The Next Campaign Stop: Iraq Hearings

Democrats saw something very different. "We cannot be in that position, where our troops are brought into a communal conflict and have their lives jeopardized by a prime minister who's got a political agenda, not just a military agenda, and who's highly sectarian, with a corrupt administration," Levin said.

In the ideological duel that will unfold tomorrow, McCain will have a distinct logistical advantage, Republicans are quick to note. As the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, he will deliver the second statement and the second set of questions, and will have the right to interject at will. Allies said he is likely to toss out Clinton's statement from the September hearing that it would take "a willing suspension of disbelief" to accept Petraeus's security assessment, and Clinton -- lacking seniority -- will only be able to watch.

Finally, McCain's positive assessment of progress in Iraq will jibe with the testimony of Petraeus and Crocker.

"There's no strategy to back him up on anything," Chambliss said. "John's independent. John's going to ask what John wants to ask, and probably take as much time as he wants to take and go as many rounds as he wants to go."

Republican skeptics on Iraq are plentiful on the Foreign Relations Committee, but the Armed Services Committee Republicans are a hawkish lot, Chambliss noted -- and they will be backed by independent Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.), a Democrat by heritage but a bulwark of McCain's defenders. In contrast, Clinton, whose seniority ranks ninth of 12, is unlikely to get a word in until late in the session.

Obama may be in even worse shape. The Foreign Relations Committee, famous for its long-winded and assertive chairman, will not begin its hearing until 2:30, and if all members show, Obama would be 13th to speak -- possibly after the evening news. Biden made it clear Friday he plans no deference to the junior senator from Illinois, saying that would be "putting a big light up, saying this is all politics." Obama aides said Friday he had not asked to be moved up in the questioning.

"On the Banking Committee, you get to speak if you show up early. On Foreign Relations, it's strictly by seniority," lamented Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), who recently endorsed Obama.

Obama supporters were cautioning not to expect a game-changing moment. "This campaign is much bigger than a hearing on the Hill and seven minutes of questioning," said Kerry, the panel's third-ranking Democrat. "I don't think that Obama is relying on that as his strategic moment at all."

But even for the candidates not slated for prime time, the stakes might be considerable. "This hearing will be carried live and watched by few. The comments in this hearing will be replayed endlessly," Graham said.

All three senators have indicated they are preparing diligently. Obama told reporters aboard his campaign plane Friday that he will press Petraeus and Crocker to answer a question pointedly posed in September by former Armed Services Committee chairman John W. Warner (R-Va.): Has the Iraq war made the nation safer?

"Essentially, what we've seen both from the administration and from John McCain is a trumpeting of improvements from a horrific situation to simply a unsustainable and intolerable situation," Obama said. "It's looking at the entire picture that I think is the obligation of the president."

Democrats will press their contention that the recent flare-up of violence in Basra showed a failure of leadership by the Iraqi government and a failure of military training by the Bush administration.

Another flash point will be news that the Iraqi government is running a surplus of at least $30 billion from oil profits, yet U.S. taxpayers continue to foot the bill for reconstruction and military training.

Committee Republicans said McCain is ready to challenge Clinton on her statements from September. And he is likely to take ownership of the "surge" strategy that sent tens of thousands more troops to Iraq and refocused their mission on civilian security.

"The two big themes will be: 'Did my theory or belief that more combat power lead to a more stable Iraq? Did that work?' And secondly: 'Okay, if we change strategy, if we adopt the Clinton-Obama pathway, what's the most likely consequence?' " Graham said.

Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines said the senator will press Petraeus and Crocker on what she sees as a lack of political progress in Iraq, the rising influence of Iran and "the strain on our military caused by the continuing presence of large numbers of troops in Iraq."