The Note

W A S H I N G T O N, Dec. 4—
, 2003 -- Today's Schedule (all times Eastern):

—8:30 am: Sen. Joseph Lieberman discusses protecting children, Monadnock Early Learning Center, Peterborough, N.H.—9:30 am: Off-camera White House press gaggle with Scott McClellan—10:00 am: Sen. Lieberman discusses protecting children, The Adult Learning Center, Nashua, N.H.—10:10 am: President Bush meets with the King of Jordan, Oval Office—10:15 am: Rep. Dennis Kucinich eats breakfast with local students and activists, Brueggers Bagels, Ann Arbor, Mich.—10:30 am: Gen. Wesley Clark speaks with Nashua residents, Daniel Webster College, Nashua, N.H.—10:55 am: President Bush signs the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, White House—11:45 am: Sen. John Edwards meets with Marshall County Democratic activists, Marshalltown, Iowa—12:00 pm: Gov. Howard Dean attends a fundraiser, Renaissance Dallas Hotel, Dallas—12:15 pm: Rep. Kucinich speaks to a panel of local student activists and joins striking Borders Bookstore workers, Ann Arbor, Mich.—12:30 pm: On-camera White House press briefing with Scott McClellan, White House—1:00 pm: Sen. Edwards meets with Grundy County Democratic activists, Grundy Center, Iowa—1:00 pm: National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers release their State Fiscal Report, D.C.—2:00 pm: Amb. Carol Moseley Braun speaks to the Women's Leadership Program at George Washington University, D.C.—2:15 pm: Sen. Edwards holds a roundtable discussion with Black Hawk County Democratic activists, Waterloo, Iowa—2:35 pm: Rep. Kucinich addresses supporters walking from Maine to California, East Lansing, Mich.—4:30 pm: Sen. Edwards attends a town hall meeting at La Familia Health Center, Santa Fe—5:00 pm: President and Mrs. Bush participate in the Pageant of Peace, D.C.—5:00 pm: Former President Bill Clinton and Jim and Sarah Brady attend a fundraiser for the Brady Bill's 10th anniversary, D.C.—5:30 pm: Gen. Clark attends a fundraiser featuring Better Than Ezra at Club 1223, D.C.—6:00 pm: Gen. Clark attends Woman's National Democratic Club Reception, D.C.—6:00 pm: Amb. Moseley Braun meets with the DC State Democratic Committee, D.C.—6:30 pm: Rep. Richard Gephardt speaks to the media, LIU regional office, Sacramento—6:45 p.m.: Rep. Kucinich joins Sen. Russ Feingold to address the Gamaliel Foundation's Rolling Thunder assembly, Milwaukee—7:30 pm: Gov. Dean attends a fundraiser, Chicago—8:45 pm: Sen. Lieberman speaks at the National Foundation for Jewish Culture Annual Dinner, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, New York City

NEWS SUMMARY

It's Thursday, and thus time for our regularly weekly look at how the two major party frontrunners are doing.

George Bush:

Pluses: a growing economy; Democratic infighting; Democratic failure to pass the Brownstein test on foreign policy.

Minuses: those left 527 groups look like they might be as potent as Jim Dyke warned us they would be.

Howard Dean:

Pluses: (for the addicted) a Zogby poll showing him with a mammoth Granite State lead; the Washington Post says he is consolidating D.C. Establishment support, including alleged Clinton friendliness; Deborah Orin makes today "Jews hate Kerry" day; Joyce Aboussie's mastery of the circular firing squad.

Minuses: the Boston Herald brilliantly unmasks some of the secret records rhetoric; having Larry Klayman and Richard Cohen against you is not a great place to be in American politics.

President Bush meets with King Abdullah, signs the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, and participates with Mrs. Bush in the Pageant of Peace.

Gov. Dean attends fundraisers in Dallas and Chicago today

Senator Kerry has no public events but attends the Heinz Awards in Pittsburgh this evening.

Rep. Gephardt speaks to the press in Sacramento today.

Gen. Clark campaigns and fundraises in New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. today.

Senator Edwards campaigns in Iowa and New Mexico today.

Senator Lieberman discusses protecting children in New Hampshire and speaks to a Jewish foundation in New York City today.

Ambassador Moseley Braun speaks and holds meetings in Washington, D.C. today.

Rev. Al Sharpton is in New York rehearsing for Saturday Night Live.

Rep. Kucinich meets with students and activists in Michigan and addresses the Rolling Thunder assembly in Milwaukee.

The Dust-up in Durham:

Did you hear about the biggest thing to hit Durham since sliced bread?

On Dec. 9 at 7 pm ET, ABC News and WMUR will host a debate in Durham, N.H., on the campus of the University of New Hampshire, with all nine Democratic presidential candidates.

As many of you know, when all else fails (like logic, objectivity, and integrity), The Note thinks with its stomach, which sometimes works as an advantage and sometimes not.

But when it comes to escaping the joyous cold and wintry mix of December in New Hampshire, The Note thinks that food, like politics, is a good thing. (Professor Sabato, please don't sue us for copyright infringement … in the spirit of the holidays and all.)

Based on our own experiences and thanks to some on-site scouting from some friends of The Note, here are some recommendations for dining in Durham and nearby townships. Just as there are must-reads most days in The Note, there are of course must-eats in New Hampshire.

We hesitate to say that there are any must-drinks, acknowledging The Note's commitment to promoting non-alcoholic social programming in compliance with our double-secret probation.

If you're looking for a good meal:

--Three Chimneys Inn: Your best bet in Durham; the prime rib is shockingly good, and you've got a pretty good chance of running into Andy Smith if you're lucky. Open 11:30 am — 9:00 pm, menus available online at LINK

--Acorns: Think: fine dining for college professors.

If you're looking to talk to the locals:

--Young's Restaurant and Coffee Shop: The local diner.

--Murphy's Tin Palace: Irish pub where the college kids drink. Locally brewed Red Hook.

--Durham House of Pizza: Exactly as it sounds.

--Aladdin's Pockets: Syrian-owned joint tucked away in the corner of the Durham Laundromat on Main Street.

If you're looking for a greasy hamburger:

--Late Night Lunch Truck: No one seems to remember the name … go figure … this is the most fun local food story. Possibly the most worthwhile food stop in Durham.

It's worth the 15-minute drive to Portsmouth where the food, drinks, and people are a little more colorful.

If you're looking for a good meal and a good glass of wine:

--Radici, 142 Congress St. Penne Gorgonzola is good. LINK

--Jumpin Jays, 150 Congress St. The Gloucester Wolf Fish, dirty style, is awesome, LINK

--Lindbergh's Crossing, 29 Ceres St. The seared rare tuna appetizer is the best in the state. LINK

--Pesce Blue, 103 Congress St. For the more trendy among us, try the house specialty Grigliata Mista if you are hungry. LINK

If you're looking for a local beer, a hamburger, and some good music: The Press Room, 77 Daniel St. The Dark and Stormy is a local favorite here.

If you are looking for a place to have more than one beer: The Portsmouth Brewery, 56 Market. Beer and light food, LINK

If you are looking for a place to have more than one drink: Poco Diablos, Ceres St. Margaritas are more than adequate; nachos are decent.

If you need late-night food or some coffee and a greasy breakfast: Gilly's, Fleet Street (in the trolley car). Open until 3 am, best local flavor. There's also the Friendly Toast, 121 Congress. The peasant breakfast is amazing.

If you need some strong coffee and a bagel: Caffé Kilim, 72 Daniel St. The Turkish coffee will get you moving.

Here are some other must-eats around the Granite State:

--Bonta, Hampton: Rumor is, ubermover and shaker/Fisher Scientific CEO Paul Montrone built the place specifically to have great Italian food close to home. It was a smart move. Fantastic.

--The Korean Place, Manchester: Best-kept food secret in the state; open Wednesday-Sunday, cash only.

--Cotton, Manchester — The single most-frequented restaurant by New Hampshire campaign staff. On any given night you will run into at least one table of campaign folks, and probably Will and Meryl.

--Richard's, Manchester: Needs no introduction.

--Baldwin's, Manchester: The new kid in town seriously aiming for "best in the state." A bit more modern/trendy than Richard's, they have a solid all-around menu.

--Suddenly Susan's, Manchester: The friendliest lunch counter and best sandwiches in New Hampshire.

--Keene Fresh Salad Company, Keene: Worth the drive to Keene, and that's saying something.

--Bedford Village Inn, Bedford: It actually achieves the "cozy and elegant" that so many try for. The Chicken scaloppini is a great way to fight off the chill of a winter New Hampshire night.

--Thompson House Eatery, Jackson: The best food north of the Lakes.

--The Crystal Quail, Center Barnstead: You gotta love a place that quotes David Broder on its Web site, praising its food. Reservations required; only three tables, off a dirt road, bring your own wine.

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

There is optimism at the Bush-Cheney '04 headquarters over the latest economic numbers, New York Daily News' DeFrank reports, as "surging stock market, low inflation, rising consumer confidence and robust economic growth have prompted Bush's campaign managers to conclude the economy will prove a political asset to Bush — despite a huge net decline in the labor force since 2001, especially in manufacturing jobs."

DeFrank notes a change in President Bush's rhetoric on the economy: "For more than two years, Bush has been defensive about the economy. In recent stump speeches, however, he has turned more bullish."LINK

The Bush Cheney '04 folks have announced Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle will chair their re-elect efforts in her state, with

Lt. Gov. James R. "Duke" Aiona backing her up, and Kauai's and Maui's mayors among the honorary chairs.

The Hill's Jonathan Kaplan reports on the bad blood between GOP lawmakers and party leaders, stemming from the Iraq reconstruction bill and the Medicare legislation. President Bush became personally involved in the internal battle while lobbying Congress on the Medicare bill:

"Well-placed sources said Bush hung up on freshman Rep. Tom Feeney after Feeney said he couldn't support the Medicare bill. The House passed it by only two votes after Hastert kept the roll-call vote open for an unprecedented stretch of nearly three hours in the middle of the night.

Feeney, a former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives whom many see as a rising star in the party, reportedly told Bush: "I came here to cut entitlements, not grow them."

Sources said Bush shot back, 'Me too, pal,' and hung up the phone."LINK

RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie was in New Hampshire last night to preview next year's election at St. Anselm's College. Gillespie took questions from the audience on the state of the GOP and other election issues, the Union Leader reports. LINK

John DiStaso's Granite Status is a must-read. He dances beautifully with Ed Gillespie on why the RNC Chairman seems to be paying quite a bit of attention to Howard Dean of late. Kathy Sullivan's counter-attack gets brief mention, as does Joe Lieberman's senior prom date. LINK

Former President Bush helps out with the re-election effort this Friday, when he headlines a fund-raiser in Miami with the "Mavericks," a group of younger campaign donors who have raised $50,000. LINK

Despite the recent "Hate Bush" party in Beverly Hills, Republicans are trying to build their own fundraising organization in Hollywood.

The "Entertaining Republicans," a group of Hollywood business insiders from companies like Disney, News Corp., Time Warner, Univision and Universal, will help the NRCC at a fundraiser tonight in Los Angeles and hope to use Arnold Schwarzenegger's victory this fall to energize Republicans. LINK

President Bush, Vice President Cheney and White House Chief of Staff Andy Card have all made stops in Pennsylvania to support BC04 state campaign co-chairman Senator Arlen Specter in his bid for re-election, the Washington Times reports. LINK

Washington Times editor-in-chief Wesley Pruden looks at hatred of President Bush, from Hollywood to the Internet. LINK

The Washington Post 's Mike Allen has more on the president's trip to Iraq on Thanksgiving — the beautiful turkey that President Bush is holding on a serving platter was actually just a decoration and the White House said that a British Airways pilot's conversation, wondering if he had just seen Air Force One, took place between the pilot and an air traffic control worker, not the AF1 pilot. LINK

The politics of steel:

The Wall Street Journal 's Neil King and Carlos Tejada tick tock the Bush Administration's attempts to soften the blow of rolling back steel tariffs to U.S. steelmakers.

The New York Times ' Stevenson reports that the Bush Administration plans to announce today the repeal of the steel tariffs: "President Bush will not make a formal public appearance to announce the decision, officials said, though he may answer questions from reporters about it during the day. Instead, he will send members of his cabinet, including Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans, to confirm the shift in policy, which the White House has been signaling is likely to come this week."LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: The Invisible Primary:

USA Today 's Jill Lawrence and Richard Benedetto couple Kerry and Clark's attacks on the president's foreign policy, Noting, "The proposals from the two war veterans come as both are struggling to compete with Democratic front-runner Howard Dean." LINK

Brian DeBose of the Washington Times points out how black voters, including the Congressional Black Caucus, are having similar difficulties as other voters — they just cannot unite behind one candidate. LINK

And while Rev. Sharpton and Ambassador Moseley Braun have raised the profile of Democratic presidential candidates in the black community, " … blacks don't see them doing as well as Mr. Jackson did in his two bids for the White House, said David Bositis, chief researcher for the liberal Joint Center on Political and Economic Studies."

The Washington Times ' Julia Duin discusses the potential new Catholic Bishops task force that would crack down on Catholic politicians. This leads us to the obvious question for the Catholic Bishops: "And you're starting NOW to worry about Catholic politician behavior because … why?" LINK

Ads, Ads, Ads, Ads, Ads:

Check your inboxes today for Prof. Ken Goldstein's Wisconsin Advertising Project definitely must-read report on ad spending so far this cycle.

Some key findings:

-- Iowa scores big in the race for TV cash. The candidates have aired "three times as many spots" and "spent twice as much" in the state's key media markets than in markets that included New Hampshire voters. A definite change from 2000.-- Howard Dean has cast the widest net in his media campaign.-- With Moveon.org and the Sierra Club leading the way, the left-leaning outside groups, "combined with the DNC, have so far outspent right-leaning interests by a huge margin."-- Dean has spent the most cash on ads, followed by John Edwards.

The New York Times ' Rutenberg writes up the report.

"The four major Democratic candidates competing in Iowa — Dr. Dean, Mr. Kerry, Senator John Edwards and Mr. Gephardt — have run at least 4,450 spots in Des Moines alone since January, according to new figures to be released on Thursday by the University of Wisconsin Advertising Project, which monitors political television advertising … .At this point in 1999, the Republican and Democratic candidates had run at least 850 advertisements, combined, in Des Moines."

One Matthew Dowd says he's not so sure how much of an impact these candidates are having with all these ads! LINK

Adam C. Smith of the St. Petersburg Times warns readers in the Tampa Bay area of a barrage of political ads beginning today. And Florida's back in the game! LINK

The land of 5-plus-2-equals-7:

In a massive story of convergence the likes of which we love, Hollywood and Washington meet in Variety as the paper's Gabriel Snyder offers an insider take on the Tuesday eve Beverly Hills Ickes/Rosenthal/Malcolm hoedown.

Writes Snyder, there is "some skepticism the groups must overcome" but this is helped along by the "aura of Clinton" that's "hovering over ACT and the Media Fund. At a similar pitch session in New York, held at the home of billionaire financier George Soros, who has pledged $10 million to the effort, Clinton himself made an appearance, a source said."

It looks like the stars have aligned for the groups! Barbra Streisand's political adviser said "she personally knew of five Hollywood donors who have already pledged a total of $2.5 million to the effort."

Now as for the skepticism:

"Andy Spahn, who advises David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg on political affairs, said while many in Hollywood oppose Bush, these new organizations had not proven themselves yet … 'It's one thing to give $100,000 to be in the room with Bill Clinton. It's another thing to give $100,000 to be in the room with a 527 committee.'" LINK

Salon's Tim Grieve says Drudge did those Left leaning Hollywood folks a favor by drumming up publicity … big time … for the ACT/Media Fund fandango. LINK

Note that Salon's piece includes a Cong. Ney Committee subpoena update.

Lots of folks write up the latest Moveon.org ads.

The Los Angeles Times, for one:LINK

The Wall Street Journal 's Jeanne Cummings for another.

And the Florida papers go big on the Sunshine State as a prime battleground in the air war. In addition to the St. Petersburg Times, there's the Tampa Tribune.LINK

Gephardt:

The Gray Lady's Michael Janofsky on the Gephardt-Aboussie-Stern-McEntee threat story offers Bill Carrick offering this:

"Carrick, a senior adviser to Mr. Gephardt, said Ms. Aboussie had apologized to Mr. Gephardt, who knew nothing of her remarks. Mr. Carrick said they came in a moment of anger over Mr. Gephardt's losing the unions' endorsements despite a career of supporting labor rights." LINK

Mark Z. Barabak writes up the Aboussie flap and is sure to include both the "substantive and the juvenile." Barabak also digs up some recent Gephardt quotes where the Congressman speaks glowingly of his "political mentor." LINK

The Washington Post 's Dan Balz writes up a doozy on the Aboussie situation. LINK

The St. Louis Dispatch's Deirdre Shesgreen reports on the Aboussie controversy. LINK

From ABC News' Gephardt campaign reporter Sally Hawkins:

News of the Aboussie incident reached the epicenter of the Gephardt camp just as the Congressman wrapped up a lively outdoor rally with striking UFCW grocery store workers in Los Angeles.

When the campaign figured out their damage-control plan, campaign manager Steve Murphy issued a brief statement: "Dick Gephardt strongly supports collective bargaining rights for public employees in Missouri and throughout the country and he strongly supported the collective bargaining executive order issued by Governor Holden."

Few could doubt Murphy's words, but many still wondered how a seasoned political pro like Aboussie could be so reckless. It's clear that she's one of many Gephardt supporters who are incensed that the two labor giants threw their support behind Dean, but did she have to show her cards?

Aboussie also released a statement of apology saying, "I was not authorized by Dick Gephardt or his campaign to discuss the SEIU or AFSCME endorsements with anyone in Missouri. In a candid discussion of Missouri politics, I expressed my belief that people in Missouri Democratic politics were upset by the SEIU/AFSCME endorsements of Howard Dean. If anyone felt threatened by what I said, I apologize."

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

The Los Angeles Times also has a look at Gephardt's visit to the grocery workers' picket line. LINK

Dean:

The Washington Post 's Jim VandeHei and Paul Farhi report that Dean "is increasingly courting [D.C.'s] lawmakers, lobbyists and political operatives to help cement his status as the man to beat for the Democratic nomination." LINK

Washington Times columnist Donald Lambro looks at how Democrats are uneasy at the thought of Howard Dean winning the nomination. Surprise. Surprise. LINK

The Boston Herald's David Guarino reports in a must-read, "Despite his claim that he cannot release his gubernatorial papers because of privacy and safety concerns, Vermont Democrat Howard Dean has already made public sensitive security documents and letters detailing people's medical histories, records show." LINK

Those lively folks over at Judicial Watch have filed suit in Vermont "to gain access to hundreds of thousands of documents concerning the administration of former Vermont Governor Howard Dean."

Says the group's release, "Judicial Watch asks the state court to provide it, the media, and the public access to upwards of 400,000 records being withheld from public scrutiny pursuant to an unprecedented agreement between Dean and the State of Vermont." LINK

The Boston Globe 's Sarah Schweitzer reports on Judicial Watch getting in on the release-the-records fun. LINK

The AP's David Gram reports on the suit as well. LINK

The Washington Post 's Richard Cohen writes, "Howard Dean seems afflicted with Brooklyn Bridge syndrome." LINK

The New York Post 's (and occasional conspiracy theorist) Deborah Orin uses the recent RNC ad and Mr. Gillespie's trip to Vermont and New Hampshire to prove that Republicans want Howard Dean to be the nominee as much as Howard Dean wants to be the nominee. Karl Rove's Fourth of July antics didn't make the cut. LINK

John Zogby's got a new poll out claiming to show Dean with a 30-point lead over Kerry in New Hampshire. LINK

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

Kerry:

It's all about the foreign policy speech.

The New York Times ' David Halbfinger on Senator Kerry's foreign policy speech at the Council on Foreign Relations. LINK

The AP's Sara Kugler Notes that Kerry assailed President Bush's foreign policy as ''inept, reckless,'' while himself to proposing to send tens of thousands more troops to Iraq. LINK

The Washington Post 's Ed Walsh recaps the remarks. LINK

So does the Boston Herald's Andrew Miga. LINK

In his write-up of Kerry's speech, Stephen Dinan of the Washington Times talks to Rep. Eric Candor (R-Va.) who apparently does not think that former President Clinton would be an appropriate choice for Kerry's "ambassador to the peace process." We're shocked. LINKStefan Friedman and Deborah Orin team up in the New York Post to get the ADL's Abe Foxman's reaction to Kerry's shortlist for Middle East envoys.LINK

"'I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. None of those three would be on my list,' said Abe Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League."

"'Two are biased on the side of the Arabs — Carter and Baker — and Clinton tried and failed, so why would we use him again?'"

The Boston Globe 's Patrick Healy reports on Kerry's ideas for Middle East Peace envoys, which include President Clinton, President Carter, and James Baker. LINK

The Chicago Tribune's David Jackson offers a must-read profile of John Kerry, with a long look at the Senator's leadership in the group Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

"With a knack for raising money and organizing people, able to straddle the divide between angry protesters and the nation's uncertain majority, he helped transform the motley band of anti-war veterans into a potent political force. In soaring, eloquent speeches, Kerry channeled the rage of returning soldiers, pled their case before Congress and captured the attention of a war-torn nation."

Do Note the Jane Fonda quotes.LINK

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

Senator Kerry's campaign focused Wednesday on the Senator's cornerstone issue: foreign policy. As Ambassador Joe Wilson campaigned for Kerry in New Hampshire, Kerry arrived in Gotham to appear before a friendly Council on Foreign Relations crowd.

In a 36-minute address entitled "Making America Secure Again: Setting the Right Course for Foreign Policy," Kerry mixed previously proposed policies and fleshed out his general foreign policy agenda.

When complimented for his political skills during the speech's introduction, Kerry responded bluntly, saying, "Would that I were a better politician, I'd be doing better than I am right now."

Kerry's mention of former Secretary of State James Baker as one in a list of models for a "Presidential Ambassador to the Peace Process" drew ire from Gen.Wesley Clark, who said in a statement, "Senator Kerry's suggestion that he might use Bush family consigliere James Baker as a special envoy to the Middle East is offensive … If Kerry wants a former Secretary of State who headed off a recount effort in Florida, let's stay away from political thugs and go with Warren Christopher."

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

Clark:

The AP reports Clark's early childhood plan was short on details, but the announcement of the plan was rather colorful. Holly Ramer of the Associated Press writes, "Clark pulled up a pint-sized chair to watch 3-year-olds sing 'The Good Morning Song,' appraised art work by 4-year-olds and peppered parents and staff at the Rochester Child Care Center with questions about the facility." LINK

Rush and Molloy preview Clark's upcoming Manhattan fundraiser and we almost understand why he was thinking about skipping the Dust-up in Durham for it. LINK

From ABC News' Clark campaign reporter Deborah Apton:

There are two things that Clark is sure of when it comes to the 2000 Presidential Election:

1. He voted for Al Gore.

2. The Florida re-count was not handled well. To say the least.

Yesterday on the campaign trail Clark brought up the recount three times — first at a City Hall stop in Maine, then at an Exeter house party, and finally at a "Conversation with Clark" event at the Exeter Academy. Clark said he watched the country deal with the recount and thought, "That's an America I don't know." And Clark isn't happy.

"When I was the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and we were doing elections in Bosnia Herzegovina, if a scene like that had happened it would be an international outrage and no one would have spoken against it more rapidly than the United States of America. And instead of speaking against it, our supreme core seemed to endorse it by suspending the count and installing a President who didn't win the popular vote."

The question: Who's more upset with the handling or mishandling of the Florida recount — The General, who often jokes that he's not even sure whether or not his own vote for Gore counted (he was voting on absentee ballot at the time), or The General's staff that, for the most part, played key roles in the recount?

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

Edwards:

The Des Moines Register 's Tom Beaumont reports on Edwards' pledge to go after the lobbyists. LINK

The News & Observer reports that Edwards is pushing a package of proposals to curb the influence of special interests in Washington, which he said have "an unholy alliance" with the Bush administration. LINK

From ABC News' Edwards campaign reporter Gloria Riviera:

At a campaign stop on Wednesday, Senator Edwards was asked why, if he sought to lower the cost of healthcare he accepted a significant amount of financial contributions from the very trial attorneys who, this questioner maintained, drive up the cost of healthcare with their many medical malpractice suits. Was that not hypocritical?

Edwards outlined a series of checks and balances he would implement into the legal system, such as requiring lawyers to accept an independent review to justify the merit of a case before trial.

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

Lieberman:

The Hartford Courant's David Lightman reports on Lieberman's pitch that "as president, he would immediately investigate what he called the 'aggressive marketing to children' of food that has too much sugar and not enough nutrition." LINK

Lightman also reports that Lieberman ran into his high school prom date Wednesday, who happens to be the president of New England College, where Lieberman delivered remarks on a family leave program seemed secondary to the Page Six quality of the moment. LINK

The Manchester Union Leader takes a look at Lieberman's family leave proposal and the beginnings of a McCain/Gore cabinet. LINK

Lieberman is seeking a probe on junk food firms, reports the AP's Ron Fournier. LINK

We wonder if Mark Penn worked on this at all.

From ABC News' Lieberman campaign reporter Talesha Reynolds:

Senator Lieberman started the day focusing on "valuing families," outlining his new National Paid Family Leave plan. He ended it at a raucous frat party.

The men of Sigma Alpha Epsilon hosted the Senator at their house after a town hall meeting at Dartmouth College, where Lieberman had a standing-room-only crowd, despite upcoming finals. In the packed living room, a student jazz quartet jammed to "Hail to the Chief" and another (former) presidential favorite, "Don't Stop Thinking about Tomorrow." The final tune was Lieberman's favorite, "My Way."

The Senator's campus coordinator and SAE member, Kabir Sehgal, presented gifts of appreciation to several Lieberman staffers, including a six pack of Heineken and a bouquet of flowers. The fraternity's president joked that Lieberman didn't get the same gift because people from Yale can't handle it. Instead, Lieberman accepted an SAE pledge jersey, saying, "No hazing, I hope." And later assured the crowd that Yalies could indeed handle their liquor.

A town hall at New England College earlier in the day yielded a blast from the past. Sitting in the front row was Lieberman's senior year prom date, Ellen Stiskin (see David Lightman above). She is now Ellen Hurwitz, president of the college.

Hurwitz couldn't remember much about the evening, but she did Note that Lieberman was a good dancer.

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

Kucinich:

The Houston Chronicle 's Alan Bernstein says Kucinich may have opened some eyes on a rare jaunt to Bush's home state: "For local Democrats, the visit may have been a reminder that former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is not the only presidential contender making waves with opposition to President Bush's decision to attack Saddam Hussein's regime." LINK

The UK's Independent analyzes a possible Nader candidacy and its effect on the Democratic party and Kucinich's run: LINK

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

Sharpton:

The Washington Times has a Brazile-packed piece on the division and indecision of black voters in D.C. LINK

The New York Daily News Surveillance finds that Sharpton has butterflies over his SNL gig. LINK

Sharpton filed his formal declaration of candidacy for Oklahoma yesterday by mail, the Norman Transcript reports. LINK

Gay Wired online Notes that many conservative African-American groups don't see gay rights as civil rights — as Sharpton and Moseley Braun do. LINK

The Wall Street Journal 's John Fund suggests that the public financing system must be amiss when Lyndon Larouche will take $840,000 — more than Sharpton, Moseley Braun or Kucinich.

From ABC News' Sharpton campaign reporter Beth Loyd:

The Sharpton war chest is defined more by quality than quantity. The dollar amount of total contributions is small but Sharpton is a leader in the percentage of funds that have come from large donors. The Reverend has raised 82 percent of his funds from large donors — behind only President Bush at 84 percent and Senator Edwards at 83 percent.

Radio One — run by Cathy Hughes, a very public Sharpton supporter — is Sharpton's single most generous source of campaign income. Other flashy backers include record producer L.A. Reid, comedian Steve Harvey, disc jockey Tom Joyner, Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone magazine, and Vernon Jordan.

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

Oklahoma:

The Boston Globe 's Patrick Healy writes, "Oklahoma is a new prize in the Democratic nominating process, after moving up its primary to Feb. 3 — just a week after New Hampshire's — yet it is proving an unusually difficult state for the presidential contenders to figure out." LINK

This is a Feb. 3 must-read — almost as good as Roll Call !

Democratic National Convention:

Michael Bloomberg and Tom DeLay's relationship deconstructed, courtesy of the New York Times . LINK

The Boston Herald's Ellen Silberman reports, "City taxpayers could be socked with millions more in Democratic National Convention costs as the bill for security soars past $40 million — a pricetag shocker just now being revealed." LINK

"National Democrats planning to launch their presidential nominee from the home state of the historic gay marriage decision either want to recast the issue as one of basic civil rights or to ignore gay marriage entirely during next summer's convention," writes the Boston Globe 's Rick Klein. LINK

And, by the way, in case you hadn't heard, "The last major section of the Big Dig, the southbound tunnel for Interstate 93, will open to traffic the weekend of Dec. 19, project officials announced yesterday," reports Anthony Flint in the Boston Globe . LINK

The economy:

The Labor Department updated its 3rd quarter productivity numbers yesterday, ABC News' Ramona Schindelheim reports, showing a much-anticipated 9.4 percent for July, August and September. The cost of labor fell more than had been previously reported, and accounted for the largest part of the revision. In addition, hourly wages grew 2.3 percent in the 3rd quarter, down from 4.1 percent in the 2nd.

The Wall Street Journal 's Greg Ip and Joseph Rebello look at the numbers too, Noting that "If sustained, the third-quarter performance would lead to a doubling in the U.S. standard of living in just eight years."

Keep in mind, however, that large companies are generally putting out more goods and services with fewer people. The question now is whether the Fed will raise interest rates to follow suit, even with its public statements about keeping rates low for an ongoing period of time.

USA Today 's Barbara Hagenbaugh looks at the productivity numbers too. LINK

Anticipating possible interest rate hikes based on improving economic performance, corporations are lining up new bond issues to lock in low rates for their debt, reports the Journal's Aaron Lucchetti.

Meanwhile, Lucchetti's colleague Timothy Aeppel Notes, the Bush Administration is moving oh so carefully on its initiative to help manufacturers, given the sector's early signs of recovery and questions over trade. The plan, which was initially supposed to have been announced this fall, is now pushed back until at least January.

On the hiring front, Clare Ansberry of the Wall Street Journal turns in a thorough look at how positive economic news has begun to affect small businesses — they're hiring again. Tax incentives have helped, Ansberry Notes, but growing sales have had the biggest impact, as interest rates have continued to nudge along the housing market and smaller companies have found they need more staff to compete with growing demand for their products, despite increased productivity levels.

The fastest growing sectors: home building, manufacturing, and health care.

Consumer confidence is on the rise, according to a poll by ABC News and Money magazine — but mostly among those who are better off. ABC News' Dalia Sussman reports that the Consumer Comfort Index has risen 17 points above its low for the year; however, the index is at its worst annual average in 10 years, and 36 percent of Americans rate the economy as excellent or good. LINK

The politics of national security:

The Los Angeles Times' Ron Brownstein examines the multilateralist ways of the Democratic candidates as they urge the president to "cede to the international community authority for devising a path to Iraqi self-government."

But, Notes Brownstein, "even some Democratic foreign policy experts worry that the party's candidates may be underestimating both the difficulty of developing a common strategy with Europe on terrorism and the risks of asking the U.N. to untangle the knotty disagreements over Iraqi self-government." LINK

A new PIPA-Knowledge Networks poll finds "the public is impatient with the process of Iraq reconstruction. Sixty percent said that the process of creating an Iraqi government is going too slowly." And "71 percent said the UN should 'take the lead to work with Iraqis to write a new constitution and build a new democratic government' --up from 64 percent in June and 50 percent in April."

The poll also finds "little optimism that US efforts in Iraq are likely to improve the prospects for democracy in the region" and "a growing majority says that the war with Iraq has not reduced the threat of terrorism or helped stabilize the Middle East." Note also the percentages that want to go after Osama Bin Laden and forget Saddam Hussein. LINK

Middle East Envoy-in-Waiting Bill Clinton gives his blessing to this latest Geneva agreement in today's USA Today . Can elections really come to Iraq by next June?

The New York Times on the challenges of bringing democracy to Iraq as the U.S. officials reject a plan from Iraqi officials to "count the country's entire population next summer and prepare a voter roll that would open the way to national elections in September." Writes Joel Brinkley, "Some Iraqis have said they wonder why American officials called for caucus elections in June, in part because a census could not be completed in less than a year, while at the same time rejecting a plan to produce a census more quickly."LINK

The New York Times ' Tom Friedman uses his column to argue, "The first post-Saddam democratic government that the U.S. gives birth to in Iraq may be called the Islamic Republic of Iraq — and that's not necessarily a bad thing."LINK

The Washington Post looks at the shortage of body armor for those serving in Iraq.LINK

The New York Times says an alliance of "32 prominent Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders have started lobbying the Bush administration and Congress to intervene more actively in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by pressing the peace plan known as the 'road map.'" LINK

The AP on the White House take on the plan. LINK

Mayor Bloomberg has cleared the way for the September 11 Commission to "release records of emergency 911 calls and other materials sought by the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." LINK

The New York Times on the "famously liberal" 9th Circuit's decision that "crucial parts of an antiterrorism law were unconstitutional because the law, which the Bush administration relies on heavily, risks ensnaring innocent humanitarians." LINK

The AP on the Court's decision.LINK

Big Casino budget politics: Medicare:

During the Medicare negotiations, Democrats slapped their foreheads, looked skyward and asked what was the AARP thinking? AARP CEO Bill Novelli lays out the rationale for the group's endorsement and defends its decision in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.

Legislative agenda:

The Wall Street Journal 's John Fialka looks at a provision in the energy bill custom-made to help a company build a uranium enrichment plan in New Mexico. The provision, which would accelerate the regulatory process and ease regulatory arguments for Louisiana Energy Services, was added to the bill by an aide to Senate Energy Committee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) who used to lobby for one of LES' limited partners. Conduct your own smell test.

The Boston Globe 's Susan Milligan writes, "Congress is set to end its session next week with a vote on an $820 billion appropriations bill, capping two years of record-level spending economists say has raised the per-household outlay to its highest since World War II." LINK

Knight Ridder's Ron Hutcheson writes, "President Bush came to office saying he was a fiscal conservative, but federal spending has skyrocketed on his watch. And it's not just the Pentagon that's getting more federal dollars." LINK

Milligan also runs through some of the pork. LINK

Knight Ridder's Kuhnhenn and Adams run through some of the more fun parts of the omnibus — wait, isn't it all fun? LINK

Senator Byrd will not give his consent, reports the Washington Post 's Helen Dewar. LINK

Bush Administration strategy/personality:

The Boston Globe 's Mark Jurkowitz writes, "In awarding the presidential Medal of Freedom to Wall Street Journal editor emeritus Robert Bartley yesterday, the Bush White House honored the driving force behind the combative, controversial, and conservative editorial page that helped invent supply-side economics, advocated for a muscular foreign policy, and campaigned relentlessly against Bill Clinton." LINK

President Bush wants to develop a permanent presence on the moon according to the New York Post 's Blomquist. We look forward to hearing the Democratic suggestions for which person in the administration might be best suited for such a mission. LINK

Re-map flap:

The Wall Street Journal 's Robert Greenburger explains why you should be paying attention to the fights over redistricting and the Pennsylvania case soon to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. Read it and learn.

The Schwarzenegger era:

The Associated Press is none too pleased with Gov. Schwarzenegger. LINK

Some California legislators understand how the Associated Press feels. LINK

However, Schwarzenegger's finance director, Donna Arduin, has all the faith in the world in his fiscal policies, and outlines them in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.

Politics:

Participants at the Democratic Convention in Florida this weekend will be testing a new "Populex" voting system, because (shhh) Florida has had some voting problems in the past. LINK

The Washington Post 's Brian Faler reports on the new joint effort by state PIRG organizations and the George Washington University "to register and turn out thousands of young voters for next year's presidential election." LINK

Prosecutors in the Janklow case rested Wednesday, reports the AP. LINK

The New York Times reports on a Denver judge's Wednesday decision to strike down Colorado's school voucher law. LINK