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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Judge Sam Alito's day has finally come. After months of preparation by the
White House, the Senate, and the hordes of outside groups fighting for him or
against him, President Bush's nominee to succeed retiring Supreme Court Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor sat through senators' opening statements and delivered his
own on Capitol Hill today. Before heading to the hill, the judge met with the
president at the White House for breakfast. Afterwards, the president told the
press, "Sam's got the intellect necessary to bring a lot of class to that
court."
For more on Alito's day and all of the listening he did, read the Associated
Press' account of the afternoon's proceedings:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10768043.
On Hardball tonight, Norah O'Donnell, MSNBC's chief Washington correspondent
who is sitting in for Chris, will have all of the very latest from what
happened today with Ted Olson, veteran attorney and former solicitor general
for the Bush Administration.
Hardball's David Shuster will update us on Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX)'s announcement
Saturday that he will not try to return to his former position as majority
leader in the House. In case you missed it, here's National Journal's "Hotline
on Call" with the latest on the developing leadership contests:
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com.
We'll have more on the Alito nomination and the Abramoff/DeLay fallout with Ken
Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee.
John Flannery, former counsel to Senate Judiciary Committee and a former
federal prosecutor, will also be here tonight to talk about the Abramoff/DeLay
fallout.
Plus, New York Times' reporter James Risen, author of "State of War: The Secret
History of the CIA and the Bush Administration," will be here to talk about his
explosive new book, which the CIA has charged "demonstrates an unfathomable and
sad disregard for U.S. national security."
And be sure to catch Norah's interview with Kate O'Beirne about her new book
"Women Who Make the World Worse." Norah also will get Kate's thoughts on Alito,
Abramoff, DeLay, and the other boldfaced names on everyone's minds in
Washington.
Here are some things you might not have read yet today:
--NBC reports shortness of breath sent Vice President Cheney to the hospital
today http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10772065
--Newsweek has a user's manual for watching Alito hearings
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10755450/site/newsweek
--Hardblogger! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5445086
--NBC's First Read http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3626796
--Doonesbury http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/index.html
Brooke Brower compiled the "Hardball Briefing" in Washington, D.C.
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