Washington Wrap

Dotty Lynch, Douglas Kiker, Steve Chaggaris, Clothilde Ewing, Nicola Corless, Smita Kalokhe and Joanna Schubert of The CBS News Political Unit have the latest from the nation's capital.

Mr. Bush was heading to his Texas ranch on Saturday for a month amid grumbling in the media about the lack of substantive access to him. As the Post griped: "Subjecting himself to questioning by reporters may not be as much fun for the president as, say, running in the 100-degree heat in Crawford, Texas, but it goes with the job."

Mr. Bush has now held just nine press conferences since taking office, compared with 33 such events by this point in Bill Clinton's first term and 61 in the first President Bush's administration.

For more on the president's news conference, click here.

Democratic Unity In California Challenged: President Bush had a lot to say about a lot of topics, but on the California recall he labeled himself merely an interested political observer. He refused to say if he had a favorite candidate, despite the fact that the White House backed potential candidate Richard Riordan in the last governor's race.

But despite all the attention given to the potential Republican candidates, it's the possibility of some Democrats entering the race that is causing sleepless nights for the Davis team. According to the Associated Press, two California Democrats in Congress urged Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday to run in the Oct. 7 election, shattering the united front the Democrats have tried to present. Reps. Cal Dooley and Loretta Sanchez have both publicly opposed the recall efforts, but Dooley said having no Democrat on the ballot is an unacceptable risk and Sanchez agreed that Feinstein is the obvious alternative. "I believe that the strongest Democrat we have in California is Dianne Feinstein," she said. "She is the 800-pound gorilla in the room. She'll walk away with it if we say remove Gray," Sanchez told the AP.

So far, Feinstein, who also opposed the recall, has said she has no plans to enter the race, but she has until Aug. 9 to decide.

Meanwhile, top party leaders held a strategy meeting with San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown on Tuesday, to ensure that the recently elected Davis keeps control of the governor's mansion. Richie Ross, an adviser to Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and Attorney General Bill Lockyer, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the meeting was "100 percent about getting people to vote no on the recall."

According to the AP, 57 people have already taken out papers to replace Davis, although none have returned them. The names released by the secretary of state's office include Republican Bill Simon and Green Party candidate Peter Camejo, who both lost to Davis in the November election; former Republican Rep. Michael Huffington; and current Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, who personally financed much of the recall effort. But so far, mum's the word on Arnold Schwarzenegger and his friend, former Richard Riordan, neither of whom have picked up the application, much less filed it. But as with Feinstein, they still have over a week to decide.

The Comeback Kids: The Hill reports former Vice President Al Gore may jump into the presidential race this fall. Friends and supporters, who say Gore ruled himself out too soon when he declared in December that he would not run for president, are now putting on the pressure.

A former Democratic National Committee official said, "based on more than a hunch," that he believed Gore might enter the Democratic primary in the fall but was not willing to substantiate his claim. Without a clear Democratic frontrunner and a fresh batch of questions on the president's credibility, Gore may have new reasons to reconsider. The former DNC official went on to say, "Things have dramatically changed since his [Gore's] announcement. Bush has lied to the country, no one is articulating a foreign policy that's resonating."

Echoing this theme, Steve Armistead, a Tennessee official and close Gore friend, said Gore has not yet indicated to him a decision regarding the race. Armistead went on to say, "I think he's likely to grit his teeth and jump back in, but I can't speak for him. I don't think he liked the medicine he got from the Supreme Court."

Strategists suggest the gossip could possibly be a trial balloon meant to test the field. Surveys also indicate Gore still has strong support among Democrats and could capture the Democratic nomination even with a late entry into the primaries.

Gore spokesperson Kiki McLean said Gore stood by his previous decision to stay out of the race. "He is not a candidate for president, he's made his position known and he has no intention of changing his mind," McLean told The Hill.

Nevertheless, high-ranking Gore supporters are still holding their breath and keeping their wallets closed in hopes that the former vice president might still run. A former Gore official commented on past major contributors saying, "These folks are playing in a non-material, insignificant way. These were the top fundraisers for Gore and the party in 2000 and they are basically keeping their wallets shut and more importantly not asking their friends [and] colleagues to help with an '04 candidate."

Former President Bill Clinton also has big plans for the fall. Mr. Clinton will be the featured speaker at Sen. Tom Harkin's 26th Annual Harkin Steak Fry in September in Indianola, Iowa. "It's an honor to have Bill Clinton come speak to Iowa Democrats about the current issues that matter in their lives," said Harkin. With a loaded field of nine Democrats, Harkin was unable to choose his favorite candidate for speaker and decided to be safe with Mr. Clinton.

Harris Nips Senate Bid In The Bud: Astronomers, get out your telescopes, because Rep. Katherine Harris, R-Fla., said Tuesday that the stars would have to align just right for her to join the Senate race. Her comments virtually rule out a run for Sen. Bob Graham's seat in 2004, ending several months of speculation, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

"It would have to be a 'syzygy' for me to run," Harris said. "That's an astronomy term. The stars would have to align just right."

Harris, who landed in the spotlight when her role as Florida secretary of state brought her to the forefront of the recount fiasco after the 2000 presidential election, indicated earlier this year at the state Republican Party convention that she might run for the Senate. But now she says her political future rests on three things (besides the stars, of course): the White House would have to indicate its support, the polls would have to show she had a strong chance and presidential candidate Sen. Bob Graham would have to rule out running for re-election.

Harris says the three-part test hasn't fallen in to place, so she is "thrilled" to stay in the House, to the relief of the other Republicans looking for the GOP nomination for the Senate seat. "Katherine is a rising star and has quickly become invaluable to our party's leadership," Republican Rep. Mark Foley, a Senate candidate, told the Democrat.

Foley along with former Rep. Bill McCollum and Florida House Speaker Johnnie Byrd, R-Plant City, are running for Graham's seat on the Republican side, while five Democrats are waiting for Graham to decide if he will seek re-election. Rep. Dave Weldon of Melbourne and state Sen. Daniel Webster, R-Ocoee, are still testing the waters.

Speaker Will Speak Out: For those fans of House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., who want an insight into what makes him tick, get ready. He has recently agreed to pen his memoirs.

"It will be a book on his experiences and lessons learned throughout his life. We're going to go back to his high school wrestling coaching as well as his political leadership in Congress," said Marji Ross, president of Regnery Publishing, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Ross said that Hastert has already begun dictating notes for the book, which will feature his experiences living through several historical events. He'll discuss his unexpected rise to the Speakership, after a sex scandal involving then-Speaker-to-be Bob Livingston caused Livingston to step down. Hastert will also talk about his role in the impeachment of President Clinton and what it was like being on the Hill during the September 11th attacks.

Hastert, who has been Speaker of the House for four years, has kept an extremely low profile compared to his predecessor Newt Gingrich. Now is the time for his story to be told, said Ross.

Added Hastert spokesman Pete Jeffries: "A number of people have said to him, 'You have an amazing life story and it would be a story people would want to read about.'"

Regnery Publishing is known for its catalog of conservative authors and books, having recently published books by G. Gordon Liddy, William Bennett and NRA executive director Wayne LaPierre. In addition, since 1996, Regnery has put out no less than 10 books critical of the Clintons and the Clinton administration.

By the way, unlike Sen. Hillary Clinton (who got to keep hers) and Gingrich (who got in trouble with his), Hastert won't be getting a big advance for the book. House ethics rules prohibit him from receiving any up-front payment.

Quote of the Day: "A solid conservative defending the powers of Student Council and lashing out at cynics and opponents ... and a frequent occupant of the weight room." - How Howard Brush Dean III describes himself in his senior yearbook at St. George's Preparatory Academy in Newport, R.I. (Hotline's Wake-Up Call!).