Hotline After Dark -- Sweeps Week

A shocker on the "O.C." and -- even more shocking -- Pres. Bush gives one-on-one interviews with various network WH correspondents.

FNC's Cameron: "The president invited network reporters for brief one-on-one interviews at one location where officials say hundreds cross the border illegally every night" ("Special Report," 5/18).

On how he'll deal with immigration without hurting the GOP in the elections, Bush: "There's some people in our party who think, you know, deportation will work, or, you know, don't want to deal with the issue that of people been here for a long period of time. There are people in the other party that want to have automatic amnesty. As I said in my speech, I've found a good middle ground" (FNC, 5/18).

On being at the border: "When we add 6000 Border Patrol agents to the Border Patrol that are patrolling up and down this vast border, we will have doubled the Border Patrol since I've been the president of the United States. But until we get those additional 6000 agents on, they got to have help. And that's why the National Guard is necessary to help the Border Patrol do its job" (CNN, 5/18).

More Bush: "We've got to get additional help down here in order to get the job done" (ABC, 5/18).

CBS' Plante: "You sent Karl Rove up [to the Hill] yesterday and they practically showed him the door."

Bush: "Let's let the process work. My job is to find that common sense way forward and continue to articulate" (CBS, 5/18).

NBC's Gregory: "In the most recent survey, your disapproval rating is now one point lower than Richard Nixon's before he resigned the presidency. You're laughing, but ...

Bush: "I'm not laughing, I just ..."

Gregory: "Why do you think that is?"

Bush: "Because we're at war, and war unsettles people. We got -- listen, we've got a great economy. We've added 5.2 million jobs in the last two-and-a-half years. But ... people are unsettled. They don't look at the economy and say life is good. They know we're at war and I'm not surprised that people are unsettled because of war."

Gregory: "But they're just not unsettled, sir. They disapprove of the job you're doing."

Bush: "That's unsettled."

Gregory: "Do you think it's possible that like Nixon and Watergate, that the American people have rendered a final judgment of disapproval on you and your war in Iraq?"

Bush: "Of course not. I have got two-and-a-half years left to be president of the United States, and I intend to get a lot done, including immigration reform. Yesterday I signed the extension of tax relief. We're making good progress on cutting this deficit in half. ... I'm also not going to retreat in the face of adverse polls. I'm going to do what I think is right and complete the mission in Iraq, and I believe a free Iraq is going to make the world a better place" (NBC, 5/18).

THE RUMMY AND O'REILLY SHOW

Defense Sec. Donald Rumsfeld sat down with FNC's O'Reilly:

On criticism the Nat'l Guard is overworked and shouldn't go to the border: "It would be nice if people asked questions and learned a little bit before they say things like that. ... 6,000 people that would be out of 445,000 guard."

On Iraq: "It's a test of wills, as most wars are." More: "Think of what 9/11 cost us. Wouldn't you rather fight those people over there instead of fighting them here?" (FNC, 5/18).

IDOL CHATTER

And, finally, MSNBC's Olbermann and talk radio host Maria Milito talked about Sen. Trent Lott's (R-MS) comments on "American Idol."

Olbermann: "Isn't there something wrong when we've gotten to a point, a major American senator saying, like the old joke from the Chicago democratic wards goes, 'vote early, vote often?'"

Milito: "He should be thinking about what he says, but we know that. But the fact that he's from Mississippi and he's not voting for somebody from Alabama? Why would he vote for Katherine from Sherman Oaks? It fuels my conspiracy theory. Don't you think? Something's just not kosher, here" ("Countdown," 5/18). [EMILY GOODIN]