The Note: Nancy's Boys

— -- WASHINGTON, Nov. 16

With the President overseas, the main political event takes place in Cannon 345 this morning when the House Democratic Caucus chooses between Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) for House Majority Leader.

The newspapers are filled this morning with stories about how Speaker-to-Be Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is being accused of "strong-arm tactics" in backing Murtha. The result of the Hoyer-Murtha showdown is expected to be known by around 10:30 am ET. The meeting got underway at 9:00 am ET.

The newly-elected Democratic Majority Leadership will speak at a press conference outside Cannon 345 immediately following the meeting. Watch closely the body language of the winner, the loser, and the Speaker-Presumptive.

The House Republican Conference was scheduled to hold a closed Republican leadership candidates forum, in advance of Friday's party leadership elections, at 9:00 am ET.

One day after former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-WI) announced his intention to join the growing ranks of White House hopefuls, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) delivers two major speeches today. Sen. McCain delivers 3:00 pm ET remarks about judges to the Federalist Society at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. (Justice Samuel Alito is slated to address the Federalist Society Conference at 7:00 pm ET.)

The Arizona Senator delivers 6:30 pm ET remarks at a GOPAC Charter Members Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, DC. The White House hopeful is expected to argue that last week's Republican losses "were not so much that our principles have become unpopular, but that we deserted our principles in order to stay in power."

Earlier in the day, Sen. McCain delivers noon remarks about energy, the environment, and the economy in Washington, DC to Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.

The President delivers a radio address from the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore at 6:20 pm ET.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) was scheduled to speak to GOPAC at 8:00 am ET. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) addresses the group at 12:30 pm ET.

Gingrich was also scheduled to discuss "Work over Welfare" at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC at 9:00 am ET.

The former Speaker joins Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) and others at 11:00 am ET for a meeting of the Task Force on the Future of American Innovation at the Reserve Officers Association in Washington, DC. Gingrich and others will push for greater Defense Department funding of basic research as well as full funding of President Bush's American Competitiveness Initiative.

To tout Democratic plans to push for a higher federal minimum wage, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) joins Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney at 2:00 pm at the Dirksen Senate Building. Ballot measures to raise the minimum wage were successful in six of six states last week.

Sen. Clinton also attends a HELP Committee Hearing on "Building a 21st Century FDA" in the Dirksen Senate Office Building at 10:00 am ET in Washington, DC.

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), who is moving closer to a presidential FEC filing, delivers 11:00 am ET remarks entitled "Toward a New Age of Idealism" at Howard University's School of Business.

The former Peace Corps volunteer is expected to quote former Secretary of State Colin Powell as saying "there's a sense that 'the world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism.'" Sen. Dodd, whose father was the number two prosecutor for the United States at the Nuremberg trials, is also expected to say: "It is impossible to imagine a John Kennedy or a Bill Clinton - - or even a Ronald Reagan - - signing that shameful torture bill that our President signed into law a month ago."

Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA) delivers a speech on "Energy Choices for the New Century" at 9:30 pm ET at the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder, CO.

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) is expected to speak on the Senate floor today regarding what he sees as the "moment for change in Iraq" and, according to a Kerry aide, will emphasize that "bipartisanship is actions taken, not words spoken." Kerry plans to continue to make the case that deadlines are needed to force a change in Iraq. The Massachusetts Senator also holds a conference call to discuss the agenda for the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship which he chairs at 4:45 pm ET.