Hodgepodge

- Over in the LATimes, Janet Hook asks "Are the Republicans Ready for Rudy?" It's an interesting article about Giuliani's positions and how they'll play in the GOP primary contest, but I think the larger issue for Rudy is all the skeletons in his closet. There's just no way he's going to be able to teach them all to dance.

- Also from LA, Ron Brownstein has today's must-read piece, "All Revved Up, Going Nowhere on Energy Policy." Key paragraphs: "The collapse of the fuel economy movement captures the real problem in the energy debate. It isn't a shortage of good ideas; it's a refusal to accept the political risks that could advance those ideas." "For all the howling from Washington, energy policy will remain stuck in neutral until both parties confront their supporters to construct a grand bargain of more domestic production, greater conservation and more focus on alternative energy." Read the whole thing.

- The WaPo has a rundown of last week's Senate shenanigans with the "emergency" spending bill.

- Meanwhile, over in the House, a watered-down lobbying reform bill is still alive (if barely). It was opposed this week by a coalition of Democrats and twelve Republican centrists who called it too weak. Key quote from Rep. Chris Shays: "I happen to believe we're losing our moral authority to lead this place. It's been over a decade since my party took over the majority and I feel like we've forgotten how we got here."

I wanted to do more from the blogs this morning but Blogger is being cranky so I will have to save that for another time.