For the president's traveling press corps, the story Monday was supposed to be the complex U.S.-Russia relations with the visit of President Vladimir Putin to the Bush family compound.

But a news jolt snapped me back to the Libby case.

When the president learned that a court refused to let former
Cheney advisor, Lewis "Scooter" Libby remain free during his appeal, Mr. Bush was with Putin. 

I was among the reporters on the  lawn waiting to hear from the two presidents.
          
President Bush knew he had a huge headline coming but did not show his hand.

He took Air Force One back to the White House before word got out.  His senior staff was with him.

Most reporters were still working on stories back in the carriage house of a quaint hotel that served as the Kennebunkport offices for media.
                  
When I found out about the commutation, I raced to the folding tables that were occupied by young White House staffers.  They knew why I was frantic.
 
One young aide said "It's coming out of the printer!" 

As we waited with that slow-motion feeling, the machine kicked out the crucial two page statement. A rented copy machine churned out more for huddled reporters.
            
I grabbed the pages and started to run out a service-area back door, up a hill to the hotel's lovely putting green where we were set up to do live reports.  A flurry of e-mails to sources filled out the picture of the president's decision, at least some of it.
            
So with sea air and the beautiful Maine coast as the unlikely setting, the Libby story swept away nearly all the Putin news.

Tuesday two stacks of dense, hard-to-read documents were passed out here at the White House and they contain some interesting bits of information about the president and vice president.

Like many other government officials, President Bush and Vice President Cheney are required to make a "public financial disclosure report." It's an outline of where their money is in all the various investment and bank accounts and in broad, ballpark terms how much they have.

But perhaps more reader friendly is the list of gifts they received and must disclose. In 2006, President Bush was given $12,364 worth of goodies.

From the vice president, Mr. Bush was given a "personal trainer and cycle computer" valued at $400. Cheney also picked out a $658 "wireless weather station" for the president. That must have been a White House favorite because the president gave Mr. Cheney a weather gift bag too. Cheney's is officially described on the form as "Instruments to measure temperature, barometric pressure and tides" and valued at $667.

The president's gift haul also included wooden benches, cuff links, ties, socks, t-shirts, golf clubs, a few sets of fishing gear, a couple of different hand-carved wooden puzzles and more than $300 worth of toys. He received a "chainsaw sharpener" from the White House Medical Unit. Guess they don't want any accidents caused by a dull blade.

Vice President Cheney outdid his boss and received gifts that totaled $21,674. On the list: A $399 Resistol cowboy hat, various glass sculptures, fishing gear, hunting boots, and an iPod and CDs valued at $778. I wonder what's on the Cheney playlist?

The White House is home to history of course, but sometimes those unexpected "firsts" are the stuff to make your head turn and your feet tap.

Today was one of those days. The president and Mrs. Bush hosted the first-ever Malaria Awareness Day. While there was serious conversation about fighting a deadly disease, the event in the sun-filled Rose Garden was capped with jubilant entertainment.

The Kankouran West African Dance Troupe performed while the president sat in the front row. At first, the president's head bobbed to the rhythmic beat, his foot tapped and his hands clapped, but just a little off beat.

But more was to come. The group invited the president forward and there was no turning back. Click here or on the image to watch.

Whether he really wanted to or not, President Bush began to move, arms in the air, hips side-to-side. The president was dancing! Mrs. Bush was dancing, too, but almost unnoticed because it was hard to look away from the presidential groove. Perhaps feeling or at least looking self conscious, the president shifted to a drum solo for a big finish that appeared to please his guests and the photographers.

Today, our fifth day of waiting for a Libby verdict, provided an unexpected opportunity to see Judge Reggie Walton, who has presided over this high profile trial with poise, show a far more passionate side. 

While the jury is down the hall working, the judge caught up on other cases. 

A series of young men came before him for repeat appearances and various criminal offenses. The judge was quite proper as he reviewed each man's new reason for being in court. But when that business was done, he addressed them personally with a fire that resonated deep belief and personal experience. Judge Walton is African-American and so were the young men in trouble.

Judge Walton raised his voice like an angry father. He thundered, "I get sick and tired of putting young black people in chains. When I go visit prisons, all I see is us." He delivered a powerful dose of history, telling them there was a time when "black people were held in chains and had no choice." He asked the men, "Do you want to live in chains?" and added, "I guess you like to be in bondage. I can't leave you on the street."

He sternly lectured another that if he keeps "breaking bad" his own life would be at risk from "another criminal." He scolded one 20-something man that he could turn his life around and find work: "Somebody who really wants to work can get a job.  Maybe not a good job, but a job. And then move up from there." The judge revealed both deep frustration and what surely looked like true concern.

His words reflected something personal. His own path had been rocky. He has said publicly that he was arrested three times in his youth growing up in a tough neighborhood near Pittsburgh. Many of his pals from those days were either jailed or dead. 

Judge Walton evolved from a star school athlete to a committed student. He worked his way through law school and ultimately became a Reagan appointee to the federal bench. There's much more to his bio, of course, but the essence of his hard earned achievement was vividly on the record today. It was meaningful. This part of Judge Walton had not been so evident during weeks of the Libby trial, when much power and privilege moved through his courtroom. He must be wondering if any of those young men were listening.

Just short of history. This would have been the day Vice President Dick Cheney walked into courtroom #16 and sat in the witness chair. But that won't happen. The vice president repeatedly said he was ready to raise his hand, take the oath, and testify on behalf of a loyal former adviser, Scooter Libby, who had been Cheney's chief of staff. But that won't happen. Mr. Cheney would have made history as the first sitting vice president to testify at a criminal trial, at least first in the modern day. But that won't happen. However, you can make the case that Cheney's shadow helped shape the jury that will soon sit in judgment of Libby on perjury and obstruction charges in the CIA leak case.

During jury selection, most of the roughly 50 potential jurors were asked their opinions of the vice president and the Bush administration. They heard lawyers ask, "The vice president will be a witness in this case and sit in the chair where you are sitting, can you view his testimony fairly?" Many were questioned to see if they had strong opinions about Mr. Cheney or the Bush administration that might interfere with Libby's right to a fair trial. Those who fessed up to angry feelings or strong opinions were dismissed.

The result: the jury of 12 and two alternates was essentially filtered to prevent picking a group where someone might judge Libby differently or even harshly because of the role he once held in the administration. Finding impartial jurors was Libby's absolute right. But some of those Cheney related questions might never have been asked and the jurors' views might never have been known if Cheney had not been the presumed star witness.

Two voices boom and fill the courtroom. Louder than what normally flows from a witness on the stand. These voices feel bigger than life. And what hangs in the air is the repeated sound of "I don't recall."

One voice belongs to the man on trial, Lewis "Scooter" Libby. The other to Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald who is prosecuting this case. Yet simultaneously, both men are sitting quietly at their opposing tables, sometimes taking notes or glancing to the big screen that displays their words scrolling line by line from a transcript. 

What we are listening to are tapes of Libby's grand jury testimony from March 2004. We haven't heard it all as of this writing, but I can share some impressions. Libby sounds calm and polite. What is most striking is that he uses the phrase "I don't recall" again and again. I would guess hundreds of times. It has been so frequent it almost feels like a reflexive response to question after question. The repetition makes use of every form of the phrase, ranging from "I don't know" to "I don't recollect" to "I don't remember."

His responses follow pressing and repeated questions about what he knew and who he talked to about a CIA operative, Valerie Wilson, whose husband was a vocal war critic. Libby's inability to remember appears in stark conflict with other witnesses who have already testified at this trial. Those witnesses, government officials and reporters, did recall in great detail discussing Valerie Wilson and her CIA job with Libby. Libby is not denying those conversations. He says he can't remember them. 

Sometimes it's tedious, but it's also intriguing -- especially as Libby recounts events inside the White House and conversations with the vice president. The kinds of things usually kept secret. Libby is accused of perjury and obstruction. He is charged with five felonies. Serious business. He, like any defendant, is presumed innocent.

The prosecution calls it a lie. The defense says Libby was a man too busy to remember all the details. The jury will have the final say.

Weeks before the Libby jury of nine women and three men gets the case and starts deliberations, the group is actively involved and being heard.

Judge Reggie Walton has given jurors notebooks so they can track the evidence and testimony. The notebooks are kept by the court's clerk.

But beyond the note taking to help prompt their memories later, the judge gives the Libby jurors a chance to pose questions in real time at the end of each witness's testimony. We've seen the flash of white note cards pop up in the jury box as they pass them down to the clerk. Sometimes four or five questions appear. Judge Walton reviews the written questions privately with the attorneys in what's called a "sidebar."

The juror questions that can be posed within the rules of the law are then addressed to the witness by the judge. Potentially this would clear up uncertainties and perhaps improve the deliberative process later.

For example, jurors wanted to know if Ari Fleischer had ever asked Libby if the details about Valerie Wilson were classified. Fleischer testified that Libby told him about Valerie Wilson working at the CIA and that it was "hush, hush." Fleischer then explained, turning toward the jury, that the typical White House practice was to say very clearly, "This is classified," before passing information. Fleischer said Libby had not done that so Fleischer assumed it was not classified.

Earlier, when Libby's CIA briefer Craig Schmall appeared, jurors wanted him to explain the symbols he used in his handwritten notes. They also asked how he knew Libby was "annoyed" about press leaks that might have come from the CIA as Schmall had testified. The witness who saw Libby several times a week said he could tell Libby was "annoyed" based on tone of voice and body language.

Advisors say the president's speech is running about 40 minutes, not counting applause. Brian anchors NBC News coverage beginning at 9 p.m. ET and expected to last at least an hour.

The president is rehearsing in the family theater at the White House. The speech has been revised more than 30 times and every word change generates a new draft. Advisors say the president has been personally involved in editing since the very early drafts. About a half dozen speech writers have been working the text. We'll have fact sheets about the speech in the early afternoon, excerpts at about 5:30 p.m. ET and full text as prepared for delivery by 8 p.m.

Advisors describe the address as centered on a "handful" of issues, as opposed to a so-called "laundry list" of proposals. They say the focus is on areas where both parties can work together. Here's what I've been able to glean from advisors so far in terms of specifics. Words or phrases in quotes were used by the advisors in their conversations with me.

Iraq: The president will give a "relatively short" "justification" for his troop increase. They say because an entire prime time speech was devoted to the new plan two weeks ago, the president will not dwell on many specifics. They expect the House chamber could be "quiet" but they do not anticipate any rude reaction even though the war policy is unpopular.

War on terror: The president will talk about larger issues of the "ideological struggle" against terrorism in which advisors acknowledge both parties have more agreement.

Health care reform: Advisors use the example of the cell phone industry as a model of what healthcare reform could look like: Competition has driven down costs and provided more options for the consumer. That is not to say the president will use that analogy in his address, but he will call for making employer-paid health care coverage taxable income that might be offset by a standard tax deduction for purchasing health insurance. The proposal is already facing sharp criticism. The White House considers it a "bold" proposal.

Energy: The president will talk about incentives for reducing harmful emissions, but will not advocate any caps. He will encourage alternative fuels and argue that cleaner fuels will automatically improve the environment. Described as a more "holistic" approach to energy security and climate change.

Education: The president will ask Congress to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act.

Immigration: The president will again argue for a guest worker program along with border security.

Advisors declined to talk about the guests in the first lady's box tonight and how the president will mention them tonight.

NBC News has confirmed the following about the president's address from various senior administration officials:

Where: The White House Library, not the Map Room as previously printed on a White House schedule.

Length: Aides say the run-throughs clock the speech at about 23 minutes. Advisors say they know they have to be "reasonable" and keep it under a half hour. They say there will be some poetic language, but mostly complex explanation of the plan and the circumstances that led to this point.

Key points: Advisors say the big news of the speech has largely all been reported now. The president will ask for roughly 20,000 additional troops. Most to Baghdad. About 4,000 to the west in Anbar Province. The president will speak about goals for Iraqis to take over operational security control by November. Advisors say "that's something Maliki wants."

Briefings: By day's end, 148 members of Congress will have been to the White House to be told about the plan by the president and his national security team. Consultations will be "steady" and "ongoing" in the days ahead. Today at 2:25 p.m. ET Speaker Pelosi and the bicameral leadership are due at the White House for their briefing according to advisors.

Context: Advisors say the president will in effect say "I get it." He will take responsibility and acknowledge that past attempts to secure Baghdad have failed and he will explain how and why he expects different results this time. Advisors referred to the president as being in "education and explanation mode." Advisors say the president will strongly reject any suggestion that this is a so called last ditch effort, as many critics assert. Advisors describe the speech as a "launching point" and say the president will continue to speak about the plan in a variety of settings. Tomorrow he goes to Fort Benning, Ga., to talk to troops more informally. Other senior officials like Secretaries Rice and Gates and Vice President Cheney are expected to reinforce the message with their own events and speeches. So far, no plans are set to place the president in an environment with a general American audience. The president also has his State of the Union address on Jan. 23 and preparations are underway for that.

Editor's note: Kelly posted the following in our sister blog, First Read, but since Nightly News will cover the story extensively tonight, I'm posting it here as well.

More White House build-up to President Bush's third speech on the war on terror at 1:30 p.m.: Senior Bush advisors say the speech and the accompanying proposal to correct the military tribunals for Guantanamo detainees, which the U.S. Supreme Court deemed unconstitutional back in June, will generate an "enormous amount of news."  When asked by the press corps if they're raising expectations, White House spokesperson Tony Snow responded, "We're gonna deliver today," and, "Trust me, it's better than you think."  However, he would not provide any further guidance on the "enormous amount of news" of the speech.  Hill lawmakers will be briefed before the speech today.

The party line apparently ends at the Connecticut border. The predictably loyal Bush White House will not endorse the Republican Senate candidate in the general election. 

You heard a great deal about the race because the incumbent Democrat, Sen. Joe Lieberman lost the primary to an anti-war newcomer, Ned Lamont. Alan Schlesinger is the Republican on the ballot. But he's getting no help from the RNC and none from the White House. I asked the president's spokesman Tony Snow about this and he said, "We are not making any endorsement in Connecticut. The Republican Party of Connecticut has suggested that we not make an endorsement in that race and so we are not." Really? The president, who is the head of the party, and has predicted Republicans will hold the House and Senate, is not weighing in during one of the most visible races? Snow says he believes it has happened before that a White House has withheld an endorsement and members of the press corps quickly asked for examples.  A list has not yet been provided, though we offered a friendly reminder that our request is still pending. When we get examples, we'll let you know.

Snow explained all this a couple of hours after Vice President Cheney appeared at a campaign event in Arizona and gave what amounted to a political hug to Sen. Lieberman. I say hug because much has been made of the president's embrace of the three-term senator after the State of the Union address and what looked to some like a kiss. A photo of that moment was used by Lieberman's opposition to paint Lieberman as too Bush cozy. It's a sentiment the vice president only reinforced when he spoke of Lieberman with a kind of praise rarely bestowed upon Democrats: "Senator Lieberman was my opponent in 2000 -- Al Gore's running, a long time senator, and one of the most loyal and distinguished Democrats of his generation. Joe is also an unapologetic supporter of the fight against terror." And then the vice president delivered his political blow to Democrats. "And now Mr. Dean's party has turned its back on Senator Joe Lieberman....the Dean Democrats have defeated Joe Lieberman. Their choice instead is a candidate whose explicit goal is to give up the fight against the terrorists in Iraq -- never mind that Iraq is a fellow democracy."

The inference here is that the GOP gets more bang out of talking about Joe Lieberman's credentials on the war on terror than it does dealing with a lesser-known Republican who has had questions raised about his gambling habit. What happened in that one primary has allowed GOP strategists to game out a plan with one stunning outcome: they can choose to ignore one Republican to talk about the war on terror.

Yes, I know, we need a better term for these things... feel free to click "Discuss" below and suggest one.  In the meantime, enjoy White House Correspondent Kelly O'Donnell's video blog. She is just about wheels-up enroute to Germany, in advance of President Bush's trip there tomorrow.  We asked her to stop by the North Lawn camera on her way to the airport. Click here to watch her video preview of the trip to Germany and the agenda at the G8 summit later this week in Moscow.