The Note: Consensus Reached

— -- WASHINGTON, Oct. 27

At this time of intense pressure and negativity on the national town square, it is comforting to know that President Bush, Nancy Pelosi, Lynne Cheney, Phil Singer, Karl Rove, Elizabeth Edwards, and every other elite Republican and Democratic politico share a set of cherished core American beliefs:

The Iraq war is the great force in the midterms.

No one in the press or interest groups can police last-minute robo-calls or mail.

There is a certain Senator from the Northeast who talks too much.

There is a certain Cabinet member who talks too much.

If you know where and how Michael Whouley is spending his next week and a half, you will know how Democrats will do on Election Day.

If you know where and how President Bush is spending his next week and a half, you will know how Republicans will do on Election Day.

Harold Ford needs to be ahead by at least 5 on November 6 to win on November 7.

David Yepsen thinks he himself would be a better governor of Iowa than Chet Culver or Jim Nussle.

You can spend more and still lose.

The view that 2006 is "the most negative" campaign ever is quaintly absurd.

Michael Steele is a better candidate than his numbers reflect; George Allen's numbers are better than his campaign warrants.

History may be kinder to Dan Allen than to George Allen.

Republican candidates around the country are still paying a price for the House leadership's mishandling of the page scandal in the first week after Mark Foley was exposed.

Bill Clinton can talk owls down out of the trees.

It is amazing that Republicans haven't done more to scuff up Hillary Clinton this year in advance of 2008.

Going into the New Jersey Senate race was either a) a sign of desperation by the Republicans, or b) a brilliant tactical maneuver that could be remembered as the one bright spot for the party this year.

Picking Bob Menendez for the Senate was not Governor Corzine's most inspired decision.

The only way to get a fair message out is through (friendly) New Media, because the Old Media is incompetent, weak, and biased.

If you think there has never been a more interesting midterm election season, either you are really young or you have a faulty memory.

Politicians are once again being forced to say that "there has never been a more important election in all of American history" even though they don't really think it.

If Republicans hold the House, Howie Kurtz is going to have a field day with his Thursday, November 9 story on the Charlie Cooks, Stu Rothenbergs, Larry Sabatos, and other a-wave-is-coming prognosticators.

MVP (D): Chairman Emanuel.

MVP (R): Chairman Mehlman.

Best Supporting Actors/Actresses (D): Independent, aggressive, federal prosecutors.

Best Supporting Actors/Actresses (R): Liberal, activist, gay-loving judges.

On Election Day, the network exit polls will be highly suspect and highly coveted.

You can't refresh Drudge too often.

Please don't let the election go into overtime.

A man who approves of this list, President Bush, meets with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in the Oval Office at 10:05 am ET.

According to this morning's look at the third quarter GDP, the U.S. economy is growing slower than expected. The slowdown was led by the chill in the housing sector, consumer spending held up OK and business investment is still a high point. This is a sobering number, but remember, this is a look in the rear view mirror, reports ABC's Betsy Stark.

Per the norm, Republican leaders are already issuing press releases, celebrating the silver linings they see.

First Lady Laura Bush delivers remarks (open press) at 1:10 pm ET at a Vern Buchanan for Congress reception in Sarasota, FL. (You'll likely recall that her husband was campaigning for the same candidate a few days ago.) At 5:00 pm ET in Palm Beach, FL, Mrs. Bush makes remarks at a closed press reception for Rep. Clay Shaw.

Vice President Cheney delivers remarks at a rally for the B-2 Bomber Forces at 12:55 pm ET in Whiteman Air Force Base, MO and then participates in a fundraiser for the RNC at the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island at 6:00 pm ET in Kiawah Island, SC.

Karl Rove attends a luncheon for the Republican Party of Wisconsin in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Sen. Hillary Clinton receives the endorsement of BIPAC, the political arm of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY) in Syracuse, NY at 12:00 pm ET. At 1:00 pm ET in Syracuse, Mrs. Clinton campaigns with Democratic congressional candidate Dan Maffei (D-NY) before attending a meeting with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and the Metropolitan Development Association at 3:00 pm ET in East Syracuse, NY. Sen. Clinton then travels to Rhode Island to campaign for Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) in Johnston, RI at 6:00 pm ET.

Sensing a political opportunity in the recent New Jersey court ruling on gay rights, Sen. George Allen (R-VA) campaigns for the protection of marriage in Harrisonburg, VA at 12:00 pm ET. Sen. Allen's opponent -- Democrat Jim Webb -- opposes a Virginia state ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage, foreclose the possibility of civil unions, and potentially weaken existing legal protections for unmarried couples. Sen. Allen supports the ballot measure.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) stumps for Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH) in Nashua, NH at 5:30 pm ET.

Meanwhile, Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) attends political events in Iowa. The two candidates hoping to succeed former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) as the congressman from Florida's 16th congressional district -- Republican Joe Negron and Democrat Tim Mahoney -- debate at 7:00 pm ET.

Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) debate in Cleveland, OH.

Chairman Dean attends the Nevada Democratic Party's Early Vote GOTV Rally at 12:30 pm ET in Las Vegas, NV.

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) campaigns with Sheriff Brad Ellsworth, the Democrat whose is hoping to knock off Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) in Indiana's 8th congressional district. During a recent meeting with Courier & Press editors, Rep. Hostettler, one of six Republicans who voted against the Iraq war, said he has turned down many offers of help from the Bush Administration "primarily because of differences over the Iraq war."

Hostettler was quoted as telling the newspaper: "We just decided, just said, 'Just stay in Washington.' Said, 'Thank you, but no thank you, we're going to run our election.'" LINK

Politics of the "homosexual agenda":
In light of the New Jersey Supreme Court ruling, President Bush brought same sex marriage back into his stump speech while in Iowa yesterday, Notes Sheryl Gay Stolberg of the New York Times. LINK

Note, too, how the issue is moving to the foreground for candidates in Virginia and Tennessee -- two states with same sex marriage bans on the ballot and key Senate races.

In a must-read, the Los Angeles Times' James Gerstenzang and Ronald Brownstein look at the contrasting messages of President Bush and former President Clinton while on the campaign trail in the nation's Rust Belt on Thursday. LINK

For President Bush, this week's New Jersey court decision "provided a fresh opportunity to speak to the heart of a cultural issue that motivated many conservative voters who had propelled him and other GOP candidates to victory in recent years -- but whose enthusiasm for Bush and his party has been lagging, according to some polls."

For former President Clinton, the rally was an opportunity to try to refute a "the perceived risk, which Bush raises regularly, that Democrats would seek to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq before the country had been stabilized and could defend itself against becoming a haven for anti-American terrorists."

To "loud applause and whoops from the audience," former President Clinton said: "'Stop and think' is not the same as 'cut-and-run.'"

The president of the Family Research Council, Tony Perkins, tells the Washington Post that conservative voters were awakened by the New Jersey Supreme Court on gay marriage and that conservatives now feel a "very real and present danger" that same-sex marriage could spread. Alan Cooperman on what may be wake call for conservatives that could really tilt thing in favor of GOP. LINK

USA Today lists the eight states that will be voting on same-sex marriage in November. LINK

The Boston Globe's Michael Kranish looks at the intensifying national based attacks on Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) from Vice President Cheney, who has said of the gay lawmaker "I don't need to tell you what kind of legislation would come," (although the veep has not mentioned Frank's sexuality) and Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) who is airing an ad warning about Frank-led Democratic efforts to "advance the homosexual agenda." LINK

"Frank is both outraged and bemused by the attacks. If his mother were still alive, 'she would have kvelled at Dick Cheney attacking me, she would have been the proudest mother in America,' Frank said in an interview, using a Yiddish word for bursting with pride."

Thomas Beaumont of the Des Moines Register analyzes the fact that gubernatorial candidates Jim Nussle and Chet Culver both oppose same-sex marriage. LINK

Sen. Clinton makes news on same-sex marriage:
Sen. Clinton told a group of gay elected officials Wednesday that she would not oppose same sex marriage in New York if the state legislature and governor enacted it. LINK

According to the Gay City News, when Sen. Clinton was asked about plans Eliot Spitzer, the Democratic candidate for governor, has to introduce a gay marriage bill, Sen. Clinton said: "if our governor and our Legislature support marriage in New York, I'm not going to be against that. . . So I feel very comfortable with being able to refute anybody who tries to pit us or pit me against Eliot." LINK

During a May 26, 2005 interview on CNN's "Inside Politics," Sen. Clinton said: "Well, I don't know many Democrats who support gay marriage. In fact, I don't and haven't for, you know, years before I became a Senator."

Bush Administration agenda:
"The commissioner of internal revenue has ordered his agency to delay collecting back taxes from Hurricane Katrina victims until after the Nov. 7 elections and the holiday season, saying he did so in part to avoid negative publicity," reports the New York Times' David Cay Johnston in a story that is almost certain to be quickly turned into a DNC press release. LINK