With Barack Obama due to arrive tomorrow in New Hampshire for two sold out events, the New Hampshire Union Leader has published a long interview with the Illinois Senator. He weighs in on a range of subjects, and in particular goes out of his way to display extreme modesty about his sudden political rock-star status. "I tend not to buy into the hype too much." Obama tells the paper. "I'm a little suspicious of it." More from Obama after the jump.

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In a move that could seriously complicate Mitt Romney's efforts to portray himself as the true conservative alternative to John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, some leading social conservatives have opened fire on Romney for some comments he made about gay rights more than 10 years ago, today's New York Times reports.

As Election Central reported over a week ago, a New England gay and lesbian newspaper called Bay Windows in November reprinted excerpts of a letter that Romney wrote to a gay organization back in 1994, when he was running for Senate against Ted Kennedy. In the letter Romney argued that he would be better on gay rights than Kennedy. Among other things, Romney wrote: “[A]s we seek to establish full equality for America’s gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent.” In recent days Romney's opponents have been circulating Romney's comments.

Now the story's gone national, with two leading social conservatives unloading on Romney in the Times:

“This is quite disturbing,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, who had praised Mr. Romney as a champion of traditional values at the group’s conference in late September. “This type of information is going to create a lot of problems for Governor Romney. He is going to have a hard time overcoming this.”

Paul Weyrich, a founder of the modern conservative movement, said: “Unless he comes out with an abject repudiation of this, I think it makes him out to be a hypocrite. And if he totally repudiates this, you have to ask, on what grounds?”

As the paper notes, this can only help Presidential hopeful Senator Sam Brownback, who's also seeking to present himself as the only true social conservative in the race.

No, not for committing a crime. Rather, Senator Sam Brownback is spending tonight in prison in order to prove that he's a compassionate conservative.

The Associated Press reports that Brownback -- who's positioning himself as the race's only real conservative (albeit a compassionate one) -- will bed down in Louisiana's "notorious state prison in Angola" in order to "highlight the problem of recidivism and programs that can help prevent it." The AP adds that the overnight in prison is "unusual, possibly a first for a potential presidential candidate. But the prison stay captures the complexity of Brownback's views and his desire to broaden his appeal beyond religious conservatives who form his natural base."

Meanwhile, Brownback says he's not worried about the conventional wisdom that says he has no chance of winning a GOP primary. In an interview with the Topeka Capitol Journal, Brownback predicts flatly that he is going to be the next President:

"I don't see it as a long shot," he said. "I think once the candidates' positions are known on the various topics, I'm going to win this."

In the final two-and-a-half weeks of the midterm election, the GOP spent a staggering amount of money -- nearly $40 million -- on House races without picking up a single seat and while losing 29 of them to the Dems, according to new campaign finance filings analyzed by CQ Politics.

CQ found that the NRSC spent $37.5 million in the final period beginning on Oct. 19 and ending on Nov. 27. The vast majority of that cash would almost certainly have been spent on the election. The DCCC, meanwhile, spent less -- $30.6 million -- during the same period.

So we thought it would be fun to do a little math.

As of now -- assuming Dems don't win in either TX-23 or in FL-13, the last two seats where it's still an open question which party will win -- Dems gained a total of 29 House seats.

So by our calculation, in the campaign's final stretch the Dems spent roughly $1.05 million per House seat taken from the GOP. Meanwhile, the GOP spent approximately $1.29 million per House seat lost.

That means that the GOP spent over $200,000 more per seat lost than the Dems spent per seat gained.

Something to think about.

“If somebody goes into a polling place and they see the name ‘Barack Obama’, I probably won’t get their vote, but if we sat in their living room and talk...”

-- Barack Obama, acknowledging the political limitations of his name in a new interview today with the New Hampshire Union Leader

In yet another sign that he's edging closer to taking the Presidential plunge, Barack Obama has just given an interview in which he openly discussed the strategic nuts and bolts of how he would campaign in New Hampshire. Obama told the New Hampshire Union Leader today that if he runs, he'll defy the Democratic National Committee and campaign in New Hampshire even if state party leaders buck the DNC and move up their primary ahead of the date the DNC wants. The DNC has just scheduled the Nevada caucus ahead of the New Hampshire contest, provoking strong opposition from state leaders like Dem Gov. John Lynch, who are now considering moving up their primary's date to preserve the state's early-in-the-game status.

Obama is playing both sides of this debate. He told the paper that he supports the DNC's decision to move the Nevada caucus up in front of the New Hampshire contest — though he fudged his position by declaring that he nevertheless is "a strong believer" in the tradition of New Hampshire being the first primary. The question of the primary's timing is a very sensitive issue with New Hampshire voters. Obama arrives in New Hampshire for two sold out events on Sunday.

How far is Norm Coleman going to moderate his image in preparation for what many expect will be a tough re-election fight in 2008? In a 2002 rally with President Bush, then-candidate Coleman told the crowd, "God bless America is a prayer, and I believe that this man [Bush] is God's answer to that prayer." But Coleman — a Republican who won a narrow, quirky victory in 2002 in a normally Democratic state where Bush is unpopular and Dems won the 2006 Senate race with 58% of the vote — may be seeking to retool himself as an open-minded moderate.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Coleman is now talking about how "new thinking" is needed in Iraq, as well as adding, "Right now, there's no question the situation in Iraq is very grave and unsettling," a strong break from conservative talking points.

That's not all. The Star Trib also says that Coleman is publicly defending Dem Rep.-Elect Keith Ellison's decision to be ceremonially sworn in on a Koran, an act that is being attacked by many on the right. Coleman told the paper, "First of all, I think it's a ceremonial act, people have a right to worship in their way, and this is what Keith Ellison chose to do. From my perspective, he had that right. It's freedom of religion in this country."

This is not to imply that Coleman is suddenly becoming a liberal, however. While he specifically said he disagrees with Dennis Prager — mentioning Prager by name — he also made sure to say that Prager should not be kicked off the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum board, on which Coleman also serves.

Sen. John McCain would win a general election challenge with Sen. Hillary Clinton, ABC political news director Mark Halperin told the Manchester Union Leader on Weds. "I think she's strongly positioned but I would make him a favorite today," Halperin, who also co-authors the widely read news blog The Note, said in an interview with the paper. He declared the two Senators as the frontrunners in a field that also includes Sen. Barack Obama, Former VP Al Gore, Former Sen. John Edwards, and MA Gov. Mitt Romney. Notably absent from his list of viable contenders: Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Halperin also speculated that current NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg might enter the race as an independent candidate if McCain doesn't run, though he believes he would enter the race late.

Sen. Barack Obama has two events scheduled in New Hampshire this Sunday -- and both are already sold out with standing-room-only crowds. The Concord Montitor reports that the ticket sales have been so large that state Democratic party officials were forced to move the Sunday night event from the 500 person capacity ballroom of the Radisson Hotel to a 1,500 capacity adjoining armory. An extraordinary media turnout is expected at Obama's events, too: The paper reports that some 150 journalists are expected to attend, including correspondents from the New York Times, Time magazine, CNN, Fox News, and even various TV stations from abroad. The paper concludes: "Thus far in the 2008 presidential primary process, Sunday's event is unparalleled in size and national attention."

While Mitt Romney is busy gathering conservative support against John McCain, it turns out McCain has been busy undermining Romney, too — by scooping up endorsements from Mormons. McCain's exploratory committee has announced the support of two prominent Utahns: Governor Jon Huntsman and state Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, both Mormons, as is Romney. Shurtleff, who will serve as the Utah chairman of the McCain campaign, acknowledged to the Salt Lake Tribune that his state's Mormon majority would likely be inclined towards their co-religionist Romney. "I have some work to do to explain why John McCain is the best candidate," Shurtleff said.

The developing rivalry between potential Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is the talk of the Senate, today's Washington Post reports. The paper offers an intimate (if at times frivolous) look at the ways the behind-the-scenes machinations of this rivalry are playing out.

One example: The Obama campaign's "unofficial motto" is, "Don't tell Mama, I'm for Obama." "Mama" is a reference to Clinton's nickname as former First Lady, the paper says. The paper also claims (though based on very thin sourcing) that "Obama's explosive rise has startled Clinton and her advisers, who are mulling how to react."

The full piece is here.

This is interesting: A group of prominent western Dems is about to unveil an ambitious new project designed to build on the party's midterm election victories in the west and solidify the Democratic Party's hold on western voters. According to the Associated Press, the "New West Project" is to be formally announced on Dec. 18, with the goal of identifying strategies for "reaching Western voters and the issues critical to them." The project will be co-chaired by Colorado Gov.-Elect Bill Ritter and a key adviser will be Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado:

"Six years ago, people would have looked at the Rocky Mountain West and said Democrats were about ready to be buried for generations to come, and yet somehow over the last several years, we've been able to get back into the saddles of our horses," said Salazar, who cited the party agenda on energy, health care and land preservation.

Democrats have long held governorships in Oregon and Washington state while Republicans maintained a grip elsewhere in the West. Since 2002, however, Democrats have won governorships in Montana, Kansas, Wyoming, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and now Colorado.

"They governed as pragmatists, they were problem-solvers, they took on the issues that the people in their states wanted them to take on," Ritter said. "That's the point of the New West strategy."

The changing face of the West has made it a battleground for both parties.

Immigration from Latin America and Asia has affected the makeup and politics of the Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest and Southwest, said Margaret O'Mara, associate director of The Bill Lane Center for the Study of the North American West at Stanford University.

O'Mara said voters are mobilizing around social issues and foreign policy, and ballot measures, referenda and hefty voters guides are common. "The West is the home of the independent voter," she said.

Other measures being taken by Dems to further their gains in the west include granting Nevada an early presidential caucus and considering Denver for the 2008 convention.

Mitt Romney is working hard to win over the southern Republican establishment in the South by forging connections to GOPers close to one of the biggest southern Republican names of all: Jeb Bush. Romney's Commonwealth PAC has just sent out a release trumpeting the fact that he's picked up the endorsements of three prominent Florida Republicans tight with Jeb: outgoing Lieutenant Governor Toni Jennings, former state GOP chair Al Cardenas, and former state House Speaker Allan Bense.

While Jeb Bush himself has made no endorsement, Romney's camp is likely hoping the actions by prominent Jeb supporters may serve as a signal to other members of the Florida Republican establishment that they should throw their political and financial resources behind Romney.

Guess which Presidential candidate is now staking out one of the most liberal positions of the whole field on Iraq, endorsing the findings of the Iraq Study Group and calling for a partitioned Iraq? He happens to be the most conserative candidate in the race: Sam Brownback. The Associated Press reports that the Kansas Senator today supported a three-state solution as a possibility for Iraq, a position that's been rejected by President Bush, who has said, "Success in Iraq requires a united Iraq."

What's more, Brownback now says that "political equilibrium" — not "victory," as the President or John McCain would say — should be the U.S.'s principal goal in Iraq. Strikingly, Brownback also agrees with the Study Group's timetable for withdrawal. Key quote:

"We are not willing to impose a military solution in Iraq. The Iraqis, I don't believe, are going to be capable of imposing a military solution. Therefore, you must get to some form of political equilibrium in Iraq. And by that I think you may end up having to have a Kurdish, a Sunni, a Shiite area, and Baghdad being a federal capital. Hopefully you can maintain it in one country."

"If she were to be president, she’d do an outstanding job. I think she’s going to have a hard time getting elected.”

Already? Yes, preparations are actually underway for what may be the first debate of the Presidential race. Location: South Carolina. The Charleston Post and Courier reports that State Democratic Party chairman Joe Erwin is making plans to hold a debate in connection with the party's Jefferson-Jackson dinner on April 27 -- of this year. Erwin tells the paper that he's in informal talks with TV networks about carrying the debate, which would take place nine months before the January 29, 2008, South Carolina primary -- the first primary in a southern state.

In other South Carolina news, the paper also reports that Dem Presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Christopher Dodd have quietly been reaching out to South Carolina Dems, with Dodd going so far as to call and wish some of them a happy birthday. Clinton, for her part, is "calling 'people just as a sounding board if she decides to run about what are important things for her to consider in campaigning in South Carolina,'" according to Erwin.

And in still other micro-news out of other states, Iowa's Globe Gazette reports that Hillary had a private breakfast with Senator Tom Harkin yesterday. He refused to disclose their discussion.

Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign is heating up. He’s scheduled a $2,100 a ticket fundraiser at the Marriot Marquis for December 19^th. In addition, Giuliani has hired Sandra Pack, Bush’s CFO from his 2004 campaign. According to The Daily News, this is a major sign of how serious he is:

“Experts surmised that a veteran like Pack would never give up a steady job and dedicate herself to Giuliani, a Republican, if she didn't think he was serious about a White House run."

In other Giuliani news, during an appearance on NY1, former NYC Mayor Ed Koch speculated that Giuliani will end up as John McCain’s VP. Koch explained that, “he’s young enough to dream” of being president.

Even with major Iowa Democrats supporting home-state candidate Tom Vilsack, other candidates are still eager for face-time. The Mason City, Iowa Globe Gazette reported on a meeting between Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Hillary Clinton. Harkin wouldn't comment on the specifics of the conversation, but did tell the Gazette that while he is committed to supporting his fellow Vilsack, the state's Democratic Party will be fair and unbiased towards other candidates in the caucus.

"Now, it's interesting for me because I'm an orphan and I don't know what my nationality is. But the way I eat, I think I'm Italian."

With Senate Democrats looking to consolidate their midterm gains in 2008, the latest Senate seat being eyed for a possible Dem pick-up is in blue territory currently held by a Republican. Roll Call reports (paid subscription) that Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, has said he is "seriously considering" a run for U.S. Senate against moderate GOPer Susan Collins. Allen, who voted against the war in 2002, has spent only half of the more than $930,000 he raised in the last cycle — leaving him with a warchest for a statewide run that rivals the cash on hand held by Collins.

Should Allen run, and Collins seek re-election, he will reportedly base his campaign around two central issues. First, he will take Collins to task for breaking the pledge she made in 1996 to only serve two terms. And he will argue that the liberal-leaning voters of his New England state should not be sending a Senator to Washington who would empower the Republican leadership there. It worked for Rhode Island Senator-Elect Sheldon Whitehouse.

And the "talent primary" continues: Mitt Romney's camp has just leaked word that he's going to sign up top adviser Beth Myers as campaign manager. Myers, who comes out of Texas politics, has worked for Rick Santorum, among other Republicans. This hire won't get Romney designated today's winner of the "talent primary," however, because today's victory belongs to John McCain for his hiring of GOP operative Terry Nelson, the strategist behind the infamous "bimbo" ad attacking Dem Harold Ford, Jr. D.C. insiders are calling the Nelson hiring a "huge get."

John McCain has signed up GOP operative Terry Nelson as his campaign manager -- yep, that would be the same Terry Nelson who produced the infamous, racially-charged "bimbo" ad attacking Dem Tennessee Senate candidate Harold Ford, Jr. ABC News reports that McCain's exploratory committee will announce the hiring of Nelson, a former top operative for Bush-Cheney '04, as "national campaign manager" later today. In honor of McCain's "get" in what many D.C. insiders are calling the "talent primary," we're reproducing the ad -- it features a gaudily dressed blond winking at the camera and saying, "Harold, call me!" -- that Nelson brought to the TV sets of families and children across Tennessee and subsequently the nation. It's here; more on this after the jump.

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Presidential hopeful Sam Brownback may have been seeking to establish his conservative credentials on his first trip to Iowa yesterday, but he found himself needing to establish something far more fundamental with Iowans: His identity. The Kansas City Star reports that Brownback appeared before the local Iowa media only to be asked by a reporter how he spelled his name. (Imagine the same being asked of John McCain.) “OK. I’m Sam Brownback," the Kansas Senator replied. "That’s B-R-O-W-N-B …” Cedar Rapids waitress Linda Rydak offered the paper a succinct commentary on Brownback's name recognition in her state: “I’d be lying if I told you that I’ve ever heard of Sam Brownback."

Here's an interesting sidenote on the whole controversy Dennis Prager and other right-wing pundits have kicked up over Muslim Rep.-Elect Keith Ellison's plans to use a Koran for his symbolic swearing-in: It turns out this won't be the first time a federal official has used a Koran to be sworn into office.

Election Central has just spoken with Dr. Fred Beuttler, Deputy Historian for the House of Representatives, and he told us that M. Osman Siddique, the first Muslim ambassador in U.S. history, was sworn in on a Koran in 1999, when he became U.S. Ambassador to the Fiji Islands.

Dennis Prager insists that "neither I nor tens of millions of other Americans will watch in silence as the Bible is replaced with another religious text for the first time since George Washington brought a Bible to his swearing-in." (Emphasis added.) But as far as the Koran is concerned, at least, Prager's complaint is really seven years too late.

The Bluegrass Report's Mark Nickolas -- who successfully launched the movement to draft Dem Congressional candidate Ken Lucas for a stiff challenge to GOP Rep. Geoff Davis -- has an idea for a candidate to run against Senator Mitch McConnell in 2008:

Well...there is one other possibility: Kentucky’s very own George Clooney. Born in Lexington and raised in Northern Kentucky (note that McConnell is from Alabama), the two-time holder of the title “Sexiest Man Alive” (1997 and 2006) would present quite an opportunity for Democrats. Clooney, 45, is no stranger to politics; he even recently testified before the United Nations Security Council about his visit to Darfur, Sudan, where genocide is destroying the population. Clooney is as articulate as he is at ease when discussing issues like Iraq, North Korea, warrantless surveillance, domestic issues and why he’s a Democrat. He was even ahead of the curve this summer by calling for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to run for president in 2008.

While certainly a fixture of American pop culture, Clooney never fails to discuss growing up in Augusta, where he played baseball (and even tried out for the Cincinnati Reds), and in a recent Larry King Live interview, he spoke of the back-breaking work of cutting tobacco as a kid.

Clooney has never been shy about expressing interest in politics, though without fail he’s self-deprecating about why he should not run for office. In this month’s Esquire, Clooney mused that the effects of watching his father lose his 2004 race for Congress in Northern Kentucky, and the compromising nature of politics, have caused him to rethink a run. But it’s that very sort of thoughtful assessment — rather than an unabashed desire to be elected to office — that makes Clooney so appealing.

And Clooney would certainly have the support of the netroots. Kos comments: "Yeah, this would be awesome."

Here's pro-withdrawal Rep. John Murtha's statement on today's Iraq study group report:

"On November 7th, 2006 the American public sent a message on Iraq and as the new Democratic majority, we must respond with decisive action. Staying in Iraq is not an option politically, militarily or fiscally. The American people understand this. Today there is near consensus that there is no U.S. military solution and we must disengage our military from Iraq. The ISG recommended that we begin a withdrawal of U.S. troops by early 2008, depending on conditions on the ground. This is no different than the current policy. We must do what is best for America and insist on a responsible plan for redeployment. Iraq is plagued by a growing civil war and only the Iraqis can solve it."

In a campaign season where GOP Presidential candidates like Mitt Romney and John McCain are falling all over themselves to appeal to conservatives, White House hopeful Mike Huckabee is pushing a radically different approach: He's calling for the U.S. to welcome Hispanics into American society. The Associated Press reports that Huckabee told an Arkansas political club: "One of the great challenges facing us is that we do not commit the same mistakes with our growing Hispanic population that we did with African Americans 150 years ago and beyond. We're still paying the price for the pathetic manner in which this country handled that."

Huckabee, the governor of Arkansas, added, "I think, frankly, the Lord is giving us a second chance to do better than we did before." Huckabee has a book coming out in January, and he's said its reception will help him determine whether to run for President. Somehow we doubt the sales will be all that strong among the border-patrol crowd.

Tom Vilsack, the only officially declared Presidential candidate, claims he can beat Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama -- by outworking and outsmarting the two high-wattage Dems. Asked at a meeting with reporters from the Christian Science Monitor how he can get past either of the two, Vilsack answered: "You have to work longer, and you have to work smarter, and that's what we intend to do." Asked by CSM about the charisma gap between him and Obama, Vilsack replied that "there is a quiet charisma" which persuades people that "he's authentic and real and has done well." Not to mention optimistic.

According to a Dem Congressman who had a private discussion with Senator Hillary Clinton about her impending Presidential run, Hillary thinks she can win a "bunch" more states in 2008 than John Kerry did in 2004, today's New York Observer reports. The Congressman, Eliot Engel, spelled out the conversation with Hillary in an interview with the paper:

The typically-conservative editorial board of the Chicago Tribune is calling on Senator Barack Obama to run for President -- now. Today's Trib carries an editorial with a simple title: "Obama should run." "After the divisive events of the last decade, the nation may be ready for a voice that celebrates our common values instead of exaggerating our differences," the Trib says. In addition to extolling the virtues of an Obama candidacy, the editorial sets out to dispell the notion that Obama shouldn't run due to a lack of experience. Key quote:

To run for president would be a big leap for someone who just a couple of years ago was commuting to Springfield as a state senator. There is a plausible case why Obama should bide his time and burnish his credentials for the future--plausible, but not persuasive. When a leader evokes the enthusiasm that Obama does, he should recognize that he has something special to offer, not in 2012 or 2016, but right now.

Yesterday we noted the sudden torrent of leaks coming out of Camp Hillary about her suddenly active Presidential campaign -- leaks which appear to be a clear effort to dispel any pressure that Senator Barack Obama's high-profile movements are putting on her to gear up her campaign. Today the leaks continue apace, with the New York Post reporting that Senator Clinton will be hosting dinners for high-level Dems from key primary states in coming days. "The dinner with the New Hampshire contingent is slated for Sunday night, and the Iowa meeting is set for Tuesday, according to sources who were invited," the Post says.

And speaking of leaks designed to portray an active campaign, sources close to Rudy Giuliani also told the paper that he will hold a "late-day powwow with key aides and advisers today about his exploratory committee."

Call him the anti-McCain: Dem Tom Vilsack said today that he favors the removal of most combat troops from Iraq. Vilsack told the Associated Press that he favors withdrawal of the troops even if it leads to more violence. "It's tough love, no question about it," says Vilsack, who to our knowledge is the only Dem Presidential hopeful aside from John Kerry to attack Senator John McCain's call for more troops to be sent to Iraq.

Vilsack added of the Iraqis: "It may very well require them to go through some chaotic and very difficult times for them to finally decide it is not in their interest to continue down that road." Of course, Vilsack didn't elaborate on how exactly they could simply "decide" not to "continue down that road," but it's nonetheless interesting to see a candidate staking out a strong withdrawal position at the other end of the spectrum from McCain.

Update: Vilsack didn't specify a timeframe for withdrawal, but his comments seem to suggest that he favors immediate withdrawal of most of the troops. If so, he'd be the first Dem presidential hopeful to frame it in these terms. We're seeking clarification from Vilsack's office.

Late update: Vilsack spokesman Link Jeff tells us that Vilsack does not favor a timetable for his proposed withdrawal of most troops from Iraq, and thinks the question of timing should be left to military commanders.

Prospective Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter may be about as right-wing as they come in Congress, but Election Central must pay him this compliment: he's a good sport when it comes to his detractors. At a recent appearance at Charleston Southern University, a Christian and overwhelmingly conservative school, Hunter was confronted by three of the school's few College Democrats, who hammered Hunter with a litany of very tough questions. But unlike other GOPers (including President Bush) who use loyalty-oath forms and other strict screening methods to keep out the opposition, Hunter engaged the students and even socialized with them after the quarrel had reached its conclusion. The full tale after the jump.

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“We're preparing to run. While the lawyers are crossing the T's and dotting I's, we're down here getting a running start.”

It's off to New Hampshire for Senator Evan Bayh. His political organization, the All America PAC, just sent out a release saying he's headed there for two days worth of campaigning. Bayh, a former DLC chair, has been trying very hard to raise his media profile as the "centrist" Dem in the race, something he's been doing by very conspicuously warning Dems not to be too "partisan," lest their midterm election victory prove short lived -- comments that sound like they're tailored to win approval less from voters than from the David Broders of the world. Bayh's scheduled to be in New Hampshire on Dec. 9 and 10.

It sounds odd, but a Democrat is now running an attack ad featuring ominous images of gay people, a fetus, and scientists engaging in cloning research. The new ad from scandal-plagued Rep. Bill Jefferson attacks fellow Dem Karen Carter — his opponent in this Saturday's runoff election — accusing her of supporting gays, late-term abortion and embryonic cloning, all accompanied with the sort of sinister music that we're using to hearing in Republican ads. "Big difference?" the ad asks. "You bet there is."

Late Update: The ad has been pulled from YouTube.

Man, the leaks about Hillary Clinton's sudden Presidential campaign activity are coming fast and furious today. Today's New Hampshire Union Leader reports that Camp Hillary told the paper that she's been reaching out to New Hampshire Dems to discuss Presidential politics and even had a conversation with Governor John Lynch. We can't help but notice that word of Hillary's interest in the opinions of New Hampshire Dems is coming out just a few days before Senator Barack Obama will be the exclusive speaker at the New Hampshire Democratic Party's gathering on Dec. 10.

Meanwhile, as noted below, this morning we've also heard that Hillary is reaching out to Iowa Dems and even supposedly told a New York lawmaker, "I'm going to go for this."

Make of this what you will, but today's New York Post is reporting that an anonymous New York lawmaker told the paper that Hillary Clinton told him flat out, "I'm going to go for this." This, of course, being the Presidency.

"She said to me, 'I'm really going to go for this. I'm going to make this effort,' " the New York lawmaker told The Post.

"She never said she was running for the presidency of the United States or if she was going to announce - or anything like that," the lawmaker said, quickly adding, "It wasn't a question that needed to be asked. It was an obvious conversation."

Whether or not it's true, this leak is of course designed to put pressure on Camp Hillary to gear up her Presidential run already. Expect to see many more of these.

In a move that suggests Camp Hillary is feeling pressure to make it look as if her Presidential campaign is gearing up, her aides have leaked word to the Des Moines Register that she's started calling around to Iowa Dems to chat about Presidential politics. Hillary spokesperson Lorraine Voles tells today's Register that she has "begun the process of making some calls into Iowa," and the paper adds:

Clinton spoke Monday with Des Moines Democrat Bonnie Campbell, who worked in the Department of Justice during the administration of President Bill Clinton, the senator's husband.

Campbell, a former Iowa attorney general, declined to discuss the details of her brief talk with Senator Clinton, except that it touched on her running for president and competing for the caucuses, scheduled to launch the 2008 nominating process.

"She is looking at the possibility of running for president and is looking for a read on Iowa," Campbell said.

Though Hillary's husband bypassed the Iowa caucuses on the way to the White House in 1992, Iowa Dems expect her to compete in them, the paper says.

Before giving a speech at a children's charity event in New York last night, Senator Barack Obama quietly met with billionaire George Soros and several other major Democratic donors, the New York Times reports. Although many interpreted Obama's visit to New York as a sign that he was "invading" Hillary Clinton's turf, the Illinois Senator went out of his way to praise her in subsequent remarks to reporters, saying of her prospective candidacy: "I'm not one of those who believe she can't win."

Meanwhile, Hillary continued staffing up her political operation late yesterday. Phil Singer, who was in charge of press strategy for the Dems' successful takeover of the Senate, agreed to take on a similar role for Hillary should she run, while Jonathan Mantz, a former fundraiser for New Jersey Senator Jon Corzine, agreed to serve as her national finance director.

Okay, so it wasn't the sharpest rebuke ever delivered, but still -- at least he said something. In an online Washington Post chat with readers today, Howard Kurtz slapped Post colleague George Will for his strikingly dishonest column smearing Jim Webb over his now famous confrontation with President Bush. As we noted here a few days ago, Will distorted the Post's own reporting on the episode, blithely omitting a whole line spoken by the President in a way that completely changed the tenor of the conversation from one in which Bush was first pissy to Webb into one where Webb was inexplicably rude to the "Commander in Chief."

Today a Post reader asked Kurtz in the chat about the omission: "Why hasn't the Post issued a correction to George Will's column on Jim Webb? Is misrepresentation by omission acceptable for columnists?"

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John McCain, who's positioning himself as the GOP primary's über-hawk, today made it clear that there's only one option he considers unacceptable for Iraq: compromise. The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin reports that McCain has now become the latest hawk to pre-emptively attack the forthcoming proposals of the Iraq Study Group, which is reported to favor withdrawing troops from Iraq. McCain told conservative radio host Michael Smerconish that he's sticking by his position that more troops need to be sent to Iraq, and rejected any notion of "compromise" that may be floated by the Baker-Hamilton group, elaborating as follows: "Well in war, my dear friends, there is no such thing as compromise; you either win or you lose."

In his column today, Robert Novak reports that Republicans on Capitol Hill see no political alternative at this point heading into 2008 but to pull combat troops out of Iraq. "State officials and party leaders who are no specialists on foreign policy tell me the Republican Party simply cannot go into the 2008 campaign with troops still fighting in Iraq," Novak writes.

Interestingly, Novak himself seems as irked and frustrated at President Bush's inability to grasp this reality in the wake of the party's 2006 drubbing as the GOP rank and file almost certainly are; he scolds Bush as being "oblivious" to the lessons of 2006 and suggests he's spent too much time listening to "fawning campaign contributors." Novak's column is worth a read, if only as a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes anger building in GOP ranks at Bush for saddling the party with an increasingly dire political disaster heading into 2008.

In an article in the National Review, Missouri Governor Matt Blunt, son of House Whip Roy Blunt, and rising star in the Republican Party made overtures toward a possible endorsement of Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination. When asked about an endorsement, the Governor said he would wait a few days but that, but that he had “a great deal of admiration for Gov. Romney,” saying that he wanted to, “to elect a conservative candidate” and that Romney is “the most conservative of those” among the possible nominees. Notably when asked if John McCain qualified as a “conservative” Mr. Blunt choose not to answer and continued to talk about Romney.

"This may be the most bizarre recommendation, but I am sincere. I'm not saying it's not an issue or it's not important, but proportionally speaking, stop complaining about health care...There is no solution."

—Sen. John E. Sununu, R-NH, speaking to state business leaders about their concerns over health care costs, as quoted in the Concord Monitor. Sununu, narrowly elected in 2002, is up for re-election in 2008 in a state that is increasingly Democratic.

In what appears to be a move towards scooping up the up-for-grabs antiwar Dem primary vote, John Edwards is scheduled to appear for a book-signing at a church currently under an IRS probe for criticizing the Iraq War, KNBC-TV in Los Angeles reports. The church, All Saints Church in Pasadena, is currently challenging an IRS summons relating to whether it promoted political candidates, triggered by an anti-war sermon delivered two days before the 2004 election.

Edwards' planned antiwar event highlights an interesting dynamic at play in the nascent Democratic Presidential primary: Barring a late entry into the race by Al Gore, who's given a number of rousing antiwar speeches ever since before the war itself, there isn't really any Dem in the race who's a natural fit for the Dem primary's most passionate antiwar voters.

Though Barack Obama has been consistently against the war, he had yet to even become a national figure when the war first started. Edwards voted for the war, but has moved to court antiwar voters, publishing a mea culpa over a year ago in the Washington Post for his vote, a move that seems designed to differentiate him from Hillary Clinton, who has yet to publicly regret her pro-war vote. An appearance here could help Edwards further attract anti-war support by the appearance of solidarity with the church.

Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, a darling of the religious right, has moved closer to a Presidential run, forming an exploratory committee and releasing a statement positioning himself as the race's ultra-conservative candidate, the Associated Press reports:

"I have decided, after much prayerful consideration, to consider a bid for the Republican nomination for the presidency," Brownback said in a statement. "There is a real need in our country to rebuild the family and renew our culture and there is a need for genuine conservatism and real compassion in the national discussion."

Brownback has also formed a 20 member “exploratory advisory committee” with an eclectic roster of people like former MLB Commisioner Bowie Kuhn, Domino’s Pizza founder and pro-life activist Tom Monaghan, and Rev. Frank Pavone, best known for his role in publicizing the Terry Schiavo affair. Brownback also says he's planning on visiting 10 states over the next month, beginning tomorrow in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

“There are people who would write a check and die for her, but there are plenty of others who wouldn’t vote for her if she promised to eliminate the income tax and give free ice cream to everyone."

-- Dick Harpootlian, a former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, commenting to MSNBC on the question of Hillary Clinton's electability in a general Presidential election

Just days after the Boston Globe reported that Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has been hiring illegal immigrants to work on his front lawn for the past decade, Romney's administration announced that he's completed negotiations with the federal government for a new policy that's extra-tough on illegals — and just in time for his successor to cancel the whole thing.

The Globe reports that the State Police will be authorized to arrest people they believe to be illegal immigrants, a departure from previous practices under which immigration status alone would not be a cause for arrest. The current version of the plan, however, is very limited. The authority will initially be given to only a few dozen troopers who undergo over four weeks of special training, and will likely be members of special task forces for fighting street gangs.

And even that limited scope might not actually occur. Dem Gov.-Elect Deval Patrick opposed such a move during his campaign, and could potentially rescind the policy before it has any effect. The Globe quoted a spokesman for Dem Gov.-Elect Deval Patrick, dismissing the new policy and Romney's motivations: "This is another last-minute move by Governor Romney that is more about his presidential campaign than about sound public policy for the people of Massachusetts."

In an interview published in today's New York Times, Senator Barack Obama provides clues to the strategy he may use in a Primary against Hillary Clinton. Obama's comments suggest that he would pitch himself as a member of a newer generation of leaders who aren't bogged down by the partisan battles that involved Hillary and others throughout the 1990s.

Obama also offers a hint of criticism of former President Clinton, suggesting he'll seek to differentiate himself generationally from the Clintons by saying that he's unencumbered by the political baggage borne by Dems who came of age in the 1960s and were part of that decade's political battles. From the Times:

During a lengthy interview just before the midterm elections, Mr. Obama portrayed himself as part of a new generation of political leaders. Asked whether he detected a void in the Democratic presidential field, Mr. Obama replied that he sensed a mood of “Do we want to get beyond the slash-and-burn, highly ideological politics that bogged us down over the last several decades?”

Mr. Obama went on to say that he admired former President Bill Clinton for trying to bridge a centrist course between Democrats and Republicans. But he did not shy away from pointing out Mr. Clinton’s weaknesses — as someone who came of age in the 1960s, and all the debates about Vietnam service, drug use and sexual conduct that went with it, issues that continued to play out, sometimes with Mrs. Clinton in a supporting role.

“Although his instincts were right on target, and I think, intellectually and pragmatically, he understood that America wanted to move beyond those categories, in some ways he was trapped by his biography,” Mr. Obama said. “Some of what I say, I think, is facilitated by the fact that I’m less rooted in some of those arguments.”

Meanwhile, the Associated Press quotes Hillary adviser Howard Wolfson saying that she "is reaching out to her colleagues in the New York delegation and asking for their advice and counsel and their support if she decides to make a run." The Times adds that she held a recent two-our brunch with New York Governor-Elect Eliot Spitzer at which the two discussed the pros and cons of a Presidential run.