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The Florida presidential recount notwithstanding, we are still in the midst of a long-term trend in which public and news executive interest in the sizzle and steak of American politics continues to decline.

C-SPAN this morning asked: "Is Politics Off the Radar Screen?"

Howard Kurtz looks at how the sniper, the war, and the lack of a "clear plot line" have relegated the midterms to back-burner status in a piece that includes a wistful Candy Crowley and some spiritual wrestling from one Roger Simon: "'I don't sense that this has become a nationalized election about war and peace, the economy or who controls the House and Senate. I'm not sure it's our job to impose some sort of national agenda.'" LINK

Granted, these midterm elections for the most part lack big personalities or marquee contests.

Tracing the declining interest in politics back to the end of the Cold War, which diminished the psycho-practical importance of the presidency and Congress, we can see that the two previous post-Cold War midterm elections we had involved subplots and defining themes that were much sexier than what we see this time.

Remember 1994: Oliver North, Ted Kennedy, the Bush Brothers, Mario Cuomo, Tom Foley, etc.

And 1998: (uhm) Monica.

That was high-wattage stuff for non-presidential years.

If you consider that the nation today is potentially on the brink of war, in the midst of tough economic times and, perhaps most importantly, that the outcome of the elections will determine control of a very narrowly divided Congress and thus what the government will do for the next two years, you might think voters and the news media would be paying attention.

But ask consultants of either party, and they'll say voters just aren't worked up over the high stakes of this election.

One way the Democrats are trying to get voters engaged is by pointing out that we might just be weeks away from unified Republican control of the government.

Mike Allen's Sunday must-read blockbuster in the Washington Post did a better job of previewing what this would mean than anything the Democrats have come up with — and contains on-background quotes from White House officials which may rev up Democrats' argument that the administration is too closely tied to business interests and doesn't care about "you and me," as well as the image of White House economic adviser Larry Lindsey soliciting policy suggestions from corporate chieftains at a private home in Manhattan.

"White House officials and Republicans on Capitol Hill are so optimistic about winning control of both chambers of Congress in next month's elections that they have begun mapping how they would use their new power, including the possibility of speeding up tax cuts that were to take effect gradually." LINK

"Republicans are drawing up plans that would aid a broad array of industries, after hammering business during the corporate responsibility debate touched off by this year's accounting scandals."

"White House officials said Republican control of Congress would help Bush win passage of an administration plan to subsidize prescription drugs for Medicare patients, which they said would rob Democrats of a potent issue and help the president in Florida in 2004."

"Conspicuously absent from the administration's plans for next year is legislation to allow people to invest part of their Social Security taxes in private retirement accounts … Administration officials said Bush plans to promote a national conversation about the issue next year but is unlikely to push Congress to pass a plan until 2005, if he wins reelection. The officials also said for the first time that Bush would consider alternatives to personal accounts as a way to preserve the long-term solvency of the retirement program."

"Administration officials said the president realizes that, regardless of the election outcome, he cannot depend on wartime popularity heading into his reelection race and needs to beef up his domestic record to avoid the fate of his father."

There's also some stuff in the story about reforming the tax code that we found as confusing as it was mind-boggling.

Part of this curtain-measuring comes from the same tactical faux bravado that had top Bush political advisers in 2000 predicting sky-high electoral vote totals.

But part of it is based on a cultural/sociological difference between the parties: the GOP tends to be outwardly more brash, more swaggering, and more (over)confident.

Trying to gin up a confident swagger of their own, the Democratic National Committee at 11:00 am today will roll out four new TV ads which the DNC plans to begin running in select markets tomorrow through election day.

For now, the DNC will only commit to spending "several hundred thousand dollars" to air these ads, mostly in places "bracketing" visits by President Bush (running a day or so before he arrives, and while he is in town). The committee is hoping to raise more money to be able to air the ads more widely, in markets covering competitive races.

A cautionary note: taking the DNC at its word about how big the ad buy is, it appears to be somewhere in between a "video press release" (a spot produced but barely aired as paid media, done in order to get news coverage of the ad, and thus free media for it) and a "real" ad — aired enough to widely influence voters.

An advance peek at two of the spots, obtained by The Note, suggests that they are well produced, under the supervision of pollster Mark Penn, and that they do about as good a job as any Democratic message delivery method so far in making the case against the "Bush economy."

The ads are on corporate responsibility, divided government, and the economy.

The New York Times , with their own advance look, ad-boxes one of them, "Starting Over." LINK

The Washington Times ' Lambro notes that the third-quarter GDP and latest unemployment figures are due out "just days" before November 5. LINK

David Lightman's big-think piece on the midterm elections begins as follows: "The 2002 election has the unmistakable look of an election driven by fear." LINK

Let's see: the president's Saturday radio address focused on protecting 401(k) investments, and this morning he announced a proposal to lower the cost of prescriptions drugs.

Only a cynic (or Rahm Emanuel) would Note the proximity of all this stuff to the election.

On Bush's prescription drug proposal this morning, the Los Angeles Times ' Gerstenzang points out, "By announcing the plan immediately after members of Congress have left Washington for the final two weeks of intense campaigning before the midterm elections, the White House likely has avoided turning the plan into a central debating point between the Democratic-led Senate and the Republican administration." LINK

The president talked about all this this morning at Casa Blanca, and he did not take reporters' questions.

One of the many races where it might matter is Kansas's 3rd district, where Rep. Dennis Moore (D) and challenger Adam Taff (R) made prescription drugs the centerpiece of their debate this past weekend. LINK

At the very least, we'd bet Moore now will be asked to respond to the president's proposal, ensuring that Bush's plan, or the "Republican plan," makes it into stories about drug coverage.

The AP's Lindlaw sums up the rest of Bush's day: "Juggling his domestic, foreign policy and political agendas, President Bush is taking a step toward sanctions against war-ravaged Sudan, meeting NATO's chief on expanding the alliance and hosting major Republican donors." LINK

"Monday night, Bush was saluting the Republican National Committee's big donors — the so-called Regents who have contributed $250,000 over the last two years and who helped carry him to the White House. It marks the second time this year the president has singled them out for special attention."

The dinner, which will take place at a private home in McLean, VA, is closed press.

USA Today 's Keen notes about Bush's pre-election travel: "Even when his stops don't include political rallies or fundraisers, a president's presence can shift votes in close races, says Matthew Dowd, the president's pollster. When they see Bush on their local TV news and on the front pages of their hometown newspapers, voters who otherwise might stay home on Election Day can be motivated to turn out for Republicans, Dowd says." LINK

Democrats, meanwhile, are countering with a message that says that Bush's focus on politics means he's not focused on the economy.

But he IS focused on money: in a missive to Republican E-Team leaders, President Bush plays fundraiser-in-chief, urging donors to contribute as much money as possible to the Republican National Committee.

"All you give will go for the Republican Party's election activities, helping candidates who back me and my agenda. They are counting on your help and so am I. And, please, also make certain everyone you know who supports my compassionate conservative agenda and approves of my leadership is registered and votes."

"The other party — along with some of their liberal interest group allies — will do all they can to get out their vote. They know the stakes, and I'm counting on you to outwork them."

And yes, Mickey Kaus, he also mentions welfare reform in the pitch.

Over at the Democratic National Committee HQ, Chairman McAuliffe and Democratic Leaders Daschle and Gephardt will be making calls together. Roll Call 's Kane says that will happen Tuesday. "With all three of the Democrats' top officials on the line at once, the party's biggest donors will be receiving what amounts to some of the last big soft money pitches of the pre-McCain-Feingold campaign finance era." LINK

"After heading up to Manhattan for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's money efforts Tuesday evening, Daschle will head to South Dakota on Thursday morning for 72 hours of local politics," Kane says. Afterward, Daschle will travel to Minnesota, Missouri, and Iowa.

Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott will hit the hot Southern states. House leaders Hastert and Gephardt will be traveling and raising money. The GOP House campaign committee will hold a fundraiser in New York on Friday night. And Sens. John McCain (R) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) will be out on the trail, as well.

The AFL-CIO has ceased its advertising efforts, Roll Call 's Bresnahan reports. "Instead, the powerful labor organization is focusing all its attention on a 'ground war' to turn out union and Democratic voters, gambling that this get-out-the-vote campaign will pay far greater dividends than a TV ad blitz." LINK

"A top union political operative also said Democrats and their allies in organized labor are concerned that they are having trouble making sure the American public hears their message, which is focused on blaming President Bush and the GOP for the sluggish economy, thanks to Bush's focus on Iraq and the global war on terrorism."

Looking at the too-close-to-call battle for the Senate, the Los Angeles Times ' Brownstein's must-read says, "With so many races so tight, small changes in the national environment could loom large. Over the last six weeks, Republicans benefited from an increased focus on national security issues generated by the debate over a possible war with Iraq. But that advantage may have peaked too soon." LINK

"Even some GOP strategists worry that the campaign focus over the final two weeks may revert toward the economy — and trigger the traditional voter inclination to punish the party holding the White House for hard times."

"Yet if the economy stands as the major threat to the GOP, offsetting factors are fueling Republican hopes of avoiding the Senate losses typical for the president's party in midterm elections." For one, geography. "Five of the seven races considered the most competitive are in states President Bush carried in 2000."

(Brownstein focuses on the Big Six of Arkansas, New Hampshire, Missouri, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Colorado, along with New Jersey.)

"And, despite the gloom about the economy, Democrats have failed to establish a consistent advantage in polls as the party better able to revive prosperity — partly because so few Democratic candidates have offered a clear agenda for recovery."

"Republicans have been aggressive on two fronts: defending Bush's 2001 tax cut and challenging Democrats on issues revolving around national security … But on several issues, the Republicans have been unusually defensive. Most have tried to convince voters that they are just as eager to provide senior citizens with subsidies for prescription drugs as are Democrats. And with the notable exception of Lindsey O. Graham in South Carolina, almost all of the GOP candidates have tried to downplay their support for Bush's proposal to allow workers to divert part of their Social Security payroll taxes into individual accounts they could invest in stocks and bonds."

"If anything, Democrats have been campaigning from even more of a defensive crouch, especially in the states that Bush carried in 2000." All of them but Wellstone voted for the Iraq resolution, and, "with exceptions such as Wellstone and Erskine Bowles in North Carolina, almost all Democratic challengers and incumbents in close races have indicated support for Bush's tax cut."

"The main message from Democrats in the closing days 'will be that we know these are tight times and we have something real to offer you and your family in terms of financial security,' said Jim Jordan, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee."

Meanwhile, in his regular column, Brownstein writes that the fact that 41 million Americans don't have health insurance is pretty much being ignored in this campaign, and warns of "a health-care train wreck." LINK

Former Vice President Gore today is attending his annual conference on the family in Nashville. Gore has a policy speech scheduled for Thursday, details TBD.

On Tuesday, President Bush will head to battleground state Pennsylvania, and also to Maine.

Wednesday, Bush will take part in a White House roundtable discussion on child exploitation, followed by remarks.

On Thursday, he will travel to North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alabama, winding up at the Crawford ranch.

And on Friday, the Bushes will greet the president of China at the ranch.

ABC 2004: The Invisible Primary

On you marks, get set … We've updated our Invisible Primary Ratings, just in time for the passing of the midterm election and the kickoff of the 2004 campaign.

This update focuses on how the most likely Democratic candidates for president in 2004 preparing for the stretch between November 6 and early next year, when most if not all of them will be communicating their intentions. Fundraising, travel, staffing, timetables for decision-making, and setting up the necessary bank accounts all get the biggest play in this round.

And the winner for this round is … Dick Gephardt, followed closely by Al Gore, John Kerry, and John Edwards, in that order.

The Ratings

The Leaderboard

Next weekend, Gore will return to New Hampshire to campaign with gubernatorial nominee Mark Fernald — who, incidentally, supported Bill Bradley for president — and not with Senate nominee Jeanne Shaheen — who, incidentally, was Gore's state campaign chair. The Shaheen spokesman says his campaign was not asked whether they'd like to campaign with Gore.

Per a keen-eyed and -eared Note source who attended this past weekend's JJ dinner in New Hampshire, Senator John "Edwards' speech was very well received — it seemed to energize the troops. He was better Friday than when I last heard him this summer at the Merrimack County pig roast and a house party. He was definitely not a 'bust' — which Bob Novak called his Iowa speech in last Sunday's column."

The Raleigh News & Observer's Wagner reports that Edwards, on his third trip to the Granite State, "harshly criticized President Bush's performance and faced pointed questions from Democratic activists about his hawkish posture on Iraq." LINK

Apart from his JJ dinner appearance, "[t]he balance of Edwards' weekend was spent at more intimate gatherings designed to expose him to activists whose early support will be crucial in building a credible candidacy. Though Edwards and his Carolina drawl were warmly received, he was peppered at almost every stop with questions about his recent vote to authorize Bush to use force against Iraq."

"Though he appeared to alter few minds, some interviewed later credited Edwards for being forthcoming and noted that other senators considering 2004 bids voted the same way."

"Throughout the weekend, Edwards drew applause with calls to roll back part of Bush's tax cut, pass managed-care reform, provide seniors with a prescription drug benefit, fully fund special education and do more to fight AIDS in Africa. He also talked at length about civil rights … "

We wonder, is he doing this as well as those two policy speeches? That sure amounts to a busy couple of weeks. "Edwards noted that he plans to visit Brussels in coming weeks to meet with delegations from several NATO allies. Aides said the trip may take place in early December."

The AP called Edwards's visit his "most significant" to the state since he made known his presidential musings. LINK

The Manchester Union-Leader likened Edwards to a "Southern evangelist:" "When U.S. Senator John Edwards, D-N.C., the featured speaker, made a late entrance, a sea of cameras and microphones followed him across the center ballroom floor as if he were a literal media magnet." LINK

The Charlotte Observer's Hurt wrote from Manchester, NH on Sunday, after conducting his own informal focus group on the street "Judging from interviews this weekend, [Edwards] has a lot more households to visit … About a year after he first started visiting New Hampshire with presidential ambitions, Edwards remains unknown outside tight circles of the state's most active Democrats." LINK

"Edwards' strategy here has been different from that in Iowa and South Carolina, which also have early presidential nomination contests. In those states, he has aggressively and directly courted voters beyond the party's usual rank-and-file."

"In South Carolina, for instance, he is purchasing about $200,000 worth of radio time for ads urging people to vote in the election two weeks away. In Iowa, he sponsored a race car and sent 800,000 mailings to voters on behalf of more than 50 legislative candidates."

Speaking of South Carolina, in what may be Lee Bandy's un-bylined Sunday column, The State says: "U.S. Senator John Kerry, who is laying the groundwork for a possible White House campaign in 2004, is an early favorite among South Carolina Democratic leaders." LINK

"U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., has all but endorsed him."

"Some state Democrats have already told him privately they will be with him if he runs, Kerry says. But he declined to name them."

"If there is any drawback to Kerry's candidacy in this moderate-to-conservative state, it is that he is seen as 'that northeastern liberal from Massachusetts.'"

We're not so sure about this graph: "Kerry said at the time that he and his wife, Heinz foods heir Teresa Heinz, decided against using their own money, which totals in the hundreds of millions of dollars. He said he would rather run on a broad base of individual supporters. Kerry doesn't take money from political action committees representing corporations, labor unions and interest groups."

Kerry has said that he and Mrs. Heinz may dip into their fortune to respond if they are personally attacked. And his leadership PAC has started accepting PAC contributions.

Senator Joseph Lieberman took advantage of a "reservoir of goodwill" when he campaigned for Florida gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride Sunday. "In this competitive contest, national players and money are flowing into Florida. Suddenly, it's beginning to look a lot like 2000." LINK

"'It's not just a big and important state,' Lieberman said, acknowledging that he and other national Democrats are here because the governor is President Bush's brother. 'It would give a real psychological lift to Democrats around the country. There is no question that it will help Democrats to have a Democratic administration here.'"

Bill Bradley told Mike Glover out in Iowa that he probably won't run for president in 2004.

The Vote

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader continued its thoroughly admirable work this cycle by devoting extensive resources to a Sunday article on the voter fraud allegations swirling around the state, and found that questions extend to at least ten counties. LINK

Republicans in South Dakota and DC are increasingly hyped up about all this, and it remains to be seen where things are headed legally, substantively, and politically.

"Voter registration investigations in South Dakota generate national interest because of the nature of the races this election year. But the issue also is newsworthy because South Dakota has such a good election record, said [political scientist Bob] Burns. The state traditionally has among the highest voting turnouts in the country."

"Auditors in 10 counties, all but one adjoining a reservation, have forwarded questionable registration forms or absentee ballot requests to the sheriff or state's attorney for investigation." "Of the nearly 400 questionable documents discovered by the auditors, 338 came from Shannon and Pennington counties, where the two investigations into possible voter fraud are under way."

"South Dakota law requires eligible voters to register and sets a deadline — 15 days before the election — for registration forms to be filed with county auditors. In South Dakota, once a registration is received, the county auditor's office sends a confirmation card to the person who registered. When the voter returns that card, the signature is compared to the original registration."

"If the confirmation card is not returned, the voter's name is put on an inactive list, and in order to vote on Election Day, the person is required to show a picture identification card. Several auditors surveyed say they aren't familiar with many residents of the state's Indian reservations, and that makes it more difficult for them to verify the validity of those registrations. In addition, many of those new voters list a general delivery mail address, meaning they pick up their mail at a post office."

Debunker Josh Marshall: the ball is in your court. LINK

The Washington Post reports the several-days-old news that Miami-Dade County has hired the nonpartisan Center for Democracy to come observe its elections. "It will be a first for the group, which has monitored nine elections overseas — usually in developing countries — but never in the United States … The group will send 15 to 20 people to the region, where … they will monitor preparations for the contest, facilitate communication between local voters and election officials and, after the balloting, write up their estimation of how well the whole thing went. In all, it will cost the county $92,000." LINK

Doug Chapin's excellent Pew-funded election reform research and policy group will release its comprehensive study on election procedures and systems in America tomorrow.

Joining Chapin at the National Press Club will be former US Attorney General Janet Reno, who knows a thing or two about disputed elections; Doug Lewis, the executive director of the national secretary of state organization working group on elections; and several state election officials.

Watchdog

Note to readers: if you get telephone calls imploring you to vote, asking you about your vote, telling you not to vote, or whatever, please let us know: politicalunit@abcnews.com Many thanks!

Campaign Finance

"The battle over campaign finance reform has degenerated into a downright slugfest," Roll Call 's Keller writes, "with Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) trading harsh personal jabs and punches in depositions and cross-examinations in the ongoing court case." LINK

Keller's colleague Susan Crabtree says, for those who didn't notice, that in the wee hours last week, "Congress passed a law significantly altering" — read: strengthening — "federal reporting requirements for stealth political organizations." LINK

Politics

As we've been saying for a long time now, never underestimate the ability of third-party or independent candidates to tip the balance in close elections. It sounds like an obvious point, but it's not made often enough, largely because the dominant media and the national parties are conditioned to ignore them. The Boston Globe looks at two races where third-party candidates may well make a difference: Minnesota, where Independence Party gubernatorial candidate Tim Penny might a) win, and b) contort the Senate race; and New York, where folks aren't too sure what effect Tom Golisano (IP) is having. LINK

Here's our own look at third-party and independent candidates. LINK

The New York Post 's Deborah Orin has her "Monday Morning Quarterback" feature on page 25 today, complete with the views of Paul Maslin and Ed Gillespie, and Ms. Orin's normal leanings on full display (shocking that she is all over the South Dakota Native American registration flap). Most of her reporting is, par for the course, spot on.

Anchoring a weekend of "it's still all about Bill Clinton," EJ Dionne wrote in the Washington Post 's Outlook section: "The basic political truth about Clinton remains. He is despised and admired in almost equal measure." LINK

Dionne smartly demonstrates how the FPOTUS, back on the trail, is soaking up newfound Democratic adulation for his economic policies, and how he continues to inspire the same degree of Republican vitriol. "Clinton's post-presidential campaign carries on the sophistication of his White House operation. For candidates who might be hurt by his visible involvement, he raises money — often in the big Democratic contribution capitals of New York and Los Angeles, away from the actual field of battle. He offers advice by phone, and politicians eagerly seek it."

Next to the latest add to the Orin oeuvre is a classic Fred Dicker column — "classic" in its over-the-toppity, it's reliance on Hank Sheinkopf, and its level of "detail." LINK

"Former President Bill Clinton has been bluntly warned that New York Democrats face 'national humiliation' because of Carl McCall's poorly run campaign for governor."

"Clinton was grimly told a few days ago that McCall may finish an embarrassing third in the Nov. 5 balloting — behind Gov. Pataki and Independence Party candidate Tom Golisano, who has been surging in recent polls."

"'The president was informed, one-on-one, that things are going very badly for Carl, that Carl has been sitting back on his ass raising money and not fighting back against Pataki,' a prominent Democratic activist told Inside Albany."

"'Clinton just stood there when he heard the words, reflected on what was said to him for a few seconds, bit his lip, and then responded that he would call Carl right away and talk to him about what could be done.'"

The thing just goes on and on and is a must-read for anyone who found those four graphs to be pure nectar.

We hope Clinton was watching C-SPAN this morning, since they were live from his beloved Community Bakery, which is almost as good as being live from Juanita's.

The Wall Street Journal 's Robert Bartley mixes opinion, invective, and insight in a column that suggests that Clinton-era Democrats will do anything to win, complete with a really good group dot drawing of Clinton, Gore, Daschle, Torricelli, Jeffords, McAuliffe, and Carter.

Role model Kevin Landrigan wrote on Sunday, "Hail to the Chief, Take Two. President Bush will return to campaign for Sununu and maybe other top shelf candidates. The timing has moved even closer to the vote than first thought. The White House is reviewing the Nov. 1-3 time frame when prior schedules had POTUS (President of the United States — Doesn't anyone else read John Clancy?) pulling in Oct. 29 or 30. What GOP diehards fret about is Bush did everything but handstands on Elm Street the last time Air Force One touched down and the visit didn't produce a lasting bump for Sununu." LINK

Capitol Hill staffers are fanning out to congressional campaigns in droves — even faster, apparently, than they can be shooed out of certain party headquarters building. LINK

Roll Call looks at the prospect of turnout for the key gubernatorial races affecting the outcome of the key House races. LINK

The music of Pink, Cutting Edge, and Fabulous punctuate a delightful 30 minutes of political banter infused with the California sensibilities of ABCNEWS Capitol Hill correspondent Linda Douglass, who talks with Mark Halperin about what Congress has gotten done, how the party leadership is doing under the Ed Koch standard, and why President Bush isn't hanging around Capitol Hill with his coffee cup, on this week's "Here's the Point." LINK

The Washington Times , we're guessing, had fun with its story on how the Sierra Club is pretty much ignoring Green candidates. LINK

Florida

At 8:12 am ET, "Today" did a "David versus Goliath" taped spot on McBride vs. Bush, with some great PA work on McBride boyhood photos.

Political journalism vet Kerry Sanders posited that the Bush attack ad helped McBride win the Democratic primary by raising his name ID, even though he then included a soundbite from GOP chair Al Cardenas correctly pointing out that the airing of the ad coincided with McBride losing his big lead over Reno.

Right near the end of his spot (which ended at 8:17 am and barely had anything from Jeb in it), Sanders said, "Political experts say in the end, the race comes down to a numbers game," and we couldn't agree more.

More from Mr. Silva's Orlando Sentinel story on Joe Lieberman's trip to Florida this past weekend: "The Democratic National Committee has agreed to invest more than $500,000 in an 11th-hour 'get-out-the-vote' drive in Florida. It will target African-American, Hispanic and suburban women voters with telephone calls, mailings and ads."

"The national party is dispatching Nick Baldick, a consultant who ran Gore's campaign in Florida and worked on the presidential campaigns of former President Clinton here. In a close contest, state party Chairman Bob Poe says, Baldick's efforts can make a difference."

Former First Lady Barbara Bush will campaign at two retirement communities today, in Sarasota and Cape Coral. She'll be joined at the Cape Coral stop by with her son the Governor and even Florida First Lady Columba Bush, in a rare appearance on the trail.

The Orlando Sentinel has a good look at the numbers behind the education data in the respective claims of Gov. Jeb Bush (R) and challenger Bill McBride (D). LINK

In an article about a Bush ad contrasting the candidates' positions on taxes, the excellent Tyler Bridges sees fit to include paragraphs about Bush's "devious" remarks about post-election plans and gets Bush's spokesperson, Todd Harris, to respond to it yet again.

Still, we've talked to a few average, politically connected Floridians, and with a few exceptions, Bush's remarks are not repeated ad nauseum on the small screen or on local television. LINK

Bridges also notes that McBride "once again declined to offer a specific plan to pay for the class-size program."

The Washington Times makes the point that the governor's race is a national race focusing on local issues.

Probable incoming House member Katherine Harris is "'so tiny.'" LINK

New York

Damn. Many of America's political reporters missed out on some serious rumbling between Gov. George Pataki and Independence Party challenger Tom Golisano aides by not going to Syracuse on Sunday morning: "After the debate, Mr. McKeon and one of Mr. Golisano's consultants, Erick Mullen, engaged in an impromptu debate of their own in the television station's lobby about the accuracy of Mr. Golisano's allegations, surrounded by a clutch of reporters." LINK

"The argument quickly devolved into an obscenity-laced shouting match, with the two men calling each other liars. When the confrontation grew especially heated, a police officer stepped in."

The New York Times runs its second installment on how the government in Albany is run like a banana republic (or, actually, more like a really corrupt and disorganized Banana Republic). LINK

The way some of the state's elected officials operate with nearly no regard for the public interest is truly one of the biggest outrages in American public life.

The Times series is doing a great job of illuminating all of this; we wonder if any citizens or politicians will actually try to do anything about it.

Texas

A Sunday Dallas Morning News poll shows wide leads for Republican Gov. Rick Perry and for GOP Senate nominee John Cornyn. Part of the problem for Democrats: the black-Hispanic coalition simply may not be "there." LINK

But, still and again, it's all about minority voter turnout here, and that could still pan out.

One big quandary for Democratic Senate nominee Ron Kirk in the waning days of the campaign: he wants to — he needs to — turn out his base in record numbers in order to win. But that base is generally more liberal than he is. Will he risk the confidence of the moderates around Dallas who will/need to vote for him?

The Houston Chronicle 's Williams writes that Kirk sounds like a GOPer. LINK The Democratic Senate and House campaign committee are recruiting erstwhile congressional aides and volunteers from liberal interest groups to go to Texas and help with GOTV efforts.

The Dallas Morning News writes that the Republican ticket is cautiously jubilant about the latest polling. LINK

Statewide early voting starts today; in some counties, it began on Saturday.

California

Bob Novak calls this the California puzzle: "The nightly tracking poll taken for the California Teachers Association (CTA), made available to Republicans Friday morning, was startling. Thursday night's telephone interviews about the race for governor showed beleaguered Republican candidate Bill Simon leading Democratic Gov. Gray Davis 34.2 percent to 33.7 percent. The three-day tracking roll gave Davis a mere 2.7 percentage point lead." LINK

Do Republicans trust the CTA poll enough to ask President Bush to visit?

It runs counter to Garry South's Rovian "put a fork in it" bravado strategy, but we still wouldn't be shocked if Simon won this thing.

The Sacramento Bee pegs Davis's spending at more than $65 million so far. LINK

Outgoing Rep. Gary Condit's kids Chad and Cadee have sent out a mailing blasting the Democrat seeking to replace their father in the House. The mailing calls Democratic nominee Dennis Cardoza "a 'shameful' opportunist 'who is attempting to go from a strip bar owner to the House of Representatives.'" LINK

New Hampshire

John DiStaso's article on Senate race fundraising, in which he notes GOP Rep. John Sununu's trouble getting individuals to contribute to his campaign, has juicy details about national party spending: "GOP sources say the National Republican Senatorial Committee spent $2.4 million on Sununu through the second week of October and by now, has probably closed in on $3 million." LINK

"Its counterpart, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, 'is around $3 million now in spending on New Hampshire,' said communications director Tovah Ravitz."

The Lawrence Eagle-Tribune takes a long look at Republican gubernatorial candidate Craig Benson and his business, Cabletron. LINK

State Democrats are arguing that the national press has not paid enough attention to Benson's allegedly target-rich business record

Iowa

Rob Borsellino says that Brian Conley has been invited to another GOP Senate nominee Greg Ganske event. LINK

BIPAC's Bernadette Budde said last month that energy policy might be a rallying cry for the Republican base. She'll want to take a look at the latest policy clash in Iowa, where the two Senate candidates debated at length how to "curb" reliance on foreign sources of oil. LINK

Maryland

Local hacks Becker and Balz make the front page of the town rag with their look at the battle for women's votes in Maryland hotter than hot 8th Congressional District race. LINK

A write-up of GOP gubernatorial nominee Bob Ehrlich's "regular guy" image gets more standard Metro section treatment. LINK

North Carolina

In a story loaded with complimentary quotes from former colleagues Podesta, Baer, Palmieri, and McCurry, the Raleigh News & Observer's Wagner profiles Democratic Senate nominee Erskine Bowles' tenure as White House chief of staff through, shall we say, some bumpy times. LINK

The Washington Post 's David Broder went to witness the Saturday night debate, noting that GOP nominee Elizabeth Dole "negotiated the right to wear a lavaliere microphone for the debate Saturday night at East Carolina University and quickly reprised her famous Oprah-style walkabout at the 1996 Republican National Convention." LINK

"Her opponent, former Clinton White House chief of staff Bowles, followed her example and moved in so close that front-row guests were in danger of an inadvertent blow from his expansive two-armed chopping gestures."

"But President Bush, who enjoys high popularity here, is coming to Bowles's home city of Charlotte on Thursday — his fifth visit to the state — to boost Dole's chances. Bowles, who has not invited former president Bill Clinton to campaign for him, will counter with former Texas governor Ann Richards, whose loss to Bush in 1994 launched his career."

South Carolina

Sounds like Republican nominee Lindsey Graham tried to nationalize the race a bit in his debate with Democratic nominee Alex Sanders last night. "Graham, a U.S. representative from Seneca, said voters should think first of the national implications of the race, given the precarious balance between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate." Sanders "said he would bring independent thought and a balm to the raw partisanship in Congress." LINK

Arkansas

Statewide bus tours and rallies began for both parties in the homestretch. LINK

Colorado

The Denver Post realizes that the entire political world is watching Colorado. LINK

And the paper has a quick-and-dirty take on the Senate race to date. LINK

Massachusetts

Meet Duncan, Republican gubernatorial nominee Mitt Romney's own campaign "watchdog." Romney "yesterday began airing a new television advertisement that accuses Democratic nominee Shannon O'Brien of standing by as the state pension fund has lost billions of dollars. The ad also raises for the first time the controversial issue of her husband's lobbying business." LINK

"In the ad, a lazy basset hound 'watchdog' dozes off as men in suits lift bags of cash out of a 'State Treasury' vault into a truck labeled 'Enron' — as a narrator states that O'Brien's husband, R. Emmet Hayes, once worked as a lobbyist for the bankrupt energy giant. The ad reminds voters of the $7.2 billion the state pension fund has lost under O'Brien's watch since March 2000."

"O'Brien is airing her own negative ads that accuse Romney of slashing jobs, wages, and benefits in 1994 at a factory in Indiana through Ampad Inc., a business that Romney's company, Bain Capital, controlled at the time."

Meanwhile, "Democratic Party Chairman Phil Johnston quickly criticized Romney's wife, Ann. He noted Ann Romney signed papers for a referendum question to create an amendment that would block gay marriage. Though he offered it to reporters as analogous to Hayes' lobbying, Johnston said the party could have, but didn't, 'push' that issue." LINK

Michigan

The Detroit News, in full David Broder mode, skeptically assesses the economic proposals by the two major-party gubernatorial candidates. LINK

Missouri

State power-brokers still aren't sure what they'd do if Republican nominee Jim Talent beats Senator Jean Carnahan (D). "Carnahan is subject to immediate replacement because she was appointed to the seat. There is speculation in Washington that Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, would hold off certifying Talent's election Nov. 5 because it immediately would shift control of the Senate to Republicans by one seat — at least until the new Senate is sworn in in January." LINK

"Holden and Secretary of State Matt Blunt, a Republican, need to sign a certification for submission to the president of the Senate, according to federal law. 'I think Senator Carnahan will be elected,' Holden said. 'If she's not, we'll get our attorneys (together) to see what appropriate action should be taken. We will move as expeditiously as we can with the facts that we have.'"

Knight-Ridder's David Goldstein offers a ten-course meal's worth of a profile of Carnahan. LINK

Minnesota

The Star-Tribune assesses Democratic Senator Paul Wellstone and Republican Norm Coleman on the environment. LINK A Sunday Star Tribune poll gives Wellstone a slim lead over Coleman. LINK

South Dakota

House candidate Stephanie Herseth (D) is crying foul over National Republican Congressional Committee mail pieces that blast her as a liberal. Her opponent, Gov. Bill Janklow (R), asked the NRCC to stop all manner of "negative" (read: contrast) advertisements. LINK

The NRCC, as they are wont to do, will not let their own candidate's outrage prevent them from spending and playing in a must-win race for them.

Interestingly, this bit of counterintuitive conduct gives lie to the charge that the national party political committees always coordinate with their campaigns.

Come November 1, South Dakota might lose as much as $32 million when federal Medicare cuts take hold. That's on top of the $6 million already lost because Medicare re-imbursement rates for doctors were trimmed. LINK

Bush Administration Strategy/Personality

Karen Hughes, whose name did not appear anywhere in that long New York Times Magazine story about Karl Rove, gets her own "White House Letter" by the estimable Elisabeth Bumiller. LINK

Ms. Hughes, per aide Kim Black (who is positively Sunbarger-like in her capacity for hard work), is so busy, she was too busy to talk to Ms. Bumiller for the story, proving once again that that Austin crowd, taking their cues from President Bush, certainly does NOT worship at the alter on 43rd Street.

"Former President George Bush said Sunday in Des Moines that his son faces the toughest times in the White House since the Civil War," the Des Moines Register reports. LINK

There is so much layer-upon-layer-wrapped-in-more-layers in the New York Times story on the administration's relationship to the Sunday morning shows that all we can say is: read it. LINK

With more than a nod to MasterCard, the Washington Post 's Milbank distributed a priceless phony pool report to protest "a system in which their backstage reports are distributed by the White House — which occasionally objects to the content — to nearly 1,000 folks, about half of whom aren't journalists." LINK