hand advantage over the GOP at this point in the election cycle. President Bush helped to raise $27 million for the NRSC and NRCC earlier this week, so these numbers could change dramatically next month.

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Casey leads Santorum by 18

In one of the most closely watched Senate races this year, Pennsylvania state Treasurer Robert Casey, Jr. holds an 18 point lead (52 percent to 34 percent) over incumbent Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania), a new Quinnipiac University poll set for release this morning shows. A previous Quinnipiac poll had Casey leading Santorum by 15 points.

The university also noted that 44 percent of Pennsylvanians who back Casey "say their vote is mainly against Santorum."

"Sen. Santorum appears to be his own worst enemy in his battle for re-election," Clay Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a statement accompanying the poll results. "More than 40 percent of those who say they will vote for Democrat Bob Casey say they are really voting against Santorum. And less than 40 percent of all voters say Santorum deserves to be reelected."

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Interesting ad placement

The Times-Reporter, a newspaper located in Rep. Bob Ney's (R-Ohio) district, writes up the conviction of David Safavian in the ongoing Jack Abramoff corruption probe. Check out the web ad from Ney -- who is also being investigated for his ties to Abramoff -- that wraps around the story in today's edition.

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Michael Chertoff as Jack Bauer

Let's face it, most of the think tank panels that examine pressing issues of the day can be, well, down right boring. But the Heritage Foundation has come up with a format to spice it up. On Friday, Heritage uses the wildly popular television drama "24" to talk about national security. Three actors and two of the show's executive producers/writers will appear on a panel to discuss "24 and America's image in Fighting Terrorism: Fact, Fiction, or Does it Matter." President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin), Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub), and Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) will participate in the discussion.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is a big fan of the show and will also be on the panel, Heritage's Khristine Bershers tells the Grind. Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh will serve as the moderator.

HOUSE GOP HAS "LARGELY GIVEN UP" ON IMMIGRATION REFORM BEFORE NOVEMBER: In a move that could bury President Bush's high-profile effort to overhaul immigration law until after the midterm elections, House GOP leaders yesterday announced a series of field hearings during the August recess, pushing off final negotiations on a bill until fall at the earliest. The announcement was the clearest sign yet that House Republicans have largely given up on passing a broad rewrite of the nation's immigration laws this year. They believe that their get-tough approach -- including building a wall along the border with Mexico and deporting millions of illegal immigrants -- is far more popular with voters than the approach backed by Bush and the Senate, which would create a guest-worker program and allow many illegal immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship. Washington Post: GOP Plans Hearings on Issue of Immigrants

"IT IS NOT RIGHT FOR OTHERS TO TELL US WHAT TO DO ABOUT OUR SOVEREIGN RIGHTS": North Korea declared today that it has a right to carry out long-range missile tests, a day after U.S. officials said the Pentagon has activated a new missile defense system and as several countries called for Pyongyang to refrain from launching a missile. "It is not right for others to tell us what to do about our sovereign rights," Han Song-ryol, the deputy chief of North Korea's mission to the United Nations, told a South Korean news agency, although he also said his country was open to talks with the U.S. on the issue. "The United States says it is concerned about our missile test launch. Our position is, 'OK then, let us talk about it,'?" Mr. Han told Yonhap. Washington Times: Pyongyang asserts 'right' to test-fire missiles

KERRY'S IRAQ STANCE RANKLES DEMS: When Senator John Kerry was their presidential nominee in 2004, Democrats fervently wished he would express himself firmly about the Iraq war. Mr. Kerry has found his resolve. But it has not made his fellow Democrats any happier. They fear the latest evolution of Mr. Kerry's views on Iraq may now complicate their hopes of taking back a majority in Congress in 2006... [T]he Democratic leadership wants its members to rally behind a proposal that calls for some troops to move out by the end of this year but does not set a fixed date for complete withdrawal. Mr. Kerry has insisted on setting a date, for American combat troops to pull out in 12 months, saying anything less is too cautious. New York Times: On Iraq, Kerry Again Leaves Democrats Fuming

"I'M NOT SURE WE'RE DOING A WHOLE LOT OF GOOD": While Staff Sgt. Randy Myers was dodging roadside bombs in Iraq, his congressman was calling the war a lost cause. Sixteen-term Rep. John Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran and military hawk, has become the face of the Democrats' anti-war movement since he called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops last fall. His oft-repeated criticism of the Bush administration's war policies also has earned him the wrath of Republicans. In Murtha's southwest Pennsylvania district, however, many share the war critic's views... Myers said he backs Murtha, an opinion echoed by a number of other troops and their families. Several share his frustration with the conflict. "I'm not sure we're doing a whole lot of good," Myers, 46, said of the U.S. presence in Iraq. AP via Yahoo! News: Troops echo frustration over war in Iraq

SAFAVIAN FOUND GUILTY: A federal jury found former White House aide David H. Safavian guilty yesterday of lying and obstructing justice, making him the highest-ranking government official to be convicted in the spreading scandal involving disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Safavian, a former chief of staff of the General Services Administration, was convicted in U.S. District Court here of covering up his many efforts to assist Abramoff in acquiring two properties controlled by the GSA, and also of concealing facts about a lavish weeklong golf trip he took with Abramoff to Scotland and London in the summer of 2002. This was the first Abramoff-related legal action to go to trial and face a jury. Washington Post: Ex-Aide To Bush Found Guilty

"THREE MORE MONTHS OF FREEDOM": A federal judge Tuesday granted disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and ex-partner Adam Kidan three more months of freedom before they must begin their prison terms for fraud convictions. The delay will give the two more time to cooperate with investigations into official corruption in Washington and the 2001 murder in Fort Lauderdale of businessman Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis, who was killed a few months after selling SunCruz Casinos to the pair. U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck agreed to a motion from prosecutors and defense attorneys to delay the start of their prison terms to Oct. 2. Both men had been ordered to report to prison by next Thursday. AP via Yahoo! News: Judge in Fla. grants Abramoff, Kidan delay

WHAT GETS VOTERS TO THE POLLS? Ever since 11 anti-gay-marriage initiatives helped carry President Bush to re-election in 2004, political activists have become convinced that placing measures on the ballot can pay dividends in boosting voter turnout for their side in Congressional and statewide races. At this point in the year, the landscape for statewide ballot initiatives is ever-changing, with many measures still only in the signature-gathering phase. But there's enough activity to get a rough idea about what issues are poised to make a splash on this fall's ballot. Here is a status report, based on spadework by the Initiative and Referendum Institute, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center.

Measures With Strong Turnout Potential

Same-Sex Marriage.

Minimum wage.

Abortion.

Stem Cells.

Measures With Less Certain Turnout Potential

Eminent Domain.

Affirmative Action.

End-of-Life Issues.

Criminal Justice.

Judges.

Taxes and Spending.

Education.

Marijuana.

Smoking.

Renewable energy.

Election Reform.
Roll Call: Ballot Initiatives Could Play a Role in Election Outcomes This Fall

DEMS HAVE MORE MONEY IN THE BANK FOR MIDTERMS: Senate and House Democrats, optimistic about their election-year prospects, have more money in the bank for the midterm contests than their Republican counterparts. Some four months before the voting, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has $33.5 million cash on hand compared to $18.3 million for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the groups said Tuesday. The Democrats raised $4.7 million in May; the Republicans collected $4.3 million in the month... House Democrats said they had $24.5 million cash on hand after raising $5.5 million last month. House Republicans said they had $21.9 million at the end of May after collecting $5.6 million. AP via Yahoo! News: Congressional Democrats pass GOP in funds

JUST ONE CYCLE FOR EMANUEL AT THE HELM OF DCCC: Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) will step down from the House Democrats' campaign operation after the November elections to spend more time with his family, he told The Hill yesterday. Emanuel has been a leading strategist, fundraiser, cheerleader and recruiter for House Democrats as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) since the beginning of last year. His uncommon pairing of cunning efficiency and profanity-laced outbursts has won him both plaudits and opprobrium, but nearly all Democrats concede that he deserves substantial credit for their rosy election prospects this year. The Hill: Rahm nixes second term

FORD'S TENNESSEE CHALLENGE: [Harold] Ford attempts a feat never before achieved: becoming the first black U.S. senator from the former Confederacy since Reconstruction. The seat he hopes to take is being vacated by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, whose departure is not supposed to create a successful race for Democrats. Ford and his strategists have studied the harsh precedents: the failed Senate candidacies in 1990 of Harvey Gantt in North Carolina and in 2002 of Ron Kirk in Texas, two states still colored by racial fault lines. Ford and his team feel they are forging a different path. He is only 36, but his style and ideology were formed long after the civil rights movement that shaped the liberal views of his father, former Rep. Harold E. Ford Sr., whose congressional seat he took over 10 years ago. Los Angeles Times: This Black Democrat Has a Chance in Tennessee

LIEBERMAN THE INDEPENDENT? Should Sen. Joe Lieberman (D) opt to run as an Independent for re-election if he is defeated in Connecticut's August Democratic primary by political upstart Ned Lamont, Senate Democratic leaders could find themselves in uncharted political waters in deciding which candidate to back against Republican Alan Schlesinger and whether sanctions would be imposed on Lieberman for leaving the party even temporarily. Although the Senate has twice before seen incumbents launch Independent re-election bids following a primary defeat - including, ironically, an unsuccessful 1970 run by the late Sen. Thomas Dodd (D-Conn.), the father of Connecticut's other Democratic Senator, Chris Dodd - neither of those instances seems likely to provide a precedent for Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Charles Schumer (N.Y.), according to Associate Senate Historian Don Ritchie. Roll Call: Lieberman Could Put Leaders in Bind

WHO WORKS HARDER FOR THE EMPIRE STATE? Score a big win for Chuck Schumer in his quiet rivalry with potential Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. A poll released yesterday found New Yorkers rating Sen. Schumer, the state's senior Democratic senator, twice as effective in fighting for the state than Sen. Clinton, one of the nation's best-known political figures. The Siena College Research Institute survey found 44 percent of state voters saying that Schumer - widely known for aggressively conducting Sunday press conferences throughout the state - is "more effective" in helping New York. Twenty-two percent said the former first lady was "more effective." Another 22 percent of voters rated the pair equally effective and 12 percent said they didn't know who had done the most. New York Post: Chuck Twice As Good As Hill: Poll

"CYBERSQUATTERS" SITTING ON '08 DOMAINS: With little more than two years until the 2008 presidential election, cybersquatters are prepped for the next presidential race. Many of the political domain names have been bought as investments with the intention of being sold to the potential presidential campaigns. Other buyers acquired the Web addresses to post endorsements or bash the presidential hopefuls. Either way, the cyberbrigade has hit almost all the presidential hopefuls... SuperDomainStore.com, devoted to selling domain names, is offering to sell condoleezarice.com for $29,000. It is the highest-priced political domain name listed on the site. Whoever pays for that domain name may have buyer's remorse, however, because Rice has two z's in her first name, not one. The Hill: 2008 domain names going, going, gone

THE GUY WHO "NEARLY SUFFOCATED" BUSH WITH A BEAR HUG: [A]fter six years of undergraduate school and 4,872 demerits, [Gabriel] Whitney, 25, of Nashua, N.H., could hardly restrain himself. With more reason than most to be overjoyed, the 6-foot-7 midshipman stepped onto the stage to accept his degree and hugged Vice Adm. Joseph D. Stewart, the academy's superintendent. Then he raised both arms in a victorious salute as his classmates roared their approval. Elated and with his arms still upraised, he turned toward President Bush, who had just delivered the commencement address. Mr. Bush, wearing a quizzical expression, responded by raising his arms as well and moved in for a hug. The midshipman - almost unwittingly - found himself squeezing the president in his powerful arms. When the president caught his breath, he shook Mr. Whitney's hand. New York Times: A Graduate So Happy, He Hugged the Speaker

BRIDGEPORT MAYOR APOLOGIZES, WON'T STEP DOWN: Mayor John M. Fabrizi admitted Tuesday he had abused cocaine while in office and said he wanted to apologize "to all the people of the city" but had no plans to resign. The admission followed the inadvertent release of an FBI document in which an alleged drug dealer claimed an associate had a videotape of the mayor using cocaine. In a tearful speech to about 200 city employees and residents in City Council chambers Tuesday, Fabrizi said he had not used drugs in 18 months and had sought help for a drug addiction that he had hoped to handle privately. AP via Yahoo! News: Conn. mayor won't quit over drug use

On the Situation Room today, we asked viewers:

Should towns and cities crack down on illegal immigrants on their own?

Here are some of our favorite responses that we didn't get to read on air:

Absolutely, Jack, for either hell will have frozen over, or we'll all be speaking Spanish before the federal government gets around to doing anything about the illegal alien crisis in this country.
Marie, Las Vegas, Nevada

Sure, and at the same time, they should staff their own restaurants, clean their own houses, baby sit their own kids, mow their own lawns, and pick their own fruits and vegetables.
John, San Marcos, California

Simply, yes, the cities and states, counties should act. Here in Tulare County, the illegals line our streets openly. It is obvious our national leaders won't do anything.
Ralph, Visalia, California

The Congress and President have done absolutely nothing concerning illegal immigration. It's not working from the top down... maybe bottom up will. Bravo, Mr. Mayor!
Peter, Burlington, Massachusetts



We also asked:

Should the Pentagon classify homosexuality as a mental disorder?

Here's what our viewers had to say about that:

I think that instead of claiming homosexuality as a disorder, we should openly allow them to join and serve.
Steve, Calico Rock, Arkansas

Great idea! Then they can start doing experiments on them, taking out parts of the brain, to find out how to make them straight. Maybe infidelity should be a mental disorder, too.
Allen, Mountain Home, Idaho

The leadership at the Pentagon should be classifying the guys who claim that the "insurgency" is in its last throes with the mental disorder.
Michael, Lynchburg, Virginia



And, we posed the question:

How should the U.S. respond if North Korea goes ahead with its missile test?

Viewers of the Situation Room said:

If North Korea goes ahead with its missile test, the U.S. should put President Bush on primetime TV and have him do one of his famous "bring it on" speeches.
T., Omaha, Nebraska

The U.S. should respond by explaining to North Korea the concept of MAD. Do they wish to live in this world or do they wish to be annihilated?
Bill, Holland, Michigan

I think we should shoot it down. Then reply that we were just testing, too.
Larry, Janesville, Wisconsin

Ask Arnold
If Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger could be any color, what color would he be? Tune in to "The Situation Room" to get that answer and plenty more in this unprecedented live Web cast where the Governor interacts directly with California residents online.

World refugee resources
From comprehensive facts to fundraising, extraordinary online resources on World Refugee Day are only a mouse click away.

Your phone records
A growing number of online data brokers are selling your phone records to anyone for the asking. But is law enforcement also taking advantage of such services in lieu of getting a subpoena or warrant? Starting Wednesday the House Committee on Energy a