The Note: Put on Some Speed

— -- WASHINGTON, Feb. 26

All of American politics 2007 (and, of course, most of 2008) will be determined by the fallout from Democratic efforts on Capitol Hill to force President Bush to change course in Iraq.

The implications of Democrats' success or -- under today's conventional wisdom -- failure to force the White House's hand will carom far and wide.

The overall Democratic strategic imperative remains the same -- use public opinion to pressure enough Republicans to go to the President and demand a change -- knowing that Democratic votes and voices alone won't do it.

This strategy has run into a number of problems, however, both political and substantive. Okay: mostly political.

Perhaps the Democrats, back in town this week and caucusing ferociously, will find a way to change the trajectory of the political debate, but they are losing fast.

To wit:

1. Doing massive code breaking on just how much ground the Democrats have lost, warrior Bob Novak Notes in a 100-proof must-read that (even) Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Norm Coleman (R-MN) are not inclined to support deauthorization of the war, illustrating the backward movement. LINK

2. The White House is impervious to facts on the ground when it comes to changing course.

3. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is fearless, tactical, and loyal to the White House -- meaning everything is filibusterable.

4. Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) is, once again, Karl Rove's best friend, in terms of creating divisions within the Democrat Party and giving full-blooded life to the White House's "defund the troops" straw man. LINK

5. Most Blue State Republicans up in 2008, typified by John Sununu (R-NH), just aren't all that afraid of losing their seats over Iraq.

6. Democrats in the House and Senate are not coordinating very well on message or legislative strategy, and are starting to point fingers in that classic party circular firing squad manner.

7. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I/D-CT) -- flexing in a(nother) Wall Street Journal op ed today -- challenges Democrats to give the surge a chance to work through the summer, creating the patina of bipartisanship the Republicans need. LINK

8. Speaker Pelosi has allowed herself to be Cheneyed. (Pronounced "chee-kneed," not "chay-need.") The conservative base is fully rallied, easing pressure on GOP officeholders.

9. Chairman Levin saying he wants to "tie the President's hands" and knowing that that is not the best soundbite, but also knowing he can't unring the bell.

10. The White House's deft playing of the Petraeus card.

Sure, you can take your eye off of the Iraq ball and be distracted by 2008 must-reads from the last 72 hours (read them all), but that would be wrong:
1. Somebody has to explain how Newsweek got interviews with both David Geffen and Maureen Dowd -- and how MoDo's explanation of how the interview went (she led) -- and Geffen's kicker quote -- square with the conventional wisdom: "Geffen ...denies any animus against the Clintons. 'I think Bill Clinton is a great guy,' he tells NEWSWEEK. 'I support them both. I just don't think she can be elected president.'" LINK

2. Someone who is an insider you outsiders know is going to have to explain to you the major Gang of 500 signifigance of the Greg Craig vs Cheryl Mills subplot of the Obama/Clinton narrative. LINK

3. Someone finally dropped some oppo on Rudy (in Sunday's New York Post -- by the shoe-leathery Maggie Haberman -- on his anti-Republican, not-so-pro-Israel student writings). Wonder who -- and when and where the next batch falls. LINK

3. Someone is setting up John Edwards on Iowa expectations. Tom Beaumont in Sunday's Des Moines Register had this insanity: "New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama 'could carry on with only a reasonable finish in Iowa,' [University of Iowa political science professor Peverill] Squire said. 'But for Edwards, he really does need to land a knockout blow in Iowa to have the momentum he needs to carry him to the next couple of states.'"LINK

4. Someone working for John McCain better get the New York Times to understand that the Arizona Senator has some reasonable religious conservative support. LINK

5. Someone working for Hillary Clinton's better address her BIG problem with the Gang of 500, as Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post LINK Bob Herbert of the New York Times LINK, and Bill Kristol make mischief. LINK), keeping warm the Seelye/Connolly/Sobieraj seats until (hostile) beat reporters are assigned. (Anne Kornblut made a Sunday down payment in the Washington Post. LINK)

Fully on guard for a Roy Romer-41 moment over the war, President Bush meets with the nation's governors to discuss the "No Child Left Behind Act" in the State Dining Room at 11:20 am ET. Following the meeting, Gov. Janet Napolitano (D-AZ), the chairwoman of the National Governors' Association, will hold a short media availability in the White House driveway. The Washington press corps will hear from the bulk of the nation's governors -- including Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) -- at a 12:15 pm ET press conference at the J.W. Marriot Hotel.

President Bush raises money for Republican governors this evening when he delivers 6:35 pm ET remarks at a Republican Governors Association gala at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Apart from the guv-related items on his schedule, President Bush takes part in a 2:30 pm ET Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room. He also delivers the annual report to the Boy Scouts in the Diplomatic Room at 3:05 pm ET.

Jury deliberations in the trial of Scooter Libby were scheduled to resume at 9:00 am ET. After his surprise visit to Pakistan, Vice President Cheney is now in Afghanistan for a meeting with President Hamid Karzai.

Be sure to tune into Nightline at 11:30 pm ET for the latest installment of its 2008 campaign series. You can see ABC News' Terry Moran chat with former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) in New Hampshire.

In his Nightline interview, Edwards talks about paying for his health care plan.

Edwards also says in the interview that the Geffen-related sparring between Clinton and Obama is "sad". LINK

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) delivers 12:30 pm ET remarks stressing the importance of centrism in American politics at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

Gov. Richardson delivers 3:20 pm ET to the National Congress of American Indians 110th Congress Executive Council at the Wyndham Hotel in Washington, DC.

NGA Chairwoman Napolitano and Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), the vice chairman of the NGA, join Carl Schramm, the president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation, at a 2:00 pm ET event celebrating Entrepreneurship Week USA at the J.W. Marriot Hotel.

Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) delivers 7:00 pm ET remarks on energy and jobs to the Apollo Alliance at the District of Columbia's Hotel Washington.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani delivers a 12:00 pm ET keynote at the Hoover Institution Overseers Luncheon at the Willard Hotel Ballroom. Giuliani then attends a 6:00 pm ET event sponsored by the Virginia GOP at the Tysons Corner Marriott in Vienna, VA.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is in Alabama today raising support. He will be interviewed by Fox affiliate WBRC-TV at 2:00 pm ET.

With the March 1 Spartanburg and Cherokee County Straw Poll fast approaching, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) participates in a 12:00 pm ET forum with Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) at Wade's in Spartanburg, SC. Brownback then holds a 4:30 pm ET town hall meeting at The Beacon.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) holds a 6:00 pm ET fundraiser and rally at Cuyahoga Community College in Highland Hills, OH.

Former Senator John Edwards (D-NC) holds a campaign fundraiser in New Jersey.

At the Louisiana Supreme Court Building in New Orleans, LA, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds a 11:00 am ET hearing on "Wetlands, Landfills, and Levees".

Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Pete Stark hold a 2:30 pm ET briefing for members of Congress and their staffers on medicals costs and credit card debt at the Capitol.

The American Enterprise Institute was scheduled to hold a 9:00 am ET briefing on how the President's tax deduction for health insurance with former Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA).

The Senate reconvenes at 2:00 pm ET and proceeds to the reading of the Washington farewell address by Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN). Then the Senate will begin a period of morning business. No roll call votes are expected.