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This is a story about control
My control
Control of what I say
Control of what I do
And this time I'm gonna do it my way (my way)
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do
Are we ready?

Even with everyone in the Bush Administration warning that the war with Iraq isn't over yet (except, many papers Note, two VERY senior we-can-barely-contain-our-glee officials), the Chattering Class is ready to move to falling action, denouement, peace in our time (with honor!), and domestic politics.

We share with Ari Fleischer an outraged incredulity at the immature, MTV-ain't-fast-enough-for-our-attention-spans nature of even the so-called responsible press in covering the war and a childish impatience to declare it over and move on.

C'mon people: not EVERY major development in the world can move from beginning to end in the time it takes the Bachelor to winnow the field of rose-recipients down from 25 to 6.

With no news committed at yesterday's twin Democratic cattle calls, the dominant political stories today are a pair of major efforts in America's largest circulating broadsheets suffering somewhat from America's "what's next?" obsession.

The stories have a lot in common, including pushing off of the very original and telescoped notion that now that the war is "over," this President Bush might not be able to avoid reliving the fate of the last Republican president who won a war against Iraq but the could not get re-elected in the face of a weak economy, and it just so happens that that previous Republican president was none other than THE FATHER OF THE CURRENT PRESIDENT BUSH!!!!!

Fine: it IS really interesting, and the parallels are so amazing that if you pitched it as the plot of a novel you couldn't get Binky or Andrew to even have lunch with you to discuss it.

But still: with the economy possibly staying weak for a while, just what is the tipping point beyond which American simply can't tolerate another story about this same topic?

The Wall Street Journal 's duo of Cummings and McKinnon doesn't give the POTUS much of a post-war honeymoon.

And somehow their editor actually let them lead with 43/41!!!

But it IS a very solid story, and thus deserves your full attention:

"President Bush now sits at the very political crossroads his father occupied more than a decade ago."

"Military victory in Iraq seems assured, but the domestic U.S. economy is deteriorating. How Mr. Bush handles it between now and November 2004 is likely to determine whether he wins re-election or is voted out after one term, as his father was. Just hours after watching Iraqis clamber on a fallen statue of Saddam Hussein, Mr. Bush brainstormed yesterday with Chief of Staff Andrew Card and legislative liaison David Hobbs to figure out a way to salvage his $725 billion tax-cut package, under siege on Capitol Hill … ."

Now, here is a little mini-tutorial in the Tao of Rove for you: the man just loves to order up research on the past practices and historical trends of what happened in previous administrations.

He is beyond brilliant in setting the parameters that the research geeks should flesh out, and then making sure the write-ups have modern day (read: "Bush") applicability.

"Under the direction of Mr. Bush's political strategist Karl Rove, the White House has conducted extensive research on the successes and errors of postwar presidents. Among the positive examples: Harry Truman's decision to set ambitious goals such as national health insurance, and Dwight D. Eisenhower's ability to win funding for a national highway system that transformed the nation … ."

And/but here's a paragraph of Dow Jones certified facts, masquerading as the money riff from a Terry McAuliffe speech (or the nut graph of a Gene Sperling op-ed):

"At the moment, the economy is disconcertingly weak. Growth in the first quarter of 2003 is expected to come in at only 1.8%, and some economists say the economy could even contract in the months ahead, raising the risk of a disastrous double-dip recession. Some sectors, particularly airlines and tourism, are in outright recession already. The economy has lost some two million jobs since Mr. Bush took office in January 2001. The Dow Jones Industrial Average — a symbol of value for the retirement holdings of millions of Americans — has declined by some 23% on the current president's watch. The Dow declined by 100.98 yesterday, closing at 8197.94, even as Iraqis on the streets of Baghdad celebrated the end of Mr. Hussein's regime."

"Victory in Iraq may yet boost lagging consumer confidence. But many of the economy's problems predate the crisis in Iraq, and are likely to linger long after it's over. The biggest one, lack of business investment, has been exacerbated by the war, as executives hunker down to wait out the uncertainties associated with the conflict."

"'There's no crystal ball telling me that we're about to embark on a new capital-expenditure spree,' says David Rosenberg, chief North American economist for Merrill Lynch & Co. 'That seems pretty pie-in-the-sky as far as I'm concerned.'"

USA Today 's Susan Page covers much the same ground, with enough self-consciousness to admit that this movie script has been written before:

"The parallels between Bush's situation now and his father's then have been noted (sic) often because they are so striking: presidents in the third year of their terms who prevail in battle against Saddam but then face a stubbornly sluggish economy. The failure of the elder Bush to seem in touch with voters' daily concerns contributed to his defeat by Bill Clinton in 1992." LINK

"Bush's top advisers say victory in Iraq is no more of a re-election guarantee for him in 2004 than it proved to be for his father in 1992. Despite the euphoria of the moment, some of them say the war isn't likely to be a decisive issue in the presidential campaign."

"More important, Republican and Democrat strategists agree, is a flagging economy that some analysts say is at risk of falling into the second recession in two years."

"And last time, some leading Democrats were cowed by the president's soaring postwar approval ratings. This time, Democratic presidential contenders, while divided on the war, have been united in seeing Bush as vulnerable because of the economy."

The New York Post 's Deborah Orin has her own version of the same story, somehow more forgivable because we find this kind of Insta-game analysis more appropriate in a tab. LINK

Deb's lead: "Now that the war in Iraq has been won, President Bush has a chance to show he's learned from his dad's mistakes."

"Bush's dad lost his 1992 re-election bid because he forgot 'the economy, stupid' and rested on the laurels he won by kicking Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait the previous year."

"This President Bush will work to see history doesn't repeat itself."

(Insert clumsy Note transition here.)

ABC 2004: The Invisible Primary: the CDF joint appearance

One group of people who are working hard to make sure history DOES repeat itself created a bit of a buzz at the Wardman Park Marriott in Washington last night for the Children's Defense Fund's Presidential Candidate Forum on Children.

Yesterday, The Note had spring fever and, maybe overcompensating for the harsh reality that Washington is doomed to never again have a major league baseball team, called the event the "big game under the lights at Wardman Park."

Today, The Note asks for your kind indulgence to switch metaphors because Wednesday night's forum felt like a highly anticipated jazz concert where nine big-name soloists took the stage together for the first time, and the audience knew the music would be good.

Charlie Parker might have called it Wednesday at the Wardman. For Dems, if you weren't there, you weren't anywhere.

To be sure, the buzz was buzzin'. From the anxiously lined-up audience members and extensive security checkpoints to the journalists schmoozing in the back of the room and The Macker huggin and kissin his way to a hot spot down front, the Wardman was the place to be.

It wasn't just because the CDF had Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" playing before the event got underway.

And it wasn't just because Donna Brazile promised The Note some "fireworks" on stage when they started to jam.

But you know something cool must be goin' down if the stylin' Alexandra Pelosi is there with a bag full of minicam tapes.

And, to borrow from a Davis classic, The Note today asks, "So What?"

The New York Times ' Adam Nagourney felt like there was a lot going on, perhaps even too much. LINK

"Tonight's forum served, if nothing else, to illustrate just how unwieldy the Democratic field is. With nine candidates on the stage, as well as five questioners, no one had much time to make much of an impression. It was 30 minutes into the debate before the first question was posed. At one point, the audience started giggling as the moderator tried to explain some of the complex rules the group had put together to try to deal with the crowd."

The Washington Post 's Dan Balz delivers a straight-forward piece on the evening, Noting that questions on Iraq took first priority at the otherwise domestically oriented forum. LINK

The Los Angeles Times ' Ron Brownstein observes that "praise of the war received little applause" during the event. LINK

The New York Post 's Orin reports that squabbling over war positions broke out among the candidates. LINK

Orin writes that Howard Dean got applause by "blasting rivals who back a 'presidential pre-emptive war' that more than 70 percent of Americans support," while Senator Joe Lieberman was prompted "to jab that some are 'both for and against,'" seemingly aimed at Senator John Kerry, which is a newish and interesting development.

The Chicago Tribune's Jeff Zeleny observes, "Iraq aside, there were few disagreements among the candidates, who applauded one another and traded smiles." LINK

Keying off the forum and with at least a touch of home state myopia, the Hartford Courant's David Lightman writes that "Lieberman arguably has the most to gain or lose from the end of the war, because he was an early supporter of strong military action against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and led Bush's Senate fight to win authority to act." LINK

The Cleveland Plain Dealer says that "For Kucinich, the forums yesterday offered a rare opportunity to match wits and ideas in person with better-known rivals." LINK

The Palm Beach Post picked up Senator Graham's vow that helping children would be a primary goal of his campaign. LINK

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Bill Gibson writes that Graham "delivered a fact-filled and low-key performance" Wednesday night. LINK

Big Casino budget politics

At first glance, the Republican deal cut on the budget seemed like a sophisticated version of Kick the Can, under which the Bush tax cut lives to be fought for another day, on the premise that some Republican moderates and Democratic conservatives can be flipped once the war is over and the president works them over.

This morning, ABCNEWS' Linda Douglass reports: ""A senior Republican aide confirms that negotiations between the House and Senate over the size of the tax cut are hung up to the point that the vote on the budget resolution will probably be delayed until after the two-week recess."

"Last night, the Senate parliamentarian decreed that if the Senate calls for a tax cut of $350 billion, they are bound by those instructions no matter what the House does."

"The aide says the House and Senate may now have to 'take the scenic route' to reach an agreement. And remember, this really stings Republicans inside the Capitol World. They slammed Democrats for not being able to agree on a budget last year, and now they have the same problem."

"Of course, much of this parliamentarian gobbledygook. The actual size and details of the tax cut will be hammered out in committees and on each floor many weeks from now. Either (chamber) can make the tax cut bigger or smaller than the budget resolution decrees as long as they have the votes."

"But the politics of the current battle are significant. Uneasy Republican moderates and conservative Democrats are standing in the way of Mr. Bush's big tax cut at time when he would like to move smoothly from a military victory to a domestic one."

The Washington Post 's Jim VandeHei serves once again as the best croupier at the Bellagio that is Capitol Hill, and highlights the unhappiness of a certain Iowan, who seems not to have been part of the deal. LINK

"Congressional GOP leaders, betting President Bush will emerge from the war powerful enough to rescue most of his $726 billion tax cut proposal, struck an unusual budget agreement yesterday that would postpone negotiations over the tax cut's size until later this year."

"House and Senate GOP leaders are trying to avert a potentially embarrassing intraparty budget fight over the Bush plan by agreeing to disagree — at least for several more weeks — over how much of a tax cut the country can afford as deficits swell to historic heights … ."

"Senate Finance Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) accused his GOP colleagues of simply 'passing the buck' because budget writers couldn't 'figure out' a compromise between conservatives who want large tax cuts to spur economic growth, and liberals and moderates who want smaller tax reductions to keep a lid on budget deficits … ."

"The Republicans' strategy is twofold: They want to appear fiscally responsible by passing a budget resolution by the April 15 statutory deadline and providing Bush more time to woo four Senate Republican opponents of his tax cut plan. It now will take Congress weeks, if not months, to settle on a final tax number."

"Republicans hope a military victory in Iraq will enhance Bush's clout with lawmakers and persuade Republican critics of his plan to fall back in line. Bush, preoccupied by the war, has spent little time lobbying members in recent weeks. Such one-on-one encounters worked well for him in past tax-cut fights … ."

"Senator John McCain (Ariz.), one of the four GOP senators blocking the larger tax cut, said he would be more inclined to support a tax cut — in hopes of energizing the economy — once the war is over and the cost of rebuilding Iraq becomes clear. 'If they kick it off long enough, I could support a stimulus package,' McCain said yesterday in an interview."

"But a conservative victory is far from certain. Bush's other GOP opponents — Sens. Lincoln D. Chafee (R.I.), Olympia J. Snowe (Maine) and George V. Voinovich (Ohio) — maintain they will not support a tax cut bigger than $350 billion, regardless of how much time Republican leaders buy themselves. If these members hold firm, it will be virtually impossible for Congress to enact a tax cut exceeding $350 billion this year. That would mean the president's plan to eliminate the dividends tax probably would be dropped in favor of income tax rate cuts and other tax incentives for families and business owners … ."

"Once the war is over, Bush is expected to focus more on the domestic front and begin new campaigns to revive the economy and provide prescription drug coverage to the elderly, White House officials said."

"Underscoring the problem of mounting deficits, Republicans plan to raise the federal debt limit for the second time since Bush signed into law his $1.35 trillion tax cut in 2001. The limit was raised to $6.4 trillion last June, but the Treasury Department wants to push it higher."

The New York Times ' Rosenbaum says this: "Today's agreement left some important procedural questions unanswered, though. What happens, for instance, if the Senate approves a tax cut of $350 billion, the House one of $550 billion, and the House-Senate conference committee on the tax bill splits the difference and agrees on a cut of $450 billion? Would that be protected against a filibuster?" LINK

"No one in the Senate today seemed certain of the answer. Tonight, Mr. Daschle's office said he had received a letter from the Senate parliamentarian, Alan S. Frumin, telling him any tax cut above $350 billion would not be protected. Ms. Snowe said the question was moot because there were not 50 votes in the Senate in favor of a cut larger than $350 billion."

The Wall Street Journal 's editorialists decry Senator Bill Frist's alleged capitulation to "a few rump moderates" who refused to swallow whole the Bush tax cut.

Their fear is that two separate tax resolutions below the $726 billion Administration request necessitates a compromise that would almost certainly destroy the chances of cutting taxes on dividends, and then, by process of elimination, allow Democrats to zero in on reducing marginal tax rate reductions. And they wonder why Frist supports the deal anyway.

The Journal can't decide who it's more angry at: those "poopers" — Sens. Voinovich and Snowe - "who insist on giving Tom Daschle the votes to defeat their own President" - or Frist, who brokered the deal that empowered them in the first place.

The politics of war

That Susan Page USA Today story has some stuff on the Invisible Primary and the war: "The end of the war could also affect the Democratic side of the 2004 ballot. The anti-war sentiment that has fueled former Vermont governor Howard Dean's campaign presumably will lose some of its fervor."

"The criticism by some activists of candidates who backed the congressional resolution authorizing the war — Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri and Sens. John Edwards of North Carolina, John Kerry of Massachusetts and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut — is likely to ease. The war itself really threatened to drive a wedge right through the middle of the party, says Jim Jordan, Kerry's campaign manager. 'Now Democrats as a whole can turn and face other issues.'"

The closer victory appears, the higher Democrats raise the bar for Bush, Mort Kondracke writes in Roll Call .

Celebrant Roger Simon big-thinks about war, victory, and the Democrats. LINK

The Washington Times ' Donald Lambro writes about the immediate issues of the almost post-war Iraq, saying "The big losers in the Iraqi war? Domestically, they're the gloom-and-doom people, both on the left and the right, who saw the war as another example of "empire-building" by the United States." LINK

The Charlotte Observer's Jim Morrill reports that, according to the DLC's Al From (in the state to visit with leading Democrats), it's not just the economy, stupid, but safety, stupid, and that the Clinton model of reclaiming the White House needs to be adjusted to incorporate national security. LINK

"'The first thing we have to do is cross the security threshold,' he said Wednesday. 'We have got to convince the voters that we'll keep the country safe … . It's obvious that Sept. 11 created a new era in American politics.'"

From was looking to dispense general advice and promote his "'New Democrat' formula" without picking favorites.

"From declined to handicap the nine-candidate Democratic field. Most of the major candidates, including Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, have ties to the DLC. Senator Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., once chaired the group."

From also looked beyond the possibility that patriotic post-war support for Bush would influence the 2004 election, writes Morrill.

"He said sentiment can change by November 2004, just as it did after the first President Bush's victory in the first Gulf War."

"'One of the things we've learned in American politics is that big turnarounds happen quickly,' he said."

The Washington Post 's Mark Leibovich and Roxanne Roberts report on the calculated restraint of partisan hawks in the face of televised jubilance and symbolism from Baghdad, due in part to decorum, and due in part to the potentially perilous ramifications of the war. LINK

(Our sense is that the Leibovich/Roberts reporters Notebooks compiled in reporting this story would fetch about $1.5 million.)

Still, not everyone could contain giddiness in the face of (partisan) victory.

"Indeed, yesterday's watchwords were caution and restraint. But it wasn't difficult to find breaches in the administration's preferred No Gloat Zone. Some red-meat Republicans were happy to distill yesterday's historic import to its partisan essence."

"'The Democrats were on the wrong side of the Civil War, the Cold War and now the Iraq War,' said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform and an all-purpose chest-thumper on matters Right Wing. 'Their batting average on these things is right up there with France.'"

The Post duo also check in with those who perhaps have more reason to be circumspect.

"For the opposition, yesterday was a time to express hope that the war doesn't become a political issue. This is, of course, the desire of Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe. 'Americans will judge this president on the totality of his record, both foreign and domestic policies,' he said. 'The war will not be on the ballot in 2004.'"

War in a fundraising appeal, according to Roll Call :

"Former Rep. John Thune (R-S.D.) has sent out the second appeal this year for his 527 fundraising group, seeking to tap into discontent over comments made by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and other leading Democrats about the war in Iraq. In the letter, Thune blasts unnamed Democratic leaders for failing to put politics aside when the war broke out three weeks ago."

The bipartisan House support for standing up to the other chamber on special-interest add-ons to the mil supplemental. LINK and LINK

The New York Times editorializes on all this. LINK

From the headline which he surely didn't write ("High Point in 2 Decades of U.S. Might") to his closing paragraph ("Somehow — through the distribution of aid, through a hundred wise decisions and a thousand generous gestures — the United States must change minds in the months ahead. The most experienced hands in Washington are betting that it will be a harder job, and a longer one, than the military campaign now near an end."), now Johnny Apple is clearly just TRYING to bait those geeks at Slate. LINK

Legislative agenda

Although a shadow of its former self," $13 billion worth of tax breaks for charity givers passed the Senate yesterday. LINK

In their stories on House passage of a bill limiting gun manufacturer lawsuit liability, both the Times and the Post focus on what Wyoming Rep. Barbara Cubin said about drug dealers. LINK and LINK

Cubin later apologized for unintentionally stereotyping African Americans. LINK

ABC 2004: The Invisible Primary

As perhaps might have been expected. Representative Dick Gephardt received a most resounding roar of approval from the AFL-CIO's Building Trades Legislative Conference yesterday. We counted five standing ovations.

The first came about 20 seconds into his speech, when he said, "My name is Dick Gephardt and I'm going to win the Democratic nomination and I'm going to beat George Bush in 2004."

While most candidates referenced the Davis Bacon wage standard, Senator Lieberman made the most egregious pun: "We're not going to let anybody-- if you'll let me put it this way-- … slice the Davis Bacon."

Or reshape the CLAYton Act.

Or drink the LAND's supply of RUM while bivolating in front of someone named GRIFFIN.

Kerry

Because we failed to figure out how to write a mini-essay on Democratic presidential candidates, abortion litmus tests, and the Supreme Court while watching that statue of Saddam Hussein come down in Baghdad yesterday, we didn't really do justice to John Kerry's position as staked out in Iowa on Tuesday.

But this matter will be revisited, we promise, and there aren't only questions for Kerry. We'd like to know where every one of the candidates stands on abortion, judicial intent, the law, divining a potential justice's views, and all such matters.

Today, though, war duties kept us from polishing our Notey essay into a form that would be unassailable by both Larry Tribe and Bruce Fein, so we are holding off.

Lieberman

The Forward reports that the Lieberman campaign managed to raise between $300,000 and $400,000 during the first week in March, which a campaign fundraiser obliquely attributes to a groundswell of support for the war. LINK

Matt Lieberman tells PoliticsNH.com's James Pindell that he might move to the Granite State for a few months. LINK

Hey, does Arnie Arneson publish transcripts of her shows? Because we gather she conducted a real interesting interview yesterday with Matt Lieberman we'd like to hear or read … .

Minute advance work, courtesy of the Lieberman campaign, as recounted by Roll Call 's Henry:

"Rival presidential camps were chuckling Wednesday about a memo from the campaign of Senator Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) that didn't leave anything to chance for today's mass endorsement by 10 House Democrats. 'Each Member should speak for no more than 2 minutes and should stress one of the following message points of his/her choosing: I believe Joe Lieberman should be the next President because … . Lieberman's political director, Joe Eyer, advised the 10 lawmakers in the memo. 'Choose one and expand.'"

"The lawmakers were then given four choices for why they like Lieberman: '1) he is socially progressive; 2) he is fiscally responsible; 3) he is tough on defense and homeland security; 4) he has a pro-growth economic agenda. OR alternatively, you could just say a few words about Joe's character/integrity.'"

Gephardt

The Gephardt endorsement by the Iron Workers gets a brief in the New York Times . LINK

Dean

Governor Howard Dean became the first presidential candidate to formally address the Congressional Black Caucus yesterday. According to a senior CBC staffer, Dean's remarks on health care, taxes, the war, and balancing the budget "resonated with many members."

Either after or before his CBC meeting, we are told that Governor Dean did an impromptu drop-by, escorted by the Honorable Maxine Waters, to a meeting of the senior Democratic House whips.

One observer heard Dean tell freshman Representative Rahm Emanuel that he liked his American-parity-with-Iraq rhetoric.

Dean also seems to have had a pretty good session deep inside the Clinton-Gore foreign policy salon during this trip to DC.

New Hampshire

The Union Leader's John DiStaso asks with regard to Iraq, "Isn't there just a little bit of egg to be wiped off some Democratic faces?" And be sure to read DiStaso's quick takes for news about Benson attacking Edwards, Buckley defending Buckley, and Rendell voicing his opinion. LINK

Iowa

Tom Beaumont's online column (!!) introduces the world to Kim Rubey, looks at Dennis Kucinich's "digs," and praises some caucus directors. LINK

CLARIFICATION ABOUT YESTERDAY'S NOTE

Yes — we know that Apple Valley, CA exists. We've been there. It's pleasant — and improbably named — so therefore ripe for Note inclusion and ribbing.

Politics

Yesterday, we told you that The Note has been nominated for a Webby, the online world's premiere award. WEBBY

We asked those of you so inclined to vote for us in the "politics" category of the People's Voice awards.

Those who were nice enough to vote for The Note found that the pre-vote registration process isn't hard or burdensome.

And even though the campaign manager to one of the leading Democratic presidential candidates likes to tell anyone who will listen that The Note knows NOTHING about campaigns, our get-out-the-vote effort took us from a distant 3rd to an (illusory) lead.

However, the example of Janet Reno is too fresh in our minds, and some of our competition is too much like Bill McBride, for us to be totally relaxed.

And the (first) problem is that the voting goes on through May 23rd.

And, late last night, we find on an obscure portion of the webbywards site this: "[t]o maintain an element of surprise the instant results feature is now turned off," meaning we can't follow the vote count, presumably from here on out.

Even though the vote count currently posted makes it look like we are ahead, that count is outdated, so the mantra "Vote The Note" must continue to be your opening statement and closing salutation in all voice and e communications.

If you didn't vote yesterday (there WAS a lot going on in the world), please take a minute to vote now.

Click, register (the number of required fields is low), and then vote. VOTE THE NOTE

We would really appreciate it.

You'll Note that after voting you can post a comment about us on the page. Thanks to those of you who have already weighed in with such lovely thoughts.

Those of you who didn't vote yesterday, but are about to can make up for the delay by posting your own "Why I love The Note … " message.

The Post ings will help teach the uninitiated about The Note and serve as another totem of reader enthusiasm. It's a way to build our numbers even as the instant results feature remains off.

So even those of you who already voted: if you love The Note, please return to the site and post a (favorable) comment. It doesn't have to be long (although it can be) and it doesn't have to even be signed (although it can be).

If we lose our lead, we'll be both angry, and in the mood to blame you, the non-voting reader, and you know who you are.

Now, for those of you who have questioned our soft-sell efforts to get you to vote (for The Note), check out this excerpt from the message to the nominees from the good folks at the Webbys:

"Encourage your network: your site's visitors, your affiliates and partners, employees, friends and family to vote for your site."

"Last year, SciTechDaily.com (http://www.scitechdaily.com), a New Zealand-based Webby Awards nominee in the Science category, launched a nationwide effort to encourage fellow Kiwis to vote for the site. The centerpiece of the campaign was a public fireworks extravaganza, which was covered in USA Today and media outlets throughout New Zealand."

"Send an Email Blast: Send a special email to your network to encourage them to vote and to spread the word."

We aren't thinking fireworks, yet, but there is talk of taking The Note Dunking Machine on the road. Ambinder promises to wear his two-piece.

Our favorite sentence from Senator Daschle's interview with Roll Call : "Senator Frist is one who likes to use the BlackBerry, so we communicate back and forth on BlackBerries."

There is a political element to the Chinese spy case developing in Los Angeles.

Katrina Leung, 49, is listed in various news accounts as a Republican Party activist. (" well known as a Republic fund-raiser" is how the New York Times puts it). LINK

True, she did contribute several thousand dollars to GOP causes in recent years and is listed by the California Secretary of State as a "major donor," and true, according to a knowledgeable Republican, she's an appointed member of the party - but it appears as if she played a rather minor, unimpactful role in state politics.

Congressman Jim Moran might be in some fresh trouble over his latest comments — this time about AIPAC — but The Note appreciates his stoking of Bashmania. LINK

Roll Call reports that former Clinton COS Erskine Bowles is readying himself for another run at political office, this time, shooting for Senator John Edwards' seat, should the current occupant decide to run only for president. LINK

Bush Administration strategy/personality

Your two dominant political papers both have Cheney mini-profiles keying off of his New Orleans speech.

The Washington Post 's Lazy Boy Mike Allen has color and factoids galore, including this: "During the war, Cheney has spent most of his time in Washington, giving up his weekend hunting trips and getaways to his ranch in Jackson, Wyo. Aides said that, like Bush, Cheney has mostly stuck to his routines during the war. He rises early to work out on a stationary bicycle, then reads newspapers on his way to work about 7 a.m." LINK

We guess there IS time to get through the whole Washington Times editorial page (looking for the latest Ken Adelman treatise, or perhaps a Frank Gaffney opus) as one cruises down Massachusetts Avenue, even at high speed.

The New York Times Dick Stevenson and Eric Schmitt (the latter of whom is America's premiere Cheney correspondent) have their own Cheney piece, pegged to his war role, but broadening out at points, the best of which is:

"He watches coverage of the war on television in his office — he is partial to Fox News and Brit Hume and sometimes leafs through a historical atlas given to him by his staff on Jan. 30 for his 62nd birthday, his aides say. He attends weekly lunches with Senate Republicans, where he says little — 'stay the course' was his only statement to them a few weeks ago, said someone at the meeting. He also receives many of them at his table, godfatherlike, for a word or a favor when the meal ends." LINK

Note the hovering, on-the-record presence of Private Citizen Mary Matalin.

Now if some reporter would just realize how powerful Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten is, and write about him.

And/or figure out what Andy Card and the other powerful-but-below-the-radar deputy White House Chief of Staff Joseph W. Hagin, II do all day during the war … .

Secretary of Education Rod Paige, criticized by secularists and some Democrats for his comments about the value of Christian education, "told reporters, 'I understand completely and respect the separation of church and state.' He called himself a 'fiery advocate' of public education." LINK

The New York Times , the Washington Post and the AP all describe the press conference Paige with the exact same phrase: "hastily called." LINK and LINK

Which brings up this important question: what is the English translation of the journalese phrase "hastily called"? Is there a standard, delineated time limit in which press conferences can be said to have been "leisurely called"? Or, perhaps, "languorously called"?

And what distinguishes "hastily called" from "late afternoon " or "late today"?

And why "hastily"?

And doesn't hasty mean "quick … but perhaps so quick as to be ill-advised?"

Or maybe: the person who called the press conference was hasty on the telephone?