Roger Simon shares this great anecdote in his Politico column today:

Maureen Dowd did a famous article on likability on the front page of The New York Times in 1987, and afterwards I asked Dowd what gave her the idea.
“I had traveled with Dukakis really early, maybe his first campaign trip to Iowa,” she recalled, “and I asked him what I always ask people: ‘What do you do for fun?’
“And he said: ‘Black mulch.’
“And I said: ‘Black mulch?’
“And he said: ‘I like to put black mulch on my tomato plants.’
“And I thought to myself right then: This man will never be president.”

… with guests Doug Bailey and Gerald Rafshoon. I just posted about their online convention proposal. David Broder writes about it today. Peggy Noonan wrote about it earlier this week. Post your thoughts and comments here.

Anyone gearing up for a good old fashioned negative campaign against Sen. Hillary Clinton should get religion — if you take GOP candidate KT McFarland seriously.

Here’s what McFarland said when asked on ABC’s “Good Morning America” about going negative on Clinton: “First of all, I gave up saying bad things about people for Lent.”

Some subtle messaging going on by plugging Lent? Our theory — she’s about to announce the endorsement of New York’s legendary former Rep. Norman Lent.

Washington has dispensed with partisanship. Now we’re into downright hatred. Anger’s aweigh! But Valentine’s Day offers a rare chance to preach love, not spew venom. We’ll eagerly get back to mutual invective soon, but for Valentine’s Day 2006, here’s what you can do. Match the politicians most need of sharing Valentines with each other.

Here are hints:

Roll Call:

The ascent last week of Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) to the Majority Leader post has put the agenda for the upcoming House GOP retreat somewhat in flux, but one thing is certain: Frank Luntz won’t be there

Letter from Sen. McCain to Sen. Obama (Feb. 6):

“I understand how important the opportunity to lead your party’s effort to
exploit this issue must seem to a freshman Senator, and I hold no hard
feelings over your earlier disingenuousness.”

Peggy Noonan:

When the president joked that two people his father loves are turning 60
this year, himself and Bill Clinton–why does he think constant references
to that relationship work for him?–it was Mrs. Clinton’s job to look mildly
amused, or pleasant, or relatively friendly, or nonhostile. Mrs. Clinton has
two natural looks, the first being a dull and sated cynicism, the second the
bright-eyed throaty chuckler who greets visiting rubes from Utica. The
camera caught the first …

Washington Post:

An “irritated” U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson
“expressed frustration and surprise” upon hearing that D.C. Council Member
Marion Barry “failed to promptly file his tax returns and other required
paperwork”

Captain’s Quarter’s coverage of Jimmy Carter at Coretta Scott King’s
funeral:

He lectured about the lack of progress in civil rights, saying
that all one had to do was look at the faces of those victimized by
Hurricane Katrina to know that more progress had to be made. It’s the first
time I’ve ever heard God be called a bigot — unless Carter somehow has
evidence that Bush ginned up a hurricane to deliberately attack the Gulf
Coast.