The Note's Sneak Peek

May 24, 2007— -- What happens when a senator "cursed" with "the responsibility gene" and a senator who is not-so-into playing "chicken" with the troops have to vote on an Iraq funding bill that does not contain a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal?

We'll soon find out.

Once the Iraq vote is behind her, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., heads to Iowa on Friday for her first trip to the state since Mike Henry, her deputy campaign manager, argued that she would be wise to use money and time now dedicated to the Hawkeye State to compete in New Hampshire and later primaries.

Clinton has disowned the memo but the Iowa Democratic Party isn't being shy about how it feels about the advice contained in it.

"Bypassing Iowa would be a fatal mistake for any campaign to make," warns the Iowa Democratic Party's Carrie Giddins while Noting that Clinton will join Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, and Bill Richardson at next week's Hall of Fame dinner in Cedar Rapids.

Clinton's Friday events include a 2:00 pm ET discussion of veterans' issues at Northern Iowa Area Community College followed by a 5:00 pm ET stop in Charles City and a 7:15 pm ET stop in Algona. While Clinton is in Iowa, her husband delivers the 10:00 am ET commencement address at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

Once the Iraq vote is behind him, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., heads to Chicago where he delivers 1:00 pm ET remarks to the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.

Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., who has urged his rivals to "stand firm" on a timetable, holds a series of community meetings in the Iowa towns of Ford Madison, Keosauqua, Fairfield, Mount Pleasant, and Washington. He'll be discussing how the country can support veterans.

President Bush meets with wounded Marines at the National Naval Medical Center before heading to Camp David. The White House says the president will sign the Iraq funding bill when it gets to him but there will be no public signing ceremony, reports ABC News' Karen Travers.