The intelligence scandal escalated on the same day that British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Washington to address a special joint meeting of Congress. Both Blair and Bush defended their choice to invade Iraq. Blair said that the invasion was justified even if no weapons of mass destruction are ever found in Iraq.

As a sign that the White House sees itself on the defensive, Vice President Cheney yesterday announced that his former top PR consultant Mary Matalin has returned to the White House to help shape the administration’s communications strategy.