Report: Cheney Frustrated That Bush Went Soft, Didn't Follow His Advice
The Washington Post reports that former Vice President Dick Cheney's upcoming memoirs will show a great sense of disappointment at former President George W. Bush -- that Bush didn't take his advice as much in the second term. "The implication was that Bush had gone soft on him, or rather Bush had hardened against Cheney's advice," said a participant at a recent gathering. "He'd showed an independence that Cheney didn't see coming. It was clear that Cheney's doctrine was cast-iron strength at all times -- never apologize, never explain -- and Bush moved toward the conciliatory."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive his routine daily briefings this morning. There are no scheduled public events.

Biden's Day Ahead
Vice President Biden arrived back from his vacation last night. He will spend the morning in Wilmington, Delaware, and the afternoon in Washington, D.C. He will received closed briefings on national security, and return in the evening to Wilmington in the evening. He does not have any scheduled public events.

Rove: Obama Running A Permanent Campaign
In his latest Wall Street Journal column, Karl Rove says that President Obama has taken the attitude of permanent campaign into the White House -- obfuscating and declaring critics to be enemies. "Mr. Obama's exaggerations, misdirection and efforts to divide Americans are becoming more obvious," Rove writes. "What worked in the Obama campaign will often backfire on the Obama presidency. But old habits are hard to leave on the trail."

California Gay Rights Group Waiting For 2012 On Gay Marriage
Officials at Equality California, a leading gay-rights group, have announced that they will not pursue a new referendum on gay marriage in 2010, but will instead wait to try to repeal of Proposition 8 in 2012. "What we found is that through our experience, both in talking to people over the past few months and our experience working on marriage equality over a number of years, is that the work is slow going but doable," said Marc Solomon, the group's marriage director.

NRSC Still Has Key Recruiting Holes to Fill
Roll Call points out that the National Republican Senatorial Committee still has some holes to fill in recruiting candidates for the 2010 Senate races. There is still no major opponent in Nevada for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the party has also not found strong candidates in Colorado and Arkansas.

Patrick Kennedy: Ted Kennedy's Illness Has United Family
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) said that his father Sen. Ted Kennedy's (D-MA) illness has brought the family together. "It's been a chance for us to bond and be together and share a special time together that we would never have had together had he been taken from us," said the younger Kennedy. "That's a big gift. (It) let us have the chance to tell him how much we love him. And him to be there to hear it."

NRCC Ad Targets Kagen On Health Care
The National Republican Congressional Committee has launched a new TV ad against Rep. Steve Kagen (D-WI), attacking him on the health care bill by tying him to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and to a government-run plan and taxes on small businesses:

"Call Steve Kagen, tell him to write a health care plan for us, not Nancy Pelosi," the announcer says.