It's Day Two of the jury selection in the trial of former Cheney chief of staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
 
NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports that nine potential jurors were interviewed yesterday for the Libby trial. Six were asked to return today, and three were dismissed. Among those dismissed:
-- a young African-American woman who was asked about her views of the Bush Administration and said, "I am completely without objectivity. Nothing they can say or do would make me think anything positive about them."
-- a white financial analyst who admitted that he regularly reads the gossip blog Wonkette and said, "I don't have the highest opinion of [Cheney]."
-- and a young white woman who said she is a freelance photographer and could not afford to spend six weeks at trial; the judge will have her called again for a shorter case.

The Washington Post: "The difficulty of finding 12 jurors and four alternates became apparent as jury selection began. [Judge Reggie] Walton started by asking prospective jurors 38 pre-screening questions, telling them the inquiry would help determine whether they had 'certain sympathies or prejudices' that could interfere with their responsibility to be impartial."

The New York Times front-pages that Libby is a paradox: He's a GOP "policy enforcer" who has written a novel; he's a Washington lawyer fond of taking tequila shots; and he's an intellectual who goes by the nickname of "Scooter." But the biggest paradox of all, the Times says, is that this "first-rate legal mind and a hypercautious aide" was charged for committing perjury.

In his State of the Union address next week, Reuters says Bush is expected to outline his policy to address global warming, but hasn't dropped his opposition to mandatory emission caps. "Bush has pushed a series of initiatives aimed at encouraging the development of alternative energy sources such as hydrogen and ethanol. That theme is expected to be emphasized in his speech."

In advance of Bush's State of the Union address, Roll Call reports that Democrats are planning to hold numerous pre-buttal events "to ensure they go into Tuesday night's speech with an upper hand on the issues they believe Bush is set to address, including the Iraq War, balancing the budget, global warming and energy independence. Democrats already are fanning out to the rank-and-file Members, urging them to set expectations high, so that the onus is on Bush to measure up."

The AP says the Senate yesterday vote "to shine more light on thousands of expensive pet projects buried in legislation every year after the new Democratic majority bowed to a successful push by Republicans to make new disclosure rules even tougher than originally planned."

The New York Times notes that Obama's candidacy "changes the contours of the Democratic landscape. He is the only major candidate, at least among those from the Senate, who is not on record voting about whether to go to war with Iraq… Since then, though, Mr. Edwards has renounced his support of the war and become a stronger critic than Mr. Obama. And Mrs. Clinton, who has expressed skepticism about President Bush's revised Iraq strategy, has struggled to convince many in the Democratic Party's base that she has spoken out strongly enough."

A Washington Post analysis adds, "Never has a party begun a nomination contest with its two most celebrated candidates a woman and an African American… The coming campaign will provide ample opportunity for Democratic voters to decide what they want in their nominee, and in Clinton and Obama they will have strikingly different models to choose from."

USA Today examines the question on everyone's mind: Does Obama have the experience necessary to be president? "Obama wouldn't be the youngest presidential nominee or chief executive. William Jennings Bryan was 36 when he first became a Democratic nominee. John F. Kennedy was 43 when he was elected. Theodore Roosevelt was 42 when he was sworn in after the assassination of William McKinley. Nor would Obama be the least experienced nominee or president. Wendell Wilkie had never been elected to any office before he became the Republican presidential nominee in 1940. Woodrow Wilson had been New Jersey's governor for two years when he was elected in 1912. George W. Bush served six years as Texas governor before being elected president."

The Chicago Tribune: "Mounting a presidential campaign would present a huge organizational and financial undertaking for a candidate who is relatively new to the national political scene and did not even face a serious Republican opponent in his only prior high-level campaign, for the U.S. Senate in 2004."

The Des Moines Register: "Obama's step is more evidence that the 2008 caucuses promise to be competitive, despite former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack's candidacy." 

The Washington Post's Milbank covers the mystery -- and perhaps explanation -- of Hillary Clinton's cancelled press conference yesterday.

And the San Francisco Chronicle offers some statistics to suggest that Obama and Clinton are ideologically closer than you might think. "Though Obama is perceived as being slightly to Clinton's left, an examination of Obama's and Clinton's voting records during the two years they served together in the Senate reveals no substantive differences. … Of the 618 votes on the Senate floor during 2005 and 2006, Obama and Clinton voted the same 576 times."

The Boston Herald reports that Obama's decision to form an exploratory committee puts more pressure on John Kerry to decide if he will also join the race. "Despite Kerry's 2004 New Hampshire primary win, activists say he must lay new groundwork if he wants to wage another campaign." 

On Tuesday, the Hartford Courant profiled its home-state senator, Chris Dodd. "Many political observers have deep doubts about Dodd's candidacy. They say he may not be able to raise the enormous amount of money he'll need. They say that he's a New England liberal and that he can't distinguish himself and his views from better-known candidates. But others warn he should not be counted out."

Today's Courant reports that Dodd is bringing his presidential campaign home to Connecticut this Friday. "Dodd faced some criticism last week for not announcing in the state he has represented as a U.S. senator for 26 years. Traditionally, candidates have returned to their hometowns, or at least some place symbolic, to start their presidential journey."

Former Iowa Rep. (and gubernatorial nominee) Jim Nussle (R) will join Rudy Giuliani's campaign as his top advisor in Iowa, the Des Moines Register says. "Having Nussle on board could help Giuliani among conservatives, although the two disagree on a key social issue. Giuliani backs abortion rights, while Nussle supports making abortion illegal in all cases except to save the life of the mother." 

After conservative Christian leader James Dobson made critical remarks about John McCain, the AP says, the Republican senator replied, "'I'm obviously disappointed and I'd like to continue and have a dialogue with Dr. Dobson and other members of the community'"   

The Washington Times covers Tom Tancredo's announcement that he's also forming an exploratory committee, saying Tancredo "stands out from that pack because he brings to the race a dedicated army of talk-radio show hosts and activists who oppose illegal immigration."

There's a sense of urgency in the environmental community about the threat of global warming, and the League of Conservation Voters says it wants to do something about it in 2008. The League has launched a campaign that will focus on getting presidential candidates in both parties not to only address the issue, but also to campaign on it. Navin Nayak, director of the League's Global Warming Project, tells First Read that the campaign will also focus on voter education and outreach (especially in the early primary states), donating money to presidential candidates, and media outreach.

From NBC's Ken Strickland
In a sign of how awkward things may get in the Senate over the next few months, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama now both serve on the Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee -- commonly referred to as the HELP Committee. With the tradition of seating members in order of seniority, Clinton and Obama should be seated next to each other.

Coincidentally, there's a HELP Committee hearing going on at this moment on Capitol Hill. It should come as no surprise that neither is in attendance and not expected to show. Their absence is not of much significance since Monday morning hearings are usually light in attendance of both Democrats and Republicans. However, there is one presidential aspirant in attendance today, Sen. Chris Dodd. (The Senate committee with the most presidential wannabes is Foreign Relations: Sens. Joe Biden, Dodd, John Kerry, Obama, and Chuck Hagel all sit on the committee.)

From NBC's Huma Zaidi and Mark Murray
Ending weeks of speculation, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) announced this morning that he is forming a presidential exploratory committee. (His office officially filed just after 10:00 am ET.) In a videotaped message on his new website, Obama said he will announce his final decision on February 10 in Chicago. "As many of you know, over the last few months I have been thinking hard about my plans for 2008," he said. "Running for the presidency is a profound decision -- a decision no one should make on the basis of media hype or personal ambition alone -- and so before I committed myself and my family to this race, I wanted to be sure that this was right for us and, more importantly, right for the country."

If he officially decides to run, the junior senator from Illinois will certainly be among the front-runners for the Democratic nomination -- who will likely also include New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards. During the 2006 midterm elections, Obama became a fund-raising rock star for Democratic candidates across the country, and his message of hope and unity could have wide appeal in this political environment. At the same time, however, critics will obviously point to his lack of experience -- he has spent just two years in the US Senate -- as the country faces numerous domestic and foreign challenges.

Among those challenges is the situation in the Middle East, which Clinton -- who just returned from a tour of the Middle East -- was scheduled to address today in a press conference. However, shortly after Obama's announcement, Clinton postponed her presser until tomorrow afternoon, possibly to avoid questions about Obama.

 

 

From Mark Murray, Huma Zaidi, Lauren Appelbaum, and Carrie Dann
It was a story that once captivated Washington, that led to the federal investigation of whether officials in the Bush Administration illegally disclosed the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson, and that even seemed certain to ensnare President Bush's top political aide Karl Rove (but never did). Yet what's now left of that CIA leak story -- the perjury charges against Cheney former chief of staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby -- nears its conclusion today with the jury selection for Libby's trial. Libby is accused of lying to a grand jury and investigators about how he learned of Valerie Plame Wilson's identity. Jury selection is supposed to take two or three days, and the entire trial will last up to six weeks.

Politically, the trial will likely thrust back into the news the Bush Administration's decision to go war against in Iraq -- at the very time that Washington and the country debate Bush's plan to send more troops there. Speaking of, a new USA Today/Gallup poll shows that nearly six in 10 Americans are opposed to the troop increase.

Over on Capitol Hill, NBC's Ken Strickland reports that Senate Democrats this week are expected to introduce their highly anticipated Iraq resolution condemning President Bush's plan. The non-binding resolution would call on senators to vote up or down on whether they support the president's proposal. It wouldn't include language on cutting off or restraining troop funding, nor it would it suggest capping the number of troops in Iraq. Yet because the Senate floor is bogged down in an ethics and lobbying reform bill that Majority Leader Harry Reid wants to finish this week, it's very likely the debate and vote on the resolution won't begin until next week at the earliest -- the same week of Bush's State of the Union address. 

After returning from her four-day to Iraq and Afghanistan, Sen. Hillary Clinton -- along with travel companions Sen. Evan Bayh (D) and Rep. John McHugh (R) -- holds a press conference to brief reporters about the trip. There's other news regarding Iraq: More than 50 active duty officers and soldiers will hold a press conference this morning on Capitol Hill calling for an end to the war.

Sen. Wayne Allard (R) of Colorado announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election next year, a decision that could make it more difficult for Republicans to reclaim the majority of the Senate in 2008 (assuming Tim Johnson's health continues to improve). Democrats hold a narrow 51-49 advantage in the chamber, yet Republicans have 21 seats up for re-election next year while Democrats have just 12. What's significant about Allard's announcement is that it gives Democrats a clear pickup opportunity in a cycle that -- as of now -- looks to feature few such chances. "When I look at the map, I see low number of opportunities for both sides," Jennifer Duffy of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report tells First Read.

Duffy says that besides Colorado, Democratic opportunities exist in Minnesota (Norm Coleman's seat) and possibly Maine (Susan Collins). For Republicans, it's Louisiana (Mary Landrieu). "And that's about it."

Finally, as we mentioned yesterday, a spokesman to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (D) has told First Read that an announcement he will form a presidential exploratory committee could come as early as this week. Speaking yesterday at an MLK Day event in Harvey, IL, Obama had some fun at the expense of the photographers popping flashbulbs during his remarks. He said, "I just want to tell all the reporters here, I love ya, but I'm not making news today." In an on-camera stakeout after the event, Obama confirmed that "we will have an announcement very soon," but said that he was trying to turn the spotlight away from his oh-eight plans to avoid appearing to make "false parallels" between himself and Dr. King.

A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds that just 38% support Bush's call for an increase of troops to Iraq, while 59% oppose it. Moreover, 61% say they favor a non-binding Democratic resolution opposing Bush's plan, yet just 47% say they support Congress blocking funding for the new troops. Also in the poll, Bush's job approval is at 34% and his Iraq handling is 28%. 

Another GOP senator who's opposed to the troop increase? In an interview with the Manchester Union Leader, Sen. John Sununu said he doesn't think additional troops should be sent to Iraq until the country "has proven it is ready to take control of its own nation on several fronts and before U.S. commanders show that new military tactics and rules of engagement are working." 

Per the New York Times, the departing top US military commander in Iraq "warned that it could take months before there were any real signs of progress" resulting from the new strategy in Iraq. "'As with any plan, there are no guarantees of success, and it's not going to happen overnight,' said the commander, Gen. George W. Casey Jr. 'But with sustained political support and the concentrated efforts on all sides, I believe that this plan can work.'"

NBC's Andrea Mitchell, traveling with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on her Middle East trip, reports that Saudi Arabia gave Rice a tepid endorsement of the "objective" of Bush's new plan for Iraq. But the Saudi foreign minister indicated a wait-and-see attitude as to whether it could work. However, a senior official traveling with Rice said the Saudis are "deeply skeptical" that the Maliki government is up to the challenge of making the Bush Iraq plan work.

The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, says that the Iraqi government is solidifying its relations with Iran, "even as the United States turns up the rhetorical heat and bolsters its military forces to confront Tehran's influence in Iraq." 

The UN is reporting that nearly 35,000 Iraqi civilians were killed last year -- "a sharp increase from the numbers reported previously by the Iraqi government."

The Los Angeles Times on the trial: "At a time when most high-profile Washington criminal defendants cop pleas to avoid the glare of the courtroom, the case should provide a rare display of political theater, a throwback to the days of Watergate and the Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal, which played out in the same federal courthouse where Libby's fate will be decided." More: "The politically charged case against Libby may be the closest thing that critics of the Bush administration ever get to a public trial dealing with the justifications for the Iraq war."

As the Washington Post reported yesterday, the jury selection isn't expected to be easy, given the case's publicity, the politics over the Iraq war, and the likely testimony from figures like Vice President Dick Cheney, NBC's Tim Russert, and the Washington Post's Bob Woodward.

Indeed, per the AP, potential jurors will be asked a wide range of questions about the war, politics, and the media. Aside from asking the jurors if they have followed "recent political scandals," defense attorneys will question jurors about their views on the Iraq war. Among the questions: "'Based on what you know at this time, do you believe that the Administration misled the American people to justify going to war?'" and "'Do you have particularly strong feelings about the war in Iraq?'" 

The New York Times notes how congressional Democrats are trying to seek the center, especially on social issues. "But the Democrats' moves toward consensus-building on issues that often resist consensus reflect their effort to adjust to a new political reality. Their majority is slimmer than it was the last time they were in power, especially in the Senate. The country, some pollsters say, has grown more conservative on abortion and other social issues."

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger both made appearances at a high-profile San Francisco MLK breakfast yesterday. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that "the Democratic leader's tough comments warning President Bush against what she called an abuse of power in a troop escalation were greeted with cheers -- while Schwarzenegger, who on Sunday said he supports the president's decision to increase the troop levels by 21,500 in Iraq, studiously avoided the topic." 

The Boston Herald says that Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) "was followed throughout Martin Luther King Day by Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, stirring speculation that the governor is already being eyed by power-brokers on the national political stage." More: "Patrick's name has been thrown into discussions about successors to Sens. Edwards Kennedy or John Kerry, and he has also drawn consideration as a possible vice presidential candidate or pick for U.S. attorney general if Democrats secure the White House in 2008."

President Bush meets with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and then has a photo opportunity with the St. Louis Cardinals, who won the World Series last fall.

The Washington Post front-pages that one of Bush's goals in his State of the Union address will be a move towards a balanced budget. "Politically, analysts say, the president is calling the bluff of Democrats, who won control of Congress in part by accusing Bush of reckless fiscal policies. While Bush now shares the Democrats' goal to erase the deficit by 2012, the politically perilous work of making that happen … falls to the Democratic-run Congress." The article adds that pushing for a balanced budget has another purpose: reining in entitlement spending.

Yesterday, we noted that, per a London Observer article, Bush will make curbing global warming a goal in his State of the Union. But as the Washington Post reports today, NASA's earth science budget has decreased by 30% since 2000, according to a new report. "As a result … the United States will not have the scientific information it needs in the years ahead to analyze severe storms and changes in Earth's climate unless programs are restored and funding made available." 

That said, Bloomberg points out that Bush and Democrats will likely find some common ground in the energy debate. 

The Wall Street Journal reports that in his State of the Union and his upcoming budget proposal, Bush plans on detailing ways to curb health insurance costs by changing the tax-code, encouraging states to create insurance pools for low-income recipients, and expanding health savings accounts. "The examination of health care comes as Mr. Bush looks to define a domestic agenda in the final two years of a presidency that increasingly is being overshadowed by Iraq and hemmed in by newly empowered Democrats."

The AP has more on Bush's expected laundry list: "Reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and supporting alternative fuels are expected to be prominent themes of his speech. Bush also will challenge Congress to fix Social Security's long-term solvency problem, find a way to compromise on immigration and preserve tax cuts."

And the Washington Times says a "rebellion" is "brewing" among conservatives who are upset at Bush's choice of Sen. Mel Martinez -- who supports a guest worker program and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants -- as RNC chairman. 

USA Today writes that gas prices dropped over the holiday weekend and are down 4% this year. "But drivers who expect gas prices to fall as sharply as oil prices in recent weeks will likely be disappointed… [S]tudies have shown retail gas prices 'rise much more quickly when oil prices rise, and they fall much more slowly when oil prices fall,' says Stephen Brown, director of energy economics at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas."

The AP covers yesterday's MLK Day politicking -- with Joe Biden in South Carolina saying he would vote to keep the Confederate flag off of the statehouse's grounds, and Barack Obama in Chicago at a breakfast with Jesse Jackson, where "he didn't deliver what much of the crowd clearly wanted: a declaration that he will run for president." 

At another MLK event in Harvey, IL, Obama received a chorus of "Amens" for his criticisms of the Bush' Administration's policies on Iraq and its post-Katrina reconstruction effort. Alluding to the funds being poured into the surge effort, Obama declared "there's no reason why they couldn't help rebuild Harvey just like they say they want to rebuild Baghdad." His voice becoming hoarse at times, he questioned why people displaced by Katrina are still struggling despite the "hooplah" about preventing poverty and racism that the president promoted after the hurricane.

The Chicago Tribune notes that Obama, speaking with reporters after his MLK address yesterday, "add[ed] a 'very' to the 'soon' in his assessment about when a presidential announcement will come." More: "Obama said that he is weighing issues such as his personal safety and loss of privacy but hinted that those matters would not affect his decision."

Roll Call writes about how Emily's List, the Democratic fundraising organization that helps pro-choice female candidates get elected to office, "is poised to endorse Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) as soon as the former first lady announces her 2008 presidential bid" -- the first time the group will have gotten involved in a presidential race. Yet: "While the group's level of participation in the Clinton campaign is an open question, some Democratic strategists already worry that the PAC's focus may shift to Clinton at the expense of Congressional candidates."

The Washington Post's EJ Dionne writes that if Mike Huckabee run for president -- and that's a big if -- he will have several strengths: He's conservative but also pragmatic; he's from the South; he's a governor; and he's not wedded to Bush's Iraq policies. Huckabee tells Dionne: "'The president's plan is one that sort of lays it all out there for him. If it works, then thank God, we may have a stable Iraq and we'll finally be able to start a complete turnover to them. If it doesn't, you know he's really put a lot of things at risk, including the lives of young Americans.'"

Sen. John McCain's exploratory committee says it will make a "major announcement" today pertaining to a new addition to its South Carolina team. Supporters Sen. Lindsey Graham and South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster will join McCain for a trio of press conferences to make the announcement, the first presser coming as of this writing. WashingtonPost.com is reporting that the announcement is that South Carolina House Speaker Bobby Harrell is endorsing McCain. 
 
Roll Call says that it will be a "difficult fight" for the GOP to hold onto Allard's Senate seat. "Rep. Mark Udall (D) has already declared his intention to run, is popular in the state and has an effective fundraising machine. Similarly, despite the state's often-conservative social leanings, Democrats have made major gains in Colorado over the past several years… The Republican field looks to be more unpredictable - and possibly both deep and contentious, although attention is beginning to focus on former Rep. Scott McInnis, who still has nearly $1 million in a federal campaign account." 

Allard, the Washington Post adds, is the first senator to announce he will not seek reelection next year… Other Republicans mentioned as possible retirees in 2008 include Thad Cochran (Miss.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.), Pete V. Domenici (N.M.) and John W. Warner (Va.). Tim Johnson (S.D.) and John F. Kerry (Mass.) are considered the most likely Democrats to retire."

Meanwhile, new House GOP campaign committee chairman Tom Cole tells The Hill he's optimistic that Republicans can take back the House in 2008. "He repeats a pair of facts - that Republicans have their largest minority in the last half-century and that Democrats now hold 61 districts that President Bush carried twice."

From NBC's Huma Zaidi and Mark Murray
Sen. John McCain's exploratory committee announced this morning that Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will serve as the national co-chair of McCain's campaign, if he runs for president.

Pawlenty narrowly won reelection last fall during the Democratic wave that took down Republicans across the country, including in Minnesota. Calling him "a good friend and a great leader," McCain said he would depend on Pawlenty's advice during a possible presidential campaign.

We'll be hearing a lot more fom Pawlenty in the future. His state will host the GOP convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul next year and Pawlenty is mentioned as a possible GOP vice presidential nominee. This summer, Pawlenty will also become chairman of the National Governors Association.

From Mark Murray, Huma Zaidi, Lauren Appelbaum, and Carrie Dann
A handful of the oh-eighters are busy on this Martin Luther King Day holiday -- just another sign how early this presidential contest has started. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd are in South Carolina, while Mitt Romney is in Boston, where he attends a service at the First Holiness Church. Yesterday, John Edwards gave an MLK Day sermon at the Riverside Church in New York City, where he seems to have launched the first broadside in the emerging contest for the Democratic nomination -- apparently against Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama over their refusal (so far) to come out against funding President Bush's troop increase. "If you are in Congress and you know this war is going in the wrong direction, it is no longer enough to study your options," Edwards said.

Clinton and John McCain are also on the road today, albeit in two different countries. Clinton ends her four-day trip to Iraq and Afghanistan with a visit to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, while McCain attends Alabama Gov. Bob Riley's (R) inauguration. And there could be some major activity by Obama this week: A spokesman for the senator tells First Read that an announcement Obama will form an exploratory committee could come as early as this week. Bob Novak reported the same on Sunday (see below).

President Bush, meanwhile, defended his decision to send more troops into Iraq in his interview last night on "60 Minutes." And, calling himself the educator-in-chief, Bush said his job was to educate the public on his plan. That said, Bush is relatively quiet on this week before his State of the Union address -- especially on Iraq. He has no events today; on Tuesday, he meets with the UN Secretary General; and on Wednesday, he has two health care-related events. That's it for his scheduled appearances this week.

On Capitol Hill, House Democrats will turn to the last two items of their "Six for '06" agenda this week: On Wednesday, they will vote to cut interest rates on students loans, and on Thursday, they will move to repeal tax cuts for energy companies. Democratic government and business strategist Billy Moore observes that the four "Six for '06" bills approved by the House last week passed with an average of 52 GOP votes; three passed with unanimous Democratic support. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich has counseled Republicans to seize the agenda by making common cause with moderate Democrats. The Democrats, Moore notes, have adopted Gingrich's strategy in reverse, at least for now.

In his appearance on "60 Minutes" last night, his second prime-time opportunity in the past week, the AP notes that Bush conceded that he's not popular -- nor is the Iraq war. "Yet none of that changes his view that more U.S. troops are needed to win in Iraq. 'I'm not going to try to be popular and change principles to do so,' Bush said."

The Los Angeles Times: "The president's comments were part of an administration effort to quell the growing roar of criticism about its Iraq strategy, as Democrats plan nonbinding resolutions opposing the troop increase and as some Republicans echo their resistance to the plan." 

Bush also said that, as commander-in-chief, he has the authority to move along with his plan, no matter what the Democratic-controlled Congress tries to do in opposition, the Washington Post writes. "'I fully understand they could try to stop me from doing it. But I've made my decision. And we're going forward.'"

But Democrats, the New York Times says, are split on whether to cut off funding for the additional troops. "While Congressional Democrats have been fairly unified in their opposition to the president's plan, the splits that have emerged center on how to proceed against it… But with opinion polls showing overwhelming opposition to the president's plan - and support for some kind of intervention by Congress - the trajectory over the past two weeks has moved toward more aggressive Congressional action."

Per the Washington Times, Rep. John Murtha (D) said yesterday that he will introduce a bill that would cut off funding to send additional troops to Iraq. Murtha "said that he doesn't think Democrats can stop Mr. Bush from instituting the first wave of a troop surge, but that his panel will be able to pass legislation to stop further waves within a month. 'I don't know how many troops they can get in the field before we get our bill up and passed in the Congress,' he said." 

The New York Times front-pages that US officials are encountering a series of conflicts with Iraqi officials over the implementation of US's plan -- including a Shiite-dominated government that might not crack down equally on Sunnis and Shiites and the potential appointment of a Shiite officer to fill the post as operational commander who holds "hard-edged demands for Iraqi primacy" in the war effort.

A McClatchy analysis notes that the Administration's plan for Iraq is based on inaccurate information about what is causing the sectarian conflict there. "President Bush and his aides, explaining their reasons for sending more American troops to Iraq, are offering an incomplete, oversimplified and possibly untrue version of events there that raises new questions about the accuracy of the administration's statements about Iraq."

MSNBC's Hardball has a report on the human cost of the Iraq war, and it will also feature an interview with Al Sharpton.

The London Observer reports that, per British officials, Bush is "preparing to make a historic shift on his position on global warming" in his State of the Union. Bush and Blair held private talks on climate change before Christmas, and there is a feeling that the US President will now agree a cap on emissions in the US, meaning that, for the first time, American industry and consumers would be expected to start conserving energy and curbing pollution. 

The New York Times editorializes against the appointment of former GOP operative and RNC research chief Tim Griffin -- through an end-run around the Senate -- as the US attorney for Arkansas.

Saddam Hussein's half brother, as well as the former head of Iraq's Revolutionary Court, were hanged before dawn, the AP reports. 

Cheney said that the CIA and Pentagon "are not violating people's rights by examining the banking and credit records of hundreds of Americans and others suspected of terrorism or espionage in the United States" -- a practice the New York Times reported over the weekend. 

But, per the New York Times: "Representative Silvestre Reyes, a Texas Democrat who is the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said his panel would examine the matter. Mr. Reyes also indicated that he might renew efforts to pass a law requiring various agencies to get court approval before issuing national security letters."

Following the House's lead, the Senate "is moving this week to ban members from accepting free tickets to sporting events," USA Today says. "Lawmakers have long enjoyed seats in luxury skyboxes paid for by lobbyists and corporations, despite a $50 limit on the gifts they can accept. That's because the tickets often bore no prices or were valued at below the gift limit."

In his Sunday column, Bob Novak reported some potential big news: Sen.Barack Obama informed a major Democratic financial contributor that he probably will announce formation of a 2008 presidential exploration committee this coming week."

The Sunday Chicago Tribune profiled Obama's inner circle.

The New York Times covers Edwards' speech yesterday at Riverside Church, the same venue where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his harshest speech against the Vietnam War in 1967. "'If you are in Congress and you know this war is going in the wrong direction, it is no longer enough to study your options,' Mr. Edwards said… He said members of Congress 'have the power to prohibit the president from spending money to escalate the war,' adding, 'Use that power.'" 

The New York Daily News adds that Edwards' comments were "a clear shot at his likely Democratic presidential rivals, Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, who have shied away from plans to block new war funding for fear of being accused of undermining the troops already overseas."

The Sunday New York Times examined how Bush's decision to send more troops to Iraq has impacted both Clinton and John McCain. "As the politics of the war continue to shift, no prospective presidential candidates face more intensive scrutiny of their views or greater risk to their ambitions than Mr. McCain and Mrs. Clinton."

On the Saturday, the Washington Post focused solely on McCain. "No politician in the United States is more clearly identified with President Bush's new policy, and no politician has more to lose if it fails." 
 
USA Today adds that Bush's plan "is putting Republican presidential prospects in a bind as they look ahead to a nomination process dominated by party loyalists… David Woodard, a GOP consultant and a political scientist at the University of South Carolina, says presidential aspirants need to find a middle ground between the demands of the primaries and the general election. 'You cannot cut and run on your two-term president,' he says. At the same time, 'you've got to position yourself away from Bush.'" 

The AP covers Hillary Clinton's stop in Afghanistan yesterday, where she had breakfast with US soldiers and met with the top US general there, as well as President Hamid Karzai. "Mrs. Clinton … came from Iraq with Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, and Representative John M. McHugh, Republican of New York. The three are members of armed services committees."

The Des Moines Register reports that Rep. Tom Tancredo will announce today if he will seek the Republican nomination for president.

"Florida's leading religious conservatives grilled Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney on Friday over his changed positions on gay rights and abortion, suggesting the former Massachusetts governor could be a tough sell for the party's influential right wing," the Miami Herald says.

The Los Angeles Times examines the Nevada caucuses, which will be the Democrats' second nominating contest -- and a challenge to the candidates competing there. "Democrats here like guns, loathe taxes and see nature as a source of fun and profit, not a place that some Washington bureaucrat should lock away. And skip the Rust Belt rhetoric about all those manufacturing jobs fleeing to China and Mexico. Economic issues require a different approach in a state that has boomed for the last 40 years."

And Sunday's Manchester Union Leader looked at the effect other states -- who are jockeying to move up their primary -- are having on New Hampshire -- and it's not all negative. "As more and more large and populous states prepare to move up their 2008 Presidential caucuses and primaries to early dates on the nominating calendar, they are only enhancing the importance of New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation Presidential primary to the nominating process, political experts agree."

Jury selection in the Lewis "Scooter" Libby trial begins tomorrow. The Washington Post: "The estimated six-week trial will pit current and former Bush administration officials against one another… It also will force the media into painful territory, with as many as 10 journalists called to testify for or against an official who was, for some of them, a confidential source."

The AP: "Libby's lawyers say they plan to call Cheney, who can bolster claims that Libby had more pressing things on his mind than Plame." NBC's Joel Seidman reports that, per legal experts, this would be the first time a sitting vice president has ever testified at a criminal trial.

In his interview on FOX yesterday, the New York Times writes, Cheney called Libby "'one of the finest individuals I've ever known.' Pressed about his former aide's honesty, Mr. Cheney replied, 'I believe he's one of the more honest men I know.'" More: "Whatever the nature of Mr. Cheney's remarks, if he testifies, the very fact of his appearance would underscore how the trial has created a deeply uncomfortable moment for the White House. It is a problem not only because a former official faces serious charges, but also because the subject is connected closely with how the administration may have used flawed intelligence about Iraq to justify going to war."  

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
John Boehner and Mitch McConnell, the respective House and Senate Republican leaders, have accepted an invitation from President Bush to come to Camp David this weekend for a strategy session -- to talk about Iraq and legislative strategy for the minority Republicans.

Both men are headed up Camp David tonight.

From NBC's Mike Viqueira -- Updated 3:02 pm ET
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that she will look into an alleged loophole in the just-passed minimum wage bill that critics say gives a break to a business based in her district.

The issue centers around StarKist, which employs a significant percentage of citizens of American Samoa and is owned by San Francisco-based Del Monte Corporation. Republicans point out that the minimum wage bill - passed Wednesday as part of the Democratic "100 Hours" initiative - does not apply to American Samoa. Republicans have seized on this fact, alleging that Pelosi has "earmarked" the bill to protect a hometown company from having to raise the pay of its employees. They point to the fact that the Marianas Islands, another US territory, is subject to the wage hike.
 
At a photo-op today, Pelosi says that she has asked a congressional committee to make sure that they go back and make sure that all territories are treated equally. In the meantime, Democrats say this is all politically driven nonsense. They point out that Samoans are US Nationals whereas CNMI (Marianas) residents are U.S. Citizens; Samoa falls under the Fair Labor Standards Act, CNMI does not; and Del Monte bought StarKist in 2003. The first Democratic minimum wage bill was introduced in 1999 and was written the same way and that Pelosi had no input on this particular matter.

From Mark Murray, Huma Zaidi, Lauren Appelbaum, and Carrie Dann
Unidentified attackers struck the US embassy in Athens late last night (Eastern Time), but there are no reported injuries or casualties. Greek police say the attackers fired a rocket from the street, and it went through a window on the embassy's third floor. Per the AP, "Greece's Public Order Minister said the blast was probably an act of domestic terrorism -- raising fears of resurgent violence by far-left Greek militants."

Much of the rest of today's news focuses on the grilling that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates received yesterday on Capitol Hill -- particularly from senators either running for president or up for re-election in 2008 -- over Bush's new Iraq plan. Gates returns to Capitol Hill today, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

As President Bush faces widespread criticism for his decision to send more troops into Iraq, another batch of low poll numbers, and even several GOP senators who appear to be jumping ship, it's worth revisiting a question we've asked in the past: Would things be any different if Bush's vice president were actively seeking the presidency? With Cheney's disinterest in the top spot, this upcoming presidential election will be the first time since 1928 when neither a sitting president nor a vice-presidential heir apparent is running for the office.

If Cheney were running, however, would he want to be making his bid in this particular environment? Would he actually favor sending more troops to Iraq? And would he want an unpopular war to extend throughout his election? They're interesting questions -- and the very same questions that several Republican senators up for re-election in 2008 are facing.

There's plenty of movement today and this weekend from those who are running for president. Fresh off his presidential announcement, Sen. Chris Dodd is in Iowa, where he attends Chet Culver's inauguration as Iowa governor and does two other events there. On Sunday, he heads to South Carolina, where he'll stay through Martin Luther King Day. Dodd will also appear on NBC's Meet the Press with fellow Sens. Chuck Hagel, Jon Kyl, and Joe Lieberman.

Joe Biden also spends the MLK weekend in South Carolina, while John Edwards delivers a Martin Luther King Day sermon on Sunday at the Riverside Church in New York City. On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani today headlines a fundraiser for the Delaware GOP. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney today attends a shooting/hunting/outdoor trade show in Orlando, FL, and returns to Boston to attend an MLK service at the First Holiness Church on Monday.

And the Democrats finally have picked their convention site: Denver. It took them a while to make a decision -- due to a host of labor and logistical questions -- but the Democratic National Committee selected a city and state that symbolizes the gains the party has made in the West, as well as Howard Dean's 50-state strategy. Dean most likely will talk about all of that when he appears today on MSNBC's Hardball, as does Democratic New Mexico Gov. (and possible presidential candidate) Bill Richardson.