I am sorry to inform you that today is the first day of the end of your reign as Person of the Year. Today is the day we start thinking about next year, specifically, today is the annual Person of the Year luncheon. It may be the only time in history that George Allen will share a stage with Whoopi Goldberg (they both probably like it …

An interesting look in today’s Politico at the problem Republicans face with swing voters: Voters want their representatives take steps to stop global warming; Republican representatives don’t.

Ayres illustrates how independents — who were responsible for ousting the GOP majority in 2006 — are unmistakably supportive of swift action

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I just spoke to a McCain campaign official about the subject of my SwampCast: Why is he bothering with Iowa when he has such scarce resources — shouldn’t he be spending every single minute and dime in New Hampshire? (Until recently, this was the strategy favored by his top advisers.)

The official told me that the Brownback endorsement …

For those of you breathless for my exploration of the differences btw the Hillary and Obama plans, you might need to take a breath. I’m still looking through HRC’s proposals. The most interesting thing I’ve seen so far is that, just going by what he released today, Obama emphasizes savings, education, and provisions that would improve …

He’s doing better, but what’s the method behind the man? I wonder about that in this SwampCast. (The tick up in evangelical support I mention is discussed here.)

Another gem from our White House Photo Blog, this time a shot by Brooks Kraft from last night’s social dinner for French President Nicolas Sarkozy:

Today’s award goes to Bill Steiner, director of strategy at the Republican National Committee. In a “memo” to RNC Chairman Robert M. “Mike” Duncan (that’s how it’s addressed!) about the 2007 off-year elections, Steiner argues, without apparent irony, that the results bode well for Republicans in the 2008 races. Here’s Steiner’s lead:

In

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This one inside the New York Times:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 — The inspector general of the Department of Education has said he will examine whether federal money was inappropriately used by three states to buy educational products from a company owned by Neil Bush, the president’s brother.

If the company sounds familiar, it may be …

I’ll say this for Obama’s economic plan roll out today: It doesn’t have the tortured syntax and metaphor pile-up of Hillary’s “Re-Building the Road to the Middle Class Bus Tour.” He went with the more traditional notion of “Reclaiming the American Dream.” His speech this morning looks to be a more eloquent vision than hers and/because it …

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, now visiting Washington, prides himself on being in tune with all things American, but he might have a way to go when it comes to how we would hope Americans think of (and beyond) gender and race. While here, he referred to Rama Yade, his 31-year-old Senegalese-born junior minister of foreign affairs and …

Please excuse the tardiness. Today’s ‘Cast stems from the event Jay mentioned below: it was called “Women Voters and the Right Guy.” I have to be honest and admit that before I heard about the event, I hadn’t realized that there were women in prominent public roles in all four of the major campaigns:

Jill Hazelbaker (McCain)
Katie

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Karen’s post below correctly captures the fascination the DC political-journalistic axis has with Hillary and the “gender card,” and the almost universal agreement that it was a mistake. How big mistake, that’s what people debate. I’m struck that women seem to think it’s a bigger mistake than men.

At both the GOP panel I attended and on …

Joe Biden issued a short statement today through his Senate office about his telephone conversation with Pakistan President Pervez Mursharraf. It was a real-world example of what Biden is constantly trying to tell voters on the hustings and in the debates (on the rare occasion he’s asked a question): to wit, as chairman of the Senate …