• Krugman: Boilerplate GOP-bashing becomes Talking Heads homage. (’Now, as they survey the wreckage of their cause, conservatives may ask themselves: “Well, how did we get here?” They may tell themselves: “This is not my beautiful Right.” They may ask themselves: “My God, what have we done?”‘)

• The Note: Eight paragraphs of inexplicable and terrible Springsteen gags. (”Former senator Fred Thompson knows no brilliant disguise will compensate for a bad debate tomorrow”)

Each morning, Rick Klein, Chuck Todd, and Mike Allen summarize the headlines of the Times and the Post, kinda like we do, but with less swearing. This makes them very important media figures with a great deal of power, because they apparently make something called “conventional wisdom,” which is another phrase for “what you read in Slate.” “Conventional Wisdom” used to mean “the midpoint between a a David Broder and a David Ignatius column” but then The Note showed up and confused everyone with in jokes and satirical memos. MORE »

Holy shit, we almost forgot: the Note was re-launched today! With a new logo, and a new author, and the same conventional wisdom! MORE »

The moment we announced the death of The Note this morning, ABC’s publicity department alerted us that no, it wasn’t dead, and in fact, they found someone to write it! MORE »

Mark Halperin, former ABC News “Political Director,” is leaving the world of network punditry for the world of still appearing on TV constantly but with a different, more respectable little title on his chyron. That’s right, he’s going to Time. Eric Alterman’s head will explode. MORE »

* Not only did Walnuts! want to be a Democrat, he wanted to run with that most demmy of crats: John Kerry. [MyDD]
* Need more? New Walnuts! campaign finance chair was Nixon’s “Jew-counting” muscle. [Election Central]
* Rudy G. is the Skeletor/Cobra Commander/Megatron of our time. [The Carpetbagger Report]
* Nancy Pelosi thinks Syria is sooooo windy. [IMAO]
* Takes a whole lot of tax dollars to be that pointless. [Dilbert Blog]
* Karl Rove will lose several pounds of ugly flab as Mark Halperin finally lets go of his nuts. [Media Matters]

Well, they got his party right, at least. Mark Halperin might have a bit of trouble booking a ticket to cover the ‘08 Republican National Convention, as most airlines don’t offer direct flights to Minneapolis, Michigan. MORE »

* Ancient Canadian comic to host White House correspondents’ dinner — thanks, Stephen Colbert! [E&P]
* Attack on Iran, come she will. [Arab Times]
* Don’t ever change, The Note. You’re perfect just as you are. [Think Progress]
* Mark Warner can quit campaigning anytime, really, he just likes it. [Hotline on Call]
* John McCain’s two favorite things: “straight talk” and when Wolf swirls his tongue. [Media Matters]
* Return of the “The Fairness Doctrine” could force all broadcast news to resemble Fox. [Captain's Quarters]
* War on drugs: still the undisputed champion of unwinnable wars. [Hit & Run]

Yes, it’s been a while. But you remember the drill. MORE »

Doesn’t this seem a little insensitive for ABC? MORE »

Yesterday, distinguished members of the Gang of 500 received a very special email from Mark Halperin, author, founder of “The Note,” fellator of Drudge (after this week can we stop pretending Matt has an affect on the “news cycle” anymore? or, uh, The Note? or must we continue living in C-Span’s I Love the ’90s?). It was the usual bullshit (pretend memo from Hastert and Boehner’s offices), with a brief plug plea appended: MORE »