I don't know how many polls have to show this before President Bush stops thinking that he can somehow persuade the public that they don't really support deadlines for troop withdrawal, but here's another one showing that a solid majority backs such efforts by the Dem Congress to end the Iraq war. The new Newsweek poll finds that 57% support legislation passed by the Senate this week that would set as a goal withdrawal of the troops by next March. The poll also finds that Bush's approval rating remains mired at 33%. Full poll here.

This is interesting: Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean, who was greeted with intense skepticism by the party's big-money donors at the outset of his tenure, appears on track to bring in far more cash this quarter from those top fundraisers than many expected.

The DNC is on track to haul in roughly $14 million this quarter, approximately $3.8 million of which comes from major donors, who are defined as donors who gave more than $5,000 as an individual or from a PAC, the DNC says. That's a significant jump from the first quarter of 2003 -- the last comparable year -- when the DNC raised only $2.23 million from major donors, according to the DNC's numbers.

Yes, Dean is being helped by the White House's awful political travails. Nonetheless, it's still significant, because it suggests that Dean has had far more success than many expected in winning over the party's major contributors, who were initially so skeptical of Dean's gloves-off, grass-roots approach that they privately were threatening to clamp shut their wallets.

Top Democratic donor Robert Zimmerman describes the jump in money from the big contributors as "very significant."

"The major donors initially were skeptical of Dean and his 50-state strategy," Zimmerman says. "Dean had to prove the merits and logic of his strategies. But the success of his 50-state strategy certainly has impressed the establishment donor community. Unlike in 2004, when there was an overreliance on 527s that undermined the idea of a strong party structure, the support Dean is receiving from major donors shows a growing recognition among them that a strong DNC is an essential tool for victory in 2008."

Times do change.

Here's a new-and-improved version of our massive chart comparing the Iraq war votes of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama — this time we've decided to throw in Joe Lieberman's votes, so you can compare his votes to those of Hillary and Obama.

The chart is very revealing: It demonstrates Lieberman's increasing trend of voting with the GOP on everything from detainee treatment, to military commissions, to regime change in Iran, to resolutions on Iraq, to the recently-passed timetable for withdrawal, and even procedural motions on whether or not to debate the subject at all.

Another interesting pattern: Lieberman's breaking ranks with Dems has steadily grown much more frequent over time as the war progressed — and especially after his 2006 reelection as an Independent. Since then he's voted with the GOP on war-related questions far more frequently than he did in the past. Check out the full chart after the jump.

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Donna Edwards -- whose netroots-propelled, Ned Lamont-style insurgent candidacy almost succeeded in knocking off pro-war Dem Rep. Al Wynn last year -- is revving up to target Wynn again. From the Maryland Gazette community newspaper:

The Fort Washington activist and lawyer who gave U.S. Rep. Albert R. Wynn (D-Dist. 4) of Mitchellville a run for his money in last year’s Democratic primary is already discussing what she’ll do differently this time, as she prepares for a likely rematch.

Speaking at Silver Spring’s El Golfo restaurant on Saturday, Edwards said she plans to be better organized, spend more time campaigning and raise more money — much more money...

For starters, she expects to have a bona fide campaign manager this time...Edwards said she also expects to have more time. Last year, she began campaigning heavily in June, giving her three months to reach the district’s voters. But this year, she expects to announce her candidacy next month, giving her about 10 months to campaign, if she decides to run.

In a sign that Wynn -- who prevailed over the little-known Edwards by less than four percent -- may be sweating another challenge, he recently voted in favor of the House Dems' Iraq withdrawal bill and has been making loud antiwar pronouncements.

Edwards is already stirring support from the netroots. "Edwards has a better shot. Last cycle everyone was afraid of Wynn, but now he's kind of been reduced to a vacillating bumbler," MyDD's Matt Stoller comments. "The country is ready for a new generation of leadership."

Phil DeVellis, the creator of the now-infamous 1984-style Vote Different ad hammering Hillary, bares all in an interview with the outlet that turned him into a momentary celebrity, that is, YouTube:

He lays out how he did it. If you care.

We're listening to the whole thing now, and will let you know if there's anything worthwhile in there...

Associated Press:

Colorado Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo, an outspoken opponent of illegal immigration, will announce his bid for president on Monday.

Tancredo will kick off his campaign with an announcement in Iowa, where political caucuses start the presidential nominating season, an official close to the congressman said.

Tancredo has flirted with a presidential bid for more than a year and began raising money for the effort in January. After taking in more than $1 million in two months, he has decided to make his run official, said the official, who asked not to be named ahead of Tancredo's official announcement.

Tancredo's office on Friday morning said that he will make a "major announcement" Monday on a Des Moines, Iowa, radio station.

If Fred Thompson decides to run for President, it's a no-brainer that he'll leave his current role on Law & Order, but The Washington Post reports that Law & Order might have to leave him too — and stop rerurns of Thompson's episodes of the show in order to honor the equal-time provision. Here's how it works: The equal-time rule requires that if a TV channel gives out screen time to one candidate, they have to also offer free time to other candidates. (News interviews don't count.) So if Thompson runs for President, his screen time on Law & Order could potentially be counted as a requirement to give out free time to the other Republicans, from Rudy Giuliani to Tom Tancredo. And since TV networks are loathe to even risk that kind of litigation, expect his episodes to go off the air if he jumps into the race.

A fun number in this week's big Gallup poll: Karl Rove's favorable rating has edged all the way up to 21%. That's a two point gain from last November, when his rating was mired at an abysmal 19%. Strikingly, less than half of Republicans -- 42% -- see Rove favorably (though that number does dwarf the 22% who see him negatively). Maybe his MC Rove performance will help matters, and he'll boost himself all the way up to 23% by next fall.

So it looks as if Rudy is enduring his first genuinely rough day of press since jumping into the Presidential race, with tough stories out there today about his 9/11 leadership and his relationship with former top cop Bernie Kerik.

Which begs two key questions for the media about Rudy: Will reporters and commentators get serious about cutting through the haze of 9/11 mythology that now shrouds Rudy's allegedly Churchillian leadership that day by asking tough questions about his actual performance, or will they cede him 9/11 on his own terms? And relatedly, will reporters and commentators cede Rudy the aura of foreign policy strength based solely on that performance, or will they get past the mythology and aggressively point out his lack of genuine foreign policy experience?

Today the Associated Press begins to answer that question with an effort to put a dent in Rudy's 9/11 halo:

Giuliani, the leader in polls of Republican voters for his party's nomination, has been faulted on two major issues:

-- His administration's failure to provide the World Trade Center's first responders with adequate radios, a long-standing complaint from relatives of the firefighters killed when the twin towers collapsed. The Sept. 11 Commission noted the firefighters at the World Trade Center were using the same ineffective radios employed by the first responders to the 1993 terrorist attack on the trade center...

-- A November 2001 decision to step up removal of the massive rubble pile at ground zero. The firefighters were angered when the then-mayor reduced their numbers among the group searching for remains of their lost "brothers," focusing instead on what they derided as a "scoop and dump" approach. Giuliani agreed to increase the number of firefighters at ground zero just days after ordering the cutback.

Meanwhile, The New York Times also highlights another troubling aspect of his record:

Rudolph W. Giuliani told a grand jury that his former chief investigator remembered having briefed him on some aspects of Bernard B. Kerik’s relationship with a company suspected of ties to organized crime before Mr. Kerik’s appointment as New York City police commissioner, according to court records...

Mr. Giuliani’s testimony amounts to a significantly new version of what information was probably before him in the summer of 2000 as he was debating Mr. Kerik’s appointment as the city’s top law enforcement officer. Mr. Giuliani had previously said that he had never been told of Mr. Kerik’s entanglement with the company before promoting him to the police job or later supporting his failed bid to be the nation’s homeland security secretary.

Finally, today's coverage of his remark yesterday that wife Judy Nathan would be welcome to hang out at cabinet meetings should he be elected President was not terribly kind, either.

So maybe this glimmer of media aggressiveness towards Rudy suggests there's reason for optimism about the press not giving Rudy a pass on the questions I asked above. We'll see.

Jim McGovern (D-Mass) is endorsing Hillary according to the Boston Globe's Primary Source. On the Clinton campaign site, McGovern called her candidacy "bold, groundbreaking, history-making." A long time critic of the Iraq war, McGovern also thinks "President Hillary Clinton will end this war" if it's not over before January 2009. Coming on the heels of Vilsack's similar bid of confidence, we can safely say that endorsement season is in full swing.

Fox Plans Again To Host Democratic Debate
Fox News will team up with the Congressional Black Caucus Institute to host a Democratic Presidential debate on September 23. Previous plans to hold a Democratic debate in Nevada were cancelled after the Nevada State Democratic Party pulled out at the demands of party activists.

N.H. House Approves Bill To Move Primary Ahead Of Iowa
The New Hampshire State House has approved a bill to empower the Secretary of State to schedule his state's primary ahead of the Iowa caucus, the Associated Press reports. Current state law requires that New Hampshire hold the first primary, but the state has traditionally deferred to the earlier Iowa caucus — an arrangement that has been threatened by the recent establishment of the Nevada caucus between Iowa and New Hampshire.

Vilsack: I'll Pay My Own Debts
WHO-TV 13, the Des Moines affiliate of NBC, reports that Tom Vilsack is denying a Hillary Clinton role in paying off his campaign debts, in response to allegations of a quid pro quo for his endorsement of Clinton's campaign — though the Clinton campaign says it is still willing to help him. "She isn't going to help. It would be very inappropriate for a candidate to help." Vilsack added that he'll be paying his debts off by personally raising money where he can. "It's particularly difficult when you are not a candidate, but you do the best you can. If you're not successful doing it that way, then you work hard for one year, two years, three years, four years, however long it takes until you pay this off."

Corzine To Endorse Hillary
PoliticsNJ reports that New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine — who previously served in the U.S. Senate — will endorse Hillary Clinton for President. Corzine will also line up a large group of other New Jersey Democrats supporting Clinton, including Congressmen Frank Pallone and Rob Andrews.

The Fix: Dems Dominate List Of Endangered House Members
Chris Cillizza at The Washington Post gives his list of the top ten endangered House incumbents. The list is mostly made up of successful Democratic challengers from last year's elections, who would then be running in Republican-leaning districts in a Presidential year. The only two Republicans on the list are North Carolina's Robin Hayes, who barely survived last year, and New Mexico's Heather Wilson, who endured both a close race last year and is now implicated in the U.S. Attorney scandal.

Richardson: We Need To "Prevent A Nuclear 9/11"
Speaking at Johns Hopkins University, Bill Richardson said that the Iraq War has distracted the world from the looming threat of terrorists obtaining nuclear weapons and using them in new attacks. "We need a new Manhattan project to stop the bomb — a comprehensive program to secure all nuclear weapons and all weapons-usable material, worldwide," Richardson said.

Romney: Jeb, Gingrich, Sanford Potential VP Choices
The Associated Press reports that at a campaign stop in South Carolina, Mitt Romney listed potential running mate picks sure to please the conservative base: Jeb Bush, Newt Gingrich, and South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. Romney did hasten to add, "I have to be honest with you, I haven't given a lot of thought to that, so I don't want to put any names in that hat right now," and that such names were simply those that any GOP candidate might be looking at. Of Jeb Bush, Romney said, "I love him. If his name weren't Bush, he'd be running for president, I'm convinced."

Jesse Jackson Endorses Obama
Jesse Jackson has indicated that he will vote for Barack Obama, the Associated Press reports. Jackson also said, however, that he does not serve in any capacity on the Obama camapaign. "I just have an appreciation of him."

George Clooney Wants To Support Obama — But Not Loudly
The Chicago Tribune reports that actor George Clooney is supporting Barack Obama's candidacy, but does not want to be a vocal supporter out of fear that a Hollywood connection could spoil Obama's chances in Middle America. Clooney's father Nick, who ran for Congress in 2004 in Kentucky, was himself attacked for his show business connections. "It became an issue of Hollywood versus the heartland," the younger Clooney said. "I believed I could only do him more harm."

Poll: Rudy Leads Slightly In Iowa
A new Zogby poll has Rudy Giuliani with a small lead among Iowa Republicans. The numbers are: 25% for Rudy, 19% for John McCain, 11% for Mitt Romney, 7% for Fred Thompson, 5% for Tommy Thompson — quite possibly owing to name confusion between the two Thompsons — and all others far behind.

Jim McGovern Endorses Hillary Clinton
Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) is endorsing Hillary Clinton. On the Clinton campaign site, McGovern called her candidacy "bold, groundbreaking, history-making." A long time critic of the Iraq war, McGovern also thinks "President Hillary Clinton will end this war" if it's not over before January 2009. Coming on the heels of Vilsack's similar bid of confidence, we can safely say that endorsement season is in full swing. — Kate Redburn

Since the comparison of the Iraq positions over the years of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is one of the hottest issues of the campaign, we thought it would be useful to post a comprehensive comparison of all of their votes on everything relating to the Iraq war.

So here it is: A massive compilation of Iraq-related bills -- and the votes by Hillary and Obama on them, side by side -- beginning in early 2005, when Obama first joined the Senate.

Of the total of 69 votes we compiled -- some significant, some not -- it turns out that the two differed on only one. You'll see that one in bold on our chart. But let us be clear: We are not posting this to suggest that their earlier difference at the start of the war -- their most important difference -- should in any way be overshadowed by these similarities. For many, that difference will remain paramount -- for good reason. We just wanted to add factual grist to what is but one component of the debate.

As you can see, Clinton and Obama have voted the opposite way on only one vote on our list: The confirmation of General George Casey to be Chief of Staff for the Army, held just this past February. Hillary voted against confirmation, while Obama voted to confirm.

Additionally, please don't hold it against us if we missed any important votes. No agenda here, readers. If we did, let us know, and we'll add it immediately. Herewith, our full chart of Iraq votes after the jump.

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A new Pew poll released this afternoon has mixed news for Dem Congressional leaders -- though it also contains what may be a milestone of sorts: More Americans think that the Democratic Party, not the GOP, is the party with "stronger" and "better" leaders.

Key excerpts:

As the Democratic-led Congress approaches the 100- day mark, pluralities of Americans approve of the way that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are handling their leadership roles. However, the public gives Democrats mixed reviews for delivering on their campaign promises and for their policies and proposals. Slightly more disapprove of the Democrats’ policies than approve (42% disapprove vs. 37% approve)...

...three-in-ten do not know enough about Nancy Pelosi to rate her performance. On balance, however, more than twice as many approve of Pelosi’s job performance than disapprove (48%-22%)...

...the public remains satisfied that the Democrats won control of Congress, though positive feelings have declined since shortly after the November elections. A 54% majority says they are happy that the Democrats prevailed in the elections, down from 60% who held that view in the week following Election Day....

While enthusiasm for the Democrats’ victory has slipped, the party’s image continues to improve relative to the GOP’s. Nearly half (47%) say the Democratic Party can better manage the federal government, compared with 31% who choose the Republican Party. A year ago, the Democrats’ edge on management was just four points. In addition, slightly more Americans now say the Democratic Party, rather than the Republican Party, has stronger leaders, wiping out the GOP’s substantial advantage on this leadership trait.

The poll finds that when asked which party has "stronger" leaders, 41% say Dems, while 36% say the GOP. That's a dramatic shift from the numbers in the Pew poll in the Fall of 2006 just before the elections: At that time, 30% said Dems, while 43% picked the GOP.

Similarly, when asked which party has "better" leaders, voters gave Dems a wide advantage, picking it over the GOP by 44%-29% -- an even more dramatic shift from last fall's poll, which gave the advantage to the GOP, 38%-34%.

Lots to dig through in the full poll.

Apologies to readers for the momentary slide into gossip -- we try to cover everything here, even things like ... Rudy's willingness as President to let his wife Judith Nathan attend cabinet meetings if she chooses.

Rudy has just revealed as much an interview with ABC News:

In an interview with Barbara Walters, former New York City Mayor and presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said that if elected president, he would have no problem allowing his wife Judith Giuliani to sit in on cabinet meetings, "If she wanted to. If they were relevant to something that she was interested in. I mean that would be something that I'd be very, very comfortable with," he said.

He also tells Walters that he welcomes his wife's involvement in policy decisions during the campaign "to the extent she wants to be...I couldn't have a better adviser." When asked if she will sit in on policy meetings, Judith said: "if [Rudy] asks me to, yes. And certainly in the areas of health care."

From what I know about Judith Nathan -- I covered Rudy for some time at The New York Observer -- I suspect that Judith would be more than happy to take Rudy up on his offer.

The full interview airs on "20/20" tomorrow at 10 P.M.

Update: And since we're getting all salacious on you, don't miss this YouTube posted by Ben Smith wrapping up the Rudy-Judi saga.

It's a bad enough danger sign for an incumbent to sink below 50% — so imagine how New Hampshire GOP Senator John Sununu must feel now that a new poll has him below 35%.

The new American Research Group poll finds Sununu polling at an astonishingly low 34% — a full ten points behind his 2002 opponent, former Governor Jeanne Shaheen, who has 44%.

Two caveats: Shaheen has not declared any candidacy — though she has not shut the door entirely — and a strikingly high 22% are undecided. Nonetheless, these numbers are the last thing Sununu wants to hear as he heads into his 2008 re-election fight, with his pro-war advocacy leaving him extremely vulnerable in a state that swung heavily towards the Democrats in the 2006 elections.

Dems have just won another big one on Iraq: The Senate's version of the House bill on Iraq spending just passed, 51-47, largely along party lines. President Bush has already vowed a veto.

The Dems' bill provides $122 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and orders Bush to begin withdrawing troops within 120 days while setting the goal of ending combat operations by March 2008 -- though unlike the House bill, the Senate's end deadline is nonbinding. Next stop: conference, and finally, an eventual veto of the final version.

But still: Both House of Congress have now voted to support withdrawal from Iraq. This is an absolutely key step in what will undoubtedly be a long, grindingly slow process. The confrontation between Congress and the White House will only escalate from here on out.

Some key Senators' votes on the bill: Both GOP Senator Chuck Hagel and conservative Dem Ben Nelson -- a potential No vote -- voted with the Dems today, as did GOP Senator Gordon Smith. So did Dem Senator Mark Pryor -- who had previously voted with the GOP's failed amendment to strike withdrawal language from the bill.

We'll bring you the full roll call as soon as it's available.

Update: The roll call is here.

Voting underway as we speak. So far, both GOP Senator Chuck Hagel and conservative Dem Ben Nelson -- a potential No vote -- have voted with the Dems. So did GOP Senator Gordon Smith.

These same Senators voted with the Dems and against the GOP amendment to strike withdrawal timetables from the bill. The Dems won that round, 50-48, so the current voting bodes well for the Dems right now.

More soon.

Update: It's over. Bill passes, 51-47.

In a statewide poll covering California primaries, released yesterday by the Public Policy Institute of California, Hillary leads the field. She pulls 35% from likely voters, eleven points more than Obama's 24%, and over twenty over the 14% of Edwards. Bill Richardson is the next named Democratic candidate, at 6%, and Al Gore does not show.

On the other side, Rudy leads with 33%, far above McCain at 19%, and Gingrich at 14%. Romney rounds out the field with 7%, and Fred Thompson is not included.

Here are the latest updates on the Presidential candidates, to wake you up with your morning coffee:

• In what can only be bad publicity for John McCain's Republican primary bid, Tom Daschle is claiming that McCain nearly switched parties — and Senate control — in 2001, shortly before Jim Jeffords did so first. McCain's camp is denying the story.

• Hillary Clinton is not shying away from the word "feminist," saying bluntly that she fits that definition as she touted the endorsements of the National Organization for Women, Geraldine Ferraro and Billie Jean King.

• Both parties plan to use the coming week's Congressional recess to attack the other for abandoning U.S. troops: Republicans will hit Democrats for passing an Iraq withdrawal timetable certain to meet a Presidential veto, while Democrats will hit right back by saying that President Bush's expected veto is effectively cutting off the funding for troops included in the bill.

• The National Republican Congressional Committee is launcing a new site, The Real Democrat Story, attacking freshmen House Democrats. (Note the use of "Democrat" as an adjective in the title.)

• Rudy Giuliani has picked up the endorsement of former Presidential candidate Steve Forbes, and is endorsing Forbes' signature issue of a flat tax — even as he denounced the same idea back in the 1990's.

• Possible GOP candidate Fred Thompson is already being attacked by one of the party's biggest religious activists — James Dobson bluntly said, "I don’t think he’s a Christian."

More after the jump.

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Hillary has widened her lead over Barack Obama and closed the gap on Rudy in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac University poll finds. Hillary holds a 19-point edge over Obama among Dem primary voters, pulling 36%, while Obama gets 17%, Al Gore has 13% and John Edwards has nine percent -- a larger lead than the 11-point spread in a Quinnipiac poll earlier this month, which found Hillary at 29% with Obama at 18%.

Meanwhile, Rudy holds a 46%-42% lead over Hillary in the state in a general election, a tighter spread than the nine point lead he held in the earlier poll. Rudy beats Obama 46%-39%. Other general election matchups:

* Clinton 44%, McCain 43 * Clinton 49%, Romney 35% * McCain 42%, Obama 42% * McCain 42%, Edwards 41% * Obama 48%, Romney 29% * Edwards 50%, Romney 28%

For a guy with an approval rating in the low thirties, President Bush sounded awfully sure of himself today. In his remarks this morning, President Bush actually seemed to suggest that when it comes to the current standoff between the White House and Congress over Dem efforts to mandate a pullout from Iraq in the war spending bill, public opinion is on his side -- in defiance of all polls showing the contrary.

From his remarks today:

Members of Congress need to stop making political statements, and start providing vital funds for our troops. They need to get that bill to my desk so I can sign it into law.

Now, some of them believe that by delaying funding for our troops, they can force me to accept restrictions on our commanders that I believe would make withdrawal and defeat more likely. That's not going to happen. If Congress fails to pass a bill to fund our troops on the front lines, the American people will know who to hold responsible.

Actually, the American people support the measures that the Democratic Congress is trying to implement to end the war -- so, yes, they probably will have a fairly good idea who should be held responsible if Bush vetoes these efforts against their will.

Pew poll, March 26:

A solid majority of Americans say they want their congressional representative to support a bill calling for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by August 2008. Nearly six-in-ten (59%) say they would like to see their representative vote for such legislation, compared with just 33% who want their representative to oppose it.

Gallup poll, March 26:

Would you favor or oppose Congress taking each of the following actions in regards to the war in Iraq?

Requiring U.S. troops to meet strict readiness criteria before being deployed to Iraq: Favor 80%, Oppose 15%

Setting a time-table for withdrawing all U.S. troops from Iraq no later than the fall of 2008: Favor 60%, Oppose 38%

Also note Bush's line about how members of Congress think "they can force me" to do what the public wants. That's what this has come down to now.

"Me."

Delusional.

New CBS Poll:

Americans support former Sen. John Edwards' decision to continue his bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination after his wife was diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer — and by a margin of more than 2-to-1.

According to a CBS News Poll conducted in the two days following the couple's interview by Katie Couric on "60 Minutes" this past Sunday, 57% of those who were surveyed said Edwards is doing the right thing by continuing to campaign. Less than half as many — 24% — said he should have suspended his campaign or withdrawn entirely.

Nor is there apparently much traction for the idea that Elizabeth's health would impair his ability to be President. A majority -- 52% -- think he'd be able to devote enough time to the job, while only 30% think he wouldn't.

McCain is right. It's safe for a stroll -- if you take two bodyguards and wear your running shoes.

-- Karen Tumulty, writing on Swampland about John McCain's assertion that it's safe to walk around some neighborhoods in Baghdad.

So which Republican Congressional incumbents does Karl Rove, the "architect" of the GOP's big recent wins — but also the 2006 debacle — think are the most vulnerable? And which Democratic incumbents does he want the GOP to target?

The answer is contained in the PowerPoint presentation authored by Rove's office that TPMmuckraker has been dissecting today. As Paul notes, the overtly political briefing was given by a Rove deputy to personnel with the General Services Administration, which theoretically is supposed to be nonpartisan. (For more background on the slide show, see TPMmuckraker's ongoing coverage).

So who's Rove worried about? The presentation lists the following Republican House members as on the "Priority Defense" list:

Jim Gerlach, Pennsylvania
Vern Buchanan, Florida
Robin Hayes, North Carolina
Heather Wilson, New Mexico
Marilyn Musgrave, Colorado
Peter Roskam, Illinois
Chris Shays, Connecticut
Jean Schmidt, Ohio
Thelma Drake, Virginia
Barbara Cubin, Wyoming (Note: Rove also says that Cubin might not seek re-election.)
John Doolittle, California
Jon Porter, Nevada
Jim Walsh, New York
Deborah Pryce, Ohio
Randy Kuhl, New York
Mike Ferguson, New Jersey
Joe Knollenberg, Michigan

Nick Lampson, Texas
Tim Mahoney, Florida
Jerry McNerney, California
Zack Space, Ohio
Baron Hill, Indiana
Chris Carney, Pennsylvania
Patrick Murphy, Pennsylvania
Nancy Boyda, Kansas
Joe Sestak, Pennsylvania
Brad Ellsworth, Indiana
Heath Shuler, North Carolina
Ciro Rodriguez, Texas
Steve Kagen, Wisconsin
Jim Marshall, Georgia
Joe Donnelly, Indiana
John Barrow, Georgia
Jason Altmire, Pennsylvania
John Hall, New York
Kirsten Gillibrand, New York
Stephanie Herseth, South Dakota

Get your updates on the candidates right here, while they're hot:

Hillary Clinton will help raise money to pay off Tom Vilsack's $400,000 campaign debt. A Hillary spokesman strongly denied there was any quid pro quo for Vilsack's endorsement, citing the two's decades-long friendship.

John Edwards' decision to stay in the race in the wake of his wife's cancer recurrence has been rewarded by the Democratic base — his campaign raised half a million dollars online in five days, and he jumped into the lead in an Iowa poll midway through the sampling.

When the John McCain campaign stole bandwidth from developer Mike Davidson by directly using one of his images off his own server, Davidson got back — by altering the original image to say McCain supported gay marriage.

Comedy Central will be busy with the campaign tonight. Bill Richardson will appear on The Daily Show tonight, where he will talk about his campaign for President. And as a reminder, tonight's South Park will feature a fictionalized Hillary Clinton.

Bill Richardson gave an example of how he raises money in a field dominated by Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards: "I think the American voter or funder deserves to have a viable contest. So I appeal to funders that say, 'I’m for Senator Clinton,' and I say, 'O.K., that’s fine. But make me your second choice. Help me out too.'"

Rudy Giuliani will hold a fudraiser on May 12 featuring Donald Trump.

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The New York Times's Jeff Gerth -- the reporter who brought you Whitewater -- is back on Hillary's trail. Gerth is writing a book about Hillary called "Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Clinton," the Daily News reports.

The paper quotes a publishing source saying that the book will be filled with "explosive stuff" and "may force her to answer ethics charges in the Senate" -- assertions that should perhaps be viewed in light of the outcome of the Whitewater investigation, which ultimately failed to bag the Clinton quarry.

The book -- which will be coauthored with fellow Timesman Don Van Natta and will be published by Little, Brown -- is set to come out in August, a mere six months before the start of the 2008 Presidential primaries. It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, the book says about Whitewater -- not to mention Gerth's role in creating the story.

Check out this new ad from the liberal group Americans United for Change blasting GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell for his extensive efforts to prevent the Senate from halting the Iraq war:

The $200,000 ad begins airing today in McConnell's home state of Kentucky a day after the Senate leader's efforts to strike withdrawal timetables from the Senate's Iraq war spending bill went down to defeat. It will continue airing through Easter's Congressional recess.

Hillary was first lady of Arkansas for 12 years -- but does that guarantee that she'll have the support of the state's Congressional delegation and other prominent pols? Unclear, Roll Call reports.

"Democrats in the Natural State’s Congressional delegation aren’t clamoring to support her 2008 presidential bid," the paper says. "None of the Arkansas’ five Democrats are offering public endorsements of Clinton at this point, with some cautioning it is too early in the process or indicating they may stay out of presidential fray altogether."

Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor, who's up for reelection in 2008, may sit out the Presidential race altogether. “I’m just for everybody," he says.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that the National Organization for Women is set to endorse Hillary today.

Rudy Giuliani's sizeable lead in the GOP primary takes a big dive when potential GOP candidate Fred Thompson is thrown into the mix, according to the big USA Today/Gallup poll released this week. It finds Rudy ahead of the pack by 31%, with John McCain in second at 22%, and Thompson in third with 12%. Interestingly, almost all of Thompson's 12% appear to come out of Rudy's hide: A poll taken in March without Thompson found Rudy at 44%, and another in February found him at 40%.

Here's a postscript to today's Iraq vote in the Senate: Joe Lieberman accidentally laid bare his repeated dissembling about Iraq for all the world to see! Yes, yes, what else is new. But seriously -- what other option is there but to point this stuff out every time it happens?

On the Senate floor today, Lieberman implored his fellow Senators to vote Yes on the amendment to nix withdrawal timetables. He argued that for the "first time in a long time" there is now finally reason for optimism about Iraq -- even though he's been steadily arguing for months and months in the recent past that there was cause for such optimism:

Lieberman's key quote:

"It is clear that for the first time in a long time, there is reason for cautious optimism about Iraq."

But...but...sputter...sputter...

If this is the "first time in a long time" that there's been "reason for optimism," does that mean Lieberman didn't mean it all those other times in the recent past when he suggested there was reason for optimism about Iraq?

Examples after the jump.

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The Senate has spoken on the GOP's efforts to pass an amendment to nix withdrawal timetables in its big Iraq spending bill. Its answer:

No can do. Dems win; Joe Lieberman and the Republicans lose.

The amendment -- which was the handiwork of Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran -- has just failed, with 50 votes against it, and 48 for it.

Here are a few of the key votes: Conservative Democrat Ben Nelson -- a potential supporter of the amendment -- stuck with the Democrats and opposed it. On the GOP side, Senators Chuck Hagel and Gordon Smith voted against it.

Meanwhile, vulnerable GOP Senator Susan Collins voted for it, as did her colleague Olympia Snowe (and as did Lieberman).

As we said before, this is a long, grinding, excrutiatingly slow process. Every incremental step counts. Including this one.

We'll bring you the full roll call as soon as its available.

Update: The full roll call can be viewed here.

Time to pay attention to what's going on in the Senate: Today that august legislative body is going to be voting on an amendment to strike the withdrawal timetable from the Senate's Iraq war funding legislation.

Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, just confirmed to me that the vote is set for 5:00 P.M. today. One Republican after another has paraded before the Senate throughout the afternoon, many arguing that keeping the withdrawal timetable in the legislation would be embracing failure, selling out the troops, or worse.

The amendment is the work of GOP Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi. Even if the amendment doesn't pass, however, GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell may subsequently allow the vote on the overall legislation to go through -- rather than using procedural tricks to block it, as he has in the past. The President would then veto whatever form the ultimate bill took after passing through conference.

This is a long, slow, grinding process in which every incremental development matters. The fate of the amendment is still uncertain, so stay with us for the vote.

Update: Voting underway. Thus far the only Republican to vote against the amendment was Gordon Smith.

Meanwhile, Dems Max Baucus and Ben Nelson -- potential supporters of the amendment -- stuck with the Democrats and opposed it.

More in a bit.

Late update: GOP Senator Chuck Hagel just voted against the amendment.

Vulnerable GOP Senator Susan Collins voted for it, as did her colleague Olympia Snowe.

Ouch. A new Harris Interactive poll has some pretty unpleasant news for Hillary Clinton: A solid 50% of Americans say they would probably or definitely not vote for her if she were the Democratic nominee. The poll is an online survey, which does cast some uncertainty on its accuracy, though. Some other negatives from the poll:

• 45% of women would not vote for her — including 52% of married women.

• 48% of Independents and 21% of Democrats would not vote for her.

• 45% of adults dislike her as a person.

• 52% agree with the following statement: "She does not appear to connect with people on a personal level."

Harris parses the data and concludes: "While the first votes are still many months away, there are a few groups that Senator Clinton and her team need to target. First, married women are consistently more likely to have negative feelings toward the Senator than single women. Second, those over age 62 have some of the highest negatives for her — behind only Republicans and Conservatives. Since this is the age group that votes in the highest numbers, there is work to be done here. Finally, the Clinton campaign may not want to use the slogan `a vote for Hill is one for Bill.' Only just over one-third (37%) feel it would be good to have both Hillary and Bill Clinton back in the White House."

So who was the big winner in Iowa from Tom Vilsack's withdrawal of the race? John Edwards, a new poll finds. The Des Moines Register's David Yepsen reports that the new American Research Group survey finds that John Edwards has shot up a surprising 15 points since Vilsack pulled out in February, while Hillary Clinton dropped a point. The two are deadlocked for first place, with Hillary garnering 34% to Edwards' 33%. Barack Obama's in third place with 16%.

A caveat: The poll was taken before news of Elizabeth Edwards' cancer recurrence and Vilsack's endorsement of Hillary on Monday, so it may be a bit out of date. Still, Yepsen, an expert in Iowa politics, says there's good news in the poll for all three contenders. His analysis here.

Get your updates on the movements of the Presidential candidates right here, while they're hot:

• Tomorrow's new episode of South Park will feature a fictionalized Hillary Clinton making a campaign stop in the small Colorado town. Comedy Central will then host Bill Richardson — the real one, this time — as a guest on The Daily Show.

• A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds that an astonishing 72% of Americans favor Democratic investigations into the U.S. Attorney firings, versus only 21% who oppose investigating.

• Chris Cillizza at The Washington Post provides an argument for why Fred Thompson should not mount a Presidential campaign: Thompson has only fought one single competitive campaign, and in the GOP landslide of 1994 no less.

• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, expressed some skepticism that his caucus will be able to strip out of the Iraq supplemental bill Democratic langugae setting bechmarks for a withdrawal — Democrats would control the conference committee — but is confident that President Bush's veto will be able to stop it from becoming law.

• A YouTube video is now coming to light of yet another policy reversal from Mitt Romney: In 1994, he supported limits campaign spending, outlawing PAC's, and other heavy campaign finance restrictions.

• Dennis Kucinich promised at a campaign stop in Albany on Sunday to use his chairmanship of the House Government Oversight Domestic Policy Subcommittee to investigate "a few discrepancies in the public record" of 9/11.

Read more »

John Edwards weighs in on Tony Snow's recurrence of cancer:

"Elizabeth and I were saddened to hear the news that Tony Snow is once again battling cancer. Tony has been an incredible example for people living with cancer and cancer survivors - he lives every day to the fullest and faces every challenge with courage and determination.

"We want to thank Tony again for his kind words following our announcement that Elizabeth's cancer had returned. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tony and his family during this difficult time. We wish him the best in his upcoming battle and are praying for a full and speedy recovery."

Last week, Snow offered some kind words to John and Elizabeth Edwards upon learning of her cancer recurrence: "What she is going to do is going to provide a lot of encouragement and example that I think is going to help a lot of people, and that is a truly wonderful thing, and I congratulate her for it."

Okay, in another sign that it's full steam ahead for John Edwards, his campaign is preparing to roll out a bunch of new campaign hires. And Election Central has obtained an advance list of the names.

The list gives official titles to Edwards' communications staff and adds a bunch of new names beefing up Edwards' communications and online staff. Some of the newcomers:

Deputy Policy Director for Domestic and Economic Policy Heather McGhee. Was previously a member of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a New York-based research and advocacy organization.

Deputy Policy Director for Foreign Affairs and National Security Michael Signer. Was previously an attorney at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr in Washington, D.C.

Policy Communications Coordinator Alex Navarro. Was former communications director for the Working Families Party and Edwards' New York press secretary in 2004.

National Spokesman and Senior Advisor for Communications Mark Kornblau. Served as Senator Edwards' Press Secretary during the 2004 general election.

Deputy Director of Communications Planning Teresa Wells. Most recently served as the Traveling Press Secretary to Governor Jon Corzine.

Director of Communications Planning Candace McAdams. Was most recently the director of Marketing and Communications at the White House Project and worked for John Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004.

National Press Secretary Eric Schultz. Worked as New York Senator Chuck Schumer’s Communications Director.

Online communications manager Tracy Russo. Did blogger outreach at the DNC.

A full list of all of Edwards' communications staff after the jump.

Read more »

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, has indicated that his caucus might not move to directly block the Democrats' bill to set benchmarks for an eventual withdrawal from Iraq — instead, they'll let it proceed on its way to President Bush's veto pen, The Hill reports. McConnell acknowledged that the Democrats would have control of the final version in the conference committee, so the House withdrawal language would be likely to stay in the bill. Nevertheless, the Dems will be hard pressed to find the two-thirds margins they'd need to overcome a Presidential veto, and McConnell is thus confident that the Democratic proposals will not become law.

With the 2008 contest shaping up as the first in many years without a sitting President or Veep in the race, the Bush family is split over whom to support for President, with Jeb Bush's followers lining up behind Mitt Romney and George's followers throwing themselves behind John McCain, The Hill reports.

"It is clear that the Bush family is hedging its 2008 bets, said one political scientist. Or the divergence could signal a schism between the two brothers’ politics. Or, as one fundraiser close to the Bush family argued, it may just be happenstance."

The paper also offers a comprehensive rundown on all the Bush family political staffers and their allegiances for 2008, as well as a very handy chart of all the Bush fundraisers and whom they're supporting.

That's how today's New York Times describes Hillary's efforts to build relationships with the military and familiarize herself with military matters.

"For Mrs. Clinton, exhibiting a command of military matters is not just about learning from her husband’s experience," the paper says. "It could be vital to her, as a woman seeking to become a wartime commander in chief, to show the public that she is comfortable with military policy and culture — and with the weight of responsibility that accompanies life-and-death decisions."

"It is also part of an effort to shed the image some voters hold of her as an antimilitary liberal, defined by her opposition to the Vietnam War and, now, by her criticism of the Bush administration’s conduct of the war in Iraq."

The latest story swirling about John and Elizabeth Edwards and the Clintons is that John and Elizabeth are upset because Bill and Hillary...didn't call them to wish them well in the wake of the announcement of her illness!

Wonkette links to this story in the LA Weekly:

"At a Hollywood fundraiser Friday night, John Edwards told donors that he and wife Elizabeth heard personally from every candidate and their spouse after their press conference -- except the Clintons."

Except that it's not true, apparently. Edwards senior adviser Jonathan Prince emails:

"Senator Clinton called Senator Edwards on Friday, but they didn't connect. That evening, someone asked him if he had spoken to her, and he said they hadn't talked yet since they hadn't, but he certainly did not suggest that she hadn't reached out. They spoke today and had a very nice conversation, and Senator and Mrs. Edwards both appreciated her call."

If you're a devoted reader of TPMmuckraker you probably know about GOP Rep. Gary Miller, the California Congressman who recently earned the distinction of becoming the 20th member of the 109th Congress to fall under scrutiny from the Feds for a series of fishy land deals. Miller's being probed for allegedly not paying taxes on land he sold to the city in 2002.

Now the DCCC has just put together a Web video lampooning Miller, and we've got an advance copy. The key news in the video is this: The DCCC has obtained through a Freedom of Information request a video of Miller begging the Monrovia County City Council in 2000 to buy his land.

This is important because in his defense against the tax charge, Miller has said that the city forced him to sell it -- which under California law would have allowed him to defer paying the taxes.

But there he is on tape, appeearing to be saying something quite different. While it's been reported already that Miller made his plea before the City Council, the video of it hasn't yet hit the light of day, the DCCC says. So take a look:

To some ears -- such as mine, for instance -- Katie Couric was overly cynical and heavy-handed in her grilling of John and Elizabeth Edwards on "60 Minutes" last night. Two people who apparently don't agree: John and Elizabeth Edwards. Here's the statement just out from Edwards campaign manager Jonathan Prince:

"The Edwardses appreciated the opportunity 60 Minutes afforded them to respond to tough questions which have been raised in response to last week's diagnosis that Mrs. Edwards' cancer had returned. Mrs. Edwards also called Ms. Couric today to thank her for the interview and to say that she and Senator Edwards thought the interview was both thorough and fair."

Earlier today, Edwards told reporters: "My reaction was that Katie Couric asked questions that the American people are asking themselves, and I think they were completely legitimate questions."

The early returns are in: It looks as if Americans are strongly backing the decision by John and Elizabeth Edwards to keep his campaign going despite her recurrence of cancer. A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds that respondents back the Edwards' decision by a two-to-one margin, with 58% saying he should go on versus only 29% saying he should drop out.

One potential trouble spot: Though 50% believe he'll stay in the race until the end, a fairly substantial 38% think he'll eventually have to drop out because of her illness — nine points ahead of those who said they thought he should drop out. Upshot: It's not clear whether the decision plays in his favor, since those applauding the decision could at least partly be offset by those reluctant to back a candidate they think will be forced to bail early on the race.

A new poll finds that Hillary is running much more strongly against GOP frontrunner Rudy Giuliani in New York than Barack Obama is — something which is unsurprising given that Hillary is a New York Senator, but is perhaps significant in that New York is of course a must-win state for the Dem nominee.

The new Siena College poll finds that Hillary is beating Rudy by a 12-point margin of 51%-39%, while Rudy holds a slight edge over Barack Obama, 45%-42%.

On the primary front, both Hillary and Rudy (again unsurprisingly) hold massive leads: Hillary gets 43%, trailed by Al Gore at 14% and Barack Obama with 11%; while Rudy gets 48% of Republicans, with John McCain way behind at 16%, and Newt Gingrich at 8%.

One more time...attention, Congressional Dems: The American public has got your back when it comes to supporting a Congressionally-imposed deadline for withdrawal from Iraq. Check out this new poll that's just been released by Pew Research:

A solid majority of Americans say they want their congressional representative to support a bill calling for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by August 2008. Nearly six-in-ten (59%) say they would like to see their representative vote for such legislation, compared with just 33% who want their representative to oppose it.

Democrats are united in their support of legislation calling for a U.S. troop withdrawal by August 2008, and most independents (61%) also favor this step. Most Republicans oppose this step, but there are substantial divisions within the GOP. More than four-in-ten moderate and liberal Republicans (44%) want their representative to vote for legislation calling for an August 2008 deadline for a troop withdrawal, compared with only about a quarter of conservative Republicans (26%).

However, the poll also has some sobering numbers for the Dem Congressional leadership, too:

While Democrats and Republicans disagree over what Congress should do about Iraq, there is bipartisan criticism of Congress's handling of the issue to date. Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73% -- including 77% of Republicans, 78% of independents and 66% of Democrats -- say Congress is doing only a fair or poor job dealing with Iraq. Just 22% say Congress has done an excellent (3%) or good job (19%) in this regard.

For Democrats, much of this frustration is linked to the sense that Congress has too little influence on Iraq policy, and has not aggressively challenged President Bush's approach. Most Democrats (56%) believe that Congress should have "a lot of influence" over the direction of U.S. policy in Iraq, and an identical number says that Democratic leaders in Congress have not gone far enough in challenging George W. Bush's policies.

Without a full breakout of the questions, it's unclear to me whether that 56% of Dems who think Congress should have a "lot of influence" over Iraq policy wish that Dems institutionally should have more influence than they have, or whether Dems should be proactively doing more within the institutional constraints that exist, but nonetheless, the numbers are certainly noteworthy.

The Senate has just begun debating their own bill calling for withdrawal from Iraq. More soon.

Get your updates on the Presidential candidates right here, while they're hot:

• Barack Obama has cited an old article in Life magazine as having preciptated his racial awakening at age 9 — but it turns out the article doesn't exist, The Chicago Tribune reports. The Trib talked to the mag's in-house historians, who confirmed that the article never appeared.

• Mitt Romney's campaign announced their New Hampshire leadership team, including Manchester attorney Jim Merrill as state director, and political director Jamie Burnett, who is coming over from the office of Senator John Sununu.

• Hillary Clinton was formally endorsed by former Iowa Governor and brief Presidential candidate Tom Vilsack today. Vilsack will be a co-chairman of Hillary's campaign, while his wife Christie will co-chair the campaign in Iowa.

• John McCain voiced his concerns about the constant attention a candidate gets on the modern campaign trail: "I hope there's a statute of limitations on saying stupid things."

• John Edwards is being endorsed today by more than 20 public officials in South Carolina, including Columbia Mayor Bob Coble. Edwards is also in San Francisco today, giving a speech about global warming and energy policy.

• Former Senator John Breaux, D-LA, plans to run for Governor of Louisiana — if state Attorney General Charles Foti says he still meets the legal residency requirements: "I know I’m a citizen of Louisiana ... My family probably got there in the 1700s."

• Rudy Giuliani will be on CNBC's Kudlow & Company today at 5:00 p.m.

Read more »

Almost-President Al Gore proved that onetime politicians can successfully remake themselves as documentary film-makers. Now another ex-politician is trying to get in on the action: Defeated Senator Rick Santorum.

The former Pennsylvania Senator, who was defeated in a landslide last year by Democrat Bob Casey Jr., plans on directing two Gore-style documentaries, the Allentown Morning Call reports. Santorum's planned documentaries — which are still in the initial planning stage and have yet to be funded — will be at the other end of the political spectrum from Gore's, to put it mildly.

According to the Morning Call, Santorum is planning as an hour-long work that will "explore the relationship between radical Islam and the radical leftists in various countries around the world, including Latin America." The second, Santorum says, would be a more ambitious project to "change the culture of America."

Santorum's larger goal is to pitch himself as a conservative voice trying to change American culture, as a counterweight to Gore and Michael Moore — two names so loathed on the right, that evoking them could help Santorum raise the money for his projects. "That is what the left is doing and doing it in a big way, producing a lot of left content for Hollywood, and even not just out of Hollywood," he said. "Even independent films are now more and more left-wing driven, whether it is Michael Moore or Al Gore."

Hillary netted at least $10 million in contributions last week in California, helped along by an extensive network of donors in Hollywood and elsewhere in the state, today's New York Post reports.

Meanwhile, ABC News reports that Hillary said this morning that as President she'd sign the Iraq withdrawal bill passed by House Dems last week. Today the Senate begins debate on its bill calling for withdrawal from Iraq.

Update by Kate Redburn: Numbers like the $10 million Hillary just rang up continue to leave some of the non-celebrity candidates scrounging for dollars. For instance, Joe Biden's campaign recently conceded that it would only be raising a total of some $20 million by the Iowa caucuses next year. Hillary, of course, raised half that amount in one week.

That's one of the key messages John and Elizabeth Edwards delivered during their interview last night with Katie Couric on "60 Minutes."

Edwards put it this way: "Do not vote for us because you feel some sympathy or compassion for us. That would be an enormous mistake. The vote for the presidency is far too important for any of those things to influence it."

Elizabeth, for her part, had this to say: "That would be my legacy, wouldn't it, Katie? That I'd taken out this fine man from -- from the possibility of -- of giving a great service. I mean, I don't want that to be my legacy." Expect these quotes to stoke a great deal more debate over the Edwards' courageous decision today.

"How can a 5-foot-7, divorced billionaire Jew running as an independent from New York possibly have a chance?"

That the dismissive question New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg privately asks of people who suggest he run for President, according to friends who have discussed the idea with him, today's Washington Post reports. Bloomberg spokesperson Stu Loser also dismisses the possibility in an interview with the paper: "The question has been asked every which way. The answer is no. He has been very clear that he's not running."

Still, the Post gamely tries to make a (front-page!) story out of Bloomberg's alleged consideration of a run, reporting that he "has dropped enough hints and has had enough tantalizing discussions with potential supporters that people who observe the city's politics for a living are convinced he is at least thinking about it." Or, you know, not.

"How can a 5-foot-7, divorced billionaire Jew running as an independent from New York possibly have a chance?"

That the question New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg privately asks, according to friends who have discussed with him whether he should run for President, today's Washington Post reports. Bloomberg spokesperson Stu Loser also dismisses the idea that he'd run in an interview with the paper: "The question has been asked every which way. The answer is no. He has been very clear that he's not running."

Still, the Post gamely tries to make a (front-page!) story out of Bloomberg's alleged consideration of a run, reporting that he "has dropped enough hints and has had enough tantalizing discussions with potential supporters that people who observe the city's politics for a living are convinced he is at least thinking about it." Or, you know, not.

Will the Iraq War lead to more GOP casualties in the 2008 Congressional elections? Republican Senator John Sununu of New Hampshire is fearful that his pro-war stance could cost him reelection next year, a worry that is shared by a growing number of GOP incumbent senators, today's New York Times reports.

The paper interviewed a bunch of attendees of a gathering featuring Sununu and concluded that "more than a dozen Republicans in attendance said they were concerned about Mr. Sununu’s re-election prospects."

"As Iraq has dominated the early stages of the presidential campaign, the debate is beginning to shape the 2008 Congressional contests, sending alarm through the camps of several Republican incumbents," the Times says. Perhaps no place is that concern more acute than in New Hampshire, where voters last year turned two Republican congressmen out of office, in part because of discontent over the war."

Update: This view of GOP Senators' vulnerability is even echoed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee's chairman, Senator John Ensign. The Washington Times reports that Ensign "acknowledged that his party faces a steep, uphill climb in next year's Senate elections when 21 Republican seats will be up for grabs, compared with 12 for the Democrats."

“That’s not going to happen. Forget it.”

-- Rahm Emanuel, quoted by The New York Times answering the question of whether there's a scenario under which Dems would move to impeach President Bush.

Universal health care, anyone? Every candidate in the Dem Presidential field is promising it, and they all laid out their ideas at a union forum in Las Vegas yesterday:

* John Edwards: The only candidate to present a specific plan, The Washington Post claims. Said it would cost $90 billion to $120 billion a year and that he would raise taxes to pay for it by rolling back Bush's tax cuts for people with incomes above $200,000. "One of the reasons I want to be president is to make sure every woman and every person in America gets the same things that we have," Edwards says.

* Bill Richardson: Would fund his proposal by ending Iraq war and shifting some of the billions being spent there to fund universal coverage. He also suggested "tax credits to help people buy insurance and an option to let people ages 55 to 64 buy coverage through Medicare," according to The Times.

* Hillary Clinton: Skirted question of whether to raise taxes, WaPo says. Promised a "big political" battle with the insurance companies, and "said she would prohibit insurers from denying coverage or charging much higher premiums to people with medical problems," says The Times.

* Barack Obama: Pledged support for universal health care, but also said he hadn't concluded how much additional revenue it might take. Asked by an audience member why he didn't have a specific plan yet, Obama said his campaign was formulating one and that the primary goal now was to build national consensus around the idea.

* Dennis Kucinich: Laid out what The Times calls the "most sweeping" proposal, to create “a universal, single-payer not-for-profit health care system providing Medicare for all.”

More coverage here and here.

Taylor Marsh's take: "The clear winner today was Hillary Clinton. Period. No one came close to her passion, energy and details, as well as the humor and, yes, humility she brought to the subject at hand: health care."

But ABC News observes: "Only former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., has outlined a specific plan."

"Plenty of people and politicians have skeletons in their closets. In the case of Rudy Giuliani, that closet is a walk-in."

-- Devlin Barrett, writing in today's New York Post.

Elizabeth Edwards opens up to The New York Times. She says she made the decision that John should stay in the race while undergoing tests on Wednesday after John had left the room:

As the nurse fumbled to find the vein in her arm last Wednesday and Elizabeth Edwards was bracing for the worst possible news, her decision about her husband’s presidential campaign was sealed...

As she spoke with the nurses, Mrs. Edwards recalled: “They said they really supported John, and I started sort of breaking apart. I said, ‘It’s really important that he run.’ ”...

“I expect to live a long time,” Mrs. Edwards said. “I expect us to have lots and lots of years together. I do believe that. But if that’s not the case, I don’t want my legacy to be that I pulled somebody who ought to be president out of the race. It’s not fair to me, in a sense.”

Saying she hoped to be “heavily involved” in her husband’s campaign, she said: “My feeling is, if we gave up what we have committed to as our life’s work, wouldn’t I be getting ready to die? That’s what I’d be doing. This cause is not just John’s cause, it’s my cause.”

The article also notes that John left the room during her tests because he is "squeamish about IVs." Wingnut talking point in the making?

For more from John and Elizabeth, tune in tonight for their interview on "60 Minutes."

So advertises an email sent out to Edwards supporters just before midnight yesterday:

Friends of the Edwards Family:

Elizabeth and John wanted me to tell you about a TV appearance that will be broadcast on Sunday night. They'll sit down for an interview on 60 Minutes with Katie Couric. The program is scheduled to air Sunday at 7:00 PM ET.

In some parts of the country, 60 Minutes may be delayed by the UNC basketball game. We hope you'll still tune in. You can be sure the Edwards family will be cheering on the Tar Heels like they always do.

Thanks again for your outpouring of support in the last few days. We'll be in touch this week with several important updates from the campaign trail.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Prince
Deputy Campaign Manager
John Edwards for President