2004 Note Archives

   December 17, 2004 — LAST NOTE!: "The Crisis Is Now"

   December 16, 2004 — "A Rare Public Appearance": Mehlman and Cahill (and Shrum!), Covered in Ivy

   December 15, 2004 — Like Angels on the Head of a Pin . . . : How Many Newspaper Stories Can Fit on a BlackBerry Screen?

   December 14, 2004 — (Still) Casting (About) and Counting: Who Will Play Which Roles in '05?

   December 13, 2004 — "The Short List Is Said to Include . . . ": The Great Mentioner Takes a Break from Holiday Shopping

   December 10, 2004 — Leader of the Pack (?): Or: Leader of the Laundromat? Or: Terry and the Pirates (of the Caribbean)

   December 9, 2004 — "No Favorite Has Emerged . . . ": . . . For Anything

   December 8, 2004 — Joe Momma: Sheryl Gay Stolberg Declares War on Jano Cabrera

   December 7, 2004 — Bush Rules: Never Challenge Congress to Do Something, Unless You Are Pretty Sure You Can Get Them to Do It

   December 6, 2004 — Warm in December: Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Off to Legislate They Go

   December 3, 2004 — (White) House Rules: Entering the Big Casino

   December 2, 2004 — Twin Children of Different Mothers: We've Been on the Run, Driving in the Sun, Looking out for #1

   December 1, 2004 — The Head Shots of Which Four Men Appear on the Editorial Page of USA Today Today?: "Breathe Deeply, and Then Decide . . ."

   November 30, 2004 — A Washington, D.C., Speculation Game: A/K/A "The Note"

   November 29, 2004 — Big Country, Big Apartment: A 24-room Duplex at 740 Park Avenue, at 71st Street???!!!!

   November 19, 2004 — Sentimental Journey: Thanks, Presidents, For Giving Us the Photo Op

   November 18, 2004 — Solid As The Rock: The Little City Gets Big Again

   November 17, 2004 — His Legacy and Her Future: "Those Things Change in a Hurry"

   November 16, 2004 — The Note

   November 15, 2004 — The Note

   November 12, 2004 — The Note

   November 11, 2004 — The Note

   November 10, 2004 — The Note

   November 9, 2004 — The Note

   November 8, 2004 — The Note

   November 5, 2004 — Political Eye-Teeth: Washington Is Different from Austin, No Question About It: the Restaurants Aren't As Good in Washington

   November 4, 2004 — The Permanent Campaign: "All Fine Architectural Values Are Human Values, Else Not Valuable"

   November 3, 2004 — The Speech He Never Gave: Day One of Overtime

   November 2, 2004 — Judgment Day: The Speech He'll Never Give

   November 1, 2004 — Bringing It Home: "Watch Returns and Throw Up"

   October 31, 2004 — "Democracy Is the Score at the Beginning of the Ninth": Three Yards and an Infinite Number of Clouds of Dust

   October 30, 2004 — Surprise Party: Uncertainty Layered upon Uncertainty

   October 29, 2004 — It's Not Whether You Win or Lose, It's How You Play the Game: Or: Winning Isn't Everything; It's the Only Thing

   October 28, 2004 — This Gun's for Hire: C'mon Baby, Give Me Just One Look

   October 27, 2004 — A Tie Is Like Kissing Your Sister: A Loss Is Like Kissing Dolores Umbridge

   October 26, 2004 — A Lifetime in Politics: Doubts and Discontent

   October 25, 2004 — Lying in Wait …: … To Weigh in Late

   October 24, 2004 — Either Side Can Win: The Gang of 500 and the Lust to Declare the Race Over

   October 23, 2004 — Big 10 Saturday: Managing the Clock

   October 22, 2004 — Who Do You Trust … Blah, Blah, Blah: "A Thought Is Often Original, Though You Have Uttered It a Hundred Times"

   October 21, 2004 — Literally in Denial: If You Don't Have a Dream, How You Gonna Have a Dream Come True?

   October 20, 2004 — Not for the Faint of Heart: You Can Go to Extremes with Impossible Schemes

   October 19, 2004 — Je Vais Aider Les Americains: "We Must Separate Elections Administration from Political Shenanigans"

   October 18, 2004 — Ooo and It's Alright and It's Comin' 'Long: We Got to Get Right Back to Where We Started From

   October 15, 2004 — Cheap and Tawdry Political Tricks: "We Don't Understand This Election. No One Does"

   October 14, 2004 — From Sea to Shining Sea: President of All the People

   October 12, 2004 — "Face the Nation": "A Prospect Likely to Bring out the Worst in Both Men"

   October 11, 2004 — "Myopic Misread of the American Electorate": Google News Search Our Headline to Find out Who Said It!!

   October 8, 2004 — What It's Like to Live and Die: No Sneering, Sighing, or Watch Gazing

   October 7, 2004 — What's Black and White (and Red, White and Blue) All Over?: Trust the Wisdom of the American People: the Last News Cycle Won by BC04

   October 6, 2004— Beat Me in St. Louis: Trees Falling in the Cleveland Forest -- Even with Howard Fineman in the House

   October 5, 2004— 28 Days Later: Strong Violence and Gore, Language (But No Apparent Nudity)

   October 4, 2004— Focused and Pensive, Not Peevish or Irritated: Where X Represents the Number of Page Turns Before November 2

   October 1, 2004— "Whuddya Think?": Answer: "We Are Reporters -- We Don't Think (Ha), We Ask Questions"

   September 30, 2004— It Is No Longer Not Debatable: The Miami Blahs: What Is Conventional and What Is Wise?

   September 29, 2004— The Eye of the Brahmin Tiger: Can Kerry Close Stronger Than Mariano Rivera?

   September 28, 2004— A Little Less Macro, a Little More Micro: Faith in the Ground Game is the Last Refuge of the (Still) Optimistic Democrat

   September 27, 2004— Before the Clash in Coral Gables: One Day Is Fine, Next Is Black

   September 24, 2004— A Tool of Nobody: War-Time President, War-Time Election, and a Whole New Meaning for Right Track/Wrong Track

   September 23, 2004— Against All Odds: There's Just an Empty Space

   September 22, 2004— Peaks and Valleys: Tie Goes to the Runner (Part II)

   September 21, 2004— Eye on the Ball: Karl Rove's Wall Calendar

   September 20, 2004— Redirecting the Laser Beam: Over There, Over There

   September 17, 2004— Simply the Best: A Lifetime of Promises and a World of Dreams

   September 16, 2004— Dark Assessments: What Do Voters and "-gates" Have in Common?

   September 15, 2004— Motown, Money, McCurry: Polls, Pundits, Pros(e)

   September 14, 2004— TIME: If I Could Get Back to Politics?: KERRY: I Don't Talk Politics.

   September 13, 2004— One from Column A: … and Another from Column A?

   September 10, 2004— Playing for Harvard: The Second Draft of History Is Usually Better Than the First

   September 9, 2004— The Worst Is Yet to Come: And Won't It Be Fine?

   September 8, 2004— "I" Stands for "Iraq": "V" Stands of "Vietnam"

   September 7, 2004— What Lurks in the Heart of the Media: The Overshadow Knows

   September 6, 2004— Working Weekend: Two Hearts Are Better Than One

   September 3, 2004— News Roulette: No Port in a Storm

   September 2, 2004— The Choice: Mano a Mano, and Mano a Self

   September 1, 2004— The Turtle and the Fence Post, Part III: Herculean in New York

   August 31, 2004— Stop Lying About My Record: The Bushes, the Doles, and the Veterans Team Up

   August 30, 2004— "We Can Go to the Country on This Issue": In the Immortal Words of Karl Rove …

   August 29, 2004— College Math: On the Eve of New York, Making the Grade

   August 28, 2004— Seared, Seared: Summer Nights: Tell Us More, Tell Us More

   August 27, 2004— Not Ugly to Me: A Relaxed President Surveys His Kingdom

   August 26, 2004— Accomplishing Missions: What History Will Show Got Done Between Boston and New York

   August 25, 2004— Wise Counsel: Choosing up Sides

   August 24, 2004— My Yesterday: Your Tomorrow

   August 23, 2004— Speaking of the Truth: Good (Groundhog) Day, Saigon

   August 20, 2004— Moving or Capable of Moving with Great Speed; Fast: Quick to Act or React; Prompt: Swift to Take Steps

   August 19, 2004— We Hold These Truths...: Pick up Hazy Joely and Killer Joe

   August 18, 2004— John E. O'Neill and John Cusack Agree: Say Anything

   August 17, 2004— Old Hands on Deck: Should The Note Even Publish the Rest of This Week?

   August 16, 2004— Calm After the Storm: A Week from Today, the Sprint Is On

   August 13, 2004— If You Gotta Play at Garden Parties, I Wish You a Lotta Luck: Someone Opened up a Closet Door and out Stepped Johnny B. Goode

   August 12, 2004— A More Sensitive Note: Winner Take All, Vol. II

   August 11, 2004— Winner Take All: The Leader As We Head Towards The Back Nine and the Homestretch

   August 10, 2004— Cooped Up: Advise and Consent

   August 9, 2004— Ganged Up: Conspiracy at 18th and Swann, NW

   August 6, 2004— Broken Heroes on a Last Chance Power Drive: But There's no Place Left to Hide

   August 5, 2004— Closets Are For Hangers: Winners Use the Door

   August 4, 2004— Point Blank: Living One False Move, Just One False Move Away, and They Caught You in Their Sights

   August 3, 2004— Tomorrow Never Knows: Turn off Your Mind, Relax and Float Down Stream

   August 2, 2004— Turning the Corner . . . : . . . And Being Surprised About What's There

   July 30, 2004— The One in Which The Note Channels an Undecided Ohio Voter: A Necessary But Not Sufficient Step or a Hamster and a Watery Doom?

   July 29, 2004— Stand and Delivery: The Studied Insouciance of the St. Paul's Man

   July 28, 2004— Close the Sale: Turning the FleetCenter into Fleet Street

   July 27, 2004— I Want This Job: And Shove It

   July 26, 2004— You've Got to Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative: Latch on to the Affirmative, Don't Mess with Mister In-Between

   July 25, 2004— Like Saint Patrick Driving the Snakes out of Ireland: Sox 11, Bombers 10

   July 24, 2004— Boston Is Filling Up: Get (T)here Quickly...

   July 23, 2004— Final Instructions: Let's Get This Party Convention Started

   July 22, 2004— Notes Notes, Forsooth, and Something: There's Much Ado About ABC News Political Coverage

   July 21, 2004— Sandy, the Angels Have Lost Their Desire for Us: They Won't Set Themselves on Fire for Us Anymore

   July 20, 2004— The Ghost of Fawn Hall: July: Like a Firecracker All Aglow

   July 19, 2004— Storms Encountered at Sea: Pulling into Port on Schedule

   July 16, 2004— It Took a Rumor To Make Me Wonder: Now I'm Convinced We're Going Under

   July 15, 2004— The New York Times and Rumors: What Democrats Hope and Fear

   July 14, 2004— Inside Out: Leave to Find the Answer on the Road

   July 13, 2004— Gone a Million Miles: To That Place Where You Can't Remember and You Can't Forget

   July 12, 2004— Struggling to Do Everything Right: And Then It All Falls Apart

   July 9, 2004— So Ready for This Fight: Cover the Ears and Eyes of Emma Claire and Jack

   July 8, 2004— Thinking About Oreos: Glen Johson: Sucker for Cute Kids

   July 7, 2004— Four Trials: Four (Partial) Verdicts

   July 6, 2004— Happy Birthday, Mr. President: John Kerry Just Got You a Smooth-talking, Handsome, Charismatic, Rich Southern Trial Lawyer to Run Against!!!

   July 5, 2004— Georgetown Alley Cat: From Face-to-Face to Cheek-to-Cheek

   July 4, 2004— Doubles Partner for a Love Match: The Strength of Serena Williams, the Cleverness of Martina Hingis, and the Charisma of Anna Kournikova

   July 3, 2004— Better Safe Than Sorry (?): 2 Poets Alone in the Woods (?)

   July 2, 2004— An Old Washington Parlor Game: Like So Many Yakuza in a Bottle

   July 1, 2004— The Definition of "Insanity": Winners Talk, Perps Walk

   June 30, 2004— Reality Bites: A/k/a: What Don Evans Thinks About While He Shaves Each Morning

   June 29, 2004— Presidential Precedents: A Bush in the Hand Is Worth...

   June 28, 2004— Anchors Away: Calling an Audible on the Handover

   June 25, 2004— Cheney Versus Leahy: Washington: a City in Which People Are Often Asked to Do the Impossible

   June 24, 2004— Bought a Ticket to the West Coast: Now He Gives Them a Stand-Up Routine in L.A.

   June 23, 2004— And You Can Speak Your Mind: But Not on My Time

   June 22, 2004— Sooner or Later You Sleep in Your Own Space: Either Way It's Okay, You Wake up with Yourself

   June 21, 2004— Never Said You Had to Offer Me a Second Chance: Never Said I Was a Victim of Circumstance

   June 18, 2004— "Dour, Worried and Withdrawn": Staking Out Number Two: "There Is No Separate Cheney P.R. Machine"

   June 17, 2004— The Talented Mr. Ripley's Believe It or Nots: And the Fabulous Mr. Rove's Own Believe It or Not

   June 16, 2004— "I'm Running for President Because . . . ": Between Tenderness and Brute Force

   June 15, 2004— So Where Are the Strong?: "The Electors Shall Meet in Their Respective States . . . "

   June 14, 2004— College Boys (and Girls): "The Electors Shall Meet in Their Respective States . . . "

   June 11, 2004— "Not Even Sure Who Kerry Is": Steady As We Go

   June 10, 2004— Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited: 40, 41, 42, 43, 44

   June 9, 2004— Bold Strokes and Primary Colors: Assessing legacies past and present

   June 8, 2004— Pop Goes the Weasel: Words Are the Physicians of a Mind Diseased

   June 7, 2004— Reagan's Way: Not the Words of One Who Kneels

   June 4, 2004— Feeding the Jackals: Washington Is Always the Same

   June 3, 2004— Nous Aimons les Francais: Quelle Est la Reponse?

   June 2, 2004— Parati Ad Bellum: Or, in the Vernacular: Let's Get Ready to Ruuuuuuuumble!!!!!

   June 1, 2004— Calendar Boys: The Traditional Memorial Day Campaign Kickoff

   May 31, 2004— The Mini Note: Politics and Remembrance

   May 28, 2004— The Mini Note

   May 27, 2004— The Mini Note: Kerry's Foreign Policy Vision

   May 26, 2004— The Mini Note: Will Gore Foment Unrest on Kerry's Left?

   May 25, 2004— The Vitally Important and the Meaningless: Password: "Ken Mehlman"

   May 24, 2004— A Little Texas Cocky: Battered, Bruised, Scraped, and (Maybe) Ready to Go

   May 21, 2004— Quiet Versus Storm: "DoleGingrich" Is No More or Less One Word Than "KerryPelosi"

   May 20, 2004— Assigned Rolls: Thank God It's Not October

   May 19, 2004— Ink by the Barrel: John and Ralph, Sitting in a Tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G (?)

   May 18, 2004— Sheer Madness: The Second-Most Famous Dress in American Political History

   May 17, 2004— (Un)Civil (Un)Rest: What We All Need is Steady Leadership

   May 14, 2004— Eye on the Ball : A Big Nation Has More Than Two Men

   May 13, 2004— Presidential Sweet: John Kerry Closes Tough

   May 12, 2004— Insider Account: Staying the Course

   May 11, 2004— The Movie Has Just Started: But Everybody Wants to Cut to the Chase

   May 10, 2004— Bubble Man: Up, Up, and Away

   May 7, 2004— "If He Says Anything Arrogant, It's Over": To Whom Does That Apply?

   May 6, 2004— Throw Rummy from the Train (?): The One Where All Politics Aren't Local

   May 5, 2004— The Day After Yesterday: = The Day Before Tomorrow

   May 4, 2004— From Touchdown to Take Off: Safer, Stronger, Better

   May 3, 2004— On That Road, Somewhere in Some Bus or Train: "It's Sometimes Not Risky to Address the Thing That's Paramount on People's Minds"

   April 30, 2004— If You Should Ever Find Someone New …: We Know He'd Better Be Good to You, 'Cos If He Doesn't, We'll Be There

   April 29, 2004— We Keep Pretending That There's Nothing Wrong: But There's a Code of Silence and It Can't Go On

   April 28, 2004— Now, Noted: Start Paying Attention