CNN

Compiled by Stephen Bach, CNN Washington Bureau

Making news today...

* Eight Democratic presidential candidates participate in PBS' "All-American Presidential Forum" at Howard University. Tavis Smiley moderates the event, which airs live on PBS and pbs.org at 9 pm ET.

"The agenda will be focused on issues of importance to African American voters." (Washington Post)

* The Senate subpoenaed the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's office Wednesday, demanding documents and elevating the confrontation with President Bush over the administration's warrant-free eavesdropping on Americans.

Full story

"The move put Senate Democrats squarely on a course they had until now avoided, setting the stage for a showdown with the Bush administration over one of the most contentious issues arising from the White House’s campaign against terrorism." (New York Times)

* The Washington Post reports on A1 that even John McCain's advisers "concede" that his firm stance on immigration is "costing him dearly."

* "The world according to Rudolph W. Giuliani is a very, very scary place." (Los Angeles Times lede)

* And which senator scored a cameo in the upcoming installment of the big-screen Batman franchise, "The Dark Knight?" Find out in Hot Topics below!

President's Schedule:

* The president announces the official nomination of Admiral Michael Mullen and General James Cartwright to be Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Roosevelt Room at 8:35 am ET.

At 11:20 am ET, President Bush makes remarks to the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

This afternoon, Bush travels to Kennebunkport, Maine, where he'll remain overnight.

Also on the Political Radar:

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) holds a 1 pm ET presser on Iraq in the Senate TV gallery.

* Mitt Romney holds a 3:30 pm ET media availability at Pittsburgh International Airport.

* Rudy Giuliani meets local residents at the Ambrosia Coffee Shop in Sacramento, CA, at 3:50 pm ET.

* Fred Thompson travels to New Hampshire for a fundraising reception with NH GOPers at the Bedford Wayfarer Inn at 5 pm ET.

* Former Secretary of State Colin Powell appears on CNN's Larry King Live at 9 pm ET.

* Unity '08 founder Doug Bailey appears on "The Colbert Report."

* 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)

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ORDERS ADMIN TO TURN OVER EAVESDROPPING DOCS: A Senate committee investigating the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program issued subpoenas yesterday ordering the White House to turn over documents related to the eavesdropping effort, escalating a legal showdown between Congress and the Bush administration. The Judiciary Committee's subpoenas were delivered to the offices of President Bush, Vice President Cheney and the national security adviser and to the Justice Department. They demanded copies of internal documents about the program's legality and agreements with telecommunications companies that participated in the program. Lawmakers said their aim is to understand and reconstruct the administration's internal debate about the program's legality, an aim White House officials have resisted. Washington Post: Senators Subpoena The White House 

IMMIGRATION PUSHES BUSH, GOP TO "BRINK OF DIVORCE": The bitter fight over a comprehensive immigration overhaul has pushed President Bush and his fellow Republicans to the brink of divorce - and, for the first time, the opportunities for reconciliation appear severely limited. House leaders played down the friction Wednesday, but Republicans have predicted a showdown with the White House over immigration since Democrats took control of Congress last fall. And that longstanding tension spilled out Tuesday when GOP lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to reject the Senate - and, by turns, the White House - immigration overhaul. This immigration fight marks yet another low ebb for the White House, and the path forward looks rocky, as GOP support for the war in Iraq teeters. The Politico: Bush facing GOP mutiny over immigration 

"CRUCIAL VOTE" TODAY: Conservative Republican senators and a handful of Democrats are trying to put a final knife in President Bush's plan for legalizing millions of unlawful immigrants. A broad immigration bill, embracing what critics call amnesty, survived a series of unfriendly amendments Wednesday. Supporters pointed to the bill's tighter borders and workplace rules to keep it alive. Both sides agreed the crucial vote occurs Thursday. Supporters must gain 60 votes in the 100-member chamber to limit debate and clear the way for a roll call on final passage, perhaps by Friday. Anything less will likely doom the legislation until a new president and Congress take office in 2009. AP via Yahoo! News: Immigration bill faces crucial vote 

COMMANDERS TAILOR IRAQ STRATEGY WITH EXPECTATION CONGRESS WILL "SOON IMPOSE A TIMELINE" FOR WITHDRAWAL: U.S. commanders plan a summer of stepped-up offensives against Al Qaeda in Iraq as they tailor strategy to their expectation that Congress soon will impose a timeline for drawing down U.S. forces here. The emphasis on Al Qaeda, described by commanders in interviews here this week, marks a shift in focus from Shiite Muslim militias and death squads in Baghdad. It reflects the belief of some senior officers in Iraq that the militias probably will reduce attacks once it becomes clear that a U.S. pullout is on the horizon. By contrast, they believe Al Qaeda in Iraq could be emboldened by a withdrawal plan and must be confronted before one is in place. Los Angeles Times: Iraq strategy geared to U.S. pullout 

PUTIN, BUSH WILL "TRY TO IRON OUT THEIR DIFFERENCES" IN KENNEBUNKPORT: The up-and-down relationship between the United States and Russia takes center stage this weekend as President Bush and counterpart Vladimir Putin try to iron out their differences. Putin visits the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Sunday and Monday, and it's unclear what his attitude will be. Will he be the same leader who threatened to aim Russian missiles at Western Europe, as he did last month? Or more like the one who told Bush on June 7 that he was "satisfied with the spirit of openness" between the countries? Whatever their mood, Bush and Putin have a lot to discuss. The agenda includes missile defense, new sanctions to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, possible independence for Kosovo and the fate of democracy in Russia. USA Today: Maine retreat marks start of U.S.-Russian dialogue 

OPINIONS "LIFT THE CURTAIN" ON DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SCALIA AND ROBERTS: It’s not every day that one Supreme Court justice, even one as rhetorically unrestrained as Justice Antonin Scalia, characterizes another justice, let alone the chief justice of the United States, as a wimp and a hypocrite. Yet Justice Scalia did something very close to that, not once but twice, in separate opinions on Monday. As a result, he has served to lift the curtain a bit on the differences within the powerful five-justice conservative bloc that has marched in lock step through much of the term, bent on reshaping the law and, in several important areas, well on the way toward doing so. In the campaign finance case, he accused Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. of “faux judicial modesty” for writing an opinion that in Justice Scalia’s view effectively overturned the court’s 2003 campaign finance decision “without saying so.” The clear implication was that the chief justice lacked the courage or honesty to overturn the precedent openly as Justice Scalia himself would have done. New York Times: Even in Agreement, Scalia Puts Roberts to Lash 

PELOSI REMINDS LEFT "SHE IS ONE OF THEM": House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is working hard to make sure that the fiery liberal wing of the Democratic Party remembers that she is one of them. She is also going out of her way to reassure opponents of the war that she is on their side. Her efforts are taking place in speeches and interviews off Capitol Hill and away from the constraints and compromises inherent in running the House. Liberal lawmakers and activists accuse Pelosi of being too cautious. Now, with Congress’s approval rating plummeting following its passage of an Iraq war-spending bill without a troop-withdrawal timeline, the Speaker is signaling that Democrats will be more forceful in challenging the president. The Hill: Rep. Pelosi reminds the left that she’s on its side 

A LOT OF QUESTION MARKS ON '08 SENATE ELECTORAL MAP: As Congress prepares to head home for the July Fourth recess, the 2008 electoral map shows a Senate playing field that favors Democrats — based on sheer numbers — but also has more questions than answers, less than a year and a half before Election Day. While Democrats remain confident they will not see any retirements this cycle, Republicans still have at least two, and possibly three, big question marks that have the potential to create top-tier, open-seat contests. Meanwhile, recruiting success on both sides of the aisle has been minimal at this point, as both parties have been unable to coax top-tier challengers into races against the Senators believed to be most vulnerable in 2008. Roll Call: Senate Races Slowly Take Shape 

LEAHY WILL APPEAR IN UPCOMING BATMAN MOVIE: Sen. Patrick Leahy is getting another chance to indulge his obsession with Batman comics. The bat-loving Vermont Democrat will appear in the upcoming installment of the big-screen Batman franchise, “The Dark Night,” slated to be released in 2008 and starring hunky Christian Bale as the elusive superhero. Leahy’s penchant for the character is well-known; he made a brief appearance in the 1997 Batman movie “Batman and Robin,” and he also lent his voice to an episode of “Batman: The Animated Series.” An HOH spy overheard Leahy telling his barber during a Wednesday haircut in the Russell Senate Office Building that he hadn’t had a trim in a while, since he had let his hair grow out for the role. The Senator also mentioned a recent all-night filming session that went on “too damn long” and that he’s donating what he makes from the film to charity, the HOH eavesdropper spills. Sounds intriguing, but Leahy’s staffers were mum about the Senator’s upcoming cameo. Roll Call: Bat Senator, the Sequel. 

CAN SECOND AND THIRD TIER CANDIDATES STAY ALIVE AFTER Q2 DEADLINE? For those not considered in the top tier of presidential candidates, the campaign can be a lonely and frustrating experience. With close to 20 candidates combined in the Democratic and the Republican contests, it's often a struggle to attract media attention, money or even a once-over from busy voters. The phenomenon is hardly new; front-runners have always received more attention. But this year, the situation is exacerbated by the unusually large number of candidates and what [Bill] Richardson calls "rock star" politicians such as Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). With a key fundraising deadline this weekend, some candidates may find that their poor showing in dollars will deprive them of the necessary political oxygen to keep their candidacies alive, as donors and journalists write them off. Chicago Tribune: Fighting the 'Who?' factor 

CHINESE OFFICIAL MEETS WITH ADVISERS TO '08 CAMPAIGNS: One of China's top government officials reached out to the leading U.S. presidential contenders last week, holding an unpublicized meeting with several of their top foreign policy advisers during a visit to Washington for high-level talks with Bush administration officials. Among those present for the dinner with Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo on June 19, according to people familiar with the encounter, were top advisers to Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), former senator John Edwards (D-N.C.), Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R). The meeting underscored the intense interest in the U.S. presidential campaign among foreign leaders, particularly in China, which has historically been uneasy about transitions in the White House. Washington Post: Meeting With U.S. Campaign Aides Shows China's Interest in the Race 

HILLARY GETS A BOOST FROM HISPANICS: Like no Republican before him, George W. Bush drew Hispanics to the GOP. In the 2004 election, at least 40% of the voters in the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group backed Bush, double the share of Hispanics who had supported Republican Bob Dole eight years earlier. But the inroads Bush made are vanishing. The chief beneficiary for 2008 so far is Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton. A new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll indicates that Hispanics, by nearly 3 to 1, say they're Democrats or lean that way. Of those, 59% support the New York senator over her presidential rivals — her strongest showing among any major demographic group and a huge potential asset for early contests in Nevada, Florida, California and other states with large Hispanic populations. USA Today: Hispanics are returning to Democrats for 2008 

CLINTON KNOCKS WH "LACK OF URGENCY" ON NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION: Senator Clinton is proposing new measures to guard against what she says is the "most significant" of all threats to America's security: nuclear proliferation. Decrying a lack of urgency in the Bush administration's response to the threat, Mrs. Clinton yesterday announced legislation to increase funding for the protection of nuclear reactor sites worldwide and to require the president to appoint a senior White House advisor on nuclear terrorism. She outlined the proposal in a Washington speech to the inaugural forum of the Center for New American Security, during which she singled out nuclear proliferation as paramount among a litany of failures that she attributed to President Bush's foreign policy. New York Sun: Clinton Proposes New Ways To Combat Nuclear Proliferation 

ELIZABETH EDWARDS TALKS ABOUT DECISION TO CONFRONT COULTER: Elizabeth Edwards said Wednesday that she hopes other Americans will do what she was trying to do when she confronted conservative pundit Ann Coulter on national television this week. Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, said in an interview that it's time to put the brakes on the hateful speech spewed by people like Coulter. "It may take a while, but if we don't start, it'll take forever," she said. The confrontation came Tuesday while Coulter was appearing on MSNBC's "Hardball." Elizabeth Edwards called the show and asked Coulter to refrain from using insulting language. Coulter laughed and accused Edwards of telling her to stop speaking. Des Moines Register: Edwards defends her call to Coulter 

THOMPSON HAS "THE FIRE IN HIS BELLY," SAYS FRIST: Fred Thompson looks the part, and usually gets it. Long before he became a Hollywood actor, people offered him roles tailor-made for his imposing stature, his rich baritone and his homespun dignity. Throughout his life, he said in a television interview in March, "doors have opened for me and I had the sense to walk through them." He has ascended without much apparent effort from country lawyer to prosecutor to U.S. senator while building a parallel career as a film and TV actor, notably in the NBC series "Law & Order." Now, the powerful Tennessee Republicans who propelled Thompson, 64, into politics three decades ago want to cast him in the role of a lifetime: president of the United States. The question, some of them say, is whether he wants it badly enough to endure the rigors of a campaign. "Does he really have the passion, the energy, the fire in the belly to run?" said former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who is advising his fellow Tennessean. "I believe he does, but we will only know as he gets on the campaign trail." Bloomberg: Thompson's Backers Check His `Fire in the Belly' for 2008 Race 

McCAIN'S IMMIGRATION STANCE "COSTING HIM DEARLY": Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is not wavering on immigration. This week, he continued to stand firm with President Bush in seeking a Senate compromise on the issue in the face of intense opposition from core activists in the Republican Party. His advisers refer to such a stance as one of the signatures of his political career: principled stands on tough issues. And even they concede that, this time, it's costing him dearly. "From a political perspective, having a candidate that takes on all the tough issues is not always the most politically expedient thing to do," said David Roederer, the chairman of McCain's campaign in Iowa. Asked what he would like to see happen on immigration, Roederer laughed and said: "Wind the clock back and forget that this issue ever came up?" Washington Post: Immigration Stance Is Costly for McCain 

GIULIANI'S CORE MESSAGE IS "CONSTANT THREAT OF FUTURE ATTACK": The world according to Rudolph W. Giuliani is a very, very scary place. Just listen to the former mayor of New York City in a hotel ballroom in the scorching Midwest, two minutes and 14 seconds into a speech on "Restoring Fiscal Discipline and Cutting Wasteful Washington Spending." "I will continue to keep America on offense in the terrorist war against us, because I think that's the overriding issue of our day," he declared. Then he leaped into a detailed discussion that wound its way through earmarks and out-of-control federal budgets to the threat of Democratic tax increases and — as always — back to terrorism. While talking taxes, Giuliani spoke of listening to a Democratic presidential debate. "They never mentioned the word 'Islamic terrorist' during the debate…. Maybe they think they're going to be insulting somebody if they say it. I'm trying to figure out who would be insulted — other than Islamic terrorists." Los Angeles Times: Terrorism: Giuliani's running mate 

"DRAMATIC SHRINKAGE" IN RUDY'S LEAD: Likely GOP presidential hopeful Fred Thompson has made stunning gains on front-runner Rudy Giuilani in three key battleground states, including Florida, a poll released yesterday found. Giuliani leads Thompson 27-21 percent among Florida Republican voters, according to the Quinnipiac Poll – a dramatic shrinkage of the former mayor's 32-point edge in April. In April, 38 percent of Florida Republicans favored Giuliani, compared to 15 percent for John McCain, and just 6 for Thompson. Since then, Giuliani dipped by 11 points, while Thompson skyrocketed by 15 points. New York Post: RUDY LOSING STEAM 

BLOOMBERG COULDN'T COMPETE IN GRANITE STATE: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to drop his party affiliation makes him ineligible to compete in the New Hampshire primary, which is open to independent voters but not independent candidates. Bloomberg, a lifelong Democrat before switching to the GOP before his 2001 mayoral run, said his latest change in voter registration does not mean he is running for president. But if he does, he won't be able to get on the first-in-the-nation primary ballot without re-registering with a party. Under state law, only candidates who are registered Republicans or Democrats can run in the primary. Party affiliation is not a voting requirement, however, and independents are expected to vote in large numbers. Voters unaffiliated with either party make up 44 percent of the state's registered voters, a greater percentage than either Republicans or Democrats. AP via Yahoo! News: NH closed to independent candidates