If the White House gets its way, the Bush Administration's Sept. 15 progress report on Iraq may be delivered by the U.S. secretaries of state and defense -- and not by top US Iraq General David Petraeus and US Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker in a widely anticipated public congressional briefing.

According to the Washington Post, White House officials suggested to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week that Petraeus and Crocker would brief lawmakers in a private, closed session before the report's release.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates would then be the only members of the Administration to provide public testimony.

Democrats, however, say an alternative presentation plan is not viable.

"Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE) told the White House that Bush's presentation plan was unacceptable. An aide to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl M. Levin (D-MI) said that 'we are in talks with the administration and... Senator Levin wants an open hearing' with Petraeus," the Post's Jonathan Weisman and Karen DeYoung reported.

White House officials said that they have no plans to shield Petraeus or Crocker from testimony--a requirement of the war-funding legislation signed by President Bush in May--but did not deny suggesting a revised plan in informal talks with Congress.

"The administration plans to follow the requirements of the legislation," said National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe yesterday.