Why So Defensive?

Karen Hughes Watch

Karen Hughes may have been hugely successful in helping Bush frame his messages at the White House, but she's apparently having a devil of a time at the State Department.

The Associated Press reports: "State Department efforts to reach more than 1.5 billion Muslims in 58 countries to counter anti-American criticism lack a strong central message and a strategic plan of communication, the Government Accountability Office said Wednesday.

"Last year, the department spent $597 million on public diplomacy under the direction of Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes, and spending is due to increase this year."

Here's that GAO report .

Laura Bush Watch

The Associated Press reports: "Laura Bush has a knack for making it known when she doesn't agree with her husband. But on the subject of belting out 'The Star-Spangled Banner' in Spanish, it's not clear whether the first lady is in President Bush's camp or not. . . .

"Asked her opinion on Wednesday in an interview with CNN's John King, Mrs. Bush said, 'I don't think there's anything wrong with singing it in Spanish.' . . .

"But when it was pointed out that this position differed from her husband's, Mrs. Bush had a different answer. . . .

" 'Well, I think it should be sung in English, of course,' she said."

Here's the transcript from CNN.

No Colbert Questions?

The first lady did interviews yesterday with all the major networks. By and large, in spite of her growing influence on the campaign trail, she still gets nothing but softballs.

In fact, Frank James writes in the Chicago Tribune's Washington blog: "How is it, I ask, that First Lady Laura Bush could appear on the network morning shows today and have no one ask her about the Colbert performance?"

Scooter Libby Watch

Judge Reggie Walton issued an opinion and order yesterday, agreeing with special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald that his earlier rulings on some procedural issues had been in error, and reversing them.

But don't look for any stories in the traditional media. There aren't any that I could find.

Luckily, Firedoglake blogger Christy Hardin Smith doesn't miss a thing.

Valerie Plame Watch

Motoko Rich writes in the New York Times: "Valerie Plame Wilson, the Central Intelligence Agency covert officer whose name was publicly disclosed three years ago, is shopping a book proposal among a small group of publishers, according to two people familiar with the project."

New Orleans Redux

Jeffrey Jones writes for Reuters: "President George W. Bush angrily demanded a fire he spotted in flood-ravaged New Orleans from aboard Air Force One be put out immediately, according to excerpts of a new book attacking top government officials for the confusion following Hurricane Katrina. . . .

"[Douglas] Brinkley, an author and historian at Tulane University, quotes Congressman William Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat, describing Bush viewing the damage from aboard Air Force One five days after the storm. He said Bush asked Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff about a fire in the city.

"Chertoff explained that fire departments were struggling in the aftermath of the hurricane and having difficulty extinguishing blazes because water pressure was too low.

" 'Put the fire out, now! There is water everywhere. I want the fire out,' Bush was quoted as yelling."

Gordon Russell writes in the New Orleans Times-Picayune: "President Bush, by Brinkley's lights, put too much trust in ill-equipped federal appointees, particularly Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and then-FEMA Director Michael Brown. Bush also engaged in a pointless set-to with Gov. Kathleen Blanco over who would control federal troops in Louisiana, Brinkley alleges. . . .

"Brinkley credits Blanco's refusal to cede control of National Guard units to the president with changing the course of Bush's second term in office."

Mary Cheney's Story

ABC News previews tonight's big get: "She says she considered quitting her role as campaign adviser over the issue of gay marriage, but Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter Mary Cheney tells ABC News 'Primetime' anchor Diane Sawyer her sexuality has never created problems within her family. . . .

" 'I struggled with my decision to stay on the 2004 campaign,' Cheney told 'Primetime.' Her personal challenge came when President Bush said the nation must defend the sanctity of marriage.

"When Bush proclaimed it in the State of the Union, she refused to go. Mary Cheney, a senior campaign adviser, was finally taking her stand.

" 'I didn't want to be there. No one banned me from being there. But I didn't want to stand up and cheer,' she said.

"She says the president offered to let her give a public statement in disagreement, and her father indicated publicly he disagreed with his boss on the issue. She declined but says she did talk with her family about quitting the campaign."

Froomkin on the Radio

I'm making my inaugural foray on WTWP, Washington Post Radio, tomorrow afternoon just after 2 p.m. Come listen.

Late Night Humor

The Associated Press reports: "Perhaps sensing vulnerability, the late-night comics have been piling on President Bush.

"During the first three months of the year, Bush has been the punch line of 307 monologue jokes by Jay Leno, David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, according to the Center for Media and Public affairs, which studies this sort of thing.

"That compares to 197 jokes during the same period last year. For all of 2005, the center's statisticians counted 544 Bush jokes. . . .

"Most of the jokes are about Bush's intelligence, rather than his policies, the center said.

"For example:

" 'Did you know former President James Garfield could write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other at the same time?' Leno said. 'That was Garfield. When President Bush heard about it, he said, "We had a talking cat for president?" ' "