The early reception is skeptical at best

Tony Snow was fending them off today.

Q What are you expecting the American people to hear on Wednesday that will change the mind of the majority of American people who don't want to see an open-ended escalation of troops?

Q Tony, does the President believe that up until now the policy of what to do with our troops -- their posture, how to deploy them -- has been a failure?

Q The President is isolated in terms of the Iraqi policy and he seems to be among the few who thinks that this step, or any step can actually result in victory. I'm wondering where his mind-set is, how he arrived at this point in doing something that remains quite unpopular?

Q I guess the challenge would be who besides the President thinks that the war is winnable at this stage?

Q But the President will use the word "victory"?

Q But, I mean, isn't it true that there are limitations as to what the United States can do in Iraq, that much of this rests on the shoulders of the Maliki government and others within the Maliki government?

Q So how can the White House say with certainty that what the President will unveil is, in fact, the way forward for Iraq?

Q My gist is this: Can you point to any single, specific thing, other than good intentions, that Maliki has done?

Q You never answered Helen's third question there, will this be with the President through the end of his administration? Is he going to leave this for the next person?


Yes he will, and that'd better be one hell of a speech.