The Note's Sneak Peek

July 13, 2007— -- Not so long ago, John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich were buddy-buddy.

"Both of us believe in a lot of the same things," said Edwards in January of 2004, "and we like each other very much."

Edwards and Kucinich liked each other so much that they struck a deal on the eve of the 2004 Iowa caucuses. They agreed to send their supporters each others' way if one of them was not getting the votes needed to remain viable in an individual caucus gathering. LINK

After a hot mic caught Edwards on Thursday agreeing to collaborate with Hillary Clinton on how to improve future debates, let's just say that Kucinich is not so hot on the southern smoothie anymore. LINK

"Imperial candidates are as repugnant to the American people and to our democracy as an imperial President," said Kucinich in a statement released by his campaign.

But while Edwards's stock is down with the one-time Boy Mayor of Cleveland, it's up with Clinton -- and we're not just talking about the semi-secret pact.

From taking a hard-line on Iraq to opposing a proposed trade agreement with South Korea to confirming that she would not take part in Fox-sponsored debates, there have been several instances in this campaign in which Clinton has followed her populist rival.

The latest example of Edwards influencing the behavior of his better-funded rival came Friday when the former first lady rolled out her plan for addressing what she called the "glaring inequity" that permits investment managers to take large amounts of their compensation in the form of performance fees, or so-called "carried interest," which is taxed at the 15 percent capital gains rate rather than at income tax rates which can be as high as 35 percent. LINK

Latest:
Late Friday, Edwards told Radio Iowa: "I think everybody ought to be able to be heard, but I think we need to find ways to make it deeper and more serious." LINK

Now that Edwards is trying to pass of his semi-secret chat with Clinton as simply a desire for more substantive debates (rather than plainly stating that he thinks bottom-tier candidates distract from the plausible choice facing voters), Kucinich is doing his best to call the Edwards bluff.

He is sending Edwards a letter challenging him to "direct one-on-one debate on the most critical issues facing the American people: the war in Iraq; healthcare, trade and the environment."

The Ohio congressman has also done the same with Clinton. Copies of both letters were provided to ABC News by the Kucinich campaign.

Saturday highlights:
On Saturday, Bill and Hillary Clinton come off the campaign trail to attend Lady Bird Johnson's funeral in Austin, Texas.