News and Notes: The National Scene

What's going on out there:

Pelosi and Reid Commit to Revisiting FISA Amendment - And good for them:

In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said "many provisions of this legislation are unacceptable." The speaker, who voted against the bill, asked the committee to draft a new bill "as soon as possible after Congress reconvenes."

The law expires in six months, but Pelosi said she did not think "the American people will want to wait that long before corrective action is taken." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also promised to revisit the law, which has provoked widespread outrage from civil liberties groups who said it would impinge on Americans' privacy.

UPDATE: The text of Pelosi's letter is here.

Clinton Defends Lobbyists at YearlyKos - In what could become a major faultline between Democratic frontrunners, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) on Saturday declined to reject contributions from lobbyists, as Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and former Sen. John Edwards (NC) have done.

Clinton said she had to raise money to be competitive and that her 35 years of public service proved she would fight for ordinary Americans. "I have stayed true to my core principles," Clinton said. "A lot of those lobbyists, whether you like it or not, represent real Americans" such as nurses, teachers and others who need a voice in the halls of government, she added.

More in the Washington Post. UPDATE: Blogger David Sirota sees this as the new major theme of Edwards' campaign, and posts must-see video of the exchange between Edwards and Clinton:



Now, Let's See, Which Party Is It That Supports the Troops? - The Pentagon spending bill passed by the House early yesterday morning includes a 3.5% pay increase for service members. The administration objects and says its recommended 3 percent increase is sufficient. (That bill, by the way, does not cover continued funding for the war in Iraq, which the House will take up in September.)

Warner to Replace Warner? - Bob Novak reported yesterday that Republican insiders in Virginia now think that Sen. John Warner (R-VA) will retire, leaving an open seat that former Gov. Mark Warner (D-VA) is likely to win in 2008.

Guiliani's Daughter Supports Obama - At least that's what 17-year-old Caroline Giuliani indicated on her Facebook page, until a reporter from Slate queried her about it.

U.S. Arms Iraqi Insurgents - Lots of our weapons have gone missing, and there's little doubt who will be firing them at whom:

The Pentagon cannot account for 190,000 AK-47 rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005, or about half the weapons earmarked for soldiers and police ...

Boehner Too Genial For GOP Colleagues? - In the Cleveland Plain Dealer today, reporter Sabrina Eaton portrays House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-West Chester) as polite and positive:

"There is a way you can make your point and differentiate it from your opponent without cutting their legs off," Boehner says. "And to the extent that we act like adults and sound like adults, more people might want to listen to us."

Too much of that, however, and the GOP ranks may begin to complain. Patrick O'Connor writes on Politico.com that angry Republican members (including Steve LaTourette (R-Concord Township)) chastised Boehner for being too conciliatory toward Democratic leadership after the dustup on Thursday night over the handling of a procedural vote.