The Note: "Grave and Deteriorating"

ByABC News
December 6, 2006, 10:01 AM

— -- WASHINGTON, Dec. 6

The Iraq Study Group met with President Bush at 7:00 am ET before meeting with bipartisan House leaders at 8:30 am ET and the bipartisan Senate leadership at 9:00 am ET.

At 11:00 am ET, ABC News will have live coverage of the Iraq Study Group's press conference which will be held in Hart 216 in Washington, DC. At 6:30 pm ET, "World News with Charles Gibson" will have interviews with former Secretary of State James Baker and former Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN). For more in-depth coverage, tune into Nightline at 11:35 pm ET. And, as always, you can get the very latest information on Iraq on ABC News Radio and abcnews.com.

Keep watching for press conferences galore on the Hill with reaction to the report including at the stakeouts following the Senate Democratic and Republican policy luncheons.

ABC News' Jonathan Karl reports that the Iraq Study Group will recommend that the United States "must not make open-ended commitments to keep large numbers of troops deployed in Iraq." LINK

More Karl: "The report recommends an initial increase in the number of U.S. troops dedicated to training and supporting the Iraqi security forces, but calls for the gradual withdrawal of all other U.S. forces."

"All U.S. troops not involved in this training and support mission, the report says, could leave Iraq by 'the first quarter of 2008.'"

Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), whose advisers are positioning him for a 2008 White House run as the candidate of foreign policy, experience, and authenticity, hosts an 12:30 pm ET conference call to offer reaction to the Iraq Study Group's final report.

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), according to the Washington Post, was scheduled to have breakfast this morning with Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA). At 3:30 pm ET, Sen. Clinton co-chairs a briefing of the congressional task force on Alzheimer's Disease.

Former President Bill Clinton signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Vietnam President Nguyen Minh Triet and Minister of Health Tran Thi Trung Chien at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam. He then hosts a conversation at the Sheraton Hotel, also in Hanoi.

Likely 2008 presidential hopeful Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) names Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS) as the first female chair of the Democratic Governors Association at a 2:30 pm ET press conference at the Capitol Hilton in Washington, DC. Tomorrow, Gov. Richardson heads to the hallowed halls of Georgetown University to deliver a major speech on immigration.

Gov. George Pataki (R-NY) hosts a luncheon for Republican House and Senate members at the Legislative Office Building in Concord, NH at noon ET. The governor then heads to Iowa to thank Republican activists who supported his PAC.

Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) delivers open press remarks at 6:30 pm ET at the Grand Hyatt on H Street in Washington, DC when he receives the "Role Model of the Year" Award from the Jobs for America's Graduates program.

ABC News' Political Director Mark Halperin spoke at the Politics and Eggs: 2006 Issues Forum from 8:00 - 9:30 am ET in Bedford, NH.

See below for more schedule items.

Politics of Iraq:
After meeting with the Iraq Study Group this morning at the White House, President Bush said its report gives "a very tough assessment of the situation in Iraq" and pledged to act in a timely fashion on its proposals. The President said his Administration will take every proposal seriously and urged Congress to do the same. He took no questions and none of the ISG members spoke.

ABC News' Jessica Yellin reports, "The President passed a copy of the report around the room and asked everyone to sign and date it. That copy will go to the National Archives."

Calling the Iraq war "the worst strategic mistake in the entire history of the United States" and "worse than a civil war," former Vice President Gore urged President Bush to find a way to get U.S. troops out of Iraq "as quickly as possible without making the situation worse" while appearing on network morning television.

"I would urge the President to try to separate out the personal issues of being blamed in history for his mistake and instead recognizing that it is not about him. It's about our country," Gore said.

Newsweek's Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball report that Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), Incoming Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has joined Sen. McCain in calling for an increase in U.S. troops in Iraq. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Alexandra Zavis and Solomon Moore report that few Iraqi politicians have put much investment in the Iraq Study Group or other reviews taking place in Washington, pressing on with their own strategy.LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Paul Richter weighs in on the consequences of American troop withdrawal, citing various experts who believe that the biggest risk is not Al Qaeda but rather a broader regional conflict. LINK