The Note: The Courage To Create Change

— -- WASHINGTON, Dec. 1

Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA) continues his presidential announcement tour. Today, he travels from Concord, NH to Pittsburgh, PA, picking up attention -- and perhaps superdelegates -- along the way.

Vilsack speaks at New Hampshire Technical Institute at 10:00 am ET in Concord, NH. Then he heads to the famed Concord High School for 1:15 pm ET remarks. Staying on message, Gov. Vilsack takes a tour of GT Solar, Inc. at 3:15 pm ET in Merrimack, NH. Vilsack caps his New Hampshire day with a reception at Gary Hirshberg's home in Concord, NH.

On Sunday, you will not want to miss George Stephanopoulos' exclusive interview with the (for now) only formally announced Democratic presidential candidate, Gov. Vilsack. Another, not-yet-formally-announced Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), will join George to chat Iraq and politics as well. Check your local listings for "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." LINK

In one of today's few must-watch events, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) takes a public AIDS test and joins Rick Warren and Sen. Sam Brownback at Saddleback Church in California to discuss the global struggles with HIV/AIDS at 1:15 pm ET. Later Obama appears on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Note prediction: the audience will love Obama as much as Jay does, and several Tonight Show writers will decide on the spot to support him for president over a certain New York Senator.

The President and First Lady participate in a World AIDS Day meeting today at the White House at 9:55 am ET.

Former President George H.W. Bush leads a presidential delegation to attend the inauguration of Mexican President-elect Felipe Calderon in Mexico City, Mexico.

Former President Bill Clinton attends UN Tsunami Envoy Events in Thazhanguda, Cuddalore and Chennai, India. While in New Delhi yesterday, FPOTUS announced a deal his foundation hammered out with France, Brazil, Britain, Norway, and Chile to get those countries to financially back his plan to significantly reduce drug prices for children fighting HIV/AIDS. The New York Times has more on the deal. LINK

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) was scheduled to speak at the National Committee for Quality Assurance's conference, "Pay for Performance: A Critical Examination" at 9:15 am ET.

Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) speaks at the American Bar Assn. Standing Committee on Law and National Security's "16th Annual Review of the Field of National Security Law," at 1:20 pm ET at the Marriott at Metro Center.

The Center for American Progress and the New Organizing Institute hold a discussion "Online Strategies in the 2006 Election." At 12:30 pm ET at CAP in Washington, DC.

Former Senator John Edwards (D-NC) to sign copies of his new book, "HOME: The Blueprints of Our Lives" at Borders in Dallas, Texas at 7:00 pm ET.

The DNC Executive Committee hears Gov. Howard Dean (D-DNC) tout the success of his 50-state strategy tomorrow at its third and final meeting for 2006. Later in the day tomorrow, the DNC's Rules and Bylaws committee meets to hammer out bonus delegate plans for states which don't try to jump to the front of the nominating line in 2008.

Why there is nothing like presidential politics, Part I:
With a "Suchitepequez, Guatemala" dateline, the Boston Globe reveals Gov. Romney appears to have had some illegal immigrants doing some work on the yard around his house through a company he hired. LINK

Regarding one of the workers: "For about eight years, Rosales said, he worked on and off landscaping the grounds at Romney's home, occasionally getting a 'buenos dias' from Romney or a drink of water from his wife, Ann," reports the Globe.

Be sure not to miss Gov. Romney's initial "Aw, geez" reply when asked for comment.

After that, to delight McCainWorld, the story goes on:

"Several hours later, his spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, provided the Globe with a statement saying that the governor knows nothing about the immigration status of the landscaping workers, and that his dealings were with Saenz, who is a legal immigrant from Colombia."

"Fehrnstrom said that Romney would look into the matter further."

And, thus, we learn

1. This story is going to have some legs.
2. Governor Romney has some serious self-vetting to do. LINK

The RGA Rumble in Miami:
The New York Times' Nagourney has every juicy detail (from the $50,000 price tag on McCain's swanky gubernatorial wooing party to Gov. Pawlenty's prepared endorsement of McCain to the cut of John Weaver's jib as he walked through the hotel lobby) of the McCain vs. Romney dynamic dominating the Republican Governors Association gathering in Miami. LINK

Romney's spokesguy Eric Fehrnstrom provides the Times the official take from the Bay State crowd: "It makes sense for Senator McCain to be here honoring Republican governors, because as a group they are fiscally conservative and innovators in education and health care policy. The answers to many of the challenges facing our nation can be found in what they are doing every day."

Nagourney doesn't use his full throat to say we have a two-person race on our hands for now, but he comes pretty darn close.

Jonathan Martin of National Review also has the Pawlenty support for McCain and reports that Gov. Matt Blunt (R-MO) may make his Romney endorsement within days in his must-read piece on all the RGA goings on. LINK