The Note: Naughty and Nice

— -- WASHINGTON, July 6

The North Korea narrative continues to block out the political sun on other storylines. And we still have no idea what it all means (WIAMs) for the midterms or 2008.

So/but to remind you (and them), here are both parties' dirty dozen to-do lists for the balance of the year:

REPUBLICANS:
1. Get the national security and taxes contrast machine (a/k/a "fog machine") out of the closet.

2. Deal with the immigration issue (somehow).

3. Figure out a backlash-free way to publicize the identities and records of the men and women who would chair committees if the Democrats take the House.

4. Figure out which newbie Democratic candidates running for open seats and against Republican incumbents have glass jaws (and get ready to smash those jaws).

5. Bring some troops home!!!

6. Figure out, without fingerprints, which rich friends of George W. Bush, Karl Rove, and Don Evans have $35 million to spend on "independent" expenditures.

7. Get through the September primaries.

8. Convince the television networks that the five-year anniversary of 9/11 is a bigger story than the one-year anniversary of Katrina.

9. Check state ballot access rules to see if it is possible to get the New York Times listed.

10. Clone Rudy and McCain and get them on the road.

11. Micro-target like mad, the Hazelwood way.

12. Do something about Rahm.

DEMOCRATS:
1. Check the heart rate of the AFL-CIO.

2. Get through the September primaries.

3. Find some consistent and credible national security spokespeople.

4. Proffer a message that the Gang of 500 will consider to be acceptable enough that they stop saying that Democrats don't have a message.

5. Learn to play together nicely.

6. Match the combined RNC/NRCC/NRSC cash-on-hand with the combined DNC/DCCC/DSCC cash-on-hand.

7. Convince the television networks that the one-year anniversary of Katrina is a bigger story than the five-year anniversary of 9/11.

8. Convince the blogosphere that taking back Congress may merit more attention than the effort to defeat Sen. Lieberman.

9. Clone Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and get them on the road.

10. Paging George Soros.

11. Do something about the process by which Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean get booked on the Sunday shows.

12. Enough with the endless, meaningless strategy conference calls.

The Big-Picture-Guy-in-Chief, President Bush, has quite the busy 60th birthday planned, including a sit-down taped interview with CNN's Larry King to be aired at 9:00 pm ET on CNN's "Larry King Live." The transcript of the interview is expected to be released at 7:00 pm ET by CNN and "Larry King Live."

President Bush also participates in a 10:15 am ET photo opportunity with the 2006 March of Dimes National Ambassador, a 10:40 am ET meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada, a 11:45 am ET press availability with the Prime Minister of Canada, and a 1:25 pm ET Oval Office meeting with the United States Ambassador to Iraq.

(The Canadian leader hopes to continue negotiations with the President on border security -- including passport rules -- and military involvement in Afghanistan, Bloomberg reports. LINK)

But that isn't all. President Bush then travels to Chicago, IL to share in a birthday dinner with Mayor Daley and "opinion leaders" (Did you get your invitation?) at 8:00 pm ET in The Windy City. The President is scheduled to remain overnight in Chicago.

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow gaggles off camera at 9:30 am ET and briefs on camera at 12:40 pm ET.

ABC News' Kirit Radia reports, "European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana meets in Brussels today with Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani to discuss the P5+1 package. Solana will present Iran with a July 12 deadline to respond to the package -- the same day that the P5+1 ministers plan to meet in Paris to discuss the situation." Radia Notes that the two leaders are also scheduled to meet on July 11.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Ned Lamont participate in their first Democratic primary debate at 7:00 pm ET on WVIT-TV in West Hartford, CT. The debate is scheduled to last 60 minutes and viewer submitted questions are expected to be part of the program. C-SPAN will be simulcasting the event live, so you won't have to miss it! LINK

Council of Economic Advisors Chairman Edward Lazear speaks at a 12:30 pm ET luncheon sponsored by the National Economist Club in Washington , DC.

Commerce Secretary Gutierrez returns to his Battle Creek, MI stomping grounds and holds a 1:45 pm ET media availability following a closed-press roundtable with Rep. John Schwarz (R-MI) to discuss the economy, trade, and immigration.

The US Chamber of Commerce hosts the final public address by outgoing Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta on the challenges facing the US transportation system at 10:30 am ET.

The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management holds a 11:00 am ET forum on the upcoming 2006 midterm elections. Participants include: Kelly Anne Conway, Rhodes Cook, Peter Fenn, Mark Mellman, and others.

Gov. Mitt Romney makes his way down the GOP constituency checklist today. At 9:00 am ET, he joins representatives from the Gun Owner's Action League and legislative sponsors to sign a bill promoting hunter safety for a photo opportunity. At 11:00 am ET, Gov. Romney joins faith-based and community leaders to make a grant announcement regarding urban youth violence. Tonight, Gov. Romney plans to be in Little Rock, AR to deliver the keynote address at the Arkansas Republican Party 2006 Governor's Dinner at 7:00 pm ET.

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) makes his way from Minnesota to Iowa today. The Senator attends a fundraiser for Amy Klobuchar's Senate campaign and a press conference with Minnesota Attorney General candidate Matt Entenza "announcing military initiatives that will protect military families from having their homes foreclosed while they are serving on active duty," according to a campaign press release. Sen. Bayh then kicks off his fifth Hawkeye State trip in the last year with a 6:30 pm ET stop at a joint Truman Fund event honoring Iowa State House and Senate candidates in Des Moines, IA and a 8:15 pm ET fundraiser for congressional candidate Selden Spencer in Adel, IA.

North Korea:
In an argument that no Democrat dared to make publicly yesterday, the Washington Post's Michael Abramowitz and Robin Wright write in a front-page news analysis that the recent events on the North Korean peninsula "showed how the huge commitment of resources and time on Iraq -- and the attendant falloff in international support for the United States -- has limited the Administration's flexibility in handling new world crises." LINK

Be sure to Note the tough words from the Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol: "North Korea is firing missiles. Iran is going nuclear. Somalia is controlled by radical Islamists. Iraq isn't getting better, and Afghanistan is getting worse. . . I gave the president a lot of credit for hanging tough on Iraq. But I am worried that it has made them too passive in confronting the other threats."

The Wall Street Journal's ed board writes that "the last thing" the US should do is "reward" North Korea's missile "provocation" with direct talks while Noting that that is "exactly what Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Richard Lugar advised."