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—7:30 am: Gen. Wesley Clark greets employees of Fraser Paper Mill before touring the plant, Berlin, N.H.
—8:30 am: Gen. Clark has breakfast with residents at Tea Bird's Café, Berlin, N.H.
—8:00 am: Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack speaks about the connection between families and economic development at the Duquesne Club, Pittsburgh
—10:00 am: Sen. John Kerry speaks about homeland security at Hopkinton High School, Hopkinton, N.H.
—10:15 am: President Bush visits with wounded soldiers and gets an MRI of his knees at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, D.C.
—10:15 am: Gen. Clark is interviewed live on New Hampshire WMOU 1230 AM's "The Forum" by host Bob Barbin
—10:45 am: Sen. Kerry speaks to the press following his speech at Hopkinton High School, Hopkinton, N.H.
—11:35 am: President Bush speaks to medical personnel at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, D.C.
—12:00 pm: Sen. Kerry walks through downtown Nashua, N.H.
—12:30 pm: Gen. Clark speaks with residents at Balsams Hotel, Dixville Notch, N.H.
—12:45 pm: Rep. Dennis Kucinich joins four supporters who are walking across the country, Mt. Vernon, Iowa
—1:00 pm: Gov. Howard Dean speaks about his domestic policies at Manchester City Library, Manchester, N.H.
—1:00 pm: Rep. Kucinich speaks with volunteer walker Jonathan Meier at Cornell College Commons, Mt. Vernon, Iowa
—1:30 pm: On-camera press briefing with White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan
—2:20 pm: Gov. Dean speaks to the media following his speech at Manchester City Library, Manchester, N.H
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—2:30 pm: Rep. Kucinich visits Siemen's manufacturing company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
—2:45 pm: Bush-Cheney 2004 Campaign Chair Marc Racicot announces the campaign's California Leadership Team, Sacramento
—3:00 pm: Rep. Kucinich attends a holiday party at the MHS building, Davenport, Iowa
—3:30 pm: Gen. Clark walks with residents, Littleton, N.H.
—5:00 pm: Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld addresses troops at Ft. Bragg / Pope Air Force Base, Fayetteville, N.C.
—5:45 pm: Gov. Dean holds a town hall meeting about education at John Fuller Elementary School, North Conway, N.H.
—6:00 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a chili feed at Glenn's Kreme and Kone, Salem, N.H.
—6:30 pm: Rep. Kucinich speaks at Muscatine Books & More, Muscatine, Iowa
—6:45 pm: Gen. Clark speaks with residents at the Claremont Senior Center, Claremont, N.H.
—8:00 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a chili feed at VFW Post 1617, Derry, N.H.
—8:00 pm: Rep. Kucinich speaks at Washington Public Library, Washington, Iowa
—8:30 pm: Rep. Kucinich attends a house party fundraiser, Coralville, Iowa
NEWS SUMMARY
There are three mega-must-reads on Howard Dean in the Washington Post today:
1. a front-page VandeHei/Finer piece that takes a stark look at Dr. Dean's penchant for deviating from the truth on issues that are not trivial, and connects that to the electability question. LINK
This one will inspire shouts of "Finally!!!" from communications directors and opposition researchers galore, but, for reasons too obvious to type, don't look for this storyline to catch fire today.
If enough of you express confusion about what those "reasons too obvious to type" are, we will perhaps lay them out in tomorrow's Note, the final one of 2003.
2. a button-popping, eye-bugging anti-Dean editorial that says he is so left on foreign policy that he has left both America and the mainstream — to the point of unelectability. LINK
Of all the negative things written to date about Howard Dean, history might record that this piece stops The Doctor from being his party's nominee.
That is, IF the Democratic wing of the Gang of 500 — united — has the capacity to stop him.
3. and/but a Howard Kurtz Style tour de force profiling the marriageable Trish Enright and the mirthful Joe Trippi and explaining how the meta-openness of Burlington has fueled much of Dean's favorable press coverage. LINK
If you don't make time to read Howie's wowie, you can't claim to be interested in
a. the tao and zen of Burlington's effective handling of the press
b. Kurtz's role as the New York Times ' REAL public advocate
c. Trish Enright's sleeping habits
(Note to Rick Lyman : time to relearn the definition of "fulsome." LINK)
But wait!
If you act now, you can read MORE about Howard Dean today, including a delightful romp by Matea Gold in the Los Angeles Times — a more narrow take on Dean's loose rhetoric, focused on his pre-war statements and Lugar-Biden. LINK
But Ron Fournier finds the same thing that the accumulation of ABC News reporting sees as a snapshot in time so far: the Saddam capture hasn't (yet) dented Dean's standing in the nomination process. LINK
That Trippi chap gets a salmon, smashing, brilliant profile in the FT. LINK
And the candidate's late-night plane speaking gets hauntingly similar treatment from two men with very different attitudes towards clothing: Mark Z. Barabak and Glen Johnson. LINK and LINK
Also, the AP reports that those pro-Gephardt-union-backed anti-Dean ads seem to be coming off the air.LINK
And the New Republic's Ryan Lizza and the AP's Ross Sneyd preview Dean's second big speech of the week — today's semi-major attempt to turn his various views on domestic policy from a theme-less pudding to a comprehensive, saleable, integrated vision of what America should be like. LINK and LINK
As for other people who want to take the oath of office in January of 2005, President Bush is dealing with his wheels, a front-page USA Today headline touting a Saddam bounce for POTUS, talk of the deficit legacy, a big trade deal, WMDs, and a story about web altering in the Washington Post .
For the other eight Democrats, it's a typically mixed day, with some continuing the desperate attempt to raise real money, and others seeking that elusive (press created) Dean Alternative slot.
Good news for John Kerry: David Yepsen sees the Hawkeye strategy as potentially fruitful. LINK
Bad news for John Kerry: his standing in the NYT/CBS poll vis-a-vis SNL's Al Sharpton. LINK
Mixed news for John Kerry: Pat Healy of the Boston Globe lays bare the Iowa-New-Hampshire-or-bust strategy. LINK
Are you one of those people who wakes up in the morning and says, "Gosh, I wish I knew everyday exactly when The Note is ready"?
Well, in the spirit of the holidays, The Note is ready to give you the gift that keeps on giving.
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Once you're on that page, scroll down and put a check mark in the box under "Political Unit: The Note" and next to "TEXT only." After you check that box, you'll need to scroll down a little more to fill out some required information, including your e-mail address, a password of your choosing, your name, and your zip code.
That's all it takes.
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So do it NOW!!!
President Bush visits injured soldiers and gets an MRI of his knees at Walter Reed today.
Gov. Vilsack speaks about families and economic development in Pittsburgh this morning.
Gov. Dean gives that major speech about his domestic policies in New Hampshire today.
Senator Kerry gives a homeland security speech this morning in New Hampshire.
Gen. Clark campaigns throughout New Hampshire today.
Rep. Kucinich campaigns in Iowa today.
Senator Edwards, Senator Lieberman, Rep. Gephardt, Rev. Sharpton and Ambassador Moseley Braun have no public events today.
The land of 5-plus-2-equals-7:
As the pressure increase from donors on one Mr. Jones of Americans for Jobs, Healthcare & Progressive Values to take down his Osama spot attacking Howard Dean — or at least come clean with his donors, as one such union told us had been urged, the papers report the ad is coming down.
Says the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "As criticism from its donors mounts, a controversial political group led by former Democratic congressman Ed Feighan of Cleveland will end its attack-ad campaign aimed at Howard Dean, a front-runner in early Democratic presidential primary races." LINK
Donor Rick Sloan of the Machinists Union, however, says the ads are coming down because they've hurt Dick Gephardt more than Howard Dean. Note the Feighan quotes to his local paper.
The AP reports the same: LINK
The Des Moines Register 's Jane Norman looks at the down-and-dirty finger pointing between the Dean and Gephardt campaigns in Iowa over the spots, and throws in a prediction from Gordon Fischer that this is all far from over. LINK
Joe Trippi calls it "'laughable'" for Gephardt "to claim his campaign was in the dark about the group's ad campaign when so many of the people and groups associated with the committee have been associated with Gephardt in the past," Notes the Sioux City Journal. LINK
A growing number of those associated with the project have been wondering if Jones' strategy is a winning one and/or if it is not serving to crowd out Dean stories they'd much rather see covered, such as the story on the former governor's now-sealed Vermont records.
We over here are wondering:
Which other unions joined in this effort?
Who are the big-money backers behind it all?
Did anyone involved use Gephardt fundraising lists in the hunt for donors?
Is this the end of the group or will it be back as promised come next year?
(And we wonder just how big the ad buy in South Carolina and Vermont really was … )
Stay tuned, folks …
ABC News Vote 2004: Bush-Cheney re-elect:
USA Today 's Judy Keen and Jill Lawrence report that Saddam Hussein's capture has given President Bush a 9-point boost to 63 percent, his highest approval in six months, according to the latest USA Today /CNN/Gallup Poll. Matt Dowd, however, keeps a cool head. LINK
The Bush-Dean match up numbers are especially interesting, showing that if the election were held today, President Bush would hand Dean's, er, candidacy to him, 59 percent to 37 percent, as opposed to the 53 percent-43 percent match up in November's survey.
President Bush will have an MRI done on both of his knees today at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to determine what is causing pain when he runs. LINK
The Los Angeles Times reports on Crawford's favorite knees: LINK
The Washington Times reports that conservative groups are unhappy with President Bush's statements on gay marriage in his interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer on Tuesday. The president said that he would support a constitutional amendment to honor marriage between a man and a woman but it is up to the states to determine "legal arrangements" and civil unions. LINK
The Washington Post 's Milbank reports that comments made by USAID administrator Andrew Natsios about the cost of reconstruction in Iraq have been taken off of the agency's Web site, and it's "not the first time the administration has done some creative editing of government Web sites." LINK
ABC News Vote 2004: The Invisible Primary:
John Wagner writes about the race to deal with the Bush tax cuts … how far will YOU go? LINK
Howie Kurtz writes the Washington Post 's Politics column today, leading with Democrats' efforts to Enron the albatross around the neck of the Republican Party. LINK
Dean:
The Boston Globe 's Glen Johnson reports that Dean said it was his idea to add the line about the capture of Saddam not making America safer to his foreign policy speech. Dean told reporters during a 40-minute in-flight interview from Sierra Vista, Ariz., to Las Cruces, N.M. that his comment "is not only justified in light of the continued terrorist threat from Al Qaeda, but is the type of straight talk the party must use if it hopes to win the White House." LINK
We particularly enjoyed the line where Dean said "he has begun to weigh his words more carefully because, 'I'm aware now that I'm speaking not only to Democrats, I'm speaking to the whole country.'"
The Washington Post 's "Diamond Jim" Vandehei and Jonathan Finer turn in a must-read about The Governor's … flexibility on positions — Iraq, Social Security, Medicare, corporate tax breaks, parental notification for abortions, and others — that should have his rivals' oppo shops humming 'round the clock. If you think the across-the-board Dean attacks haven't heated up yet, read here: LINK
The Washington Post editorial board argues that Dean's Iraq speech, which was designed to move him toward the center, has "shifted him farther from the mainstream." For one thing, it didn't mention democracy in Iraq and the Middle East as a goal. For another, it "made the extraordinary argument that the capture of Saddam Hussein 'has not made Americans safer.'" LINK
The Des Moines Register 's Tom Beaumont was on the Joe Trippi conference call hearing all about the handwritten letters — more than 100,000 of them — that Dean supporters in other states have sent to Iowa Democrats. Trippi talked about internal polls showing that three quarters of likely caucus goers say they've received letters — and not all of them are happy about it. LINK
The Washington Post reports that Dean "was the top vote-getter in a presidential straw poll taken Saturday [in D.C.] at a special meeting of the Ward 8 Democrats, but he failed by three votes to win the endorsement for the District's Jan. 13 nonbinding primary election." LINK
The AP reports on Dean's shift back to domestic affairs, like those pesky Bush tax cuts, in the wake of his foreign policy speech earlier in the week. LINK
Some polling news …
--The New York Daily News' Ken Bazinet places Dean's latest New Hampshire poll numbers in the context of post-Saddam capture and concludes Dean's candidacy is not being damaged by it. LINK
--The New York Post looks at the latest New Hampshire and Pennsylvania poll numbers with good news for Dr. Dean. LINK
--A University of Wisconsin-Madison poll shows Dean more than 20 points ahead of his nearest rival in Wisconsin, Senator Joe Lieberman, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. LINK
Accompanying an email inviting Dean's New Jersey supporters to show up at Friday's endorsement event, Gov. McGreevey attached a letter explaining his endorsement in Trippiesque language. McGreevey writes, "I am proud to endorse Howard Dean for President and join the Dean for America campaign that so many of you worked to build."
Gephardt:
The Gephardt campaign announced this morning that former House Whip David Bonior (D-Mich.) will formally endorse Gephardt today and begin serving as the campaign's national co-chairman. There's a fun-filled, action-packed, surprises-galore conference call scheduled for 2:00 pm ET today.
Yesterday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jon Sawyer reported on Gephardt's labor voting record being questioned by Edwards. LINK
Kerry:
Last night World News Tonight aired its second in a series of profiles of each of the Democratic candidates for president. The series reported by Peter Jennings is a personal look at each of the candidates running. Last night's piece profiled Senator John Kerry. Here is a sample:
Jennings: John Kerry was born in Colorado but he learned, as he puts it, to walk and talk in Massachusetts. Were you conscious as a child and as a young man that you came from a life of privilege, and did it make you self-aware in any regard?
Kerry: I mean I had never thought of myself as rich. I thought of myself as privileged. I had opportunity, but my parents were really clear about the sense of responsibility that one had to the world around you and that you give back, and we were all raised all of us were raised in that sense.
Jennings: His father was in the Foreign Service. Young John was sent to a series of boarding schools. It was sometimes lonely.
Kerry: At times, and I think particularly with my parents away, I mean that made me feel a little strange. I you know other kids would have parents there for weekend, and I don't think I ever uh I don't think my parents ever came to one sporting event that I ever was involved in or any other event while I was there. They just weren't there.
Jennings: Did you ask them?
Kerry: They weren't there. They were a thousand miles away.
Jennings: There was a positive side to this life.
Kerry: How many kids get to ride a bike through the Brandenburg Gate and go in to East Berlin and uh see the difference between Communism and the West at age twelve?
Jennings: Kerry was inspired by a meeting with President Kennedy. You met you met President Kennedy once.
Kerry: I did. I did.
Jennings: Tell us about it.
Kerry: I happened to wind up at the house where he was staying unbeknownst to me at the time, but as I drove down I learned that he was there and wanted to go sailing, and we went out, I had an incredible moment of meeting the president and of having this just down-to-earth conversation with the guy.
For more go to: LINK
The series will continue through the Iowa caucuses. Next Wednesday: Rev. Al Sharpton.
From ABC News' Kerry campaign reporter Ed O'Keefe:
So far this month, Senator Kerry has split his time almost equally between Iowa and New Hampshire, working for the strong showing in the Hawkeye State the Kerry camp now believes will generate the momentum needed to propel the senator past a surging Dean in New Hampshire. In this effort, the campaign has more frequently called upon its "Kerry surrogates" to flank the two towers of the maiden caucus and primary states, hoping this fellowship of political Notables, family and friends will ensure the January return of the once-frontrunner king.
In December alone, 11 separate individuals have independently traveled to eight states as "Kerry surrogates" to campaign for Kerry. Former Senator Max Cleland (D-Ga.) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) traveled to Iowa while Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), leaders of Kerry's "Green Brigade," led a charge into New Hampshire. Ambassador Joe Wilson trekked to the Granite State, as did Senator Kennedy, just last week. Aida Alvarez covered the 2/3 southwest, touching down in Arizona and New Mexico. Other surrogates include daughter Vanessa Kerry, brother Cameron Kerry, Mrs. Heinz Kerry, Chris Heinz, former Senator Gary Hart (D-Colo.) and former Defense Secretary William Perry.
Read more from the trail with Kerry on abcnews.com: LINK
Clark:
The Boston Globe 's Joanna Weiss looks at The General's rationale making clear the differences between Iraq and Kosovo, and why U.S. involvement in one was OK, but the other was not. LINK
The capture of Saddam Hussein hasn't changed The General's mind about the war in Iraq, writes the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Kevin Freking. In a news conference upon his return from The Hague, Clark continued to hammer President Bush for going into Iraq and after Hussein unilaterally while Osama bin Laden remains at large.LINK
The Washington Post 's Dan Balz reports that Clark accused President Bush of a "bait-and-switch" in the war on terrorism, saying that President Bush should have found Osama bin Laden — whom he calls a far greater threat than Saddam Hussein — rather than going unilaterally into Iraq. LINK
Vince Morris of the New York Post has an exclusive on Clark's support for the "School of the Americas." LINK
The New York Post has General Clark siding with President Bush on the death penalty for Saddam. LINK
An unusually assertive Gen. Wesley Clark acknowledged what he thought should happen to Saddam Hussein yesterday. Anne Saunders of the AP reports The General believes Saddam's trial should be held publicly in Iraq and that he should face the death penalty. LINK
From ABC News' Clark campaign reporter Deborah Apton:
In a "Conversations with Clark" meeting Wednesday night, Clark closed the town hall meeting like he does any other: asking people to throw house parties and "come over" to the Clark04 team. "I need you help. I'm not a politician," The General began. And then … .the attack on Democratic rival Howard Dean. "I haven't spent my life running for this thing. I didn't go down there and argue with Al Gore three years ago and say I might run against you."
A new 30-second Clark ad will begin airing in New Hampshire today called "Leader." General Clark speaks directly to the camera in the commercial, focusing on his plans for Iraq. Later this week, there will be another 30-second ad filmed in New Hampshire.
Media consultant Joe Slade White will be in town to film a "Conversations with Clark" at an elementary school on Friday, followed by an interview with the candidate. White told ABC News he doesn't "film spots," but rather collects his footage and lets the spots make themselves. "All the issues flow out of his life," White said.
When asked about radio spots for Clark, White said they could be expected up in the next week or two.
Read more from the trail with Clark on abcnews.com: LINK
Edwards:
In the "staffing is destiny" category:
Miles Lackey is switching from being chief of staff in the Senate office of John Edwards, to chief of staff to the campaign.
A mysterious figure to Note readers (and he hopes to stay that way), Miles is a central figure already in the Edwards campaign.
EFP staff and consultants alike rely on Mr. Lackey's judgment, advice and drop dead impersonations of John Edwards.
As EFP/COS he will split his time between Raleigh and being on the road with the candidate.
Yesterday in South Carolina, Edwards touted his plan to provide health insurance for every child and strengthen education for children. LINK
From ABC News' Edwards campaign reporter Gloria Riviera:
In a photo op even the Grinch would love, Senator Edwards spoke to more toddlers than voters Wednesday at the Zion-Olivet Presbyterian Day Care Center. With two rows of astoundingly well-behaved three and four-year olds seated in miniature chairs to his right and left (they even clapped on cue), and small number of voters behind them, Edwards talked about the injustices (discrimination, education, health care) children all over the country face and what he would do as president to remedy them.
Before and after that one campaign event of the day Edwards had private political and fundraising meetings in Charleston. Long-touted a slam-dunk state, Edwards' South Carolina strategy has had to accommodate, to varying degrees depending on whom you ask, The General's presence in the race.
Ask the campaign about that and the answer is simple. While the General may have some mo' and Rep. Gephardt has Rep. Clyburn's support, Edwards has an infrastructure that has been in place for as long as six months. From state representatives to the six out of eight Democratic state senators who have endorsed Edwards, the campaign says their players are in place for the February third primary.
Read more from the trail with Edwards on abcnews.com: LINK
Lieberman:
From ABC News' Lieberman campaign reporter Talesha Reynolds:
The ad the campaign released Wednesday is decidedly tame compared to the rhetoric Lieberman himself has been spewing in person for the past nine days, perhaps an attempt to keep the attack dog/nice guy scale balanced. In the ad Lieberman says, "I know how to unite America again — and take us forward, not backward." The comment is a thinly veiled dig at Dean, as opposed to Lieberman's outright lambasting on the trail.
Staff members of the Lieberman campaign have volunteered to take a deferment in pay during the month of January to alleviate financial burdens of the operation. Lieberman spokesman Adam Kovacevich says this is "a cash flow situation." The deferment will affect only "higher paid" staffers in offices nationwide. They will receive their first January paycheck at the end of the month instead of Jan. 15.
The decision to offer a pay deferment was made prior to the Gore endorsement, but the resulting fundraising boost was not enough to prevent the need for the pay deferments. The campaign says there was never any discussion of layoffs.
Read more from the trail with Lieberman on abcnews.com: LINK
Kucinich:
Kucinich tells Salon.com that voters need a "second opinion" on The Doctor from Vermont: LINK
The AP recaps Kucinich's filing for the primary in his home state of Ohio, Noting his belief that a brokered convention is a possibility. Hey Macker, how 'bout that? LINK
The Portsmouth Herald reports that Kucinich's national GLBT organizer, Mari Engelhardt, visited the Portsmouth campaign headquarters yesterday. While there to reach out to the Portsmouth GLBT community, she compared her boss to rival Howard Dean. "People think he (Dean) is the Messiah, but I think he's the Pied Piper," she said. Ouch! LINK
Sharpton:
Stanley Crouch's column in the New York Daily News contemplates the value of Sharpton's candidacy. LINK
The Columbus Ledger Enquirer looks ahead to Sharpton's visit where he will organize support for the investigation into the mysterious death of an unarmed man. LINK
Moseley Braun:
The New York Times Monica Davey profiles the ambassador and her experiences on the campaign trail. LINK
The Boston Phoenix asks the detested question: "Why are you running?" Adam Reilly, however, tells us why this particular question may need to stop being asked. LINK
Nader:
If you were hoping for a announcement by year's end, too bad. Nader will decide on 2004 in 2004. LINK
New Hampshire:
In the wake of increased criticisms among and between the Democratic presidential hopefuls, the Granite State's Kathy Sullivan warns the feuding candidates to stay focused on their goal: defeating George W. Bush. The Union-Leader's John DiStaso highlights just some of their many "disagreements." LINK
A new New Hampshire poll conducted for The Note's good friends at WMUR-TV and WCVB-TV brings more good news to the indisputable front-runner Gov. Howard Dean. According to this poll, the good doctor's lead over second-place Senator John Kerry has increased by 7 percentage points. LINK
The politics of trade:
The Bush Administration reached a free-trade agreement with four Central American countries yesterday, but congressional Republicans are not looking forward to the difficult trade vote next year "as a wave of protectionist sentiment crests in Washington," Washington Post 's Weisman reports. LINK
The Wall Street Journal 's Neil King looks at the Bush Administration's free trade agreement with El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, and the opposition the pact, known as the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) will likely face in Congress because of labor and environmental concerns.
King Notes, however, that "No trade deal has ever been rejected in Congress," so while we expect to hear about this on the stump from the Democratic presidential hopefuls, in the end no one expects the deal, whose details will be released next month, to go down in flames.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that CAFTA is already becoming an issue in Louisiana.LINK
The politics of national security:
Dow Jones' Hassan Hafidh and Simeon Kerr look at the $600 in American money earmarked for the repair of existing Iraqi oil wells, the drilling of new wells and the improvements to refineries today in the Wall Street Journal . In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to replace Halliburton's no-bid oil contract with two agreements for the north and south valued at $2 billion.
Dick Stevenson in the New York Times looks at the administration's seemingly shifting rhetoric on the WMD rationale. LINK
The Washington Times ' Lakely Notes reports that former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright attempted to back peddle after "joking" that the Bush Administration would produce Osama bin Laden at a politically convenient time. LINK
An upbeat Bob Novak writes that while the Bush Administration will never come clean publicly about its "unrealistic planning" for post-war Iraq, the capture of Saddam Hussein and the addition of two new deputies for chief U.S. administrator Paul Bremer will take some of the heat off questions about where and how exactly the U.S. will go forward in the new Iraq.LINK
Sept. 11 Commission Chairman Tom Kean says the terrorist attacks didn't have to happen and clearly some people failed at their jobs in protecting the United States from such an attack. LINK
The economy:
ABC News' Ramona Schindelheim reports that while crude oil and natural gas prices are moving higher, most consumers are not yet feeling the pain, since many have contracts for winter heating fuel.
Higher prices — particularly for natural gas which is used to generate electricity and in many manufacturing plants — could be a drag on the economy, Schindelheim Notes.
The Wall Street Journal 's Russell Gold reports that traders are eyeballing low oil and gas inventories, worried that they may be too low to meet demand.
Politics of gay marriage:
Al Hunt looks at the political "time bomb" of gay marriage, knocking arguments that it would destabilize and destroy the institution and be bad for adopted kids of gay parents. Hunt looks at the latest WSJ/NBC poll showing voters 18-to-34 supporting civil unions by 68 percent, and quotes Bob Teeter as saying gay marriage is "becoming the number-one social issue in the country." He also doesn't blame the Democrats running for President from shying away from it.
The San Francisco Chronicle's Lochhead writes some see what President Bush told ABC's Diane Sawyer about a possible need for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage as "Clintonian" in style. LINK
Politics:
The Chicago Sun-Times' Steve Warmbir and Tim Novak put together a timeline of corruption accusations against former Illinois Gov. George Ryan. The probe of Ryan's affairs, called Operation Safe Road, has resulted in 66 people indicted, 59 convicted.LINK
Don't miss Dave McKinney's sidebar detailing a long line of Illinois governors who've faced charges. LINK
Gov. Rowland apologized and committed to finishing his term shortly before his wife performed a bizarre poetry reading taking the press corps to task. LINK
Former New Hampshire Senator Bob Smith, hoping to represent his newly adopted home state, said Wednesday that he plans for Bob Graham's old Senate seat. LINK
Rep. David Vitter (R-La.) became the first candidate to throw his hat in the ring Wednesday to replace retiring Senator John Breaux (D-La.), reports the Baton Rouge Advocate reports. LINK
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