Sneak Peek: Crocker Speaks to Biden's Senate Panel from Baghdad

July 18, 2007— -- Joe Biden steps onto center stage Thursday when Amb. Ryan Crocker appears in front of his Senate Foreign Relations Committee via videoconference from Baghdad to answer questions about the situation in Iraq.

Biden will ask Crocker why the Bush administration expects Iraq to make political progress "in two months, when we haven't been able to make it in 4 years," per Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander.

He'll also ask: "What reason is there to believe the failing grades of the interim report will reverse to good grades in just two months?"

The event gets underway at 10:30 am ET from Dirksen 419.

Barack Obama, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee which Biden chairs, campaigns in New Hampshire Thursday, holding a 4:45 pm ET open press ice cream social in Sunapee.

Speaking of Obama, will any '08ers weigh in on his telling Planned Parenthood that sex education for kindergarteners, as long as it is "age appropriate," is the "right thing to do"?LINK

Watch the video: LINK

Former President Bill Clinton appears Thursday morning on ABC News' "Good Morning America" from the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, South Africa. Clinton is touring various Clinton Foundation initiatives in Africa. While the former president is in Africa, the other half of the "commuter couple" par excellence spends her day in Washington, D.C., with no public campaign events.

Bill Richardson, who has moved ahead of Edwards in one New Hampshire poll, campaigns in Iowa where he holds an international relations forum at 12:00 pm ET followed by several "Presidential Job Interviews" in Newton (3:15 pm ET), Tama (5:30 pm ET), and Marshalltown (7:15 pm ET).

In a new Iowa ad, Richardson, who does not want any residual U.S. forces left in Iraq, says, "We need to get all of our troops out of Iraq." LINK

For his part, John Edwards attends a community meeting in Knoxville, Iowa, and then addresses the Iowa AFSCME convention in Des Moines. Elizabeth Edwards, who appears in a new ad for her husband, holds a fundraiser in Oklahoma City, Okla.

As for the Republicans, Rudy Giuliani delivers 10:00 am ET remarks on his plan to lead America towards energy independence at the ethanol plant Hawkeye Renewables in Fairbank. After that, Giuliani attends meet and greets in Watterloo (1:00 pm ET), and Cedar Rapids (3:30 pm ET), followed by a tour of Clipper Windpower Inc. (5:00 pm ET). He finishes his day with a 7:30 pm ET town hall meeting in Davenport.

Mitt Romney heads to South Carolina for a 12:30 pm ET press event in Spartanburg and a barbeque picnic in West Columbia at 5:45 pm ET.

Staying focused on Iowa, Sam Brownback holds a youth outreach ice cream social at 5:30 pm ET in Des Moines. He then attends a 6:15 pm ET house party in Urbandale, and throws out the first pitch at the Iowa Cubs minor league baseball game at 8:00 pm ET in Des Moines.

John McCain deals with his Senate business in Washington, DC.

As for President Bush, he is in Tennessee visiting Nashville Bun Company at 10:50 pm ET before delivering remarks on the budget at Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville.

At 12:00 pm ET on Thursday, the Iowa Republican Party holds a press conference at party headquarters in Des Moines announcing details of the Aug. 11 Straw Poll.

Here's a preview:

The Straw Poll's emcee will be Laura Ingraham. Each candidate will have 15 minutes to speak. The event gets underway at 12:30 pm ET with Mitt Romney speaking first.

Here is the order:

Mitt Romney

Tom Tancredo

John Cox

Ron Paul

Mike Huckabee

Duncan Hunter

Tommy Thompson

Sam Brownback

(The Iowa GOP is still waiting to hear from Fred Thompson).

POLITICAL STORIES ON ABCNEWS.COM:

ABC News' Teddy Davis and Lindsey Ellerson Report: Sex Ed for Kindergarteners 'Right Thing to Do,' Says Obama LINK

ABC News' Jennifer Parker Reports "Wealthy Industries Are Giving to Candidates"LINK

ABC News' David Muir "Is Elizabeth Edwards the Voice of the Campaign"LINK

ABC News' Kate Snow "Jimmy Carter Laments Iraq War's Unnecessary Costs"LINK

ABC News Z. Byron Wolf "All-nighter atmospherics and the chauffeur John McCain"LINK

ABC News' Sunlen Miller "Ann Romney in South Carolina: A Family Affair"LINK

ABC News' Matthew Jaffe "Senate Slumber Party Features Surprise Performance from Code Pink"LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper "Fishy Behavior"LINK

ABC News' Jake Tapper "Senate Sleepover"LINK

POLITICAL VIDEO ON ABCNEWS.COM:Romney Ad: 'Ocean'LINK

Richardson Ad: Stand UpLINK

Edwards Ad: 'Thirty Years'LINK