The Note

W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 9—
, 2004 -- TODAY SCHEDULE AS OF 9:00 am (all times ET):

— 8:30 am: Sen. John Edwards meets with carrier workers at Prater's BBQ, Morrison, Tenn.— 9:00 am: Gen. Wesley Clark meets voters in Union City, Dyersburg and Covington, Tenn. — 10:45 am: Gov. Howard Dean delivers a major speech about the 2004 election at the Concourse Hotel, Madison, Wis. — 11:30 am: Former Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi discusses the Internet and politics at a "Digital Democrary" teach-in, San Diego, Calif. — 12:00 pm: Sen. John Kerry attends a "Rally for America's Future" event at Fire Station One, Roanoke, Va. — 12:00 pm: Rep. Dennis Kucinich conducts a Q&A with NYU students, New York, N.Y. — 1:00 pm: Politics Live on ABC News Live and AOL— 1:00 pm: Gen. Clark greets supporters at the B.B. King's Blues Club, Memphis, Tenn. — 1:25 pm: Pres. Bush participates in a conversation on the economy at SRC Automotive, Springfield, Mo. — 1:30 pm: Sen. Edwards attends a rally at Tidewater Community College, Norfolk, Va. — 1:30 pm: Meetup.com CEO Scott Heiferman discusses how Meetup has changed politics at the "Digital Democracy" teach-in, San Diego, Calif. — 1:45 pm: Gov. Dean attends a town hall at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, Wis. — 2:00 pm: Mrs. Laura Bush presents one of her red dresses during Fashion Week 2004 in Bryant Park, New York, N.Y. — 2:15 pm: Linux Journal Senior Editor Doc Searls discusses political blogging at the "Digital Democracy" teach-in, San Diego, Calif. — 4:25 pm: President Bush returns to the White House— 5:30 pm: Bush Campaign Manager Ken Mehlman conducts a live Web chat at http://www.GeorgeWBush.com/Chat— 6:30 pm: Sen. Edwards attends a rally at George Mason University, Fairfax, Va. — 6:45 pm: Gov. Dean attends a rally at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, Wis. — 6:50 pm: Gen. Clark greets supporters at the Renaissance Center, Dickson, Tenn. — 7:00 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a "Rally for America's Future" event at the Cadre Building, Memphis, Tenn. — 9:00 pm: Gen. Clark greets supporters with country star Jamie O'Neal at the Sheraton, Nashville, Tenn.

NEWS SUMMARY

An early version of today's Note included what was intended as a satirical report of an ABC News/Washington Post poll. No such poll was conducted. The questions and results listed were not from a real poll.

As everyone knows -- and as those Democratic presidential candidates trying to catch to John Kerry are learning all too well -- free media is more important in determining who wins the White House than is just about anything else, and it is more important in presidential races than it is in other, down-ballot contests.

And the broadcast media reaches more voters than anyone else. Which is why we still sometimes get our calls returned.

The zeitgeist embedded in our poll results can be seen in every frame of video and every print word choice that is currently being produced about the presidential race.

Since 98% of the people we surveyed have Blue state mentalities (even if they live in McLean and not Chevy Chase), the President's communications advisers have a choice:

Try to change the poll numbers above, or try to win this election without changing them.

What's it going to be, Ken, Karen, Mary, Terry, Nicole, and Dan?

President Bush is in Missouri to talk about the economy.

Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards are in Virginia and Tennessee today.

Look for Kerry to pick up at least three more endorsements today: Rep. Nita Lowey, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, and the Amalgamated Transit Unions.

Gov. Howard Dean is in Wisconsin.

Gen. Wesley Clark is in Tennessee all day.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich is in Virginia and New York.

First Lady Laura Bush visits Fashion Week in New York -- including a stop with Regis and Kelly.

BC '04 campaign manager Ken Mehlman participates in a live Web chat.

Happy birthday, dear The Macker, happy birthday to you!

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:

Ron Brownstein looks at how President Bush's strength could become his weakness in the election year: "With polls showing Americans uneasy over the economy and the mission in Iraq, Bush faces the risk that his unyielding defense of his decisions will strike many Americans less as determination than rigidity."LINK

The New York Times' Elisabeth Bumiller Notes that President Bush's goal in "stepping down from his presidential pedestal and into the political hothouse of 'Meet the Press' was to frame the election on his capacity to make the tough, unpopular decisions that he thinks are in the best interests of the national security and economic health of the United States." LINK

The New York Times' Rutenberg Notes that President Bush's aides "acknowledged that he chose to go on 'Meet the Press' in part to demonstrate that he could face tough questions and perhaps even put some behind him." LINK

The Los Angeles Times' investigative ace Richard Serrano has details on the FOIA all the media should have filed by now regarding POTUS records. LINK

The Washington Post's Dana Milbank also deals with the Guard record issue. LINK

USA Today's Tom Squitieri highlights Bush's defense of his record on the National Guard. LINK

More "Meet" redux:

New York Times: LINK

Los Angeles Times: LINK

Walter Shapiro thinks that "the Bush interview provided a preview of the strengths and vulnerabilities that the president brings to his re-election campaign." LINK

The Washington Post's Walter Pincus highlights Bush's suggestion in the interview that U.N. inspections and sanctions were of limited utility in preventing Saddam Hussein from acquiring WMD, contradicting David Kay's testimony. LINK

The Washington Post's Tom Shales gives Tim Russert props for hammering on the intelligence questions. LINK

The New York Times gathers Kerry's and Dean's responses to the "Meet the Press" interview. LINK

The New York Times' editorial board thinks that President Bush's "reflections" were "far from reassuring." LINK

The Nation's David Corn slams Russert for being more "enabler than interrogator" on MTP. "It was as if Russert wouldn't let Russert be Russert. Booking Bush was the big 'get,' but, alas, Russert let this 'get' get away." LINK

Slate.com's Saletan digs into the Philosophy 101 textbooks and writes that President Bush sees the world as Plato did: "Plato believed that what's real isn't the things you can touch and see: your computer, your desk, those empty barrels in Iraq that Bush thought were full of chemical weapons . . . In Bush's Platonic reality, the world is dangerous, threats exist, and the evidence of our senses must be interpreted to fit that larger truth." LINK

The Bush Administration is planning an "ambitious bid" to promote Democracy in the Middle East, The Washington Post's Wright and Kessler report. The plan would "call for Arab and South Asian governments to adopt major political reforms, be held accountable on human rights -- particularly women's empowerment -- and introduce economic reforms." LINK

The Washington Post's Charles Lane analyzes the impact of Vice President Cheney's trip with Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia. LINK

The Wall Street Journal's Calmes reports that "A new level of tension is emerging between President Bush and the congressional Republicans he expects to deliver his election-year agenda."

The director of the EPA defends the President's policies in the USA Today. LINK

ABC 2004: The Democratic nomination fight:

The Wall Street Journal's dashing duo of Harwood and Hitt write of the storylines emerging in the Bush-Kerry general election showdown that politics watchers now deem increasingly likely.

We are sure the White House won't like this graph: "Bush campaign aides had hoped to dominate the early election agenda with his State of the Union address, the budget proposal he unveiled last week and campaign-style appearances in critical states. But they have grown concerned that the president's message isn't breaking through the national focus on the Democratic primaries, not to mention the increasingly critical public assessments of his job performance."

Adam Nagourney reports that "Democrats now seemed poised to nominate a candidate who had escaped damage from internal battling and enjoyed broad support from all factions of the party." Mark Penn uses the "e" word! LINK

The New York Times' David Rosenbaum reports that Gov. Dean "had expected to do well in Maine, banking on his familiarity as a New Englander and the state's history of voting for mavericks." Alas, the "'electable'" thing seems to be working for Kerry here, too. LINK

David Broder and John Harris write that the weekend's "one-sided triumphs" stretched Sen. Kerry's delegate lead and "left rivals Howard Dean, retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark and Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) grasping for handholds in the effort to deny Kerry the nomination." LINK

Broder Notes the absence of sharp policy differences at this point in the race, making 2004 "quite different" from, say, 1992. LINK

Broder takes it live today at 11:00 am ET, fielding questions about the race online on washingtonpost.com. LINK

Ron Brownstein columnizes about the "hurried and shallow primary campaign" now underway in the Democratic Party, finding that "because the leading contenders have failed to effectively engage Kerry, voters are being denied even a clear sense of the choices available to them." The question is, Will a Nominee Kerry be pumped and primed for general election primetime by a truncated primary season such as this? LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Gerstenzang and La Ganga wrap up the Kerry momentum and this weekend's contests. LINK

Jeanene Stein of the Los Angeles Times on the "around-the-clock endurance test lasting months" that is running for president, writing it is a test of which Jack La Lane certainly would not approve. LINK

Jeff Zeleny, Rick Pearson, and Kristin Scharnberg of the Chicago Tribune report on Kerry accusing Bush of "telling the American people stories" about the reasons for war and Dean tells one couple "I just want to be your second choice." LINK

The Boston Globe's Kornblut and Johnson report on Kerry's win in Maine and the candidates' preparations for Tuesday's primaries. LINK

The Boston Globe's Schweitzer gets up close and personal with the Maine caucuses, and we think she likes them. LINK

The Boston Herald's David Guarino reports that Kerry "added the Maine caucus to his growing list of Democratic primary wins yesterday even as his feisty rivals made broad new declarations about not being elbowed out of the race." LINK

The AP's Donna Cassata reports on Kerry's big weekend and looks ahead to Tuesday. LINK

The Globe's Leonard sizes up what it takes to win in the "New South." LINK

Knight Ridder's Hull and Funk preview what Clark and Edwards are hoping for in Tennessee and Virginia. LINK

And Knight Ridder's Davies reports that Kerry could make both Edwards and Clark unhappy. LINK

The Globe's Johnson and Healy look at the Dean-Kerry sniping and wax semi-nostalgically over how times have changed. LINK

The Washington Post reports that campaigns' online supporters "tend to be white, well-educated and, disproportionately, opinion leaders in their social circles," according to a new survey. LINK

The Raleigh News & Observer Notes a spat between Clark and Edwards over whose plan provides more middle class tax-relief. LINK

The New York Times' Rick Lyman writes that turnout was heavy in Tokyo, too, as Dems abroad get in on the caucus action. Note how well Howard Dean did with this expat crowd! LINK

Tennessee:

Kit Seelye writes on last night's Tennessee Democratic Party dinner: "Wesley K. Clark and Senator John Edwards addressed the crowd, but it was Mr. Gore who fired it up." And tucked in her write-up of the former Veep, Ms. Seelye Notes Edwards' answer on "This Week" Sunday to questions of his own vice presidential prospects. LINK

Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports on Clark's and Edwards' predictions for their hypothetical wins in Tennessee as they work to close the delegate gap between themselves and Kerry. LINK

Richard Locker of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports on the Democratic rally in Nashville Sunday night, Noting Gore's hard-hitting attacks on Bush and the unification the Democratic Party is attempting to achieve. LINK

Slate's Suellentrop raises the specter of the "angry white male" when writing of Al Gore's Tennessee stunner Sunday eve, finding that "Gore is still popular with the Democratic base, but after this speech, the question for the party's nominee has to be, do you want this man to speak at the convention in Boston?"LINK

The Nashville Tennessean's Bonna de la Cruz, Larry Bivins, and Brad Schrade Note the Dems' repeated attacks on Bush and his foreign policy. LINK

The Washington Post's Evelyn Nieves offers up an insightful profile of Memphis as a way to look at a (and to many, "the") key issue: jobs. LINK

Virginia:

The New York Times' James Dao reports that Kerry has an "upper hand" in the Virginia primary not only because of Dean's "fading candidacy" but also because of the "aggressive campaign of Gen. Wesley K. Clark, which has cut into Mr. Edwards's support in the more conservative south side." LINK

The Washington Post's Becker and Jenkins on the tax divide in the Virginia Republican Party. LINK

Florida:

The Miami Herald's Davies reports on how Florida was third in political fundraising for both parties combined in 2003, Noting the influence of Sen. Bob Graham on Floridians' check writing abilities. LINK

Kerry:

The New York Times' David Halbfinger reports on Sen. Kerry's efforts to "overcome, for want of a better phrase, his patrician upbringing." LINK

The Washington Post's Rein and Shear wraps Virginia Gov. Mark Warner's endorsement of Sen. Kerry and the candidates' efforts in Virginia yesterday. LINK

The Washington Post's Mark Leibovich examines the vital importance of Vietnam to Kerry's resume, stump speech and general appeal to voters. "Vietnam is Kerry's best offense and defense: He was there, Bush wasn't," Leibovich writes. He also throws in a gratuitous mention of Kerry's "big silvery hair" glowing under TV lights that we just can't help but love. LINK

The Wall Street Journal's editorial board questions why Kerry is "playing this Vietnam-service card" and answers its own question by finding that "the Senator is trying to use his Vietnam biography as a political shield against his national-security voting record." Note the board says it "assume"s the President can defend himself against Democratic questions about his Guard service.

USA Today's Drinkard reports that Kerry's $6.4 million loan, which "saved" his candidacy, "places a financial burden on the Massachusetts senator, with no easy way to pay it off." LINK

The Boston Globe's Pat Healy sums up all the criticism Sunday by Kerry lobbed at the President. LINK

The AP's Solomon profiles Kerry fundraiser Bob Toricelli, who knows a little about fundraising. LINK

Solomon also has an account of how much Kerry took home in speaking fees in the late 1980s. LINK

USA Today's Jill Lawrence Notes that the exit polls "suggest that Kerry is acceptable to Democrats of diverse ages, incomes, education levels and geographic locations. His rivals, by contrast, are trying to capture various niches." LINK

The New Republic's Jonathan Cohn looks at how Kerry has won over Macomb County's legendary Reagan Democrats. "After a while, I start asking the voters why they don't prefer Edwards, whose feel for average Americans seems much more genuine, or Dean, who was serving up virulent Bush hatred long before Kerry discovered it. The answer: They like those candidates, too. But neither Edwards nor Dean is the front-runner now. Kerry is. And at this point, they'll make do with any Democrat just to get on with the business of ousting Bush." LINK

The New Republic's Clay Risen looks at Kerry's crusade taking on Clark Clifford, the ultimate D.C. insider, during his investigation of BCCI. LINK

Larry Bivins of the Nashville Tennessean reports on Kerry's chances in Tennessee, his appeal to Southern voters, and his support from other state Democrats. LINK

Tyler Whitley and Michael Hardy of the Richmond Times-Dispatch report on Gov. Warner's endorsement of Kerry yesterday. LINK

The RNC says Moby is up to dirty tricks on John Kerry's behalf. Stephanie Cutter says it ain't so. LINK

The New York Post's Page Six has a source that says during the Clinton/Gore years, Kerry "procured a political patronage job for his sister, Peggy Kerry." LINK

From ABC News' Kerry campaign reporter Ed O'Keefe:

CHESAPEAKE, VA., Feb. 8 -- Despite a 10-for-12 nomination contest record and garnering 412 delegates (until the Maine Democratic Party certifies the results of its caucuses), a lion's share of those allocated so far, Sen. Kerry still resists the "F" word. ("Frontrunner," for those who read the Rolling Stone interview and got confused.)

Nevertheless, there are emerging cultural signs -- setting aside lopsided returns and a slew of endorsements -- that "Seabiscuit" is now setting the pace of the Democratic race.

On Friday night in Nashville, the stars shone bright in the swanky Hermitage Hotel. As the three-bus press corps descended, word of Kerry's arrival quickly spread.

Noting several "Kerry Press" bag tags, a woman turned to ask reporters, "Is Sen. Kerry staying here?" Receiving an affirmative response she sighed with Elvis-spotting glee, "Wow! Cool."

Having taken the elevator with a long-haired, sunglasses-wearing and serious character, a colleague looked with surprise as the remaining passenger exclaimed, "That was Kid Rock. And Sen. Kerry's here too!"

But traveling with a rock star -- the Frontrunner, not Kid Rock -- has many downsides for the sideshow crew.

As the Kerry press corps attempted to drag their luggage onto the elevators and up to their rooms, they ran smack dab into Hermitage security, holding both elevators, and preventing all plebian traffic.

Ah, Kid Rock must be heading to his Broadway Street show. Or, maybe a third, unknown dignitary to Note. Alas, it was Kerry, finishing a cell phone call, while 60 people alternatively gazed and glared in his direction.

The Senator spent the remainder of his weekend was spent in Virginia, mostly delivering pre-buttal and rebuttal to the man he hopes to soon call rival, President Bush.

Having presumptively thanked Michigan and Washington State for the "great message" being sent to Virginia and Tennessee hours before the polls closed in either state Saturday, Kerry tamed a speech which, as written, directly counter attacked "the Republican smear machine" on taxes, health care, education, jobs, homeland security, and national security.

In the prepared text, Kerry labeled the Bush administration "extreme" six times; in delivery, Kerry added another two for good measure.

On Sunday, Kerry picked up the endorsement of Virginia Gov. Mark Warner then hammered President Bush's morning show performance.

Kerry charged that Bush had changed his story on the reasons for going to war in Iraq, but many questions centered on the President's defense of his service in the National Guard during Vietnam.

Kerry contended, "The issue here, as I have heard it raised, is was he present and active on duty in Alabama at the times he was supposed to be. I don't have the answer to that question and just because you get honorable discharge does not in fact answer that question."

Read more from the trail with Kerry on abcnews.com: LINK

Edwards:

Scott Martelle of the Los Angeles Times Notes Edwards "appeared to crack" the vice presidential door "open a bit Sunday" in an answer to ABC's George Stephanopoulos. LINK

John Wagner of the Raleigh News & Observer sees Edwards talking about poverty lately, even including the issue in his South Carolina victory speech. LINK

Flynn McRoberts of the Chicago Tribune sees Rep. Lipinski's endorsement of Edwards "just the sort of Northern, urban, blue-collar Democrat who could help the Southerner build a broader coalition." LINK

Read more from the trail with Edwards on abcnews.com: LINK

Dean:

USA Today's Susan Page writes in a must-read that despite Dean's failures, he has "reshaped the Democratic presidential race he's leaving behind." LINK

The New York Times' Wilgoren writes of Dean's (locally successful) visits to caucus sights in Maine yesterday, before Noting his "distant second" finish behind Kerry and Steve McMahon's focus on the "'positive'" at the "'current time.'" LINK

Howard Kurtz reports on the Dean campaign's decision to give supporters a choice between three ads -- "one of the stranger gambits in presidential politics." LINK

The Atlanta Journal Constitution sums up former Vice President Gore's appearance at last night's Dean rally. "But on a night when supporters of Kerry, Edwards and Clark vastly outnumbered Dean's, the former vice president told the Democratic crowd that any of their choices were better than Bush, for whom he had some of his harshest criticism yet." LINK

The Los Angeles Times' James Rainey writes of Dean in Maine before Noting that "Dean said he hadn't decided yet how aggressively to go after Kerry in his TV spots." LINK

The Boston Globe's Johnson reports on how Dean went straight to the Maine caucus sites to appeal to voters. LINK

Jennie Tunkiewicz reports from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Howard Dean will be going up with his first ad in the Badger State, and is requesting supporters vote online to determine which amateur-produced ad he should air next. LINK

From ABC News' Dean campaign reporter Reena Singh:

PORTLAND, MAINE, Feb. 8 -- There seem to be certain dangers of life on the road as a political reporter -- like food poisoning, living on the edge of catching pneumonia from your colleagues and sleep deprivation. Now add to list: crammed into a bright blue VW Bug with three other journalists as pint-sized, truck-driver-mouthed Hillary, the 21 year-old intern, breaks speed barriers down the darkness of a Maine highway.

The ride south on the Highway to Hell began in Auburn, where we stayed behind to watch a caucus from start to finish. We had been to several caucuses in Maine throughout the day with Gov. Dean, but only to listen to him speak with the voters. After the Governor left Auburn Middle School, the real work began. First, the room elected a chair and a secretary, and then everyone broke up into their wards. A man asked his neighbor whether his daughter got into Middlebury College. When the neighbor said no, the man shrugged and said, "Well it's their loss. She's great."

There's only one press plane now. It's Pearl Jam II, except when the Governor boards -- then it becomes Pearl Jam I. Before we are wheels up, Styrofoam cartons containing lobster rolls are passed throughout the cabin. Tomorrow the Wisconsin offensive begins with the old and the new. The old biographical ad goes up and a new ad, which was created by volunteers and will be picked off the Dean for America Web site by supporters, hits the airwaves on Tuesday.

The ads were selected through an organization called Project Dean Light that calls for volunteer producers to send in their ideas for Dean ads. Freelance copywriter Rich Robinson and three other Los Angeles residents -- Curtis Chin, Becca Doten and Phil de Vellis -- developed the concept last year. "I think they are boring," says Robinson of the ads produced by Dean media consulting firm Trippi, McMahon and Squire (TMS). "We are tired of politicians with their sleeves rolled up in front of tractors. And those ads were not getting the Governor's message out there." After narrowing down to three finalists Project Dean Light took the ads to Sundance as part of a Deandance event. (Those Deaniacs are so clever.) Robinson says he was contacted by the campaign in December about running the ads and the original plane was to bring the ads up for South Carolina. But then came along Iowa and New Hampshire.

Back on Pearl Jam I, the Governor wipes his eyes after a nap. He gets up. He is bored. In his socks, he walks down the aisle scans the candy dishes on each table and pops a few Gummy Bears, Jelly Beans and miniature Snickers into his mouth. Mischievously he borrows a reporter's camera to snap a shot of another slumbering reporter whose mouth is agape. It only takes minutes for the reporters to put down their cards and gather for an off-the-record talk.

Someone gives Dean a fortune cookie. Pens at the ready, reporters hope the message is a sign of what will happen over the next week. It reads: "Speak more Chinese, honey." Nonsense. Perhaps the landing in Madison, Wis., is a better omen: a perfect descent smack in the middle of a blizzard. Thankfully Hillary wasn't at the wheel.

Read more from the trail with Dean on abcnews.com: LINK

Clark:

The New York Times' Ed Wyatt Notes Clark's shifting answers to questions about abortion and writes that The General "insists that his views on the issues themselves have not changed. But he acknowledges that the differences reflect a reality that, as a first-time candidate, he did not anticipate: 'You can't just talk about policies, because people want to get to know you as a person.'" LINK

The AP's Mike Glover finds Clark being optimistic. LINK

Bruce Murphy at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Clark visited Racine yesterday, receiving numerous standing ovations. LINK

The Knoxville News-Sentinel's editorial board encourages Tennessee voters to make a difference in the contest for the Democratic nominee, and places their support behind Clark for the nomination. LINK

From ABC News' Clark campaign reporter Deborah Apton:

RACINE, WIS., Feb. 8 -- Flying to and from Wisconsin on Sunday there are less press and less staff with The General. A smaller plane forced some staffers to fly ahead to Nashville, leaving only Clark's trip director and press secretary to fly alongside him. Some traveling press have taken off for the weekend and will be meeting up come Monday. All in all, it's quiet and somewhat calm in the face of the packed schedule. Clark is laughing, eating popcorn and drinking grape juice -- all the while seeming relaxed in the face of questions about his future. It seems he's not backing down from the "fight."

There seem to be three possible scenarios for Clark come Feb. 10 (Virginia doesn't play a part in any of them because even Clark discounts Virginia when talking about "winning") -- three possibilities that the press like to bounce off one another throughout the day.

1. Clark comes wins Tennessee. He goes on to Madison, Wis. on Wednesday.2. Clark comes in second behind Kerry, but beats Edwards in Tennessee. As the "new Southern favorite," Clark campaigns in Madison, Wis. on Wednesday.3. Clark comes in third behind Kerry, behind Edwards. The Clark family and Clark campaign must decide if they want to head to Wisconsin . . .

Standing next to Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle on Sunday, Clark spoke with confidence that he'd be in Wisconsin to campaign next week. Here's how the exchange went:

--Will you campaign no matter what the result in Tennessee?--"Well I intend to win Tennessee and be campaigning here next week, absolutely. That's my expectation."--But if you don't win, will you still come to Wisconsin?--"Absolutely. That's exactly right."

But for now, the Clark campaign has not run ads in Wisconsin since Feb. 3. And, according Matt Bennett, the campaign has not decided yet which ads will go up when. But Bennett says with confidence that after Feb. 10 the campaign will have ads up in Wisconsin in time for the Feb. 17 primary.

Read more from the trail with Clark on abcnews.com: LINK

Sharpton:

Sharpton shrugs off not receiving Gov. Warner's endorsement in Virginia. "'Though I've had big endorsements, I don't use them where I come from. The only time you need a co-signer is when you have bad credit yourself." LINK

From ABC News' Sharpton campaign reporter Beth Loyd:

RICHMOND, VA., Feb. 8 -- After a strong showing in Detroit, the Sharpton campaign picked up seven delegates and a little relief over the weekend. The collective "Whew" is audible. Campaign manager Charles Halloran is very pleased and says it's a bit of redemption, proving the Reverend still maintains appeal in urban areas.

The success can in large part be attributed to two people: Marjorie Harris, the executive director of the National Action Network, who recruited "invaluable" volunteers for the two week push leading to primary day, and Michael Pitts, who moved to Michigan and organized the effort there with little more than $3,000.

The strategy was to bombard Detroit with visits by Rev. Sharpton to churches, colleges, and organized forums. Unfortunately for the campaign, Michael Pitts has quit the campaign and is getting some much-needed R&R at home in California. He says he is suffering from lack of appreciation -- both verbal and financial.

On Sunday, Sharpton made his usual tour of churches, this time focusing on Richmond and the surrounding suburbs, which are largely African-American. The campaign will tour Richmond until Wednesday, rarely straying outside the city limits. One campaign source said that the less-than-satisfying showing in South Carolina is a result of failure to focus the effort on certain parts of the state.

Read more from the trail with Sharpton on abcnews.com: LINK

Kucinich:

Larry Bivins of the Nashville Tennessean reports on Tennessee's die-hard Kucinich supporters and the faith they have in their candidate. LINK

House of Labor:

Some empty rooms in the House of Labor this Monday morning as it seems that AFSCME's Gerry McEntee has packed up his bags and departed Camp Dean. SEIU and the Painters tell ABC they are committed to remaining through the Wisconsin primary.

This departure follows the Saturday afternoon Burlington call which we are told lasted more than an hour in which Howard Dean vowed to stay in the race at least through Feb. 17 fueled on the money from his latest Internet appeal to his campaign faithful.

On the Kerry front, the good news keeps comin' as the Building and Construction Trades prep for a Tuesday vote designed to take "official action in support of Senator Kerry's candidacy" and the Transit Union made its backing official this ayem. And, of course, the unions formerly known as Gephardt are likely to move into the Kerry column before the next scandalous CBS program airs -- or at least before the week is over. Sources tell us to look for something on the order of an official endorsement event once President's Day (or Valentine's Day, depending on your world view) has come and gone . . .

Democratic National Convention:

The Boston Globe's Rick Klein introduces us to Kathleen O'Toole, Boston's new police commissioner (and the first female commissioner for the city) who "is taking over a department that is rife with labor unrest, with less than six months to go before the Democratic National Convention comes to Boston." LINK

The politics of national security:

USA Today's Mimi Hall wraps Democrats' responses to the post-election deadline for the intelligence commission. LINK

The politics of gay marriage:

The New York Times' Jennifer 8. Lee reports that, according to South Carolina Rep. Jim DeMint, President Bush last week said he's open to states using "contract law to ensure some of the rights that gay partners are seeking through marriage or civil union." LINK

The Boston Globe's Lewis and McConville report on the strategizing taking place by gay marriage supporters as opponents hold their constitutional convention. LINK

The politics of the judiciary:

Bob Novak Notes the nasty fight between Democrats and Republicans over the judiciary, scrolling through "a trail of e-mail messages by Democrats that exposed a coolly crafted plan to reject President Bush's federal judges." The resignation-under-pressure by Manuel Miranda, the staff lawyer for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist who ran his judicial confirmation campaign, Novak argues, shows that Democrats have been successful at "hijacking the confirmation process." LINK

Politics:

Stu Rothenberg looks at the implications of the special election for Kentucky's sixth district. He writes, "GOP strategists planned to make the special election a referendum on a popular president and a contrast of ideologies in a conservative district. That way, they figured, they could elect Kerr to Congress even though the district has a Democratic registration advantage and is politically competitive."

"But, instead of being an unadulterated asset, the president is proving to be more of a mixed blessing, and Kerr and the Republicans are struggling, at least so far, to convince voters that the race presents a stark choice between a liberal and a conservative."

The Wall Street Journal's Calmes reports on the domestic strife in the GOP, with relations between Hill Republicans and the White House reaching a "new level of tension." We sure as heck don't envy John Feehery, as he faces a "'really difficult year.'"

Calmes' colleague John Fund wonders if "congressional Republicans are taking on the bad habits of the Democrats they ousted from power in 1994" as he uses the phrase "ideological dry rot."

The Los Angeles Times' Janet Hook follows up on John Fund's storyline, Noting that Washington's "revolving door has spun to a new level lately, raising even the most jaded of eyebrows." LINK

The Washington Post reports that this year's House of Representatives schedule has "the lightest legislative load in 40 years." LINK

Mrs. Rowland has been subpoenaed in the investigation examining "alleged corruption in her husband's administration," report the wires. LINK

Politics Live:

Watch Politics Live, a discussion about all things political, at 1 p.m. EST every day for the latest political news mid-day. Of course, if you can't get to your computer in time, you can catch it on the ABC Jumbtron in Times Square if it's more convenient. To watch a clip of Friday's show, here's a link.

AOL subscribers, don't you worry, you can watch it too.

But you can't tell the players without a program -- which means ya gotta sign up to have ABC News Live delivered right to your desktop. We don't underestimate the power of customer service around here.

ABC 2004: The Campaign Bus Logs:

As the campaigns go national, so do our campaign buses. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at their daily logs.

From ABC News Red Bus producer Sean Smith, in Richmond, Va.:

QUOTES OF THE DAY:"This bus is really cool" -- Edwards press secretary Jennifer Palmieri. We told her if she drops off the Edwards campaign, she's more than welcome to join the Big Red team. She declined . . . for the moment.

"I hate to use the word genius, but…" -- Replacement driver Billy Alcorn after getting us lost on the way to set up for the Edwards live shot, and miraculously turned around and got off a random exit that was 500 yards from our Edwards location.

RUMORS FROM THE ROAD:Our quest to make Big Red the meanest, baddest mobile luxury studio on the road has reached a feverish pitch with a contract ready to be signed to outfit Big Red with chrome tailpipes, hooker headers, 75 inch fat chrome wheels, custom paint and a liquid cooled turbo injector to make Big Red achieve prominence in the fast lane. Just need the okay from NY and we're a go…we are in the land of NASCAR, by the way.