The Note

W A S H I N G T O N, Nov. 3—
, 2003 -- Today's Schedule (all times Eastern):

—8:30 am: Congressman Dick Gephardt addresses seniors, Exeter, N.H.—10:00 am: Congressman Gephardt participates in the Every Child Matters presidential candidate forum at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H.—10:00 am: Senator Joe Lieberman addresses the South Carolina AME Central Conference, Orangeburg, S.C.—11:00 am: Senator Kerry tours the banks of the Mississippi River and makes remarks on clean water, Davenport, Iowa—11:00 am: Senate convenes for legislative business—11:15 am: President Bush attends a private meeting with business leaders, Birmingham, Ala.—11:30 am: Governor Howard Dean delivers a policy address at Grand View College, Des Moines, Iowa—11:40 am: President Bush makes remarks on the economy, Birmingham, Ala.—12:00 pm: Senator Lieberman speaks about his higher education reform proposals at Benedict College, Columbia, S.C.—12:10 pm: Congressman Gephardt addresses supporters before filing to run in the New Hampshire Democratic primary, Concord, N.H.—12:30 pm: Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun participates in the Every Child Matters presidential candidate forum at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H.—1:00 pm: Senator Kerry meets with Democratic activists, Clinton, Iowa—1:25 pm: President Bush makes remarks at a Bush-Cheney 2004 fundraiser luncheon, Birmingham, Ala.—1:30 pm: Governor Dean meets with students at Johnson High School, Des Moines, Iowa—2:15 pm: Congressman Dennis Kucinich participates in the Every Child Matters presidential candidate forum at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H.—5:00 pm: General Wesley Clark participates in an on-line chat with supporters, Keene, N.H.—5:15 pm: Congressman Gephardt addresses Harvard College Democrats, Cambridge, Mass.—5:30 pm: General Clark has dinner with first responders, Keene, N.H.—6:15 pm: Senator Kerry attends Ramadan services, Cedar Rapids, Iowa—6:30 pm: Congressman Kucinich speaks at Franklin Pierce College, Rindge, N.H.—7:00 pm: General Clark holds a "Conversations with Clark" forum moderated by his son at Keene State College, Keene, N.H.—7:00 pm: Senator Lieberman attends a campaign fundraiser, Virginia Beach, Va.—7:00 pm: Congressman Gephardt appears on "Hardball: Battle for the White House," Cambridge, Mass.—8:00 pm: Senator Kerry meets with Democratic activists, Cedar Rapids, Iowa—8:30 pm: Congressman Kucinich attends a Mothers Uniting forum, Keene, N.H.

NEWS SUMMARY

Dynamics the political insiders will be watching in the coming cycle or two or three or more: (and see if you can find precisely three jokes in the list … )

1. What will come out of the blender in the next few public opinion polls In Re POTUS when the GDP and Iraq casualty figures get mixed in?

2. How big will the Kentucky and Mississippi bounce be for one party or the other?

3. Will any political voices with more influence in determining the identity of the Democratic presidential nominee embrace Howard Dean's avowedly pro-Confederate views as strongly as Gigot & Co.?

4. Do y'all realize just how unprecedentedly wide open the Democratic nomination fight will be if Dean's bigger-than-you-realize lead is chopped down to size?

5. Who will be happy, and who sad, if Maine's casino initiative passes?

6. Will Anderson Cooper wear jeans Tuesday night?

7. How much money could we make if we sold our fellow political reporters "Democratic candidate major policy address" flash cards this week?

8. How many stories will Ron Brownstein write about the four open, currently Democratic Southern Senate seats if Bob Graham retires?

9. Would Trent Duffy prefer to go back to talking about the size of the deficit?

10. What explains Zell Miller's vote for Tom Daschle for leader?

What a shotgun weekend in the Invisible Primary — literally.

Senator Edwards was catching heat on Saturday for almost selling his house to someone who did public relations work for the Saudis while Edwards sat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. The deal fell apart, but Edwards still has the $100,000 deposit in escrow, and the whole thing is raising some eyebrows not necessarily because Edwards did something wrong, but because he didn't disclose the information or check in with the Senate Ethics Committee to make sure he didn't do anything wrong. LINK

Amazingly little pickup on that one.

There was more pickup, but not at the morning-show level, of another weekend brouhaha:

Trying to recover from a hit on guns, Howard Dean told the Des Moines Register on Saturday (LINK) something he had only said before in front of really small groups like the Democratic National Committee — that he wants people who aren't offended by the Confederate flag to consider voting for him.

Dean, who never represented Florida or North Carolina in the Senate, made no mention of NASCAR, hunting, the "Dukes of Hazzard" or "values." Nor was there any sighting or quoting of anybody with a nickname involving wet dirt and/or felines.

All of Dean's eight Democratic opponents (including pheasant-blasting John Kerry) decided to outflank him on the anti-Confederate side of the issue, having been assured by their pollsters that that played well with Democratic primary voters and caucus attendees.

Dan Balz and Jonathan Roos run down the responses. LINK and LINK.

The Wall Street Journal 's ed board comes to Dr. Dean's defense today, writing, "Democrats usually smear Republicans with this kind of race-baiting politics, but it isn't any more justified when Democrats use it against one of their own. Dr. Dean is hardly sympathetic to the Confederacy, or Jim Crow, or apartheid or any other kind of racial discrimination. He was merely saying he'd like to win the support of Southerners who over the years have fled the Democratic Party represented by the Kerrys and the Dick Gephardts."

President Bush makes remarks on the economy and attends a Bush-Cheney 2004 fundraiser in Birmingham, Alabama, today. He's in California on Tuesday. He's back in D.C. on Wednesday to meet with the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to sign the Partial Birth Abortion Act. The president makes remarks at the celebration of the National Endowment for Democracy's 20th anniversary on Thursday, and will also pass out the National Medals of Science and Technology on Thursday in D.C. On Friday, the president will attend a Bush-Cheney 2004 fundraiser and make remarks on jobs and the economy in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Rock the Vote and CNN present a town hall forum for presidential candidates to speak with younger voters on Tuesday night at Faneuil Hall in Boston. All candidates except Congressman Gephardt are scheduled to attend. Andrew Miga previews the event in today's Boston Herald, Noting, "The show poses a hipness test of sorts for the candidates, who are mostly white, male, middle-aged and decidedly unhip." LINK

Governor Dean campaigns in Iowa today. He campaigns in Florida on Tuesday and he's in Boston on Tuesday night. He campaigns in New Hampshire on Wednesday and Thursday.

General Clark campaigns in New Hampshire today through Wednesday with a brief trip to Boston Tuesday night for the forum. He's in South Carolina on Thursday.

Senator Kerry campaigns in Iowa today. He's in Boston on Tuesday and he spends the rest of the week campaigning in New Hampshire.

Congressman Gephardt campaigns in New Hampshire and Boston today. He appears on "Hardball: Battle for the White House" tonight.

Senator Lieberman campaigns in South Carolina and Virginia today. He's in Boston on Tuesday. He campaigns in New Hampshire on Wednesday and in Florida on Thursday.

Senator Edwards campaigns in Iowa today. He's in New Hampshire for the rest of the week with a quick trip to Boston on Tuesday night.

Congressman Kucinich campaigns in New Hampshire today and tomorrow. He's also in Boston on Tuesday night.

Reverend Sharpton is in New York City today with no public events. He's in Boston tomorrow, back in New York City on Wednesday and Thursday, and then in Baltimore on Friday to speak at Morgan State University.

Ambassador Moseley Braun campaigns in New Hampshire today. She's in Boston tomorrow and back in New Hampshire on Wednesday.

In case you missed them: the weekend must-reads:The Washington Post 's David Broder and Dan Balz turned in a must-read on the ABC News/ Washington Post poll yesterday (along with some of their fabled door knocking), looking at the nearly 50-50 split that the American electorate has settled back into. Worries about progress in Iraq and jobs, regardless of other economic indicators, are the most important issues to voters. LINK

While Bush claims a 56% approval rating in the new survey, Broder and Balz write, voters increasingly have second thoughts about his approach in Iraq and the direction of the country. And the tax cuts that fueled the 3rd-quarter growth, which earlier polls showed weren't a priority for voters, aren't registering.

The Washington Post 's Richard Morin and Claudia Deane wrote up the new ABC News/ Washington Post poll that showed, "Democrats are divided over the direction of their party and sharply split over whether party leaders should be more willing to confront President Bush or compromise with him on the Iraq war, taxes and the budget deficit" … .suggesting that Senator Miller might be on to something. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Ed Chen goes inside President Bush's recent poll numbers and finds that people like him even if they aren't all thrilled with the way in which he is handling his job. LINK

"When President Bush described himself the other day as 'a friendly guy,' he made a point that many of his critics concede: They loathe his policies but like him personally."

"Now that his job-approval ratings are hovering around the 50% mark, about the lowest of his presidency, Bush's affability has emerged as one of his more visible assets as he prepares to run for reelection."

The Los Angeles Times' Mark Z. Barabak goes to the heart of the swing states and writes from a Warren, Michigan dateline, "Michigan can be a tough place for Republicans, particularly when the economy is hurting … " LINK

Barabak goes on to point out that no Democrat has emerged as a major threat to President Bush, but that doesn't diminish Bush's vulnerability in the abstract.

ABC News Vote 2003: Kentucky, Mississippi, Philadelphia, and more:The Washington Post looks at the star power Haley Barbour brings to the Mississippi gubernatorial contest. LINK

USA Today declares the Musgrove/Barbour battle in Mississippi a dead heat and wonders if the race will once again be thrown to the House to decide the winner. LINK

Barbour is counting on suburban counties to help carry him to Mississippi's governorship. LINK

The AP writes up the frantic close of the Kentucky governor's race between Republican Congressman Ernie Fletcher and Democratic Attorney General Ben Chandler. LINK

Al Cross of the Louisville Courier-Journal urges his readers to vote and sums up the best selling points each candidate offers. LINK

Political strategists from both parties will be watching the Kentucky and Mississippi governor's races for trends that could set the course in the 2004 election. LINK

Leading Democratic Party officials tell The Note that they are angered over yesterday's "Meet the Press."

In their view, Senator Zell Miller got half the program to attack his own party and pronounce its death in the South less than forty-eight hours before polls open in two Southern governors races, with no equal time given to someone to paint a different picture.

Said one Democrat: "This is the type of treatment Democrats say they have come to expect from FOX," which just might make Neal Shapiro happy.

Going into the election tomorrow, Philadelphia mayor John Street has a slight lead over rival Sam Katz, thanks largely to the FBI's bugging of his office, according to the Washington Times ' Brian DeBose. LINK

San Francisco's mayoral contest appears to be a race for second place. The San Francisco Chronicle reports front-runner Gavin Newsom doesn't expect to get the 50% plus one required to avoid a December 9th runoff election. LINK

ABC News Vote 2003: Louisiana:The New York Times ' Gettleman on the "squeaky clean" candidates in the "testy" race for governor in Louisiana that is shaking up politics as usual in The Pelican State. LINK

The politics of national security:Following a bloody Sunday, an ABC News- Washington Post poll showing approval of the president's handling of the war dropping below 50 percent, and weekend Filter appearances from the president's national security team, the New York Times wonders whether public resolve will falter as the casualties mount. LINK

William Safire explores the lousy consequences a loss of American will would have and argues failure ain't an option. LINK

For his part, Paul Bremer plays it safe and predicts the attacks will continue. LINK

The Washington Post goes front-page with Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld's words that regardless of the violence, there is no need for more U.S. troops. The Post also admirably wrestles with Administration figures to find out just how many Iraqi troops are actually on the beat. LINK

As for a behind-the-curtain look at the politics of it all, the Los Angles Times' McManus offers the increasingly often-seen analysis that insurgent attacks are leading the president to indeed Chang the Tone in Washington. LINK (Do Note the blind quote from a White House aide expressing "irritation" from 1600 Penn with the "sharpening domestic debate" over Iraq.)

And the Washington Post 's excellent Mr. Ricks analyzes the "two worrisome trends" facing Team Bush: escalating anti-U.S. violence and declining support among the public for the president's Iraq policies. LINK

USA Today sifts through recent Administration statements on progress in Iraq and examines the "debate among Bush and his advisers about whether they should admit that things are not going as well in Iraq as they had hoped." LINK

For her part, the New York Post 's Ms. Orin writes the president "desperately needs to do a much better job of explaining to the American people why Iraq is vital and what his plan is," finding it "a questionable decision for Bush to stay out of sight at his Texas ranch on the second bloodiest day for America since the Iraq war began." LINK

Intel re-tell:The Los Angeles Times' Efron looks at criticisms from outside the administration that its intel point man sculpts intelligence for political purposes. LINK

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts says the White House is ready to hand over the docs his committee is seeking on pre-war Iraq intelligence, while the Los Angeles Times has Trent Duffy promising to be "'helpful" while Noting the "'committee's jurisdiction does not cover the White House.'" LINK

The Washington Post 's Allen helpfully details some of the docs Dems are wanting. LINK

As for the Pentagon, ABC News' Brian Hartman reports Defense officials say Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Doug Feith has turned over all the documents relating to Iraq intel and WMD requested by the Robertson committee.

And in some potentially good news for the White House, the Wall Street Journal 's front page reports "U.S. investigators have unearthed Iraqi records of Saddam Hussein's agents world-wide" that "could lend credence to more recent assertions by the Bush administration that Mr. Hussein was seeking to develop long-range missiles as a preliminary step to renewing a program of chemical and biological weapons."

ABC News Vote 2004: The Invisible Primary:Ron Brownstein keys off Will Marshall and Ken Pollack's recent manifesto urging Democrats to adopt "progressive internationalism" policy to examine how the ever shifting ground in Iraq may call such a policy into question. LINK

"It's clear that many Democratic activists want a nominee who will argue that the war in Iraq has made America less safe — a view that Dean, retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark and possibly even Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts would carry into the general election."

Once again, we urge you to subscribe to Roll Call , or you are going to miss Chris Cillizza's sizzling series on the 2/3 states, starting today with brilliant Arizona primary reporting.

USA Today 's ed board doesn't like the fast and furious calendar for choosing a Democratic nominee LINK; but The Macker responds by saying that, compared to 2000, "the 2004 calendar is more balanced and diverse." LINK

"When the Democratic presidential candidates convene here on Tuesday to engage a skeptical generation of younger voters at the Rock the Vote debate, we ask them to address the debt tax as the most important issue affecting young Americans today," write Byron Auguste and Mark Strama in the Boston Globe . LINK

Here's the schedule for this week's washingtonpost.com chats with the Democratic presidential candidates. Congressman Gephardt is first up today at 11:30 am ET. LINK

Keying off of Tuesday's "Rock the Vote" forum, the AP's Will Lester looks at apathetic young voters. LINK

House of Labor:As the SEIU Dean-endorsement fever mounts (don't forget Thursday is the Day of the Vote!), AFSCME stays active in its courting of the candidates. Look for an appearance from at least Dean, Gephardt, and Edwards before a meeting of Iowa AFSCME leaders Monday and Tuesday.

Note the Note especially enjoyed hearing that Ted Danson came to speak to the group on The General's behalf a week back …

The Baltimore Sun's Mr. Witcover looks at the likely SEIU Dean backing to divine What It All Means in the labor planet's alignment. "One neutral labor official agrees. Mr. Dean up to now has been seen as 'the candidate of the Volvo-driving, upscale voters,' the official says, but endorsement by the service employees, many of them nurses and janitors, could change that perception.'"

Dean:On the eve of the Rock the Vote forum, Jonathan Zaff, co-founder and president of 18 to 35, has a piece in the Boston Globe praising Dean for appealing to young voters. LINK

Lloyd Grove previews Howard Dean's soon-to-be-released book. Mr. Grove writes the book is confessional in nature at times, especially when Dr. Dean discusses his youthful days of drinking … something he hasn't done in 22 years. LINK

Per the Tallahassee Democrat, Dean has a $250-per-person fund-raising reception set for Tuesday at the Civic Center. Florida Democratic Party Chairman Scott Maddox and local Dean supporters have a brief rally planned for him at the Civic Center plaza shortly before noon.

From ABC News' Dean campaign reporter Marc Ambinder:

For only the second time since he announced his presidential candidacy, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean publicly let loose and strummed a guitar.

It took a Halloween party in New Hampshire to get the Governor in the right mood. Without too much notice (and having never, apparently, seen the music before), he played rhythm guitar to an original composition creatively titled "The Howard Dean sing-along."

The highlight of the party, according to attendees, was when Dean listened with a broad smile as his staff members re-enacted his stump speech. (The staffer playing Dean rolled his shirt sleeves up past his elbows.)

The skit featured youthful aides wearing outfits designed to evoke key stump speech line. There was

-- a "One Way Ticket Back To Crawford" (Dean says Bush deserves one).

--"Ken Lay" and "the boys," to whom Dean says the tax cuts went.

-- A child left behind, referring to the education bill Dean criticizes.

-- A Costa Rican with health insurance. (" … even the Costa Ricans have health insurance … ")

-- A staff member wearing a very large ten gallon hit and a shirt that asked, "Where's the beef?" (That's the "[Bush is] all hat and no cattle" line.)

--A John Aschroft look-alike with a copy of the Constitution taped to his shoes. (subtle).

--One staffer wearing a tee shirt labeled "borrow," another wearing a shirt labeled "spend" (" … .borrow and spend, borrow and spend," Dean says of Bush.)

Another feature of the party was the apple bob — but in this incarnation, it was a "WMD bob" — and, yes, the tub was empty. (Get it? You can't bob for apples that aren't there … )

Alas, Dean did officially not wear a costume … but he did take off his jacket. His look: "The next president of the United States," according to his state director, the always-fabulous Karen Hicks.

One Note: no one dressed as a metrosexual.

In other news, Dean has picked up a new military/foreign policy adviser: retired General Tony "Merrill" McPeak, a former Air Force chief of staff. McPeak joins a growing roster of foreign policy advisers, including retired Lieutenant General Joseph Hoar, a former commander in chief of the U.S. Central Command.

All that is something to Crowe about.

On the labor front, the Dean campaign has grown steadily more confident that it the SEIU will vote to endorse the Governor on November 6.

He won a straw poll at the New Hampshire state SEIU reception on Saturday, taking 65 votes to Dick Gephardt's 20. Incidentally, the New Hampshire SEIU also voted to recommend the endorsement of a presidential candidate on November 6 — by a 2-to-1 margin.

Kerry:The Boston Herald's Noelle Straub has Senator Kerry commenting on "the Bush administration's enforcement of a 12-year-old policy blocking media coverage of U.S. soldiers' flag-draped coffins arriving at military bases as a bid to hide the human toll of the Iraqi war." LINK

The Union Leader's editorial board wonders if the Kerry campaign can survive its recent poll numbers.LINK

Reports the Quad-City Times, Kerry asked for a moment of silence "to honor the members of a Davenport-based Iowa National Guard unit who were injured in a helicopter attack in Iraq," then "blamed President Bush for the status of the American war effort there." LINK

On Saturday, the Des Moines Register wrote up Kerry's criticism of Dean's gun views, including a 1992 NRA questionnaire that allegedly recorded Dean's opposition to an assault weapons ban — a position at odds with his current stance. LINK

The Des Moines Register has an AP photo of Kerry looking over his kill. LINK

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

On a chilly Friday afternoon, Senator Kerry loaded his 12-guage shotgun in search of Colo, Iowa's finest pheasants. But before the non-political hunt began, the candidate took aim at chief rival Howard Dean.

Kerry baited the former Vermont Governor, who received the endorsement of the NRA eight times, saying "Howard Dean needs to square his support for the NRA with his current position. You can't just flip a position in the year you decide to run for president and say, 'Here I am'."

The New York Times ' ace pheasant spotter David Halbfinger wrapped what appeared to be a solid one-day story: LINK

But, it was Dr. Dean himself that gave his rivals reason to reload for round two, offering to Thomas Beaumont of the Des Moines Register , "I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks. We can't beat George Bush unless we appeal to a broad cross-section of Democrats."LINK

Dean-bashing quickly hit a fever pitch; it cooled fast but the damage was done and the second day stories cometh: LINK

On the trail in Waverly, Iowa, Kerry added, "Evidently, Dean will say anything to get elected … (but) I'd rather be the candidate of the NAACP rather than the NRA."

Guns in their holsters, two words dominated the Senator's weekend: special interests.

Taking a page (or perhaps a chapter?) from the Edwards playbook, Senator Kerry continued to experiment with his newly simplified stump, most notably by repeatedly blaming non-specified "special interests" in Washington as the cause of all woes.

At a Marshalltown, Iowa, activist event, Kerry blasted rhetorically, "You know you don't have health care today? Do you know why you don't have funding for education? For Superfund? For conservation farming? Because there are powerful interests in Washington and this President is in bed with them."

The theme continued throughout the weekend, often following the invocation of President Teddy Roosevelt and preceding a litany of Kerry accomplishments.

And, finally, at the Yen Hing Dragon — a place that has seen its share of great would-be presidential pronouncements — on Sunday in Waukon, Iowa, Kerry committed himself to holding a press conference a month "at a minimum." For the time being, however, the candidate pledges to continue to take questions with or without the presence of dim sum.

Clark:General Clark seized upon the news of 16 American lives lost in Iraq to express his opposition to the Bush Administration's handling of the Post -Iraq war situation. LINK

The AP reports that Clark believes Democrats should condemn the Confederate flag.LINK

A poll released Friday by the American Research Group of Manchester, N.H. has Clark ahead of Edwards in South Carolina 17 to 10 percent. LINK

Dan K. Thomasson offers up caution to those who would support Clark for the presidency. LINK

The Northwest Arkansas News on The General's Web of online donors. LINK

From ABC News' Clark campaign reporter Deborah Apton:

The "Rock the Vote" spots being done by each Democratic presidential candidate will actually run on CNN, not MTV as reported here last week. Each candidate was asked to submit a 30-second spot to air during the CNN forum and since Clark didn't have any ads, his campaign produced something specifically for "Rock the Vote."

A music producer shot Clark's ad in downtown New York City last week. The spot shows Clark sitting around a table with a group of young folks, sleeves rolled up in a Dean-esque manner. He leans inward, talking to the group about foreign and domestic policy issues and … well, rock bands.

One campaign source at the taping told ABC News that The General was surprised by how many takes he had to do. At a campaign stop in New Hampshire the next day, Clark told a woman he lost his voice after shooting the ad.

In an another effort to appeal to the young voters, the spot ends with Clark bumping fists with one of the young men in acknowledgement of support.

The script:

Well, to answer your questions, no I would not have voted for an Iraq war.

I didn't see an imminent threat with Saddam Hussein.

I don't believe we should be using force unless it's an absolute last resort.

I am pro-choice and I'm a strong believer in affirmative action — it's the right thing to do, it works.

It's about the American idea of equal opportunity.

And I don't care what the other candidates say-I don't think Outkast is really breaking up. Andre 3000 and Big Boi just cut solo records, that's all. (Bumping Fists with young man)

I'm Wes Clark and I approve of this message.

ABC News has an advance copy of the General's spot: LINK

The speed at which Chris Matthews was talking on Imus this morning is not the only thing that accounts for the number of, uhm, questionable things he said, but one thing we feel we must point out: Wes Clark is better in person than on TV at this point — and we'll brook no argument about that.

Gephardt:The Christian Science Monitor's Linda Feldmann poses the question of whether the Iowa caucuses will ever again make it to the level of importance they reached in 1988 since Iowa's aging voters won't be around to keep them going. Reporting from the Gephardt campaign trail she writes, "I got a lot of hand-wringing over whether the Iowa caucuses may go the way of the dinosaur — not because candidates will stop coming, but because voters will. LINK

The St. Petersburg Times' Adam C. Smith reports on his time on the road with the Gephardt campaign. "Gephardt's campaign has continued building old-fashioned ground operations in Iowa and other early voting states," says Smith. However he also points out a recurring problem for his campaign. "Those familiar with Gephardt often see a guy with immovable blond politician hair who ran for president and lost 15 years ago," Smith writes. LINK

The New York Times focuses on Chrissy (of Road to the White House fame!) Gephardt's journey "from a married social worker into an outspoken advocate for gay rights" and the impact her transformation has had on her father's political evolution. LINK

From ABC News' Gephardt campaign reporter Sally Hawkins:

Bill Burton, Gephardt's Iowa press secretary, calls Chrissy Gephardt "the campaign's most effective secret weapon."

Chrissy was reportedly thrilled with Saturday's front-page New York Times story about her and the influence she has on her father's campaign, particularly when it comes to gay rights issues. The article hit the stands as she made a swing through eastern Iowa, making 10 stops in three days.

When speaking to young crowds, Chrissy gives a stump speech drawing from personal experiences, just like her father. She talks about her personal experiences as a social worker and addresses domestic violence and women's health care with her mostly younger audience.

Lieberman:AP's Page Ivey previews Lieberman's higher education proposals to be unveiled today. LINK

Lieberman is in South Carolina today to tout his higher education plan. LINK

The Greenville News reports on Lieberman's visit to the city including his attack on violent video games and Howard Dean (that latter more in sorrow than in anger). LINK

Joesph Straw of the New Haven Register suggests there's a contradiction in Lieberman's attempt to Rock the Vote and says, "It's still unclear whether Lieberman is capable of 'rocking' anything." LINK

Jim Rutenberg sizes up Lieberman's "Doing What's Right" ad and says it is "clearly devised to draw to Mr. Lieberman those New Hampshire voters who supported the war and are looking for an alternative to the antiwar Dr. Dean." LINK

Speaking at a South Carolina church on Sunday, Lieberman pledged to fight against violent video games. We'd have more on this story, but we're this close to beating Grand Theft Auto.LINK

From ABC News' Lieberman campaign reporter Talesha Reynolds:

Southern Comfort:

South Carolina State Rep. Fletcher Smith, a Lieberman endorser, thinks African Americans in the state don't realize the power they hold in the upcoming primary. "We can actually decide who the president is going to be this time," he said. But if some black voters are oblivious to their political efficacy, Senator Lieberman is keenly aware of it.

At Springfield Baptist Church, Lieberman's focus was the entertainment industry, a subject he rarely addresses on the campaign trail, though it was once a major target. It seemed from the frequent "amens" that the congregation was receptive. Lieberman recalled that he began the fight against violence and sex in the media more than a decade ago with C. Dolores Tucker and drew applause when he said, "I'm not for censorship; I'm for better citizenship. I believe in rights, but rights come with responsibilities."

Lieberman invited the congregation to join him in the fight "in the name of a higher authority."

Lieberman's more conservative brand of Democratic values is right at home in South Carolina, where people tend to be pro-military and defense and very religious. Coming out of the church, member Charles Sullivan said of Lieberman, "I think he knows what people like us need — whether you're black or white."

On that Note, Lieberman had a few words on Dean's Confederate flag comments, which he saved for a talk with the press outside Ryan's Family Steakhouse. Rather than launching a full-scale assault, Lieberman chose instead to echo his charge that Dean is a "rookie." His tone was more of paternal disappointment than outrage.

"I think I know what Howard was trying to say; I just think he said it in a way that was very divisive. I guess if I was a teacher grading Howard Dean, I would give him a good mark for what he was trying to say, but a failing grade for the way he said it."

Edwards:Edwards is suggesting a $3 billion investment in preschool programs. LINK

Edwards told voters in Iowa on Sunday that economic recovery is measured in jobs, not GDP. LINK

Keying off of the acrimony between the Dean and Gephardt campaigns, John Edwards said on Sunday that his rivals have allowed the race "to become personal and have let the focus slip from reclaiming the White House." LINK

"'I think it's perfectly fine for candidates to point out differences they have on policy positions,' the North Carolina senator said. 'I think when it gets personal, it's much less useful. Some of the things I've read sound fairly personal.'"

The North Carolina Senator offered this statement in response to the Dean comments on the Confederate flag:

"What Howard Dean said today was nothing short of offensive. Democrats from every wing of the party understand what that flag symbolizes. And when a politician embraces one of the most divisive symbols in America, it is offensive to every American. Some of the greatest Civil Rights leaders, white and black, have come from the South. To assume that southerners who drive trucks would embrace this symbol is offensive."

The AP's Mike Glover writes up Edwards' proposal to invest $3 billion in preschool programs. LINK

Kucinich:From ABC News' Kucinich campaign reporter Melinda Arons:

Congressman Kucinich spent the weekend in his comfort zones of Ohio and California, two of the places he's called home, surrounded by dedicated supporters.

Saturday night Kucinich attended an Ohio Natural Law Party fundraiser in his honor, arriving late because he couldn't tear himself away from the Ohio State student union, where students were watching the Buckeyes beat Penn State by one point in the game's last minutes. The fundraiser had the feel of a spiritual retreat (complete with the relaxing music one might hear while enjoying a seaweed wrap at the spa) trapped in the setting of an insurance convention.

In a cavernous Columbus Convention Center conference room, party founder John Hagelin and others lauded Kucinich for being "the leading light of natural law in politics at this time." An outsider trying to determine what exactly Natural Law members stand for would have been hard-pressed to understand Hagelin, a quantum physicist who likes to draw parallels between scientific principles and politics, but the gist lies in Hagelin's belief in "holistic unity," the idea that we are all one, that all conflicts can be solved in non-violent ways, and that "we can quell violence and terrorism through fields of meditation."

Sharpton:Nedra Pickler of the Associated Press notes that Lieberman and Kerry — along with Dean — have had some inconsistent views on affirmative action. LINK

From ABC News' Sharpton campaign reporter Beth Loyd:

Reverend Sharpton's fighting spirit is refreshed — courtesy of Howard Dean, whose recent comment on "guys with Confederate flags on their pick-up trucks" provided the weekend's biggest excitement.

Sharpton told ABC News that "it is unthinkable to me that one would in any way give license to acceptance of people that have a Confederate flag. If I were to say that I want to be the candidate for those that wear a helmet and swastika, people would ask me to leave the race and they'd be right. I took Mr. Dean at his word — that he represented the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party, not the Dixiecratic wing."

The remainder of the weekend was a bit of a South Carolinian respite, except for a chartered flight to Washington (total cost: $6300) for the Kennedys/King Dinner, where Sharpton was the only candidate to show up and talk to a relatively tough crowd for a total of 20 minutes — focusing almost entirely on D.C. statehood.

Moseley Braun:From ABC News' Moseley Braun campaign reporter Monica Ackerman:

Eleven years ago today, Carol Moseley Braun became the first black woman elected to the U.S. Senate. But, it has been over a week since the debate in Detroit, and since then Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun has not campaigned publicly once. She gave a paid speech in Dayton, Ohio Thursday. The speech, however, was not campaign related. Tomorrow she'll speak at the University of New Hampshire's "Every Child Matters" forum. This will be the first time since I started covering the Ambassador that she has visited the key state of New Hampshire.

Over the weekend Moseley Braun, who memorably spoke from the Senate floor on the Confederate flag back in 1993, gave a statement in response to Dean's flag comment. Moseley Braun said, "The Confederate flag is a symbol of division in our country. Our challenge is to unite Americans, not pour fuel on the flames of racial acrimony. It is unfortunate that Dr. Dean would choose words that resonate so negatively in our national debate. I call upon all the Democratic candidates to embrace racial harmony and to rally around our American flag that brings us all together."

Iowa:Michael Kilen of the Des Moines Register reports that cafes in Iowa "have a special this time of year: A presidential candidate, served with a firm handshake and unlimited trips to the promises buffet." LINK

South Carolina:According to a new American Research Group poll released Friday, The General has "taken the lead" in the Palmetto State, "bumping John Edwards from the top spot." LINK

ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:The Chicago Tribune's Jeff Zeleny takes an inside look at what the Bush-Cheney team is planning for 2004. Zeleny reports that the ball is already rolling on fund-raising, grass roots outreach, and a get-out-vote drive in critical states (even with the president and Vice President repeatedly saying that campaigning is on the back burner). LINK

Note the Names in lights among the "ten media-consulting firms" that have been retained by the campaign: "Harold Kaplan, a Madison Avenue advertising executive who met Bush when he owned the Texas Rangers baseball team," Fred Davis of Hollywood, Stuart Stevens of Santa Monica, Calif., and Alex Castellanos of Alexandria, Va. "At the same time, five polling companies have been hired."

On that same theme, AP's Scott Lindlaw reports that with a year to go before the election, Bush is "furiously" raising funds and campaigning. LINK

The Dallas Morning News' David Jackson heads north to the suburbs of Detroit to see which way the political winds are blowing for President Bush in this battleground state. LINK

New York Times ' Bumiller follows the trail to find out just who did come up with the idea for the Mission Accomplished banner on the USS Lincoln. LINK

And Time's John Dickerson looks at the bigger picture of the sign story:

"But while the banner business means little by itself, the shifting and shading could become a symbol of Bush's suddenly growing credibility problem, coming as it does in the wake of the controversy over claims in the president's State of the Union address and other pre-war speeches about Iraq's yet-to-materialize weapons of mass destruction and leaks from White House officials about the identity of a CIA operative." LINK

President Bush is in Birmingham, Alabama today for a $2000 per person BC04 fund-raiser. LINK

Georgia Senator Zell Miller, one of the first Democrats to endorse President Bush for reelection, writes in a Wall Street Journal op-ed (changing his tune from Merle Haggard to Hank Williams and throwing in a Larry Gatlin reference) that the Democrats running for his party's presidential nomination just don't get it.

In Roll Call , Stu Rothenberg looks at whether the Golden State will be "in play" for Bush in 2004 and concludes that "Bush's strategists ultimately will have to decide on priorities, and in 2004 there are at least five states carried by Al Gore in 2000 — Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Mexico and Oregon — that are far better opportunities for the GOP than California will be next year."

The economy:The sizzling pace of third-quarter U.S. economic growth has larger implications worldwide, writes the Wall Street Journal 's Alan Friedman: Europe's economic health depends on the American economy. Economic underperformance in Europe not only makes independence and true head-to-head competition unlikely, but could also boost resentment of the U.S. — particularly foreign policy.

ABC News' Ramona Schindelheim reports that this week's economic numbers are likely to make some waves — if not quite as many as last week's. First up: this morning's report on October car sales, which, while propped up by incentives (sound familiar?) are expected to show a slow-down from earlier months. Right after that come the manufacturing numbers, expected to show modest growth and continued small inventories. Spending on home and business construction is also flattening. More to come this week: Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan testifies, and productivity and unemployment numbers. LINK

Good numbers on the economy force Dems to return to their playbook and "recalibrate" their message. Perhaps this isn't 1992 after all? LINK

California's new governor:The Los Angeles Times' Shawn Hubler wonders how long Arnold-mania will last. LINK

"The paparazzi's prediction? A spike in attention around the swearing in, followed by a two-month decline in buzz. And then, hail to the has-been, at least in the giddy realm of celebrity gossip. 'Listen,' Ramey said, 'it's not as if he's Justin Timberlake or Cameron Diaz.'"

Knight Ridder's Andrew LaMar looks at some things that Gray Davis might be remembered for — some day. LINK

Politics:On Monday, Florida Senator Bob Graham will hold a media availability to announce whether he's going to seek a fourth term in the Senate. Graham told the Associated Press: "It's, for all intents and purposes, a rest-of-your-life decision." LINK

USA Today 's Mary Beth Marklein reports that some conservative college students are fighting against what they see as liberal institutions trying to keep them quiet LINK; and presidential candidates should take Notice of these reports spread throughout the country. LINK

Conservative positions on guns and abortion are creeping into the Democratic Party, writes Donald Lambro in the Washington Times .LINK

K Street:Roxanne Roberts makes it clear that Anne Schroeder isn't the only one with a Stylish eye on that Clooney fella. LINK