Today Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said that President Bush “has never supported making English the national language.” But earlier this morning, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said Bush supported efforts in the Senate to do just that:

As you know, there were actually a couple of amendments that came up yesterday, an Inhofe amendment and also a Salazar amendment. And what has come out of that is a description of English as the national language. And I think — and we have supported both of these. … And I think both of these amendments are consistent with that stated presidential desire.

The text of the amendment Snow said Bush supports:

The government of the United States shall preserve and enhance the role of English as the national language of the United States of America.

Looks like the White House message machine is broken.

are a “growing trend.” Homeless veterans have remained in the shadows of the national debate about Iraq, although the issue may gain traction from the film “When I Came Home,” which won an award this month for best New York-made documentary at the city’s Tribeca Film Festival.

In an interview last night, Bill O’Reilly asked Rumsfeld about the ongoing violence in Iraq and the hundreds of billions of dollars the U.S. has spent on the war. Rather than answer the questions, Rumsfeld shamelessly exploited the tragedy of 9/11 to deflect them:

RUMSFELD: And there’ve always been people who have looked at the problems and they’re real problems, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying it’s a pretty picture. It isn’t a pretty picture. It’s a tough business, and our guys over there [in Iraq] are doing an absolutely superb job and they’re proud of what they’re doing and they know that they’re making progress and they know they can’t lose over there.

O’REILLY: No, they can’t lose militarily, but it’s cost the United States taxpayer about $400 billion up this point.

RUMSFELD: Think of what 9/11 cost us. Wouldn’t you rather fight those people over there instead of fighting them here?

O’REILLY: Yes.

RUMSFELD: Think of what happened to our economy, think what happened to the stock market.

O’REILLY: Absolutely.

RUMSFELD: Think of what happened to the airlines here after 9/11.

Rumsfeld would have us believe the war in Iraq has reduced the threat of terrorism. Actually, it has turned Iraq into “the training ground for the next generation of ‘professionalized’ terrorists,” according to the National Intelligence Council, an arm of the CIA.

Number of rationales the Bush administration used for invading Iraq, according to Press Secretary Tony Snow. A University of Illinois study, however, identified 23 different rationales for invading Iraq advanced by the Bush administration. (HT: Salon War Room)

On May 11, USA Today published a story which claimed AT&T, Bell South and Verizon provided million of customer records to the National Security Agency. Since then all three companies have issued carefully worded denials. Bell South has demanded a retraction.

Appearing on NPR, USA Today Editor-in-Chief Ken Paulson strongly defended the story:

“Our sources have told us they think we got it right — they know we’ve got it right,” Paulson says. “And they reiterated that what they told us is what showed up in the newspaper.”

…“We were surprised because we had been talking to both companies for literally weeks,” Paulson says. “They knew this story was being written. They knew what we were going to say. And frankly, they took some time in deciding how to craft a response.”

That’s the critical question. If the phone companies knew about the program for weeks in advance, why did it take them days to deny their involvement? Something doesn’t add up.

who has admitted taking millions in bribes from defense contractors, will be fully cooperating with ongoing investigations. That’s good news for the public and bad news for corrupt members of Congress.

NBC White House correspondent David Gregory interviewed President Bush this morning on the Today Show and asked him why so many people disapprove of the job he’s doing. Bush brushed aside the public’s concern about his policies and insisted that nearly 70 percent of Americans are simply “unsettled.” Watch it.

Transcript: Read more