• Forget about "The Decider." President Bush now has a new title for himself: "The Commander Guy."

• Mitt Romney will appear tonight on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

• With tomorrow's GOP debate soliciting questions for the candidates, Ben Smith reports that none other than Democrat John Edwards has offered a question for the Republicans: "Do you think the Bush doctrine of Global War on Terror is working or do you believe that it has backfired and should be changed?" Edwards asks. "Do you agree that the president's focus suggests an enemy fixed in place that can be defeated through a permanent military campaign - or do you agree with the emerging military consensus that we need a broader, more long-term approach?"

• Seven out of ten Republican candidates for President may end up being excluded from a debate scheduled for May 15, due to a threshhold set by Fox News and the South Carolina Republican Party that candidates be able to consistently exceed one percent in the polls. This would mean the debate would only include Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney.

• Rudy Giuliani recently told a crowd, "We need a president who knows how to get things done so we don't have to be sending money to Chavez," even though his law firm does lobbying work for the Venezuela-controlled Citgo. Rudy maintains that there is no conflict, that he has not personally done any lobbying for Citgo, and he is free to criticize Venezuela.

• Bob Novak reports that Fred Thompson is already winning straw polls for President at local Republican events. Is this a sign of genuine enthusiasm for the non-candidate, or more of a "none of the above" vote on the current bunch?

• Mitt Romney is set to speak before the evangelical students and faculty at Pat Robertson's Regent University this Saturday — but is not expected to address the Mormon question head on.

• Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden will head to New Hampshire next week to address a national convention of the Federation of State and Provincial Fire Fighters.

• Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) will introduce a bill to require that postage on absentee ballots be paid for by the government instead of the voters, saying that "adding a stamp to a ballot is a sort of poll tax and that is wrong."

• Former Governor Jim McGreevey (D-NJ), who resigned in 2004 due to an ethics scandal involving a secret gay affair, is studying to become an Episcopal priest.

Today Congressional Dems had their first post-veto meeting with President Bush, and Harry Reid emerged sounding as if the current standoff is more or less where it was before the meeting. So what's next for Dems on Iraq?

The two options being talked about most are:

(1) Sending Bush a short-term funding bill and forcing him to keep asking for more war funding -- the option favored by John Murtha.

(2) Sending him a full funding bill without withdrawal timetables but with benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet and with troop readiness standards. This is the option that Dem leadership aides are reportedly beginning to coalesce around, though one Hill staffer I spoke with said he wasn't sure that there was much momentum behind it just yet.

I just checked in with a House Dem aide who's a sharp observer of Hill politics, and he laid out what he sees as the pros and cons of both approaches. His thoughts after the jump.

Read more »

Is another disaster looming for the GOP? Will Dems defy history and rack up more big wins in the 2008 Congressional elections? Robert Novak thinks it just might happen.

In the latest Evans-Novak political report, Novak lays out what he thinks will be the top targeted House seats on both sides. Novak concludes that while some House Dem seats are "shaky," Dem strategists may be poised to break the historic pattern which has it that a party making big gains tends to lose seats two years later.

"One could argue that 2006 was a Republican low point, and therefore many of these districts will not be competitive again in 2008," Novak says. "However, a continued sour mood over the Iraq War could produce another massive Republican defeat in 2008 that makes 2006 look tame by comparison. Republicans in Washington generally concede that the continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq by next November could mean disaster for the party."

Novak's full analysis here. His picks for top targeted races after the jump.

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As expected. The House vote's over -- House Dems fell short of overriding Bush's veto of the Iraq withdrawal bill, 221-203. Next: Dem leaders will meet within minutes with Bush to talk about possible compromise ideas. We'll keep you posted.

“When he turned and said to Bernie Kerik, ‘Thank God George Bush is President,’” what he should have said was, ‘Why the fuck didn’t George Bush call us and tell us this was going to happen?’ That was a more appropriate response.”

-- Former Senator Bob Kerrey, in an interview with The New York Observer, skewering Rudy Giuliani for one of his well-known 9/11 anecdotes.

Okay, this is good. Here's the new ad that John Edwards will be running on Iraq in the D.C. market. The ad features a bunch of voters demanding that Congress continue standing up to Bush on Iraq -- in keeping with Edwards' message that Congress should keep sending the same Iraq withdrawal bill back to Bush again and again:

Edwards' supporters will also be encouraged via online outreach to record their own voices making the case to Congress in the ad's script. According to the Edwards campaign, a new version with all the new voices will at some point be posted on the Web -- the idea being that the effort will snowball as more and more people add their voices to the chorus. Seems unique to us.

This has to be one of the more brutal primary attack ads that we've ever seen — in it, a GOP candidate literally creates and airs an attack ad for the Democrats to use against her fellow Republican in a general election. The idea behind the ad — which is being aired by former Congresswoman Anne Northup (R-KY), who narrowly lost her seat last fall and is now challenging scandal-plagued GOP governor Ernie Fletcher in the gubernatorial primary — is to persuade GOP primary voters that Dems would rather run against the incumbent than against herself. To watch the ad, click here.

Senator John Kerry is launching an early and unusual national fundraising drive designed to put pressure on four specific Republican Senators who are vulnerable in 2008 in hopes of undermining political support within the Senate for President Bush's Iraq positions, Kerry advisers tell Election Central.

The fellow Senators being targeted by Kerry are John Sununu, Norm Coleman, Susan Collins, and (less vulnerable) GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell. This afternoon, Kerry's PAC will send out an email to just under 3 million people on its list of supporters asking for donations. "This is an extraordinary campaign; to my knowledge, nothing quite like this has ever been done," Kerry's email will say, adding that these GOPers are "Roadblock Republicans."

Kerry himself will publish later today a personal appeal for funds and an announcement of the campaign on the liberal Web sites Huffington Post and DailyKos.

"With President Bush taking a veto pen to our troops last night, Kerry feels it is even more urgent to grow our Senate majority in 2008 and force a change of course in Iraq," Kerry spokesperson Amy Brundage tells Election Central. "We can't wait around."

Kerry's fundraising drive will be done in cooperation with ActBlue, which has already set up Dem nominee funds in these and other states that are raising money that will ultimately be turned over to whomever the Dem nominee turns out to be in those contests. Money raised by Kerry will go into those coffers.

Kerry's PAC is also setting up email pages so that donors can send emails directly to the GOP Senators to let them know that they've already contributed money to efforts to oust them next year. "There needs to be daily, intense pressure and it needs to come from the grassroots up. There’s no more urgent priority," Brundage says of Kerry's pressure on his Senate colleagues. "It’s not personal, it’s policy.”

Interesting stuff. The email he's sending out is after the jump.

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Obama Campaign Feuds With Supporter Over MySpace
Tech President reports that a feud between the management of Barack Obama's campaign and supporter Joe Anthony has resulted in the campaign having to completely start over in building their MySpace profile. Anthony had sought to become an official staffer in charge of the campaign's MySpace page, which he created unofficially before Obama started his campaign and had since reached a membership of over 160,000 people. The campaign's experienced consultants and Anthony could not agree on terms, and then the campaign took the drastic step of locking Anthony out entirely and starting their own official page — which has a much smaller membership of 12,000, as of the article's publication.

Giuliani's Links To Texas Law Firm A Double-Edged Sword
The New York Times reports that Rudy Giuliani's success in fundraising in Texas — the best of any GOP candidate so far — has come from his links to powerful Houston-based law firm Bracewell & Giuliaini. It could come with political drawbacks, however, as the firm is a strong lobbyist for polluting coal-fired power plants, and has helped bring donors to the Giuliani campaign that include a former president of Enron, plus other oil and gas executives.

Richardson Criticizes Dems On Border Fence
The Associated Press reports that Bill Richardson is reiterating his opposition to a fence along the Mexican border, calling it both "a terrible symbol" and also unworkable. He also singled out Democrats who voted last Fall to build a fence, and strongly implied that their votes were politically motivated. "It was a vote before the election — ill conceived."

Ford: Race Not a Hurdle, Obama Can Succeed In The South
The Chicago Tribune reports that Harold Ford Jr. told a Chicago audience that he does not believe race would be a hurdle to a Barack Obama candidacy in the South. "Can somebody who is black win? The answer is yes," Ford said. Instead, Ford maintains that an election will turn on how well someone can relate to Southern constituencies. "You've got to fit in the mainstream on values issues. You've got to be fair when it comes to economic policy. And you've got to be accountable to people."

Senate Republicans Lagging Behind Democrats For 2008
The Hill notes that the National Republican Senatorial Committe is lagging far behind their Democratic counterparts, now that they are in the minority. The Democratic Senatorial Committee doubled the NRSC's fundrausing in the last quarter, and the NRSC has been unable to recruit a top candidate for any Democratic-held seats, six months into this campaign cycle. In Colorado, where incumbent Republican Wayne Allard is retiring, the Republicans still don't even have a candidate lined up at all. "A bunch of people are going to start scratching their heads and saying, 'Gosh, maybe it wasn’t Elizabeth Dole,'" said one Republican operative.

Rasmussen: Independents Growing, GOP At A Low
A new Rasmussen poll finds that the numbers of Republican and Democrats are both shrinking, but the GOP at a much faster decline. When asked their party identification, only 31.5% of Americans said they are Republicans, a new low in Rasmussen polling. Democrats come in at 36.5%, a slight decline from their 38% since taking over Congress. The kicker: Indendepents weigh in at 32.4%, an all-time high taken almost entirely from the Republican column, and pushing the GOP into third place in party identification.

Fletcher Leads Northup In Kentucky GOP Gubernatorial Primary
A new SurveyUSA poll has incumbent Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher — whose first term has been rocked by a variety of ethics scandals and pardons of subordinates — leading former Congresswoman Anne Northup by a solid 46%-34%, with a third candidate garnering 14%. The primary is on May 22, and Fletcher only needs 40% or more to avoid a June runoff. Northup's campaign is arguing to Republicans that Fletcher cannot win. In the wide-open Democratic primary, a runoff seems highly likely, as even the top candidate right now is at only 29%.

Conservatives Building Their Own YouTube Alternative
The Washington Times reports that Republican operatives Charlie Gerow and Jeff Lord are founding QubeTV, an Internet video and social-networking site meant to be a conservative version of YouTube, which they allege has a liberal bias in terms of which videos have been taken down in the past. A spokesman for Google, which owns YouTube, denied any such bias. "Our site provides an equal opportunity for both sides of the political spectrum and embraces voter interaction with the candidates.

Huckabee, Richardson, Tancredo and Dodd Give Best Answers To Desert Island Question
The Associated Press asked the Presidential candidates what they would like to have if stranded on a desert island. Most of the candidates answered that it would be their wives or good books. But we would like to give points to Chris Dodd for the most novel answer — coffee with cream and sugar — and the top prizes to Mike Huckabee, Bill Richardson and Tom Tancredo for actually listing items that could get them off the island: A laptop with satellite reception for Huckabee; A boat for Tancredo; And for Richardson, a Blackberry plus a Davidoff cigar.

McCaskill Uninvited From Speaking At Daughter's Catholic School
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), who had previously invited to speak at her daughter's Catholic high school commencement, is no longer invited to speak there, on orders of the St. Louis Archdiocese. A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese said the invitation was cancelled because McCaskill's positions on abortion and embryonic stem-cell research go against church teachings. "It was a special opportunity because my daughter is one of the graduates," McCaskill said. "I'm disappointed that the archbishop has made this decision."

We have the transcript of this wonderful Broder moment. Check it out.

• President Bush has officially vetoed the Iraq funding and withdrawal bill this evening — four years to the day since he declared victory in Iraq in his infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech.

• Hillary Clinton is holding two small events in Washington tonight with high-power donors, in an effort to rally her supporters and better plan their fundraising strategy.

• Rudy Giuliani has laid out his position on immigration, calling for a comprehensive plan involving a secured border, identificaiton cards for new immigrants, and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already here — the latter point a target of strong opposition from many grassroots conservatives.

• Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA) has reportedly been saying that Senator John Warner (R-VA) has told him to make preparations for an open Senate race.

• The bill to give a vote in the House to the District of Columbia, plus an additional seat for Utah, has picked up conservative support in the Senate. Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), a longtime advocate for D.C. representation, has announced that he's brought on Utah's Republican Senators Orrin Hatch and Robert Bennett as co-sponsors.

• Although John Edwards placed third in the Democratic field for fundraising last quarter, he easily led the pack in money raised from the South.

• Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), a staunch opponent of gay rights, has received an honorary membership in the Golden Plains Council Girl Scouts. Is there anything more to say?

So did Barack Obama "snub" the Congressional Black Caucus, as The Hill reported today? Not according to Dem Rep. Al Wynn, one of the people who was quoted in the Hill piece originally seeming to say just that.

Wynn just fired off a letter to The Hill slamming the story's premise, and we've got a copy:

Dear Editor,

I want to take strong exception to the article that ran in yesterday's paper entitled, "Obama Snubs Black Caucus." The views depicted in the article are a deliberate distortion of my remarks to the reporter. I explained to the reporter in great detail that there was no risk or snub involved, but merely a matter of logisitics. This appears to be a calculated attempt to portray divisiveness between Barack Obama and the CBC that do not in fact exist. Senator Obama has always expressed his willingness to host a fundraiser for the CBC PAC. We are working together to secure a date and avoid a scheduling conflict. The Senator has been very supportive of the CBC PAC's efforts, and I am confident that he will continue to do so in the future.

Sincerely,

Albert R. Wynn

Member of Congress

So there you have it.

The more debates, the merrier!

It's official: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will both be attending the New Hampshire debate in June -- in defiance of the DNC, which had hoped to begin debates no sooner than July.

Camp Hillary struck first with this from Clinton spokesperson Mo Elleithee: "She looks forward to this opportunity to continue her conversation with Granite Staters and demonstrate why she is the candidate most ready to lead and deliver the change we need."

Camp Obama then emailed over this: "We had hoped that the DNC and the debate’s sponsors would agree to make this debate one of the DNC’s six sanctioned debates,” said Obama New Hampshire Director Matt Rodriguez. “However, Senator Obama believes talking about how we can change our politics with the other candidates in the home of the nation’s first primary is an opportunity too important to miss.”

The DNC had previously tried to only sanction a limited number of debates, with none happening before July. But most of the Dem candidates said they'd be going to New Hampshire's June debate, anyway, leaving Hillary and Obama as the last holdouts. Now that the duo is going after all, has the DNC officially lost its clout to determine the pace of Presidential debates? And if so, will we be seeing lots more debates, as local media outlets and the lower-tier candidates move to pressure the top-tier players into holding more non-DNC sanctioned affairs? Let's hope so.

there was some discussion of iraq ... the speaker talked about the need for a new direction there, went through that messaging and about how we're gonna go forward. there is a fair amount of interest in sort of and among dems in what boehner said. if there was one dev that was impt today, it was boehner's comment. when he said house...benchmarks...

people are all sort of a little surprised that house reps are walking away from benchmarks...

there are a lot of options that are still on the table...it was...the caucus does meetings, regular meeting every tuesday. always closed...

when you're really gonna figure out options is when you have the meeting with the Pres. I haven't been a part of...I haven't been a part of...

some folks who think that if timetables are off the table, then benchmarks are next...benchmarks with some sort of enforcement or provision to ensure accountability...tie it to funding...you would ... people think that its impt that you have some sort of benchmarks...we...they want a ...politcally...the american people...one way of

inclusive process, making sure that everyone had opp to have their voice heard. i would imagine you would see folks in leadership taking

you're gonna find out how quickly things are gonna move...leadership will be at white house on wed...afternoon...invited to he white house...and then we'll go from there...dems...

I think that is probably the first discussion of many...

It's done. Now we really are one signature away from ending the Iraq War. "I hope that he will listen to the American people," Nancy Pelosi says of the President.

He won't, though. Bush will address the nation about his upcoming veto at 6:10 P.M., MSNBC says. He really will veto the Iraq withdrawal bill on the fourth anniversary of "Mission Accomplished" day.

Here's Pelosi signing the bill:

Here's the new Americans United for Change TV ad, which will start airing on national cable networks immediately upon President Bush's veto of the Iraq withdrawal bill: "Mr. President, you can veto a bill. But you can't veto the truth."

Some interesting new primary state poll numbers just in from American Research Group:

Dems:

New Hampshire: Clinton 37%, Edwards 26%, Obama 14%, Richardson 3%, Biden 2%

Iowa: Edwards 27%, Clinton 23%, Obama 19%, Biden 6%, Richardson 5%

This poll finds Obama in third in both states, though he's in second in South Carolina. Most surveys have shown Edwards in third in New Hampshire; he appears to have been steadily rising in the state.

Republicans:

Iowa: McCain 26%, Giuliani 19%, Romney 14%, Thompson 13%

New Hampshire: McCain 29%, Romney 24%, Giuliani 17%, Thompson 7%

McCain besting Rudy in both states, and also in South Carolina, according to the poll.

Update: Also note: Rudy in third in New Hampshire.

Given that today's the fourth anniversary of "Mission Accomplished" day, it's fitting that Gallup has released a new and detailed analysis of American public opinion on Iraq.

One key finding:

57% of Americans favoring "the U.S. setting a timetable for removing its troops from Iraq and sticking to that timetable regardless of what is happening in Iraq," while 39% favor the United States "keeping troops in Iraq as long as necessary to secure the country, even if that takes many more years."

This is interesting, because it suggests that one of the key GOP pushbacks against Congressional Dems right now -- that a withdrawal timetable is a bad idea because it mandates a pullout even if things improve in coming months -- is a dud with the public.

There are a bunch of interesting numbers in the poll, including a caveat or two about public support for the Dem pullout plan. Check out the poll here.

Yep -- that's what Joe Lieberman argued yesterday at a "civility conference." Our take on his remarks here.

Today is the fourth anniversary of "Mission Accomplished" day -- not to mention the day the Dem Congress will send President Bush their Iraq withdrawal bill -- and the Dem Presidential candidates are already kicking off the festivities! They are marking the politically sensitive day by pressing their individual messages against the war.

Here's Barack Obama's statement:

“Four years after President Bush landed on an aircraft carrier and declared ‘Mission Accomplished,’ we are still in a war where more than one hundred American service members have died in just the month of April. We grieve for them today and urge the President to avoid making another tragic mistake by signing the bill that will end this war and bring our troops home. "

“We are now one signature away from ending this war. The majority of the American people and their Congress now agree that there is no military solution to the conflict in Iraq, and that the best way to pressure the warring factions to reach a political settlement that can end this war is still a phased withdrawal of American forces with the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq by March 30th, 2008.”

That one signature that could end the war, of course, won't be forthcoming today. Meanwhile, we have to reiterate that Obama's framing here is very artful indeed.

Here's John Edwards' statement:

"Four years ago, President Bush flew onto the deck of the U.S.S. Lincoln under a 'Mission Accomplished' banner to declare victory in Iraq, but all the photo ops in the world can't hide the truth -- his disastrous mismanagement of the war has left our troops in harm's way and made Iraq a breeding ground for terrorists.

"Now, the American people have given Congress a mission to end the war, but it hasn't been accomplished yet....When Bush vetoes the bill, Congress should send him another bill with a timetable for withdrawal and if he vetoes that one, Congress should send him another and another until we end this war and bring our troops home."

Edwards -- who of course no longer is a Senator -- has been pressing the case that Congress needs to act more aggressively against the White House. More on the veto showdown soon.

McCain To Call For International Cooperation, "League Of Democracies"
John McCain is set to deliver a foreign policy speech today calling for a "League Of Democracies" to deal with world problems, displaying a greater sense of open-mindedness and cooperation than has been exercised during the Bush years, the Associated Press reports. "We Americans must be willing to listen to the views and respect the collective will of our democratic allies," McCain will say, according to prepared remarks. "Our great power does not mean we can do whatever we want whenever we want, nor should we assume we have all the wisdom, knowledge and resources necessary to succeed."

Both Parties Preparing For Potential Renzi Resignation
Although Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) has strongly denied any intention to resign, Roll Call reports that both parties are prearing for a potential open election as the ethics investigations against the Congressman proceed. The DCCC has already opened a special fundraising account targeted at the district, while potential Republican candidates are lining up for either a special election or the 2008 regular election, in case Renzi either resigns or declines to run again.

Clinton Leads In Support From Kerry Fundraisers
The Hill reports that Hillary Clinton's campaign is far outpacing the other Democrats in picking up support from former bundlers for John Kerry, with 38 individuals working on her campaign's behalf to raise money. Barack Obama comes in second place with 24 people, while 2004 Vice Presidential nominee John Edwards lags behind with 13.

Thompson Building Campaign Operation For Potential Run
The Politico reports that while Fred Thompson has not made a final decision on entering the Presidential race, he is on track to announce his candidacy in June or July, and has been interviewing potential campaign managers and other staffers.

Report: Obama Declining To Actively Raise Funds For Black Caucus
The Hill reports that Barack Obama has failed to hold a fundraiser for the Congressional Black Caucus in the years since he was first asked to do so, a lapse that could potentially undermine support from black politicians and their own campaign organizations. By contract, Hillary Clinton held a fundraiser for the CBC PAC in March. "I think it’s an important gesture," said CBC Chairwoman Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI) "I think he should have done it. I do understand he’s now in the thick of what he’s doing and I find that unfortunate."

New York GOP Chair Snubbing Rudy
The New York Post reports that new York Republican chairman Joseph Mondello has issued a directive to stop elected officials and Republican leaders from endorsing home-state candidate Rudy Giuliani. The order has been carried out effectively — not a single New York state legislator has endorsed Rudy's campaign. The Post speculates that this may be related to Mondello's close links to former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, with whom Giuliani feuded publicly for years.

Bloomberg Snubs State GOP
In an act guaranteed to spur speculation that he is running for President — or perhaps simply cutting off his support of the Republican Party — The New York Post reports that New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has canceled an upcoming appearance at a Manahttan fundraiser for the near-bankrupt state GOP. "A 'scheduling conflict' for the most important dinner of the year? Very interesting, right?" said one state Republican. Expectations for the dinner have steadily gone downward — originally planned to bring in $3 million, it has been scaled down to a mere $1 million expected haul.

Mitt Romney Likes Book By Scientology Founder Hubbard
The New York Times notes that Mitt Romney told the Fox News Channel that his favorite novel is Battlefield Earth, written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Romney then made a statement that could potentially alienate both admirers and detractors of the controversial religion: "I’m not in favor of his religion by any means," Romney said. "But he wrote a book called ‘Battlefield Earth’ that was a very fun science-fiction book."

South Carolina GOP Filing Closed Yesterday
The Associated Press reports that filing for the South Carolina Republian primary closed yesterday, with Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Jim Gilmore being the last candidates to file with the state party and pay the $25,000 fee. In South Carolina, the parties pay the cost of holding the primary, so candidates in turn provide the money to the party.

Conservative Opposition Building Against Hagel In Nebraska
Southwest Nebraska News reports that conservative opposition to Senator Chuck Hagel is mobilizing in his home state of Nebraska. A group called Nebraska Taxpayers For Freedom is building opposition to Hagel's proposals on illegal immigration, and openly calling for a challenge to him in the Republican primary. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is standing by Hagel despite his break from the party on Iraq funding, and is set to headline two fundraisers in May for the Senator's re-election campaign.

• The New Yorker has a fascinating profile of Barack Obama, painting a picture of a man with strong liberal ideals but a Burkean conception of human nature, with a willingness to compromise and a skepticism of just how quickly changes can be attempted and still be sustainable.

• John McCain has hit Mitt Romney for his recent comment that trying to catch Osama bin Laden would not be worth the effort and money. McCain said that "it takes a degree of naiveté to think he’s [bin Laden] not an element in the struggle against radical Islam."

• Via Pollster.com, a new Cook/RT poll shows Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama 32%-24%.

• Carl Bernstein's upcoming book on Hillary Clinton is reportedly brutal to the Senator, questioning the veracity of her official life story.

• Fred Thompson may have a good reason to be hesitant about entering the Presidential fray: He is not only a long-time friend and support of John McCain, he was reportedly helping to raise money for McCain's campaign earlier this year.

• Vanity Fair writer Michael Wolff wonders if Rudy Giuliani's penchant for outrageous behavior might actually be a plus.

• John Edwards has a new campaign book coming out, entitled Ending Poverty In America: How To Restore The American Dream.

• The Jefferson County Teachers Association has endorsed embattled Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher for re-election.

• Governor Jon Corzine has asked the state of New Jersey to forgive him for not wearing his seatbelt in the car accident that nearly killed him. "I will work very hard to set the right kind of example," Corzine said.

• Governor Kathleen Blanco (D-LA), who previously announced she would not seek re-election, left the door slightly open to possibly re-enter the race. "This is Louisiana and lots of exciting things can happen between now and the election," Blanco said.

Because of some highly inconclusive comments that Jack Murtha made yesterday on CBS, lot of people today are following The Politico's lead and claiming that Murtha said that the Dems "could" impeach Bush. It's all over CNN and MSNBC right now.

In our view, Murtha simply didn't say that Dems were considering impeachment. But the remarks were unclear. So we went ahead and, you know, sought some clarification from Murtha spokesman Matt Mazonkey. He told us the following:

"The Congressman was asked about the ways to influence a President. He did list impeachment as one of four ways. He listed public opinion, the election, impeachment, and the power of the purse. But he doesn't believe that impeachment is appropriate at this time."

No impeachment. "At this time."

In his latest column, Stuart Rothenberg writes that Dems are basically on a roll, adding that their success is partly due to their "moderation" and their "silence" on "hot-button" issues like gun-control and abortion:

So far, in other words, there is little or no evidence that Democratic leaders are being dragged away from their post-election strategy of keeping toward the political center and demonstrating their moderation.

In the fall, well before the November elections, an influential Democrat told me that Congressional Democrats would keep the party’s more ideological faithful happy through a series of hearings during which they would excoriate the Bush administration, while at the same time pushing a legislative agenda with broad appeal. So far, that’s happening just as scripted.

This is certainly an interesting tidbit, and Rothenberg knows tons more about politics than yours truly. Still, isn't there another explanation for the Dems' success other than their "moderation," whatever that means? Such as this: Dems are perhaps succeeding because people agree with them on the two most visible, and aggressive, aspects of their agenda -- chiefly, the investigations into GOP malfeasance and the push to end the war?

After all, polls show that large majorities support these investigations. They're hardly mere red meat designed merely to keep the "more ideological faithful" happy. Similarly large majorities also support the Dems' efforts to grind the war to a halt. While Rothenberg's point about the Dems' muteness on hot-button issues is certainly interesting, doesn't it seem likely that a more important factor behind the Dems' success might be that they're doing what the public wants them to do -- again, agressively -- on two highly visible fronts?

This point always seems to get lost somehow. Not sure why.

The Politico flags John Murtha's appearance on Face the Nation yesterday and sticks the following headline on it:

Murtha: Dems Could Impeach

This is already generating a bunch of canned outrage in the usual wingnut quarters. But did Murtha actually say this? Here's the full exchange with Murtha on CBS yesterday (via Nexis):

Rep. MURTHA: So we've already compromised, and we need to make this president understand, `Mr. President, the public has spoken.' There are three ways--four ways to influence a president, and one is popular opinion, the election, third is impeachment, and fourth is--and fourth is tighten the purse.

SCHIEFFER: Are you seriously talking about contemplating an impeachment of this president, congressman?

Rep. MURTHA: Bob, what I'm saying is there's four ways to influence a president.

SCHIEFFER: And that's one of them?

Rep. MURTHA: And one of them's impeachment...

SCHIEFFER: And that's one option--that's an option that's on the table?

Rep. MURTHA: ...and the fourth one that is on--I'm just saying that's one way to influence the president. The other way, is your purse. And the purse is controlled by the Congress, who's elected by the public. In the last election, public said we want the Democrats in control.

So, yes, Murtha's saying that Dems "could" impeach in the sense that one "could" do any number of things. But it doesn't sound at all to me like Murtha's saying that this is something Dems are actually considering doing, as I think the headline implies.

Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) has now checked out of the Naitonal Rehabilitation Hospital and will now receive medical care at his Washington-area home. So reports his office in a press release.

The release quotes Michael Yochelson, Director of Brain Injury Programs, as follows: "Senator Johnson is aggressive in physical therapy sessions utilizing the Lokomat® gait orthosis, a highly advanced and unique system for robotic treadmill training whereon weight bearing is shared proportionately between the Senator and the machine. As the senator progresses in his outpatient therapy on the Lokomat®, the amount of weight bearing assumed by him will gradually increase."

We're not clear on what that means, or just how long it might be until Johnson can go back to work on the Senate floor, but it sure sounds positive.

Rasmussen: Obama Ahead Of Hillary
A new Rasmussen poll has Barack Obama leaping ahead of Hillary Clinton nationally, with 32% to her 30%, followed by John Edwards at 17%. This is notable in being the first national poll ever showing Obama ahead of Clinton — though as we have previously noted, Rasmussen has consistently given the best results of any national pollster for Obama against Hillary.

Washington Post Channels Joe Lieberman In Mark Penn Profile
In a big profile of Hillary pollster Mark Penn, today's Washington Post makes the rather startling assertion -- in its news pages, no less -- that centrist, pro-war Dems come from the "national security" wing of the Democratic Party. Check it out.

Gallup: Rudy Still Leads Among Conservatives
Rudy Giuliani still has a large lead among self-described conservative Republicans, Gallup notes. An aggregate of Gallup polls over the last two months finds Giuliani with 31% of conservatives, followed by John McCain at 19%, Fred Thompson 13%, Newt Gingrich 11%, and Mitt Romney 8%. Rudy leads among Republicans in the East, the Midwest, and even the South by wide margins, and still narrowly leads John McCain in the West. Rudy does stronger among moderate Republicans, with 41%, but it may still require a strong conservative backing of a single candidate to overtake Rudy even among conservative voters.

Hillary Drops "Rodham"
Hearst Newspapers reports that Hillary Clinton's campaign has dropped the use of her maiden name in campaign literature. When asked if this was a deliberate strategic move, Clinton aide Howard Wolfson replied, "That's a fair question, but there's no plan behind it." Penn State sociologist and author Laurie Scheuble argues that this could be an effort to fit Clinton with American norms. "To most people, family means everyone having the same last name," Scheuble said.

Obama Campaign Caught Using Government Equipment
Newsweek reports that Barack Obama's official Senate scheduler, Robert Gibbs, used a government office fax to send out a 36-page call list for the campaign, including various tips on how to round up endorsements from key party figures. It is legal for Gibbs to collect two paychecks, one from the campaign and the other from the Senate office, but using his government office to send the fax was in violation of federal law, Newsweek argues. "It should not have happened, and we will make sure that it will not happen again," Gibbs said.

Richardson Named Anti-Roe Justice As Model Judge
The Washington Times notes that Bill Richardson's choice of a model Supreme Court Justice, which he named at last Thursday's debate as the late Byron White, was a dissenting vote in Roe v. Wade. When asked about this at a press conference, Richardson disputed the fact of the matter — meaning he was either dodging the question, or simply mis-remembering the facts of White's tenure and his decision in Roe. "Are you sure? Roe versus Wade?" Richardson said. "He was in the '60s. I think an opponent of mine gave you that."

Corporate Contributions Swing To Dems
The Wall St. Journal reports that corporate political contributions have shifted massively towards the Democrats, now that the Dems are in the majority. In the last quarter, corporate PAC's sent 56.6% of their money to Democrats, as opposed to only 34.1% to Democrats throughout the last campaign cycle. With Democrats in the majority and holding strong influence over legislation affecting various business sectors, corporations "are going to give to the chairman, they're going to give to the gatekeepers no matter what," says Sheila Krumholz, the executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics.

Edwards: Tax Increases For The Rich Possible
The Associated Press reports that John Edwards said he would consider raising taxes on the wealthy in order to fund social programs he would like, notably an initiative for universal health care. "It's just the truth," Edwards said at a news conference. "It's the only way to fund the things that need to be done."

WaPo Profiles Mississippi Dem's Religious Populism
The Washington Post has a profile of attorney John Arthur Eaves, who is running a campaign for Governor of Mississippi on a platform combining religious social conservatism with economic populism. "A lot of people ask me, 'How are you a Democrat and a Christian?'" Eaves says. "And I say, 'Because I'm a Christian, I'm a Democrat.' Christ healed the sick, reached out to the poor and came to tell us the truth, which today would translate into support for health care and education. Christ came to help people, and I believe that's the role of the Democratic Party." Eaves faces an uphill climb against incumbent Republican Governor Haley Barbour.

Corzine Leaving Hospital Today
The Star-Ledger reports Governor Jon Corzine (D-NJ) is leaving the hospital today, 18 days after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash. Corzine will be transported to the Governor's official residence in Princeton, where he will receive further medical care.

Romney Campaign Responds To Outrage Over Osama Gaffe
The Boston Globe reports that Mitt Romney's campaign is responding to criticism over his remark last week that "just trying to catch one person" — Osama Bin Laden — would not be worth the costs and effort. "Governor Romney believes that the terrorism threat posed by radical jihadists is larger than only one person," said spokesman Kevin Madden "Governor Romney believes and has stated time and time again that in order to confront these threats we have to focus on the larger problem of the global jihad and break down entire regional and global terror networks of Al Qaeda and others." We must again ask: What would the reaction have been if a liberal Democratic candidate had said this?

Obama Gets Better Reception Than Hillary At California Dem Event
Reuters reports that Barack Obama went over even better than Hillary Clinton at this weekend's California Democratic Party convention. "I am proud that I stood up in 2002 when it wasn't popular to take a stand and urged our leaders not to take us down this dangerous path," Obama told the crowd. On Hillary supporter dismissed Obama's appeal before the liberal activist crowd: "We have a very progressive left-wing constituency here in California. Obama's extremely talented, but this is Hillary's time."

Dodd Hits Debate Format
The New York Times reports that Chris Dodd was sharply critical of the format of this past week's debate. Speaking at the California Democratic Party convention, Dodd told the crowd, "That was a strange debate if I ever saw one. There were a number of issues that didn’t come up," including education and the environment.

Obama: "I Was A Little Nervous" At The Debate
Lynn Sweet at The Chicago Sun-Times writes that Barack Obama acknowledged before a Charleston rally that his performance at Thursday's debate was not his best. "Last night I was a little nervous," Obama said. Sweet argues that modern debate formats — notably 60-second limits for speaking — work against Obama's usual rhetorical style of "a very long windup to the pitch."

McCain Opposes New Hampshire Civil Unions Bill
The New York Sun reports that John McCain said he is against the civil unions bill that has passed the New Hampshire legislature and awaits a certain signing by the Governor. On the other hand, McCain is sticking with his federalist approach to the gay marriage issue, saying that this is a matter for New Hampshire alone. "If I were a citizen of New Hampshire, I would oppose it ... Anything that impinges or impacts the sanctity of the marriage between men and women, I'm opposed to it," McCain said.

Huckabee Says Son Made "Careless Mistake" In Gun Arrest
Mike Huckabee acknowledged that his son David made a "carless mistake" when he was arrested Thursday at an Arkansas airport for having a loaded Glock handgun in his carry-on bag, Radio Iowa reports. "It was in his briefcase, under his computer, and he just didn't remember it," Huckabee said. David Huckabee, who legally owns the gun and has a concealed-carry permit, quickly pled guilty to a misdemeanor count of posessing a weapon in a prohibited place.

Gallegly To Run Again
The Hill reports that Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-CA) says he will run for a twelfth term in 2008. Gallegly had attempted to withdraw from his re-election race last year after being diagnosed with an undisclosed illness, but went ahead with the campaign when his medical outlook improved and withdrawal appeared legally difficult. Although he said at the time that 2006 would be his last campaign, he appears to have changed his mind. "If for any reason there is a change in my position before the 2008 election, I will give ample notice, but that isn’t an anticipated thing at this point," Gallegly said.

Wichita TV Stations Refuse To Run Bloomberg Gun Ad
The Associated Press reports that CBS and NBC affiliates in Wichita, Kansas, are refusing to run an ad sponsored by New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg (R), that is critical of federal legislation by Wichita Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) that restricts information sharing between the federal government and local governments on gun purchases. The local stations say they were unable to verify the claims made in the ad, while Bloomberg says that the national networks should intervene.