The BBC reports that President Bush's Iraq speech is likely to come mid-week next week.  Add to the challenge already facing Bush in selling Americans on his way forward in Iraq, where US troop fatalities have now passed 3,000, the new challenge of overcoming the international PR debacle that Saddam Hussein's execution has become.  NBC's Richard Engel reported last night that although "US officials were pushing to delay the execution until after a Muslim holiday this week, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, rushed it through, in part to assert his authority."  Now the Iraqi government has launched an inquiry "into how guards filmed and taunted Saddam Hussein on the gallows, turning his execution into a televised spectacle that has inflamed sectarian anger," per the Financial Times. 

And the Wall Street Journal says that for Bush, "deploying tens of thousands of additional troops to Iraq may not be as tough a call as deciding when to bring them home."  The debate "stems from tension between the political and military aspects of the emerging proposal.  Mr. Bush has staked his presidency on Iraq, and several White House aides say they believe he would be inclined to leave the extra troops there until improvement is evident.  Senior commanders, by contrast, have expressed concerned that leaving extra troops too long risks lasting damage to the U.S. armed forces."

In a front-page article, the New York Times traces how the Administration's plans in Iraq have transformed in the past year -- from turning over responsibility to the Iraqis and beginning a gradual withdrawal, to likely sending in a "surge" of US forces. 

But Iraq also poses challenges for Democrats, who will now see increased "exposure to what has mostly been a politically damaging issue for Republicans," says the AP.  "In the weeks ahead, the new Democratic Congress will be confronted with President Bush's new plan for Iraq and a White House request that lawmakers authorize an estimated additional $100 billion to pay for the war...  Democrats also may be asked to support a plan lifting restrictions on reserve deployments to ease the strain on active-duty troops." 

While we were on holiday break, the outgoing chairman of the FEC told the Washington Times that "2008 will produce the first $1 billion presidential race and that the $500 million that each party's candidate will need to compete will severely limit the field of contenders." 

The Washington Times says three of the Senate Democrats eyeing the presidency -- Biden, Dodd, and Kerry -- will have soapboxes at their disposal in the form of committee chairmanships, and that their more junior colleagues Clinton and Obama also sit on key committees. 

The paper also says of incoming Senate Armed Services ranking member John McCain that his "staff and outside advisers have been working in recent weeks to piece together a minority committee staff that can operate while he is on the campaign trial...  Former staffers say Mr. McCain's search team has used the word 'adult' to describe the kind of staff director they were seeking." 

Today marks the last day of the session for the Massachusetts legislature, meaning it's the last day that the legislature could vote on a same-sex marriage ban.  Absent their approval today, the measure, which would place a ban on the state's 2008 ballot, will die.  Outgoing Gov. Mitt Romney (R) asked state courts to order the legislature to vote, and also threatened to withhold a scheduled pay raise for lawmakers if they don't (a symbolic gesture given that incoming Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is certain to OK it).  The state Supreme Court recently said that lawmakers have a duty to vote on the measure. 

"Romney, who leaves office Thursday, was making calls yesterday to key lawmakers.  A vote to keep the petition alive would also give him a major political victory; he has used his opposition to same-sex marriage in his efforts to reach conservative voters as he readies for a run for the White House," reports the Boston Globe. 

Per the AP, Romney was set to file paperwork to form a presidential exploratory committee today, but decided to postpone it until tomorrow because of Ford's funeral. 

The Boston Herald notes that the "move to form the committee - which allows Romney to officially begin fund raising - comes as Romney continues to up his national profile with a dizzying string of stops in key battleground states.  He has also been distancing himself from the more liberal leanings of Giuliani and McCain by reaching out to right-wing media outlets in recent weeks." 

Rudy Giuliani's campaign appears to have lost a copy of its 140-page battle plan, which was obtained by the New York Daily News.  The plan maps "out the budgets, schedules and fund-raising plans that will underpin the former New York mayor's presidential campaign - as well as his aides' worries that personal and political baggage could scuttle his run."  It details "a massive fund-raising push to bring in at least $100 million this year, with a scramble for at least $25 million in the next three months alone...  The loss of the battle plan is a remarkable breach in the high-stakes game of presidential politics and a potentially disastrous blunder for Giuliani in the early stages of his campaign." 

In order to attract national attention to the Iowa caucuses, the Des Moines Register reports that tourism officials there are hoping to put together an entertainment program with "'A-list' rock stars, comedians and other Hollywood types for what they hope will be a nationally televised show to kick off the 2008 Iowa caucuses...  The bureau's film commission wants to put together the show for December 2007 or January 2008.  The aim is to spark nationwide appreciation and understanding of the presidential-nomination process." 

CNBC has day-long coverage Tuesday of the 2007 outlook for the markets and business.  This first week of 2007 is awash in data, CNBC's Patti Domm notes, including the Friday jobs report, auto sales, and retailers'  December sales.  But most markets will be closed today for the national day of mourning for Ford.  The Wall Street Journal's latest survey of economists shows predictions of an economic rebound this year.