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Figuring out how to help the president cut taxes, balance the budget, fulfill spending promises, and not alienate key 2004 constituencies through spending cuts is, of course, a challenge for the Republican-controlled Congress.

Today's stories are certainly bleaker in tone than the situation demands, but there clearly are some problems growing out of cross-cameral tensions.

And the president's domestic agenda truly can't be fulfilled until and unless the GOP crew team is all rowing with clean, coordinated strokes. (Note the use of the Ivy-tinged metaphor just to tweak a certain former Harvard B-School student who used to sit among the backward-baseball-cap-wearing-crowd in the rear of the lecture hall chewing tobacco.)

What might be most significant about today's trio of narratives are the initial hints about what the White House plans to do about all this, facing the first true test of its spanking new legislative affairs shop.

The most readable of the triptych LINK comes from the Washington Post 's VandeHei and Dewar, who get on the front page with a story so good it could have run in Roll Call as is, and it's all about the tax flap as seen through the prism of Sen/Dr/Leader Frist and how he is faring on the famous Ed Koch question of "How'm I doing?" LINK

The story suggests that if the respondents to the query are Tom DeLay, Lindsey Graham, or (surprisingly) Rick Santorum, the answer is "not so well."

The piece twice blithely asserts that Frist was elevated to leader out of a Lott of rubble by Bush and Rove (even thought they assiduously kept their public paws off of the leadership battle at the time).

The judgment that Frist isn't off to the strongest possible start pivots off of last week's secret tax-limiting deal, but the longer litany of criticisms is familiar to any senate leader: listens too much (and, of course, listens too little); uses his Blackberry too much; hasn't mastered the rules and rhythms of the Senate; is too close to moderates and mavericks; pays too close attention to small details (and, of course, doesn't focus enough on the right details); and compromises too much (and, of course, is unwilling to compromise enough).

With Frist away on an official trip to Asia, the beginnings of the turn-the-page effort are executed by a top aide: "Frist is 'very regretful about what transpired' with the tax deal and is determined to help heal any wounds, (Eric) Ueland said. 'He wants to make sure the legitimate level of frustration doesn't thwart the agenda.'"

Next up is the New York Times ' Carl Hulse, who says that life among Republicans on Capitol Hill is a "web of recriminations, threats and pressure tactics." LINK

About the only peacemaker who emerges is from the Speaker's shop: "'We don't have much of a choice, to be honest,' said John Feehery, a spokesman for Mr. Hastert. 'It is not like bygones are bygones. But at the end of the day, Frist is our guy.'"

After days of reports that the lower Senate tax cut number is going to stick, check out the layers of meaning here: "The sentiment in both the House and Senate was that oversight was a major blunder for Mr. Frist, who is still trying to learn the leadership ropes."

"'Clearly he had some egg on his face,' a senior Senate Republican aide said."

"Dr. Frist … evidently heard from the White House as well. His Senate allies say he is now determined to enlarge the tax cut to set things right."

That is a great journalistic use of the word "evidently."

Hulse runs through some of the GOP options: get Senator McCain or Senator Ben Nelson to flip (unlikely); keep Grassley from heading the conference committee (unlikely); or find some legislative sleight-of-hand to preserve as much of the tax cut as possible (most likely).

Finally, the Wall Street Journal 's Murray hits on the same themes of GOP tensions with this original lead: "Can this marriage be saved? … "

"House and Senate Republicans were barely on speaking terms when they adjourned last week for spring break. For President Bush's sake, they better make up soon: Getting his domestic priorities through Congress depends on it."

"When lawmakers return April 28, the two chambers will head into tough negotiations on tax cuts and a Medicare prescription-drug benefit, to name just two items on their busy agenda. Last week's display of ill will suggests those efforts may not get far … ."

"It remains to be seen whether the feud will fizzle during spring break — or heat up when the House and Senate begin writing tax legislation in early May … ."

"This won't help: An upcoming television ad from the conservative Club for Growth targets Sens. Snowe and Voinovich, along with moderate Republican Rep. Amo Houghton of New York. The Voinovich ad shows the senator's photo alongside a French flag, as the voice-over compares France's opposition to the Iraq war with the Mr. Voinovich's opposition to the Bush tax package."

Typical, shall we say, subtlety, from the folks at "The Club."

Adding a coda to the whole thing is Don Lambro of the Official Publication of Republican In-Fighting: "Clearly, this was not Mr. Frist's finest hour. With the economy showing continued weaknesses, Mr. Bush needs to have his forces on Capitol Hill fully united in the coming tax-cut battle with the Democrats. But Mr. Frist has lost his grip on his troops, and the strategy to squeeze out a larger tax-cut figure is now in doubt." LINK

Going as fast as she can in the other direction is Senator Daschle's friend, Leader Pelosi, with whom the AP's Jim Abrams snagged an interview. LINK

All of a sudden, per Abrams tale, this Leader is leading a group of unified House Democrats against a GOP flock that itself is having togetherness issues.

Kansan Dennis Moore, a mostly moderate Democratic House member, says budget deficits are uniting the party, but also he "gives Pelosi credit for moving more toward the center."

For now, it's certainly safe to say that any problems the Democrats are having in holding together are being overshadowed by GOP difficulties.

We won't spoil the yin-yangery of the summary by putting the discordant Pelosi news here; check "politics" below for that.

Special Note thanks to Z. Byron Wolf for his heady contributions this week.

Big Casino budget politics/economy:

The New York Times ' David Rosenbaum has a fascinating news analysis piece about how President Bush's father, who, it turns out was also president once, failed to be seen as trying hard enough to improve the economy (which was, apparently, also weak when he was president), and how this President Bush vows to be seen working really hard to try to make things better, with the visibility of the effort somehow as important as (or, maybe, "even more important than") the economy actually getting better. LINK

The Note positively HATES being this sarcastic so early in the morning, but sometimes events force our hand.

The politics of war:

Against the wishes of the military powers that be, Representative Chris Shays (R-Conn) became the first member of the United States Congress to visit Iraq since the war began. During his trip to Um Qasr with the Connecticut-based charity Save the Children (without, we presume, leaving them behind), Shays criticized the lack of humanitarian aid that has reached Iraq. LINK

He promised a round of hearings upon his return to Washington.

During his campaign and presidency, one of the things Bill Clinton loved about Los Angeles Times political writer Ronald Brownstein was that Brownstein took ideas seriously.

Other political correspondents would write an obligatory paragraph or two about FPOTUS' "New Democrat" beliefs and then break into horse race mumbo-jumbo, while Brownstein became a proselytizer of the idea that, well, Clinton had real, coherent, ideas about what do to.

In a similar vein comes Brownstein's column today, which takes neoconservatives at their word and explores their new, seemingly peace-loving public posture.

"Even as President Bush and his aides are talking tough about Syria, the neoconservative foreign policy thinkers who provided much of the intellectual justification for the war with Iraq are talking down the possibility of further military action in the Middle East — at least in the near term." LINK

"This restrained tone has surprised some because almost all of the leading neoconservative intellectuals have portrayed the Iraq war as just one chapter in a larger struggle against Islamic extremism. But in a flurry of articles and statements since the fall of Baghdad, many of those same thinkers are contending that the next steps should involve diplomatic and economic pressure, not military force."

"Inside the GOP, this approach faces resistance from both moderates committed to international alliances and conservative 'realists,' who worry that the neoconservative vision of remaking the world will lead America into unsustainable military and nation-building commitments. The latest issue of the National Review, an outpost of "realist" conservative thinking, noted in a headline, 'You can't spell 'messianic' without mess.'" ABCNEWS consultant and presidential historian Michael Beschloss told an audience in Iowa that President Bush had "guts." David Yepsen heard that, and urges Iowans to make sure the next president has the same oomph. LINK

The New York Post 's Deborah Orin wonders whether the determinedly dovish stance of some Democratic presidential hopefuls in the face of victory in Iraq will "McGovernize [the party] and walk right off a cliff in 2004." LINK

Orin in particular raises eyebrows at Howard Dean's response to the defeat of Saddam: "'I suppose that's a good thing'." And, Noting Senator Kerry's "regime change" remark in passing, quotes him on the eve of the war griping about the "'trumped-up so-called coalition of the bribed, the coerced, the bought and the extorted,'" which sounds like the kind of line used in San Francisco coffee houses, and Maine law firms.

ABC 2004: The May 3 South Carolina Democratic presidential candidate debate:

With excitement building for the Collision in Columbia on May 3, we bring you the first of many installments of "The Note's Columbian Travel Guide."

Though we're not as prone to float from the world of high politics to high foie gras as Johnny Apple, we do think we know a good food event when we hear about it:

"May 2, 2003 — Friday. Congressman James Clyburn's Famous Fish-Fry. 7:30-12:00p.m., Municipal Association Parking Lot, Columbia, SC."

We're relatively certain that if you want to meet The Note, this will be a good place to do it.

Clyburn's press secretary, Hope Derrick said this is the fifth or sixth year they've held the event.

Last year, they had about 400 people, including Senators Edwards and Kerry. They are expecting all the Democratic presidential candidates to drop by this year, but there is no formal RSVP for the event.

Senator Harkin: beware. There's a new fish-fryin', first-in-the-nation kid in town.

ABC 2004: the first-quarter filings:

Tom Edsall and Dan Balz, who, we are told reliably, are known around the Washington Post newsroom as bon vivants of the first order, write the most definitive piece to date about John Edwards' remarkable first-quarter fundraising take. LINK

You'll feel like you are traveling the small town Southern byways of America with the candidate and his finance staff, as they go from one living room to another, one law firm reception to another, raising money from lawyers (particularly those who do plaintiff work) and those who love them.

It's an absolute must-read if you care about the Invisible Primary, and there's too much in it to list it all, but two things we Noted in particular.

First — and we don't mean at all to be classist about this — but what causes a law firm receptionist to give $2,000 to a presidential candidate simultaneous with the partners who are giving?

Second, we are pretty certain we don't need to explain the four levels of significance to these three paragraphs:

"Other sources in the Edwards campaign said his success in raising money has, for the moment, turned the Democratic primary fight into a battle between 'the two Johns' — Edwards and Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), who raised $7 million."

"Jim Jordan, Kerry's campaign manager, countered: 'We're pleased where we are financially and politically, but I'm a little less convinced than my friends in the Edwards campaign that fundraising is absolutely dispositive. It's necessary but not sufficient as, say, former senator Gramm can attest.'"

"In 1996, Senator Phil Gramm (R-Tex.) set a fast early pace in fundraising for the GOP nomination, but dropped out early because political support did not follow."

Regionally, some more evidence of how the counselor raised his dough is trickling in, including these two paragraphs from last June, when Edwards went to Lexington, Kentucky to give a Jefferson-Jackson Day speech — said paragraphs coming off the Cross Pen (that's the legendary Al Cross):

"While helping Fayette County Democrats raise about $50,000, Edwards hoped to raise a like amount for his Senate campaign committee at a private fund-raiser before the dinner. Peter Perlman of Lexington, Edwards' friend and former president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, hosted the fund-raiser."

"The money could also be used to run for president. Edwards is up for re-election in 2004, but he said North Carolina law allows him to run for president at the same time."

The Boston Globe 's Susan Milligan checked out the FEC reports and determined "In the early days of the Democratic presidential primary race, many donors flocked to their own, contributing cash to candidates who once held their jobs or who write legislation affecting their industries on Capitol Hill." LINK

Edwards, Milligan writes, collected a staggering $4 million of his $7.4 million tally from lawyers across the country, leading some Republicans to wonder not only how much is left to solicit (ha ha — be serious) from the group, but also to seize upon the allegedly negative implications.

As Milligan writes: "Edwards's financial gain may be a political vulnerability. Republicans are waiting for the opportunity to paint Edwards as an emissary of the trial lawyers, whom Republicans blame for high medical malpractice rates and a litigious, can't-do-that mentality."

Bring it on, says Edwards spokesperson Jennifer Palmieri, as she so often does: "'The senator is proud of his career as an attorney,' she said. 'If the Republicans want to make an issue out of his career, he welcomes that fight. He spent 20 years defending children and families against corporate interests. If they want to side with insurance companies, we're fine with that."'

Senator Kerry, also a lawyer and a member of the Senate Finance Committee, received $581,350 from lawyers, and at least $204,100 from those in the financial community, while Doctor Dean got "$148,398 from physicians and others in the health care industry."

The Washington Times also does the "Edwards isn't the only one tapping into lady justice for juice" story: "Lawyers dominated the list of contributors to Democrats in the first three months of this year, with nearly a quarter of the more than 20,000 individual itemized contributions to Democratic presidential campaigns coming from attorneys." LINK

"Lawyers were also at the top of donor lists for Democratic contenders … Kerry, … Lieberman, … Graham, and … Gephardt, according to newly released data compiled by the Federal Election Commission. The second-highest group of Democratic donors were retired people, who topped the contributor list of former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, who collected $218,000 from them. "

The New York Sun shines the light on Senator Kerry's New York cash base. LINK

The Los Angeles Times ' Z. Barabak assesses the fundraising terrain in California. LINK

The Miami Herald looks at Senator Bob Graham's contributor list. LINK

How did Howard Dean, who just months ago was expected to raise well under $1 million during the first quarter of 2003, manage to find enough donors to amass a war chest of more than $2.6 million? ABC's Ed Hornick says many of them simply "met" up. LINK

Why no FEC report from one of the nine candidates yet?

Yes, Al Sharpton officially still has an "exploratory" committee, and can spend money to test the waters. But if he spends or raises more than $5000, it follows that he must itemize his receipts or disbursements, if he's a declared candidate.

And since there's no practical distinction between exploratory accounts and campaign accounts, does it really matter what he calls it? And what differentiates "exploratory" activities from "campaign activities?"

Here's the L.A. Times' Mark. Z. Barabak: "The Rev. Al Sharpton did not file a report, even though a spokeswoman for the FEC said Wednesday he apparently triggered the threshold — raising or spending $5,000 — that requires a detailed fund-raising statement." LINK

"Frank Watkins, a spokesman for Sharpton, said the campaign still considers itself an "exploratory" effort and attorneys had assured Sharpton he was not required to file any statement. From a financial standpoint, 'We are not in the same territory as Edwards or Kerry,' Watkins said."

This FEC spokesperson appears to be operating under the impression that Sharpton is a candidate.

The New York Times ' fundraising story has a chart showing how the candidates stand with this footnote: "An aide to the Rev. Al Sharpton's campaign said they had not filed a report because he had not formally declared his candidacy."

We won't be alone, we hope, in looking into this today.

Says the AP: "Lieberman, who raised $3 million in the first quarter, has received dozens of donations in increments of $18, a lucky number in the Jewish tradition … .Those contributions range from $18 to $1,800."

A Lieberman adviser points out to The Note "Most FEC totals typically have donations in simple whole figures: $10, $50, $100, $150, $250, $500, $1000, $1500, $2000."

"But our internal spreadsheet has multiples of chai throughout: $18, $36, $54, $72, $90, $108, $118 (for the well intentioned but mathematically impaired, I assume), etc."

The Raleigh News and Observer's John Wagner discovers that while Senator Edwards may not be getting all of the lawyer money so far, he is literally riding high in their airplanes. Watch out Straight Talk Express, here comes the Regular People Shuttle! LINK

Edwards' campaign "paid more than $63,000 to a single law firm, Dallas-based Baron & Budd, for use of its planes. Fred Baron, one of the firm's principals, is a finance co-chairman of Edwards' presidential campaign."

But Edwards isn't the only one getting good flights without Expedia or Travelocity …

Wagner writes that Senator Kerry "routinely used a plane owned by Flying Squirrel Inc., a corporation controlled by his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry. The Kerry campaign reported paying his wife's company $39,781 between January and March for use of the aircraft."

While everyone takes Day 3 to keep going through the reports, it should be Noted that the expectation that Senator Kerry's operation was spending like drunken sailors was off the mark. Although there are some nice, private-sector-like salaries out there, taking the staff/salary numbers at face value, it would appear the Kerry campaign was relatively parsimonious.

More from the AP's Theimer: "Finding it takes money to make money, some Democratic presidential hopefuls are investing heavily in their fund-raising operations. Senator John Edwards identified about $438,000 — or one-fourth of his roughly $1.7 million in spending from January through March — as fund-raising expenses, a campaign finance report he filed with the Federal Election Commission shows." LINK

The New York Times ' Rich Oppel decided that the second-day first-quarter money story was how much more the candidates were able to raise because of the Shays-Meehan individual donation boost from $1,000 to $2,000. LINK

ABC 2004: The Invisible Primary:

Nothing brings us greater joy than to open the pages of the American Political Science Association's PS and reading Dante Scala's latest.

The good professor at St. Anselm is working on a book about the New Hampshire primary. His most recent offering is about the predictive power of the New Hampshire vote, which, he Notes, took a hit in 1992 when Paul Tsongas didn't go on to win the Democratic nomination. And then, of course, Governor Bush dropped 18 points to Senator McCain in 2000.

Why? Scala studied what he calls the "core fundamentals" of a candidate's campaign regimen in New Hampshire — that is — to whom did they appeal, and why?

His conclusion: candidates who appeal across constituencies, or who break through the expectations rubric imposed by the media, get the fabled New Hampshire bounce. And he takes it further: "[M]]omentum," defined as 'exceeding media expectations,' is somewhat overrated,'" he tells us.

So instead of, say, Tsongas not doing well after New Hampshire because he didn't meet expectations, Scala believes that Tsongas didn't assemble a coalition of party constituents. So his New Hampshire victory gave him bounce only among those elites who confirmed his expected bounce.

The AP reports that Rev. Jesse Jackson is trying to set up a June 22 cattle call. LINK

Have you heard the one about the two Googling monkeys and the Note-writing man who walked into the fancy East Side hotel restaurant for a power breakfast?

No, we can assure you that you haven't heard such a joke, because monkeys aren't allowed in those kind of places, and thus The Note is forced to rely on source accounts of what goes on there.

We have told you on many occasions how, if you had to pick one spot from which to cover the Invisible Primary, the Regency hotel restaurant on Park Avenue on the island of Manhattan would probably be the best choice (unless you are one of those aforementioned Googling simians).

In any event, we can tell you from one of our spies that yesterday Al Sharpton and newly-minted John Edwards consultant David Axelrod bumped into each other while they dined separately at the Regency.

Axelrod is among those Democratic operatives with New York experience who is on the record as saying that Democrats underestimate Sharpton at their peril.

Axelrod was dining with powerhouse Democratic activist, former Kerry witness LINK, and Canton restaurant-enthusiast Fred Hochberg, while Sharpton seemed to be with his chief of staff and attorney.

Sharpton and Axelrod were overheard talking about the latter's new presidential gig, and about recent develop.m.ents in the Illinois senate race, in which both men have more than a passing interest.

Our source, apparently oblivious to our obsession with color and food, was unable to say what the men ate. Or, who paid.

The Washington Post has a valentine to the Big Dig and how it is making downtown Boston traffic bearable. LINK

Now, Mayor Menino, just get that Delta Shuttle terminal done before the convention.

EDWARDS

The American Tort Reform Association has bought the rights to EdwardsWatch.com, and promises to use it to "bird dog" him through the nomination season. In a press release, ATRA (it's amazing how much difference the "R" makes, versus an "L") said it recalculated Senator Edwards's donation base to include families of trial lawyers.

They say more than 63 percent of his money came from the bar.

"'John Edwards is a wealthy personal injury lawyer masquerading as a man of the 'regular people,' said ATRA President Sherman Joyce. But an analysis of his campaign contributions shows that Edwards' personal injury lawyer colleagues, who have become very wealthy by abusing our legal system for personal financial gain, are bankrolling his campaign.'"

Meanwhile, the North Carolina Republican Party picked and distributed up the Hill's story about the alleged "defections" from the Senator's campaign.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Still focused on Michigan's thwarted threat to New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation-primary status, the Union Leader's John DiStaso pays homage to the sacred gods of THE primary, and chronicles the intertwined fate of the primary and the state's right-to-work debate. LINK

And he has this: " … .Michigan [Democratic] leaders confided to The Union Leader that they essentially want assurances from McAuliffe that this will be New Hampshire's final first primary. Negotiations along those lines continue."

Per usual, there's much, much more must-reading in this column, so you should read the whole thing if you know what's good for you.

GEPHARDT

Congressman Gephardt made his way into many of the Bush news of day stories by dint of a single conference call (props to the Gephardt press operation).

For instance, he dominated the last paragraph of Mike Allen's front-page Washington Post story on the president's trip to St. Louis LINK, and he got himself a Washington Brief in the same paper curtain-raising next Wednesday's New York City health care speech (which will be a major Note event). LINK

The Arizona Republic ran its own story on Gephardt and health care, using his Phoenix campaign stop as a peg. LINK

The Chicago Tribune's Jeff Zeleny was thinking macro:

"Rep. Richard Gephardt, the Missouri Democrat who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, scheduled a conference call with reporters just before the president began his speech. He blasted the Bush administration for its stewardship of the economy and said 95,000 jobs in the state had been lost since the president took office."LINK

"Still, the vigorous applause during Bush's speech underscored the task ahead for Democrats as they challenge the popular president. The reception was so welcoming, Bush threw a kiss to one admirer as he stepped down from the stage."

The St. Louis Post Dispatch also included the recently announced layoffs from the Boeing factory. It may not be as bad advance work as the cardboard boxes that were made in China, but undoubtedly the White House would have preferred not to see that detail in today's papers. LINK

"While the crowd seemed solidly behind Bush's military message, there appeared to be some splits over his economic approach."

"Rick Smith, president of the local machinists union representing 3,000 Boeing workers, explained the dilemma."

"Smith was among those selected to formally welcome Bush to Boeing. Smith said in an interview afterward that he loved 'the main things that I heard — the president's support of the troops and his praise of the skills of my members.'"

"But Smith added: 'The timing for the president's visit couldn't be worse. On Friday, 238 of my members are getting laid off . . . because of lack of work.'"

"The union also is upset that the Bush administration has opposed extending unemployment benefits for laid-off aviation workers. A White House spokesman replied that such workers could benefit from Bush's proposal to create 'personal re-employment accounts' for the long-term unemployed; the accounts would be initially funded, in part, with federal aid."

The White House brought along Missouri's two Republican senators for the trip and perhaps assigned them the task of deflecting any criticism coming from Congressman Gephardt.

"'[Senator Jim]Talent added that critics such as Gephardt 'need to tell us why (tax cuts) won't produce jobs and how they'd produce jobs.'"

The New York Daily News' Kenneth Bazinet reports that "President Bush barely mentioned his campaign for a tax cut yesterday during a talk at a factory that makes fighter jets, drawing cheers instead by extolling the success of the war in Iraq." LINK

At the Boeing Co. plant, which supplied planes used in Iraq, Bush apparently spent time praising the workers for their contribution to the war and touching on his tax cut, rather than fleshing out his plans to improve the economy, opening the door for Gephardt.

"But Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.), a presidential hopeful from the "Show Me" state, derided Bush's tax cuts and said the president was following in his father's footsteps."

"'It's mindless, but that's where we are. … He may be visiting Middle America, but he's out of step with the middle class,' Gephardt said. "

"'Right now he's replicating his father,' Gephardt said in a slap at former President George Bush's victory in the 1991 Gulf War that was overshadowed by a lousy economy, leading to his defeat by Bill Clinton."

"Gephardt called for eliminating the marriage tax and adding a child tax credit, but said the rest of the Bush plan should be dumped in favor of tax incentives and other means to provide health care to 41 million Americans who have no insurance."

GRAHAM

The Miami Herald 's Tyler Bridges stuck around in San Francisco to file a story about Graham's introduction to fundraising there, and previews his trip to New Hampshire, Noting that he'll pick up the endorsement of Bill Cashin, Manchester's longest serving alderman. LINK

HART

Still not a candidate … still exploring … still happy to have enthusiastic followers. LINK

PoliticsNH.com's James Pindell says Hart's speech in Goffstown, New Hampshire. "raised more questions than he did answers" and "challenged the New Hampshire audience to ask tougher questions of visiting presidential candidates while remaining ambiguous as to if he will become one." LINK

Politics:

The Washington Post 's Jonathan Yardley reviews political consultant Raymond D. Strother's "Falling Up:How a Redneck Helped Invent Political Consulting," a "memoir of his life in politics and his inside-baseball examination of the world of the political consultant." LINK

Strother provides details about his Gulf Coast Texas upbringing, youthful love of books and music, and early embrace of the Democratic party, as well as of his time at Lousiana State University and his drift into political consulting.

His experience working in the notoriously corrupt Louisiana political world provides some juicy stories, as does his tenure in Washington, D.C., where he served the likes of Russell Long, Lloyd Bentsen, Gary Hart, and Dennis DeConcini, and mentored Ray Teddlie, Roy Fletcher, Charlie East, and James Carville.

Then, in the 1990s, Strother complains, the "'vitriol'" of campaigns, an incestuous, conventional-wisdom-spouting press, and the varied mercenary aspects of the business proved disillusioning. Disillusioning, but extremely lucrative, Yardley points out in the close of the review, observing a touch of hypocrisy in the book.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will receive an honorary degree from Brandeis. LINK

The New York Daily News' Rush and Molloy run a classic gotcha: Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi allegedly leaving the Goldman Environmental Prize ceremony in San Francisco in a gas-guzzling SUV (which apparently is necessary for security). LINK

The AP reports that Senator Barbara Boxer "has an early lead over six potential GOP rivals, even though only 38 percent of California voters are inclined to support her re-election." LINK

The Sacramento Bee's Alexa Bluth writes, "Support is slipping for Democratic U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, and former Governor Pete Wilson is the top choice among Republicans to replace her next year." LINK

The San Francisco Chronicle's John Wildermuth observes that Pete Wilson "is the wild card in the Senate race. The two-term governor and former San Diego mayor also was elected twice to the Senate. Although Wilson has not said that he'll challenge Boxer, his backers argue that he's the Republican with the best chance of winning." LINK

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, South Dakota Democrat, would lose in an election to a prominent state Republican, according to a poll conducted for the National Republican Senatorial Committee." That's John Thune, of course. And the Daschle folks don't believe a word of it. LINK

The New York Times ' James C. McKinley, Jr. writes that, in New York's ongoing budget fight, Governor Pataki is following his tried and true hardball strategy. LINK

"On the surface, Governor George E. Pataki seems to have adopted the same strategy this year in his battle with the Legislature over the budget that has worked so well for him in years past: refuse to compromise and then hold out until the political pressure on legislators to act builds to an intolerable level."

The Washington Times can't resist the Bill Clinton wagon train. LINK

A New York Post editorial suggests Clinton should take a lesson in leadership from his successor. LINK

Cindy Adams suggests Senator Hillary Clinton's book will be disappointingly dirt-free, despite the pricey advance. LINK

Liz Smith reminds herself that Bill Clinton remains a visible public figure, and that his "60 Minutes" segments with Bob Dole have been a great success. LINK

The New York Daily News' Rush and Molloy place Bill Clinton dining with fellow Georgetown alums at the Morton's Steakhouse in San Juan last week. LINK

Webby Awards update:

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Bush Administration strategy/personality:

The New York Times ed board goes through every imaginable contortion to endorse a filibuster of Priscilla Owen's judicial nomination, including the view that it would help stop the "extreme conservatives in the Bush Administration" from "hijack(ing) the federal judiciary." LINK

We just wonder if they are including President Bush himself in that, because we are pretty sure the president knows about Judge Owen.

Mr. Southern California Democrat, Eli Broad, has a letter in the New York Times defending Education Secretary Rod Paige as a great champion of tolerance and inclusion. LINK