The Note: Wagons and Firing Squads

— -- WASHINGTON, Mar. 14

On Iraq, congressional Democrats and their 2008 presidential candidates are (moving towards being) united on how to proceed.

But in forging bicameral plans that can (maybe) win majorities, Democrats have (re)united congressional Republicans (and Joe Lieberman) in support of the President's Iraq policy. And Barack Obama makes it clear in an interview with the phone-obsessed John DiStaso of the Union Leader that Democratic Senators don't care much for their House partymates' Iraq plan. LINK

The Republican decision to hang together is a short-term problem for Democrats and their desire to end the war. (But as the Washington Post's Dan Balz and Shailagh Murray report in a must read, Iraq could be a looming 2008 problem for Republicans. LINK)

On Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, congressional Democrats and their 2008 presidential candidates are (mostly) united on how to proceed.

And/but because congressional Republicans maintain their reflexive public loyalty (their private thoughts notwithstanding), they are not calling for the departure of the Attorney General. (And the Wall Street Journal page is SO back on the Rove reservation, making it all about Webb Hubbell in their ultimate must-read editorial for those who wish to understand how the battle lines are now drawn. LINK)

But/and as the blind quotes in the must-read New York Times story by Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Jeff Zeleny make clear, some Bush loyalists are using the Gray Lady to signal to Gonzales that it is time for him to go.

The Times duo smuggle into their lede piece two anonymous sources who play the national security card against the President's close personal friend!! LINK

"The two Republicans, who spoke anonymously so they could share private conversations with senior White House officials, said top aides to Mr. Bush, including Fred F. Fielding, the new White House counsel, were concerned that the controversy had so damaged Mr. Gonzales's credibility that he would be unable to advance the White House agenda on national security matters, including terrorism prosecutions."

One of the Timespersons' "close to the Bush administration" sources says, "I really think there's a serious estrangement between the White House and Alberto now."

And the other one says this: "They're taking it seriously . . . I think Rove and Bolten believe there is the potential for erosion of the president's credibility on this issue."

Note to the AG: you better figure out who those two sources are -- if you want to know what your chances are.

(And, from the same Times' story, in order to help out Frank Rich and Paul Krugman, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) says this, with no apparent irony: "I think there are times where you just have to do what you feel is right, and this is one of those times.")

Despite Gonzales energetic round of morning show appearances (nearly the full Ginsberg), the brutal filleting by Ruth Marcus on the Washington Post op-ed page LINK makes clear that not all the questions have been answered quite yet.

At press time, Gonzales' schedule could not be determined.

"After months of talk -- and several different Democratic (and some previously bipartisan) proposals on Iraq -- today is the Iraq debate day in the Senate," reports ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf. "There will likely be a cloture vote at 11:00 am ET on the Reid / Pelosi Iraq withdrawal language. Republican Leader McConnell has signaled that Republicans will support cloture. So technically we will have a debate on the Iraq resolution. But it's unclear that Democrats have the 50 votes they would need for passage and it's assured that they don't have 60. And while Republicans will technically allow the debate, they will still subject the Iraq resolution to a 60 vote threshold. So this is a bit of a legislative shell game for both parties," adds Wolf. LINK

Wolf also reports that "it's still unclear if the debate will last for today only or if it will spill into tomorrow."

The influential International Association of Fire Fighters (with its bipartisan membership) hosts its presidential forum at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. Here's the line-up of speakers:

8:30 am ET: IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger
9:00 am ET: Sen. John Edwards (D-NC)
9:30 am ET: Gov. James Gilmore (R-VA)
10:00 am ET: Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)
10:30 am ET: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA)
11:00 am ET: Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
12:30 pm ET: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
1:00 pm ET: Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
1:30 pm ET: Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
2:00 pm ET: Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS)
2:30 pm ET Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM)
3:00 pm ET: Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE)

Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) avoids the potential hub-bub with the firefighters and attends a 6:00 pm ET (open press) fundraising reception at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers in New York City. Former SNL cast member Dennis Miller is expected to play emcee for the evening.

Attempting to win back control of his public image, Sen. McCain heads to Iowa where he will campaign in Alton, IA at a soup dinner at the Sioux Golf and Country Club at 7:00 pm ET.

In addition to the IAFF cattle call, Sen. Clinton and Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) hold a 10:15 am ET press conference to announce an initiative in both chambers of Congress to provide access to healthcare coverage for all children. The New York Times' Robert Pear has the details. LINK

Later this evening, Sen. Clinton speaks at the Vital Voices "Women Changing Our World" Gala at 7:30 pm ET at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

Sen. Edwards continues his college tour with a 2:00 pm ET event at Howard University in Washington, DC.

Gov. Richardson delivers the 7:45 am ET keynote address to the Bear Stearns Global Oil and Gas Conference in New York City. The event is closed to the press. Later this evening, Gov. Richardson plans to attend a campaign fundraiser in Cleveland, OH.

Sen. Brownback starts his day with the firefighters by receiving the Defender of Economic Freedom Award from the Club for Growth at a 9:00 am ET ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

Sen. Dodd delivers 10:00 am ET remarks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Capital Markets Summit in Washington, DC.

Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-WI) is also in Iowa, beginning with a 10:20 am ET address to the Iowa House Republican Caucus in Des Moines, IA, followed by a 1:30 pm ET lunch with Linn County Republicans at Konstantino's in Cedar Rapids, IA, and ending with a 7:30 pm ET keynote address to a Clinton County GOP Fundraising Dinner in Clinton, IA.

Gen. Wesley Clark attends a 7:30 pm ET event for Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century at the Taj Lounge in New York City.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) gives an 8:00 pm ET address at Goucher College in Baltimore, MD.

Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) is in New Hampshire, where he gives a 7:30 am ET interview to the Charlie Sherman Radio Show on WGIR-AM, followed by a 9:00 am ET interview on New Hampshire Public Radio, 89.1. He then holds a 10:15 am ET meeting with employees at Northeast Delta Dental, followed by a noon ET luncheon at the New Hampshire State Library in Concord, NH. He then participates in a 2:15 pm ET taping of "Conversation with the Candidates" at the WMUR-TV studio (airing at a later date), and ends the day with a 6:30 pm ET house party in Bedford, NH.

President Bush begins his last day in Mexico by greeting the Training, Internships, Exchanges and Scholarships recipients at 10:45 am ET, followed by a 12:10 pm ET joint press conference with Mexico's President Felipe Calderon. The President is scheduled to return to the White House at 4:20 pm ET.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley (D-IL) appear at a 7:00 pm ET fundraising reception at the Hilton Chicago in Chicago, IL.

DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) are expected to be joined by freshman House Democrats at a 2:00 pm ET press conference on the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007.