The Note: Steady Leadership on an Uncertain Hill

— -- WASHINGTON, Nov. 14

In his final public act before he goes abroad to astride the world like a colossal lame duck, President Bush meets with the Big Three automakers at the White House at 1:15 pm ET. He departs for Southeast Asia with the First Lady at 10:00 pm ET.

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) joins Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and every other woman in the Senate for a bipartisan Senate "Women Power Workshop" at 4:00 pm ET. At 6:30 pm ET, Sen. Clinton attends the First National Ethnic Media Awards reception at the Mayflower Hotel.

House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) holds a pen and pad briefing at 11:00 am ET to discuss the midterm elections and Democratic majority plans for the 110th Congress at H-306 in the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Hoyer is a good vote counter, The Note would Note.

There was a freshmen class picture on the East Front Steps on the House side of the US Capitol at 8:30 am ET. New Member orientation begins at 9:00 am ET.

Gov. George Pataki (R-NY), who is not always listed among those Republicans planning to run for the White House in 2008, delivers the 2006 Albert H. Gordon Lecture at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, MA at 6pm ET.

Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) speaks at the Japan External Trade Organization Seminar at the Chamber of Commerce at 11:00 am ET in Little Rock AR.

Former House Majority Leaders Dick Armey (R-TX) and Dick Gephardt (R-MO) attend a DLA Piper luncheon discussion on the implications of the 2006 elections at 12:00 pm ET in Washington, DC.

The New Democrat Network holds a forum to discuss immigration at 8:30 am ET at the Phoenix Park Hotel in Washington, DC.

Bush meets with the Big Three:
The Wall Street Journal on Democrats stepping up pressure to help manufacturers handle health-care costs as well as problems with energy and trade as President Bush meets with the Big Three.

Bloomberg News on the key role that Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) now plays: LINK

Bush travels to Asia:
The Wall Street Journal on the pressure growing on President Bush for direct talks with Tehran as he travels to Asia.

POTUS meets the ISG, with restive Hill Republicans chiming in: