The Note

W A S H I N G T O N, Nov. 18—
, 2003 -- Today's Schedule (all times Eastern):

When you are as close to the daily seesaw of presidential politics as a Googling monkey is to its computer screen, sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between a run-of-the-mill news cycle from one jam-packed with multiple events that contain tectonic-plate-shifting events.

We can't be absolutely sure, but we are relatively confident that when the history of what we call ABC Vote 2004 is written, at least some of the political swirling in the campaign windstorm today will be seen as turning points.

If today simply feels to you like an ordinary mid-November Tuesday on which you can see your own northeastern breath, consider:

1. The Massachusetts Supreme Court decision on gay marriage, in which they ruled that same-sex couples can marry under the Commonwealth's constitution, but marriage licenses may not be issued to these couples.

The AP writes:

"In a 4-3 ruling that could make Massachusetts the first state to legalize gay marriage, the Supreme Judicial Court said the state may not deny the rights conferred by civil marriage to two individuals of the same sex who wish to marry."

"'We declare that barring an individual from the protections, benefits, and obligations of civil marriage solely because that person would marry a person of the same sex violates the Massachusetts Constitution,' the court said in its ruling."

"The court remanded the case back to a state court to conform with its ruling, but said the ruling would be on hold for 180 days to allow the state legislature to take any action it may deem appropriate."

We say again: we think Dick Cheney is about as pro-gay rights as any of the Democrats running for president, but the left-leaning press and right-leaning interest groups are fascinated by this issue.

We'll remind you about what Cheney said in the October 2000 vice presidential debate with Senator Lieberman.

"The — the fact of the matter is we live in a free society, and — and freedom means freedom for everybody. We don't get to choose and shouldn't be able to choose and say, 'You get to live free, but you don't.' And — and I think that means that people should be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to enter into. It's really no one else's business, in terms of trying to regulate or — or prohibit behavior in that regard."

"The next step then, of course, is the question you ask of whether or not there ought to be some kind of official sanction, if you will, of the relationship or if these relationships should be treated the same way a conventional marriage is. That's a tougher problem. That's not a — a slam dunk. I think the fact of the matter, of course, is that matters regulated by the states — I think different states are likely to come to different conclusions, and that's appropriate. I don't think there should necessarily be a federal policy in this area."

More on this to come all day on cable and the network news.

2. Dana Milbank's extreme must-read in the Washington Post historically explicating what may be the key to the whole election — President Bush's lack of a nomination challenge and his currently unassailable hold on Republican voters makes him tres formidable USA Today ("Poll Finds Bush's Job Approval at 50%"). LINK.

3. Karl Rove's strategy for not just winning the election but remaking the GOP into the nationally dominant party is predicated in part in picking off at least some interest groups which have been historically aligned with the Democratic Party, although he hasn't succeeded in every effort (Note the Teamsters endorsement of Dick Gephardt.).

The AARP's backing of the Medicare bill has substantial destabilizing implications for the Democrats.

It will be fascinating to watch in Bedford, N.H. this morning as the major Democratic candidates (all but Lieberman on record opposing the current Medicare plan) address an AARP forum that will surely take up the multibillion-dollar Medicare challenge facing them all.

4. Political reporters are actually professionally unqualified to judge whether a given political advertisement will be effective.

It really takes more of a psychologist to determine if a pool of voters will be swayed by a certain set of flickering images.

Still, Howard Dean's decision to go negative on Dick Gephardt in Iowa on Gephardt's support for the Iraqi war resolution will likely bury Gephardt or backfire on Dean, either way with huge implications.

(And can we please stop the phony perennial debate about what is or is not a "negative" ad? This one is, and just because it is not about Dick Gephardt's, say, illegitimate children, no one should think otherwise.)

The ad, while negative, is on an important topic of difference between the two men.

5. Howard Dean's attempt to unfurl a new stump speech today in Houston. Dean's failure to talk on a regular and detailed basis about how he would be a good steward of a good economy is one of the real mysteries of this election so far.

His announcement speech hit real hard and, to our ears, real well on the special-interests-harming-the-economy theme, and he hasn't done it much high profile on it since. No Democrat is going to win the White House without talking about this stuff effectively, and we'll be interested to see how Dean does on it, intellectually and in terms of performance art.

President Bush and Mrs. Bush depart for London today.

Gov. Dean, Rep. Gephardt, Senator Kerry, Gen. Clark, Senator Edwards, and Senator Lieberman all campaign in New Hampshire today. All six of them — and only those six — will take part in a lunchtime presidential candidates forum today sponsored by the New Hampshire AARP in Bedford.

It's the first time only those six will participate in a forum — and it's not by design. All nine candidates were invited, but Ambassador Moseley Braun, Rev. Sharpton, and Rep. Kucinich declined to attend. Gwen Ifill will moderate the 90-minute forum that will feature debate on issues important to the 900 AARP members in attendance, such as Social Security and prescription drugs.

Dean also plans to heads to Houston for a speech tonight on corporate America and the future of the country's economic institutions.

Sharpton and Moseley Braun are in D.C. today.

Kucinich has no public events scheduled for today.

Today is the birthday of two individuals very dear to The Note: Mickey Mouse and ABC News Political Unit intern Blake Rasmussen. One turns 75 and the other turns 21. We'll let you guess which is which.

We figure a number of media outlets will handle coverage of Mr. Mouse's celebration. (By the way, we hope you got our card, Mr. Mouse, and really, the cheese-flavored Note was no trouble at all. We do it all the time.)

Blake's birthday on the other hand is a big, big, big, big, big deal for us because it just goes to show how much he wanted to intern with us here in D.C. that he left all his friends at the comfy confines of Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, and a season on their perennially talented soccer team, to bring his sharp wit and intellect to us. (If you haven't read Blake's thorough index of Walter Shapiro's "One Car Caravan" yet, then you should! LINK)

Here are Blake's thoughts on the highlights of his experience so far:

"Attending my first presidential debate in Baltimore was pretty wild. The spin room was an incredible experience. It was my also my first chance to see any of the presidential candidates up close, as well as people like Donna Brazile and the 'K Street' folks."

"I think I brought another view to the unit, a fresh-faced outsiders look at national politics, like Howard Dean — only not as intense. Also, my presence alone improved the overall athletic ability of the unit by about ten-fold."

Blake still has many quality days left with the unit before he returns to Iowa to begin canvassing and laying the groundwork for The Note's victory in the Mt. Vernon precincts for the Iowa caucuses. And alas, he cannot stay with us forever, but if you think that you might want to intern with us some day, then please drop us an e-mail by clicking on the byline above.

Current national political reporters for major newspapers are not eligible.

ABC Vote 2004: The Invisible Primary meets "independent expenditures":

Boy did Ed Gillespie get some good mileage out of that conference call! The land of 5-plus-2-equals-7 might complain that the GOP is picking on it unfairly but just look at the press today on the topic of outside groups and campaign cash as Thursday's Hill hearing on the topic nears:

The Washington Post 's Tom Edsall writes up Chairman Gillespie's criticism of campaign finance groups for not acting against Moveon.org and Soros and includes the DNC's printed response, titled "Crocodile Tears." LINK

The Boston Globe was on the call too. LINK

Republicans are aggressively questioning the legality of a host of Democratic soft money organizations, mounting a two-pronged offensive against the proliferation of 527 political action committees. LINK

The GOP "fears" that left-leaning advocacy groups, including some labor unions, will raise more then $420 million in unregulated contributions may be putting the shoe on the other foot, reports the Hill's Hans Nichols. LINK

(We know those on the other side think the Republican figures are WAY too optimistic — we welcome your rebuttals and ask only that you limit your emails objecting to the Gillespie-led offensive to 250 words or less. Our monkeys can only read so much in one morning!)

ABC Vote 2004: The Invisible Primary meets Big Casino budget politics:

Jim VandeHei Notes in the Washington Post that "even before many of the details" of the Medicare and energy bills are known, the Democratic candidates are lining up almost unanimously against them — "almost" because Senator Lieberman might support the Medicare bill. (The Note wonders if we'll find out for sure at the AARP forum in Bedford today.) LINK

More on Medicare and energy below.

ABC News Vote 2004: The Invisible Primary:

Ron Brownstein and Matea Gold write the latest Dean ad "signals the aggressive posture Dean is taking in Iowa, where recent polls show him slightly behind Gephardt." LINK

More Brownstein/Gold: "Dean is widely viewed as the front-runner in the Democratic field. But a loss in the Jan. 19 Iowa caucuses — the first important contest in the nomination battle — would probably cost him momentum and give his rivals openings in other states."

The Union Leader's John DiStaso reports that at today's forum, the audience will be listening for more about healthcare and job creation, then Iraq and foreign policy. LINK

Ed Gillespie makes his way into this Michael Janofsky and Jennifer 8. Lee profile in the New York Times of MoveOn.org. LINK

As Oklahoma shapes up to be a Democratic battleground in 2004, Edwards and Lieberman are carpet-bombing the state with campaign stops. LINK

House of Labor:

It's not exactly the Antiques Road Show but we guarantee this tour will get some folks out of their La-z-Boys, into satin jackets, and out on the trail.

ABC News has learned the Dean campaign and its Unified labor friends are going on a fly-around this weekend. Friday is New Hampshire, Saturday is Detroit and Des Moines and Sunday is New York. Attending various legs of this all-star labor tour are AFSCME's Gerry McEntee, SEIU's Andy Stern and the Painters' Jim Williams.

Says one SEIU local leader from the Latino community familiar with the tour:

"We are actually going to go out big for Dean. Dean's style on his campaign has impressed a lot of the powerhouse locals that hire "yuppies" and college educated, motivated and dedicated organizers. Obviously, those hires have moved SEIU into no. 1 in union membership. The connection is very "cultural." I mean Dean groupies look exactly like many new hires at SEIU, so the fit is interesting. If SEIU can pull off some African-American and Latino worker support, Dean's camp looks great for the election in some key states. But getting the rank and file energy around Dean may be a challenge. We will see."

On the endorsement watch, sources close to the Communications Workers of America's looming decision say the race for the union's backing remains between Dean and Gephardt … but it is "likely" the board will choose to remain uncommitted when it meets this afternoon.

"There are too many positions," says one source close to the union's deliberations, who Notes "the Gephardt people have been all over us." Those watching the unions who have yet to make an endorsement, including CWA and the IBEW, say the pro-Gephardt folks want the hold-outs' backing in hopes of getting to an AFL-CIO-wide endorsement, but the chances of that remain unlikely given the labor landscape at the moment.

In the Chicago Sun Times, Reverend Jesse Jackson calls on U.S. leaders to abandon the "sinking ship" of NAFTA. LINK

Dean:

The New York Times ' Jim Rutenberg reports on Dean's new "tough" Iowa advertising campaign, Noting the new commercial underscores the two-man fight but diverges from Dean's efforts to position himself as the "inevitable nominee by focusing his attention more on President Bush than on his primary opponents." Do read Mr. Schoen's take on it all … LINK

Dean released the first ad "to criticize an opponent by name on a hot button issue," according to the AP's Mike Glover. LINK

The Boston Herald's Noelle Straub writes about the new Dean Iowa ad that "shows photos of Gephardt standing with President Bush in the Rose Garden last year announcing their support for a congressional resolution authorizing a strike against Iraq." LINK

The New York Post 's Brian Blomquist writes up Dean's big lead in the Marist poll and saves space for one line about the new Iowa ad criticizing Gephardt. LINK

The New York Daily News on the Dean ad and Gephardt's response to it: LINK

"Campaigning in Iowa, Gephardt said, 'My job is to keep the people of this country safe, and that's what I've tried to do. I don't mind him disagreeing with that, although I am having a little trouble understanding what he disagrees with or what he even believes in.'"

The Boston Globe 's Peter Canellos Notes Dean's ability to perk up a Maine crowd with more supporters of Kerry than of himself. LINK

Slate's Mickey Kaus wonders how anti-war Dean really is, finding a 2002 quote from David Broder in which Dean says he thinks the president has "done a good job on the war on terrorism." LINK

From ABC News' Dean campaign reporter Marc Ambinder:

Tuesday evening, Howard Dean will deliver a big thematic address on corporate America and the future of the country's economic institutions, tying together his vision for foreign policy, trade, the economy before an expected audience of about 5,000 people a mile from Enron's headquarters in Houston.

The campaign is pushing the speech as a major milepost in the evolution of Dean's campaign. Large portions of it will wind their way into his stump speech in the days, weeks and months ahead, and aides said it will orient a series of Dean policy addresses in December to serve as a basis for his criticism of President Bush and his administration as the calendar moves toward November of 2004.

Dean previewed the speech late last night, telling reporters that he has come to believe that Americans fundamentally mistrust corporate power, and that the time has come to fundamentally redefine business's relationship with average Americans.

How to do that? "We'll re-regulate them," Dean said.

"What I have seen and heard across America is that people feel disconnected from their government and our business leaders — and one from one another," he is expected to say tomorrow. "We know what happened to Enron. Moral bankruptcy led to fiscal bankruptcy. And the ethos of Enron is where our policies and politics have led us in America."

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

Kerry:

The Boston Globe 's Brian McGrory writes, "[Kerry's] epic downfall, which has taken him from the cover of news magazines early this year to an afterthought these days, has an almost Shakespearean quality to it. But if the campaign has been rough, the convention could prove downright cruel." LINK

Meryl Gordon gets Mary Beth Cahill, Bob Shrum, Cam Kerry, and Chris Heinz all on the record for her New York Magazine assessment of where the Kerry campaign stands. There's not anything earth shatteringly new here, but if you haven't been paying attention and want to quickly catch up on Senator Kerry's efforts, it's excellent one-stop shopping. LINK

"In fact, many Democrats can't figure out what it is that he is selling in general-other than a well-bred, Yale-educated introvert struggling to turn himself into a man of the people. Aside from his long résumé, Kerry offers voters a set of positions that are very much within the Democratic mainstream-from his opposition to most, but not all, Bush tax cuts to his middle-ground position on health-care reform. This blurry persona might be acceptable if Kerry were atop the polls, but it presents more serious problems for a candidate who is no longer blessed with an aura of inevitability."

The Washington Times thinks Kerry's going to have to spend a lot more than $1.5 million on New Hampshire to keep it from being his Waterloo. LINK

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

The Kerry campaign launched a new Iowa ad Monday, touting the Senator's environmental strengths and advocating energy independence. The ad may be most significant for what it lacks: any mention of either his Democratic nomination rivals or the re-adjusted campaign mantra, "The Real Deal," introduced at Saturday's Jefferson Jackson dinner in Des Moines.

Instead, the ad plasters a still picture of President George W. Bush in the corner as the announcer reads a litany of his alleged environmental failures. Kerry then appears on-screen to pledge his commitment to an environmental policy that will create 500,000 new jobs. The ad goes up statewide this week, though the Kerry campaign refused comment on the specific amount of the ad buy.

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

Gephardt:

Speaking at a Columbia, S.C. job-placement center, Rep. Gephardt pledged to stop companies from moving jobs overseas, writes The State. LINK

Gephardt also touted his record against NAFTA while speaking in South Carolina, adding that his rivals have only recently come out against it, writes AP. LINK

From ABC News' Gephardt campaign reporter Sally Hawkins:

Killing time at the Rolly Polly Sandwich Shop in Columbia, S.C. with a couple of other reporters, the new Dean attack ad appeared on the restaurant's TV. A few minutes later, campaign manager Steve Murphy put out a statement calling the spot the "first negative ad in Iowa Democratic Caucus history." Hard to believe, many of us thought. With all of the heated races and negative ads on the airways past, this was the first in Iowa?

The campaign is sticking to their story and coming out swinging against the Dean campaign for breaking what they say is a unwritten rule of civility in Iowa. The Gephardt statement goes on to accuse Dean of flip-flopping on the "support the troops" bill, saying, "Governor Dean said in September that 'we have no choice' but to support the $87b legislation. Then, in October, Dean said he didn't intend to make whether you were for it or against it an issue in the campaign. Once again, we see Howard Dean's motivation is a political calculation on what is best to win this campaign, and not a leadership decision on what is the right thing to do."

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

Clark:

The Boston Globe briefly writes up the new Clark ad. LINK

Both Page Six LINK and Rush and Molloy LINK write up Jen & Ben's attendance at a Wesley Clark fundraiser in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Business Week Notes: "The General Stumbles: The early buzz around Wesley Clark's candidacy has faded. Can he still prevail?" LINK

The magazine's Lee Walczak interviewed Clark in New Hampshire and lays it all out in Q&A form: LINK

From ABC News' Clark campaign reporter Deborah Apton:

Sometimes there are moments in a campaign when the candidate is … well … real. The camerasoff-jacketsoff-tie-loosened moments when one realizes that the presidential candidate may be enjoying the moment in the spotlight just like any other guy. In retrospect, Clark seemed more Wes Monday than General.

Early in the day, Clark did a two-way interview with FOX News from a campaign stop in New Mexico where, in a slightly unprecedented moment in the campaign, Clark got visibly angry on television while sticking up for himself when challenged by anchor David Asman. Asman showed a graphic of Clark's quote from yesterday's "Meet the Press:" "President Bush has said the war in Iraq is a centerpiece for the war on terror. It isn't. it's a sideshow. It's simply their easiest means of access to attack American soldiers. That's all it is?" He then asked if Clark really thinks Iraq was a "sideshow."

While Clark began to answer calmly, calling it a "distraction" from U.S.'s real mission of going after bin Laden, Asman then interrupts to ask, "While our men and women are dying in Iraq, is it proper to call it a sideshow?" But here's where it gets heated:

CLARK: Don't you dare twist words into disrespect for the men and women in uniform. I love those men and women. I gave 34 years of my life to them. You better take my words the right way. This is about the president of the United States and his leadership.

ASMAN: General, I'm just repeating your own words to you.

CLARK: No, sir, you are not. You are playing politics …

ASMAN: Didn't you say that Iraq was a sideshow?

CLARK: No, sir. No, sir. You are playing politics with the men and women in uniform. You are, sir. And I challenge you …

(CROSSTALK)

ASMAN: I'm sorry, I just read back your own statements, General.

CLARK: … take it straight. You take it straight.

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

Edwards:

Edwards is campaigning hard in Iowa, cramming his schedule full of events in an effort to shore up his support in that state, writes the News and Record. LINK

Edwards' new book will be formally released next week. "Four Trials" takes a look at four cases he's handled as a trial lawyer, as well as a biography and reflections on the death of his son, Wade, according to the News and Observer. LINK

From ABC News' Edwards campaign reporter Gloria Riviera:

There is a moment in Senator John Edwards' book, "Four Trials," when the image of John Edwards the attorney perfectly predicts that of John Edwards the candidate. They are one and the same.

It is January 1997, and Edwards is making his closing argument on behalf of a little girl named Valerie Lackey. At age 5 Valerie was the victim of a horrific and freak accident at her neighborhood pool; she lost part of her intestine when she became stuck to the force of suction created by a faulty pool drain cover. Throughout the trial, every party involved except Sta-Rite, the manufacturer of the drain cover, settled. Sta-Rite, a large corporation, maintained the accident was due not to their product but the manner in which it was installed.

And so it was Sta-Rite vs. Valerie Lackey, whom Edwards and his team put on the stand to testify in her shy, eight-year voice. After painting a picture of Sta-Rite as a tower of corporate indifference, Edwards reminds the jury of Valerie. Edwards writes:

"'You saw her. You watched her. She is sweet, gorgeous, frail and very quiet. Very quiet … what you have is a picture of absolute innocence. Absolute innocence … Now I want you to put those pictures side by side. Absolute corporate indifference,' I paused and made a fist with my left hand — 'and absolute innocence.' And then another fist with my right hand."

He then brings his hands together, and tells the jury that is the point at which they come in with the power to fix it all. That image, John Edwards attempting to convince an audience that an innocent party is suffering at the hands of a powerful but indifferent and disconnected entity, is exactly projected on the campaign trail.

It is not an arduous stretch to create the metaphoric parallel of a crusading attorney and a crusading candidate. In Four Trials Edwards recounts four cases he won from the beginning of his career to Valerie's case, soon after which he quit law to run for the Senate. Each case pits a victim against an established Goliath and end with Edwards winning record-breaking sums. Three out of four involve young children.

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

Lieberman:

Sam Youngman reports on Lieberman's New Hampshire filing. LINK

So does the Union-Leader. LINK

And the AP. LINK

Kevin Landrigan of the Nashua Telegraph writes up the filing day and includes Lieberman's vow to filibuster the energy bill if provision protection oil companies from prosecution is not removed. Landrigan also writes that Lieberman "remains undecided on whether he will vote for a compromise to offer a prescription drug benefit to seniors that has the backing of President Bush and congressional Republicans." LINK

In case you didn't catch Diamond Jim above, here he is again, reporting that Lieberman "is the only Democratic presidential candidate who may decide to support the Medicare bill, while all are united in opposing the energy bill." LINK

AP's Will Lester reports that Lieberman will receive the endorsement of Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings on Tuesday. Lester also runs down Hastings' political rap sheet and Notes that "in 1992, Hastings became the only impeached federal official ever elected to Congress." LINK

David Lightman of the Hartford Courant suggests that Lieberman's decision to skip the Iowa debate goes against his May proposal to participate in monthly debates. Lightman writes, "The thinking was that since it will reach a national audience, the site was irrelevant." LINK

From ABC News' Lieberman campaign reporter Talesha Reynolds:

Taking another step toward total New Hampshire saturation, Senator Lieberman announced Monday that some of his staff would be moving from D.C. to New Hampshire. "Some of us are actually going to move up here in a while and spend most of our time here and use this as a base," he said. No word yet as to who will be making the move.

Lieberman had his number-one fan, mother Marcia, by his side as he handed over the $1,000 check and filed his commitment to participate in the New Hampshire primary.

The message Lieberman signed across from Howard Dean's "Live free or die" on the New Hampshire notice to voters was "God bless America." As he wrote the words, Lieberman said, "It's not very original, but it's for real."

Earlier in the day, Lieberman and his mother visited a retirement community in Exeter. There, on this important day in his campaign, Lieberman predicted that the race would come down to himself and Howard Dean. "I think this may end up being Howard Dean and me in the finals if I can put it that way. It will be a good clear choice for the voters. But I think that Howard's brought some people into the process that are going to help us go on and get elected in November."

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

Kucinich:

The Iowa State Daily profiles alumnus Jon Meier and his motley crew of "peace-walkers" who are walking across the country to raise awareness of Kucinich. Meier talks to Kucinich intern Amy Kaplan every night to arrange food and shelter, although the campaign does not provide financial compensation to the group: "'What [Meier] is doing — in a brave way — is publicly mixing politics and spirituality,' Kaplan said. 'The biggest challenge is to incorporate spirituality into party politics, and vice versa.' Spirituality and politics aside, the walkers know they face logistical, political and weather-driven challenges, such as walking against driving rain, campaigning for a candidate with little name recognition, finding a place to sleep and perhaps some professional challenges." LINK

The Newton Daily News covers Kucinich's appearance there Sunday when he spoke to local UAW members. LINK

From ABC News' Kucinich campaign reporter Melinda Arons:

Rep. Kucinich spoke to the National Congress of Native Americans Monday morning in Albuquerque, focusing on sovereignty for Native American nations, the Iraq situation and the overall need for "healing" in the country, which Kucinich likes to refer to as "repairing the breach" between races when speaking about racial tensions. The Iraq war was heavy on the audience's minds, as the Congress said special prayers for the two Native Americans who have died in the war so far, one of them being Lori Piestewa, a member of the now-famously ambushed 507 who was Jessica Lynch's best friend.

Although Kucinich was not the only candidate to speak at the event, he might be the only one to regularly include Native American tribal dances and rituals in many of his day-to-day campaign events; on his announcement tour almost every event was kicked off with tribal dances in which he often participated. He was especially touched by the gifts several supporters gave him, including a vessel filled with ashes a group of women prayed over and gave him to plant for himself, as well as a tribal blanket.

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

Sharpton:

From ABC News' Sharpton campaign reporter Beth Loyd:

Rev. Sharpton has been getting slammed in black media outlets. Within the last couple of weeks, there have been more than a few very critical articles written about his campaign and about him personally. When asked for his response, Sharpton barely acknowledges their existence. The most significant issue surrounding these critiques is that they're written by black people — prominent black people. And to a campaign whose success is based on the black vote, this could be detrimental.

Tavis Smiley, on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, after Sharpton made the statement opposing the filibuster of Janice Rogers Brown, called into question why he is in the race and "whether or not it's time to go home."

The Black Commentator wrote a biting analysis on Sharpton's "political-emotional breakdown." Larry Elder for Town Hall asked, "Who appointed this race-baiter as the moral arbiter of the Democratic Party?"

Earl Hutchinson from the Hutchinson Report denounces Sharpton's "tirade" as "based on the commonplace notion that whites will only vote for white candidates, and that blacks must counter that by voting for blacks." In addition, some politicos, behind the scenes, are circulating emails casting doubt on both Sharpton's intentions and his ability to mobilize.

Sharpton says that he does not support Brown on any level — and that his statement was clarified. He says that everyone is entitled to support whomever they choose. He feels that he has plenty of black support among community leaders including Charles Ogletree, Associate Dean of Harvard Law, Congressmen Ed Towns and Jose Serrano and former Mayor of Atlanta, Bill Campbell. Once again, Sharpton puts the criticisms in the context of Jesse Jackson's run in 1984, noting that most black leaders didn't support Jackson in his first run.

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

Moseley Braun:

In what amounts to a mini-profile of the state of Moseley Braun's campaign, the Boston Globe 's Glen Johnson examines her argument that the Iraq war approval has damaged Congress' constitutional authority to declare war. LINK

From ABC News' Moseley Braun campaign reporter Monica Ackerman:

Her house was crumbling down, but Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun is hoping a new addition to her team will help rebuild what little remains standing. Over the past couple of days the ambassador lost two consultants and a treasurer. Former Treasurer Billie Paige, who is also the Ambassador's longtime friend, has not answered phone calls regarding her resignation. Moseley Braun has already replaced Paige. She is also "in negotiations" to bring on two new consultants.

The changes appear not to beset the Ambassador in the slightest. Could it be because Moseley Braun has managed to draft the former president of the National Organization for Women as her new campaign manager? Patricia Ireland began her first day in the public's eye yesterday. Ms. Ireland brought on a new source of energy. "I see it as a very exciting time to help change the course of politics in this country." Ireland compared her future contributions to a tree that falls in the forest when nobody's there. "I have the ability to amplify and organize." The apparent problem suffocating Moseley Braun's campaign is money.

On "Hardball" with Chris Matthews last night, Moseley Braun said her campaign has spent half a million dollars so far.

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

Iowa:

The Des Moines Register 's Bill Reiter brings to life the excitement and nervousness of caucusing for the first time. LINK

Democratic National Convention:

The Boston Globe 's Rich Klein reports that Massachusetts congressmen are "scrambling to nail down $25 million in federal funding for security costs associated with next summer's Democratic National Convention." LINK

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

The Washington Post 's Dana Milbank looks at President Bush's bid for re-election year:

"The day-to-day news about violence in Iraq and lingering economic worries at home obscure a fundamental reality about next year's election: Historically speaking, it should belong to President Bush. Since the presidential primary system became influential in 1952, an incumbent president has never lost a reelection bid if he did not face significant opposition in the primaries."

BC04 campaign manager Ken Mehlman and strategist Matt Dowd are on the record to once again say that it will be a close election but also lay out a glimpse at an electoral map:

"Mehlman points out that Republicans have made gains both in their own 'red' southern and border states, with gubernatorial wins this year in Mississippi and Kentucky, and in Democratic 'blue' states of the coasts, with a GOP win in the California governor's race and continued control of New York's governorship and mayoralty. 'You have red states that are getting redder and blue states that are becoming purple,' he said." LINK

The Washington Post 's Peter Slevin reports that Elizabeth Cheney, currently head of the administration's Middle East Partnership Initiative, will leave the State Department to join the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign. LINK

The Miami Herald looks at a potential swing voting bloc that has traditionally voted Republican: "the fed-up and fearful families of U.S. soldiers." LINK

Vice President Cheney made a fundraising swing through upstate New York yesterday with stops in Liverpool, Rochester and Buffalo that brought in $700,000 for the campaign. LINK

The economy and jobs will be important factors for voters in northeastern Pennsylvania, a crucial area in a state that Democrats and Republicans will battle hard for 21 electoral votes next year. "Though the region traditionally votes Democratic, both parties say Northeastern Pennsylvania is up for grabs. LINK

On to polling … .

A new ABC News/ Washington Post poll finds President Bush's approval numbers steady at 57%, about the same as late October. Specifically on Iraq, the president's approval ratings are lower, at 48%.

ABC News' David Morris: "The key political question is whether Bush is at the bottom of a slide from wartime highs, or at a temporary pause in a longer decline. The answer may have more to do with the economy than with developments in Iraq, and here, too, there is a hint of positive news for Bush: Forty-eight percent approve of his handling of the economy and 49 percent disapprove."

"The economy is clearly the wild card. The strong third-quarter GDP shows striking growth; the question is whether that reaches voters — in the form of jobs and income — in time for Bush to benefit in November." LINK

A USA Today /CNN/Gallup poll puts President Bush's approval ratings at 50%and a disapproval rating at 47 %. "That equals the lowest approval and highest disapproval of his presidency, which occurred in late September, when the Post -combat phase of the Iraq operation took a turn for the worse." LINK

Oh those jokesters from the Ivy League …

President Bush met yesterday at the White House with eight NCAA championship teams, including the Princeton women's lacrosse team that won back-to-back titles.

The president said that when the team was at the White House last year, he asked if they would be back again in 2003 and they told him they thought they would. After congratulating them on their repeat performance, Bush said "So I asked them once again, are you going to be back next year? They said, how about you?"

"Never mind," Bush said recounting the story in the East Room.

The politics of national security:

The New York Times ' Dexter Filkins reports American commander Maj. Gen. Charles H. Swannack is "preparing to pull troops back from Ramadi, a city at the center of guerrilla activity, and turn it over to Iraqi officers, an experiment that could change the course of the occupation of Iraq." If successful, the plan, which "appears to be the broadest effort so far to pull American troops back from a city dominated by Sunni Arabs," would "represent a significant shift in American efforts to pacify" Sunni-dominated areas. LINK

Reports the AP, an Italian aide to the Coalition Provisional Authority, accusing L. Paul Bremer III's administration of inefficiency and failing to understand Iraq." LINK

The New York Times ' Bumiller and Jehl pick up on the president's "most explicit commitment" yet that American troops are not leaving Iraq any time soon. LINK

While the Miami Herald reports long troop deployments "are causing military people" who usually lean GOP to "rethink" how they vote. LINK

As for the president's trip, the UK's Guardian newspaper runs a poll showing 43% favor Bush's visiting Britain. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw paints the president's state visit with a rosy glow.

" … the transatlantic partnership has been critical to our security and prosperity in the last half-century, and that it has constantly to be nurtured if it is to survive. For Europe, that requires a better recognition of America's huge investment in the international system of which it was a key architect, and an acknowledgment that the current administration has continued to use the system, not least on a host of key issues in the Security Council — for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, through Afghanistan, Iraq, and many others. There should also be admiration for the fact that America's amazing scientific endeavor is not an aberration, but a product of the forces of imagination and endeavor which its system has been able to unleash."

The AP rains a bit on the transatlantic love parade, reporting Bush should not expect a warm welcome in London, with polls showing a "clear majority" of Britons against the war and as many as 60,000 protesters expected to pass right by Tony Blair's office LINK

Turning to reconstruction, the Wall Street Journal 's Chip Cummins and Neil King Jr. do a bang-up job reporting the latest "delays in getting U.S. funds for reconstruction" that already "are crimping the oil production crucial to the war-torn nation's revival." Report the two, "after weeks of debate, U.S. officials say that instead of directly overseeing the work themselves, they have decided to put a commercial manager in charge of projects in each of six broad areas ranging from oil-field repairs to electricity generation and rebuilding of government ministries."

On the intel front, John D. Rockefeller IV accuses Republicans of avoiding a Sept. 11 inquiry in a Washington Post op-ed and claims his "pilfered" memo has become a "convenient excuse for Republicans to shut down the committee and curtain the investigation." LINK

And as the investigation requests pile up, the Washington Post 's Mr. Pincus reports the "CIA will ask the Justice Department to investigate the leak of a 16-page classified Pentagon memo that listed and briefly described raw agency intelligence on any relationship between Saddam Hussein's Iraqi government and Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network" which was excerpted in last week's Weekly Standard. LINK

The politics of steel:

The steel industry responded to the Bush Administration's request for a compromise on steel tariffs by agreeing to roll them back earlier than scheduled, the Wall Street Journal 's Neil King and Carlos Tejada report. Steel makers and steel consumers have been warning the White House against alienating either side of the argument, particularly in an election year. Steel companies are saying they don't want to negotiate their position through the press, while still bargaining for time to restructure. The compromise, King and Tejada Note, shows an acceptance by the industry that they'll ultimately lose the battle to keep tariffs. At this point, after the WTO's ruling that the EU and other countries can retaliate with tariffs on goods of their own, it's a matter of when the tariffs go.

Knight Ridder's Ken Moritsugu writes, "Thousands of U.S. workers are likely to get hurt whether President Bush lifts tariffs on imported steel or leaves them in place." LINK

Big Casino budget politics: Medicare:

The New York Times outlines the main elements of the plan point-by-point. LINK

Reed Abelson and Milt Fruedenheim of the New York Times devote their story to criticisms and critics of the bill, who say it won't cut costs. LINK

The Boston Globe 's Alice Dembner has a great Medicare story that the Note would like to nominate it as one of the best write-ups of legislation for 2003. LINK

The New York Times ' Robert Pear and Robin Toner Note that the AARP endorsement was a "critical step" for the Medicare legislation that "provides political cover against charges by some Democrats that the bill would undermine the federal insurance program." The duo reports the group "will support the bill with $7 million worth of newspaper and television advertising this week, and officials said it was prepared to spend more." LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Aaron Zitner and Vicki Kemper report the huge AARP endorsement and then go on to write, " … the senior Democrats and the small circle of conservatives who oppose the Medicare plan now have only a shallow pool of allies to help them block the measure." LINK

The Washington Post 's Amy Goldstein and Helen Dewar report that despite the AARP endorsement, the battle over the bill "escalated" since leading Senate Democrats and the presidential candidates declared their opposition. LINK

The Wall Street Journal 's Sarah Lueck and Jake Schlesinger write that AARP's endorsement of the Medicare deal deepens Democrats' dilemma "whether to back the changes and possibly aid Mr. Bush's re-election bid, or to oppose the plan and run the risk of appearing against benefits for seniors." Of course the Democrats have to slam the deal, but is it worth risking the 35 million members of the AARP — and might we remind you what a reliable voting bloc seniors are?

USA Today 's Andrea Stone writes, "AARP's endorsement puts Democrats in a more difficult position as they debate whether to block the plan in the closely divided Senate." LINK

The Medicare plan is worth a shot, argues the Wall Street Journal 's Alan Murray, and in the end, seniors get theirs. If the market can support and improve this and other programs, they'll be fine. The question is, while they're getting theirs, what happens to everything else?

USA Today 's ed board writes, "Medicare is a four-decade saga of well-intentioned but runaway spending. As politicians have expanded the program, they repeatedly have lowballed estimates for medical costs and demand for services." LINK

E.J. Dionne seizes the rare opportunity to use the word "aardvark" to lead his write-up on the Medicare bill. LINK

As Republicans work to pass new Medicare legislation, Democrats are seething over the AARP's endorsement, reports the Chicago Tribune's Jill Zuckman. LINK

The AARP will spend $7 million on a national ad campaign touting the new Medicare prescription drug bill currently under consideration, according to AP's David Espo. LINK

Big Casino budget politics:

The Wall Street Journal 's David Rogers looks at how President Bush's foreign aid bill is ending up looking much different than it did when the process started. House and Senate lawmakers agreed on a $17.3 billion budget for foreign aid, Rogers writes, including an additional $405 million for Afghanistan. Congress' priority: a total of $2.4 billion to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis — $400 million more than the Bush Administration requested. Lawmakers did not, however, side with the president's priority of encouraging democracy in poor countries, budgeting $650 million — or half the $1.3 billion the White House requested — for the Millennium Challenge Account.

AP's Leigh Strope writes that the Bush administration "is renewing its push to overhaul Social Security with personal investment accounts." LINK

Senator Lindsey Graham will unveil a new Social Security plan today, AP reports. LINK

AP's Devlin Bartlett reports that attorneys general of 14 states and of a number of large cities are seeking a court injunction to impede the EPA's loosening of the Clean Air Act. LINK

Alan Fram looks at Democrats' accusation that the practice of diverting money to lawmakers' home-district causes has "mushroomed" since 2000. LINK

Ben Feller Notes that Republicans plan to force Democrats to vote on the country's first voucher program by folding it into the huge education spending bill. LINK

Legislative agenda:

The Wall Street Journal 's Shailagh Murray and John Fialka detail the $23 billion worth of tax breaks — at least 50 of them — in the energy bill, from tariffs on imported ceiling fans to nuclear-power-production credits. The measure is expected to hit the House floor today, and then to an uncertain future in the Senate. Democrats have threatened to filibuster, but their distinguished colleagues across the aisle are hoping to win some support with the incentives — particularly with ethanol and biodiesel measures designed to win the support of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.)

Carl Hulse reports that the energy plan emerging from negotiations is "little changed" from the plan GOP leaders on the energy committee released last week and the measure's approval "by the negotiating committee ended almost three years of Congressional wrangling over energy policy that had until now failed to produce a final measure for House and Senate consideration." LINK

The Washington Post 's Dan Morgan focuses on the House negotiators' rejection of a Senate attempt to include requirements to use more renewable energy. LINK

The New York Times ' ed board finds very little to like in the energy bill, urging Senators to "launch this dreadful bill into the legislative netherworld where it belongs" and "start again" to "give the country an energy strategy worthy of the problems it faces." LINK

The Los Angeles Times sizes up the energy bill as it heads toward a vote today in the House. LINK

The Chicago Tribune discusses the jigsaw puzzle energy bill drafted by the Republican Congress, dubbing it energy legislation on the fly. LINK

The Washington Times ' Brian DeBose reports that most of the Democrats' bids to change the energy bill were shot down in conference yesterday. LINK

The Washington Times thinks the energy bill should be expedited through Congress. LINK

The Wall Street Journal 's Jeffrey Ball reports that auto and gas industries believe it will take at least $10 billion to make hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars available to consumers, overwhelming Bush's $2 billion pledge.

Bush Administration strategy/personality:

As many of you have heard already, Tucker Eskew is leaving the Bush Administration to set up his own consulting shop. As Mr. Eskew himself will profess, November is regularly a big month for him. It was November 1999 when he first signed on to the Bush campaign in South Carolina. LINK

It was November 2000 when he traveled to Florida to handle some balloting issues for the campaign. LINK

It was November 2001 when the president dispatched him to London to coordinate communications for the war on terror. LINK

The Note wishes Mr. Eskew the best of luck in his new endeavor. At this rate, with continued success, maybe some day he'll be the next Joe Allbaugh.

Playing judicial politics:

According to the Washington Times ' Charles Hurt, internal Democratic staff memos show that Senator Kennedy sought to delay one of Bush's judicial nominees to the 6th Circuit of U.S. appeals because it was feared that the new nominee would tip the balance in the Michigan affirmative action cases. LINK

The Wall Street Journal 's editorial board calls Senator Durbin's bluff on what it thinks really upset the Senator when documents were leaked from his office outlining the filibuster strategy.

Reuters reports that Sens. Durbin, Leahy, and Kennedy wrote the Senate's sergeant at arms asking for a probe into how the memo(s) got into media hands. LINK

Politics:

The Washington Post 's Dana Milbank reports on PROPAC, a new liberal organization that is modeled off the successes of Newt Gingrich. LINK

The New York Times ' ed board picks up on last week's tale of Rep. Tom DeLay's use of a children's charity "as a channel to pay up to $500,000 for access to posh convention events" and urges the I.R.S. to "move quickly to vet this new twist in fat-cat politicking, which critics are denouncing as illegal." LINK

As the Dec. 5 deadline draws near, California's Republicans are still trying to find a viable candidate to unseat incumbent Barbara Boxer. LINK

Katherine Harris defends her possible Senate run, saying she could "excite the GOP base even more and could use the (2000 presidential) recount to the party's advantage." LINK

The Clintons of Chappaqua:

The Des Moines Register 's David Yepsen interviewed Senator Clinton on Sunday while she was still in Des Moines, and he reports that "she has a suggestion for the Democratic presidential contenders working Iowa: Don't just bash President Bush, offer some solutions of your own. Try to find ways to punch through the media's fixation on the horse race to chart an alternative vision for voters." LINK

The Schwarzenegger era:

Peter Nicholas and Joe Matthews produced the main inauguration ("swearing-in") story for the Los Angeles Times, including Gov. Schwarzenegger's first several executive actions. Nicholas and Matthews also, thankfully, clear up the Bible confusion. LINK

Mark Simon of the San Francisco Chronicle depicts yesterday's ceremony as a moment of optimism. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Michael Finnegan delivers an analysis highlighting the broad themes put forth by Gov. Schwarzenegger yesterday. LINK

Evan Halper and Sue Fox write up the instant gratification of car owners and anxiety of city governments following the repealing of the car tax. They also have a classic Burton quote when he was asked where the state would get the additional money: "He ain't getting it from me."

The New York Times ' John Broder and Dean Murphy report that Schwarzenegger's inauguration melded his "many" worlds: Hollywood, the Kennedys, and his new career as a Republican chief executive "facing the same enormous financial problems that doomed his predecessor." LINK

USA Today 's Martin Kasindorf Notes, "Though the event was billed as low-key, the 45-minute ceremony on the steps of the state Capitol was rich in Hollywood glamour." LINK

The Palm Beach Post reports "Arnold Schwarzenegger will speak via video link-up to GOP governors (Friday) at the annual gathering of Republican governors at the Boca Raton Resort and Club." LINK

Team Schwarzenegger sent a flurry of press releases yesterday as the actor became California's 38th governor. But the best press release of the day hit our inboxes at about 4:09 PM EST. Here is the body of the release in its entirety:

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be wearing a grey Prada suit."

"Maria Shriver will be wearing a grey Valentino skirt suit with a cream shell."