The Note: Reckless Cautiousness

— -- WASHINGTON, Feb. 14

President Bush, who hasn't dominated a news cycle since his State of the Union address, attempts to keep the 2008 race at bay, show he can still bag foreign policy wins (North Korea), poo-poo the Iraq debate in the House as noise not related to the mission at hand, and grab the proverbial reins at his 11:00 am ET news conference -- his first of the year -- in the East Room of the White House.

Words and phrases the President should probably avoid: "I don't pay attention to Congress," "pardon," "Democrat Party," "Dick Cheney and I believe," "he seems like an articulate fellow, but...."

ABC News' Jessica Yellin reports that "the President is expected to make an opening statement in which he will say that he has talked to Petraeus this morning and is expected to make comments on Iraq -- including the House debate -- and on North Korea."

Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid plan to lead a group of bipartisan bicameral congressional leaders to the White House for a 3:30 pm ET meeting with President Bush. Happy talk therein? Stakeout after? You make the calls.

Mitt Romney (R-MA) continues his announcement tour today traveling to South Carolina. The former governor delivers 11:00 am ET remarks at Seawell's Fairgrounds in Columbia. His event scheduled for 4:30 pm ET at Hopkinton Town Hall in Hopkintown, NH has been postponed due to the wintry weather travel delays.. Words and phrases Romney should probably avoid: "Ted Kennedy," "Massachusetts Miracle," "my faith teaches me," and "as Kevin Madden told me to say."

The House of Representatives meets at 10:00 am ET to continue its consideration of the Iraq war resolution. Things to Note so far:

1. White House and minority leadership pressure might keep Republican defections below the CW levels.

2. Democrats seem to be paying no price for not allowing a vote on an alternative.

3. The questions of what the Senate does next -- and what the House does next -- are more important than this.

As if on cue (and to throw the ball back into the court of the Clinton and Obama camps), Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) holds a conference call at 10:30 am ET to announce a "comprehensive proposal to enact his plan for Iraq."

Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) appears tonight on CNN's "Larry King Live" at 9:00 pm ET. Words and phrases Giuliani should probably avoid: "Mario Cuomo," "life begins," "open book," and "NRA."

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) participates in a panel of corporate leaders at Alliance of Communicators for Sustainable Development host a Legislators Forum on Climate Change at 2:30 pm ET in the Russell Senate office building. Sen Joe Lieberman (I/D-CT) is on the panel also. Words and phrases McCain should probably avoid: "Iraq" and "dirt."

Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) join Rep. Henry A. Waxman, at an 11:30 am ET press conference to announce the introduction of the "Access to Life-Saving Medicine Act" at the Rayburn Office Building in Washington, DC. Words and phrases Clinton should probably avoid: "it requires 60 votes," "we are winning," "I know how to stand up to the Republicans," and "you would have to ask Ann Lewis about that."

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) was scheduled to take part in a 9:30 am ET discussion with the Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, DC on the release of their report on the prison population forecast.

Fresh from his press conference, President Bush meets with Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf at 1:40 pm ET in the Oval Office, marking the President's 100th meeting with an African Head of State.

Vice President Cheney delivered 8:30 am ET remarks at the National Association of Manufacturers' Breakfast Meeting at the JW Marriot in Washington, DC.

"Comedian and talk-show host Al Franken appears poised to launch a run for the state's Senate seat, currently held by Senator Norm Coleman, R-Minn," writes ABC News' Matthew Jaffe in his preview of Franken's final Air American radio show today. LINK

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy testifies at a 10:00 am ET hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on judicial security and independence.

The Senate Select Intelligence Committee holds a 2:30 pm ET hearing on CIA detention, interrogation, and renditions.

The House Appropriations Committee holds a 10:00 am ET budget overview hearing which includes testimony from Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Presidential press conference:
ABC News' Knollerian Karen Travers reports that although President Bush has yet to hold a news conference this year, he did give two major addresses -- his Jan. 10 speech announcing a troop increase in Iraq and his Jan. 23 State of the Union address -- and interviews to ABC News, Fox News, NPR, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal as well as regional television stations." LINK

(ABC News' Ann Compton Notes that "the White House communications strategy was clearly trying to go over the heads of the White House press corps with those interviews. Today's press conference comes as something of a surprise to reporters here.")

More Travers: "But in terms of full press conferences, the President was on a 10 month streak -- he held a press conference every month since March 2006."

"February was the only month last year that he did not have a press conference, but he held two in October to reach a grant total of 12 last year (by far the most he has held in one year -- see list below)."

Press conferences by the year:

2001 -- 4
2002 -- 3
2003 -- 4
2004 -- 4
2005 -- 7
2006 -- 12
2007 -- 1

2008: Republicans: Romney announces:
On "Good Morning America," ABC News' Kate Snow interviewed and profiled Ann Romney, spouse.

The Boston Globe's Scott Helman Notes that Romney's announcement "lacked the vigor of some of his past campaign appearances" but that the soundtrack played projected Romney's "man-from-the- Heartland" image. LINK

The Boston Globe on the Romney-Massachusetts complicated relationship. LINK

The Boston Globe ed board describes what it believes are Romney's sharp strategic decisions, from his announcement in Michigan to his "agility" in issue positions, where the former Governor adjusts accordingly to "fit each new constituency" and where he seeks opportunities that "best serve his ambitions." LINK

In her recap of Romney's announcement, the Washington Post's Anne Kornblut reports that Romney has made "sizable shifts" since 1994 on "issues such as abortion and gay rights" exposing himself to charges of "inconsistency and political opportunism." LINK

On Iraq, Romney "said little about his plan for ending the occupation or quelling the violence, and he left himself room to maneuver if President Bush's troop increase fails to calm the strife."

Even though a lot of Old Media types back in Washington have a hard time understanding this, the Washington Times' Ralph Z. Hallow has Chuck Laudner, executive director of Iowa's Republican Party, saying that Romney's "biggest applause of the day" came when he "expressed support for President Bush and the war in Iraq." LINK

The Des Moines Register's Lisa Rossi reports on Gov. Romney's post-announcement visit to Iowa, which was followed by "mixed reviews" by attending Iowans because of his changed positions on social issues and skepticism about his "ability to achieve his goals internationally and domestically, while keeping spending in check." LINK

Under the headline "Claiming Outsider Status, Romney Says He'll Seek the White House," the New York Times' Adam Nagourney writes, ". . . with his 20-minute announcement here in Michigan, Mr. Romney, 59, took the latest step in his transformation from a Republican who won election as governor of Massachusetts, one of the most Democratic states in the nation, to a candidate trying to capture his party's presidential nod in a nominating process dominated by social conservatives." LINK

More Nagourney: "Mr. McCain's advisers said they would hammer Mr. Romney and try to portray him the same way Republicans portrayed the last Massachusetts politician who ran for president, John Kerry, as a flip-flopper."

And yet more: "His speech drew a relatively small and subdued crowd, particularly in comparison with the crowd at the announcement speech by Senator Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat, on Saturday in Springfield. Mr. Romney spoke nearly seven minutes before drawing a round of applause. He rushed through much of the speech, finishing in 20 minutes, before heading for a plane for Iowa."