Libby's attorneys begin their defense today.  NBC's Joel Seidman says it will likely begin with a parade of witnesses, including prominent journalists, but whether or not the lawyers will call Libby himself and/or Vice President Cheney to testify remains a mystery.  As Seidman notes, Cheney is in Washington this week and travels overseas next week on a trip to Japan and Australia, so the speculation is that if he's called to appear, Cheney would show up at the courthouse sometime this week.

The New York Times says that if Cheney testifies, as expected, it could carry risks for him.  "If Mr. Cheney makes a statement that conflicts with the public record - and nearly every witness so far has done so at least once - it could prove embarrassing for him and for the administration."  More: "[T]he trial has chipped away at the public image of Mr. Cheney as a sober-minded policy architect and tough political combatant, never rattled by the sniping of critics or the fickle commentary of the press." 

USA Today anticipates that Libby's lawyers will try to "pit journalists from the same newspapers or networks against each other." 

From NBC's Mark Murray
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- With the temperature here in the teens, and in front of thousands of bitterly cold yet enthusiastic supporters, Barack Obama (D) made his presidential candidacy official. "I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States," he said.

In his speech, Obama touched on one of  what will be the central themes of his campaign: that he can change Washington. "I recognize there is a certain presumptuousness -- a certain audacity -- to this announcement. I know I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change."

That anti-Washington message appears to be aimed at the Democrat leading him in the national polls, Hillary Clinton, who spent eight years in Washington as First Lady and has spent another six-plus years in the US Senate. And perhaps the biggest political story in the next year will be whether Obama, John Edwards, or anyone else can defeat her for the Democratic nomination.

From WHO's Dave Price in Iowa
Don't get your panties in a wad, but Gov. Chet Culver is not a big fan of bringing Britney Spears to town. Local organizers (including Blank Park Zoo head honcho Terry Rich) are trying to put together a Kennedy Center Honors-type show filmed in the metro to kick off next year's caucuses.

Rich floated Britney's name a few months ago as a possibility to headline the event that would be taped about a month before the Caucuses and then aired nationwide the night before the Caucuses begin. National press wasn't all that kind to the idea of bringing in the pantiless pop star.

Gov. Culver told me he does like the idea of a national show. He thinks it adds to the excitement of the event, could hopefully get more people involved and could show off Iowa to a national audience at a time when other states are really working to steal the state's first-in-the-nation honor of starting the prez picking process.

But the Gov says he'd like organizers to focus their efforts on Iowa talent. He mentioned Superman (Brandon Routh, the man who's now playing him in the movies, is a Norwalk native) as a possibility. What about Tom Arnold? He's a friend of the Gov. Terry Rich says he hopes to know more about who's in, if there's an event at all, by June or July.

But the Gov says he'd like organizers to focus their efforts on Iowa talent. He mentioned Superman (Brandon Routh, the man who's now playing him in the movies, is a Norwalk native) as a possibility. What about Tom Arnold? He's a friend of the Gov. Terry Rich says he hopes to know more about who's in, if there's an event at all, by June or July.

 

From Elizabeth Wilner and Mark Murray.
This weekend brings an exceptional series of events in the presidential race, with Barack Obama giving his announcement speech and Hillary Clinton making her first foray to New Hampshire as a candidate.  But the crowds and attention certain to be drawn by these two reinforces that all the energy at this early stage of the race is with the Democrats, and that the Republican field is failing to enthuse the party base, inspire the press, or -- with the exception of Rudy Giuliani -- capture the public's imagination.

Conservatives lack a favorite among the party's top tier of candidates.  The media's love affair with John McCain's underdog, shoestring effort of 2000 dissipated as the 2008 version grew into McCain, Inc.  The press corps is also skeptical of Giuliani's ability to go the distance and win the nomination.  Former Gov. Mitt Romney is too little known.  And overall, the party is still contending with the cold front of public opinion that froze them out of the majority last November and continues today because of President Bush's unpopular policies on Iraq.  All three of the top candidates support a US troop increase. 

The weekend's main event on the GOP side is Giuliani's address to the California GOP convention tomorrow. 

Symbolism plays a central role in any presidential announcement.  John Kerry officially declared his candidacy in front of an aircraft carrier in 2003, a reminder of his military background.  Joe Lieberman did it from his old high school in Stamford, CT with a later trip for a "cup of joe with Joe" to emphasize his folksy charm.  And in this current campaign, John Edwards made his in New Orleans, an obvious nod to his crusade against poverty. 

Yet the symbolism of Obama's announcement tomorrow from the historic Old State Capitol in Springfield, IL appears to address at least three different themes Obama wants to get across -- his call for national unity, his experience (or lack thereof), and his race.

Springfield's Old State Capitol is where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous 1858 "House Divided" speech, in which he railed against slavery and how it had torn the nation into two.  ("A house divided against itself cannot stand.")  Lincoln's appeal for unity in that speech dovetails with one of Obama's key messages: that he's someone who can transcend the current partisan divide.  "Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions," he said in his online announcement of his exploratory committee last month.  "We have to change our politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans."

The reference to Lincoln addresses another theme for Obama: the charge that he's too inexperienced to be president.  Like Obama, Lincoln spent eight years in the Illinois legislature.  Also like Obama, Lincoln served just two full years in Congress before running for president.  (You could argue, though, that the world today is much different than it was nearly 150 years ago.)  Of course, the invocation of the president who freed the slaves in the South is a not-too-subtle reminder that Obama could become the nation's first African-American president. 

However, Obama and his staff might not have thought of this: Lincoln gave that 1858 speech after being selected as the Republican nominee to run for the Senate against Democrat Stephen Douglas, and Lincoln actually lost that race.  He defeated Douglas (and others) in the presidential election two years later.

The other contender making a debut of sorts is Clinton, who takes her first tour of New Hampshire as a presidential candidate this weekend.  Watching Clinton's campaign "try to go from nascent to juggernaut in under three weeks has top Republican operatives smiling in recognition and even admiration," one of us writes on MSNBC.com.  "Her effort is ever more reminiscent of a recent national candidate with a famous name who benefited from a well-tended aura of inevitability, record-shattering fundraising, and a disciplined staff who were aggressive in dealing with the press." 

 

Now that the debate over non-binding resolutions in opposition to/support of a troop increase in Iraq has shifted to the House, the media is once again anticipating the White House's "most significant confrontation with Congress so far over its handling of the Iraq war," as the Financial Times puts it.  House Democrats' version of the non-binding resolution "would oppose the escalation of the war but express support for funding the troops already on the ground." 

"Democrats will allow Republicans to offer alternative language, and House GOP leaders said they are considering two possible approaches," says the Washington Post.  "One is a resolution declaring that Congress will not cut off funding for U.S. troops.  The other would establish a bipartisan panel to monitor Bush's new strategy in Iraq, including the troop increase.  It would also offer benchmarks for Iraqis to meet, to show they are fulfilling their commitments to assuming greater responsibility for the war." 

Roll Call notes that "the White House on Thursday waged a PR offensive of its own.  Bush administration officials invited a bipartisan, bicameral group of House and Senate leadership communications officials to join in on 'an unclassified briefing' from Baghdad on Monday morning.  The video teleconference is being billed as the first of what the administration says will be regular sessions with leadership aides." 

"To the surprise of the Bush administration, the House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously Wednesday night to allow all 435 House members to see the classified version of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq sent to the White House last week," The Politico reports.  "The document will provide fuel for" the House debate.  "The White House was not informed or consulted about the decision.  Such access for members is rare but not unprecedented." 

"Senate Republicans yesterday contradicted top Pentagon officials who say Congress would not injure troop morale by passing" the non-binding resolution opposing a troop increase, per the Washington Times. 

 

Congressional leaders never seem to learn that PR flaps happen because of appearances and that arguments based on process often fall on deaf public ears.  Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell made his party look obstructionist the other day when he had his ranks vote to effectively stall debate over a US troop increase in Iraq.  Now Speaker Nancy Pelosi is struggling to get ahead of the fiasco over what size plane the military will supply for her to travel to and from San Francisco. 

Republicans were quick to seize upon the request for a larger plane than former Speaker Dennis Hastert used, charging without basis that she wanted to fly her supporters around and host parties on board, casting it as a sign of Democratic arrogance.  Pelosi's office was slow to note that they themselves had not actually requested the larger plane, but that the House Sergeant-at-Arms, a Republican appointee and former Secret Service agent, had recommended it.  Bill Livingood issued a statement yesterday afternoon affirming that he had requested for Pelosi "an aircraft that is capable of making non-stop flights for security purposes, unless such an aircraft is unavailable." 

In a move that looks a bit like retaliation, Rep. John Murtha (D) announced that his defense appropriations subcommittee would start looking into the use of military planes by the executive branch and other members of Congress.

The San Francisco Chronicle says Washington "saw an unusual tag team in action" yesterday when White House press secretary Tony Snow supported Pelosi in the flap over her plane, calling it a "silly story." 

The Los Angeles Times: "On Thursday, Pelosi's office struggled to put to rest a matter that had ballooned into headline news, while GOP opponents gleefully maneuvered to squeeze out another day of portraying her as an entitled Presidio princess." 

The New York Times writes that the dispute "illustrates that politicians are acutely aware that a jet-setting image can be dangerous, particularly given the travails of modern travel for average Americans.  President Bill Clinton spent a long time living down the tale of his haircut on Air Force One as flights were delayed at Los Angeles International Airport…  The image of Newt Gingrich complaining about his forced rear-exit departure from Air Force One earned him a reputation as a petulant pol.  And John H. Sununu, a former White House chief of staff, was ridiculed for using government jets to visit the dentist and the ski slopes." 

 

In his latest National Journal column, NBC political analyst Charlie Cook wonders whether Obama will become one of a small handful of possible alternatives to Clinton, battling with former Sen. John Edwards and perhaps others for that title, or whether Obama will break the race open somehow.

Obama tells USA Today in an interview that "the brevity of his political résumé is his 'greatest strength.'" 

At his book party last night, Clinton campaign chair Terry McAuliffe was asked about Clinton's decision to reject federal matching funds -- and thus spending and fundraising limits -- for both the primaries and general election.  NBC's Lauren Appelbaum and Andrew Merten report that McAuliffe replied that it's wrong for candidates to take taxpayer money: "We shouldn't take taxes to run our campaign," he said.  "We can raise our own money and run our own campaign."  McAuliffe also said he's proud of Clinton for being the first candidate to opt out of the public financing system, because she's a leader.

The New York Daily News notes that Clinton was just one of four Democrats and 10 Republicans to oppose Casey's overwhelming confirmation to head the US Army.  "The 'no' vote… distinguishes her from three of her Democratic White House competitors who have positioned themselves as stronger anti-war candidates but backed Casey - Sens. Joe Biden (Del.), Barack Obama (Ill.) and Chris Dodd (Conn.)." 

Edwards is declining to fire two campaign bloggers who posted comments criticizing the Catholic Church.  "Edwards has never met the two bloggers, and his first conversation with them was when he called to discuss the uproar," the AP reports.  "He told reporters in South Carolina: 'It will not happen again.  That you can be sure of.'" 

While Edwards was in South Carolina yesterday, The State asked him about criticism of his 24,000-square-foot estate in Chapel Hill, NC.  "Edwards said growing up in modest means as the son of a mill worker made him want to do more for his family.  A wealthy trial lawyer, Edwards said he is able to do more for his children.  'You don't want your kids' lives to be like yours.  You don't want it to be as hard.'" 

At the Center for Strategic and International Studies yesterday, Gov. Bill Richardson kicked off a foreign policy speech by criticizing what he charged is the Bush Administration's dogmatic approach to international affairs, which he said has squandered America's military power, depleted its financial resources, emboldened its enemies, and isolated its friends.  Playing off of Bush's memorable "axis of evil" line, Richardson called for "an axis of reason" to confront urgent global problems. 

The Denver Post's new "Washington and the West" blog notes that a "half dozen foreign countries had their ambassadors at CSIS to hear Richardson speak." 

By now, we've gotten used to presidential candidates speaking a little Spanish on the campaign trail -- and embarrassing themselves in the process.  That won't be the case for Richardson, who would become the nation's first Hispanic president.  Richardson held an impromptu press conference after giving his speech yesterday.  Proving to be more aggressive than their English-speaking peers, Spanish-language reporters asked nearly all of the questions during this session, and Richardson replied with long answers in fluent Spanish.

Former Gov. Tom Vilsack hosts a conference call for reporters today to talk about "the early strength of his Iowa field operation," per the campaign press release.

The Chicago Tribune looks at the Democratic candidates' courting of the party's biggest donors and bundlers.  "With a change in campaign finance laws eliminating huge donations and capping checks at $2,300 a pop, proven money-raisers with large networks of friends and business contacts are in great demand as the top candidates try to raise from $50 million to $100 million." 

 

The Hill points out that McCain's vote against Gen. George Casey's nomination to become Army chief of staff "is a departure from a policy he outlined two years ago on the president's prerogative to appoint advisers," and that critics "view McCain's vote as an effort to distance himself from President Bush's Iraq war policy while he lays the groundwork for his own presidential campaign."  Still, "a McCain spokeswoman said that his earlier statement should not be taken out of context.  She said it referred to filibusters of presidential appointments, not final confirmation votes." 

The Wall Street Journal notes that during his fundraising tour of California, "Giuliani will huddle with [Gov. Arnold] Schwarzenegger, whose success as a Republican maverick offers a model for the former New York City mayor. Schwarzenegger has highlighted health and environmental issues."

Romney is heading to South Carolina before New Hampshire after he announces his candidacy next week.  Romney's campaign says it's because of logistics "and the state party chief in New Hampshire said he is not concerned." 

Sen. Sam Brownback wants to give Romney a run for his money in Michigan and heads there this weekend to speak at the state party convention in Grand Rapids.

The Washington Times takes its turn reporting on how conservatives are dissatisfied with their choices among the frontrunners for the GOP nomination. 

The Manchester Union Leader has New Hampshire party leaders crowing that efforts by larger states to move up their primaries will only make the New Hampshire contests more critical.  "'Everything like this that happens is just making New Hampshire more important,' Democratic Chairman Kathy Sullivan said yesterday.  'The more states that move up, the more important we become and, ironically, the less important they become because there will be so many of them.'" 

The Hill points out that campaign ads will start running earlier than ever, perhaps especially in the big states where retail politicking is impossible and where primaries are held earlier than ever. 

The Washington Post notes that "[w]ith neither a president seeking reelection nor a vice president positioned as the heir presumptive, the Bush team will increasingly turn into a spectator in the nation's political debate."  Although this means that "the contest will spare the White House the trials of a campaign,… at the same time, it means that no one will be making the case for the Bush legacy as 2008 nears."  Also: "With no campaign at stake, Cheney's influence within the White House, though still potent, has clearly diminished." 

The AP interviews one of the US attorneys fired by the Bush Administration, who said "his resignation was ordered… without explanation seven months after he received a favorable job evaluation.  "'I was ordered to resign as U.S. attorney on Dec. 7 by the Justice Department,' [John] McKay said Wednesday… 'I was given no explanation.  I certainly was told of no performance issues.'"  More: "His comments came one day after Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty acknowledged to the Senate Judiciary Committee that the Justice Department had fired seven U.S. attorneys in the West in the past year, most of them for 'performance-related' reasons he would not divulge." 

House Energy and Commerce chair John Dingell tells Bloomberg in an interview that he will start work on global warming legislation next week while striving to preserve auto industry jobs in his home state of Michigan," and that "[e]verything from requiring service stations to have pumps for E-85, an ethanol based fuel, to scrapping fuel economy standards in favor of measuring vehicle carbon emissions will be considered." 

"Powerful House Democrats are pressing the Bush administration to persuade Tokyo to strengthen the yen, claiming the currency's weakness is bolstering Japanese imports at the expense of US manufacturers," says the Financial Times.  "The Democrats want Mr Paulson to distance himself from Tokyo at the Group of Seven finance ministers meeting starting in Germany today.  But he is likely to resist pressure from Congress and European leaders to single out Japan." 

From NBC's Mark Murray
In a speech this morning at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in DC, Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson laid out his foreign policy vision, calling for a "new realism" to restore America's leadership in the world. He began by criticizing what he said is the Bush Administration's dogmatic approach to international affairs -- which he said has squandered America's military power, depleted its financial resources, emboldened its enemies, and isolated its friends. "So America needs to take a different path… We must work with our friends, our enemies, and everyone in between." Playing off of Bush's memorable "axis of evil" line, Richardson also called for "an axis of reason" to confront urgent global problems.

Demonstrating the breadth of his foreign policy experience -- as a former UN ambassador, international negotiator, and Energy Secretary -- Richardson identified six global trends the US currently confronts: 1) fanatical jihadism; 2) nonstate- and state-sponsored terrorist enterprises; 3) Asia's economic and military power; 4) Russia's re-emergence; 5) global economic interdependence; and 6) world health and environmental problems.

And Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, ticked off six steps to deal with these trends: 1) repair America's alliances; 2) renew America's commitment to international law (like the Geneva conventions); 3) make the US a leader in the effort to reduce greenhouse gases (by joining the Kyoto Protocol and cutting fossil fuel consumption); 4) engage enemies like Iran, North Korea, and Syria, as well as Russia and China); 5) focus on America's real security issues, which he said don't include Iraq; and 6) pay attention to Latin America (to deal with the problems of drugs and illegal immigration).

During the Q&A, in a response to a question about his plans regarding Iraq, Richardson said that the US needs to "get out" this calendar year -- but he wants to couple that with diplomacy (to deal with the thorny issues of oil revenues and the Shia-Sunni conflict) and convening a regional conference (that would include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, and NATO nations).

From Elizabeth Wilner, Mark Murray, and Huma Zaidi
The political terrain on Iraq grows even less favorable for the White House and their congressional allies as intraparty opposition to a troop increase flares up again in the Senate and House Democrats weigh how to use the military spending request to curb Administration war policy.  President Bush seeks a boost from a visit to the Department of Homeland Security, where he'll get a briefing on "priorities and efforts to guard against the threat of terrorism and keep America safe," per a White House e-mail.

House Democratic leaders say they'll use the power of purse to "change the direction of the war" and possibly close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, NBC's Mike Viqueira reports.  At a press conference yesterday, Rep. John Murtha said his defense appropriations panel will pass a version of Bush's $100 billion war spending request for this year on March 15.  Since March 15 comes well before May, when the last brigades will be deployed as part of the increase, Murtha says that would leave time for Congress to act.  He also said he may use the war spending measure to close Guantanamo: "I would like to close it."  Speaker Nancy Pelosi also called the forthcoming House Democratic resolution opposing a troop increase in Iraq "a first step."    

And one day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared that "negotiations are over" regarding the non-binding resolution against Bush's troop increase, chief sponsor John Warner (R) breathed a little life back into them.  In a speech yesterday, Warner argued that debate on his measure and others "urgently" deserves votes.  Per NBC's Ken Strickland, Warner called the current stalemate "unacceptable" and advised Senate leaders that he will try to attach his resolution to bills coming before the Senate.  Reading from a letter he sent to Senate leadership, Warner said he would also "explore all of our options under the Senate procedure and practices to ensure a full and open debate on the Senate floor."  That, Strickland says, could be interpreted as a threat to dramatically slow down or tie up normal Senate procedures. 

The letter appears to contradict actions that Warner took earlier this week when he voted along with most of his GOP colleagues to block the debate -- and vote -- from going forward.  But in his letter, he said that vote "should not be interpreted as any lessening of our resolve to go forward." 

Reid spokesman Jim Manley said Warner and his co-sponsors had their "chance to vote for their own resolution," but only Collins and Coleman chose to do so.  Manley added, "Hopefully this letter signifies that the others have had a change of heart, and will be willing to vote for their own resolution in the future."

And is it a book party, or is it a fundraiser?  Sen. Hillary Clinton hosts a party in Washington for author and former Democratic National Committee chair turned Clinton campaign chair Terry McAuliffe.  The party caps off a series of Clinton gatherings of big donors/bundlers, many of whom will be on hand tonight.  It also comes on the heels of a recent comment on immigration which McAuliffe made to a radio station and with which many in his party probably don't agree: "We've got to shut these borders down," he said in response to a caller railing about the issue.  "I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican, we all agree you've gotta shut the borders down.  People who are coming into this nation taking our jobs."  McAuliffe later issued a statement to a Latino blog that his comments don't reflect Clinton's positions and that he supports comprehensive immigration reform.

(We're reminded of another McAuliffe gaffe that landed a presidential contender in hot water.  In 2004, he accused Bush of going AWOL during his time in the Air National Guard.  While McAuliffe stood by his allegation, Sen. John Kerry (D) was quick to distance himself and asked the DNC and his supporters to stop making such accusations.)

McAuliffe's immigration comment probably won't even amount to a footnote in the history of the 2008 campaign.  But it's another reminder that while Clinton owes much of her present frontrunner status to her associations, her husband and his friends like McAuliffe chief among them, that these very people have the potential to make this a bumpy ride for her. 

"The Defense Department's top civilian and its top military officer, undercutting the White House and other senior Republicans yesterday, said Congress doesn't endanger troop morale by voting on nonbinding resolutions opposing President Bush's Iraq reinforcement plan," the Washington Times says.  "The two men's comments are in stark contrast to arguments made by Republicans, including the president's spokesman, Tony Snow, that a debate on resolutions could have an effect on the troops." 

Bush's proposed war budget is prompting questions from the Congressional Budget Office and analysts over how much money Bush is requesting for the war and how much for future projects that could have no effect on troops and soldiers in the field now.  The Boston Globe says "independent budget analysts expressed concern that the Pentagon is seeking extra dollars for non-Iraq-specific projects that have either spiraled in cost or are facing constraints in the regular defense budget."

The New York Times reports that "House Democrats will meet behind closed doors Thursday in an attempt to agree on language of the Iraq resolution to be debated next week.  While many Democrats want to push legislation aimed at blocking financing for the war, a plan that has emerged among the leadership is simply to have representatives cast a vote to support or reject the president's plan." 

USA Today raises the question of "how broad a bipartisan majority the resolution will attract…  Democrats have differences of opinion, too.  On Tuesday night, senior House Democrats were huddling in an attempt to come up with wording measured enough to attract" more than a handful of Republicans, "but also tough enough to satisfy Democrats who want to issue more than a symbolic protest."  

Columnist Robert Novak says flatly that Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell prevented "passage of an anti-surge resolution at the cost of making his party look obstructionist."  Novak writes that "McConnell's maiden voyage as party floor leader showed that he may be too much into process," but also that "Reid overreached while trying to control the action.  The developments also showed less than full control of his own Democratic caucus."  

"…[A]s the politics heat up over the Iraq war, Democratic leaders increasingly are being drawn to" VoteVets.org, which appears to be "the most active group trying to influence the debate about the president's plan to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq," says the Washington Post.  "VoteVets.org has 20,000 members, including 1,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan...  The PAC is part of a coalition of left-leaning groups organized by Americans United for Change that includes labor unions and liberal groups such as MoveOn.org."  

Is it time for another round of stories about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's waning popularity?  Bloomberg looks at how Rice's stature has suffered along with the Administration's foreign policy efforts.  

The Financial Times reports that per a senior US official, "the administration would soon go ahead with a twice-postponed presentation of 'evidence' that would demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that Iran was arming Shia factions in Iraq and providing explosives used against US forces." 

The days-long simmering spat over the size of the Air Force jet that will carry Pelosi between Washington and San Francisco has burst into the open.  NBC's Mike Viqueira reports that the Pentagon sent Pelosi a letter last night informing her that they will offer her the same plane that was offered to her predecessor, Dennis Hastert.  This plane is said to only be capable of reaching San Francisco non-stop under optimal wind conditions.  The Speaker's office responded: "We appreciate Defense Department's continuing concern for the Speaker's security.  We are reviewing their letter."

Republicans in the House have been raising questions about what they characterize as demands by Pelosi to the military for a plane large enough to carry "supporters" and Pelosi staff non-stop cross-country.  Rep. Adam Putnam (R) yesterday called it evidence of Democratic "arrogance of office," while Rep. Roy Blunt (R) said he hears Pelosi wants a plane large enough for a sleeping chamber, or "Lincoln bedroom" aboard her "Air Force III," Viq reports.  A Pelosi aide told Viq that she has never asked for a plane or space on a plane to accommodate "supporters."  The aide called this "right-wing spin."
            
Pelosi herself blasted the White House in a press conference yesterday, saying that "the only misrepresentations are coming from the administration," and that she "has to wonder why… they are mischaracterizing a security issue."  Asked if she requested a specific aircraft, she said, "I am not involved" in the discussion with the Defense Department, and reiterated that it was about the need to get to California non-stop, Viq reports.

The Los Angeles Times previews Rudy Giuliani's imminent prospecting tour of California -- New York, New Jersey and Connecticut "account for three-fourths of the money he has raised" so far -- and covers speculation among Republicans that he could do very well in the state. 

Former Gov. Mitt Romney travels to Iowa for three stops, including a tour of the bio-renewable energy research facility at Iowa State University in Ames.  In a front-page article, the New York Times examines Romney's Mormon faith, which could alienate some of the conservative evangelical Christians he's trying to court.  "Mr. Romney's candidacy has stirred discussion about faith and the White House unlike any since [John F.] Kennedy."  The article adds that he has set up a meeting later this month in Florida with 100 ministers and religious broadcasters, and he is considering making a public address about his faith, like Kennedy did in 1960 when he was confronted with questions about being a Catholic. 

The Boston Herald says Romney has flip-flopped on yet another issue: tax cuts.  "In 2003, Romney stunned a roomful of Bay State congressmen by telling them that he would not publicly support Bush's tax cuts, which at the time formed the centerpiece of the president's domestic agenda."  But speaking to the Detroit Economic Club yesterday, Romney said renewing the cuts is "'absolutely critical.'" 

The AP today recounts Romney's evolving views on abortion. 

The Hill mentions another apparent evolution in Romney's thinking over the years which could trip him up with social conservatives.  Romney "strongly criticized campaign-finance regulations in a private meeting with House conservatives last week," but he "once touted dramatic restructuring measures such as taxing political contributions and placing spending limits on federal campaigns."  The Hill points out that many social conservatives "believe such rules place unconstitutional limits on free speech."  That said, "his condemnation of changes to campaign-finance rules struck a positive chord with the entire audience" last week. 

Contemporary Christian singer/songwriter Michael W. Smith has endorsed Sen. Sam Brownback; Smith has done campaign concerts for Bush in the past.

Iowa's Sen. Charles Grassley (R) apparently had some trouble remembering a name recently.  Per the Des Moines Register, Grassley was asked on a conference call if he'd met with any of the potential presidential candidates.  "'But I have, for instance, the week before, Huckleberry -' said Grassley, then stopped…  'Who?' asked the reporter…  Whatever…' said Grassley…  'Huckabee?' the reporter prompted…  'Huckabee.  Don't put that in your newspaper,' Grassley said." 

Former Sen. John Edwards has a town hall on his health care plan in Charleston, SC.  Per a spokesperson, he will discuss his plan's impact on the uninsured.  Edwards carried South Carolina in 2004.

Gov. Bill Richardson will lay out his "foreign policy vision" and "his detailed philosophy to confront world challenges" at a speech this morning at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in DC.  He'll probably reference his meeting yesterday with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to discuss Darfur and North Korea. 

The Hill looks at Sen. Barack Obama's efforts to set up a policy shop, and the stakes for him on that front given his legislative inexperience.  Politico's Simon, in an interview with Obama, quotes him talking about how he has given policy speeches on almost every major issue and "'the key for us, I think, is just making sure that we are getting the press to focus attention on that agenda as opposed to, you know, obsessing on how I look in my swimming trunks.'"  He also "hinted at the possibility of letting… 'net-citizens' play a role in running the campaign."   

Obama won't accept public financing for his campaign, either.  But he has "asked for guidance from the Federal Election Commission on whether he could reverse course if he wins the Democratic nomination and his Republican opponent accepts public money." 

A pair of candidate forums have been slated for August in Iowa with another four in New Hampshire between October and the New Hampshire primary.   

The Boston Globe looks at how global warming has suddenly become a popular issue in Congress.  "Since the current session began last month, lawmakers have introduced more than 10 bills addressing global warming." 

The Wall Street Journal updates House Democrats' efforts to smooth the road in the Senate for a minimum wage increase.  They're "preparing a $1 billion package of small-business tax breaks to be paired with an increase in the federal minimum wage, hoping to break a stalemate with the Senate...  In doing so, the House is likely to avoid many of the revenue increases passed by the Senate in its small-business tax package, increases that have caused heartburn for business groups and lawmakers in both parties…  Passage of a tax bill in the House would solve a major procedural issue that had been holding up progress on the minimum-wage increase." 

The Washington Post says Bush's proposal to increase funding for national parks by $258 million next year strikes critics as "a sharp turn for a president whose previous budgets did not address maintenance and staffing problems at parks across the country," and "targets one of the few domestic areas where he has called for funding significant new initiatives in his fiscal 2008 spending plan." 

The New York Times says Bush "may have found his inner Teddy Roosevelt."  But: "Most environmentalists would not say George W. Bush and Theodore Roosevelt in the same sentence, unless making an invidious comparison." 

"Senate Republican budget hawks are urging [Bush] to use an executive order or presidential signing statement to block some of their fellow lawmakers from adding earmarks or pet projects to the fiscal 2007 continuing resolution," Roll Call reports. 

House Democrats are taking up their Senate counterparts' case about the Bush Administration "firing" US attorneys.  "Democrats in both the House and Senate have raised questions about whether the Bush White House and Justice Department may be trying to derail certain sensitive investigations and replace U.S. attorneys with conservatives loyal to the White House," the Wall Street Journal says. 

The New York Times covers yesterday's testimony by, and cross-examination of NBC's Tim Russert.  "Mr. Russert, whose signature technique in interrogating officials on his television program includes confronting them with documents and texts of previous quotes, found the technique used on him." 

The New York Daily News notes that Russert's testimony was "devastating" for Libby's defense team.  

The Washington Post's Kurtz says Russert's appearance was, "at bottom, a case study in the importance of controlling the microphone.  On the air, NBC's Washington bureau chief asks the questions, frames the issues or serves up political insight.  On the witness stand, by contrast, even the cockiest pundit is by definition on the defensive.  Russert, a lawyer, measured his words and frequently answered the question he wished he had been asked rather than the query posed by Libby attorney Ted Wells." 

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
An aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that it is up to the Air Force to decide what type and size of plane will be required to ferry her back and forth to her San Francisco district. Republicans in the House have been raising questions about what they characterize as demands by Pelosi to the military for a plane large enough to carry Democratic "supporters" and Pelosi staff non-stop cross country. Rep. Adam Putnam (R), for one, says its evidence of "arrogance of office," while House Minority Whip Roy Blunt says that he hears she wants a plane large enough for a sleeping chamber, or "Lincoln bedroom" aboard her "Air Force III."
               
But here is what we know for a fact:
-- After September 11, Pelosi's predecessor, Dennis Hastert, was afforded the use of an Air Force passenger plane to go back and forth to his Chicago-area district. The speaker is, of course, after the vice president in the presidential line of succession.
-- At the recommendation of House Sergeant At Arms Bill Livingood -- a former Secret Service agent who was appointed to his current job by Republicans -- Pelosi has asked the Pentagon for a plane that can carry her non-stop to her home in California. Such a plane would probably end up being larger than the one used by Hastert.
-- The C-32, a modified 757, is one type of plane that would fit the bill.
-- Pelosi's aide says that she has never asked for a plane or space on a plane to accommodate "supporters." The aide calls this "right wing spin."

In a statement, Livingood said, "In December 2006, I advised Speaker Pelosi that the US Air Force had made an airplane available to Speaker Hastert for security and communications purposes following September 11, 2001. I told Speaker Pelosi that Speaker Hastert used the Air Force plane for travel to and from his district, however, I was uncertain of the rules and guidelines governing use of the plane. I offered to call the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense to seek clarification of the guidelines."

More: Subsequently, several members of the Speaker's staff and members of the Office of the Sergeant at Arms met with representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the U.S. Air Force liaison office to discuss the rules and guidelines which governed Speaker Hastert's use of a plane. Several questions were posed to the Air Force and we are awaiting a response."

From Elizabeth Wilner, Mark Murray, and Huma Zaidi.
President Bush heads to Virginia for the second day in a row, this time venturing into Shenandoah National Park.  His back-to-back visits to the state may simply have to do with its proximity to Washington.  But since Bush has shown no compunction about traveling halfway across the country on a day trip in the past, the repeat stops may have as much to do with boosting his standing in Virginia as with the snowy backdrop of Skyline Drive.  Bush has lost a lot of ground on Iraq in this once trusty red state, first by the replacement of war supporter George Allen (R) with war critic Jim Webb (D), and more recently through GOP Sen. John Warner's prominent defection on a troop increase in Iraq.

If the Senate is at the back of Bush's mind today, it also takes a back seat, at least temporarily, in the debate over Bush's planned troop increase.  Having taken an issue of great concern for the public and politicized it so much as to reduce it to a hollow procedural argument, the Senate yields the debate to the House.  Democrats there, more firmly in control of their legislative agenda, are drafting a resolution opposing a troop increase and will bring it up for as much as three days' consideration next week.  The House GOP leadership is expected to draft a resolution supporting the plan.

This will land the House back in the spotlight for the first time since Democrats completed their agenda for their first 100 hours in the majority, before Bush's State of the Union address.  Meanwhile, the Senate shifts its focus to a must-pass government funding bill that expires next week.  A series of new TV ads launched by liberal MoveOn will aim to keep certain senators on the hot seat; the ads target Warner, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, presidential candidate and Sen. Sam Brownback (R) and others "for filibustering" the resolution.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yesterday declared that "negotiations are over" in the effort to agree with his Republican counterparts on terms for the highly anticipated debate over a troop increase.  Per NBC's Ken Strickland, this means that there won't be a vote on Warner's non-binding resolution opposing an increase for at least a couple of weeks.  Republicans would have to make significant concessions for a vote to occur.

As Reid declared an end to negotiations, Senate Democrats announced they'll hold a press conference today at which they'll call on Republicans to stop blocking debate on the Warner resolution.  Then, after Reid made his announcement, GOP leader Mitch McConnell made another effort to reach an agreement with him. 

Instead of asking for a vote on two resolutions that support the Bush plan, in addition to a vote on Warner's, McConnell asked for a vote on just one measure offered by Sen. Judd Gregg (R) which says Congress will not call for "the elimination or reduction of funds for troops in the field."  But Reid wants the debate to be narrowly focused on the actual troop increase, and called the funding measure a "diversion," Strickland says. 

Republican leaders maintain that if senators disagree with the troop increase, a funding resolution must be part of the debate.  They also say that Reid is reluctant to have a vote on the Gregg resolution because it would show divisions within Democratic ranks, and also could get more votes than the Warner measure.  "That's probably the real essence of why Senator Reid doesn't want a vote on it," he said.

And former Gov. Mitt Romney (R) gives what his campaign is billing as a "major policy speech" at the Detroit Economic Club today.  A Romney aide tells First Read that he'll talk about his economic vision and offer some specifics.  "He will look at five of the factors that accelerate growth" and "assure economic leadership: skilled, educated, motivated people; free trade, on the level; capital & savings; innovation & technology; and consumer freedom."  Romney also will call for Congress to make Bush's tax cuts permanent and will talk about the challenges facing the auto industry. 

This will mark Romney's third and highest-profile policy speech, following lesser noticed remarks on Iran and the Middle East; he has yet to make formal remarks addressing any of the social issues that occasionally trip up his fledgling candidacy.  Romney plans to return to Michigan to announce his candidacy for president on February 13.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday that he expects the plan involving a US troop increase in Iraq to "take months, not 18 months to two years," and predicted that if the plan succeeds, troops could start withdrawing by the end of 2007, NBC's Scott Foster reports.  Gates made these remarks yesterday while testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee about the Pentagon's $625 billion budget request, which includes $142 billion for war costs for fiscal year 2008.  Gates also said the so-called "surge" strategy "is not the last chance," and that he would be "irresponsible" if he didn't consider possible alternatives in case the plan fails.  One of those possible options, he indicated, would be to reposition US troops in Iraq "out of harm's way as much as possible and then see where we go from there."

The Los Angeles Times says the shift from the Senate to the House in the debate over the troop increase "may further isolate the White House and its Senate allies." 

A New York Times analysis notes that Senate Republicans spent yesterday trying to counter the perception that they obstructed the debate.  "It was a label they had successfully hung on Democrats for years, and they did not appreciate the role reversal." 

The Washington Post profiles Gen. David Petraeus as the Administration's new front man for the increase.  "At a time when the president and most of his top surrogates have lost credibility even among many Republicans in Congress, the administration has turned to the chiseled, widely respected Petraeus to win the day."  The story also notes, "Bush strategists have been surprised by how quickly the politics of the war have shifted... and they have been grappling for a strategy to contain the political damage.  The White House privately believes that a statement of opposition by Congress may be inevitable." 

The Post's Milbank observes how former Coalition Provisional Authority chief Paul Bremer deftly fended off House Democrats' inquiries and criticisms yesterday during their first hearing on the awarding of Iraq reconstruction contracts. 

Pegged to that hearing, the Wall Street Journal says Bush's request for more spending on Iraq reconstruction could get hung up by "questions about why the Iraqi government has so much unspent money on hand...  The large number of pending corruption investigations by an Iraqi commission established by Mr. Bremer is believed to be deterring government ministries from spending additional money." 

Four top Republican members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs are sending a letter today "calling on the Pentagon and State Department to dramatically change their tactics in that country to better contain its growing insurgency and flow of opium to the rest of the world," says the Los Angeles Times. 

The Financial Times focuses on the lofty foreign policy goals laid out in Bush's budget, which include "the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons programme and the start of comprehensive multilateral negotiations with Iran." 

 

Bloomberg previews Romney's speech today by noting how Romney "initially cast himself as a traditional-values Republican," but is now "styling himself as the heir to President Ronald Reagan's legacy of tax cuts...  He is weighing a cut in the top individual tax rate from the current 35 percent; a reduction in the corporate income tax; and deep cuts in automatic-benefit programs such as Medicare and Social Security." 

Following his announcement speech in Michigan on February 13, Romney will visit Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire over a three-day period before returning to Boston.  "Romney's decision to hold the campaign kickoff event in Michigan sends a clear signal of how important he believes his native state will be to his 2008 efforts." 

The Detroit Free Press notes that "Romney had just 8% of the support among people who expect to vote in next year's Republican presidential primary, according to a recent The Detroit Free Press-Local 4 Michigan Poll." 

Rudy Giuliani has gained ground on Sen. John McCain in a new poll of New Hampshire Republicans.  "McCain was favored by 28 percent and Giuliani 27 in the CNN/WMUR poll of likely primary voters that was conducted until Monday - before Giuliani announced he was in the race.  Last September, McCain led Giuliani, 32-19." 

The New York Times points out that despite filing his statement of candidacy, Giuliani remains an undeclared candidate.  "A few skeptics have wondered whether Mr. Giuliani, who has been crisscrossing the country over the last few months and signaled his interest in the presidency again and again, may ultimately back out - as he did in 2000, when he contemplated a race for the Senate but withdrew."  

If he does get in, however, the New York Daily News writes that the pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay rights Giuliani could benefit from efforts by California, Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey to move up their primaries. 

He has been invited to give the commencement address to the Citadel's graduating class on May 5. 

The Chicago Tribune notes that Giuliani's speaking fees -- and lavish travel -- could receive scrutiny if he officially gets into the race.  "He commands $100,000 for a speech, not including expenses...  In one speech last year at Oklahoma State University, Giuliani requested and received travel on a private Gulfstream jet that cost the school $47,000 to operate.  His visit essentially wiped out the student speakers annual fund." 

 

Sen. Barack Obama gave more from his PAC to 2006 candidates than any other presidential contender, but Sen. Hillary Clinton raised more than $15 million for candidates by headlining fundraisers for them, The Hill reports, adding that former Sen. John Edwards didn't give PAC contributions to any candidates last year. 

Clinton is in the midst of her first series of Bush Pioneer-like (but bigger) fundraisers.  "Clinton insiders said the senator hopes to demonstrate her preeminence in the growing field of Democratic contenders by raising $10 million or more in the first quarter and at least $60 million this year.  Both of those numbers, if attained, would represent a record-breaking take for a presidential contest.  The gathering last night was the first major step in collecting those totals," the Washington Post notes. 

The Wall Street Journal focuses on the power of strong early fundraising to drive lesser-funded candidates from the field. 

Politico reports, 11 months before the Iowa caucuses, that a second President Clinton "is increasingly seen by veteran Republican politicians and strategists as virtual inevitability...  For now, these Republicans say the party needs good luck, including a change of fortune in Iraq, and a revival of organization and leadership in the conservative movement to avert another Clinton presidency...  Conservatives are slowly starting to organize against Clinton, but the effort lacks the vitality and vitriol of the attacks on former first lady in the 1990s." 

That WMUR poll also shows Clinton leading the Democratic pack with 35% to Obama's 21% and Edwards' 18%. 

While Clinton continues to lead the Democratic pack in national polls, her support among the netroots isn't as strong.  Per an online straw poll on the liberal Daily Kos site, Edwards leads with 26% of the vote, followed by Obama at 25%.  Clinton?  She gets just 4%. 

Critics have charged two Edwards bloggers with writing anti-Catholic posts, the New York Times says.  "Mr. Edwards's spokeswoman, Jennifer Palmieri, said Tuesday night that the campaign was weighing the fate of the two bloggers."  One of the bloggers wrote "in December that the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to the use of contraception forced women "to bear more tithing Catholics."  In another posting last year, she used vulgar language to describe the church doctrine of the Immaculate Conception." 

In an interview with Politico, Edwards' former media consultant, who is now Obama's media consultant, calls Edwards' claims of being consultant-less "'a bit studied in its unstudiedness.'" 

Senate Banking Committee chair Chris Dodd, although he has yet to break through to the public, has broken through in fundraising among financial services firms, not only because they have business before his committee but because many of their employees live in Connecticut. 

At last night's Washington Press Club Foundation Congressional Dinner, NBC's Lauren Appelbaum reports that the presidential race was a hot topic of conversation for two of the featured guests, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D) and House Minority Leader John Boehner.  Kennedy recounted a story of how a friend read his speech the night before and asked him why he wasn't making a joke about Clinton.  Kennedy responded, "As long as she's 30 points ahead, I'm not saying a thing."  About his good friend Dodd, Kennedy joked he "doesn't have any skeletons in his closets.  He keeps them in three storage closets in New Haven."