A White House Wrapped in Secrecy

Evan Perez writes in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required): "The Senate Judiciary Committee's subpoena of records from the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's office on the administration's warrantless wiretap program escalates tensions at a time when Republican support for the president already is weakening."

Andrew Ward writes in the Financial Times: "The probe is part of a growing range of congressional investigations against the Bush administration since the Democrats seized control of Capitol Hill in January, creating the impression of a White House under siege. . . .

"The bipartisan nature of the investigation reflects unease in both parties about the Bush administration's aggressive use of executive power and its heavy influence over the Justice Department."

Brett Kavanaugh Watch

Thomas Ferraro writes for Reuters: "Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy on Wednesday sought a federal investigation into whether a White House lawyer turned appeals court judge testified truthfully to Congress about the Bush administration's detention policies for enemy combatants.

"Leahy also asked that Judge Brett Kavanaugh be prosecuted if it is determined that he misled Congress about his involvement in drafting the policies in testimony at his Senate confirmation hearing in May 2006. . . .

"On Tuesday, Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Dick Durbin asked Kavanaugh to explain apparent discrepancies between his testimony and reports that he participated in a 2002 White House meeting about the detainee policies.

"Durbin and Leahy noted that Kavanaugh had testified: 'Senator, I did not -- I was not involved and am not involved in the questions about the rules governing detention of combatants.'"

Here is Leahy's letter to the Justice Department.

Bush on Islam

Here is the text of Bush's remarks at the rededication of the Islamic Center in Washington yesterday. Bush's goal was to empower moderate Muslims. But some of his words may have rubbed them the wrong way.

"We must help millions of Muslims as they rescue a proud and historic religion from murderers and beheaders who seek to soil the name of Islam," he said. Rescue? Rather than, say, protect? Imagine if a Muslim leader came to the National Cathedral and spoke of the need to help Christians rescue their religion from fanatics.

Michael A. Fletcher writes in The Washington Post: "President Bush announced plans yesterday to appoint an envoy to an organization of Islamic nations with the intention of improving the battered image of the United States in the Muslim world."

Bob Deans writes for the Cox News Service: "Fueled by the Iraq war and the perception that the United States acts without consulting others, anti-Americanism is on the rise across the Muslim world and much of Europe, while global confidence in President Bush has plummeted, a global poll released yesterday shows. . . .