Paul raised $2.4 million in the second quarter.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — He's considered a long-shot to win the GOP presidential nomination, but Texas Rep. Ron Paul is boasting more cash-on-hand than Arizona Sen. John McCain's struggling presidential campaign.

The Texas Republican raised nearly $2.4 million in the second quarter, and, after all expenses, has a total amount of $2.4 million cash-on-hand, campaign spokesman Kent Snyder tells CNN. Paul raised $640,000 in the first quarter of 2007.

Snyder added that nearly all of Paul’s warchest was raised through the Internet.

Earlier in the week, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s campaign announced having $18 million in campaign cash, $15 million of which may be spent on the primaries. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign announced a warchest of $12 million for the GOP nomination fight.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, once the early favorite to win the nomination, reported raising a disappointing $11.2 million in the second quarter with only $2 million cash on hand — $400,000 less than Paul. His campaign said his support of immigration reform legislation hurt his fundraising ability.

Paul, with only 11 staffers on his campaign, runs a frugal campaign. The Texas Republican rarely travels to key campaign states. Snyder said the campaign is expecting to expand into additional states in the near future.

Paul registered 2 percent in the latest CNN/Opinion Research poll conducted June 22-24.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

WASHINGTON DC (CNN) — The presidential campaign trail is making its way through New Orleans. The top two Democratic presidential contenders made stops there to show their support for a city rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina. They’re also in the Crescent City to reach out to a key part of their party, black voters.

Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama spoke at the Essence Music Festival, which is one of the nation’s top black cultural events. The festival, back in New Orleans after a year away due to the damage from Katrina, has long been a mix of great music and serious efforts towards social change. This year it’s also mixing music with presidential politics.

Obama took center stage at the festival Thursday night. The Senator from Illinois told the crowd that “if all of you are not just ready to rebuild New Orleans, but rebuild the New Orleans all across America, on the southside of Chicago or in New York City, and in Los Angeles and Houston and all across America, I am convinced that we will not just win an election this time out, but more importantly we are going to transform a country.”

Clinton spoke to the crowd on Friday. The Senator from New York also focused her comments on New Orleans, saying, “I believe it’s an American responsibility to rebuild New Orleans, not just one of Louisiana and New Orleans but all of us working together.”

John Edwards isn’t at the Essence Music Festival, but the former Senator from North Carolina kicked off his presidential campaign in the Crescent City, formally declaring his candidacy in the devastated Ninth Ward of New Orleans last December.

So why all the attention to New Orleans?

Because the city’s plight has become a national storyline and because Katrina had a devastating effect on the city’s black community.

Black voters are crucial to the Democratic Party. “Nearly nine in ten blacks vote Democratic, making them the most reliable Democratic voting bloc in the country,” says CNN Pollster Keating Holland.

And they’ll play an important role in picking the next Democratic presidential nominee, especially in the early primary states of South Carolina and Florida.

Senators Clinton and Obama are neck and neck among black voters in the most recent poll. But it’s still very early and many voters haven’t made up their minds yet. We caught up with Renae Bradley outside the Essence festival. She told us that she’s “not feeling that at this point either Clinton or Obama would be that much of a difference.”

One thing’s for sure. Expect the attention by the candidates to New Orleans and to black voters to continue. Next week all of the Democratic Presidential hopefuls will speak at the NAACP convention in Detroit.

– CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser

A majority of Americans disapprove of Libby's commutation, according to a new poll.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A majority of Americans and nearly half of all Republicans disapprove of President Bush’s commutation of Lewis "Scooter" Libby’s 30-month prison sentence, according to a new American Research Group poll out Friday.

Fully 64 percent of all Americans and 69 percent of voters said they disapproved of the commutation in the new poll. Broken down by party affiliation, 76 percent of Democrats, 47 percent of Republicans, and 80 percent of Independents said they disapproved.

Meanwhile, 84 percent of all adults and 84 percent of voters said they oppose a full presidential pardon for Libby. Broken down by party, 82 percent of Democrats, 70 percent of Republicans, and 97 percent of Independents oppose a pardon.

Defending his decision to grant Libby clemency, Bush indicated on Tuesday he hasn't ruled out granting the former White House aide a full pardon.

"I made a judgment, a considered judgment, and I believe it's the right decision to make in this case. I stand by it," Bush said. "As to the future, I rule nothing in and nothing out," he said as he left a visit to Walter Reed Medical Center.

Libby's prison time was imposed after a federal court convicted Libby of perjury, obstruction of justice and lying to investigators in the probe of the leak of the name of a CIA operative.

A commutation is distinct from a pardon, which is a complete eradication of a conviction record and makes it the same as if the person has never been convicted.

The poll, conducted on July 3-5, interviewed 1,100 adults and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

– CNN Political Researcher Xuan Thai

Giuliani, with wife Judith, campaigned in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Friday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — In his first campaign visit to South Carolina since his state chairman resigned amid cocaine charges, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Friday he was "shocked" when he learned of the news.

"It is a terrible thing when something like that happens to someone that is going to have to answer to it, but it is one of those things that is highly personal and all you can do is pray and hope that his rehabilitation works out and whatever debt to society he pays, he will be able to put it behind him," Giuliani said of his former South Carolina chairman, Thomas Ravenel, while campaigning in Myrtle Beach.

Ravenel, also the former South Carolina Treasurer, resigned both of his posts last month after he was indicted on cocaine distribution charges.

"I think everyone knows that in families — no matter how big they are — tragedies happen," the GOP presidential hopeful added. "Bad things happen.”

Ravenel's father, Arthur Ravenel Jr., a former U.S. congressman, continues to serve as a South Carolina adviser to Giuliani.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

Dodd, right, with Paul Simon on the campaign trail in Iowa.

Huckabee has three concerts planned this weekend.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Looking to turn up the volume on their White House bids, a couple of so-called second tier presidential candidates are adding a musical twist to the campaign trail this week.

Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd, in Iowa, is hitting the trail with Grammy-award winning singer/songwriter Paul Simon. Simon joined Dodd on Friday in Mason City, and will travel with the Connecticut Democrat to Fort Dodge, Sioux City, Carroll, and Council Bluffs over the next two days.

Simon, who Dodd called a "longtime friend," is expected to perform in Fort Dodge.

Meanwhile, former Arkansas GOP Gov. Mike Huckabee, a musician himself and the front man of the band "Capitol Offense," has three concerts scheduled in New Hampshire this weekend.

The band will perform Friday night at a house party in Dover before heading to Nashua for an outdoor concert Saturday afternoon. Huckabee and his band will also perform Saturday night in Concord at a campaign fundraiser.

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

Gore is making the rounds to promote his Live Earth concerts this weekend.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former Vice President Al Gore said his son Albert III is now in "the right place," following Wednesday's arrest after Orange Country police found a variety of drugs in the younger Gore's car.

"We're very happy he's getting treatment and that nobody was hurt and he's in the right place and has asked for the right kind of treatment," Gore told CNN's John King on American Morning.

Gore refused to elaborate on the type of treatment his son was undergoing, saying, “We are treating it as a private family matter.”

The former vice president, on the air to promote his Live Earth concert series this weekend, also refused to say whether he was gravitating toward any of the Democratic presidential candidates, noting the election is "500 days away." But he added all the presidential candidates are treating the environment as a “side issue.”

– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

GOP Sen. Pete Domenici called for a change of policy in Iraq Thursday, making him the third veteran Republican to break ranks with President Bush over the issue in the last two weeks.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — As another key Republican senator called for President Bush to change strategies in Iraq, a top U.S. General said pulling out the extra troops in the coming months would be “a mess.”

Responding to a question from CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre in a video briefing, Iraq Commander Major General Rick Lynch said, “Those surge forces are giving us the capability we have now to take the fight to the enemy. And the enemy only responds to force and we now have that force. We can conduct detailed, kinetic strikes, we can do cordon and searches, and we can deny the enemy the sanctuaries. If those surge forces go away, that capability goes away, and the Iraqi security forces aren't ready yet to do that. So now what you're going to find, if you did that, is you'd find the enemy regaining ground, re-establishing the sanctuary, building more IEDs, carrying those IEDs in Baghdad and the violence would escalate. It'd be a mess.“

General Lynch said the extra forces are needed to “mature the situation” and allow them to turn areas over to Iraqi security forces so they can start withdrawing US troops, but “that’s not going to happen any time soon.”

Lynch said one of his key rules of war fighting is “everything takes longer than you think.”

Related: 'Surge' essential to security in Iraq, general says

– Political Desk Managing Editor Steve Brusk

President Bush, center, with Washington Nationals' president Stan Kasten, left, general manager, Jim Bowden and part owner, Mark Lerner, back row, at RFK Stadium Thursday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The President and first lady departed for Camp David Friday morning, where Mr. Bush will celebrate his 61st birthday.

Mr. Bush said “thank you” to a shouted happy birthday as he walked to Marine One on the White House South Lawn.

Thursday evening, the President went to RFK Stadium where he watched about six innings of the Washington Nationals-Chicago Cubs game. He arrived in the first inning, sitting in a skybox with members of the Lerner family that owns the team, General Manager Jim Bowden and Team President Stan Kasten.

Pool reporters at the game say a foul ball hit by Nationals’ catcher Brian Schneider hit off the presidential skybox in the 2nd inning, but bounced back down to the seats below. No word what the health-conscious president actually ate in the box, but the group shared hot dogs, peanuts, Cracker Jacks, nachos, chicken tenders, soda and water.

This was the fourth time Mr. Bush has attended a Nationals game since baseball returned to Washington in 2005. The Nationals lost 4-2, making the home team’s record 2-2 when the president is in attendance.

– CNN Political Desk Managing Editor Steve Brusk

Obama raised nearly $33 million last quarter.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — For the first time in many years, Democratic candidates for president are raising more money than Republican candidates, according to the second quarter fundraising figures just released by the top candidates.

You think the voters are uninterested and uninvolved this early in the campaign? Think again.

"This is a record breaking amount of money, and this is a record breaking cycle," said Sheila Krumholz from the Center for Responsive Politics. "This will be like no other presidential election before."

Look at the amount of money being raised. In the second quarter of the year before each of the past three presidential elections, the total amounts raised were $34.1 million (1995), $55.3 million (1999) and $65.9 million (2003).

This year, we have second quarter totals for the top three candidates in each party. Those six candidates alone raised $110.7 million.

Why are people giving candidates so much money? Krumholz attributed it to "the lack of public funds being used this time, the increased competitiveness, not having an incumbent in the race. This is just an unusual race on many accounts."

It’s unusual for another reason, too: Democratic candidates are outpacing Republicans. In the second quarter of the year before the 1996 election, Republicans outraised the Democrat, Bill Clinton, $24.5 million to $9.6 million. Okay, but Clinton was running unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

In the second quarter of 1999, Republicans way outraised Democrats $50.2 million to $16.1 million, even though both party nominations were contested. Okay, you could argue that eight Republicans were running and only two Democrats.

In the second quarter of 2003, Republicans again raised more money ($35.1 million to $30.8 million). That year, nine Democrats were running and George W. Bush was unopposed.

In the second quarter of this year, totals for the top three candidates in each party show that, for the first time in recent years, Democrats are outraising Republicans — by more than $26 million ($68.5 million to $42.2 million).

Read the rest of this entry »

Gephardt will throw his support behind Clinton Thursday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Another big-name endorsement for Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton. Former House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt announced his support for the junior senator from New York Thursday.

The long-time former congressman from Missouri could help Clinton out in the neighboring state of Iowa, which kicks off the presidential primary calendar. Gephardt’s a known commodity in Iowa. He won the Iowa caucuses when he first ran for president in 1988. But Gephardt didn’t fare nearly as well in Iowa when he made another stab at the White House in 2004. That year, he dropped his bid one day after finishing fourth in the caucuses.

The larger question concerning these big-name endorsements: do they really matter? The answer, as in many things in politics, is yes and no.

Campaigns love to unveil these big-name endorsements because, as political analyst Stuart Rothenberg says, “They are trying to create a sense of momentum, a sense of a bandwagon effect.”

But do they? Endorsements are successful only if they pay off. Rothenberg says “endorsements can matter if they can somehow translate into fundraising, or if they can somehow transfer into grassroots support.”

Whether they actually do is another matter.

Read the rest of this entry »

Compiled by Stephen Bach, CNN Washington Bureau

Making news today…

* New Mexico GOP Sen. Pete Domenici called for a change of policy in Iraq Thursday, making him the third veteran Republican to break ranks with President Bush over the issue in the last two weeks.

Full story

"The six-term lawmaker, party loyalist and former staunch war supporter represents one of the most significant GOP losses to date." (Washington Post)

"The expressions of doubt from a loyal White House ally, however, will probably further undermine the Bush administration's ability to continue the current strategy much beyond this summer." (Los Angeles Times)

* "John McCain's staff has been pared to a skeleton crew in Iowa in light of the financial difficulty" the campaign reported this week. "The changes leave in place seven McCain aides in Iowa… No previous caucus winner has cut his staff so deeply and gone on to win." (Des Moines Register)

* "John Edwards is reshuffling the ranks of his top staff, adding two prominent Democratic operatives as senior advisers and shifting some responsibilities from campaign manager David Bonior." (AP)

* Former MO Rep. Dick Gephardt's endorsement of Hillary Clinton "could bolster Clinton's credentials with organized labor, but Gephardt, a self-described 'has-been politician,' isn't expecting to swing many votes." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Also, the "'has-been' line might have caused a wince or two in Clinton's camp, which for the past few days has been fending off rival Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's effort to depict Clinton and former President Bill Clinton as part of the past." (New York Daily News)

* And it was a detail of the Al Gore III story that caught many an eye and "rippled through talk radio and the blogosphere Thursday": 100 MPH in a Prius? Check out the reaction in Hot Topics below!

President's Schedule:

* Happy birthday, Mr. President. George W. Bush turns 61 today. Bush departs at 9:15 am ET to spend the weekend at Camp David.

Also on the Political Radar:

* The House and Senate are not in session this week.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) gets a boost from singer Paul Simon, who will perform at two of the senator's campaign events in Iowa today: 12:15 pm ET in Fort Dodge's City Square Park, and 6:30 pm ET at West High School in Sioux City.

* Mike Huckabee doesn’t need a grammy winner of his own in the Granite State. He performs with his band, Capitol Offense, at a 6 pm ET house party in Dover, NH. The band has also booked two gigs tomorrow in Nashua and Concord.

* Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) addresses the United Steelworkers of America at 9 am ET in Cleveland, OH.

At 1 pm ET, Clinton speaks at the Essence Music Festival's Empowerment Seminar at the New Orleans Convention Center.

* Bill Richardson speaks at the Manchester Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum at 8 am ET. At 10 am ET, he meets with voters at a public library in Candia, NH.

* Rudy Giuliani visits local residents at Pan American Pancake & Omelet in Myrtle Beach, SC, at 9:40 am ET. At 12:30 pm ET, Giuliani holds a town hall meeting at the Marriott Savannah Riverfront in Savannah, GA. Later this afternoon, Giuliani announces his Beaufort County (SC) leadership at a 5 pm ET event in Bluffton, SC.

* Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) greets customers at the Red Arrow diner in Manchester, NH, at 1:30 pm ET. He later attends a 3 pm ET house party in Durham, and helps kick off Jim Webber's campaign for NH state representative at a 5 pm ET event in Kensington.

=================================================================
Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country)

DOMENICI CALLS FOR CHANGE IN IRAQ STRATEGY: Saying he has been swayed by New Mexicans who have lost family members in Iraq and by the failures of the Iraqi government, U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici on July 5 called for a change in strategy that could lead to a drawdown in American forces beginning next March. Domenici, an Albuquerque Republican who has been a staunch supporter of President Bush's war policy, stopped short of calling for an end to the current American policy of increased troops and stepped-up security efforts. But he said conditions are continuing to deteriorate in Iraq and acknowledged that his stance is at odds with the president's. Albuquerque Tribune: Sen. Pete Domenici changes position on Iraq war

WH KNOCKS CLINTON "CHUTZPAH" ON LIBBY DECISION: The White House responded angrily yesterday to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's statement that President Bush was acting "above the law" in commuting the prison sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, accusing her of hypocrisy because of the pardons issued by her husband on the last day of his presidency. Yesterday's tough exchange unfolded after Sen. Clinton called in to a morning radio talk show in Iowa to say again that Bush's decision on Monday to wipe away the 30-month prison sentence leveled against the former aide to Vice President Cheney was "clearly an effort to protect the White House" by a White House that holds itself "above the law." The White House quickly fired back, with Bush spokesman Tony Snow pointedly recalling the flurry of controversial clemency actions taken by Bill Clinton in the closing hours of his presidency in 2001. "I don't know what Arkansan is for chutzpah, but this is a gigantic case of it," Snow said. Washington Post: Clintons Accused Of Hypocrisy by The White House 

SD STATE REP ANNOUNCES BID TO CHALLENGE JOHNSON: State lawmaker Joel Dykstra filed candidacy forms for U.S. Senate this week, spurring the question, "Who's next?" Dykstra, a Republican from Canton, is the first to file candidacy papers in South Dakota. He said the announcement reflects the challenges that await him as he attempts to unseat incumbent Sen. Tim Johnson. "We've got further to go as a challenger," Dykstra said. Dykstra is in his third term in the state House of Representatives. The Democratic party called Dykstra a "fringe candidate," who is "not fit for the United States Senate." Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Dykstra announces bid for U.S. Senate 

GOP CANDIDATES WORRY ABOUT "BURN RATES": As the Democratic presidential field enjoys an unprecedented surge in campaign donations, Republicans are already wringing their hands over “burn rates.” John McCain's campaign admitted it had reason to worry this week when it reported raising just over $11 million in the second quarter. The problem: McCain’s monthly burn rate was averaging $3.6 million, which meant he was bringing in only enough money to pay in-house expenses. Burn rates are the operating costs that campaigns incur, such as salaries, taxes, office expenses, fundraising costs and consultant retainers. Money raised on top of those costs can be spent on advertising and voter turnout. But when fundraising falls below burn rate, a campaign could go under unless drastic measures are taken. The Politico: Burn, baby, burn: GOP contenders' worry 

"APPROACHES ARE VERY DIFFERENT," BUT EVERYONE'S TALKING HEALTH CARE: There is no better measure of the power of the health care issue than this: Sixteen months before Election Day, presidential candidates in both parties are promising to overhaul the system and cover more — if not all — of the 44.8 million people without insurance. Their approaches are very different, reflecting longstanding divisions between the parties on the role of government versus the private market in addressing the affordability and availability of health insurance. Republicans, by and large, promise to expand coverage by using a variety of tax incentives to empower consumers to buy it themselves, from private insurers. New York Times: 2008 Candidates Vow to Overhaul U.S. Health Care 

"UNDERDOGS" SPEND MORE TIME ON THE GROUND IN GRANITE STATE: Some of the current presidential candidates, notably the underdogs and the less well-financed like Chris Dodd and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, still do the diner and fire hall circuit. But there's a feeling throughout the nation's first primary state that times are very different in this 2008 cycle. Most of the candidates touch down in New Hampshire for an occasional big, media-friendly event and then closet themselves to raise money or jump on a plane and head elsewhere. Hartford Courant: Primary Tactics 

DODD HOPING FOR A BIG STUMBLE AT THE FRONT OF THE PACK: Dodd, 63, is running for president in a 2008 Democratic field crowded with heavy hitters who have used up most of the oxygen in the race so far, leaving him as something of an afterthought. Skimming the bottom of most of the polls, ranking near the end of the list of Democratic fundraisers, Dodd is pinning his presidential dreams on the possibility that either the front-runner, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), will stumble or that the next two leaders, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and former senator John Edwards (N.C.), will fail to live up to expectations in early-primary states. Washington Post: Dodd Pins Hopes on Early-Vote Miracles 

SKEPTICISM IN NOLA ABOUT "PARADE OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES": Like religious pilgrims performing the Stations of the Cross, the presidential candidates keep coming to New Orleans to visit the Lower 9th Ward, the Industrial Canal levee, the 17th Street Canal and all the other crippled landmarks of the unprecedented disaster that befell this city when Hurricane Katrina struck nearly two years ago… On Thursday night, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) made a return visit to the city—his fourth since the hurricane—for a speech at the refurbished Louisiana Superdome, the scene of some of the most wretched suffering visited upon tens of thousands of New Orleans residents who waited for days to be rescued after four-fifths of the city was flooded… But palpable throughout the crowd, and across the rest of this city still slowly struggling back to its feet, was a growing sense of skepticism about the parade of presidential candidates from both parties who fly into New Orleans for a few carefully scripted appearances and then quickly depart, leaving little behind. Chicago Tribune: New Orleans wary of this parade 

SOME CHANGES AT THE TOP FOR EDWARDS CAMP: John Edwards is reshuffling the ranks of his top staff, adding two prominent Democratic operatives as senior advisers and shifting some responsibilities from campaign manager David Bonior. Paul Blank and Chris Kofinis, leaders of the labor-backed anti-Wal-Mart effort "Wake Up Wal-Mart," were expected to join the Edwards campaign as early as next week. Blank would take over day-to-day campaign operations. Kofinis would serve as communications director. The deal was not yet final but was expected to be completed in the next few days, advisers said. Blank was political director for Howard Dean's 2004 presidential effort. He is close to former Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi, who is now serving as a senior adviser to the Edwards effort. Bonior, a former Michigan congressman, would retain the title of campaign manager but step up his role as public spokesman for the campaign. He also is expected to travel extensively with Edwards. AP via Yahoo! News: Edwards adds staff, reshuffles roles 

JUST 7 ON GROUND FOR McCAIN CAMP IN IA: At least 10 McCain staffers working directly on the campaign for the leadoff nominating caucuses have been laid off or have turned down the chance to keep their jobs at lower pay, Republican sources in Iowa confirmed Thursday. The changes leave in place seven McCain aides in Iowa. The candidate has been slipping in Iowa and national polls after ranking near the top in both earlier this year. Senior McCain advisers said that roughly half of the campaign's 16-member Iowa staff had been "impacted by the restructuring," although the list of names confirmed by The Des Moines Register as no longer with the campaign accounted for a slightly larger proportion of the senator's Iowa shop. McCain spokesman Danny Diaz said the senator remains committed to competing in Iowa. No previous caucus winner has cut his staff so deeply and gone on to win. Des Moines Register: Low on cash, McCain slashes staff in Iowa to 7 

GEPHARDT ENDORSEMENT "COULD BOLSTER" CLINTON'S LABOR CREDENTIALS: Former Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt endorsed on Thursday the presidential campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. The move could bolster Clinton's credentials with organized labor, but Gephardt, a self-described "has-been politician," isn't expecting to swing many votes. "I have no illusions about being any big factor. I am just doing what I think is the right thing to do," Gephardt said in a conference call. Gephardt, the former House minority leader, was a two-time candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. Clinton "will be ready to lead from Day One — that's the most important thing we need in our next president," he said. "She has the strength, the experience, the intelligence that uniquely qualifies her to be president at a very critical moment in our history." St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Gephardt endorses Clinton for president 

"HAS BEEN" LINE CALLED A GAFFE: Way to motivate the voters, Dick! Former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt threw his support behind Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential aspirations yesterday, but ultramodestly downplayed the weight of his endorsement. "I'm a has-been politician, so I don't know that I can do anything more than bring my own vote, but maybe I can get my family to vote the right way," quipped Gephardt, a two-time presidential candidate who represented St. Louis in Congress for 28 years. The "has-been" line might have caused a wince or two in Clinton's camp, which for the past few days has been fending off rival Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's effort to depict Clinton (D-N.Y.) and former President Bill Clinton as part of the past. New York Daily News: Gep's gaffe: I'm a has-been for Hil 

JUST HAVING BLOOMBERG "IN THE PICTURE" MAY BE A PROBLEM FOR RUDY: As the political world waits to see whether Bloomberg's switch last month from Republican to independent means that he and his vast fortune will enter the 2008 presidential race, one result of his dalliance with running is already becoming clear: Simply having him in the picture calls into question some of the assumptions underlying Giuliani's appeal. Giuliani is selling himself as a strong leader who achieved the impossible in bringing an ungovernable New York under control, even if it required some bruising confrontations along the way. But Bloomberg, his admirers say, has shown that the city of 8 million can be run successfully in a far more understated fashion — that a mayor can reduce crime without cultivating a sheriff's swagger and antagonizing minorities, protect against terrorism without overly fixating on security, and tackle deeply rooted urban problems without getting into public spats with top appointees. Washington Post: With Bloomberg on Stage, Harsher Light on Giuliani 

WILL BLOOMBERG BE "THE FIRST JEWISH PRESIDENT?" Michael Bloomberg isn't known here as the Jewish mayor. In fact, his religion is a non-issue in a city that had its first Jewish chief executive, Abe Beame, three decades ago. The New York Jewish community is so large and active that even non-Jewish mayors take counsel from rabbis. So when Bloomberg won the 2001 mayoral race, Jews saw no significant advantage in having one of their own in City Hall. But if the billionaire businessman decides to run for the White House, his faith will become much more than an afterthought: He would be on a path toward being elected the first Jewish president of the United States. AP via Yahoo! News: Bloomberg: US's first Jewish president? 

100+ MPH IN A PRIUS? As yet another tale of celebrity spawn gone wild, the arrest Wednesday of Albert Gore III — son of the former vice president — on suspicion of drug possession was routine except for one rather mind-blowing detail: Gore was clocked in a blue Toyota Prius hybrid traveling on the southbound 5 Freeway in Orange County in excess of 100 mph. "One hundred and five, actually," said Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino. "I think it's slightly downhill there." The former vice president Thursday declared his love for his son, said Albert III was receiving treatment and added that the family was "going to leave it as a private matter." Which was just as well. The Prius, not Gore, was the news. Gore's cruel caning of Toyota's greener-than-thou hybrid — powered by a small four-cylinder engine and electric motor that together produce about 110 horsepower — rippled through talk radio and the blogosphere Thursday. Many were simply amazed. "How in the world do you get a Toyota Prius to go 100 mph without a cliff to go over?" asked Rush Limbaugh. Los Angeles Times: Who says the Prius can't get out of its own way? 

BRUNO REACTS TO POST REPORT… WANTS NY GOV INVESTIGATED: Furious state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno yesterday accused Gov. Spitzer of ordering the State Police to track him for "political espionage" – and called for special grand juries to investigate the governor's possible "criminal liability." Bruno, reacting to yesterday's bombshell report in The Post disclosing that Spitzer had targeted Bruno for an unprecedented State Police surveillance program, also announced that he was "activating" the Senate Investigations Committee to look into whether Spitzer abused the powers of his office. A source said the committee may soon subpoena "internal e-mails and other documents" from the governor's office dealing with the circumstances under which the State Police were instructed to keep records of Bruno's travels. New York Post: OPENING GATES OF 'EL'