The Note

W A S H I N G T O N, March 26&#151;<br> -- TODAY SCHEDULE (all times ET)

FUTURES CALENDAR

NEWS SUMMARY

It's Friday, so -- of course -- regular readers know it is time for The Note's weekly Ups and Downs, What's Hot and What's Not, Winners and Losers, Plays and Outrages of the Week Awards!!!!

In presidential politics, as always, the answer to the question "Who won the week?" can be looked at two ways:

Who won, in terms of raw Gang-of-500-driven, media-filtered analysis of whose election chances have been helped or hurt?

Or: who won, in terms of the relative merits of each sides substantive claims to honesty, leadership, and plans for America's future?

(And, we hate to have to hasten to add, The Note is indifferent on both scores to who wins, despite what readers on all sides think. . . . )

While the Googling monkeys spend the weekend doing regression analysis on all sorts of serious Bush-Kerry policy proposals, let's go with the superficial and ephemeral raw political tally!!!

While Bush-Cheney started the week smelling blood by continuing to pound its Kerry-loves-taxes message on the large head of the vacationing, Grey Poupon-eating skier/nominee, the back of The Note envelope says that the President lost the week.

Between Clarke's book, Dr. Rice's refusal to testify and questions about her own consistency, the President's RTCAWMD joke flap, gas prices, and entitlement trust fund problems -- things were less than smooth for the ol' re-elect.

Kerry's win was also fueled by Democratic unity galore and the late addition of pretty boffo Friday print coverage of the unveiling of his corporate tax plan (with the twin messages of stopping outsourcing and cutting corporate taxes overshadowing the caveats).

BUT for those who are tempted to score the week as a Kerry rout, Note well four things:

A. The relentless Kerry-image-shaping of the Bush ad campaign, whose work in defining Kerry isn't fully appreciated by national political reporters who fail to reside in battleground states.

B. Last night's reminder that John Kerry is no Bill Clinton.

C. This morning's Washington Post reminder that John Kerry is no Bill Clinton.

D. Yesterday's Unborn Victims of Violence vote, which offers a window into tough future Senate votes for John Kerry.

So, mark this one down and re-set the scoreboard!!!! Just a few more intense weeks to go until election day!!!

President Bush visits Albuquerque, N.M. and Phoenix, Ariz. to talk about homeownership before traveling to his Crawford, Texas, ranch later in the evening. Bush will remain at the ranch until Monday.

John Kerry is campaigning in Detroit and Warren, Mich. Kerry will be in Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo. on Saturday and Sacramento, Calif. on Sunday.

Vice President Cheney speaks at a Bush-Cheney fundraiser in Dayton, Ohio and at a reception for congressional candidate Mike Sodrel this evening in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich speaks at a high school this evening in Portland, Ore.

Ralph Nader speaks at colleges in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Democrats Unite!:

The Washington Post's Mark Leibovich was at the $11 million show of unity thrown by the Democrats last night, Noting that former Vice President Al Gore was "a late addition to the program" before making sure to include President Carter's "Nader, drop out already" comments and President Clinton being, well, President Clinton. LINK

And for students of media image, the crew passed the body language test on stage, Leibovich Notes.

James Rainey of the Los Angeles Times covered the big bash and wondered about the role Bill Clinton will play this election cycle. LINK

"One Democratic strategist said Clinton will be used primarily to raise money and to bring out key constituencies."

"Clinton's role will be larger than in the 2000 election but with a wary eye to not 'turn off the independents you need to capture in a general election,' the official said."

Helen Kennedy of the New York Daily News wraps up the Democratic fundraiser and gives Jimmy Carter the best sound bite of the evening award. LINK

The New York Times' Kit Seeyle and Jodi Wilogren wrap the Democratic Unity dinner last night, Noting that "true to form" the party's stars "seemed to lack a certain coordination." LINK

The Boston Globe's Pat Healy really liked the photo-op. LINK

USA Today's Jim Drinkard observed much unity. LINK

Knight Ridder's Thomma and Kuhnhenn write that the fundraiser "signaled that the party is entering the general election campaign unusually unified and focused on defeating Bush." LINK

A few observations from our perch in the wings at the dinner last night, which was one of the truly fascinating and electric political nights for either party in this election cycle:

--President Clinton orchestrating the opening on-stage photo op -- only slightly less elaborate than the ritualized introductions, accompanied by spotlights and booming music than those of the 1994 Chicago Bulls.

Later, the former President gave the Macker props for the nomination schedule, which he said he once opposed, but now knows promoted -- you guessed it -- unity. We don't think he has ever said that publicly before.

--Two hugs: a genuine bear squeeze between Al Gore and Rev. Jesse Jackson, and the (seemingly) less so onstage buss between Gore and Sen. Joe Lieberman.

--Bob Shrum at a better table than Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. Shrum the first on his feet after Clinton mentioned his still-extant pride over working for George McGovern's campaign in Texas. Shrum left his seat no fewer than three times to visit Sen. Kerry during the speeches.

--While Terry McAuliffe was in the final stages of introducing the man he tried to get elected in 2000, Michael Whouley checked his Blackberry -- by the light of his cell phone. Whouley, incidentally, at table 146, was so close to the children's table he could have reached out and touched it.

--Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack -- a man who might be in the sweepstakes himself -- served as MC for the vanquished candidates/vice presidential tryout reception before the dinner. If there was a winner of the tryouts, it was not immediately apparent.

--A camera-wielding Alexandra Pelosi, with suspiciously good access, exchanging waves with Al Gore.

--David Morehouse and Chris Heinz joking around during Clinton's speech, with one wag heard observing, "Who's that cute guy standing next to Chris Heinz?"

--The wealthy donors whose winters were dominated by fear and hand-wringing over Howard Dean are now overflowing with love for him.

In addition, The Note has a few pointers on what has become a standard practice at big time Democratic events: stalking President Clinton.

It's not an easy thing to do. And, please brace yourselves, it's also not a subtle thing to do. First of all, don't stand in front of network television producers who are trying to work and act like you just happen to be really interested in what former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb has to say about voting rights.

Also, don't try to explain to a Secret Service agent what you're trying to do. It appears to us that they don't care, and, shockingly, they already seem to know what you're doing as you wave a camera in one hand and adjust your outfit to its optimum setting.

And please, please, please don't act surprised that you're not the only one circling like a crazy person. We really were hoping for it to get ugly.

The Note must give a particular shout out to the lovely couple whom we'll identify as Intensely-Gum-Chewing-Guy and the Girl-In-Pink. We really were pulling for you to get that picture. And for the longest time, we thought you might. And we were rooting for you, honestly, up until the point of hearing Girl-In-Pink get introduced by Intensely-Gum-Chewing-Guy to someone else and ask that person, "So, what is a New Democrat anyway?"

And then there was the intense after-partying at Dream nightclub:

First of all, can Starr Jones dance or what? We recommend to our colleagues at "The View" a regular segment called "Starr's Bust-A-Move."

The official after-party at Dream nightclub in Northeast D.C. was a raucous affair to say the least. We missed both Presidents Carter and Clinton, and we sure hope it wasn't because we were screwing around with the guy at the door who didn't have our names on the stupid list. What gives, DNC?

The second floor was definitely the most "united," with shouts of "Democrats, can you feel it?" We particularly enjoyed watching two Democrats unite excessively and definitely "feel it" on the dance floor and then hear the gentleman ask the lady, "So, what's your name?"

But the third floor was where we had our limited celebrity sightings. Gov. Richardson held court with some guys who nodded an awful lot. And we also found our first possible guest for "Starr's Bust-A-Move": Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.).

ABC News Vote 2004: Sen. John Kerry:

From ABC News' Kerry campaign reporter Ed O'Keefe:

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 25 -- After picking up endorsements from AFSCME and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (though not his 700,000-name e-mail list) on Thursday, Sen. John Kerry on Friday heads back to the battleground state of Michigan to deliver the first of three speeches outlining his economic message.

Mixing old stump favorites and a few new nuggets under the banner of a "Jobs First" plan, Kerry will pledge to create 10 million new jobs in part by reforming the international tax system at an annual savings of $12 billion, applying that savings toward jobs creation.

At Wayne State University in Detroit, the Senator will advocate the elimination of tax deferment on foreign income, closing tax loopholes, and cutting the tax rate by 5 percent. Kerry will aim to "replace (the current tax code) with a simple system: companies will be taxed on their foreign subsidiaries profits just like they are taxed on their domestic profit," but not retroactively.

Kerry will also outline plans to provide a one-year, 10 percent tax rate on any profits companies reinvest in the United States in addition to proposing a manufacturing "New Jobs Tax Credit" covering an employer's increased payroll costs.

Kerry's Michigan address itself may be heavier on general principles rather than specific proposals, but in that vein the Senator will pledge, "I will fight for the most sweeping international tax law reform in 40 years, a plan to replace tax incentives to take jobs offshore with new incentives for job creation on our own shores."