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Bush: “The Information We Got Saved Lives”
Former President George W. Bush spoke last night in Michigan, defending the legality of his administration’s interrogation methods. “I made the decision, within the law,” Bush explained, “to get information so I can say to myself, ‘I’ve done what it takes to do my duty to protect the American people.’ I can tell you that the information we got saved lives.” He later added that nothing he was saying was meant to criticize his successor: “I wish him all the best.”

Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will be meeting with Vice President Biden at 9:45 a.m. ET, in addition to his regular daily meetings with advisers. He will be speaking on securing the country’s cyber-infrastructure, where he is expected to announce the appointment of a new “cyber czar,” at 10:55 a.m. ET from the East Room. At 2:30 p.m. ET, he will attend a hurricane preparedness meeting at FEMA Headquarters.

No Biden Events Today
Vice President Biden will be attending President Obama’s regular meetings with advisers today, and will meet with Obama at 9:45 a.m. ET. He will have private meetings for the remainder of the day, and does not have any scheduled public events.

Gates: North Korea Developments Not A Crisis, But “Very Provocative”
Sec. of Defense Robert Gates told reporters that the Obama Administration does not think there is a crisis, or a reason to build up troops, from the latest developments in North Korea. “What we do have, though, are two new developments that are very provocative, that are aggressive, accompanied by very aggressive rhetoric,” said Gates. “And I think it brings home the reality of the challenge that North Korea poses to the region and to the international community.”

NYT: Sotomayor’s “Sharp Tongue” An Issue
The New York Times says that the latest round of criticism against Sonia Sotomayor comes from her sharp questioning of attorneys during cases, in particular an instance from a torture case. “To supporters, Judge Sotomayor’s vigorous questioning of the Bush Administration’s position in the case of the Canadian, Maher Arar, showcases some of her strengths … But to detractors, Judge Sotomayor’s sharp-tongued and occasionally combative manner — some lawyers have described her as ‘difficult’ and ‘nasty’ — raises questions about her judicial temperament and willingness to listen.”

Hatch: Sotomayor Likely To Be Confirmed — But Dems Shouldn’t Rush It
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) told CNN that Sonia Sotomayor will likely be confirmed. “If there are no otherwise disqualifying matters here, it appears to me she will probably be confirmed,” he said. But he did add this word of caution for the Democrats: “If the Democrats don’t overplay their hand and don’t try to rush this too much, the process will go well, they’ll be better off, she’ll get confirmed.”

Sotomayor A Lucky Gambler
The New York Times also reports on Sonia Sotomayor that she hit it lucky at a casino back in late November 2008, winning $8,283, nearly six months to the day before President Obama tapped her for the Supreme Court. As the Times says: “Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s lucky streak is apparently at least six months long.”

Nader: McAuliffe Offered Me Money To Avoid Key States In 2004
Ralph Nader has now accused former DNC chairman Terry McAulliffe, who is now running in the June 9 Democratic primary for governor of Virginia, of having offered money to Nader’s 2004 presidential campaign to stay off the ballot in key swing states. After years of seeing Ralph Nader intervene negatively in general elections, it’s good to him now get involved constructively in a Democratic primary.

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