Compiled by Stephen Bach, CNN Washington Bureau

Making news today…

* "By standing up and calling President Bush's Iraq war strategy a failure, mild-mannered Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., set off a political earthquake whose aftershocks rippled Tuesday across the Capitol." (San Francisco Chronicle)

"Republican skepticism has grown steadily, if subtly, since the Senate began debating the war in February." (Washington Post)

"Republican support for the Iraq war is slipping by the day." (AP)

* "The Senate resurrected the immigration bill that could legalize millions of unlawful immigrants Tuesday, but the delicate compromise faces the same threats that derailed it earlier this month." (AP)

Full story here.

"House Republicans sent a message to the White House that a majority of their Members stand ready to oppose legislation that President Bush is hoping will be one last major domestic achievement in the waning months of his administration." (Roll Call)

* A New York Times/CBS News/MTV poll of 17 to 29 year-olds finds "[y]oung Americans are more likely than the general public to favor a government-run universal health care insurance system, an open-door policy on immigration and the legalization of gay marriage." (New York Times)

* Fred Thompson is the featured speaker at a roundtable discussion and luncheon with SC GOP leaders at 11:30 am ET in Columbia, SC. He'll speak to reporters afterwards at a 1:15 pm ET press avail.

"Thompson, who hasn't officially entered the 2008 presidential race, is setting Republican pulses racing in this early voting state." (AP)

* Elizabeth Edwards called into MSNBC's "Hardball" yesterday and "pleaded" with Ann Coulter "to 'stop the personal attacks,' a day after the conservative commentator said she wished Edwards' husband, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, had been killed by terrorists." (AP)

* And which 2008 candidate's wife has been approached by publishers interested in a potential book deal? Find out in Hot Topics below!

President's Schedule:

* The president makes remarks at a 10:55 am ET rededication ceremony at the Islamic Center of Washington.

At 2:20 pm ET, President Bush makes a statement on health care in the Roosevelt Room, and at 3:45 Bush attends a White House tee ball game on the South Lawn.

* CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the First Lady in Senegal. Check out her behind-the-scenes look at Day 2 of Laura Bush's trip here. 

Also on the Political Radar:

* Rudy Giuliani meets local residents at Sunseri's Market in Pittsburgh at 10:45 am ET.

* Bill Richardson gives a 12:30 pm ET speech to the Center for National Policy at the National Guard Association Hall of State in Washington, DC.

* Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE) keynote a policy forum for a new think tank, "The Center for a New American Security," at the Willard Hotel. Clinton remarks at 12:30 pm ET.

* John Edwards holds a 6 pm ET "Small Change for Big Change" fundraiser at Goode's Armadillo Palace in Houston, TX.

* The Senate Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook

* The House Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook

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Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country)

WILL MORE SENATE REPUBLICANS FOLLOW LUGAR'S LEAD? Republican skepticism has grown steadily, if subtly, since the Senate began debating the war in February. One lawmaker who has changed his tone is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.). Earlier this year, McConnell helped block from a vote even a nonbinding resolution opposing the troop increase. Now, he views a change in course as a given. "I anticipate that we'll probably be going in a different direction in some way in Iraq" in September, McConnell told reporters earlier this month. "And it'll be interesting to see what the administration chooses to do." Indeed, Republican leaders on Capitol Hill had been hoping to stave off further defections until after a report on military and political conditions in Iraq is delivered by Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker in September. However, some in the GOP fear that the White House is stalling, hoping to delay any shift in U.S. strategy until the fall. Washington Post: GOP Skepticism On Iraq Growing 

"NEW LIFE" FOR IMMIGRATION BILL: By a vote of 64 to 35, the Senate decided on Tuesday to take up a revised version of a comprehensive immigration bill that was pulled from the Senate floor nearly three weeks ago. The vote did not guarantee passage of the bill, which calls for the biggest changes in immigration law in more than 20 years. But it did clear the way, with four votes more than the 60 needed, for the Senate to debate numerous amendments before a final vote on the legislation, which could occur late this week. Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, the chief Democratic architect of the bill, said the vote showed that "there is new life in this legislation," which embodies President Bush's top domestic priority. New York Times: Senate Takes Up a Revised Immigration Bill, but Obstacles Remain 

HOUSE REPUBLICANS "STAND READY TO OPPOSE" THE LEGISLATION: Just as the Senate achieved a major breakthrough on moving forward on a comprehensive immigration bill Tuesday, House Republicans sent a message to the White House that a majority of their Members stand ready to oppose legislation that President Bush is hoping will be one last major domestic achievement in the waning months of his administration. Hours after the Senate voted to resume debate on the immigration measure, the House Republican Conference approved a one-line resolution authored by Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) on Tuesday evening — 114-23, with two Members voting "present" — that "disapproves" of the Senate bill. An effort to table the motion, offered by Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) earlier Tuesday, failed overwhelmingly, 83-28. The Conference resolution is a rarely used, nonbinding procedural move, but it marks the first time in Bush's tenure that a significant fraction of Members of his own party are publicly, and vocally, breaking ranks with the administration on a major policy goal. Roll Call: House GOP Firmly Against Border Bill 

YOUNG AMERICANS CONTINUE "DRIFT AWAY FROM REPUBLICAN PARTY": Young Americans are more likely than the general public to favor a government-run universal health care insurance system, an open-door policy on immigration and the legalization of gay marriage, according to a New York Times/CBS News/MTV poll. The poll also found that they are more likely to say the war in Iraq is heading to a successful conclusion. The poll offers a snapshot of a group whose energy and idealism have always been as alluring to politicians as its scattered focus and shifting interests have been frustrating. It found that substantially more Americans ages 17 to 29 than four years ago are paying attention to the presidential race. But they appeared to be really familiar with only two of the candidates, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, both Democrats. New York Times: New Poll Finds That Young Americans Are Leaning Left 

FULL POLL RESULTS: (pdf)

ASSASSINATION PLANS, ILLEGAL WIRETAPS, SPY HUNTING IN CIA "FAMILY JEWELS": Hundreds of pages of decades-old documents declassified and released by the CIA yesterday revealed a 1970s-era agency in the throes of unaccustomed self-examination, caught between its traditional secrecy and demands that it come clean on a history of unsavory activities. Prompted by the then-unraveling Watergate affair, and by fears that CIA involvement in that scandal would be exposed along with other illegal operations, the agency combed its files for what it called "delicate" information with "flap potential." The result was a collection of documents the CIA called the "family jewels." Washington Post: CIA Releases Files On Past Misdeeds 

COUNTDOWN TO Q2 DEADLINE; FIRST REPORTS COULD COME SUNDAY: Presidential candidates in both parties are scrambling to swell their bank accounts before June 30, the end of the second quarter for reporting campaign donations. Contenders including Democratic Senators Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Clinton of New York, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani are all poised to claim that success in the money wars gives them political momentum. The candidates' ability to meet expectations — set by campaign-finance experts, political consultants and lawmakers — has become a test of their potential to stand out in a crowded 2008 field and compete in the expensive early round of primaries and caucuses… Candidates begin releasing their numbers as early as Sunday, two weeks before the official deadline for reporting to the U.S. Federal Election Commission. Bloomberg: Clinton and Obama, Romney and Giuliani Seek Bragging Rights 

EXPECT A "PLETHORA" OF "SEND A MESSAGE" ADS BEFORE ELECTION DAY: Before a major revision of campaign finance laws five years ago restricted certain political advertisements in the weeks before an election, the airwaves were filled with blunt appeals to voters to "send a message" to specific candidates. Because of Monday's Supreme Court decision relaxing those limits, candidates and television viewers can expect a plethora of such ads during what had been blacked-out periods before primary and general elections. The ruling gives potential advertisers television access, handing them one more tool to influence elections by pressuring candidates on specific issues. Los Angeles Times: 'Send a message' ads expected to swell 

'08 DEMS HEAD TO HAWKEYE STATE FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY: Most of the Democratic presidential candidates will spend the Fourth of July holiday in the first-caucus state of Iowa, proving that at least for now, it continues to command the time, money and respect of the field. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (N.Y.) campaign is hitting the Hawkeye State with perhaps its biggest asset, former President Clinton, for a series of events next week. The Clintons will be there for a few days, spending Independence Day in the cities of Clear Lake and Waterloo. Sens. Joseph Biden (Del.) and Chris Dodd (Conn.) also will be in Iowa for the holiday, as reportedly will Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), though his campaign did not confirm the plans. The Hill: 2008 Dems head to Iowa for July 4th 

THOMPSON HOLDS FIRST OFFICIAL FUNDRAISER IN NASHVILLE: Fred Thompson's late entry into the presidential race shouldn't hurt his ability to raise the millions of dollars necessary to mount a competitive campaign, according to a political expert. The politician-turned-actor from Lawrenceburg aims to raise at least $5 million by the end of this month — a modest goal that Vanderbilt University political scientist John Geer said should be easy to achieve. Some of that goal may have been met with the help of the steady stream of Mercedeses, BMWs and SUVs with tinted windows that rolled through the iron gates and up the rolling gravel driveway of Mike Curb's house Tuesday evening. It was Thompson's first official fundraiser, one that Republican Party officials said was expected to draw hundreds of attendees — at $2,300 a person — to the music executive's Green Hills home. The Tennessean: Thompson's campaign gets financial boost 

…HAS "PULCES RACING" IN PALMETTO STATE: Latecomer Fred Thompson, who hasn't officially entered the 2008 presidential race, is setting Republican pulses racing in this early voting state. Thompson, 64, an actor and former Tennessee senator, has no serious political organization in South Carolina and makes his first appearance in this campaign season in the state on Wednesday. So it's a sign of Republicans' deep unease with the current field of 10 GOP candidates that conservative voters are watching Thompson with interest. "I'm much more impressed with Thompson than I am with any of the others," said Claude Sandidge, a 67-year-old retired produce broker. Thompson has the "conservative principles that correlate with Ronald Reagan," he added. Betty Jackson, 73, who has run the Sunset Grill, a meeting place for GOP faithful, for 34 years, explained: "We're hunting a true conservative. That's what we're doing. That's why we're waiting." AP via Yahoo! News: S.C. Republicans drawn to Fred Thompson 

LOBBYING AN IMPORTANT PART OF LIFE, SAYS THOMPSON: Fred Thompson, a likely Republican presidential candidate, on Tuesday defended his work as a Washington lobbyist, telling The Associated Press that lobbying is an important part of life because "government's got their hands in everything." The actor and former U.S. senator from Tennessee added, "Nobody yet has pointed out any of my clients that didn't deserve representation." Thompson, who likes to cast himself as a political outsider, earned more than $1 million lobbying the federal government for more than 20 years. He lobbied for a savings-and-loan deregulation bill that helped hasten the industry's collapse and a failed nuclear energy project that cost taxpayers more than a billion dollars. AP via Yahoo! News: Fred Thompson defends his lobbying past 

PUBLISHERS INTERESTED IN ANN ROMNEY'S PERSPECTIVE: Don't make room on your bookshelf just yet, but there could be another Romney book in the offing. And not by Mitt. Mitt Romney's campaign confirms that publishers have approached Romney's wife, Ann, a sunny and frequent presence on the campaign trail, about writing a book. Her husband already has one to his name, "Turnaround," his account of running the 2002 Winter Olympics. "There have been several inquiries from publishers about Ann's interest in writing a book," says Romney spokesman Kevin Madden. "But Ann has not entered into any agreements or made any decisions on these inquiries." Boston Globe: Publishers seeking to present another Romney perspective 

WARREN BUFFETT KNOCKS INCOME TAX RATES AT NYC HILLARY EVENT: Presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton was all ears at a fundraiser Tuesday evening when famed billionaire investor Warren Buffett suggested ramping up the tax code on big businesses and the super rich. The Berkshire Hathaway chairman touched on a variety of issues in a question and answer session with Clinton, including his disdain for private equity firm power brokers. "The people that earn their living doing that should be subject to taxes that reflect their labors," he said in the gathering at a hotel in midtown Manhattan. Recently private equity firms have become targets of Congress, who claim that fund managers benefit from unfair tax advantages. One Senate committee has proposed raising taxes on publicly traded private equity firms such as Blackstone Group. CNNMoney.com: Buffett talks tax reform with Sen. Clinton 

GIULIANI CALLS BILL CLINTON WHITE HOUSE SOFT ON TERRORISM: Rudy Giuliani charged yesterday that Bill Clinton was soft on terrorism when he was president, calling his tenure "the decade of denial." The Republican White House hopeful and former mayor warned that Hillary Rodham Clinton and other Democratic presidential candidates want to repeat the ex-chief executive's mistakes of the 1990s. Giuliani went after Bubba during a speech at religious broadcaster Pat Robertson's Regent University in Virginia Beach and later while addressing the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, D.C. He said Clinton didn't aggressively respond to the 1993 World Trade Center attack, or to subsequent atrocities by Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda before 9/11. Giuliani singled out the bombings of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in 1996 and the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000. New York Post: RUDY BOPS BUBBA 

"I AM MARRIED TO THE ANSWER," SAYS MICHELLE OBAMA: Barack Obama's wife worked two sides of Manhattan yesterday, telling white socialites on Central Park West and black grandmothers on 125th St. about the excellence of her husband. "I am married to The Answer," Michelle Obama told a cheering crowd in a sweltering Harlem community center. "And I'm not just saying that because I'm his wife." The Democratic presidential candidate's wife, who caught flak for making fun of her husband by confiding he doesn't pick up his socks, now sticks to his strengths. In a loose, funny performance, she told the 400 or so women in Harlem about her own father, a blue-collar Chicago city employee who worked like a dog, despite having multiple sclerosis, to send his two kids to Princeton. She spoke of her initial skepticism about meeting a young lawyer from Harvard with a funny name and how he charmed her with his brains, dedication and "an authenticity that you can see." New York Daily News: He's 'Answer,' Obama wife tells Harlem 

ELIZABETH EDWARDS CALLS IN TO CONFRONT COULTER: Elizabeth Edwards pleaded Tuesday with Ann Coulter to "stop the personal attacks," a day after the conservative commentator said she wished Edwards' husband, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, had been killed by terrorists. "The things she has said over the years, not just about John but about other candidates, lowers the political dialogue at precisely the time we need to raise it," Edwards said by phone on MSNBC's "Hardball" program, where Coulter was a guest. Elizabeth Edwards said she did not consult her husband before confronting Coulter on the air, adding that she felt the pundit's remarks were "a dialogue on hatefulness and ugliness." "It debases political dialogue," Edwards said. "It drives people away from the process. We can't have a debate about issues if you're using this kind of language." Coulter responded with a laugh and charged that Edwards was calling on her to stop speaking altogether. AP via Yahoo! News: Ms. Edwards asks Coulter to stop attacks