The Note: With No Apologies to Bill Safire

— -- WASHINGTON, Nov. 27

You might be focused on holiday travel, office parties, gift buying, and why your relatives are so psychotic, but for the power players of politics -- who want to win the legislative battles of early 2007, the fundraising skirmishes of early-to-mid 2007, and the chance to inherit the Iraqi war from the current President Bush -- the future is now.

A quick perusal of any political news source makes one thing clear: no one has a bloody clue what is going on.

The best The Note can do, even after our little break, is to offer up some choices.

Thus, our Annual Post-Thanksgiving Note Quiz:

1. Jim Baker's main goal with the Iraq Study Group is
a. To give President Bush a political out.
b. To end the war in Iraq.
c. To secure his own place in history.
d. To give armchair psychobabbleists another crack at 41-43 data.

2. The President's communications aides' biggest quandary in planning the State of the Union is
a. How much of the speech to devote to Iraq.
b. How much of an olive branch to offer on Iraq.
c. What to say about judges.
d. What jokes to give the President to defuse all of the inevitable booing and hissing (from both sides of the aisle).

3. The lesson Rep. Nancy Pelosi learned from the Rangel-draft controversy was
a. There is no controlling what some members of the Caucus say.
b. The media is obsessed with meaningless things and there is nothing one can do about it.
c. George Miller might not have perfect judgment about everything.
d. Democrats need to act like the majority, even before they take over.

4. The entity/person most freaked out by the new Democratic majority is
a. Republican lobbyists.
b. Ken Johnson.
c. Senior Republican leadership aides.
d. The staff of the Weekly Standard.

5. Mel Martinez's model for how to be national chair of a major political party will be
a. Frank Fahrenkopf.
b. Ed Rendell.
c. Ken Mehlman.
d. Bob Strauss.

6. The most underrated person in Washington is
a. Ed Markey.
b. Peter Baker.
c. Mark Salter.
d. John McCain.

7. Barack Obama's biggest variable is
a. Does the low-hanging fruit add up to $30 million, or more than $30 million.
b. What did he leave out of the first book that would be hard to explain.
c. What does he know that John Glenn, Bob Kerrey, and Bill Bradley do not.
d. Family matters.

8. The person who has the clearest chapter-and-verse hold on Mitt Romney's past statements and actions on abortion, gay rights, and other hot button issues is
a. A Boston Globe reporter.
b. John Weaver.
c. Mitt Romney.
d. A DNC oppo researcher.

9. Coverage of Governor Vilsack's presidential announcement tour will garner how many total minutes on the three broadcast network evening newscasts:
a. Less than 1 minute.
b. 1 minute-2 minutes.
c. 2 minutes-4 minutes.
d. More than 4 minutes.

10. The entity or person most angry with Pelosi's choice for Intelligence chair will be
a. Alcee Hastings.
b. The Congressional Black Caucus.
c. The Washington press corps.
d. The White House.

11. The President's first veto in the New, New Normal will be of a bill on
a. Spending.
b. Foreign policy.
c. A social issue.
d. Intelligence.

12. Hillary Clinton will first set foot on New Hampshire soil in
a. January.
b. February.
c. March.
d. After March.

13. The most-likely factor that could keep John McCain from becoming 44 will be
a. Age.
b. Temper.
c. Temperament.
d. He doesn't run.

14. The third most-likely Republican 2008 presidential nominee is
a. Rudy Giuliani.
b. Newt Gingrich.
c. Someone not on anyone's list right now.
d. Anyone who can raise $20 million by June 30, 2007.

15. The Bush Administration official most likely destined for political stardom in 2007 is
a. Josh Bolten.
b. Secretary Rice.
c. Secretary Paulson.
d. Gordon Johndroe.

You gotta play to win. The answers are here: LINK

President Bush has departed for Estonia for the first leg of his second overseas trip in as many weeks, but all eyes are on the Wednesday meeting with the Prime Minister of Iraq in Jordan.

The Baker/Hamilton led Iraq Study Group convenes in Washington, DC at the Ronald Reagan Building (with stakeouts galore) today and tomorrow to debate the initial draft report of its recommendations. Leon Panetta will be class pet.

The hand recount requested by Democratic challenger Larry Kissell in North Carolina's 8th congressional district gets underway today. Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC) led by 329 votes after the machine recount was completed.

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) signs copies of his book, "HOME: The Blueprints of Our Lives," in Cambridge, MA and Manchester, NH.

Potential presidential candidate Mayor Michael Bloomberg meets with community leaders and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly about the police shooting over the weekend in which a groom was killed and two of his friends wounded. After the meeting, Bloomberg and Kelly will hold a Q&A at approximately 11:45 am ET. (Let the "Bloomberg vs. Giuliani handling of police shooting" comparison stories flow.)

At 10:30 am ET, First Lady Laura Bush receives the official White House Christmas tree at the North Portico of the White House.

The Capitol Christmas tree will be set up on the west front of the Capitol at 10:00 am ET.

Be sure to check out our look at the week ahead in politics below.

Politics of Iraq:
David Sanger of the New York Times breaks some news on the ISG, reporting that their draft report "urges an aggressive regional diplomatic initiative that includes direct talks with Iran and Syria but sets no timetables for a military withdrawal." LINK

On "Good Morning America," former President Jimmy Carter said to ABC News' Robin Roberts that everybody is waiting for the report and that his "guess is that President Bush will take their advice as much as he possibly can." Carter said he agrees with any call for direct U.S. talks with Iran and Syria over Iraq: "This is one of the most counterproductive policies that I've ever known,. . . . not to talk to the people who disagree with you unless they agree in advance to everything you demand."