Rove's Risky Embrace

Michael Abramowitz writes in The Washington Post: "President Bush and European Union leaders jointly prodded Iran and North Korea on Wednesday to back off from controversial weapons technology. . . .

"Bush warned Iran to speed up consideration of a package of inducements being offered if the Tehran government suspends uranium enrichment, a key step toward possible development of nuclear weapons. And he demanded that North Korea refrain from test-firing a long-range missile that intelligence agencies say has been placed on a launch pad."

And what exactly did Bush say about human rights issues in his private meetings with EU leaders?

Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said at the press conference: "We got clear, clear signals and a commitment from the American side -- no torture, no extraordinary or extra-territorial positions to deal with the terrorists."

But Abramowitz writes: "U.S. officials said later that Bush only restated long-standing U.S. positions."

A Glimmer of Oversight

Judging from past experience, you probably shouldn't expect much, but Charlie Savage writes in the Boston Globe: "Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter yesterday scheduled a hearing for next Tuesday on President Bush's use of signing statements to claim the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office.

"Specter said he is asking the Bush administration to send an official from the Justice Department to testify before the committee about the president's legal contentions, as well as several constitutional law scholars. It was not yet clear who from the administration would come, he said.

" 'I think that the president is trying to expand his executive authority at the expense of Congress's constitutional prerogatives, and it's very problemsome,' Specter said in a phone interview. 'I want to get into the details with the administration on what they think their legal authority is.' "

Andy Sullivan writes for Reuters: " 'Our legislation doesn't amount to anything if the president can say, "My constitutional authority supersedes the statute." And I think we've got to lay down the gauntlet and challenge him on it,' Specter said in a telephone interview. . . .

"A White House official said signing statements help the public understand how a given law will be enforced and can provide guidance to courts as they interpret it.

" 'They are used appropriately and the content is consistent with that of past presidents,' White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said."

Blocked on Immigration

Janet Hook and Peter Wallsten write in the Los Angeles Times: "The unorthodox plan by House Republicans for a series of hearings on immigration policy represents an aggressive effort by hard-line critics of illegal immigration to reassert control over the emotional debate -- and wrest it from President Bush -- as this year's elections approach.