Giuliani's campaign struck back at a Vanity Fair article about his wife Judith.

NEW YORK (CNN) — If you're Judith Giuliani, Vanity Fair is not your best friend. An article in the magazine’s September issue reads: "Terror Alert, Judi Giuliani." It goes downhill from there and it’s got former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s camp crying "hatchet job.”

“There are so many inaccuracies in that story,” Mark McKeon, Rudy Giuliani’s senior adviser told CNN, “so many innuendoes in that story that is so vile that it really isn't worth going into."

But Vanity Fair’s Judy Bachrach stands by her story and every last unflattering detail.

“When the Giuliani people say that Vanity Fair or I’ve done a hatchet job, you have to consider the source,” says Bachrach. “They are the kings of hatchets. They try to muzzle the press at every opportunity.”

Despite the Giuliani campaign’s uncooperativeness, Bachrach says she prevailed in writing "Giuliani’s Princess Bride,” referring to the tiara Judith wore on her wedding day and quoting an un-named former Rudy Giuliani aide who said, "Queen is her goal."

The former mayor stood up for his wife at a campaign event on Tuesday saying, “I think the article is a very incorrect article that has an enormous numbers of inaccuracies in it. And one of the unfortunate prices that families pay in a situation like this is that they get castigated, attacked, and most of the time reporters doesn't even ask about it.”

But Bacharach said she tried to interview Judith Giuliani and was denied access. Through others, Bacharach says she determined that Mrs. Giuliani is an "opportunist" who went after a famous, married man, with kids – then Mayor Rudolph Giuliani – and "proffered her business card,” flaunting their affair by appearing at New York City functions while then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani was still married.

Bacharach went on to write that Judith Giuliani is now enjoying the fame and wealth that accompanies being married to the former mayor, among the perks: a "full-time assistant” to style her hair, designer clothes, and when she flies, an “entire plane seat for Judith’s ‘Baby Louis’” – a Louis Vuitton designer bag.

The Giuliani camp says none of those allegations are true, including the full time hairdresser. As for whether any of this will hurt the campaign, the Giuliani campaign told CNN it will have no effect.

–CNN Correspondent Carol Costello

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Some House Democrats are calling for impeachment hearings against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to begin in the House Judiciary Committee unless he voluntarily resigns or is dismissed by President Bush.

"There is a national embarrassment in the United States attorney general's office," said Rep Jay Inslee, D-Washington, the resolution's author. "It needs to be remedied. And if the president does not do his clear job, we will do ours."

Inslee and 14 other Democrats introduced a resolution Tuesday ordering the House Judiciary Committee to "investigate whether Alberto R. Gonzales, attorney general of the United States, should be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors."

The measure's sponsors cite Gonzales' controversial testimony last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the domestic surveillance program and the firing of several United States attorneys as adequate grounds for impeachment hearings.

"An investigation will root out all the details and will move us in the right direction," said Rep Ben Chandler, D-Kentucky.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer did not explicitly support the resolution, but said it "reflects significant sentiment in Congress and around the country. Alberto Gonzales has not been candid and truthful with the Congress of the United States and the American people."

Unlike the House Judiciary Committee's recent contempt of Congress charges against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers, intervention by the Department of Justice would not be needed for an impeachment investigation, supporters of the measure say.

"The president thinks he has a checkmate over democracy," Inslee said. "Well, he cannot checkmate an impeachment inquiry. This is the tool in the toolbox we can use."

A spokesman for the House Judiciary Committee did not say if the resolution will be taken up by the committee when Congress returns from August recess.

–CNN Congressional Producer Evan Glass

Senator Ted Stevens, R-Alaska

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The day after federal agents raided his Alaska home, Republican Sen. Ted Stevens actively avoided reporters on Capitol Hill.

He finally appeared at the weekly GOP lunch, but slipped in a backdoor and back out down a back stairway in the Senate. But showing a great example of the game of cat and mouse often played by lawmakers and journalists, CNN's Ted Barrett and Dana Bash split up to catch the seven-term senator. Barrett was eying one door and Bash was around the corner. He saw Stevens slip out and gave Bash the head's up to run down a back way to find him. She slipped away from the pack of reporters and ran down to greet Stevens at the bottom of those stairs.

Stevens came down, saw Bash and turned around and started going back up the stairs. She said one of his aides tried to physically stop her from following him but she told her it was a public hallway. She followed Stevens back up the stairs asking him questions and he was furious.

Bash asked Stevens why federal agents went to his house and what they took. "Can you understand English? That's the only statement I'm going to make," Stevens said.

When Bash tried to ask again, he said: "I understand you're recording this, but I told you again, I made the statement, it's issued. And that's all I'm going to say!"

Vice President Dick Cheney.

(CNN)–Vice President Dick Cheney told CNN's Lary King Tuesday his thoughts on the Senate investigation regarding the firings of U.S. Attorneys. "With respect to the U.S. Attorneys, there has been, I think, a bit of a witch hunt on Capitol Hill as they keep rolling over rocks hoping they can find something," he said. "But there really hasn't been anything that has come up to suggest that there was any wrongdoing of any kind."

When asked his thoughts on the man at the center of the controversy, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Cheney was equally resolute. "Al's a good man, a good friend, on a difficult assignment," he said.

"Are you troubled by what appears to have happened, the appearance of him not telling the truth?" King asked. "Well, I don't want to get into the specifics with respect to his testimony and the questions that were asked. I know Al on a personal and professional basis and I hold him in high regard," Cheney replied. The Vice president again re-stated his support for Gonzales.

Cheney also discussed with King his role as President of the Senate.

The full interview with Vice President Cheney can be seen on "Larry King Live" at 9:00pm eastern Tuesday on CNN.

–CNN Political Desk Editor Jamie Crawford

Romney re-released an ad focusing on illegal immigration.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Less than two weeks before Iowa's straw poll, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has re-released an ad focusing on the contentious issue of illegal immigration.

"People who are here illegally are going to have to get in line with everyone else, with no special pathways to become a citizen," Romney says in the ad. "Legal immigration is great, but illegal immigration, that we've got to end."

In the ad, Romney criticizes employers that hire illegal immigrants, and calls for a federal database that lists the names of legal workers.

The ad, which originally aired in a longer format in May, has been trimmed down to 30 seconds. It hit Iowa's airwaves on Tuesday.

–CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich

WASHINGTON (CNN) – New polls shows former mayor Rudy Giuliani, R-New York, ahead in the early caucus and primary states of Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire and Sens. Barack Obama, D-Illinois and Hillary Clinton, D-New York, neck and neck.

According to the from polls the American Research Group, Giuliani is the leading Republican candidate in all three states with former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Massachusetts, coming in second in New Hampshire in Iowa, and former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tennessee, placing second in South Carolina.

On the Democratic side, Sen. Clinton in ahead in Iowa but neck and neck in New Hampshire with Sen. Obama. In South Carolina, Sen. Obama has the advantage.

Democrats
              IA      NH     SC
Clinton       30%     31%    29%
Edwards       21%     14%    18%
Obama         15%     31%    33%

Republicans
              IA     NH       SC
Giuliani      22%    27%      28%
McCain        17%    10%      10%
Romney        21%    26%       7%
F. Thompson   13%    13%      27%  

Sampling Date: July 26-30
Sampling Size: 600 likely voters
Margin of Error: +/- 4%

–CNN Political Researcher Xuan Thai

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Senators Joseph Lieberman, I-Connecticut, Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota unveiled a bill Tuesday that would radically overhaul the presidential nomination process. The proposed tri-partisan bill, which would take effect in the 2012 presidential race, seeks to solve the issue of so-called primary “front-loading.”

The proposal would spread out primaries by dividing the nation into four regions — West, Midwest, South, and East — with a rotating lottery system determining the order of primaries for each region. The first primary would fall on March 1, 2012 for the first region, followed by one region each month until the season is complete after the final region’s primary on June 1.

Iowa and New Hampshire would retain their privileged “first-in-the-nation” status through a special exemption allowing them to start the delegate selection process before March 1.

“Primaries were not intended to be an arms race,” said Klobuchar. “This schedule gives power and influence back to the voters in every state.”

“The guiding principle of our democracy is that every citizen has the opportunity to choose his or her political leaders,” said Lieberman. “But the sad truth is this principle no longer bears a resemblance to the reality of an increasingly compressed and arbitrary presidential primary system.”

Lieberman added that many voters feel the 2008 presidential race started too early and is already too long.

Currently, a large number of states have scheduled their primaries for the first Tuesday of February 2008, or what some are now calling “Super Duper Tuesday.”

In addition to the proposed regional primary, Sen. Alexander announced his intention to push for an increase in the amount an individual can donate to a presidential campaign from the current $2,300 to $10,000.

                                                                          -From CNN's Kevin Mayer and Xuan Thai

Brownback in Ames, Iowa today.

AMES, Iowa (CNN) — Republican presidential candidate Sam Brownback fired a few shots today, though not at any of his opponents.

The Kansas senator spent some time on a shooting range in Ames, Iowa — a town also known for a certain well-known straw poll coming up August 11 — and emphasized his position on gun rights to a group of reporters.

"We have a Second Amendment," Brownback said. "It is a right to bear arms, and those should be stood by and those should be honored as a right an individual has."

Brownback said he holds an 'A' rating from the National Rifle Association but that he is not currently a member. The campaign said he's hunted on several occasions.

"I don't think there should be more gun control. I think there should be more education," he said.

Brownback fired an AR-15 rifle. And in case you're wondering, he didn't quite hit the bull's-eye but wasn't too far off from the target either.

"Am I low, high?" Brownback asked after his first shots. "Where'd that go?"

"Just over the top of the target," said an onlooker.

–CNN Iowa Producer Chris Welch

Listen to the latest Race to '08 podcast.

CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley and CNN's John Lisk take a look at the money Fred Thompson has raised for the month of June.

John and Elizabeth Edwards celebrate their 30th anniversary at Wendy's.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — John and Elizabeth Edwards took a break from their hectic campaign schedules on Monday to celebrate their annual tradition — eating their anniversary dinner at Wendy's.

The tradition started on their first anniversary, when the Edwards were in the middle of moving and too busy for a formal dinner. They decided to continue it and have eaten there every year since.

The couple celebrated their 30th anniversary at a Wendy's in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

–CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich

Thompson raised $3.4 million in June.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson raised $3.4 million in June for a possible White House bid, his presidential exploratory committee announced Tuesday.

“The level of support and enthusiasm from people across this country is inspiring,” said Thompson in a written statement. “It tells me that people are ready for a leader who will change the national attitude from political bickering to a shared vision for our future. A leader who will bring us together, one who understands the challenges we face.”

The committee says it received contributions from 9,167 donors in less than one month and spent just over $625,000 in the same timeframe.

Thompson, who is not yet an official candidate, created a presidential exploratory committee, also known as a “testing the waters” committee, in early June. Federal law required the former senator to register the committee with the Internal Revenue Service as a so-called “527” organization, which he may later convert to a federal campaign committee once he declares his candidacy.

He is expected to officially launch his campaign after Labor Day.

–CNN Political Research Director Robert Yoon

Obama's campaign will air a new ad in Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) –The Obama Campaign announced Tuesday that a new ad focused on reforming Washington will begin airing Wednesday across the Hawkeye State. Ethics reform has become a staple in the Democratic candidate's stump speeches in the region. In a press release, the campaign also plans to put signs reading "Not paid for by PAC or federal lobbyist money" in offices statewide.

"I am extremely proud of amount of money our campaign has raised," the Illinois senator said in a statement, "but I’m even more proud of how we did it. We didn’t take a dime from Washington lobbyists or special interest group because if we’re going to truly change the way Washington works, we need to break the stranglehold that the lobbyists and special interests have on our democracy."

Ethics reform was a primary focus of remarks Obama made Monday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In his speech, he said that lobbyists "stop us from addressing issues that matter."

"Special interests dominate on a day to day basis in terms of legislative activity," he said. "If we can’t change that, we’re not going to change anything.”

–CNN Iowa Producer Chris Welch

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Virginia Senator John Warner was full of praise for Senator Hillary Clinton at Tuesday’s confirmation hearing for Joint Chiefs Chair nominee Mike Mullen – maybe a bit too much for her campaign backers.

The funny moment occurred as senators questioned Admiral Mullen before the Armed Services Committee. Chairman Carl Levin, D-Michigan, asked the Democratic presidential hopeful if she would allow Warner to finish his line of questioning before she started. Clinton politely replied, “Absolutely.”

Warner said, “Senator Clinton, may I thank you for that courtesy? You know, the many years that you’ve been on this committee, that’s the hallmark of your service. Courtesy and respect. And you’ve been a good strong working partner through the years.”

Warner then deadpanned, “We don’t want to lose you.”

To laughter, Levin then interrupted, “Your time is up, Senator Warner.”

–CNN's Steve Brusk and Jim Barnett

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) — New Mexico governor and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson will tour southeast Iowa on Thursday for two days of events centering on energy. The campaign announced Tuesday that the former energy secretary will discuss his plan to boost domestic renewable fuel production and making America energy independent.

The eight stops of the tour are all being dubbed as "presidential job interviews" — Richardson's version of town hall meetings — and will begin in Eldridge, Iowa, on Thursday and conclude in Wapello on Friday.

–CNN Iowa Producer Chris Welch

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) — It's a sight that Iowans are used to seeing by now, but nonetheless Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards announced that he, too, will be touring the state in a bus.

The campaign said Tuesday that the seven-day trip, dubbed the "Fighting for One America" bus tour, will make stops in 30 counties. It will begin Monday, August 13, in Des Moines, where the Iowa State Fair will be well underway. The tour will take the former senator through all regions of the state before returning back to Des Moines on Sunday, August 19, for a Democratic debate at Drake University.

In a statement, Edwards said, "I’m looking forward to this trip and talking with Iowans about our fight to build One America – an America where everyone has a chance to get ahead and where the needs of regular Americans come before the needs of powerful special interests."

Recently, buses stocked with presidential hopefuls have been no strangers to the Hawkeye State. Thus far Democrat Chris Dodd and Republicans Sam Brownback, Mitt Romney, and Tommy Thompson have all jumped on the bandwagon, so to speak. Republican John McCain also took his "Straight Talk Express" –made famous in his 2000 presidential bid– out for a ride in March.

–CNN Iowa Producer Chris Welch

Rudy Giuliani took issue Tuesday with Democratic health care proposals.

(CNN) — Speaking before a town hall forum Tuesday, Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani lambasted the health care plans put forward by the Democratic presidential field.

"We've got to do it the American way. The American way is not single-payer, government-controlled anything. That's a European way of doing something; that's frankly a socialist way of doing something," the former New York mayor said. "That's why when you hear Democrats in particular talk about single-mandated health care, universal health care, what they're talking about is socialized medicine."

Giuliani was in Rochester, New Hampshire, to discuss his health care proposals. He said he would reform the current system by using free-market solutions that he said would facilitate consumer-driven health care.

"America's health care system is being dragged down by decades of government-imposed mandates and wasteful, unaccountable bureaucracy," he said. "To reform, we must empower all Americans by increasing health care choices and affordability, while bringing accountability to the system."

Giuliani was scheduled to appear later in the day in Norwalk, Connecticut.

–CNN Political Desk Editor Jamie Crawford

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to require lawmakers to disclose more details of their bids to fund pet projects and their fundraising help from lobbyists, a package that some groups call the most significant congressional reforms in years.

The bill, drafted by Democratic leaders, passed by a vote of 411 to 8. It would require House and Senate members to disclose those lobbyists who raise $15,000 or more for them within a six-month period by "bundling" donations from many people. It also would bar lobbyists and their clients from giving gifts, including meals and tickets, to lawmakers.

Senators seeking targeted spending projects or "earmarks" would have to publicize their plans 48 hours before the Senate votes on the proposals, and declare their families would not directly benefit financially.

The House made similar changes to its rules governing earmarks in January. Senate leaders hope to give final passage to the bill later this week.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Republican-backed ballot proposal could split left-leaning California between the Democratic and GOP nominees, tilting the 2008 presidential election in favor of the Republicans.

California awards its cache of 55 electoral votes to the statewide winner in presidential elections — the largest single prize in the nation. But a prominent Republican lawyer wants to put a proposal on the ballot that would award the statewide winner only two electoral votes.

The rest would be distributed to the winning candidate in each of the state's congressional districts. In effect, that would create 53 races, each with one electoral vote up for grabs.

California has voted Democratic in the last four presidential elections. But the change — if it qualifies for one of two primary ballots next year and is approved by voters — would mean that a Republican would be positioned the following November to snatch 20 or more electoral votes in GOP-leaning districts.

That's a number equal to winning Ohio.

Read the rest of this entry »

Compiled by Stephen Bach, CNN Washington Bureau

Making news today…

* FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents searched the Alaska home of veteran Sen. Ted Stevens Monday amid a corruption probe that has already snared two oil-company executives and a state lobbyist.

Full story

Stevens "has long been the most powerful political figure in Alaska, and a major force in Congress. A swarm of federal agents serving a search warrant at his home is unprecedented in Alaska politics." (Anchorage Daily News)

"The three members of Alaska's congressional delegation, Stevens, Senator Lisa Murkowski and Representative Don Young — all Republicans — are facing ethical questions." (Bloomberg)

* Chief Justice John Roberts suffered a seizure Monday, causing him to fall while at his summer home off the coast of Maine, the Supreme Court said.

Roberts has "fully recovered from the incident," and a neurological evaluation "revealed no cause for concern," the Supreme Court said in a statement.

Full story

* PROGRAMMING NOTE: Vice President Dick Cheney appears tonight on CNN's Larry King Live at 9 pm ET.

* CNN's Ed Henry reports "the president spent just about the entire" joint press availability with new UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday "trying to convince the world he and Brown really can be BFF's in a post-Blair era."

Full story

However, the "two leaders showed none of the warmth and coziness that Mr. Bush had shared with Mr. Brown's predecessor." (New York Times)

* Fred Thompson's testing-the-waters committee "raised a little more than $3 million in June." The figure "was less than the $5 million that Mr. Thompson's supporters had hoped for and has met with some disappointment inside his camp, which has also been buffeted in recent days by staff defections and high-level disagreements." (New York Times)

Also, Spencer Abraham, who was "noticeably absent" from Thompson's fundraiser at the J.W. Marriott last night, "is not, and was never going to be, Thompson's campaign manager, only an informal adviser and supporter." (Yeas and Nays)

* John Edwards is taking on the press: "From picking fights with conservative media like the Fox News Channel and writer Ann Coulter, Edwards has moved on to public clashes with The New York Times, Slate and the 'mainstream media' at large." (The Politico)

He and Elizabeth kept alive their anniversary tradition by celebrating their 30th at Wendy's yesterday. (AP) 

* And one Golden State lawmaker "wants to put a proposal on the California ballot next year that could shake up the 2008 presidential contest." How? Find out in Hot Topics below.

President's Schedule:

* No public events.

Also on the Political Radar:

* The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a 9:30 am ET confirmation hearing on the nominations of Adm. Michael Mullen for re-appointment to the grade of Admiral and to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and James Cartwright for re-appointment to the grade of General and to be Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

* Rudy Giuliani attends a 10 am ET town hall at The Governor's Inn in Rochester, NH. He later holds a 3:15 pm ET presser Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, CT.

* Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) visits Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. in Johnston, IA, at 10 am ET. He'll "shoot firearms and discuss gun rights" at the Izaak Walton League chapter in Ames at 2 pm ET.

At 5 pm ET, Brownback gives a "major speech on Iraq" at the Des Moines Embassy Club.

* Mitt Romney and VA Lt. Governor Bill Bolling host an 11:30 am ET media availability at the Omni Hotel in Richmond, VA.

* Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) fundraises at a private residence in Cincinnati, OH.

* Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) addresses the Iowa State Education Association Summer Conference at 9 pm ET in Storm Lake, IA.

* Sen. Joe Biden's (D-DE) new book, "Promises to Keep," is released. 

Biden appears on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

* The Senate Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook

* The House Radio-Television Correspondents' Gallery Daybook

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

CHENEY SAYS HE DISAGREED WITH LIBBY VERDICT, STANDS BY AG: Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday that he is a "big fan" of embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. In a interview with CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller, the vice president also said Gonzales has been truthful in his testimony before Congress. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy, a Democrat, has said he doesn't trust Gonzales, but Cheney said the attorney general has the support of the only man who really counts. "I've had my differences with Pat Leahy," Cheney said. "I think the key is whether or not he (Gonzales) has the confidence of the president — and he clearly does." Cheney also discussed the case of his former top aide, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. President Bush commuted the 2½-year prison term Libby received following his conviction in the CIA leak case. The vice president said he disagreed with the jury's guilty verdict. "You asked me if I disagreed with the verdict, and I did," he said. CBSNews.com: Cheney Hails His Pal Al 

"BUSH IN TWILIGHT": IS "SCALED-BACK AGENDA" ACHIEVABLE? Once the champion of big reforms, Bush in twilight is on the defensive and pushing secondary initiatives. Instead of partial privatization of Social Security, which died in 2005, or overhauling immigration, which was killed this year, he wants to: roll back Democrats' social spending; enact a limited expansion of his No Child Left Behind school testing program; push modest energy programs that reduce dependence on foreign oil; win approval of a handful of regional free-trade deals. While Bush may prevail in some spending fights, few politicians or historians say much of his scaled-back agenda is achievable in the waning days of an unpopular presidency. "With that bully pulpit, you can never rule him out," said Senator Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican. "But no, I don't think he'll get anything more done." Bloomberg: Bush Scales Back Agenda to Schools, Trade, Energy as Clout Ebbs 

NO "WARMTH AND COZINESS" BETWEEN BUSH, BROWN: On his first official trip to the United States as Britain's prime minister, Gordon Brown on Monday displayed what can best be described as a resounding — if dispassionate — show of like-minded camaraderie with President Bush. The two leaders showed none of the warmth and coziness that Mr. Bush had shared with Mr. Brown's predecessor, Tony Blair, a closeness that contributed to Mr. Blair's political tumble at home. But Mr. Brown offered bullish comments on Britain's relationship with the United States. On Iraq, Mr. Brown said any future British decision to reduce troops and cede control of a sector to the Iraqis "will be made on the military advice of our commanders on the ground." New York Times: Bush and Brown Are Allies if Not Buddies 

FBI, IRS AGENTS RAID STEVENS' HOME IN ALASKA: Federal law enforcement agents raided U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens' Alaska home in Girdwood on Monday, hauling off undisclosed items from inside and taking extensive pictures and video. Officials wouldn't say what they were looking for or what they found. "All I can say is that agents from the FBI and IRS are currently conducting a search at that residence," Dave Heller, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Anchorage office, said Monday. Neighbors said agents showed up between 11 a.m. and noon, and a commercial locksmith was called to open the front door. The agents were still there at 8:30 p.m. Stevens, 83, has long been the most powerful political figure in Alaska, and a major force in Congress. Anchorage Daily News: Federal agents raid Sen. Ted Stevens' Girdwood home

WATCHDOG CALLS FOR STEVENS TO STEP ASIDE TEMPORARILY FROM COMMITTEES: The nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense will call on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to follow the lead of House Republican leaders and ask Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) to step down temporarily from his positions on the Commerce, Science and Transportation and Appropriations committees until a federal investigation of his activities is completed… According to a source with the group, this will be the first time TCS has ever made such an appeal. But the organization will argue in a letter to McConnell that given the current public concern with Congressional ethics, he should take a path similar to one the House GOP leadership has followed and request that Stevens relinquish his seats on the two powerful committees until the investigation is completed. Roll Call: Watchdog Seeks Stevens' Temporary Removal From Committees 

NEW ETHICS PACKAGE UNVEILED: House and Senate Democrats on Monday unveiled an ethics package they touted as the strongest reform in decades, attracting bitter criticism from Republicans who vowed to fight the bill's altered earmark-transparency rules. The majority re-drafted the ethics bill after Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) held up conference talks by seeking assurances of the earmark language's fate. Many provisions already approved by both chambers remained intact, including stronger disclosure rules for lobbyists and curbs on corporate jet travel. But the new measure's treatment of earmarking, which conservatives consider the root of recent congressional scandals, sparked immediate contention. The Hill: Dems unveil ethics plan 

NCLB "ARCHITECT" PROPOSES CHANGES: The chairman of the House education committee, an original architect of the federal No Child Left Behind law, said Monday that he wanted to change the law so that annual reading and math tests would not be the sole measure of school performance, but that other indicators like high school graduation rates and test scores in other subjects would also be taken into account. "Our legislation will continue to place strong emphasis on reading and math skills," the chairman, Representative George Miller, Democrat of California, said at the National Press Club. "But it will allow states to use more than their reading and math test results to determine how well schools and students are doing." New York Times: Crucial Lawmaker Outlines Changes to Education Law 

HOUSE PASSES HONDA'S JAPAN APOLOGY RESOLUTION: The House passed a resolution Monday calling on Japan to finally formally apologize to tens of thousands of "comfort women" forced into World War II sex slavery, despite vigorous lobbying by the Japanese government. The measure sponsored by Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose, which culminated years of lobbying by the surviving women from several Asian and European countries and their supporters, passed by voice vote after about a half hour of debate in which no one spoke in opposition. To people in the United States, the issue is just one of many obscure foreign matters on which Congress weighs in with nonbinding resolutions. San Francisco Chronicle: House wants Japan apology 

BILL CLINTON, AT DLC, REFERS TO OBAMA-HILLARY SPAT: Former President Clinton on Monday briefly alluded to the weeklong spat between his wife and rival Democrat Barack Obama over meeting with leaders of rogue nations. Last Monday, Obama said he would hold such sessions with the leaders of Syria, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea without preconditions, a notion Hillary Rodham Clinton rejected. She argued that she would not meet with leaders without knowing their intentions. The feud between the two candidates escalated as they traded charges. Clinton called Obama "naive" while Obama referred to her as "Bush-Cheney lite." "I don't want to get in the middle of that whole spat Hillary and Senator Obama had, but there's more than one way to practice diplomacy," Bill Clinton told a gathering of the Democratic Leadership Council. He said all the major Democratic candidates had "a vigorous agreement on the big question, which is 'Should we have more diplomacy?' The answer is yes. Then you can parse their answers to the specific questions and decide who you think is right." AP via Yahoo! News: Clinton mentions Democratic spat 

WILL CHELSEA BE "THE FIRST FIRST CHILD TWICE OVER?" Asked which parent Chelsea Clinton most resembles, friends tick through the mother-daughter similarities. There is the habit of pre-empting questions by asking lots of them. The passionate interest in health care. The tendency to sound a bit scripted when talking about policy, even in private. The way both borrowed on family contacts to establish post-White House careers, but won over skeptical colleagues with their diligence and enthusiasm. And if her mother, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, manages to become the first female president of the United States, Chelsea Clinton could be in a historic, head-spinning position of her own: the first first child twice over. New York Times: A Second Stint as First Daughter? 

OBAMA'S "DELICATE BALANCE": Sen. Barack Obama is striking a delicate balance to capture black voters but avoid becoming the stereotype that has sunk past black hopefuls for the White House. The Illinois Democrat is running ads in South Carolina to shore up support among black voters and told a black audience Friday his election would create a "transformation" of U.S. race relations. However, political analysts and prominent black leaders observing the 2008 presidential race say Mr. Obama, who trails Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton among blacks, has not locked up the community's vote. "He's not running for president of black America, but for all of America, but he has to be particularly sensitive not to lose out on this crucial voting bloc," said political consultant Morris Reid, managing director at the Westin Rinehart Group. "Most African-American candidates running for president thus far have not had such a mainstream message." Washington Times: Obama walks a fine line to avoid black stereotyping 

JOHN EDWARDS VS. THE MEDIA: If politicians ever heeded the old warning about avoiding fights with people who "buy their ink by the barrel," they aren't anymore — certainly not John Edwards. Republicans in the 1990s got over their fear of the press and instead turned the "liberal media" into an object of enmity, a populist punching bag and an organizing tool. But Edwards, the former North Carolina senator, is the first major Democratic candidate for president to embrace the growing impulse within his party to follow that GOP model. From picking fights with conservative media like the Fox News Channel and writer Ann Coulter, Edwards has moved on to public clashes with The New York Times, Slate and the "mainstream media" at large. The Politico: Edwards applies full-court press against media 

RUDY ON HEALTHCARE: LET'S AVOID "CUBAN AND EUROPEAN PRINCIPLES": Rudy Giuliani expands the policy debate on the Republican side of the presidential race today, becoming the first major GOP contender to offer a detailed plan to address an issue that polls consistently show ranks high among voter concerns: healthcare… To varying degrees, the major Democratic candidates have been ahead of the Republican pack in offering specific ways they would attack healthcare problems, especially the complex challenges of controlling costs and providing insurance for the almost 45 million Americans who lack it. In line with the parties' differing philosophies, the Democrats envision a more aggressive role for the federal government in pursuing these goals. Giuliani, in making the preliminary case Monday for his prescription, asserted that the way to repair the healthcare system "is by relying on American principles, not Cuban and European principles, like the Democrats want to do." Los Angeles Times: Giuliani wades deeper into health care policy 

CA LAWMAKER PROPOSES NEW DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTORAL VOTES: A prominent Republican lawyer wants to put a proposal on the California ballot next year that could shake up the 2008 presidential contest, a change Democrats say would rig the election. California awards its cache of 55 electoral votes to the statewide winner in presidential elections — the largest single prize in the nation. But under the proposal, the statewide winner would get only two electoral votes. The rest would be distributed to the winning candidate in each of the state's congressional districts. In effect, that would create 53 races, each with one electoral vote up for grabs. The left-leaning state has voted Democratic in the last four presidential elections. But the change — if it qualifies for one of two primary ballots next year and is approved by voters — would mean that a Republican would be positioned the following November to snatch 20 or more electoral votes in GOP-leaning districts. AP via Yahoo! News: Calif. plan could sway 2008 race 

Al Gore III, right, appears with his father, former Vice President Al Gore, and mother, Tipper, at the Oscars in February.

LOS ANGELES (CNN) – Al Gore III pleaded guilty Monday to felony and misdemeanor drug possession charges stemming from his arrest earlier in July when he was pulled over for allegedly driving more than 100 mph in a Toyota Prius.

An Orange County Sheriff's deputy reported that he could smell marijuana when he approached the car. After conducting a search, the deputy found a small amount of marijuana and prescription pills — including Adderall, Vicodin, Xanax and Valium — all without a prescription.

Gore, 24, was charged with two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, two misdemeanor counts of possessing a controlled substance without a prescription, one misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana and a traffic infraction.

Farrah Emami of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said the son of former Vice President Al Gore agreed to enter a 90-day residential drug treatment program.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Jaime Coulter told the Associated Press that if Gore successfully completed the drug treatment program the sentencing could be continued for another year and that charges may be dropped in 2009.

"At that point, he will be able to withdraw his guilty plea as if he never entered it," Coulter told the AP.

Gore’s next court date is scheduled for February 7, 2008.

– CNN Assignment Editor Karan Olson