Politics

President Bush and top aides stoutly defended his wiretapping directive Monday, launching a three-day offensive to regain control of public debate on the controversy in advance of congressional hearings.

Democrats fired back with a barrage of pointed criticisms about the electronic eavesdropping program Bush authorized shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

During a broader address on Iraq and terrorism at Kansas State University, Bush described the surveillance initiative _ which set off a political firestorm when it was revealed last month _ as legal, limited in scope and necessary to protect Americans."I made the decision to do the following things because there's an enemy that still wants to harm the American people," Bush said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the federal government's bid to block Oregon's assisted suicide law, ruling physicians do not risk criminal prosecution or other punishment for prescribing life-ending drugs.

Oregon is the only state that has such a law. But other states are considering the legalization of doctor-assisted suicide for terminal patients, and Tuesday's 6-3 ruling was seen as an encouragement of that movement.

"More and more Americans are demanding a greater say in how they live and how they die," said Peg Sandeen, executive director of the Death with Dignity National Center in Portland, Ore.

As corruption scandals threaten to affect this year's midterm elections, congressional leaders from both parties are unveiling plans this week to limit what lawmakers and their staffs can accept from lobbyists.

Republicans, who control the House and Senate, announced broad plans Tuesday, saying details would be fleshed out over the next several weeks and voted on by March.

"We need to reform the rules so it's clear beyond a shadow of a doubt what is ethically acceptable," said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.

Democrats are scheduled to discuss their ideas Wednesday, but already Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has instructed his staff they may no longer accept any meals, gifts or travel from lobbyists.

"These changes are an effort to lead by example and bring others along," said a memo to Reid employees from his chief of staff.

The inability of the earliest Medicare prescription drug plan enrollees to get their medicine _ prompting California and at least 12 other states to step in with emergency aid _ could be a sign of major problems to come for the already troubled program.

"It's not just a little glitch, it's a fairly big glitch," said Leighton Ku, senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington think tank that studies how government policy impacts low-income groups.

"For a very long time people predicted implementation problems were going to occur, and (suggested) it would be worthwhile to have a safety valve," Ku said.