Congressional Procession of Iraq Proposals Likely to Lead Nowhere

"No, we've stayed away from the funding here," Dodd answered.

Any co-sponsors? "I haven't asked."

How about supporters in the House? "I haven't talked to anyone on the House side about it, either."

Next in the Senate TV studio: Biden, another Democratic presidential candidate, introducing his nonbinding resolution. Unlike Dodd, Biden had co-sponsors, but he could not remember everybody's name.

"Good afternoon, folks," he began. "Today, Senator Hagel and Senator Lugar and I . . ."

"Levin," Levin corrected him.

"Levin!" Biden agreed, putting his arm around Levin. "Jiminy Christmas. I just left Lugar."

The difficulties were just beginning. "If you feel so strongly, why a symbolic, nonbinding resolution?" asked ABC News's Jake Tapper.

Biden reasoned: "I cannot believe that the president of the United States would not pay heed to a bipartisan resolution passed by the United States, notwithstanding it's not binding."

Senate gallery rules are binding, however, and Biden's group vacated the room at 3:01 p.m. because the Clinton entourage had booked the studio. The New York senator wasted little time dismissing the Biden plan.

"I certainly will support that," she said. "But from what I've heard out of the administration thus far, I think we will eventually have to move to tougher requirements on the administration to get their attention." One of her tougher requirements: the limit on troop levels.

But even one of the participants in Clinton's news conference wasn't necessarily on board with that. Additional troops "may already be in theater," McHugh said. "And I'd be hard-pressed to vote, while they are there, to say: 'Well, we have concerns about your mission.' "

The former first lady had no illusions that her plan would become law. "This is a work in progress," she told questioners. Still, she did have confidence in one prediction: "Others will come forward, you know, in the days ahead."

In the minutes ahead, as it turned out. Clinton had barely left the studio when Obama, who may be her presidential rival, sent out a press release one-upping her. "I not only favor capping the number U.S. troops in Iraq, but believe it's imperative that we begin the phased redeployment I called for two months ago," he said, "and intend to introduce legislation that does just that."