The Note: Son of Note-libs

— -- WASHINGTON, Sep. 29

In the midterm-defining debate ("Are the Democrats winning -- or, at least, neutralizing -- the national security contest?"), the two best newspaper pieces of the day are by Daniel Henninger of the Wall Street Journal LINK and E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post. LINK

After reading their closing paragraphs (Henninger: "The Democrats' problem is this: They are trying to beat policy with politics and weaken belief with polls. This may work for Social Security. I don't think it works with war. Don't be surprised if come November, Democrats are still on message--Iraq as failure--and still in the minority." and Dionne: "A genuinely sober and moderate view would recognize that it's time the scales of history were righted. Propagandistic accounts need to be challenged, systematically and consistently. The debate needed a very hard shove. Clinton delivered it."), it is clear that __________ (name of clear-thinking but ideologically-oriented columnist here) is more correct.

The President's tough national security rhetoric in Alabama yesterday represents just the __________ (clichéd metaphor) of the attacks he will launch on this topic through Election Day.

The White House is counting on __________ (soon-to-be-released economic statistics) to get another chance at touting the Bush-Evans economic record, while direct mail on ____________ (hot-button social issue) will actually help the GOP save ___________ (name of endangered incumbent Senator).

Bob Woodward had ______ (number) "secret" interviews with Colin Powell for his new book, while Dan Bartlett has presided over ________ (slightly smaller number) meetings to discuss how to discredit the book.

Andy Card's apparent cooperation with Woodward can be be described as __________ (adjective).

When Simon & Schuster's David Rosenthal found out that the New York Times had been able to buy an early copy of the book because a store carelessly put it on display before Monday's formal release, he said ______________ (two-word barnyard curse).

Despite said curse, the extra buzz and frenzy is only _________ (synonym for fanta$tic) for Woodward Inc.

"At retail price" is the new _____________ (common Washington expression).

Jack Abramoff's instruction to the Signatures dude to send Karl Rove a bottle of wine on him, when everyone knows Rove doesn't drink, makes Abramoff look like a(n) ___________ (noun speaking to professional competence) and casts __________ (noun) on how tight he really was with the presidential adviser.

As anyone in the Gang of 500 could have told him, Karl Rove's instruction to Abramoff to just reach him "through Susan" was a ___________ (noun), not a(n) _________ (adjective) embrace.

The number of Clinton and Bush Administration officials not named "McLarty" who have never let a reporter or lobbyist buy them a meal costing more than $20 is _________ (number between zero and eight).

Jackie Calmes' Wall Street Journal joint profile of Chuck Schumer and Rahm Emanuel will make Schumer feel ______________ (intense emotion), and Emanuel feel _________ (nothing).

When George Stephanopoulos broke the news last night on "World News with Charles Gibson" about the House report (out today) on Jack Abramoff's ties with the Bush White House, Ken Mehlman was in Maine on ____________ (type of vessel).

With no public events on his schedule as of this writing, Mehlman is expected to depart Portland, ME in the late morning to return to Washington, DC.

A few hours after that, the day's main event will be the White House briefing, at which you can expect many questions on both the Woodward book, and the Abramoff saga.

The Abramoff report will be released by the House Government Reform Committee on its Web site today: LINK

There's plenty to focus on (color color color), but we suggest: troop levels and possible quid pro quos. :)

A man who barely knows Jack Abramoff and is pretty much done doing interviews with Bob Woodward, President Bush delivers remarks on the global war on terror at 9:40 am ET at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel before meeting with the President of Kazakhstan at the White House at 11:00 am ET. At 7:00 pm ET, the President and Mrs. Bush attend the 2006 National Book Festival Gala Performance and Dinner at the Library of Congress before ending the day in Camp David, MD.

Sean Hannity campaigns for Sen. George Allen (R-VA) at a reception at 6:30 pm ET in Washington, DC.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) holds an 11:45 am ET conference call to address Democrat Bruce Braley having once said that he would cut off funding for the Iraq war. Braley is running against Republican Mike Whalen in Iowa's hotly contested first congressional district.

The Senate overcame a major obstacle on Thursday to passing legislation that would authorize 700 miles of fencing along America's border with Mexico, agreeing to limit debate on the bill shortly before members of Congress head home to campaign for re-election. The Senate resumes consideration today of the border fencing bill (HR 6061). Roll call votes are expected.

Schwarzenegger strategist Matthew Dowd and campaign manager Steve Schmidt hold a 2:00 pm ET conference call with reporters to discuss the state of the California governor's race.

Gwen Ifill of PBS (Happy birthday, Ms. Ifill!!!!) will moderate a panel on Saturday at Harvard's Institute of Politics, as part of the Institute's 40th anniversary celebration. The topic is "Seeking the Right Answer: Election 2006," and the panelists include Rick Berke of the New York Times, Susan Feeney of NPR, Mark Halperin of ABC News, and Gloria Borger of USNaWR and CBS News.

In the Harvard Crimson, Christopher Corcoran and Ari Ruben preview the weekend's events, and put it in the larger context of the IOP's past and future. LINK

See below for more schedule items.

The Abramoff affair: White House contacts more extensive than previously reported:
As ABC News' George Stephanopoulos reported on Thursday's edition of World News with Charles Gibson, a report by the House Government Reform Committee shows that Jack Abramoff had hundreds of contacts with White House officials – far more than previously acknowledged.

The report includes some circumstantial evidence that Abramoff was able to get some action on behalf of his clients from the Administration.

When asked this morning whether or not he ever accepted gifts from Jack Abramoff, Rove told ABC News exclusively: "I did not" in a bit of video that made its way onto "Good Morning America."

Abramoff's billing records and e-mails listed 485 lobbying contacts with White House officials over three years, including several contacts with top Bush adviser Karl Rove.

"Double trouble for the White House," said ABC News' Diane Sawyer in the first headline on "Good Morning America" as she teased stories on the Woodward book and the Abramoff contacts.

Roll Call reports that the White House was allowed to see the draft report of the House Government Reform Committee on Wednesday.

More on the Abramoff story from the Los Angeles Times: LINK

And the AP: LINK

The Abramoff affair: "Nothing new" and "an admitted liar":

RNC spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said: "In his capacity as Political Director of the White House, it is not unusual that Mr. Mehlman would be in contact with supporters who had interest in Administration policy."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perrino responded to the story by saying: "These were the billing records of a liar. The billing records that are used for the report are widely regarded as fraudulent."

The New York Times' Shenon Notes that Abramoff allegedly once sent a bottle of wine to Karl Rove's table at Abramoff's "Signatures" restaurant, a point the White House uses to show how little the two men knew each other since Rove doesn't drink alcohol. LINK