[babaloo]

Bush is not in the Rose Garden. He is now on a nine state tour starting in VA. He will be going to the SW and then up the west coast. I think he will be back in Iowa too. Cheney is in DSM tomorrow.

[chimera]

I know they are out there now, as they should be. I am just worried about the timing. We're less than three months out and the Bush campaign is now getting serious about hitting the hustings. The Rats have been out there for (what seems like) years, getting media coverage, hammering away.

That's one thing we have to admit about Clinton. For a liar and a scumbag and just plain wrong-headed on most issues, he was always out there, talking himself up, defending himself and his record (often at the expense of his fellow Rats and supporters), attacking his attackers. It won him two presidential elections, the second by a very healthy margin (as presidential races go).

The game has changed from what it used to be. Campaigns start early and run for a long time. As displeasing as that is, it's now the way things are. Republicans need to learn this. Anyone who ignores it does so at their peril.