—8:45 am: Governor Howard Dean tours hog lots, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
—9:30 am: Senate convenes for legislative business
—10:15 am: Congressman Dennis Kucinich visits low-income housing centers, Manchester, N.H.
—10:30 am: Senator John Edwards meets with Dubuque County Democrats, Dubuque, Iowa
—11:00 am: General Wesley Clark delivers an economic policy address at the University of New Hampshire, Manchester, N.H.
—11:30 am: Governor Dean meets with Floyd County Democrats, Charles City, Iowa
—11:45 am: Congressman Kucinich speaks at Concord High School, Concord, N.H.
—1:00 pm: Senator John Kerry unveils proposals for higher education and talks about the economy and education with students at the University of Iowa, Iowa City
—1:00 pm: Governor Dean meets with Chickasaw County Democrats, New Hampton, Iowa
—1:00 pm: Senator Edwards meets with Delaware County Democrats, Manchester, Iowa
—2:00 pm: Senator Kerry meets with Washington County Democrats, Washington, Iowa
—2:00 pm: Congressman Kucinich tours local businesses, Wolfeboro, N.H.
—2:15 pm: Senator Edwards meets with Clayton County Democrats, Elkader, Iowa
—3:30 pm: Governor Dean meets with Clayton County, Elkader, Iowa
—3:45 pm: Senator Edwards meets with Allamakee County Democrats, Waukon, Iowa
—5:00 pm: Senator Edwards meets with Winneshiek County Democrats, Decorah, Iowa
—5:00 pm: Congressman Kucinich attends a town hall meeting at the Majestic Theater, Conway, N.H.
—5:30 pm: Governor Dean meets with Allamakee County Democrats, Waukon, Iowa
—6:00 pm: Senator Kerry meets with Lee County Democrats, Montrose, Iowa
—6:30 pm: Governor Dean meets with Howard County Democrats (marking his 99th Iowa county visited), Cresco, Iowa
—6:45 pm: Senator Edwards meets with Chickasaw County Democrats, New Hampton, Iowa
—7:30 pm: Congressman Kucinich attends a campaign reception, Conway, N.H.
—8:00 pm: President Bush meets with Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Canberra, Australia
—8:30 pm: Senator Edwards meets with Butler County Democrats, Parkersburg, Iowa
—8:30 pm: Senator Kerry meets with Des Moines County Democrats, Burlington, Iowa
—9:30 pm: President Bush addresses the Australian Parliament, Canberra, Australia

NEWS SUMMARY

What do Americans like more than lists???!!!

Quizzes!!!!

Expressed as an integer, how much bigger would USA Today 's exclusive must-read of Secretary Rumsfeld's "howarewedoing?" memo be if it were on the front page of the New York Times ? LINK

Who will be the most politically important person in the room at the Al Smith Dinner tonight?

What is the name of the 99th Iowa county that Howard Dean plans to visit today?

And why does Howard Dean like painters?

True or false: today's front-page Wall Street Journal story about the volume picking up significantly in the shipping business is the most profound journalistic indication yet that the U.S. economy is well into recovery — making President Bush nearly unbeatable?

Will John Harwood's Wall Street Journal column on Dick Gephardt's Iowa strength help or hurt Gephardt win the nomination?

With which sentences of the must-read Wall Street Journal editorial on Medicare reform would Ted Kennedy openly agree?

And with which would you agree only secretly?

Who does Tom Daschle think his party will nominate for president?

If the president gets an energy bill, tort reform, a rebuilt military, a prescription drug bill, and tax reform LINK (all before election day!), which of his core campaign promises will still be unmet?

After today's awesome "Names and Faces," how could the Grahams deny that Anne Schroeder is VERY Reliable? LINK

What are the official airlines of the Democratic National Convention?

What actions on the part of The Note will it take to stoke the budding war between the editorial boards of the New York Times and the Des Moines Register over the sanctity of first-in-the-nationness, and do you for a minute doubt that we will in fact do whatever it takes? LINK

The answers appear upside down at the bottom of today's Note.

(And, before you start e-mailing us: no, they don't appear that way, but SOME of the answers can be found in the body of our work.)

President Bush visits Australia today.

Governor Dean, Senator Kerry and Senator Edwards campaign in Iowa today.

General Clark campaigns in New Hampshire today and attends private fundraisers in New York City.

Senator Lieberman is in D.C. with no public events.

Congressman Gephardt is in Florida with no public events.

Congressman Kucinich campaigns in New Hampshire today.

Reverend Sharpton is in New York City with no public events.

Ambassador Moseley Braun has no public events today.

The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner has long been a politically significant event.

The dinner, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan this evening, features General Tommy Franks as the guest of honor.

But he probably won't include his Today assessment of Wesley Clark's candidacy ("It's a great country") in his remarks.

Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki will be on hand. But believe us when we say this year's dinner won't hold a candle to next year's. (See Kennedy/Nixon 1960, Gore/Bush 2000, and ? 2004.)

The politics of national security:

In an exclusive, USA Today steals the Politics of National Security show with a copy of a memo from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to Generals Myers and Pace, and DOD's Wolfowitz and Feith. LINK

While the public has been enjoying the sunny predictions on progress in post-war Iraq and the press has been pounded for Filtering out the good news, Rumsfeld writes eloquently of his doubts in this interoffice missive asking, "Are we winning or losing the global war on terror?"

The United States, writes Rumsfeld:

-Lacks the "metrics to know if we are winning or losing the global war on terror"
-Is "putting relatively little effort into a long-range plan" to thwart the next generation of terrorists
-Is having "mixed results with Al Qaida"
-Has "not yet made truly bold moves" in the war on terror
-Faces a "a long, hard slog" in Afghanistan and Iraq

This is Topic A inside the Beltway today.

And more from the Pentagon: Senior Pentagon officials said Tuesday that more National Guard and Reserve forces would be notified in coming weeks that they might have to serve in Iraq next year. The announcement was made amid complaints from Congress and the families of part-time troops about the stress of lengthy deployments. LINK

Continuing on the Iraq front, USA Today 's John Diamond reports that a "Senate investigation has found no evidence that the Bush administration pressured CIA analysts to tailor their intelligence to suit the White House's views on the threat posed by Iraq." LINK

Deconstructing reconstruction: "'If this provision is not removed, the president's senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill,' Joshua B. Bolten, the White House budget director, wrote in a letter to Congressional leaders."

All the major papers score the dynamics of the non-binding 277-139 House vote to include a loan provision in the $87 billion Iraq funding package. LINK

The Wall Street Journal 's Rogers Notes the vote was "engineered by Democrats to embarrass the administration by putting as many as 84 Republicans on record supporting a resolution urging acceptance of the Senate loan provision."

The Washington Post 's Weisman picks up on Majority Leader Tom DeLay's dismissal of the vote and runs Senator Lindsey Graham's warning to the GOPowers that Be:

"'You need to look at what's going on here,' Graham said. 'There have been leadership models that have ignored the will of the people before. You do so at your own peril.'" LINK

Nevada Republican Senator John Ensign says he sees "wiggle room" in Bolten's language and vows to continue his fight for the loans. LINK

While House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young says vote away now, because there ain't no way the loan provision is making it to the final bill. LINK

The New York Times ' Ms. Stolberg profiles the funding bill's shepherd, Washington power ranger Tom Korologos. LINK

Halliburton questions continue to surface, reports the New York Times business section. Is the company charging too much to import fuel, ask congressional Democrats? LINK

Wilson:

The New York Times ' Lichtblau says Attorney General John Ashcroft "has taken a more hands-on role in the politically charged" Wilson investigation than the Department of Justice previously had acknowledged. Senator Schumer says this has a "chilling effect" on the investigators' work. LINK

In an op-ed in the New York Times , former State Department Special Agent Robert Booth writes, "We do not yet know how much damage was caused by Robert Novak's column about Mr. Wilson. But we do know that as long as there is a federal government, leaks will continue — and that people who substitute their personal judgment for their sworn oaths are leading America down a very slippery slope." LINK

Big Casino budget politics:

The Wall Street Journal 's editorial board warns congressional Republicans not to mistake Medicare cost savings for an actual overhaul — and cautions against going for price controls out of political expediency.

"Some Republicans are under the illusion that whatever they pass this year they can easily fix later. But their moment of maximum political leverage is when the drug carrot is still on the table. Once any entitlement becomes law, Democrats will be able to demagogue any change as 'cutting" benefits.'"

This is an important piece.

Senator Tom Daschle threatens a filibuster if the Medicare bill includes means testing, reports The Hill's Cusack. LINK

The Note wants to report a recent staff change with huge implications for the Medicare decisions to be made:

David Smith has left the Human Rights Campaign, where he lobbied for Employment Non-Discrimination, Hate Crimes Legislation, and other issues, to serve as the new communications director for Ted Kennedy, where we're told he will lobby for Employment Non-Discrimination, Hate Crimes Legislation, and other issues.

Smith replaces the recently departed Stephanie Cutter, who has gone to Boston to head communications for the Democratic Convention Committee.

How Smith's new boss plays the Medicare endgame will be HUGE.

Meanwhile, on the Washington Post 's editorial page, the bipartisan duo of Feinstein and Nickles urge means testing for Medicare's Part B. LINK

Legislative agenda:

The Senate approved a federal ban on partial birth abortion ban yesterday. The legislation now goes to President Bush, who said he looked forward to the signing ceremony, the New York Times ' Stolberg reports:

"The Senate's votes, and Mr. Bush's signing of the bill, will undoubtedly have political ramifications for the 2004 presidential race. Already, the National Abortion Rights Action League, an advocacy group, is planning television advertisements criticizing the Bush administration as interfering with the right to privacy. LINK

NARAL officials told The Note this morning that they raised $11,000 in online donations overnight from an e-mailed fundraising solicitation sent out last evening.

Three abortion rights groups vow to sue to before the ban on the late-term abortion procedure can be enacted. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Janet Hook writes the ban " … will soon go to the courts, where abortion-rights advocates are poised to challenge the constitutionality of the measure as soon as Bush signs it into law." LINK

David Savage reports the law won't take effect "unless or until the Supreme Court changes its mind on the matter." LINK

The Washington Post on the Senate vote: LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: The Invisible Primary:

David Broder explains the significance of last week's candidate appearances at the Arab American Institute conference. LINK

Who needs commercial flights when a union or a company's offering their plane? It's not a new practice for presidential candidates to use the services of labor unions and big businesses to jet themselves from stop to stop. AP's Sharon Theimer sheds some light on who's jet-setting around this cycle. LINK

"Pulsing lights, throbbing hip-hop music and Bill Clinton are on tap next week for a DNC fundraiser at a Washington nightclub designed to transform young professionals into political donors." It's just like that dream we had, except instead of Clinton it was J. Lo. LINK

We could blame an inattentive Googling monkey, but the fault is ours for suggesting yesterday that Jeff Greenfield was dissing a colleague, when he was in fact simply dissing both pundits' hype and the wretched excesses of Iowa and New Hampshire. The Note regrets the error, not least because we didn't say what we meant to say.

House of labor:

From ABC News' Marc Ambinder and Gayle Tzemach:

ABC News has learned that senior leaders of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) have told Democratic campaign officials they plan to endorse former Vermont Governor Howard Dean next Monday morning in Iowa. It is the first major union endorsement for Dean.

The IUPAT claims more than 140,000 "painters, drywall finishers, wallpaper hangers, glass workers" and more among its national membership. Union Political Director and General Vice President Sean McGarvey says the "extremely difficult" decision to endorse marks the end of a nearly 12-month long process of evaluation and discussion.

Union leadership made the unanimous decision during a Monday conference call evaluating the results of a questionnaire sent to 600 IUPAT members late this summer. Third quarter FEC numbers and candidate meetings also played a part in the union's endorsement.

The IUPAT maintained throughout the process it would follow the AFL-CIO's lead in endorsing a presidential contender. When the AFL declined to endorse a candidate last month, the union decided to continue to watch the race unfold and endorse once member poll results and late-year candidate money reports became available.

McGarvey stressed the high regard the union has for all the candidates competing, adding that union leadership was "surprised, very surprised" by the questionnaire's results. "But the candidate (the rank and file) has urged us to support has apparently tapped into something none of the other candidates has been able to tap into," he said, promising the union would "jump in with both feet" to mobilize its "black and gold army" on its candidate's behalf.

Dean:

USA Today 's Walter Shapiro maps out what it's like to be Howard Dean and Notes, "For all the adulation that now surrounds his crusade for the White House, Dean projects the same certainty and sense of destiny he had a year ago when he was a lone-wolf candidate." LINK

"Sense of destiny" … . where have we heard that before?

And we wonder if the campaign will try to zip the lip of a certain semi-off-message Mom!

Knight Ridder's James Kuhnhenn examines Dean's governing style as governor, Noting that he was "a shrewd politician who tried to get his way through whatever tactic worked — brinkmanship or partisanship, explosive outbursts or tireless negotiations. His Clinton-like triangulation between extremes angered conservatives and liberals, but generally delighted moderates, businessmen and bankers." LINK

The Des Moines Register 's Jonathan Roos reports on Dean's energy speech, where he "used a northern Iowa wind farm Tuesday as a backdrop for announcing a national renewable energy plan calling for greater reliance on wind energy and ethanol." LINK

The New York Daily News' Michael Blood keys off the latest Franklin Pierce College poll and declares "Howard Dean has broken away from the Democratic field" in New Hampshire. Just in case he's wrong about that, Mr. Blood later writes, "the race in New Hampshire is far from settled." LINK

The New York Post 's Deborah Orin previews Dr. Dean's appearance with Dan Rather on 60 Minutes II tonight. LINK

From ABC News' Dean campaign reporter Marc Ambinder:

"Dean hits back at Dick Gephardt, implicitly, and Washington politicians, explicitly, in a new ad comparing his record in Vermont with what he has called the failure of Washington politicians to pass prescription drug legislation."

"The campaign won't say how big the buy is, but it'll run in every major television market in Iowa and will stay up for an indeterminate amount of time."

"The text: 'Seniors today are getting clobbered by Prescription drug costs. But instead of fixing the problem, the best my opponents can do is talk about what was said eight years ago. As Governor, I provided prescription drug assistance for seniors and got health care coverage for nearly every child in my state. For years the politicians in Washington have talked about health insurance and a prescription drug benefit. And all you got was talk. But we did it in Vermont. I'm Howard Dean and I approved this message because only you have the power to change Washington.'"

"This is Dean's first newly produced Iowa ad in over a month; he's been on the air sporadically since the summer, and has been on the air with his old 'take our country back' ad for a while."

"In other ads news, Dean will return to New Hampshire's airwaves today; the campaign has bought at least a week's worth of ads on WMUR."

"Finally, the Trippi, McMahon and Squier film crew showed up again to get more classic presidential campaign advertising moments, all for use in future ads. Today, there was the 'sitting in the restaurant talking about health care' picture … and the 'sleeves rolled up, leaning against the fortuitously parked red truck gesticulation' shot."

Clark:

From ABC News' Clark campaign reporter Deborah Apton:

"The Clark04 Campaign told ABC News that in Manchester, New Hampshire, at the site of a converted mill, General Clark will release his plan to save more than $2 trillion over the next decade and cut the deficit in each and every year. The core of the Clark "Saving for America's Future" plan calls for saving money in four major areas:"

"1) A tax plan that asks Americans making more than $200,000 to give back the windfall they received under the Bush tax cuts; 2) Cutting Washington spending: 'On defense, The General will support every dime we need to keep America strong but he will not tolerate billions of dollars of waste or inefficiency just because it has a military label on it,' the campaign said; 3) Getting rid of corporate tax loopholes; and 4) Changing the distribution of costs to rebuild and do business in Iraq so the U.S. is not the lone funder."

"Yesterday's theme for the Clark campaign could be something like — 'say what?' Clark's slow recovery from laringytis had him speaking to local business people in Nashua at nothing higher than a whisper. And the image of the day became reporters cocking their heads to catch one soundbite from The (quiet) General."

AP's Nedra Pickler reports that the Clark team sees the Granite State as part of a "broader strategy to raise more than $10 million by the end of the year, air ads next month," and finish third in New Hampshire before going on to win in states with later nominating contests. One Clark adviser told Picker that the first ads will highlight Clark's biography and are scheduled to air the first week of November in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and maybe other February 3 states. LINK

ABC News contacted Clark campaign officials inquiring about the seemingly high $10 million figure that Pickler wrote about attributing to Clark "aides." But three campaign officials say that the number came as a shock to them as well and they do not know where that number came from or whether the number was toted as with or without matched funds.

At this time, the Clark campaign does not have a goal amount on the record. Pickler wrote twice in her piece that the Clark campaign hoped to raise more than $10 million by the end of the year.

More on this tk for sure!

Pickler also previews Clark's economic speech. LINK

Paul Barton of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette says also looks at the plan to "wage a serious assault" on the key primary state. LINK

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Kevin Freking Notes that South Carolina is a "prime target" state for General Clark's campaign, which has taken on former Graham staffers to head operations there. LINK

Deborah Orin and Vincent Morris of the New York Post report that Clark, while a NATO commander, did support live-fire bombing on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, a discovery that puts him at odds with his greatest congressional supporter, Congressman Rangel. LINK

In a Washington Post op-ed, Harold Meyerson tries to diagnose the central problem of the Clark campaign — is it that he's late or just a rookie? LINK

And Meyerson says Mickey Kantor is no Paul Begala, which Paul will certainly both take issue with and find funny.

Lieberman:

The Hartford Courant has a humorous take on Lieberman's "strategery" post-Iowa. LINK

Village Voice's Rick Perlstein goes "undercover" inside the Lieberman campaign and emerges with some harsh observations. LINK

"It could be considered comic, this abyss at the Lieberman grassroots. It could be, that is, if Lieberman showed any signs of going away." Perlstein suggests that win or lose, Lieberman's candidacy sets the entire Democratic party up for a fall, but he does call Lieberman's tax plan 'splashy' and 'handsomely progressive.'"

The Hill's Sam Dealy reports that Lieberman is taking heat from Senator Inhofe for opposing Bush's choice to head the EPA in absentia.

LINK

Kerry:

The Boston Globe 's Eileen McNamara recaps what she thinks were the softballs lofted at Kerry on "Hardball." Pat Cadell! What do you think? Bob Reich! What about you? Oh come on … … LINK

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

"Fresh from 'Hardball', Senator John Kerry had a soft day of campaigning in New Hampshire."

"The only glimmer of news came when the Senator responded to clarification questions regarding the previous night's proposition that France and Russia were ready to deal at the time President Bush halted Iraq negotiations at the UN."

The Boston Globe 's Patrick Healy pursues with a quick day-two on the subject: LINK

"Prior to Kerry's Squirrel-less flight (LINK) back to Washington, the Junior Senator from Massachusetts toured National Aperature, taking the opportunity to crack rivals Dean & Gephardt's positions on manufacturing and trade."

"Calling Dean's plan for the restoration of manufacturing jobs 'very, very vague' and Gephardt himself a 'protectionist' with 'a very old approach,' Kerry summarized, 'I think the American people want more than platitudes. I think the American people want more than old politics. I think they want and deserve specific plans for the future.'"

The Senator's quick-stop gets some valuable local and New Hampshire AP play: LINK; and LINK

"Following his time in Salem, Kerry spent some quality time with the Honorable Mayor of Manchester, Robert Baines. Touring the Mayor's Office, a local Harley shop, the Elm Street UPS Store, several other shops, and, naturally, the Merrimack Restaurant, Kerry shook some hands while folks snapped pictures or ruminated over their 'ruined lunch'."

Edwards:

The Washington Post 's fabulous Mark Leibovich profiles Senator Edwards and raises questions of whether momentum or being "anointed" really matter or not. LINK

Mark's soft heart shows in the very last sentence!

From ABC News' Edwards campaign reporter Gloria Riviera:

"Tuesday evening Edwards' campaign pollster, Harrison Hickman, released a survey purporting to show Edwards at 22% in South Carolina among likely voters polled in October. Hickman claims that Edwards' lead is unchanged from despite the fact his TV ads ended four weeks ago and that it demonstrates there is 'room for improvement as he remains less well-known than the other candidates'. Lieberman and Dean both follow at 12%, Clark at 9%."

Let us stress: internal polling.

Gephardt:

The Wall Street Journal 's John Harwood looks at Gephardt's campaign strategy in Iowa and why it could lead to another win for Gephardt there.

"Ground-level organization rules this state's signature event, which on Jan. 19 will winnow the 2004 presidential field. That's why Joe Lieberman and Wesley Clark, without a prayer of winning here, this week abandoned any pretense of trying. And that's why Mr. Gephardt has re-emerged as the favorite to win here and gain a spot in the nomination finals."

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jo Mannies writes that Gephardt filed for the primary in his home state early yesterday. The key February 3 state may not be a sure thing for Gephardt … or anyone because of problems that could prevent the primary from taking place at all. LINK

"The state's Office of Administration is using money from its special-elections fund to pay the estimated $3.7 million cost of Missouri's primary. The Republican-controlled state Legislature had cut out the allocation for the presidential primary, citing the state's budget problems, but failed to change the statute mandating that the primary be held."

From ABC News' Gephardt campaign reporter Sally Hawkins:

"After a day of fundraising, Congressman Gephardt's trip to the Yankees/Marlins game with Miami Mayor Penelas last night could have been a big disappointment, given the 6-1 loss for the Marlins. A life-long and obsessed Cardinals fan, Gephardt can't stand the Yankees and would probably root for Newt Gingrich's team if they were the opposite the Yanks. But his night took a turn for the better during the rain delay, according to Gephardt spokesman Erik Smith. 'The highlight of the [Congressman's]game was bumping into former Cardinals great Ozzie Smith and talking baseball with him,' Smith said."

"While the Fox cameras seemed to have no problems finding fine citizens like Mike Tyson and singing sensation Yanni, Gephardt was nowhere to be found for folks in their living rooms. The campaign said they wanted him to have a little quiet time and didn't notify Fox that he was there."

"After yesterday's news about the Dean campaign visiting all 99 counties in Iowa, the only candidate to do so since Gephardt in 1988, I asked Gephardt's Iowa communications director, Bill Burton, for the campaign's reaction. 'It's a good thing Dean is going to all 99 counties. He's got a lot of explaining to do on his atrocious Medicare record', he responded. Gephardt will have reached 70 counties in Iowa by the end of next week.'"

Kucinich:

Time magazine's Perry Bacon, Jr., profiles the Congressman and pinpoints the obstacles he faces, namely that even voters who know who he is and like what he says think he's a non-starter for the nomination: LINK

The AP outlines the Kucinich-commissioned report on the NRC that says it missed a big fat hole in an Ohio nuclear reactor, which happens to be run by Kucinich arch nemesis FirstEnergy Corp. LINK

Sharpton:

From ABC News' Sharpton campaign reporter Beth Loyd:

"It's back to the basics for the Sharpton campaign."

"In an effort to raise some money — and not spend any — the Sharpton campaign has been down this week and will continue to be down until the weekend. Sharpton is locked away with Wes Wilson who runs the New York 'fundraising office' making fundraising calls."

"Behind the scenes, the focus is on logistics: getting organized in South Carolina. In addition, the campaign wants to qualify itself for matching funds in those pesky 20 states … and then there's the issue of getting Sharpton on the ballot, which is always on the collective mind."

"Campaign manager Charles Halloran said that Sharpton is preparing to announce key supporters in 20 states. He said, 'Sharpton has been methodically putting together a national team that will demonstrate his breadth and reach including business leaders and in ministry. This would be a list any candidate would be proud of.'"

Iowa:

Somebody please call President Carter. The Des Moines Register 's ed board is perplexed, concerned, possibly annoyed, and maybe even a little hostile as a result of the New York Times ed board's calling their state "quaint." Rumble, anyone? LINK

New Hampshire:

With Lieberman and Clark opting out of Iowa, their loss is New Hampshire's gain. LINK

District of Columbia:

The Des Moines Register 's Jane Norman alerts Iowa voters to the delegate-less D.C. primary that will be six days before the Iowa caucuses. LINK

Norman assures Iowans that "in the debate over who is first, the District of Columbia event has stepped on the two early states' toes and revived longtime complaints about their dominant role in the nominating process. It's also earned the opposition of the national party."

Democratic National Convention:

The Democratic National Convention Committee announced Tuesday that US Airways and United Airlines are the "official airlines for the 35,000 delegates, media and guests flying to Boston, Massachusetts July 26 through July 29, 2004 for the 2004 Democratic National Convention."

The convention committee also Noted that the "selection of US Airways and United as the Official Airlines represents the Democratic Party's strong commitment to supporting union companies and the nation's working men and women."

If Delta had restrooms on the security side of the Shuttle terminal, we are certain they would have been strongly in the running.

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:

Kudos to Dick Stevenson for digging into the interesting details.

In today's New York Times , Stevenson goes beyond the eye-bulgingly big fund-raising numbers — the $83.9 million raised and the more than $70 million on hand — and looks at what the latest FEC report says about the Bush-Cheney team's spending habits:

"The Bush re-election campaign's latest financial filings with the Federal Election Commission offer the most revealing window so far into how aggressively the operation is gearing up for the 2004 race, with expenditures on everything from multiple pollsters to Internet consultants to flowers for fund-raising events." LINK

The campaign has paid media consultant Mark McKinnon's Maverick operation $875,000, "signaling that the Bush team is preparing to begin filming and buying broadcast time for an advertising onslaught expected to begin in the first few months of next year."

McKinnon and the campaign refused to give details on what the BC04 team is getting for their money.

The campaign is paying pollster and strategist Matt Dowd $9,000 a month and keeping other GOP pollsters on the payroll, including Linda DiVall, Ed Goeas and Frederick T. Steeper.

The campaign has spent just $14 million so far, but that is more than any of the nine Democratic challengers, and it has almost six times the money on hand as the closest Democrat, Howard Dean, Stevenson reports.

The Washington Times looks at what the Bush-Cheney war chest, which is raising questions, like what an uncontested nominee needs over $100 million for. LINK

Dear campaign finance lawyers: is Ralph Hallow right that the president can give any unspent BC04 funds to the RNC for the general?

This week's Village Voice explains bundling and lists the top BC04 bundlers, the Rangers, Pioneers and Mavericks. LINK

Bush raised more money in Illinois than all nine Democrats combined, bringing in $3.6 million in the state, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. LINK

President Bush was in Bali today to meet with Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri and speak to a group of Muslim clerics. Washington Post 's Mike Allen reports: "A senior administration official traveling on the six-country presidential swing through Asia and Australia said Bush 'has seen some mischaracterizations of his policies on Iraq and on the Middle East coming out of Indonesia.'"

"'He wants to correct those misunderstandings and share views with them,' the official said. LINK

Roll Call reports that President Bush is working on a fourth round of tax cuts, to be unveiled during next year's presidential campaign.

Welcome Ben Smith to the New York Observer! Mr. Smith profiles Jim Wilkinson as he settles in to his new job as communications chief for the Republican National Convention. LINK

The economy:

More good news on the economic recovery — transportation companies are seeing an upswing in goods shipped via railroad and trucks, the Wall Street Journal 's Rick Brooks and Daniel Machalaba write. This coincides with estimates from the Federal Reserve that manufacturing output is up 1.2% since April. Higher volume in shipping consumer, manufacturing and agricultural goods causes carriers to expand their services and have greater control over their prices, which could end up offsetting high fuel costs, the duo writes.

Meanwhile, costs for people heating their homes with natural gas are expected to rise this winter, writes the Journal's Russell Gold. Prices are estimated to jump up to 33% percent, depending on the region.

California's new governor:

Mr. Schwarzenegger goes to Sacramento. LINK

"Over the next two days, Schwarzenegger is scheduled to meet with Gov. Gray Davis, top party leaders in the Assembly and Senate, and all the statewide elected officials in a series of 20-minute encounters that his advisers have billed as "get-to-know-you" sessions."

The San Francisco Chronicle's Robert Salladay reports a Schwarzenegger chief of staff could be named "perhaps as soon as today." LINK

Gregg Jones and Dan Morain report on the smooth and professional transition underway. LINK

With no current plans for ousting Schwarzenegger, Californians are pushing to make another recall a difficult venture. LINK

Politics:

Democrats are launching "Operation Home Front," a "four-week offensive to bring attention to what they say is the failure of President Bush and the GOP to address key domestic concerns," reports Roll Call .

Dick Morris discusses why the GOP should throw out the Christian Right: "[it has] so alienated women that it has opened up a gender gap that often swells to more than 20 points, crippling Republican candidates." LINK

The Miami Herald on the politics of Gov. Jeb Bush's decision to force feed Terry Schiavo.

Writes Peter Wallsten, the "governor's actions on such a high-profile case could energize the very evangelicals who stayed home in 2000 when Bush's brother, now the president, lost the national popular vote and narrowly won Florida." LINK

The St. Petersburg Times Notes the same trend, calling Tuesday's mobilization "an impressive show of force by the conservative wing of the Republican Party" that "holds repercussions for the 2004 elections. The ripples flow through Florida's U.S. Senate race — where two rivals for the GOP nomination were in the middle of the Schiavo debate — and the battle for the state in the race for president." LINK

The New York Post 's Fred Dicker breathlessly writes up Andrew Cuomo's contributions to a new book for which the former gubernatorial candidate "served as editor." LINK

ABC News' Rasmussen reports that Ginsberg Lahey, the two-headed monster wrought from the ashes of the 2000 Gore campaign, has joined the information age with its new, flashy web site that is also brilliantly titled: www.ginsberglahey.com.

Not for the faint of heart, or those with dial-up modems, the site starts you off with a pantheon of buzz-phrases like "Prepare aggressively. Maneuver strategically. Win Decisively." and backs them with more than adequate, and realistic, descriptions of the services, company bios, and an impressive list of references, including Ms. Donna Brazile.

All that razzle-dazzle is certainly backed up. Lahey, Ginsberg, and partner Mark Warner all have solid resumes to back up their claims, conveniently listed on the site; though they lead you to wonder if any of the three existed before 1998.

The site makes it more than clear that Ginsberg Lahey is all about research and communications in the realm of politics. The site spells out their methods of integrity, Notably that all facts are cited, and promises an array of services tailored to the individual client's needs.

The site moves Ginsberg Lahey into the realm of online political information services that's sure to be integral to campaigns, corporations, and individuals who need political information now. And it looks pretty too.

(And sharp readers can spot the jokes herein.)

K Street:

According to Page Six, you better get your "K Street" fix while you can. LINK

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