1 Democrats from the House and Senate listen to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, during a press conference to unveil their Honest Leadership and Open Government Act in Washington, DC. Democrats proposed the legislation in reaction to the alleged corruption and scandals involving some GOP lawmakers and lobbyists.(AFP/Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla) 2 Former President Gerald Ford with his wife Betty at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, August 1, 2000. Ford, 92, is responding well to treatment for pneumonia and will likely be released from a California hospital on Thursday, his spokeswoman said. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque 3 Republican gubernatorial candidates Bill Scranton, left, and Lynn Swann shake hands before a forum hosted by the Philadelphia Young Republicans Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006, in Philadelphia. Swann will not debate his opponents in the Republican primary race for governor before the party endorses a candidate on Feb. 11, his campaign said Tuesday. (AP Photo/H. Rumph Jr) 4 House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif, left, appear at a news conference on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006, to discuss plans to clean up tranished relations between lawmakers and lobbyists. House Republicans moved to seize the initiative for ethics reform Tuesday with a comprehensive package of changes, including the banning of privately sponsored travel like that arranged by convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook) 5 House Speaker Dennis Haster, R-Ill., and Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif, left, appear a news conference on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006, to discuss plans to clean up tarnished relations between lawmakers and lobbyists. House Republicans moved to seize the initiative for ethics reform Tuesday with a comprehensive package of changes, including the banning of privately sponsored travel like that arranged by convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook) 6 Former President Gerald Ford (R) stands with his wife Betty following a tribute in his honor at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in this August 1, 2000 file photo. Ford, 92, who was being treated for pneumonia at a California hospital, was 'doing well' and will likely be released later this week, his spokeswoman said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque 7 Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (R) meets with Vice President Dick Cheney in Cairo, January 17, 2006. REUTERS/Mona Sharaf 8 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, left, arrives at Kuwait International Airport on Tuesday, Jan.17, 2006. The vice president is on a brief visit to the emirate to present his condolences on the death of Kuwait's Emir Sheik Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah, to Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheik Sabah Al Sabah.(AP Photo/Gustavo Ferrari) 9 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney disembarks from Air Force 2 after arriving in Kuwait to give his condolences to the Kuwaiti royal family after the death of the late ruler of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad al-Sabah, January 17, 2006. Cheney will represent the United States in paying respects to the Kuwaitis and new Emir Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah. REUTERS/Stephanie McGehee 10 Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak(R) meets with US Vice President Dick Cheney in Cairo. Cheney held talks with key regional allies Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah during a Middle East tour focused on Lebanon and Syria and regional security.(AFP/Khaled Desouki) 11 US Vice President Dick Cheney, seen here in Cairo. Cheney held talks with key regional allies Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah during a Middle East tour focused on Lebanon and Syria and regional security.(AFP/Khaled Desouki) 12 Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif (R) shakes hands with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney at Cairo airport January 17, 2006. Cheney met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and discussed the latest development on the Middle East including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iraqi problem. REUTERS/Mona Sharaf 13 Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (R) meets with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in Cairo January 17, 2006. Both men discussed the latest development on the Middle East including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iraqi problem. REUTERS/Mona Sharaf 14 Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (R) meets with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in Cairo January 17, 2006. Both men discussed the latest development on the Middle East including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iraqi problem. REUTERS/Mona Sharaf 15 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, left, meets with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006. Cheney met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday, This is the first meeting for Cheney in the U.S. official's rescheduled Mideast visit to discuss the situation in Iraq and escalating standoffs with Syria and Iran. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) 16 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is in a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006. Cheney and Mubarak discussed the political process in Iraq and the West's standoffs with Syria and Iran. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) 17 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney delivers a speech on the war in Iraq in Washington, January 4, 2006. Cheney headed to Egypt and Saudi Arabia on Sunday for meetings with leaders that are expected to focus on counterterrorism, the Palestinian election and energy. REUTERS/Jim Young/File 18 Former U.S. president Gerald Ford acknowledges the cheers from the crowd following a tribute in his honor at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in this August 1, 2000 file photo. Ford was admitted to a California hospital on January 16, 2006 for the treatment of pneumonia, according to his spokeswoman Penny Circle. REUTERS/Joe Skipper/Files 19 US Vice President Dick Cheney, seen here on January 4, has arrived in Egypt at the start of a regional tour that will also include Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Win McNamee) 20 U.S. Vice President Richard Cheney (L), Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R), and U.S. Congressman Robert Ney (R-Ohio) during a Joint Session of Congress on the House Chambers floor on Capitol Hill, in this January 6, 2005 file photo. Rep. Ney, under investigation in a lobbying scandal that has roiled the Republican Party, on January 16, 2006, temporarily stepped down as chairman of the House of Representatives panel that would oversee lobbying reform. REUTERS/Larry Downing 21 Congressman Robert Ney of Ohio (lower right), sits during a session of congress with Vice President Dick Cheney and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (top right) January 6, 2005. Ney, under investigation in a lobbying scandal that has roiled the Republican Party, on Sunday temporarily stepped down as chairman of the House of Representatives panel that would oversee lobbying reform. REUTERS/Larry Downing 22 Vice President Dick Cheney delivers a speech on the war in Iraq in Washington January 4, 2006. REUTERS/Jim Young 23 US President George W. Bush waves after stepping off Marine One upon return to the White House in Washington, DC. A top US Republican senator for the first time mentioned impeachment in connection with President George W. Bush's authorization of electronic surveillance inside the United States without a court warrant.(AFP/Mandel Ngan) 24 Senator John McCain (R-AZ) speaks to the press after the weekly Republican party closed luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington October 25, 2005. REUTERS/Jason Reed 25 In this photo provided by FOX News, Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., appears on 'Fox News Sunday' in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006. Speaking about the state of the Republican party, Blunt said 'This is not a party stuck in neutral. This is an opportunity for reform. (AP Photo/FOX News Sunday, Freddie Lee) MANDATORY CREDIT: FREDDIE LEE, FOX NEWS Sunday 26 Republican candidate for governor of Nevada, Rep. Jim Gibbons, center, chats with Walt Kuver, left, and Jim Gronemann, right, as he visits the Pahrump Senior Center during his campaign rally in Pahrump, Nev., on Friday, Jan. 13, 2006. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) 27 Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, foreground meets with a group of Ohio farmers on Capitol Hill in this March 8, 2005, file photo in Washington to discuss proposed cuts in farm subsidies. Boehner, who wants to be House majority leader, helped expose abuses at the House bank under Democrats' control a decade ago and then embarrassed his own party with his dealings with lobbying interests. His challenge now is to convince GOP colleagues, his past aside, that he's the best candidate to move the party away from the ethics stain created by Rep. Tom DeLay's Texas indictment and Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff's guilty plea. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook) 28 Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, gestures during an interview in his Capitol Hill office in this Feb. 11, 2003, file photo. Boehner, who wants to be House majority leader, helped expose abuses at the House bank under Democrats' control a decade ago and then embarrassed his own party with his dealings with lobbying interests. His challenge now is to convince GOP colleagues, his past aside, that he's the best candidate to move the party away from the ethics stain created by Rep. Tom DeLay's Texas indictment and Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff's guilty plea. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) 29 US Vice President Dick Cheney, seen here giving a speech in Washington DC on 04 January, 2006. Cheney will travel to Egypt and Saudi Arabia to meet with top officials there next week, the White House said.(AFP/File) 30 Mary Matalin, left, and Karl Rove, right, the deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President Bush, pause at a reception held before a roast honoring Rove, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006, in Austin, Texas. Matalin, one of the roasters, served as assistant to President Bush and counselor to Vice-President Cheney. She left the White House in 2002. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck) 31 U.S. President George W. Bush (L) talks with Mississippi Republican Gov. Haley Barbour (R) before making remarks on Gulf Coast reconstruction while visiting the region at St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, January 12, 2006. The president is touring the Gulf Coast region to witness efforts to rebuild the region after Hurricane Katrina destroyed many parts of the area last year. REUTERS/Larry Downing 32 Colorado Gov. Bill Owens throws shirts to supporters as he celebrates his re-election in Denver, Nov. 5, 2002. Gov. Owen's oldest daughter Monica, center, and mother June Keefe, right, joined in the celebration. He was a rising star in the Republican Party, a darling of conservatives who once considered him a potential presidential candidate. But he went to villain in seven short years, leaving pundits with one of the biggest mysteries in Colorado political history, what happened to the career of Gov. Bill Owens? (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File) 33 Colorado Gov. Bill Owens is shown during an interview, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006, in the State Capitol in Denver. Owen's State of the State address on Thursday is to be his last, since term limits will force him out of office after this year. Owens says he has no plans to run for the Senate in 2008 when GOP Sen. Wayne Allard is up for re-election. Owens says he expects Allard to run again, though he did not rule out a potential run. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) 34 Vice President Dick Cheney, seen here on 04 January, said referral to the United Nations Security Council would be the probable next step after Iran announced resumption of nuclear research it had suspended for two years amid fears it was working on a bomb.(AFP/File/Tim Sloan) 35 Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, leaves a news conference at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Grapevine, Texas, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006. House Republicans from Texas were called to a meeting by Rep. Joe Barton to discuss a strategy Wednesday on how to leverage their numbers and votes after Rep. Tom DeLay's exit as majority leader. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam) 36 Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, listens to a reporter's question during a news conference at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Grapevine, Texas, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006. At the news conference Barton said he called House Republicans from Texas to a Dallas-Fort Worth airport meeting to discuss a strategy Wednesday on how to leverage their numbers and votes after Rep. Tom DeLay's exit as majority leader. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam) 37 Republican candidate Brian Bilbray (L) receives endorsement for the 50th Congressional District from Rep. Darrell Issa , R-Vista, in Carlsbad, California January 11, 2006. Bilbray is running for the 50th Congressional District seat formerly held by Randy 'Duke' Cunningham, who was forced to resign. REUTERS/Mike Blake 38 Republican candidate Brian Bilbray (R) receives endorsement for 50th Congressional District from Rep. Darrell Issa , R- Vista, in Carlsbad, California January 11, 2006. Bilbray is running for the 50th Congressional District seat formerly held by Randy 'Duke' Cunningham, who was forced to resign. REUTERS/Mike Blake 39 Thomas Campbell, an attorney from Sugar Land who has filed to run against U. S. Rep. Tom DeLay in the Republican primary, speaks to supporters in Houston Wednesday , Jan.11, 2006. Thomas is the third Republilcan challenger to take on DeLay. (AP Photo/Donna Carson) 40 Thomas Campbell, an environmental attorney from Sugar Land who has filed to run against U. S. Rep. Tom DeLay in the upcoming Republican Primary, speaks to supporters in Houston Wednesday , Jan. 11, 2006. Thomas is the third Republilcan challenger to take on DeLay. (AP Photo/Donna Carson) 41 U.S. President George W. Bush (R, middle) and Vice President Dick Cheney (L, middle) attend a meeting with the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Combatant Commanders in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington January 9, 2006. The Combatant Commanders are part of the Unified Command Plan responsible for the geographic military operations around the world. EDITORIAL USE ONLY REUTERS/White House/David Bohrer/Handout 42 Vice President Dick Cheney addresses the American Enterprise Institute in Washington in this November 21, 2005 file photograph. Cheney was taken to a Washington hospital early on Monday, suffering from shortness of breath, CNN reported. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) 43 Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito leaves the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Monday, Jan. 9, 2006, as the committee took a break in his confirmation hearing. Former Republican National Committee chair Ed Gillespe is at right. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) 44 US Vice President Dick Cheney, pictured 04 January 2005, went to hospital for a few hours suffering shortness of breath, but President George W. Bush said his trusted deputy was "doing fine" and would quickly go back to work.(AFP/File/Tim Sloan) 45 US Vice President Dick Cheney delivers a speech to the Heritage Foundation on January 4. US Vice President Dick Cheney went to hospital for a few hours suffering shortness of breath, in the latest health scare for the key member of the US administration, officials said(AFP/File/Tim Sloan) 46 Vice President Dick Cheney leaves George Washington University Hospital, Monday Jan. 9, 2006, in Washington. Cheney was taken to the hospital early Monday experiencing shortness of breath, a spokeswoman said. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) 47 Vice President Dick Cheney waves as he leaves George Washington University Hospital, Monday Jan. 9, 2006, in Washington. Cheney was taken to the hospital early Monday experiencing shortness of breath, a spokeswoman said. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) 48 US President George W. Bush (L) introduces US Court of Appeals Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr., as his nominee to replace US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, October 2005 at the White House in Washington, DC. The US Congress will start confirmation hearings for Alito, as the governing Republican Party reels from a series of political blows ahead of key 2006 elections.(AFP/File/Luke Frazza) 49 US Vice President Dick Cheney delivers a speech to the Heritage Foundation on January 4. Cheney was expected to be released from hospital after being taken in for treatment overnight suffering shortness of breath.(AFP/File/Tim Sloan) 50 Vice President Dick Cheney is shown in this June 29, 2001, photo holding his hand to his heart, as he disclosed that he had been experiencing irregular heart rhythms and planned to check into a hospital for tests that might lead to the implant of a pacemaker to restore normal rhythm. Cheney was taken to George Washington Hospital in Washington early Monday, Jan. 9, 2006, experiencing shortness of breath, a spokeswoman said. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File) 51 Vice President Dick Cheney walks with a cane because of a foot ailment after addressing troops at a rally at Fort Leavenworth Jan. 6, 2006, in Leavenworth, Kan. Cheney was taken to George Washington Hospital in Washington early Monday, Jan. 9, 2006, experiencing shortness of breath, a spokeswoman said. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File) 52 Vice President Dick Cheney holds a cane while touring the Harley Davidson plant in Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 6, 2006. Cheney was taken to George Washington Hospital in Washington early Monday, Jan. 9, 2006, experiencing shortness of breath, a spokeswoman said. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File) 53 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney delivers a speech in Washington in this January 4, 2006 file photograph. Cheney was taken to a Washington hospital early on January 9, 2006 suffering from shortness of breath, CNN reported. The vice president was taken to George Washington University Hospital around 3 a.m. (0800 GMT), the cable news channel reported. REUTERS/Jim Young 54 The Harlem Boys Choir performs at the Republican National Convention in New York in this Aug. 31, 2004, file photo. Former Mayor David Dinkins has said he will serve as interim chairman of the troubled Boys Choir of Harlem to help the famed group raise much-needed funds and keep it from getting evicted from a public school building. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File) 55 President George W. Bush speaks while surrounded by past and present secretaries of state and defense after their meeting about the war in Iraq in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington January 5, 2006. Facing the camera are (L-R) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace, former secretary of defense William Cohen (under former president Bill Clinton), General George Casey, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney, Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former secretary of state Colin Powell. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) 56 Vice President Dick Cheney holds a cane while riding with Harley Davidson vice president Karl Eberle, right, during a tour of the Harley Davidson plant in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Jan. 6, 2006. A Cheney spokeswoman who is traveling with the vice president, said he was experiencing a recurrence of a 'pre-existing foot condition.' (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) 57 First lady Laura Bush, left, leaves the podium after introducing Karen Hughes, U.S. under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, at the U.S. University Presidents Summit on International Education at the State Department, Friday, Jan. 6, 2006 in Washington. The summit is encouraging talks with U.S. higher education leaders in strengthening international study and discussing the future of U.S. higher education in the global arena. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) 58 Vice President Dick Cheney gets a round of applause after addressing troops at a rally at Fort Leavenworth Friday, Jan. 6, 2006, in Leavenworth, Kan. Cheney spoke and awarded five combat action badges to soldiers for their performaces while engaged by enemies in Iraq. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) 59 Vice President Dick Cheney wears two types of shoes and uses a cane for support while awarding combat action badges to soldiers during a rally at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Friday, Jan. 6, 2006. Lea Anne McBride, a Cheney spokeswoman who is traveling with the vice president, said he was experiencing a recurrence of a 'pre-existing foot condition.' (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) 60 Vice President Dick Cheney sits on a stool as he address troops during a rally at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Friday, Jan. 6, 2006. Cheney spoke and awarded five combat action badges to soldiers for their performaces while engaged by enemies in Iraq. Lea Anne McBride, a Cheney spokeswoman who is traveling with the vice president, said he was experiencing a recurrence of a 'pre-existing foot condition.' (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) 61 Vice President Dick Cheney, left, awards a combat action badge to Maj. Daniel Frickenschmidt during a rally at Fort Leavenswoth Friday, Jan. 6, 2005, in Leavenworth, Kan. Cheney spoke and awarded five combat action badges to soldiers for their performance while engaged by enemy forces in Iraq. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) 62 U.S. first lady Laura Bush (L) and Under Secretary of State for Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes smile at the Summit of U.S. Presidents on Higher Education at the Benjamin Franklin Room of the State Department in Washington January 6, 2006. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas 63 Vice President Dick Cheney holds a cane while touring the Harley Davidson plant in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Jan. 6, 2006. A Cheney spokeswoman who is traveling with the vice president, said he was experiencing a recurrence of a 'pre-existing foot condition.' (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) 64 Karen Hughes, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, close advisor to President Bush, and Austin, Texas native, flashes the University of Texas Longhorns' 'hook 'em horns' sign before speaking at the U.S. University Presidents Summit on International Education at the State Department Friday, Jan. 6, 2006 in Washington. The summit is encourging talks with U.S. higher education leaders in strengthening international study and discussing the future of U.S. higher education in the global arena. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) 65 Vice President Dick Cheney gestures as he speaks to troops at a rally at Fort Leavenworth Friday, Jan. 6, 2006, in Leavenworth, Kan. Cheney spoke and awarded five combat action badges to soldiers for their performaces while engaged by enemies in Iraq. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) 66 Karen Hughes, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs and close advisor to President Bush waits to address the U.S. University Presidents Summit on International Education at the State Department, Friday, Jan. 6, 2006, in Washington. The summit is encourging talks with U.S. higher education leaders in strengthening international study and discussing the future of U.S. higher education in the global arena. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) 67 Karen Hughes, U.S. under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs and close advisor to President Bush, speaks at the U.S. University Presidents Summit on International Education at the State Department Friday, Jan. 6, 2006 in Washington. The summit is encouraging talks with U.S. higher education leaders in strengthening international study and discussing the future of U.S. higher education in the global arena. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) 68 Vice President Dick Cheney adjusts his glasses during a speech at the Harley Davidson plant in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Jan. 6, 2006. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) 69 Vice President Dick Cheney uses a cane during a tour of the Harley Davidson plant in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Jan. 6, 2006. Jim Ziemer, right, CEO of Harley Davidson and Karl Eberle, middle, vice president and general manager host the tour. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) 70 Vice President Dick Cheney receives a jacket from Karl Eberle following a speech at the Harley Davidson plant in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Jan. 6, 2006. Eberle is the vice president and general manager of the Kansas City operations for Harley Davidson. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) 71 Vice President Dick Cheney gestures during a speech at the Harley Davidson plant in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Jan. 6, 2006. Cheney declared positive signs for the economy as the administration released a report showing a falling unemployment rate. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) 72 Vice President Dick Cheney, foreground left, is driven by Karl Eberle, vice president and general manager of Kansas City operations, during a tour of the Harley Davidson plant in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Jan. 6, 2006. After touring the plant, Cheney declared positive signs for the economy as the administration released a report showing a falling unemployment rate. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) 73 Vice President Cheney waves after delivering a speech on Iraq in Washington January 4, 2006. (Jim Young/Reuters) 74 U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, right, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, center, and Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes arrive at the day's opening session of the U.S. University Presidents Summit on International Education at the State Department, Friday, Jan. 6, 2005 in Washington. The summit is to encourage discussions with U.S. higher education leaders in strengthening international education and discuss the future of U.S. higher education in the global arena. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) 75 US President George W. Bush (seated left of center) speaks with reporters following a meeting with former secretaries of defense and state about the war in Iraq, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC. Seated at the table clockwise from the President are: former secretaries of state Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, Lawrence Eagleburger, James Baker III, George P. Schultz, Alexander Haig and former defense secretaries Robert S. McNamara, Melvin Laird, James Schlesinger, Harold Brown, Frank Carlucci, William Perry, General George Casey, Commander of US forces in Iraq, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney.(AFP/Tim Sloan) 76 President Bush, second from left, meets with present and former Secretaries of State and Defense in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006. Bush is pressing ahead with a public relations offensive on Iraq, bringing a bipartisan group of former secretaries to the White House for give-and-take on the unpopular military mission. Seated left to right are Vice President Dick Cheney, Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) 77 President Bush pauses for a photograph on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006, with present and former Secretaries of State and Defense in the Oval Office at the White House. Bush met with the bipartisan group to discuss the war in Iraq. From left is former Secretary of Defense Harold Brown, former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, former Secretary of State James Baker, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney, Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State George Schultz, former Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, former Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci, former Secretary of Defense William Perry, and former Secretary of Defense William Cohen. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) 78 U.S. President George W. Bush speaks during a meeting about the war in Iraq with past and present secretaries of state and defense in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington January 5, 2006. Seated near Bush from left are Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque 79 President Bush, seated with Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld (L), Vice President Cheney and Secretary of State Rice, speaks during a meeting about the war in Iraq with past and present secretaries of state and defense in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington January 5, 2006. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) 80 U.S. President George W. Bush speaks while surrounded by past and present secretaries of state and defense after their meeting about the war in Iraq in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington January 5, 2006. Facing the camera are (L-R) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace, former secretary of defense William Cohen (under former U.S. president Bill Clinton), General George Casey, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney, Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former secretary of state Colin Powell. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque 81 President Bush, right, and Vice President Dick Cheney, left, take part in a meeting about Iraq on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006, with present and former Secretaries of State and Defense in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. Bush is pressing ahead with a public relations offensive on Iraq, bringing a bipartisan group of former secretaries to the White House for give-and-take on the unpopular military mission. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) 82 Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, left, points at President Bush, right, as they speak, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006, during a meeting with present and former Secretaries of State and Defense in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. Bush is pressing ahead with a public relations offensive on Iraq, bringing a bipartisan group of former secretaries to the White House for give-and-take on the unpopular military mission. Bush is flanked by Vice President Dick Cheney, left, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, right. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) 83 Vice President Dick Cheney watches President George W. Bush speak about Iraq and Afghanistan after being briefed by top brass at the Pentagon, January 4, 2006. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) 84 President Bush walks past (L-R) Secretary of State Rice, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney after speaking about the global war on terror at the Pentagon, January 4, 2005. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) 85 President Bush speaks with members of the media, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006, as he met with present and former Secretaries of State and Defense in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. Bush is pressing ahead with a public relations offensive on Iraq, bringing a bipartisan group of former secretaries to the White House for give-and-take on the unpopular military mission. At left is Vice President Dick Cheney. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) 86 President Bush speaks with members of the media, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006, as he met with present and former Secretaries of State and Defense in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. Bush is pressing ahead with a public relations offensive on Iraq, bringing a bipartisan group of former secretaries to the White House for give-and-take on the unpopular military mission. Left to right are Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney, Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) 87 President Bush, right center, is flanked by Vice President Dick Cheney, left, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, right, as he meets, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006, with present and former Secretaries of State and Defense in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. Bush is pressing ahead with a public relations offensive on Iraq, bringing a bipartisan group of former secretaries to the White House for give-and-take on the unpopular military mission. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) 88 President Bush, center, meets Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006, with present and former Secretaries of State and Defense in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. Bush is pressing ahead with a public relations offensive on Iraq, bringing a bipartisan group of former secretaries to the White House for give-and-take on the unpopular military mission. Left to right are Secretary of State Donald H. Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney, Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) 89 CAPTION CORRECTION - CORRECTING YEAR U.S. President George W. Bush (R) walks from the rostrum after speaking about the global war on terror after meetings at the Pentagon January 4, 2006. On his way out, Bush passes National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice (L), Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (2nd L) and Vice President Dick Cheney (2nd R). Bush said it may be possible to discuss with Iraqi leaders reducing some U.S. troops in Iraq later this year if the country makes progress on the security and political fronts. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque 90 Arizona Republican Rep. Rick Renzi offers his support for Judge Samuel Alito Jr. and his nomination as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court at the National Italian American Foundation building in Washington January 4, 2005. REUTERS/Larry Downing 91 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney delivers a speech on the war in Iraq in Washington January 4, 2006. Cheney on Wednesday strongly defended a secret domestic eavesdropping operation and said had it been in place before the September 11 attacks the Pentagon might have been spared. REUTERS/Jim Young 92 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney delivers a speech on the war in Iraq in Washington January 4, 2006. Cheney on Wednesday strongly defended a secret domestic eavesdropping operation and said had it been in place before the September 11 attacks the Pentagon might have been spared. REUTERS/Jim Young 93 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney delivers a speech on the war in Iraq in Washington January 4, 2006. Cheney on Wednesday strongly defended a secret domestic eavesdropping operation and said had it been in place before the September 11 attacks the Pentagon might have been spared. REUTERS/Jim Young 94 Vice President Dick Cheney in Washington November 21, 2005. Cheney strongly defended a secret domestic eavesdropping operation in use since the September 11, 2001, attacks, saying it was not violating American civil liberties and has helped fend off potential terrorist attacks. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) 95 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney waves after delivering a speech on Iraq in Washington January 4, 2006. Cheney on Wednesday strongly defended a secret domestic eavesdropping operation and said had it been in place before the September 11 attacks the Pentagon might have been spared. REUTERS/Jim Young 96 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff leaves the courthouse in Miami in this August 18, 2005 file photo. U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to Abramoff, the lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on January 4, 2006. Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on January 3 and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. REUTERS/Carlos Barria 97 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff arrives at the Miami Courthouse in Miami January 4, 2006. U.S. President George W. Bush's reelection campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to Abramoff, the lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on January 4, 2006. Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on January 3 and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. REUTERS/Joe Skipper 98 U.S. President George W. Bush speaks about Iraq and Afghanistan after being briefed by top brass at the Pentagon January 4, 2006. Standing with Bush from left are National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney. Bush said it may be possible to discuss with Iraqi leaders reducing some U.S. troops in Iraq later this year if the country makes progress on the security and political fronts. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque 99 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his lawyer Neal Sonnett (R) arrive at the Miami Courthouse in Miami January 4, 2006. U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to Abramoff, the lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on January 4, 2006. Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on January 3 and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. REUTERS/Carlos Barria 100 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff (L) arrives at the Miami Courthouse in Miami January 4, 2006. U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to Abramoff, the lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on January 4, 2006. Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on January 3 and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. REUTERS/Joe Skipper 101 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff arrives at the Miami Courthouse in Miami January 4, 2006. U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to Abramoff, the lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on January 4, 2006. Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on January 3 and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. REUTERS/Carlos Barria 102 US President George W. Bush makes remarks at a Republican fundraiser in this file photo from 2004. Bush will donate to charity money that was raised for his re-election campaign by a top lobbyist who has pleaded guilty to fraud charges, the White House said(AFP/File/Tim Sloan) 103 US Vice President Dick Cheney, pictured here in 2005, staunchly defended as 'vital' a controversial US spying program, saying that the domestic eavesdropping efforts have prevented acts of terrorism on US soil(AFP/POOL/File/Lawrence Jackson) 104 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff (R) and his lawyer Neal Sonnett leave the Miami Courthouse in Miami in this August 18, 2005 file photo. U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to a lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on January 4, 2006. Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on January 3 and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Files 105 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff is seen leaving a Miami courthouse, August 18, 2005. President Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to Abramoff, who is at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on Wednesday. (Carlos Barria/Files/Reuters) 106 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff leaves the courthouse in Miami in this August 18, 2005 file photo. U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to a lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on January 4, 2006. Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on January 3 and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Files 107 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff is seen leaving a Miami courthouse, August 18, 2005. President Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to Abramoff, who is at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on Wednesday. (Carlos Barria/Files/Reuters) 108 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff leaves the courthouse in Miami in this August 18, 2005 file photo. U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to a lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on January 4, 2006. Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on January 3 and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Files 109 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff leaves the courthouse in Miami in this August 18, 2005 file photo. U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to a lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on January 4, 2006. Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on January 3 and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Files 110 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff leaves the courthouse in Miami in this August 18, 2005 file photo. U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to a lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on January 4, 2006. Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on January 3 and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Files 111 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff leaves the courthouse in Miami in this August 18, 2005 file photo. U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to a lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on January 4, 2006. Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on January 3 and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Files 112 Former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff leaves the courthouse in Miami in this August 18, 2005 file photo. U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to a lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on January 4, 2006. Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on January 3 and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Files 113 US President George W. Bush is ringing in the New Year with a less ambitious political agenda planned for 2006 ahead of key congressional elections in which his Republican Party hopes to retain its grip over Congress(AFP/File/Leslie Kossoff) 114 President Bush (3rd R) and first lady Laura Bush (3rd L) gather with veteran actor Robert Redford (L), singer Tina Turner (2nd L), Vice President Dick Cheney (2nd R) and Lynne Cheney during the Kennedy Center Honors Gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington December 4, 2005. CBS won Tuesday night in total viewers (11.2 million) with its 8-11 p.m. telecast of the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. (Jason Reed/Reuters) 115 US President George W. Bush (R) speaks on the war on terrorism as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (L) and Vice President Dick Cheney look on in September 2005. Bush, badly weakened in 2005 amid growing doubts about the war in Iraq, hopes to turn his political fortunes around ahead of critical US legislative elections in November 2006.(AFP/File/Paul J. Richards) 116 U.S. President George W. Bush speaks before signing the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005 at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, December 21, 2005. At left is Mississippi Republican Senator Trent Lott whose home was destroyed by hurricane Katrina. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque 117 US Vice President Dick Cheney arrives at the Senate Chambers, inside the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Cheney cast a tie-breaking vote, hours after cutting short a Middle East tour, to force huge budget cuts through Senate.(AFP/Tim Sloan) 118 US Vice President Dick Cheney seen here in Pakistan on 20 December, 2005. Cheney cast a rare tie-breaking vote in the Senate to pass a spending bill after cutting short a Mideast tour to force legislation through the gridlocked Congress(AFP) 119 Vice President Dick Cheney addresses a group of Marines at Al-Asad Air Base during a question and answer session in Iraq December 18, 2005. (Lawrence Jackson/Pool/Reuters) 120 Vice President Dick Cheney, (R) with his wife Lynne Cheney, wave before leaving Pakistan at military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. (Mian Khursheed/Reuters) 121 US Vice President Dick Cheney(L) and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf talk during a meeting in Islamabad. Cheney expressed sorrow and solidarity with Pakistan, a key ally in the US 'war on terror,' during a day-long visit to the earthquake-hit country.(AFP/PID-HO) 122 Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri(L) talks with US Vice President Dick Cheney(C) upon his arrival at the military Chacklala Airbase in Rawalpindi. Cheney expressed sorrow and solidarity with Pakistan, a key ally in the US 'war on terror,' during a day-long visit to the earthquake-hit country.(AFP/Str) 123 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, (C standing) with U.S soldiers at military base poses for photographers before leaving Pakistan from a military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. Cheney saw first hand the destruction caused by Pakistan's October earthquake on Tuesday and hailed U.S. military efforts to help survivors. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed 124 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (front R) walks with U.S. soldiers before leaving Pakistan at the military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. Cheney cut short his trip to the Middle East and Asia on Tuesday and will return to Washington in case his vote is needed on legislation moving through Congress, a White House official said. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed 125 Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf (R) meets with U.S. Vice -President Dick Cheney in Islamabad December 20, 2005. Cheney saw first hand the destruction caused by Pakistan's October earthquake on Tuesday and hailed U.S. military efforts to help survivors. EDITORIAL USE ONLY REUTERS/Press Information Department/Handout 126 Vice President Cheney (C) sits in a helicopter with his wife Lynne Cheney on his way to the President House after their arrival at a military base in Rawalpindi, December 20, 2005. (Mian Khursheed/Reuters) 127 Vice President Cheney (C) and his wife Lynne Cheney (R) arrive at a military base in Rawalpindi, December 20, 2005. (Mian Khursheed/Reuters) 128 Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito is seen on Capitol Hill, December 14, 2005. A key Republican senator asked Alito on Monday about President Bush's domestic spying order and whether war gives the president a blank check when it comes to civil liberties. (Jason Reed/Reuters) 129 Vice President Dick Cheney (C) and his wife Lynne Cheney (R) arrive at a military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. (Mian Khursheed/Reuters) 130 Vice President Dick Cheney (R) and his wife Lynne Cheney arrive at a military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. (Mian Khursheed/Reuters) 131 US Vice President Dick Cheney (C) and his wife Lynne (L) participate in the opening session of the Afghan Parliament in Kabul. Cheney has cut short his swing through the Middle East to return to Washington in case he needs to cast the tie-breaking vote on key legislation, the White House said.(AFP/Pool/File/Lawrence Jackson) 132 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (R) and his wife Lynne Cheney arrive at a military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. Cheney arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday to meet President Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the U.S. war against terrorism, and get a close-up look at the devastation from the October earthquake. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed 133 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (C) and his wife Lynne Cheney (R) arrive at a military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. Cheney arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday to meet President Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the U.S. war against terrorism, and get a close-up look at the devastation from the October earthquake. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed 134 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (R) and his wife Lynne Cheney arrive at a military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. Cheney arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday to meet President Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the U.S. war against terrorism, and get close-up look at the devastation from the October earthquake. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed 135 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney sits in a U.S. helicopter with his wife Lynne Cheney on their way to the President House after their arrival at a military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. Cheney arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday to meet President Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the U.S. war against terrorism, and get close-up look at the devastation from the October earthquake. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed 136 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (C) sits in a U.S. helicopter with his wife Lynne Cheney on his way to the President House after their arrival at a military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. Cheney arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday to meet President Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the U.S. war against terrorism, and get close-up look at the devastation from the October earthquake. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed 137 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (C) sits in a U.S. helicopter with his wife Lynne Cheney while on their way to the President House after their arrival at a military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. Cheney arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday to meet President Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the U.S. war against terrorism, and get a close-up look at the devastation from the October earthquake. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed 138 U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (R) and his wife Lynne Cheney (C) arrive at a military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. Cheney arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday to meet President Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the U.S. war against terrorism, and get a close-up look at the devastation from the October earthquake. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed 139 Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri (L) talks to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (C), as U.S ambasador to Pakistan Ryan Crocker (R) looks on, after Cheney's arrival at a military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. Cheney arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday to meet President Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the U.S. war against terrorism, and get a close-up look at the devastation from the October earthquake. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed 140 Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri (L) talks with U.S. Vice -President Dick Cheney after Cheney's arrival at a military base in Rawalpindi December 20, 2005. Cheney arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday to meet President Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the U.S. war against terrorism, and get a close-up look at the devastation from the October earthquake. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed