The Note

W A S H I N G T O N, Oct. 13 —
, 2003 -- Today's Schedule (all times Eastern):

—8:00 am: Senator Joe Lieberman kicks off his "Leading with Integrity" tour, Hartford, Conn.—9:30 am: Senator John Edwards holds a worker roundtable, Blountville, Tenn.—10:25 am: President Bush makes remarks on Columbus Day, D.C.—11:00 am: Senator John Kerry makes remarks on health care, Hanover, N.H.—11:10 am: Senator Lieberman visits Timoleon's Diner, Keene, N.H.—11:30 am: Senator Edwards holds a town hall meeting, Bristol, Va.—12:00 pm: Congressman Dennis Kucinich formally announces his presidential campaign, Cleveland—1:00 pm: Senator Lieberman delivers a speech outlining his vision for the country, Manchester, N.H.—2:15 pm: Representative Kucinich speaks at Wayne Community College, Detroit—2:15 pm: General Wesley Clark visits the Rascal House Restaurant, Miami—5:20 pm: Representative Kucinich speaks at the New Hampshire Institute of Art, Manchester, N.H.—7:00 pm: General Clark attends a campaign MeetUp event, Key Biscayne, Fla.—7:00 pm: Senator Edwards appears on MSNBC's "Hardball: Battle for the White House"—8:00 pm: Representative Kucinich speaks at the Wisconsin Aviation Terminal, Madison, Wis.—8:00 pm: Governor Howard Dean holds a town hall meeting, Council Bluffs, Iowa

NEWS SUMMARY

Darn that weasely David Broder.

Having announced on the Church on Nebraska Avenue that "you can make a case for any one of four or five people still winning this nomination," Broder snuck past the post-show stakeout at which a dispatched (and rare) flying Googling monkey had rushed to the scene to ask Dean Broder: which four or five?

Figuring it out is not as easy as it might seem, in a cycle in which the race is fluid; the impact/influence of Iowa and New Hampshire is still more up in the air than is popularly thought; and the disconnect between the supporters of the frontrunner and the Gang of 500 remains laughably immense.

After another bad weekend of inside-495 news for the Commander-in-Chief, Democrats are still in their "Bush is so beatable, but we need a candidate (and the economy to stay bad)" mode.

Today, someone we are pretty sure ISN'T on even Broder's long list (Congressman Dennis Kucinich) formally announces for president, and someone who we assume IS (Senator Joseph "Joe" Lieberman) tries to re-launch his own candidacy with a second-bite-at-the-apple tour.

Dick Gephardt continues grinding out Big Labor support; John Edwards keeps collecting clips and banking on organize-organize-organize-and-get-hot-at-the-end (not that he isn't hot now, if you know what we mean … .); John Kerry remains, in the eyes of his idealistic supporters, too big to fail; and General Clark continues to defy gravity and attract supporters (the list of C-G alums who are in the orbit continues to astound, with names both good(ie) and stern).

But the person who continues to dominate the seven indices of nomination success (money, momentum, money, message, money, media, and money) is the former governor of state with fewer citizens than Westchester County.

You don't have to be Laura Blumenfeld (but it helps … ) to understand that a big part of Dean's success is that he connects with his listeners.

But he doesn't connect because he is some sort of spell-binding speaker.

And he doesn't just connect because of his opposition to the war in Iraq.

Dean actually has an integrated, coherent critique of why (to steal, yet again, from Bill Clinton) America should fire the guy in the job now and hire him on to take over.

One not-small example:

Well over a year ago, before the New York Times had given Dean stories Ornstein Banishment treatment (and then given up and allowed them again); before magazine covers became run-of-the-mill; before even Howard Fineman saw what was coming — before all that, Howard Dean was criticizing his party for signing on to No Child Left Behind.

Dean would tell any reporter or voter who would listen exactly what was going to happen with the law and why it wouldn't work and why Democrats in Washington had made both a substantive and political mistake by helping the president pass it.

Dean "knew" NCLB behind was not going to work out exactly as planned because he was a governor; because he didn't vote for it; because he knows how education works in the states; because he was confident that the Bush economic plan would keep full funding from being available; and because he had a good enough political ear to hear how well received his attacks on it by Democratic (and other) audiences from sea to shining sea.

The must-read story of the day is the Washington Post 's Jim VandeHei's I-told-you-so bouquet to Howard Dean on why the president just might be vulnerable on what the White House touts as one of the major 43 accomplishments. LINK

NCLB supporter Joe Lieberman relaunches his effort today, with a tour that takes him from Oklahoma to Florida.

Curtain-raising the effort are a trio of white men: Fournier, Lightman, and the New York Times ' Ed Wyatt, whose strong effort today makes it seem nearly impossible that he has been toiling below Chambers and W. Broadway for all these many months: the man has game.

Do the Google News search on Lieberman, however, and the headlines are all about his status as a tax raiser, something From which his most loyal supporters might turn up their noses.LINK

In fact, per Fournier, what Lieberman is going to propose is a "major tax reform package" that would "ensure that upper-income Americans pay more taxes than they did before President Bush's record-breaking tax cuts" and "adjust income tax rates to lower the burden on middle-class Americans."

See below for more on Lieberman's tour.

As for the weekend, print out the Washington Post 's two must-reads and you too can play Bush Administration plumber!

Grab a yellow highlighter, and try to guess who all the blind quotes are from.

First, there is a smashing Pincus/Allen tick tock of the Wilson leak (the real-life Pincus and Allen would make a good buddy picture pairing, by the way). LINK

Far and away the most intriguing aspects of this piece are:

1. The return of The 2/6 Source, who, you will recall, set this story on fire.

"The source elaborated on the conversations last week, saying that officials brought up [Mrs. Wilson] as part of their broader case against Wilson."

"'It was unsolicited,' the source said. 'They were pushing back. They used everything they had.'"

The administration itself spinning that the exposure of the agent's identity was simply an attempted political hit job, rather than a knowing leak.

"Administration sources said they believe that the officials who discussed Plame were not trying to expose her, but were using the information as a tool to try to persuade reporters to ignore Wilson. The officials wanted to convince the reporters that he had benefited from nepotism in being chosen for the mission."

Second, there is the Kessler and Slevin unfurling of one of Washington's tightly-held dirty little secrets: some people think Dr. Rice isn't that good at her job. LINK

Dear Ms. Perez: If we can guess who two of the attack sources are, we bet you can too.

Help is on the way! A new Duke University study has massive implications for the future of the Note. We are hoping this break-through research has solved our long standing problem of trying to train our monkeys to type and read at the same time. It appears they will soon be able to do just that. LINK

President Bush will make Columbus Day remarks today in D.C. On Tuesday, the president will have a photo op with the 2003 NBA Champions, the San Antonio Spurs. On Wednesday, he travels to California for a pair of Bush-Cheney 2004 fundraisers and a speech on housing and the economy. On Thursday, he will make remarks on the economy and the war on terror in San Bernardino, California. No word yet on a time for a 43-T3 summit.

All of the Democratic candidates except Reverend Sharpton are scheduled to attend the Arab American Institute's national conference this Friday in Dearborn, Michigan. The candidates will speak individually to the conference goers. Governor Racicot, the Macker, Governor Granholm, and Grover Norquist will also address the conference.

General Clark campaigns in Florida today. He delivers an address on public service in New York City on Tuesday. He delivers another public service speech in New Mexico and attends a campaign fundraiser in Las Vegas on Wednesday. He delivers yet another public service speech in Oklahoma City on Thursday. He's in Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday.

Senator Kerry will make remarks on health care today at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, New Hampshire, and attend meet-and-greets tonight in Franklin and Weirs, New Hampshire. He campaigns again in New Hampshire tomorrow. He'll head to Iowa later in the week. He's in Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday.

Governor Dean holds a town hall meeting tonight in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He campaigns in Iowa on Tuesday and Wednesday. He's in Virginia on Thursday. He's in Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday.

Senator Edwards campaigns in Tennessee and Virginia today. He will also appear on "Hardball: Battle for the White House" tonight live from the JFK School at Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

We wonder what the implications are for civic discourse to have this sentence appear in the full page USA Today ad touting Chris Matthews' admirably booked interviews with all of the Democratic presidential candidates over the next many Mondays:

"To get to the White House, they have to get past him."

Bam! Pow! Bang! Zap! Wham!

Senator Edwards will campaign in New Hampshire on Tuesday and in Iowa on Wednesday and Thursday. He's in Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday.

Senator Lieberman kicks off his "Leading with Integrity" tour today in Connecticut. He'll make several stops in New Hampshire today, including what's billed as a major speech in Manchester outlining his vision for the country. He's in Oklahoma on Tuesday, South Carolina on Wednesday, Florida on Thursday, and Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday.

Congressman Kucinich kicks off his formal announcement tour today in Cleveland, where he'll make remarks at City Hall. He then travels to Wayne Community College in Detroit, the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester, and the Wisconsin Aviation Terminal in Madison. On Tuesday, he travels to Albuquerque, Austin, Oklahoma City, Minneapolis, and Chicago. On Wednesday, he goes to St. Louis and Des Moines. He wraps things up in D.C. on Thursday. He's in Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday.

Reverend Sharpton is in New York City today with no public events scheduled. Tomorrow, he will go to his big birthday fundraiser with P. Diddy, Russell Simmons, and Jay-Z in New York City. He's in South Carolina on Wednesday, back in New York City on Thursday, and off to Cleveland on Friday.

Ambassador Moseley Braun campaigns in Chicago on Tuesday, Iowa on Wednesday, and Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday.

Representative Gephardt is in D.C. today and tomorrow with no public events scheduled. He's in Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday.

ABC News Vote 2004: The Invisible Primary:

David Halbfinger of the New York Times discovered on Sunday that Democratic operatives who work for rival campaigns sometimes compare Notes, and sets the party atwitter. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Nick Anderson tallies up the congressional support (or lack thereof) for each of the presidential candidates. LINK

"In 2004, congressional endorsements could also play an important factor if the Democratic nomination is not determined in the early primaries and caucuses. More than 18% of the 4,318 delegates to the party's convention in Boston will be 'super-delegates.'"

"These 798 uncommitted partisans, unlike the other, pledged delegates, will be free to vote on the first ballot for whomever they like. The super-delegates include about 250 congressional Democrats and hundreds of state and local officials. As a bloc, they outnumber all of the pledged delegates from California (370), New York (236) and Florida (177) combined."

Lieberman:

From Connecticut's King Lightman: "Joe Lieberman today kicks off a new phase of his presidential campaign with one overarching message: Pay attention to me. LINK

"Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!"

Not so good news from a New York Times piece on the Connecticut Senator. Notes the Times , Lieberman "has struggled to break out of a packed second tier of candidates, overshadowed by the antiwar oratory of Howard Dean … and the public's infatuation with Gen. Wesley K. Clark."

And for Joe backers who say look at the national polls?

"Those figures are virtually meaningless for a candidate who has yet to win over Democratic loyalists in Iowa and New Hampshire."

And enquiring minds want to know, will he decide to skip the Hawkeye State? LINK

The AP's Ron Fournier writes up Lieberman's tax plan and reports that, according to campaign officials, a "major" shift in strategy is likely "soon."

The Wall Street Journal 's Jacob Schlesinger reports that Lieberman "is set Monday to spearhead a Democratic effort to redefine the 2004 economic debate: stop talking tax increases, start touting 'tax reform.'"

"Seeking to jump-start his presidential bid, Mr. Lieberman will propose new tax cuts for lower- and middle-income families, while collecting more from upper-income families and business. But Mr. Lieberman is casting his goal more grandly than as simply repealing President Bush's tax cuts and raising the top income-tax rates back to Clinton-era levels."

Lieberman is "promising to ensure that upper-income Americans pay more taxes than they did before President Bush's record-breaking tax cuts." Lieberman's plan would also "adjust income tax rates to lower the burden on middle-class Americans." LINK

"By reducing spending and raising taxes on the wealthy, Lieberman believes he can cut the deficit every year he's in office and balance the budget by the end of his second term."

Lieberman's re-launch tour does not include a stop in Iowa, and Sunday's Des Moines Register conveniently included a piece on how Lieberman supported a plan for regional primaries/caucuses that would have undermined the sacrosanct first-in-the-nation Hawkeye status. LINK

That piece is a sidebar to Jane Norman's bio piece that isn't too bullish on the Senator and Iowa to begin with. LINK

Harsh but true: it is testament to the degree to which Senator Lieberman is seen by the Gang of 500 as a true threat to win the nomination that all this has barely caused a ripple.

At The Note, by the way, we still think he can be the nominee.

Senator Lieberman was on CNN's "American Morning" outlining his ideas for tax reform.

Lieberman said his plan would raise taxes on the highest income Americans, close corporate loopholes, and give middle-class taxpayers "real relief, as much as $1,000 if you're a family making $50,000 a year, $1,500 if you're making $75,000, and $2,000 in tax relief if you're making $100,000."

On the fundraising front, Lieberman said he hasn't raised as much as he would have hoped but that he's raised enough to win the nomination. When asked by Soledad O'Brien why is he trailing in the CNN/Gallup Poll, Lieberman said "polls come and go" but that he "can't resist saying" that there is a Newsweek poll that shows he's tied with Wes Clark for the lead.

(The Newsweek poll shows Clark with 15, Lieberman with 13, Kerry with 11, Dean with 10, and Gephardt with 8). LINK

From ABC News' Lieberman campaign reporter Talesha Reynolds:

"Senator Lieberman hopes to reinvigorate his campaign with this week's 'Leading with Integrity' tour. The trip starts in Lieberman's home state of Connecticut, where AP reports the senator beats Bush in a new poll. LINK

"Lieberman will visit five more states in five days. The tour will be ABC News's first peek at the WinnebaJoe. Road Rulers eat your hearts out."

"At Friday's NAACP convention, Lieberman drew on his cross country experience to describe the purpose of the tour. 'I've run some long distance races in my day and I don't just mean politically. And you come to a point where you're heading into kind of the last quarter of the race and you kind of regenerate yourself for the finish.'"

Kucinich:

"Dennis Kucinich, self-described urban populist and liberal four-term congressman, is formally launching his bid for the White House, a long-shot candidacy against eight rivals for the Democratic nomination," the AP's Connie Mabin reports. LINK

The AP has the vital stats on the man formerly known as Cleveland's Boy Mayor. LINK

From ABC News' Kucinich campaign reporter Melinda Arons:

"Kucinich made his way through western and central Iowa Saturday, starting with a speech to the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America local 893 in South Sioux City, Nebraska, just over the Iowa border.

"Though they've never formally endorsed a presidential candidate and may not this time around, the national UERMWA office in Washington sent a letter to members urging them to support him. Says UE National Political Director Chris Townsend, 'We had more delegate requests to hear him speak than everyone else put together. We've worked with him since he was mayor and have always found him to be the most responsive … we just feel he fills the menu of what we look for in a candidate.'"

"Unprompted, Townsend also expressed his and many members' dislike of new kid on the block Wesley Clark: 'This guy just blows in out of nowhere. He's not a Democrat.'"

Kucinich isn't doing so great with Jewish groups due to the late return of a donation from an Islamic man with ties to Hamas: LINK

Clark:

Look, Bob Novak Notes the Clark Paradox:

"Since Clark simultaneously declared himself a Democrat and presidential candidate, not much has gone right for him. The announcement of his candidacy was unimpressive, his campaign manager resigned in protest after two weeks, and he has not been able to take an intraparty punch. Yet, strong sentiment persists within the party that Clark is the Democrat most likely to make George W. Bush a one-term president."LINK

The Rock's Reunion 2004: The Washington Post 's Hanna Rosin Notes the scene back in Little Rock, Arkansas, where General Clark's re-hired "Clinton" staff is back reminiscing about the good 'ol days of Doe's and the State House. But what would bring folks back together in the "hole?" LINK

"There are several theories about why the Clintonites converged on the Clark campaign. The meanest is that no one else asked them. The most cynical is that they think he can win. The most likely is that Clark announced late and had no political network, so there was a huge vacuum that could be quickly filled with experienced operatives."

One thing we at The Note have learned from watching "Fleetwood Mac: Behind the Music" one too many times: it's never the same when you get back together.

The Wall Street Journal 's Jackie Calmes reports on supposed Clark campaign rumblings and Notes: "The latest New Hampshire poll has Clark in single digits."

When former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, retired General Hugh Shelton, said three weeks ago that he would not vote for Clark having known his former subordinate "for a long time," eyebrows raised:

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Deirdre Shesgreen looks at the different opinions on Clark "the military man"-- many suggesting he was brilliant, but overly ambitious. Gregory Davis, who served 23 years in the military and only met Clark briefly at West Point, makes the most distinctive Clark comparison to "a popinjay — a bird kind of like a peacock which struts about." LINK

Nancy Benac from the AP reports many retired military officers do raise questions about General Clark's "personal ambition and drive to succeed," but after speaking with those worried about Clark the candidate, the Clark '04 campaign contributes the names of former generals who actually like The General. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Johanna Neuman spotlights Clark's rookie campaign. He may command the spotlight, but are he and his campaign ready to handle it? LINK

According to the latest Newsweek poll, people do think Clark is a viable Democratic presidential candidate, making him the only Democrat in a tie with President George W. Bush and the top choice among Democrats to beat Bush. LINK

From ABC News' Clark campaign reporter Deborah Apton:

"General Clark was in Washington, D.C. at the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel on Sunday afternoon attending The Oxford University Society of Washington, D.C.'s tea for Rhodes Scholars. The other famous Little Rock Rhodes Scholar, former President Bill Clinton, did not attend the closed media event. Clark, who is losing his voice because of a bad cold, addressed the packed room of scholars with "light remarks."

"This week will kick off the first of four major policy addresses that Clark will use to define his vision of what he calls 'The New American Patriotism.' Tuesday's New York City speech will focus on public service. He will address health care on October 20, the economy on October 27, and national security on November 4. LINK

Dean:

Howard Dean gets the Safire "let-me-set-the-record-straight" treatment. And how.

"His eagerness to expunge from the record his snap judgment about the killing of Saddam's sons — to claim falsely 'I never said any such thing,' to suggest it is a McCain concoction, an 'urban legend' — tells us that he is a man who treats a toothache by biting down on it hard."LINK

It appears to us that Dean did say the literal words, but that their meaning has been misunderstood by the language-tone-deaf Mr. Safire.

From ABC News' Dean campaign reporter Marc Ambinder:

"Jay Carson, the quick-on-his-feet former press aide to Senator Tom Daschle, has settled nicely into his new Burlington digs and starts today as a national spokesman for the Dean campaign."

"Wonder how he'll get along with Peter Freyne … "

The Washington Post 's Ceci Connolly looks at the latest argument between the Senator and the former Governor — over Dean's early 2002 threat to kill a prescription drug benefit for Vermont seniors. Dean calls the threat a strategic bluff to push through the legislature a cigarette tax hike. The Kerry campaign sees it as oppo manna from heaven. LINK

In Sunday's Boston Globe , Brian Mooney reported on Steve Grossman's decision nearly a year ago to support Dean instead of Kerry. LINK

In Saturday's Globe, Mooney wrote that the Dean campaign "is raising the stakes in Iowa and New Hampshire, where Dean victories could cripple a pair of major rivals." LINK

In Sunday's New Haven Register, Mary O'Leary recounted Dean's Yale days. LINK

Kerry:

Citing the way Kerry jumped in during Thursday's debate and pointed out that what Gephardt told a businesswoman about health care didn't apply to her, Bob Novak writes that Kerry is "faster on his feet than his adversaries." LINK

Per the AP, "Kerry, on ABC's 'This Week,' said Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should apologize 'for having misled America, for not having kept his promises of working adequately within the international community, not having built a legitimate international coalition, not having exhausted the process of the inspections.'" LINK

Kerry "kicked off his five-day campaign trip through the Granite State Friday, making several stops to rail against the Bush administration and detail his new healthcare proposal." LINK

Kerry presented himself as "the steadfast Democrat" among those seeking the nomination. LINK

Kerry pitched his health insurance plan to a small business Friday while blasting Wal-Mart for its "disgraceful" treatment of employees, the AP's Holly Ramer reports. LINK

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

"In New Hampshire, one word haunts Senator John F. Kerry and it is D-E-A-N. At the midpoint of his 5-day, 15-city swing through the Granite State, the neighboring Senator from Massachusetts has visited the southern strongholds surrounding Manchester and its remote northern region; in both areas of the politically unpredictable state, Kerry received warm receptions of support followed by a cool reminder that the Dean train has already been and may come back through the station."

"On Saturday night in Londonderry Katie Wolff, a self-described independent voter against the war, came to hear John Kerry. After an hour and half mix of stump and quizzing, she left leaning but fully in the Kerry camp, explaining, 'I think that if more Democrats had stood up and said this (war in Iraq) was wrong, we might have stopped it. And I think if Kerry had (voted against it) he might have more support. A lot of Democrats stood by quietly and let it happen.'"

"On the stump, Kerry explained to a curious voter, 'I don't know anything about it. I don't know anything about any attack team. I can tell you this: I don't want my campaign joining in any kind of attacks on anybody … it's not unusual, it's not the first time in campaigns people have had friends or shared information but I don't know nothing about it and I guarantee you I'm not joining in any attack campaign on anyone.'"

Gephardt:

In Sunday's Des Moines Register , Tom Beaumont reported that Teamsters President James Hoffa said Gephardt must win Iowa and predicted the Congressman will get to the AFL's magic two-thirds by January. LINK

Despite being mired in a three-way tied for fourth place in most South Carolina polls, Gephardt feels his campaign is right on track to take the state's primary. LINK

From ABC News' Gephardt campaign reporter Sally Hawkins:

"At the Teamsters rally in Des Moines Saturday, union president James P. Hoffa rallied the crowd, screaming his support for 'the best candidate since Franklin Delano Roosevelt.'"

"Gephardt told the rowdy crowd that he has three goals as President: 'First, jobs. Second goal, jobs. And third goal, jobs.'"

"Gephardt asked for the help and support of union members at the caucuses. 'The real moment of truth here in Iowa comes on January 19th. That's when the rubber meets the road … and I know Teamsters understand what that means.'"

"Still buzzing from the Teamsters rally, the Gephardt campaign boarded a charter plane and headed to Davenport, Iowa, to another union rally to receive the endorsement of the United Food & Commercial Workers union, the second largest union in Iowa."

"In addition to the UFCW news, Gephardt also added another significant endorsement to his roster this weekend … .the significantly small Horseshoers Union with a grand total of 75 members worldwide threw their support his way. It is the smallest union in the world and Gephardt's 19th union endorsement."

Edwards:

The Boston Globe 's Joanna Weiss has an ad watch piece on "Values," a 30-second Edwards spot running in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. LINK

"Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, agrees that the ad helps solidify Edwards's image … . But she wonders if the ad is timed well enough to accomplish what Edwards badly needs: a media buzz. 'Edwards is in crisis at this point,' Jamieson said. 'The purpose of this ad is straightforward: He's trying to push up his poll numbers.'"

"To that end, she said: 'Any ad that is an attack on George Bush is more newsworthy than any ad that doesn't attack George Bush.'"

The Tennesseean reports that Edwards will be in Upper East Tennessee today. LINK

Randy Button, the chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party, says that Clark, Dean, Edwards and Kerry have been "the most active" in the Volunteer State.

"As Button sees it, Edwards will use Tennessee as a breakout state, as will Clark if the newcomer to the race does well in New Hampshire and Iowa. With one-fourth of the Democratic vote in Memphis, Kerry could run strong with Ford's help … ."

In a campaign stop in South Carolina Saturday, Edwards pushed his seven-point plan aimed at creating jobs, specifically emphasizing $100 million job training program. LINK

Elizabeth Edwards was in Ames on Friday pushing her husband's "College for All" plan. LINK

Graham:

The Palm Beach Post offers a remarkable autopsy of the Bob Graham for President campaign with this sentence that seems to sum it all up:

"Not enough time, not enough money, not enough gimmicks, not enough style. "

Note the Jarding, Elleithee quotes … LINK

Sharpton:

From ABC News' Sharpton campaign reporter Beth Loyd:

"Reverend Sharpton spent his Saturday at Howard University as a guest of the president. He attended the football game and participated in the homecoming parade."

"On Sunday, at Ebenezer AME Church in Ft. Washington, Md., Sharpton, as the president of the National Action Network, called for a boycott on the board game 'Ghettopoly,' a spin-off of Monopoly that features 'instead of building houses and hotels, "playas" seek to acquire enough crack houses so they can create a "project" on their property … '"LINK

A New York Daily News article over the weekend compared Jesse Jackson's campaign to the campaigns of Sharpton and Moseley Braun noting that Jackson had a great deal of support from black elected officials. LINK

Iowa:

We sure hope you didn't miss on "Meet the Press" when David Broder recounted his conversation at the DNC meeting with Chairman Fischer, in which The Chairman, per this account, seemed to suggest that The General would be wise to skip Iowa.

New Hampshire:

The Boston Globe 's Glen Johnson offers a New Hampshire for Dummies refresher. LINK

Reform Party:

From ABC News' third-party campaign reporter Erik Olsen:

"The remnants of the Reform Party USA gathered this weekend for their 2003 convention in Diamondhead, Mississippi, home to Waffle House store number 1040 and one of the most foul-smelling Ramadas on the planet."

"What a difference a decade makes. The party that grew out of the Ross Perot's United We Stand America movement, that helped catapult Jesse Ventura to gubernatorial prominence and gave Pat Buchanan his third unsuccessful ride on the presidential candidate roller-coaster, has definitely seen better days. The Party faces an uphill battle, and if the scene at this year's convention is any indication, may be on its last leg."

"During the peak of the opening ceremonies, a rambling speech called "Free Trade vs. Fair Trade" by Alabama businessman Randy Collier, I counted a mere 63 people in attendance."

"The purpose of the convention was to discuss the current state of the party, to elect new party leadership (Mississippi Reform Party Gubernatorial candidate Shawn O'Hara was elected new party chair) and to revise rules and procedures for several Reform efforts to go after local and state positions."

"While there were rumors that Perot would make a surprise appearance, Jones confessed that Ross was actually spending the month in Europe and would not show. Perot's current involvement with the party was described by Party leadership as from 'minimal' to 'none.'"

"The Reformers have not made a decision yet as to whether they will run a candidate in 2004, but most of the leaders I spoke with, including O'Hara said they thought Reform would put someone on the ticket, perhaps Mississippi businessman Ted Weill. The final choice will not be made until the party's nominating convention in August 2004. While there is hope that a prominent candidate will emerge, a 'white knight,' in the words of one delegate, no one really believes that such a person will appear in the near future."

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

As the Bush Administration fans out across the country, Newsday's Thomas DeFrank reports that problems in Iraq have surpassed the troubled economy as the greatest threat to President Bush's reelection campaign, according to the president's advisers. The specter of Bush 41's reelection campaign is looming, as some senior officials worry about "an uncomfortable parallel between Bush's current Iraq woes and his father's problems with the economy." LINK

Is President Bush losing the unflagging support of Hill Republicans? Jill Zuckman reports in Sunday's Chicago Tribune that as the president's poll numbers steadily declined over the last month, "a significant number of Republicans on Capitol Hill have begun to defy the president, speaking out against administration proposals and helping Democrats vote down presidential initiatives."LINK

Unsung hero Tim Griffin leads the GOP choir in his native Natural State! The Northwest Arkansas News on the RNC research director's promise that "President Bush will see his popularity ratings rise when he switches back to campaign mode and fires back at Democrats who 'attack him relentlessly on a daily basis.'" LINK

Newsweek's Jonathan Alter looks at how the Rush Limbaugh prescription pill story could affect the outcome of the 2004 election through Rush's non-dittohead independents — "If Rush goes, so does the biggest megaphone in the GOP's elephant echo chamber. LINK

Time's Joe Klein considers the role of Vice President Cheney, the "hardest of the hard-liners," in the White House turf wars over reconstructing Iraq, the White House leak, and the "failures of American intelligence … a Cheney obsession. LINK

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar criticized Bush over the weekend, calling for him to take control of his cabinet. "The president has to be president," said Lugar while pointing out that Cheney, Powell, Rumsfeld and Rice had all given speeches recently that were "distinctly different" in tone. Senator Joe Biden also took the administration to task for its infighting on Iraq, saying that Bush had to "retake charge, settle this dispute." LINK

The Republican "Eagles," an exclusive club with a $15,000 price tag, were treated to a private dinner with Vice President Cheney last week at the Willard Hotel, reported columnist Bob Novak yesterday. "Eagle" status also earned donors a place at the RNC president gala last Wednesday as well as two breakfasts, a lunch and a post-dinner reception. LINK

Wilson:

We are growing increasingly fond of reading accounts of the alleged Rove-Chris Matthews phone call attributed to people "familiar with Rove's conversation," as in this week's Newsweek. LINK

The Newsweek story seems to be based on the administration spinning that "an alternative theory is emerging among those who are directly involved in the leak case: that the 'senior administration official' quoted in the Washington Post piece simply got it wrong. There were indeed White House phone calls to reporters about Wilson's wife. But most, if not all, of these phone calls, were made after the Novak column appeared some government officials now believe."

The White House seems to be seeking to suggest (and Newsweek seems to be buying) that if officials simply called reporters to call attention to the Novak column and what it said about Wilson's wife the Agents Identities Act does not apply. This seems wrong.

The Act was specifically drafted to cover a situation where a person conveys information other than a name which has the effect of identifying someone as a covert agent. That is what the statutes says "discloses any information identifying such covert agent" rather than "identifies a covert agent."

A reporter reading the Novak column would have no way to know if the fact reported was correct. However, after the phone call he or she would know it was correct and hence would have the identity of a covert agent.

Nor can the administration claim that because the name appeared in the paper once it was no longer classified and that the government was no longer keeping it a secret. This Administration (and past ones) has often argued that something is still secret even if it was published once without collaboration. The government in fact still asks people not to use the name and still take the position that the fact of whether or not she was or is a covert agent is still classified.

Just ask the CIA.

John Podesta lent his reputation for clear-thinking gravitas to the Democratic talking points on the president's responsibilities regarding the leak investigation in Sunday's Washington Post Outlook section. LINK

The economy:

The Wall Street Journal 's Jon Hilsenrath reports that "while many average Americans remain wary about the economy, wealthy Americans feel more confident. The University of Michigan's monthly surveys of consumer sentiment show that confidence among the top-third of income earners in the U.S. is up 24% since February. Confidence in middle-income households is up 10% and in the poorest households is down 2%."

Hilsenrath has a separate article in which he reports, "The nation's long run of rising joblessness might finally be coming to an end."

USA Today 's Sue Kirchoff and Barbara Hansen report on a new USA Today survey of economists. LINK

"The upbeat survey, conducted Oct. 3-8, predicts the U.S. economy, which grew at a 3.3% annual rate in the second quarter, will expand at a strong 4% clip in the fourth quarter and 3.8% in all of 2004."

"However, even with the faster growth, the weak job market should recover only gradually."

Big Casino budget politics:

The New York Times ' Bumiller on Josh Bolten, the "man who oversees the federal government's $2.3 trillion annual budget" and now "is spending huge portions of his time arm-twisting Congress into coming up with the $87 billion that President Bush wants over the next year for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan." LINK

Bush Administration strategy/personality:

"Pebble Beach" RIP and viva Peter Doherty — our Seussian salute to Sunday's Los Angeles Times write up of the changing face of White House television stand ups. LINK

California's new governor:

Michael Finnegan writes-up Schwarzenegger's ability to put the California GOP back on the map. The governor-elect will be able to capture a lot of campaign cash for his Republican colleagues and perhaps nudge the party a little more to the center in hopes of producing a more widely appealing general election candidate. Barbara Boxer's senate seat appears to be first up to test Schwarzenegger's new political muscle. LINK

Los Angeles Times editor John Carroll delivers a full-throated defense of his decision to run the stories (five days prior to the election) concerning women who claimed to be "mistreated and humiliated" by Arnold Schwarzenegger. LINK

Jim Rutenberg keys off of the Los Angeles Times brouhaha and wonders what effect the painting of the news media as "establishment" may have on the future of political coverage. LINK

James Sterngold of the San Francisco Chronicle explores the celebrity status strategy of the Schwarzenegger campaign. LINK

"'We ran away from the established media,' said Sean Walsh, co-director of communications for the campaign. 'We went to the real mass media. We make no apologies for doing lots of radio or TV. It gave us 5, 7, 8 minutes of unfiltered opportunities to get out our message every day.'"

"'We did it,' he added, 'because we could.'"

"It worked. In fact, media analysts and campaign consultants say, Schwarzenegger's strategy may be remembered as the first in contemporary times that rendered newspapers in particular, but also the more serious television correspondents, all but irrelevant to the way the campaign was managed, and also to the choices many voters ultimately made."

Somewhat more indignantly, Ron Brownstein looks beyond the Beltway at our celebrity-riven culture and how Arnold Schwarzenegger (and Kobe Bryant?) seems to think he is untouchable. LINK

"In his gubernatorial campaign, Schwarzenegger didn't venture very far outside that bubble. His campaign minimized his exposure to the media, the other candidates and even voters who weren't already enthusiastic supporters."

More Brownstein: "It's another question whether Schwarzenegger can carry this imperial style into governing. Legislators can't be easily manhandled."

Mike Murphy in Sacramento … funny, right? Bob Novak reports the Schwarzenegger campaign consultant turned down the chief of staff job. LINK

Page Six hears that Governor Schwarzenegger will be the keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention next summer. LINK

Politics:Gotham, GOP, the media and your U.S. Postal Service: What could be better? LINK

USA Today 's Fred Bayles has a week-in-review for the Philadelphia bug story, and he runs through the pros and cons of the not-being-investigated-but-weathering-rumors-of-being-investigated buzz for Mayor Street. LINK