The AP's Pickler tees up tonight's debate by focusing on the expectations game. "Here's how it's played: Before a debate, rival campaigns build up the skills of their opponents while downgrading their own candidate's verbal abilities. That way, any bright moments make a performance seem like a home run… 'I've just got to make sure I don't trip walking on the stage," joked Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, who complained that the candidates get no opening or closing statements and that responses to questions are limited to 60 seconds.'"

More: "Illinois Sen. Barack Obama cracked, 'It takes me 60 seconds to clear my throat.'"

But the Chicago Sun-Times isn't buying the lower expectations for Obama. "Obama joked that he was going to be 'winging it,' suggesting he was barely preparing for the first presidential debate of the 2008 primary season… But he has been wedging practice and study sessions into his schedule for days to prepare for tonight's debate… He has prepped at the Washington office of Bob Bauer, his campaign lawyer and held at least one other session. He expanded his tight inner circle for the debate to include issue experts plus kitchen-cabinet member Anita Dunn, a Democratic consultant, and Cook County Board member Forrest Claypool, a close friend of chief Obama strategist David Axelrod." 
 
The State has experts saying that tonight's debate format will make it difficult for anyone outside the top-tier of candidates to break through. "There will be eight candidates on the stage at 7 p.m. facing 90 minutes of questions from NBC News anchor Brian Williams. There are no opening and closing statements. At most, there will be time for about 12 questions, if each candidate is given one minute to respond to each question."

The State also reports that national and state Republicans "will spend the day telling South Carolinians and the country at large why the party believes 'Democrats are wrong.' According to a copy of a Republican National Committee plan to be released today, the GOP will launch a major media offensive to counter the Democratic message coming from Orangeburg. The plan … includes talking points and research on why the top Democratic candidates are 'wrong on the economy for South Carolina,' as well as wrong on the war in Iraq and wrong on South Carolina values."

A possible question tonight? The SEIU -- perhaps one of the few unions that could be influential in the Democratic primary -- called on all the Democratic candidates to release a health-care plan by Aug. 1. From its release: "SEIU will evaluate the plans based on how many people they cover, the cost, and whether they meet basic principles such as ensuring a choice of doctors and providing for preventive care."  There was no "or else" mentioned in the release, but we have to assume -- no health care plan, no Andy Stern endorsement consideration.

 

The New York Times: "Only hours after Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander in Iraq, told lawmakers he needed more time to gauge the effectiveness of a troop buildup there, the House voted 218 to 208 to pass a measure that sought the removal of most combat forces by next spring. Mr. Bush has said unequivocally and repeatedly that he will veto it… On the final vote, 216 Democrats and 2 Republicans supported the bill; 195 Republicans and 13 Democrats opposed it."

The AP: "Passage puts the bill on track to clear Congress by week's end and arrive on the president's desk in coming days as the first binding congressional challenge to Bush's handling of the conflict now in its fifth year."

As one of us writes on MSNBC.com: "As the Democrat-controlled Congress and the White House clash over an Iraq spending bill, with President Bush vowing to veto it because it contains withdrawal deadlines, the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that a solid majority of Americans side with the Democrats… 'They don't see the surge working,' says Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart… Instead, they are saying 'we need to get out.'"

But GOP pollster Neil Newhouse adds: "'The Democrats risk overplaying the Iraq issue by tying the president's hands on funding. Yes, Americans want Congress to put pressure on the president for a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq, but that doesn't mean they want Congress to sidestep the president and do it on their own.'"

Joe Lieberman has an op-ed in the Washington Post defending his Iraq position. He'll be one of the few Democrats siding with the GOP in today's Senate Iraq vote.

As the Republicans have been turning up the heat on Harry Reid and trying to turn his "war is lost" comments as a negative for some incumbent senators up in 2008, the DSCC does a turn on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who also happens to be up for re-election in 2008. On the eve of the Senate vote, the campaign committee released a Kentucky poll claiming that by a "more than two to one margin, Kentucky voters favor the Democratic plan to end the war in Iraq by redeploying U.S. troops within a year… By a plurality of 39 percent to 34 percent, they say that Senate Majority leader [sic] Mitch McConnell does not represent their views on Iraq, and they say that McConnell votes too often with President Bush by a 61 percent to 24 percent majority. Kentuckians also overwhelmingly oppose Bush's escalation of the war." (By the way, you read that quote correctly, the DSCC actually referred to McConnell as majority leader. Shhh… don't tell Harry Reid.)

Speaking of Senate leaders, the Washington Post's Broder unloads on Reid, calling him the Democrats' Gonzales. "It has been impossible for his own members, let alone the White House, to sort out for more than 24 hours at a time what ground Reid is prepared to defend… The Democrats deserve better, and the country needs more, than Harry Reid has offered as Senate majority leader."

Also in our NBC/WSJ poll, a majority opposes Bush's proposal to allow illegal immigrants to earn legal status. One of the biggest detractors? African Americans. More than 60% of them oppose the plan. Will this make some of the Democratic presidential candidates re-think their support for comprehensive immigration reform, particularly when campaigning in a state like South Carolina?

CLINTON: NBC's Lauren Appelbaum says the New York senator was warmly received at yesterday's National Jewish Democratic Council Convention -- hardly surprising given her and her husband's good relationships with the organization. After giving her typical stump speech, Clinton addressed the Supreme Court's partial-birth abortion ban, using it as a segway to show her views on freedom of religion in addition to the freedom to choose. "If the court is willing to undermine an established precedent when it comes to a woman's right to choose, what are they going to do when they turn their attention to religious liberty, or the separation of church and state?" She continued, "Once we allow state-sponsored religion in our public places, then at best, we make those who are not religious feel like they are interlopers and at worst, we begin a slippery slide that will undermined basic rights of conscience and freedom of association. No one should feel that way in our country. They should not feel excluded, disrespected or marginalized."
 
On Israel, Clinton promised the group of Jewish Democrats that she will stand by them. "Democrats have always stood with Israel." More: "We stand with Israel because it is beacon of democracy in a neighborhood that is shadowed by radicalism, extremism, despotism, and terrorism. Its very existence is a defiant rebuke to anti-Semitism."

OBAMA: The Wall Street Journal, in its write up of the new NBC/WSJ poll, leads with Obama gaining on Clinton in the Democratic horserace. "Mr. Obama 'seems to be gathering momentum as the candidate of change,' says Neil Newhouse, the Republican pollster who helps to conduct the Journal/NBC survey. At a time when Americans want a new direction on Iraq and in Washington generally, adds his Democratic counterpart Peter Hart, 'Sen. Obama comes closest to matching what voters are looking for in the broad political environment.'"

Newhouse similarly tells First Read: "[Clinton is] on the primary highway putting along at 50 [miles per hour], and Obama is in the rearview mirror going 75. She's got a very tough race ahead, and Obama's got big Mo'."

Meanwhile, the New York Times' David Brooks continues to be impressed with Obama, even if they don't share the same worldview. "Finally, more than any other major candidate, he has a tendency to see the world in post-national terms. Whereas President Bush sees the war against radical Islam as the organizing conflict of our time, Obama sees radical extremism as one problem on a checklist of many others: global poverty, nuclear proliferation, global warming. When I asked him to articulate the central doctrine of his foreign policy, he said, 'The single objective of keeping America safe is best served when people in other nations are secure and feel invested.' That's either profound or vacuous, depending on your point of view.'"

RICHARDSON: The New Mexico governor was the last candidate to address the group of Jewish Democrats during their three-day convention that ended yesterday. He spoke immediately after Clinton, and a sizeable group of both conference delegates and journalists left in between the two speeches. Richardson caught the group off guard by immediately addressing the fact, "It is hard to follow a rock star. There's a lot of commotion, and many of you depart briefly. I'm used to that." He continued, "I think this election should not be about electing who's the best rock star or who has the most resources." During a media availability after these remarks, Richardson embellished, "This is a marathon. This is ten months away. I am fine where I am. I don't want to be at the top right now. I remember a lot of front runners today where they were years ago."

BROWNBACK: "I like my position. I like my bracket." So said the Kansas senator and GOP presidential candidate at yesterday's Christian Science Monitor breakfast, reports NBC's Carrie Dann. Brownback said he's optimistic about his run despite the seeming impossibility of cracking the hard top-tier ceiling above him. "I'm the tortoise in the race," he chuckled, saying that he's hoping to step into the void left by GOP frontrunners' "clear disconnect" with conservative voters on issues like abortion and fiscal responsibility.

On Iraq, Brownback said he's in "preliminary discussions" with Democrat and oh-eight contender Joe Biden to introduce a resolution in favor of a three-way partitioning of the country. Asked about immigration reform, he accused Democrats of "letting the system languish" by shirking the responsibility of taking up the issue in earnest.

MCCAIN: USA Today writes, "Arizona Sen. John McCain returned Wednesday to the state that made him the surprise upstart of the 2000 presidential campaign, this time as a candidate faced with explaining why he's not the favorite for next year's Republican nomination."

The New York Times emphasizes McCain's thinly veiled critique of the Bush administration" yesterday. "Mr. McCain lamented the 'many mistakes' in Iraq, alluded to Hurricane Katrina and the government's failure to 'rescue the infirm from a hospital with no electricity,' criticized 'substandard care and indifference for our wounded veterans' and called for reining in what he termed wasteful federal spending over six years of Republican rule. And in an interview with Larry King taped in a conference room at a Concord hotel Wednesday afternoon, he said he thought Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzalez should resign 'out of loyalty' to President Bush.'"

The Washington Post's Kurtz asks the question that actually dogs analysts more than anything else regarding McCain: Is the media's love affair with McCain really over or should we begin to sniff out a "comeback kid" storyline soon?

The Club for Growth, no fan of McCain, decided to use the senator's announcement as an opportunity to hit him on his tax record. Said the Club in a release: "As John McCain announced his presidential candidacy for the umpteenth time today, the Club for Growth called upon John McCain to renounce his votes against the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and acknowledge the important role the tax cuts have played in stimulating the economy."

From NBC's Mark Murray
Sorry for the lack of additional posts today, but we were traveling to South Carolina for Thursday's Democratic presidential debate. But we're now back to work, and here's a story to chew on in advance of the debate...

There's one thing you can safely say about the early presidential contest: It hasn't been boring.

Much of the drama, intrigue and bickering has occurred on the Democratic side: intramural squabbling over the 2002 Iraq war authorization vote; a tiff over David Geffen's remarks about Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.; the money race between Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.; or the revelation that Elizabeth Edwards' cancer has returned.

But with the first Democratic debate set for Thursday – moderated by NBC's Brian Williams, broadcast live on MSNBC, and streamed live here on MSNBC.com – these mini-dramas have obscured an interesting fact about the Democratic contest.

The candidates actually agree on nearly all of the major issues.

Click here for more.

 

From Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
*** The Tie That Binds Them: Perhaps it's only fitting that on the very day McCain officially kicks off his White House bid in New Hampshire, the Iraq supplemental makes its way to the House floor. As we (and others) have noted before, no other presidential candidate is more tied to Bush's Iraq war than McCain -- which is ironic, because he's often been the Un-Bush (whether it was during the 2000 campaign, with the Gang of 14, or in the debate over torture). George Allen was always supposed to be the Bush-like candidate, not McCain.

*** Look at the Numbers: But in the latest NBC/WSJ poll, McCain comes out on top (although within the margin of error) when GOP voters are asked which candidate would follow Bush's policies closely. McCain receives 63%, Giuliani 62%, Fred Thompson 39%, and Romney 37%. In the horserace, Giuliani leads McCain by 11 points (33%-22%), followed by Thompson at 17% and Romney at 12%; no other Republican gets more than 2%. On the feeling thermometer, 42% view McCain positively versus 22% who view him negatively -- which is virtually unchanged from March, but a drop from the 50%-13% split he held back in May 2004, before McCain began aligning himself so close to Bush.

*** Age vs. Experience: In the announcement speech, per excerpts, McCain will acknowledge his age but couch it as an asset -- noting that no one has more experience for the job. "I'm not the youngest candidate. But I am the most experienced," he will say. "I know how the military works, what it can do, what it can do better, and what it should not do. I know how Congress works, and how to make it work for the country and not just the re-election of its members. I know how the world works."

*** Want More? For more poll numbers -- including those on the debate over the war and the Democratic horserace -- tune into NBC's Nightly News or visit MSNBC.com at 6:30 pm ET.

*** Adding Fuel to the Fire: With Democrats and Republicans already at each others' throats over the Iraq supplemental, Giuliani says, per the Politico, that another 9/11 is more likely if the Democrats win in '08. "'But the question is,' he said, 'how long will it take and how many casualties will we have? If we are on defense [with a Democratic president], we will have more losses and it will go on longer.'" Also: "'America will safer with a Republican president.'" This kind of tactic worked for Republicans in 2004. Will it work in 2008?

*** Subpoena Time: Henry Waxman's House committee today will consider subpoenaing Condi Rice on the Niger/uranium matter. The State Department is resisting so far. After taking control of Congress Democrats, have been unable to build veto-proof majorities on some of the most contentious matters (like Iraq), but this is something they can definitely do now in the majority.

*** Let's Debate: Exactly one day before the Democratic presidential debate in Orangeburg, SC -- the first of the campaign season, which will be aired on MSNBC -- Biden will be there today to open up his Orangeburg regional headquarters.

*** On the Trail: On the final day of its convention, the National Jewish Democratic Council hears from Clinton and Richardson, while Romney does a meet-and-greet in Salem, NH.

NBC's Mike Viqueira says the House will not take up the Iraq supplemental until about 5:00 pm ET today. There is one hour of procedural debate (the "rule"), a vote, then one hour of debate on the measure itself, and then a vote on passage. The guess is that the gavel doesn't come down until around 8:00 pm ET. Also, Gen. Petraeus holds a closed-door briefing for all House members this afternoon.

The New York Times adds: "General Petraeus's briefing will come in a week when war-related developments are not running in the administration's favor. Nine American soldiers were killed in Iraq on Monday and 20 others were wounded. And members of the family of Cpl. Pat Tillman, the former professional football player and Army Ranger accidentally killed by other American soldiers in Afghanistan in 2004, appeared at an emotional House hearing Tuesday and accused the Pentagon and administration of misrepresenting the circumstances of his death."

The Washington Times writes about Bush's and Cheney's tough words yesterday on the Iraq supplemental. "'What is most troubling about Mr. Reid's comments yesterday is his defeatism,' the vice president said in a rare Capitol Hill press conference. 'Indeed, last week, he said the war is already lost, and the timetable legislation he is pursuing would guarantee defeat.'" 
 
The Los Angeles Times: "Democratic strategists … believe that repeated votes on the war will allow the party to expand its congressional majorities in next year's elections by continuing to link GOP lawmakers with the president and his war policies. 'It bewilders me why these Republicans have tied themselves so closely to this president…. God bless them,' said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and former head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee."

Per NBC's Libby Leist and Mike Viqueira, it appears that Rep. Henry Waxman (D) will go ahead today with subpoenas for Condi Rice, former White House chief of staff Andrew Card, RNC documents, and White House documents. Waxman's Oversight and Government Reform Committee meets at 10:00 am ET to consider the matter. He wants Rice to come up and testify on uranium/Niger; Card on the Valerie Plame leak; any White documents relating to MZM, the now-disgraced defense firm; and RNC documents relating to the now controversial e-mail communications.

However, Rice and her aides were scrambling yesterday to avoid the subpoena. Waxman has been pressing Rice for answers on the Niger issue since early March, and he was unsatisfied with a response he received last week. Rice's top congressional adviser, Jeff Bergner, wrote to Waxman yesterday:  "As I have said before, Dr. Rice believed at the time of the President's 2003 State of the Union address that the statement concerning Iraq's efforts to acquire uranium from Africa was completely credible and backed by our most authoritative intelligence assessment."

A senior State department official said last night that Waxman's motives are nothing more than politics. "This is politically motivated, I think that is pretty obvious." The official expects this battle between Waxman and Rice to go on for several rounds, and when asked if she would ever testify, the official said, "I don't see it."

GILMORE: He's announcing via webcast from the Iowa Republican Party's headquarters. "Gilmore's official announcement of candidacy will be at 12 noon Thursday at GOP headquarters, 621 East 9th Street in Des Moines."

GIULIANI: The Politico writes, "Rudy Giuliani said if a Democrat is elected president in 2008, America will be at risk of another terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001. But if a Republican is elected, he said -- especially if it is him -- terrorist attacks can be anticipated and stopped."

With a headline that includes the word "Rude-y," the New York Daily News writes up Giuliani's New Hampshire town hall and notes the "in your face" Rudy made an appearance.

Also in New Hampshire yesterday, Giuliani defended his more moderate stances on key social issues at his town hall. The AP's Sidoti characterized him as being on the defensive regarding both his abortion and gun stances.

HUCKABEE: The former Arkansas governor lost a fundraiser yesterday for personal reasons.

MCCAIN: The Arizona senator officially kicks off his presidential bid today from New Hampshire. After that, he travels to South Carolina (on Thursday), Iowa (on Friday), and Nevada and Arizona (on Saturday). Per excerpts of his announcement speech that his campaign released last night, McCain will say: "Today, I announce my candidacy for President of the United States. I do so grateful for the privileges this country has already given me; mindful that I must seek this responsibility for reasons greater than self-interest; and determined to use every lesson I've learned through hard experience and the history I've witnessed, every inspiration I've drawn from the patriots I've known and the faith that guides me to meet the challenges of our time, and strengthen this great and good nation upon whom all mankind depends."

Also: "I'm not the youngest candidate. But I am the most experienced. I know how the military works, what it can do, what it can do better, and what it should not do. I know how Congress works, and how to make it work for the country and not just the re-election of its members. I know how the world works. I know the good and the evil in it. I know how to work with leaders who share our dreams of a freer, safer and more prosperous world, and how to stand up to those who don't. I know how to fight and how to make peace. I know who I am and what I want to do."

The Washington Post curtain-raises his announcement. "John McCain will formally launch his bid for the White House on Wednesday in the state that vaulted him to national prominence eight years ago, and if a candidate from either party needs a fresh start, it is the embattled senator from Arizona… Giuliani has surged past McCain in national polls testing the strength of the Republican field. McCain's fundraising in the first quarter was anemic and his candidacy has been defined almost exclusively by his public advocacy for President Bush's unpopular troop-increase policy in Iraq."

The Wall Street Journal makes this point, however: "For all the talk of his demise, it takes someone to beat someone. And each of Mr. McCain's rivals has vulnerabilities."
 
F. THOMPSON: CBN's David Brody reports on a new YouTube of Thompson saying, back in 1992, that abortion shouldn't be criminalized.

DODD: The Boston Globe profiles the Connecticut senator and notes: "Dodd, while clearly frustrated by the lack of media attention to his long-shot campaign, said in an interview that the initial fascination with two or three leading candidates is 'not uncommon,' and insisted he will attract support and ultimately votes by running an old-fashioned, grass-roots campaign. ... Still, presidential politics is often unkind to politicians like Dodd who have dominated their states for so long that they may have grown rusty from lack of opposition."

EDWARDS: The campaign is releasing a CD, courtesy of rural strategist David "Mudcat" Saunders, the AP writes. The CD, entitled "Moneyland" is aimed at raising awareness about the plight of rural Americans. Anyone who contributes $50+ to Edwards receives a copy of it. Artists on the CD include Merle Haggard, who earlier this year, released a song that promoted Hillary Clinton's candidacy.  The CD, by the way, is apparently available to any campaign. No song explicitly advocates election Edwards or any candidate. Saunders, an Edwards adviser, is a co-producer of the album and claims it is "apolitical."

Remember the news earlier this week of Edwards' ties to a major hedge fund in New York? Well, stories like this could dog Edwards at some point, since he spends more time talking about the wage gap than any other candidate right now. Said one hedge fund partner at a panel discussion about whether hedge funds should be regulated by the government more: "Obviously what we make is absolutely obscene. I'm not saying it's wrong, trust me, but it's still obscene."

KUCINICH: The Washington Post's Milbank covers the congressman's press conference yesterday, where he announced he had filed articles of impeachment against Cheney. "But subsequent questioning quickly revealed that Kucinich had not yet persuaded any of his 434 colleagues to be a cosponsor, that he had not even discussed the matter with House Democratic leaders, and that he had not raised the subject with the Judiciary Committee. But Kucinich did have one thing: a copy of the Declaration of Independence. And he was not afraid to read it."

Given his effort to impeach Cheney, NBC's Chris Donovan pulls out this 1998 quote from Kucinich, who opposed Clinton's impeachment: "In the Names of Washington, of Jefferson, and of Lincoln, and of all who fought to create one nation, indivisible, do not cleave this Nation with a partisan impeachment, for a House of Representatives divided against itself shall not stand."

OBAMA: Check out this nugget in Howard Fineman's piece on MSNBC.com: "As he prepared for the Democrats' first presidential debate, Sen. Barack Obama sought advice from a wide circle, including, I am told, Gen. Colin Powell, who now deeply regrets his role in making the case for war in Iraq… I am told that Powell and Obama have talked more than once, urged to do so by mutual friends. Powell has had a history of offering his expertise to anyone who is interested, but especially fellow African-Americans, since there aren't many blacks in the top ranks of the foreign policy establishment."

Meanwhile, Maureen Dowd continues to write surprisingly negative columns on the Obamas. Her first few columns hit the candidate -- this one hits Michelle.

Bill and Melinda Gates and Eli Broad are teaming up on an education initiative targeting the early presidential primary/caucus states in order to push candidates of both parties to take up the cause of education reform. The Gates' and Broad are promising a $60 million campaign in the first four states. Broad said the campaign will "try to get all the candidates to be interested in education, not let them get by with the pablum of 'We need better schools and better teachers.'"

The other "Law and Order" star who has been dipping his toe into presidential politics, Sam Waterson gives a speech at the National Press Club today promoting Unity '08, the group that's trying to get a bipartisan presidential ticket elected. In an interview with First Read, Waterson said he got involved because he thinks it is time for the country to have an "independent executive" with "no strings attached." He believes that no matter who wins the GOP and Dem nominations, there will be room for a Unity '08 candidate because candidates "are affected by the river they are swimming in" -- meaning that no matter the rhetoric a candidate espouses for the middle, the candidate will always owe their base. Asked about New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Waterson called him a "probable" Unity '08 candidate, but admitted he hadn't spent time with Bloomberg about the idea. He clearly is smitten with Bloomberg. Asked about his "Law and Order" colleague Fred Thompson, Waterson said, based on his conversations with the Republican actor, he thinks Thompson will run.

And speaking of independent or third-party candidates, "Survivor" producer Mark Burnett is teaming up with MySpace to launch a reality TV show to find an indie presidential candidate. Prize money: $1 million, but the money has to be spent on an actual campaign. No TV network has picked up the show.

The Washington Post writes about more GOP senators, including Norm Coleman and Lamar Alexander, who are criticizing Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Rep. Rick Renzi (R) is now the subject of a criminal inquiry into a land deal, but the Wall Street Journal writes that the investigation stalled as Renzi faced re-election. "As midterm elections approached last November, federal investigators in Arizona faced unexpected obstacles in getting needed Justice Department approvals to advance a corruption investigation of … Renzi, people close to the case said. The delays … raise new questions about whether Attorney General Alberto Gonzales or other officials may have weighed political issues in some investigations." The Justice Department denies any foot-dragging.

NBC's Ken Strickland reports that Gonzales today will meet on Capitol Hill with Sen. Senator Mark Pryor, D-Ark., in an apparent effort to make amends. Early in the controversy over the firing of the US attorneys, Gonzales made statements to Pryor that were later contradicted in e-mails from Justice Department staff. They involved the firing of the Arkansas prosecutor, who was replaced by Karl Rove protégé Tim Griffin. 

During the course of the committee investigation, an e-mail from Gonzales' chief of staff suggested that Griffin's appointment be executed in a way to bypass Senate confirmation, allowing him to serve indefinitely. But about the same time, Strick says, Gonzales was telling Pryor the appointment was temporary -- and sought Pryor's help in getting him confirmed. Pryor grew livid as the investigation unfolded saying at one point, "The attorney general not only lied to me as a person, but when he lied to me, he lied to the Senate, and he lied to the people I represent."

The issue was raised a few times during Gonzales' hearing last week. Pryor is a moderate freshman senator who's well liked and respected from both sides of the aisle. So much so, Strick notes, that even GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham offered Gonzales some "personal advice," suggesting he meet to Pryor and "straighten that out."

GRAHAM: "You know, we all respect Senator Pryor. And he said some pretty harsh things, which is out of character. So I would just advise you to sit down with him and walk through what happened, because I think he's a reasonable fellow, and y'all straighten that out if you can."
GONZALES: "Senator, I couldn't agree more. I have a great deal of admiration for Senator Pryor, and I think that's a good idea."

From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
In his speech this afternoon before the National Jewish Democratic Council, Obama didn't fully discuss his relationship with Israel until the Q&A session, when he was asked about his relationship with Muslim and Arab voters. Obama responded that he actually has more support from the Jewish community than the Muslim community -- although he would welcome support from both. Regarding Israel, Obama said, "The truth is that we have to be very hard headed and clear eyed in terms of the dangers that exist throughout the Middle East, and those that seek to perpetrate terror on the United States as well as Israel."

He continued,"  But we also have to recognize that the status quo is not inevitable. We can aspire to something greater. If we can find partners on the other side that are committed to recognizing Israel and committed to renouncing violence, [then] we have the need to reach out to them and we should want to have that difficult tough discussion -- but nevertheless have that discussion, about how we're going to arrive at, what I think everybody wants, which is two states living side by side in peace and security. So, my commitment to you is unwavering."

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
Well, it looks like Kucinich will be calling today to impeach Vice President Cheney after all.

The Ohio congressman (and Democratic presidential candidate) had earlier postponed his presser to announce his initiative to impeach Cheney after news broke of the veep's doctor visit to check on his leg. The apparently ungrateful Cheney promptly left the hospital, traveled to Capitol Hill, appeared before the cameras, and then put a rhetorical leg to Harry Reid's backside.

Thus chastened, Kucinich's presser is now rescheduled for 5:00 pm ET.

From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
Unlike Edwards and Dodd, who began their speeches to the National Jewish Democratic Council by speaking about Israel, Biden instead chose to speak on the Holocaust. He mentioned the Virginia Tech tragedy, commending the Holocaust survivor who sacrificed his life for his students in that tragedy. He continued to talk about lessons of the Holocaust before moving on to Iraq, promising to end the war responsibly. "The President hasn't only waged war on Iraq, he has waged war on our civil liberties... They want to change the court, they want to change our civil liberties." 

Halfway through his speech, Biden addressed Israel. He questioned why President Bush has not visited that country. "There is nothing like tasting it, feeling it." He continued to assert that peace and security in Israel would be a priority in his Administration.

And Biden spoke about his habit of speaking his mind too much. "The problem I have with my party is we are too timid." After some applause, he continued, "I may be too blunt, and it may cost me the presidency. I am not running for president to hear hail to the chief, I'm running to solve problems... The next president will change the world."

From NBC's Mark Murray
His visit to the doctor earlier today didn't stop Vice President Cheney from launching a scathing attack on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's recent statements on Iraq -- calling them "unfortunate," "uninformed," and "misleading."

In his remarks from Capitol Hill, Cheney added, "What was most troubling about Sen. Reid's comments is his defeatism."

From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
Relationships with Israel dominated the morning session of today's National Jewish Democratic Council convention. Sen. Chris Dodd talked about his father, an interrogator during the Nuremberg Trials, who then taught his children that what happened during the Holocaust should never happen again. Dodd equated taking care of Israel with ensuring human rights around the country. "Israel cannot afford to lose one conflict. Then there wouldn't even be a second one." Dodd continued to talk about his six-decade friendship with Israel, asserting "no one will ever have to persuade me to Israel's goodness."

Howard Dean followed Dodd and echoed the sentiment. "Last election, they tried to make Israel a wedge issue... The Bush administration has made Israel weak. Rhetoric has to be followed up by policy, not just election-year division."

In his remarks, Dodd also called for withdrawal from Iraq. "As far as I know, I am the only candidate to support Feingold-Reid to end the war by March 31 2008. I call on the other candidates to do the same." Dodd also made some jabs that could be interpreted as swipes at Barack Obama anti-Obama. They included: "It is not time for on-the-job training"; " Hope alone is not going to restore America's leadership"; "I am 62 years old. This is not a warm up for a future run"; and "For 2008, some say we need experience, others say we need hope. I say we need both."

Obama and Biden will address the group after lunch.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Another day, another dust up over the Iraq supplemental. This morning, before he departed to New York to talk about his No Child Left Behind education law, President Bush blasted the legislation a House-Senate conference agreed upon yesterday, which calls for the "goal" of having all US combat troops leave Iraq by March 2008. "They know I'm going to veto a bill containing these provisions, and they know that my veto will be sustained. But instead of fashioning a bill I could sign, the Democratic leaders chose to further delay funding our troops, and they chose to make a political statement. That's their right. But it is wrong for our troops and it's wrong for our country."

On cue, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid fired back with this statement: "While ten more of our brave men and women died yesterday in one of the deadliest days of this war, President Bush continues to offer more of the same: a failed policy that has our troops mired in an open-ended civil war that risks our security at home."

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
Rep. Dennis Kucinich has decided to postpone his call for the impeachment of the vice president, because of Cheney's doctor visit this morning for an ultrasound of the clot in his left leg.

From Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
*** Game On: A House-Senate conference yesterday approved an Iraq supplemental that heads to the House floor on Wednesday and Senate floor on Thursday. The legislation calls for the "goal" of having all US combat troops leave Iraq by March 2008. Is that tough enough to win votes from House liberals? Bush, of course, is waiting to veto it, and he plans to fire his latest volley at the legislation this morning before heading to New York.

*** Let's Debate: Just before Thursday's Democratic presidential debate in South Carolina, a new poll by NBC affiliate WIS-TV shows Clinton and Obama virtually tied (24%-23%), with Edwards (who won the state in 2004) in third at 16%. On the GOP side, meanwhile, a new Zogby poll has McCain leading Giuliani in South Carolina (22%-19%), with Fred Thompson in third and Romney in fourth.

*** Speaking of Polls: While Edwards ($400 haircuts, hedge fund) and Obama (Tony Rezko) have been the recipients of tough news articles lately, we've been seeing Clinton's national unfavorable ratings rise (to 52% in a recent USA Today/Gallup poll). Now a new Sienna College survey has Clinton's unfavorable rating rising in New York. And this is before the papers and TV networks begin to dig into her past. A thought: Over the years, the more political Clinton has looked, the weaker her poll ratings have been. It's been when she has risen above politics (or been a treated simply as a legislator or a First Lady), that her numbers begin to improve. Can she run a non-political presidential campaign? And if her need to excite Democratic primary voters is to get edgier with the left, won't that hurt her national numbers even more?

*** Stand By Your Man: Does anyone else see the similarities between Bush's decision to stick by Gonzales and how long he stuck by Rumsfeld? Rumsfeld had lost the confidence of key Republican lawmakers months before he eventually was let go. Is Bush using a similar timetable regarding Gonzales' future? (If so, will we see the president announce Gonzales' resignation come November 5, 2008?)

*** Chuck-Mentum? The conservative blogs are giddy about a poll showing that, should Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) receive a primary challenge if he decides to run for re-election, he could lose. Is this the situation that Joe Lieberman faced last year, but in reverse: unpopular in his own party, and possibly facing a challenge on the war -- from the right?

*** Base Crazy? Kucinich holds a news conference today to announce the introduction of articles of impeachment against Cheney, while Tom DeLay tells the conservative Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Reid and Pelosi "are getting very, very close to treason" for opposing the Iraq war. To paraphrase Rodney King, can't we all get along?

*** Another Cattle Call: The National Jewish Democratic Council hears from Dodd, Biden, Obama, and Kucinich. Edwards spoke to the group last night, while Clinton and Richardson go Wednesday.

*** On the Trail: Elsewhere, Giuliani campaigns in New Hampshire, and McCain keynotes the Co-operation Ireland 2007 Annual Dinner in New York. McCain also appears on the Daily Show.

With very little fanfare, a House-Senate conference has just approved the Iraq war supplemental spending bill, NBC's Mike Viqueira reports. The measure now heads to the House floor Wednesday and the Senate on Thursday. Then it's on to the president for a certain veto next week. The measure calls for a withdrawal to begin by October 1, with a "goal" of having combat troops gone by March 2008.

Reid and Pelosi issued this statement: "If the President follows through on his veto threat, he will be the one who has failed to provide our troops and our veterans with the resources they need and it will be the President who has rejected the benchmarks he announced in January to measure success in Iraq. The bill ensures our troops are combat-ready before they are deployed to Iraq, provides our troops the resources and health care they deserve in Iraq and here at home, and responsibly winds down this war."

NBC's Kelly O'Donnell says Bush will make a statement on the war supplemental before departing on Marine One at 11:15am for his trip to New York to talk about No Child Left Behind. Advisers add the president will speak for as many as eight to ten minutes.

The New York Times: "Aware that the votes do not exist to override the veto, lawmakers said they expect that Congress and Mr. Bush would eventually agree on a spending measure without the specific timetable, but with benchmarks for the Iraqi government."

The Los Angeles Times: "In a nod to moderate Senate Democrats, the compromise approved Monday sets a nonbinding goal for completing a withdrawal. But it maintains the link between the withdrawal timeline and the performance of the Iraqi government. The compromise calls for a withdrawal to begin July 1 if Bush does not certify that the Iraqi government is making progress on a series of 'reconciliation initiatives,' with a goal of completing the withdrawal within 180 days, which would end Dec. 27. If Bush demonstrates that the Iraqi government is making progress, the Democratic plan mandates that the withdrawal begin Oct. 1, and sets a goal to complete the pullout by March 28."

CLINTON: The New York Times runs this front-page article: "Only a few months ago, the vast majority of black elected officials in New York were expected to support the presidential candidacy of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. But no longer. In a series of interviews, a significant number of those officials now say they are undecided about whether to back Mrs. Clinton or one of her main rivals for the Democratic nomination, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, the only black politician in the race."

A new Sienna College poll has Clinton's unfavorable rating rising in New York now. "Clinton was viewed favorably by 50 percent of voters and unfavorably by 42 percent. Last month her favorability rating was 56-37 percent. Senator Barack Obama's favorability rating is 55-23 percent.  And Senator John Edwards has a 52-29 percent favorability rating." 

Clinton is ramping up her low-dollar events, as evidenced by a big one in New York City last night.

The campaign named Kelly Adams, who helped lead Howard Dean's South Carolina effort in 2004, as state director there.

EDWARDS: At the first annual National Jewish Democratic Council Conference, John Edwards addressed the crowd of high- profile Jewish Democrats on the anniversary of Israel's independence, says NBC's Lauren Appelbaum. He altered the emphasis of his typical speech slightly, opting to focus on more international than domestic issues. On Iraq, Edwards received a loud applause after he mentioned that he made a mistake voting for the war and said, "It is very clear to me America should be leaving Iraq." He discussed his plan for withdrawing combat troops from Iraq in less than one year, yet added that America must be prepared to send more troops back to Afghanistan.

Edwards also spent a good deal of time on Iran and said the only path to a successful outcome is to "drive a wedge between [Ahmadinejad] and his own people." Edwards received the largest applause while talking about genocide in Darfur.

And the $400 haircut resurfaced. Repeating a line he used over the weekend, Edwards talked about his Two Americas and how several people in the room may have worked their way up from nothing. Making a joke, he stated, "You can come from nothing to spending $400 on a haircut." After some laughter, Edwards said softly "It's so embarrassing by the way."

OBAMA: Locally, some Chicago TV stations aired their versions of the Sun-Times reporting on Obama's ties to Tony Rezko. Today, the paper continues its examination of Rezko. Oddly, today's story mentions Obama's name exactly once.

Meanwhile, Obama did address the Rezko matter yesterday, saying he accepted campaign contributions from Rezko without knowing that Rezko was a slumlord with problem buildings in the state Senate district Obama represented at the time. "Should I have known these buildings were in a state of disrepair? My answer would be that it wasn't brought to my attention,'' Obama … said at a South Side campaign stop. His comments came in response to a Chicago Sun-Times report that he had done previously undisclosed legal work between 1995 and 1998 on a series of troubled low-income-housing deals involving Rezmar Corp., owned by the indicted businessman.

In his foreign policy speech yesterday, according to the AP, "Obama proposed increasing spending on foreign aid to $50 billion by 2012, including $2 billion to establish a global education fund, from the current amount of about $20 billion annually. Obama did not specify whether the cost of Iraq was included. Obama also pledged to lead a global effort to secure nuclear weapons and materiel at vulnerable sites around the globe within four years.

The Chicago Tribune: "Obama offered a spirited defense of the value of strong ties with foreign allies and international institutions such as the United Nations, arguing they magnify American power more than they constrain it. And he said the United States should counter the challenge of Islamist terrorism with a greater emphasis on winning the support of the public in developing nations."

And the Wall Street Journal dives into "Obamanomics": "While Mr. Obama's economic platform is still in its formative stages, interviews with his aides and a review of his congressional record and speeches suggest that Obamanomics may place him somewhat to the left of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, but to the right of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, another rival for the 2008 nomination."

A GOP poll released by Zogby has McCain leading Giuliani in South Carolina, 22-19% with Thompson edging Romney for third 11%-10%.

BROWNBACK: In Boston, Brownback and Dodd, "stepping beyond the traditional bounds of their respective parties, outlined a series of political differences Monday rooted in their varying interpretations of their shared Catholic faith." The session was moderated by NBC's own Tim Russert.

GINGRICH: The ex-Speaker has an op-ed in the conservative journal Human Events, in which he pushes the idea of "green conservatism."

GIULIANI: When the former mayor comes back to New York for public events, he gets trailed by 9/11 protestors.

HAGEL: No one knows what office Chuck Hagel plans to run for. But if he runs for re-election in Nebraska, he could find himself in a Joe Lieberman-like situation: unpopular in his own party and vulnerable to a primary foe running to his right on the war. (Wonder if Hagel's tested how well he'd do running as an independent?)

ROMNEY: The ex-Massachusetts governor was in Florida yesterday paying homage to the VERY popular GOP Gov. Charlie Crist (do you realize he's got approval ratings in the 70s?). Crist is still non-committal, but Romney did secure a statewide officeholder yesterday, Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson. But, no, we don't believe Romney has a death wish.

The Los Angeles Times covers Bush's statement of confidence yesterday in Gonzales. "Gonzales has few fans these days among the power elite in the nation's capital, especially since his underwhelming appearance before a Senate panel last week. But he has at least one enthusiast left — the only one who really counts."

The Washington Post: "[T]he comments suggested that the president intends to ride out the storm despite qualms among Republican lawmakers and even some of his own aides."

The Times says the same thing: "It indicated that Mr. Bush, at least for now, has concluded his attorney general can weather the challenge to his leadership at the Justice Department, barring any evidence of wrongdoing."

In a written statement released as the last item of the White House workday, Bush showed another sign of support for the embattled attorney general, NBC's Kelly O'Donnell notes. "I commend Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission Deborah Majoras for their work on the Identity Theft Task Force Report released today," Bush said. "The Report is the culmination of many months of hard work by numerous Federal agencies. Identity theft is a serious problem in America, and my Administration is working to combat this crime and to assist its victims. I thank the Attorney General, the Chairman, and their staffs for taking on this difficult and important assignment." (We normally don't see the White House issue a thank-you to people for doing their jobs.)

From NBC's Mark Murray and Chuck Todd
Just three days before the Democratic presidential debate in South Carolina, a new poll by South Carolina NBC affiliate WIS-TV finds that Clinton and Obama are running neck and neck in the state. In the poll, which was conducted by Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group, Clinton is the preferred choice of 24% of likely Democratic primary voters, Obama is at 23%, and Edwards is at 16%.

The votes were also split along racial lines. Seventeen percent of white voters said they backed Clinton, compared with 31% of African Americans who did so. Obama received similar support (16% among whites and 29% among blacks), but Edwards' numbers were flipped (28% among whites and 7% among blacks).

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
With very little fanfare, a House-Senate conference has just approved the Iraq supplemental spending bill. The measure now heads to the House floor Wednesday and the Senate on Thursday. Then it's on to the president for a certain veto next week.

The measure would call for a withdrawal to begin by October 1, with a "goal" of having combat troops gone by March 2008.