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CEO Bush demands and prizes loyalty — and not just because he saw his father's re-elect fail in part because of a lack of loyalty.

Having a committed staff is fabulous, although it sometimes comes at a price of reduced excellence.

During his governorship, his presidential campaign, and his Administration, George W. Bush has always had a few advisers who quietly have shaken their heads at the promotion and influence of some colleagues whose capacity for loyalty clearly outpaces their capacity for world-class greatness.

Now, every president (really: every leader) does some of this balancing, and loyalty is a great thing to have in employees.

And those in the president's orbit who talk about this phenomenon are mostly engaging in the natural human tendency to complain about other humans, within an overall group of people who remain underrated for their capacity to get along and not complain about each other.

But the one thing that tends to break down a level of discretion that even Bambi's Mother would envy is the president's pattern of elevating those whose propensity to "put Bush first" is unquestioned, but whose professional skill is not. LINK

This all matters because, beyond the pure gossipy aspect, oasis-seeking Democrats are looking for any weaknesses they can find in the Death Star Re-elect, and are hoping that they may find some actual weak assignments that aren't mirages.

Writing about this is tricky, since such "Bush associate"/"Bush adviser" comments tend to come in off-the -record settings and because the press corps is so darn kind.

Enter the Washington Post ' Mike Allen, who seems to be locked in an unconscious battle with his colleague Dana Milbank to see who can be more unpopular, with more people, including the president, at 1600.

Allen wads up a bunch of string and writes himself onto the front page today with a must-read about various personnel matters — some of which are items written for "real people," and some of which are in code for a sub-group of the Gang of 500 (and only password-bearing, secret-hand-shake-knowing members of the Gang will know which are which): LINK

"President Bush is quietly retooling the White House staff for his reelection campaign by promoting a group of young loyalists to key positions, further concentrating power with the handful of veteran advisers closest to him … ."

"Several administration officials said (Karl) Rove … now faces even fewer internal checks on his politically aggressive style. White House communications director Dan Bartlett, a former employee of Rove, has also accumulated power with each departure, according to colleagues. Bartlett, 31, is so admired by some Republicans for his political savvy that some see him as a future Texas governor. 'Some of these people will grow into their jobs, and some of them won't,' an outside White House adviser said. 'Where they don't, Karl and Dan's influence will swell … .'"

"(Ari) Fleischer … is likely to be replaced by his deputy, Scott McClellan, who worked for Bush in the Texas governor's office and lacks Fleischer's tartness. Colleagues say Bush's comfort with McClellan may enhance his stature … ."

"The communications director for the reelection campaign is slated to be Nicolle Devenish, 31, who as White House director of media affairs has the unheralded but politically sensitive job of managing relations with local news organizations and national radio shows … ."

"Republican sources said Ed Gillespie, 41, a communications strategist in Bush's last campaign, will be named soon as chairman of the Republican National Committee. Gillespie will be a full-time chairman but will not have to sever ties to his lobbying business. Rove pushed for Gillespie, keeping one more job in the family."

With the dust still settling from all of that over the various morning meetings at the White House, and a real-world reality occurring outside the Beltway, we have to ask:

If you were in campaign school, and you were playing the part of the Democratic communications strategist, and you were presented with the following facts and stories, what would you do?

First off, Topic A: Experienced national political correspondent David Firestone has this apparent exclusive in the New York Times (Proving, as if more proof were needed, that no one reads these tax bills closely enough in time … ):

"A last-minute revision by House and Senate leaders in the tax bill that President Bush signed today will prevent millions of minimum-wage families from receiving the increased child credit that is in the measure, say Congressional officials and outside groups … " LINK

"Because of the formula for calculating the credit, most families with incomes from $10,500 to $26,625 will not benefit. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal group, says those families include 11.9 million children, or one of every six children under 17."

Then check out this Wall Street Journal lead story nut graph: " . ..(T)he U.S. is experiencing the most protracted job-market downturn since the Great Depression. It has left behind a remarkably broad swath of workers — from young to old, and from high-school dropouts to the highly educated — even as the economy has started growing again."

We learned this morning, that boosted by higher than expected consumer demand, the economy grew at a rate of just under two percent in the first quarter of 2003.

ABC's Schindelheim Notes that the figure is "a bit better than the first estimate, (but) is not expected to change anyone's mind on either side of the debate over whether we're heading for a recovery, especially taken in tandem with this week's new jobless claims and continuing claims numbers."

More still: Knight Ridder's Tony Pugh reports, "To cope with rising malpractice insurance rates, reduced Medicare reimbursements and other income pressures, some doctors are charging their patients for services that once were free." LINK

"The extra charges aren't covered by most insurers, however, and lots of patients respond by taking their business elsewhere. Typically, the new billings are for copying medical records, filling out medical forms, granting prescription refills by phone and other administrative tasks."

Not to mention New York Times stories about obstetrician insurance costs LINK

, the temporary suspension of Endangered Species Act land designation over budget strains LINK

, and credit card interest rates going up. LINK

While the world mulls all of this, President Bush has no public events today; he swears in his new Council of Economic Advisers, but that's closed to the press for now.

Governor Dean is in New Hampshire. Senator Graham is campaigning in South Florida. Senator Kerry is in Sioux City, Iowa; Representatives Kucinich and Gephardt and Senator Lieberman are in California.

For those of you who haven't figured it out yet, this is a BIG week for Invisible Primary fundraising, as Democrats start to realize that President Bush just might outraise the entire Democratic field in the current quarter — for ALL their 2003 intake.

Finally: Wahoooooooo!!!!!

That's the sound emitting from The Note, which can now, once again, take off hourly on BOTH the Delta and US Airways shuttles throughout the Bos-Wash corridor LINK

But we presume you still can't stand up during the flights. (Try explaining THAT to a Googling monkey.)

Big Casino budget politics:

Dick Stevenson has this in the New York Times : "Although Mr. Bush quietly signed a $984 billion increase in the national debt limit on Tuesday, raising the limit to $7.4 trillion, Treasury department officials said the limit would most likely have to be raised again between next April and October, in the heat of the presidential campaign." LINK

In the paper's hard copy (A18 in The Note's version), sharp-eyed photog Doug Mills captures Karl Rove looking both happy as all get out AND ripe for a photo-caption-writing contest.

USA Today calculates how much Members of Congress will get from the tax cut they wrote. LINK

Many Governors are happy with the money they'll get, though they say the $20 billion won't solve their budget problems in toto. LINK

We wonder about the political climate in late July, when the first of nearly 25 million tax cut checks arrives in the mail. LINK

The Wall Street Journal 's John McKinnon takes a look at the problems and possibilities of the EITC.

C'mon now, be honest: how many of you would otherwise have seen this item on page D2 of the Wall Street Journal ?

"EVEN MORE AMERICANS will get hit by the alternative minimum tax under the new law."

"The new tax-cut package increases the exemption from the alternative minimum tax. The new exemption amounts are $40,250 for most singles, an increase of $4,500, and $58,000 for married couples filing jointly, an increase of $9,000. These changes, effective only for 2003 and 2004, are expected to cost the government nearly $17.8 billion."

"But congressional staffers estimate the number of people with AMT liability will soar in coming years. A new report by the Joint Committee on Taxation shows the number of people with AMT liability growing from an estimated 2.4 million this year to 11.3 million in 2005 and 30 million in 2010, unless Congress overhauls the law."

"Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, hopes to take another shot at the AMT problem soon, possibly through additional legislative changes later this year."

Big Casino budget politics, Bush-Cheney '04:

Dick Morris is brimming with hyperbolic praise for Bush's handling of the tax cut: "But President Bush, in an unparalleled act of political brilliance, has managed to figure out how to have his cake and eat it too: Pocket the accomplishment of a tax cut, while preserving it as an issue for the next election." LINK

The New York Daily News' Tom DeFrank calls the bill signing ceremony "full-frills." LINK

Big Casino meets The Invisible Primary:

Candidates Gephardt and Lieberman make Dick Stevenson's New York Times story about the bill signing, and then Dick (Stevenson, not Gephardt) has this:

"But the focus on tax cuts could further expose the fissures within the Democratic Party over economic policy, diluting, at least until the party has a presidential nominee to rally around, the power of the opposition argument against Mr. Bush. The Democratic presidential candidates are divided over whether all of Mr. Bush's tax cuts should be repealed or allowed to stand."

Governor Dean and Congressman Gephardt have cameos in Ed Chen's tax bill signing story.

The Bush tax cut, it seems, is likely to shape up as a key — and perhaps even defining — issue in the 2004 presidential campaign. LINK "For one thing, none of the Democratic contenders favored it. At least two, Rep. Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, want to repeal not only the latest tax cut but also Bush's first tax cut — $1.35 trillion over 10 years — which was approved barely four months after he took office." "Moreover, the latest tax cut deepens the budget deficit, draining funds that otherwise might be available for such Democratic spending priorities as health-care reform and prescription-drug coverage for senior citizens. Thus, Democrats are likely to complain about what they regard as misguided Bush policies." "In pushing through his tax cut, the president is taking a chance that voters will not hold it against him for plunging the nation back into deficit spending, especially after years of prosperity and budget surpluses under President Clinton."

The AP's Holly Ramer conducts the chorus of anti-tax cut sentiments from the Democratic candidates, most Notably Dean, who "stood in the rain on a Manchester, N.H., sidewalk to assail the bill, sharing his umbrella with the two reporters who showed up. He said all of Bush's tax cuts — including those passed in 2001 — must be repealed." LINK

"Jim Dyke, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said of Dean's call for a repeal: 'It sounds like each day another Democratic presidential hopeful makes a commitment to the American people of a $2 trillion tax increase. That's not just a bad idea, it's bad economics.'"

Economy:

The AFL-CIO continues to pounce on struggling employment numbers. Yesterday, spokeswoman Kathy Roeder "traded barbs" (albeit not directly) with Labor Secretary Elaine Chao. LINK

The Wall Street Journal 's editorial board tries to prick the deflation bubble. Their basic argument is that prices for some consumer goods and services are dropping, but commodities are so far untouched by deflationary pressures and a drooping dollar may create some inflation.

ABC 2004: The Invisible Primary:

John DiStaso's column has news on the WMUR-Manchester Union Leader debate invitations, Graham hirings, a Kucinich visit and so much more. Read the whole darn thing. LINK

The AP's Nedra Pickler says: "The Democratic National Committee has narrowed its list of potential debate sites to Detroit, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, N.M., Miami, Portland, Ore., and Phoenix, Ariz." LINK

"Six cities will soon be selected by the DNC to host debates that will be scheduled about once a month until next year's nomination elections. The forums will be co-sponsored by media outlets and constituency groups, according to party leaders and campaign managers involved in negotiations."

However, a Democratic party official tells The Note this morning that this list is "preliminary," and only a "first step," and that more consultations with all involved parties will take place.

The Democratic hopefuls are gay friendly — but not gay friendly enough for the National Gay and Lesbian task force. LINK

The Boston Globe 's Susan Milligan writes about the multitude of discordance caused by the No Child Left Behind Act, which began as a bipartisan effort between the White House and Congress, and "has become a symbol of divisiveness in education and political circles, with Democratic presidential candidates squabbling over whether the sweeping law was a good idea." LINK

Milligan singles out Howard Dean whose "needling has irritated other Democrats, including Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, who crafted the final legislation in negotiations with the Bush administration."

"Senate Democrats have warned Dean that 'using education as a wedge issue against fellow Democrats is not helpful to the party or the Democratic prospects for 2004,' a Senate Democratic aide said."

"But Dean has continued his attack on fellow Democrats."

Milligan quotes Dean's criticism, and his vow to continue hammering the issue:

"'The No Child Left Behind Act is a big, unfunded mandate, and it's bad education policy,' Dean said as he left a forum with other Democratic candidates last week. He promised to use the issue against Democrats who voted in favor of the education law because 'it's punitive, it's inefficient, and it's impractical' and will 'drive up local people's property taxes."'

Milligan quotes a round of educators on the subject and Notes Senator Kennedy's effort to blame Bush for the disappointment, despite their accord in shaping the law ("There's a lot of frustration, which I certainly feel and which Dean feels, as well … Since it's underfunded, it's not achieving all it was meant to be"'), then lets the candidates weigh in with reactions ranging from straightforward Bush-blaming to near nausea:

"Democratic candidates who voted for the legislation say that they do not regret their votes, but that they want higher funding so schools can meet their achievement targets."

"'This is not a problem of what Democrats did; it's a problem of what Republicans failed to do,' said Senator John F. Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts."

"In an interview, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut, called the law good, but in need of more funding."

"Other candidates on the campaign trail have begun blaming Bush for problems with the law. Representative Richard A. Gephardt, Democrat of Missouri, called the law 'a phony gimmick' and 'a fraud."'

"Senator John Edwards, Democrat of North Carolina, said, that 'it makes me almost nauseous' to watch Bush boast about the law when 'the president has underfunded his own education plan by $10 billion this year."'

The Forward's E.J. Kessler takes a big picture look at the Democrats' health care proposals and how they all are influenced in some ways by President's Clinton 1994 effort. LINK

Kessler also wonders if there is a new Ira Magaziner out there. LINK

LIEBERMAN

Just like the olden days: Dan Balz covers the high tech endorsements of a politician — in this case, Joe Lieberman. LINK

Lieberman's California bivuac and technology speech was chronicled by the Los Angeles Times' Barabak, productivity-enhancing bullet points and all. LINK

"The speech was part of an attempt to make up lost ground in Silicon Valley as Lieberman, long a valley favorite in Washington, battles eight other contenders for the 2004 Democratic nomination," the San Joe Mercurcy News reports. LINK

The Hartford Courant's David Lightman continues his march into traditional Democratic voting blocs and reporting how they are responding to Senator Lieberman's candidacy. Yesterday he explored the Jewish vote and today he looks at what the gay community thinks of Joe Lieberman. LINK

"Joe Lieberman's positions on gay rights, while generally supportive and deeply-rooted, also include views that gay activists do not consider as strong as those of many other presidential candidates."

"'He was a visionary on non-discrimination issues, and he is now leading the way on domestic partner benefits,' said Sean Cahill, director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute. 'But on marriage issues, he's just not there.'"

Mr. Lieberman is expected to attend a breakfast with members of the Los Angeles area gay community today.

"'People will be polite, but there will be tough questions,' said Darrel Cummings, who soon will become chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center. 'The civil union issue is important to us.'"

The Lieberman view that most bothers many of these activists is his belief that civil unions are a state, not a federal, issue. He told the task force in a questionnaire this month, "I am running for president, not governor of a state, and it has long been my position that a state may adopt for itself any civil union law that it wishes."

And, he said flatly, "I do not support gay marriage."

Mr. Lightman also writes up California Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante's expected endorsement of Senator Lieberman today. LINK

"Bustamante is a boost to the Connecticut Democrat for a lot of reasons. He's an up-and-coming statewide political star. He has strong ties to California's Hispanic community. And he's considered a popular campaigner, someone who can tout Lieberman up and down the Pacific Coast."

"During the 2000 convention, Bustamante and Lieberman were an instant hit with Democratic audiences as they tried to explain how they could combine their ethnic tastes. Lieberman would tell audiences how they might open a restaurant with "matzoh menudo" or "gefilte fish ceviche" on the menu."

"But Bustamante also got Lieberman entangled in one of his more controversial California events last year. At a swank Beverly Hills fund-raiser for Bustamante, Lieberman, a critic of Hollywood excess, found himself in a crowd that included a cleavage-revealing Apollonia Kotero. She played 'Hot Tub Woman' in a film that featured a group of teens taking over a TV station and broadcasting in the nude."

EDWARDS

A version of Senator Edwards' op-ed piece on medical malpractice insurance costs that appeared in The Washington Post last week finds its way into the Charlotte Observer today. LINK

The San Francisco Chronicle's Carla Marinucci heard Senator Edwards tell "a ballroom of fellow attorneys in San Francisco on Wednesday that President Bush "has not spent 30 seconds since he was elected" thinking about the interests of average Americans." LINK

Marinucci Notes: "Even as he sounded a 'people versus the powerful' theme that echoed Democrat Al Gore's 2000 campaign motto, Edwards — in a nod to his colleagues who packed the Hyatt Regency ballroom — proudly and vigorously defended his background as a trial attorney."

In an interview with The Chronicle, Edwards told the paper he believes civil unions are a state issue and said, "'I do not support gay marriage. . . . I view myself as somebody who is a uniter, who wants to move the country forward in the right way. And I think this is a difficult, divisive issue. What I'd like to see us do is make progress in the areas where we can make real progress.'"

Marinucci also has tidbits from Senator Lieberman's speech at UCSD and Representative Kucinich's magical mystery bus tour.

The young, high tech Colin Van Ostern sent this:

Conveniently on-line (for those of you with a computer that has realplayer and speakers),

New Hampshire Public TV's profile of Senator John Edwards:

LINK

The first ten minutes is a package on Edwards, then next ten is the musings of Dante Scala and James Pindell.

KERRY

Marcus Jadotte's hiring as deputy campaign manager makes the Florida papers, all with references to Senator Graham's candidacy. (As in … why is this insider-y Florida man not joining Graham's camp?) LINK

The Boston Globe 's Names column writes that Senator Kerry has signed a Greg LeMond-donated bike for the World T.E.A.M. Sports Celebrity Bicycle Auction, to be held at the Note-beloved Sports Club/LA in D.C. (Other celebrity donors include Michael Jordan and Cal Ripken, Jr.) LINK

BIDEN

Last night on CNBC's "Capital Report" believe it or not, this happened:

Gloria:

One quick question, are you going to run for president, yes or no?

Senator Biden:

Too early to make that decision … ..for me.

In a Wednesday editorial, the Wilmington News Journal's ed board wrote, "Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s instincts are telling him that this is not the time to jump into the Democratic race for the presidential nomination in 2004. Senator Biden should trust his instincts." LINK

"At this stage, the Democratic presidential runup is a political sideshow. It is providing more material for late-night comics than it is motivating American voters. The career political handlers pushing Senator Biden to make up his mind, saying it is now or never, may know the rhythms of campaign fund raising, where they make their living, but they are out of touch with the American psyche, which is tuned to seeing who has actual national leadership capabilities."

SHARPTON

The New York Post 's editorial page thinks "[t]he Rev. Al Sharpton is up to his old tricks" by taking on the anti-NYPD causes of police-raid victim Alberta Spruill and the unarmed Ousmane Zongo, in order to raise his profile for the presidential race. LINK

The Post sighs:

"It's déjà vu all over again."

"Look for a long, hot, summer — and an even longer presidential race."

KUCINICH

The San Francisco Chronicle's Carla Marinucci reports that Representative Kucinich "became the first Democratic presidential candidate to endorse the legalization of medical marijuana when he told The Chronicle on Wednesday it should be available "to any patient who needs it to alleviate pain and suffering," regardless of the current federal drug laws." LINK

"'Compassion requires that medical marijuana be available' Kucinich said during a telephone interview after a campaign stop in Cupertino. 'We must have health-care systems which are compassionate . . . so I support it without reservation.'"

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat's Mary Callahan writes, "Vowing to 'light up America,' presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich did at least that much Wednesday for 1,000 supporters in Santa Rosa, bringing them to their feet with a pledge to 'restore us to a democracy based on truth.'" LINK

CUSACK

"The word has come down from the Big Guy that he wishes that this campaign would stop -and we must respect these wishes," reports .

"The Cusack campaign started in August, 2001 as the first "billboard campaign" at Junction-City.Com — a hub for progressive culture and politics."

"A testament to the appeal of actor John Cusack-and the absence of real leadership at the top -the campaign generated a lot of press and better yet, community service activity on over 170 campuses."

Cusack supporters are encouraged to be proud of the $11,000 the campaign raised for charities through sales of campaign paraphernalia. The Web site also encourages Cusack supporters to stay involved in politics and offers a few ideas for life after the campaign.

[Note Note: As one of the Googling monkeys has often been told "You look like John Cusack," The Note is happy to at least relieve him of the burden of resembling a presidential contender and allow him to focus on scouring the world's newspapers.]

Politics:

In news that's bound to end up on talk radio today … .

"Leading black Democrats in Congress and the national party are protesting the layoffs of 10 minority staffers at the party's headquarters," the Associated Press reports. LINK

"The Democratic National Committee notified (sic) some committee members and lawmakers yesterday that they were cutting the positions to save money and streamline operations in preparation for next year's presidential election."

"'I'm just outraged,' said Donna Brazile, who served as Al Gore's campaign manager in the last presidential election and is also the chairman of the DNC's Voting Rights Institute. 'They started reading me the names and I said 'Oh, oh — they're all black. I went through the roof.' "

"Miss Brazile said the DNC is making the cuts as part of its goal to raise $10 million to $15 million to support the party's presidential nominee."

"She proposed that the party cut payroll instead of laying off competent staffers."

"DNC communications strategist Jim Mulhall said the committee has hired at least nine new minority staffers in the past month. The committee has more than 100 employees but did not have a count of the number of minority staffers last night."

CNN's Congressional Correspondent Jonathan Karl writes in The New Republic (without a link sadly) about Trent Lott's transition from staid majority leader to a rowdy rank and file senator. And look who Mr. Karl reports is the former leader's role model.

"When Trent Lott returned to the Senate in January as a fallen leader betrayed by his colleagues, there was one Republican he was eager to see: John McCain. Before Lott's fall, McCain had been the Mississippi senator's nemesis, constantly bucking his leadership and publicly airing Republican dirty laundry. Now, Lott had a surprising message for McCain: 'I'm going to be just like you.'"

"Lott's newfound admiration for the Arizona senator stems partly from the fact that McCain didn't kick him when he was down. After Lott made his now infamous comments about Strom Thurmond's 1948 segregationist presidential campaign, reporters naturally turned to McCain as the logical Republican to criticize Lott and call for his ouster as party leader; after all, McCain had publicly clashed with Lott on virtually everything else. But McCain was publicly silent and, behind the scenes, refused to join the effort to push Lott out. In fact, during the ordeal, he offered Lott damage-control advice. All this while, Lott's supposed Republican friends betrayed him."

"Liberated from the dual constraints of party leadership and political loyalty, Lott is in a position to possibly have more of a lasting impact on the Senate than he did as majority leader. 'I do feel a certain degree of newfound freedom,' Lott said recently outside his remote office on the fourth floor of the Russell Senate Office Building. 'If I am going to be here, I am going to have an impact, to be a player, not just to get even but to make this place work better.' And Lott intends to do that by embracing reform measures sure to unsettle his GOP colleagues--first among them the man who succeeded him as Republican leader, Bill Frist."

The Boston Globe 's Names column writes that the Name of Helen O'Donnell's (daughter of JFK adviser Kenneth O'Donnell) upcoming political magazine will be "The New Frontier" (rather than "George"), will have Los Angeles backing and a Boston office, and will hit stands in the fall. LINK

The Boston Globe 's Michael S. Rosenwald watched 42 speak nostalgically of the presidency at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, and offer the already media-seized-upon-suggestion that the 22nd amendment be amended (but not for his use, of course). LINK

Rosenwald quotes Clinton : "'There may come a time when we have elected a president at age 45 or 50 and then 20 years later the country comes up with the same sort of problems the president faced before, and the people would like to bring that man or woman back,' he said." (Oooh, maybe he's talking about a third term for Senator Clinton!)

"Clinton quickly added that he didn't expect such an amendment to apply to himself, though he said if they didn't have limits, 'you'd have had to throw me out.' And inside the library yesterday it seemed that the 500 or so people who gathered to hear him would like to see him running the country again, if just for one more day."

Clinton covered a spectrum of world issues and presidential history (no doubt with his usual depth and aplomb) and plugged the Democratic party, for, as Rosenwald writes, "[a] Clinton event would not be a Clinton event without Clinton stumping for Democrats. He derided GOP tax cuts. They help only the richest of the rich, he said, noting that now included him."

Rosenwald also amusingly describes Clinton as "as usual, witty, sharply dressed, sharply political, and a few minutes late." (depending on your definition of "as" is").

The Boston Herald's David R. Guarino also was at the JFK library to watch a "relaxed" yet partisan Clinton "let loose a blistering partisan attack on the GOP — never mentioning President Bush by name but repeatedly hammering Bush's zeal for tax cuts." LINK

Guarino, too, enjoyed the much quoted quote about the 22nd: "'It's a good thing we have term limits, you'd have had to throw me out,'" and Noted Clinton's warning about turning "'a public person into a private piñata.'"

The New York Post 's Page Six reports that Ken Starr wants to dine a quatre with the Clintons (or maybe just with Bill Clinton: "Starr told PAGE SIX: 'I do remember saying I would like to sit down with President Clinton, but I did not say Senator Clinton. Is nothing private?'" ) LINK

The New York Daily News' Joel Siegel has Andrew Cuomo "inch[ing] back into the public arena in recent weeks," eight months after his gubenatorial campaign "crashed and burned." LINK

C'mon now, be honest: how many of you would otherwise have seen this item on page D2 of the Wall Street Journal ? And, yes, that includes you, Eli.

"Back to the West Wing: Lawrence O'Donnell, a former Senate Finance Committee chief of staff, says he is rejoining NBC-TV's drama series, 'The West Wing,' as a producer. Mr. O'Donnell left about two years ago to create 'Mister Sterling ,' a television show about a maverick California senator. That program recently was canceled. 'tay tuned for more tax drama' on 'The West Wing,' Mr. O'Donnell says."

Quinn and Gillespie snag Dave Hoppe. LINK

BCRA:

The AP's Sharon Theimer reports, "The Republican National Committee has decided against appealing a federal court order that leaves the new campaign finance law in place while the Supreme Court considers whether it is constitutional." LINK

House of Labor:

It's the AP's turn to do the Andy-Stern-health-care-union-split story, complete with outspoken Gerald McEntee quote. Not new — but a good overview if you haven't been paying attention. LINK

The Wall Street Journal has a short article on new federal outsourcing rules that might "placate unions" who worried about too much private competition for some government jobs.

Judicial Confirmation Wars:

The AP's David Espo writes about the "pivotal role" that Senator Dianne Feinstein "plays in a political struggle over President Bush's efforts to place conservatives on the courts." LINK

Feinstein suggests that two filibusters at the same time might be enough for the Senate to handle, and she says, "'I make up my own mind at my own pace and try to give these controversial nominations a good deal of thought. I don't kind of knee-jerk along with whatever the popular demand of the moment is and I think that's what people want me to do.'"

Bush Administration strategy/personality:

:

The AP's Laura Meckler gives this heads up on Head Start: "The Bush administration is warning Head Start centers not to aid a lobbying effort under way to defeat its proposed overhaul of the preschool program for the poor." LINK

"The centers' national association, which vehemently opposes the administration's plans, says it amounts to an unconstitutional attempt to silence critics."

The AP's Emily Gersema reports, "The White House says new government nutrition guidelines should tell consumers to cut back on foods like French fries made with artery-clogging fats and eat more fish and other foods that contain healthy fats." LINK

The Note loves healthy fat … and French/freedom fries.

When an AP writer uses the word "Oops" in a story, there might be trouble, especially when it involves the hottest non-Crossfire show in town, that is the White House Web chat.

The AP's Jeannine Aversa writes that Treasury Secretary Snow said Wednesday in the online chat that if he had to put his visage on a piece of currency, he would chose the $500 bill, which Aversa points out hasn't been printed since 1945. LINK

Lloyd Grove cites Richard Perle's questionably complimentary comments about President Bush's knowledge base in July's Vanity Fair (JULY!? ). LINK