Report: White House plans aggressive PR effort for surge

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 — The White House is planning an aggressive effort to sell Congress and the American public on President Bush's new strategy for Iraq, beginning with a prime-time address to the nation Wednesday night, a trip by the president to Fort Benning, Ga., to visit with troops on Thursday and appearances on Capitol Hill by the secretaries of state and defense.

With Democrats vowing to oppose any plan to send more troops to Iraq, and some Republicans openly skeptical, aides to the president are planning an intense rollout that will include briefings by senior administration officials for reporters and lawmakers, and possible trips to the region by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, both of whom are scheduled to testify before Congress after Mr. Bush's speech.

Read the rest at the NY Times