They lobby for the president.
The adviser in question is Stephen J. Hadley and he does not seem to have been successful. He's attempted to reign in some of the Republican Senators who have begun questioning the success of the surge.
Troublesome concern: "Some senators were left with the impression that the White House still does not recognize the scope of the Iraq dilemma. Worse yet, they see the president running out the clock until April, when a depleted U.S. military will be blamed for the fiasco."
Let's hope it does not come to this.