The Note: Stop Reading Polls

ByABC News

October 26, 2006, 9:35 AM

 -- WASHINGTON, Oct. 26

Immigration will be back in focus today when President Bush signs H.R. 6061, the Secure Fence Act of 2006, in the White House's Roosevelt Room at 9:35 pm ET.

Later in the day, the President campaigns with Jeff Lamberti, the Republican running against Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA), in Des Moines, IA at 1:45 pm ET. Boswell is one of a dwindled number (down to about four) of somewhat vulnerable Democratic incumbents in the House whom Republicans hope to knock off in November.

One Republican who is skipping President Bush's event today is Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA), the Republican running for governor of Iowa. Chet Culver, the Democrat running against Nussle, has accused his Republican rival of "running and hiding" from the same President that raised a million dollars for him in April. LINK and LINK

Rep. Boswell tells the Des Moines Register that he hopes the presidential visit will mobilize Democrats because "with some of the things that have been going on in this administration, if he wants to bring him, that's OK with me. Maybe he can bring him a couple of times." LINK

Nussle says tight scheduling and tight security make it impossible for him to stand with his commander-in-chief; we bet the Nussle campaign won't mind the media's obsession with his distancing, and neither will the White House.

Once he's done in Iowa, President Bush heads to the Wolverine State where he campaigns with Republican Mike Bouchard in Warren, MI at 6:40 pm ET.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), the incumbent Democratic Senator whom Bouchard is challenging, will be joined by Reps. Sander Levin (D-MI) and John Dingell (D-MI) for a 3:00 pm ET press conference and presidential prebuttal at a UAW Local in Warren, MI.

Former President Bill Clinton was scheduled to attend a rally for Democratic congressional candidate Kirsten Gillibrand, the Democrat running against Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY), at the Albany Airport at 9:15 am ET.

The former President then attends a Democratic GOTV rally at the Syracuse Airport at 12:00 pm ET. He then travels to Farmingdale, NY for a 2:30 pm ET rally.

The man who likes to describe himself as the "chief caseworker for the junior Senator from New York" ends his day at the Tavern on the Green where he will deliver remarks at his wife's 59th birthday celebration. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) will also deliver remarks at this open press event which begins at 8:30 pm ET across the street from the world headquarters of ABC News.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was scheduled to attend the Partners in Education Appreciation Breakfast with Gov. Bob Riley (R-AL) in Mobile, AL at 9 am ET. Following the breakfast, Sen. McCain and Gov. Riley planned to hold a news conference on the Air Force tanker competition. Then at 11:45 am ET, McCain joins Gov. Riley at a rally for local GOP politicians at the Chatom Community Center in Mobile, AL. Sen. McCain attends a Black Belt Action Commission's second anniversary celebration at the Demopolis Civic Center in Demopolis, AL at 2 pm ET.

On the money front, all national party committees and any state, district, or local party committees that engage in federal election activity must file a monthly report with the FEC today. Tomorrow's filing will be the last one before the midterm elections.

Kevin "Smitty" Smith and Kevin "Maddog" Madden have headed off to First Street!

Their purpose?

To help expand the "bandwidth" of GOP campaign messaging.

House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) announced Wednesday that the Freedom Project is launching a strategic communications effort -- the Majority Project -- that will work in concert with the RNC and NRCC to support GOP House candidates across the country. The Majority Project will provide House Republican candidates with a daily, aggressive message campaign that draws a stark contrast between Republicans and Democrats on key issues. This effort will include press releases, a counter-communications message, briefs on key campaign issues, and a component that includes radio and television, among others.

In other words: Bill Burton's free ride is over.

The Way to Win:
Right-wing and left-wing bloggers agree: The Way to Win is worth talking about. LINK

See what all the fuss is about by buying your copy of the new Random House book by ABC News' Mark Halperin (apparently, somehow both a pro-Rove extremist and a dangerous liberal) and John F. Harris (the ultra-fair father of three).

You can buy The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008 here. LINK

You can also read about The Way to Win in Gary Andres' Washington Times op-ed LINK and John Batchelor's New York Sun piece. LINK

POTUS speaks:
In an online column, Newsweek's Howard Fineman compares President Bush's "benchmarks" to former Vice President Gore's "lock box" and opines that "if I'm a struggling Republican candidate -- buffeted by winds of anger and confusion over the war -- I'm not sure 'benchmarks' will insure MY victory on Nov. 7." LINK

The Washington Post's Peter Baker Notes that separate press conferences by President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki "exposed rising tensions between Washington and Baghdad as the fighting worsens. Maliki upbraided U.S. officials a day after they announced benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet over the next 12 to 18 months, dismissing the plan as 'the result of elections taking place right now that do not involve us.'"LINK

"With less than two weeks until Election Day, Mr. Bush's decision to address the war and its problems so prominently carries the risk that he will strengthen the Democrats' case that the midterm election is primarily a referendum on his own handling of the war," writes the New York Times' John Broder. LINK

"Mr. Bush's comments, in a news conference at the White House, were a stark indication of concern within the West Wing over eroding support for the war. The violence in Iraq has reached near-record peaks just as voters are considering their final choices for Congress in midterm elections less than two weeks from now, a contest that Mr. Bush has cast in part as a national referendum on the conflict," writes the New York Times' Rutenberg. LINK

In an analysis for the Chicago Tribune, Mark Silva writes, "President Bush may be making his last best case for the war in Iraq, but to growing ranks of skeptics it's the same old argument."LINK

USA Today's David Jackson ledes with President Bush warning Democrats not to celebrate early. LINK

Dean's Democrats:
On "Good Morning America," DNC Chairman Howard Dean told ABC News' Diane Sawyer that "a wide consensus" of Democrats believe beginning a phased redeployment of troops out of Iraq should begin in the next few months. Dean said that bringing the Guard and Reserve home "fairly quickly" after several months will be something Democrats may pursue should they regain a portion of power in Washington, DC after November 7. LINK

Dean also said that Democrats "have no interest in partisan fighting," but instead in leading the country in "a new direction." Gov. Dean went on to blast President Bush for having a "permanent commitment to a failed strategy" in Iraq.

Pelosi politics:
ABC News' Claire Shipman profiled Nancy Pelosi on "Good Morning America." Dean didn't back away from any of her tough rhetoric against President Bush but asserted that she has respect for the office of the presidency and should she become Speaker it will be her responsibility to work with the President. LINK

Bush Administration agenda:
James McNair of the Cincinnati Enquirer describes Vice President Cheney's visit as a "luncheon gathering so quick that he didn't have time to eat." He never even "uttered the names of Republican Reps. Steve Chabot, Jean Schmidt, or Geoff Davis." LINK

First Lady Laura Bush fundraises in New Hampshire on Monday in Manchester with the state GOP. LINK

Same-sex marriage:
Coming soon to church fliers and direct mail near you ("near" if you don't live in Manhattan):

"The New Jersey decision could stoke the fires for social conservatives elsewhere," write Michael Powell and Robin Shulman of the Washington Post on the New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that gay couples deserved the same rights as straight couples.LINK