We are back home from Florida and looking ahead to Fat Tuesday, or as we like to refer to it here in the suburban news lair: PHAT Tuesday. Sometimes amid all the pervasive wonkery, we invoke the language of Kimora Lee Simmons. Memba her? Anyway, it's our little way of keeping it all light.

In addition to waiting for yet another deluge of snow, after several balmy days of Sunshine State weather, our burning political question of the day is this: How much money does John McCain — who we plan to dub "The General" for the duration of the primary season — have in his campaign coffers? We'd be willing to bet, compared to Mittens who has announced a massive (and tres, tres expensive) multi-state TV blitz, that he's on seeds and stems (as we used to say back in the day).

Sure, his win in Florida will no doubt bring in some cash infusion, but we know after New Hampshire he was hurting, so we wonder. Best that the GOP ante up and back him, now that he's doing battle on several fronts.

In other happier news: Britney Spears is back in the nut tank at UCLA Medical Center. We're pretty sure all drivers in L.A. county are jazzed at the notion that she and the Mercedes two-seater she's been wheeling all over the area are off the road, so to speak. We can only hope that this latest hospitalization helps her out. After Heath Ledger and even Brad Renfro, we probably don't need another young Hollywood death.

We are muy excited that the Grammy Awards as well as our beloved Oscars are on track for a full show, replete with celebrity guests. We had some concerns with this ongoing writers strike. We are nothing without a solid awards season, along with a coterie of fab fashion and the requisite faux pas that accompany these events. We enjoyed the SAG Awards telecast. Let the Games begin.

ADDITION: It was good to see Nancy Reagan at last night's GOP debate in Simi Valley. We think she looked beautiful — a magnificent woman. We bet she is lonely for Ronnie.

Actually, we are too.

— Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Well, we hate to say we told you so, but we do feel we batted the cycle here in Florida.

McCain pulled out like we thought and Mittens stayed in the race and Mayor Rudy came in with double digits, a predictable finish and what seems like the final straw in his presidential bid.

So ... not much of a surprise for us here. (Did we say we LOVE the weather?)

This win in politically diverse Florida brings big bounce for McCain who will get greater national cred -- and probably a much-needed infusion of cash -- when Rudy endorses him soon. Promise NO NASTYGRAMS when we ponder the powerful notion of a McCain-Giuliani ticket.

It has a good ring to us, and by good we mean a team that could win. Probably the hard core GOP faithful are stroking out at the thought of this one, pulling the big MI, but ya know, it's not a bad idea. Two moderates who are strong on national defense, who bring different yet similar skills to the table and who could look the global haters in the eye and say "bad news boys." You get the drift. Kinda like Batman and Robin.

This one probably would make Bill and Hill scared to boot!

All we're sayin' ... we look forward to the possibilities. But not leaving Florida. Lots of condos for sale for cheap. Oh, and they have spring training, too.

— Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

We simply wouldn't be us if we didn't weigh in on the Romney campaign's election-day strategy of releasing a memo outlining rival John McCain biggest public outbursts against GOP colleagues.

Does this not seem a tad high school to y'all?

It's kind of like a tattle-tale, screaming "Mommy, mommy. Did you hear what he said? Johnnie's got a potty mouth."

Look, so McCain has a temper. No big news for Washington political insiders, right? A lot of people do, and we aren't excusing abusive anger. But ya know, politics is rough, and wimpy weasels who just wanna be nice are gonna be blasted to Baghdad if we aren't careful. Our opinion, of course, but on some issues, there ought to be outrage — coupled with force. Perception is reality — and sometimes puffing up your chest works.

It would seem to us that reasonable voters would not buy into such a tactic, particularly trotted out on election day in a tight race. It seems SO incredibly juvenile.

— Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

The chamber of commerce and God have conspired here in Pinellas County — think Clearwater and St. Pete area — where the sun has been out all day and temps are in the high 70s with a light breeze off the bay. No excuses for voters not to get out, and from what we are hearing at this point, turnout is steady — not overwhelming — in this area.

Voters report smooth trips to the booth and few lines. Let's hope it stays that way. After 2000, they need to get it right in the Sunshine State. Fear not, tho. The state will move from touch-screen voting to paper optical scan ballots for the general election in November. Several voters expressed skepticism about that transition. Others said a paper ballot is always a good thing.

Once again, we register serious backlash against the Rudy strategy. It's not that folks don't like the mayor, it's just they think he waited too long. Not a new story, but we continue to hear it over and over, including this morning as we chatted with voters in the small town of Safety Harbor. We feel bad for Rudy, who most certainly didn't think this would turn out this way. He seems a practical man, so we could see him saying "screw it" and getting out now so there will be a clearer front-runner for the GOP.

We still think he'll do better than predicted and we do think John McCain will eke out a small victory when the polls close at 7 p.m. Just a gut.

— Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

We like to look for the subtle fashion clues. It's like reading tea leaves for puffs like ourself. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Hillary Clinton would wear red to last night's State of the Union speech in Washington. Red, the color of anger, of power, of "kiss mine." She's sending a message, altho we're super sure she'd deny it. This outfit was totally picked for a reason. She's out for blood.

The bone: Yes, we think she looks very nice in red. Good color on her. Totally. Sincerity added.

In other happy political news: John McCain seems to have super practiced being peaceful when he talks. It's so soft and measured, so even. He's been exceptional at not getting dragged into a nasty tone. We give him that.

Someone wrote us and asked us if we thought Cindy McCain, a lovely woman, wore colored contacts and we responded by saying: Does Marilyn Manson wear makeup? HELLO.

Randomness: While we think the Ted Kennedy endorsement of the Barackster is very important — for its symbolism if nothing else — we can't help but wonder in the back of our mind that his association with that family makes him even more safety vulnerable. We hope he has an A-Team spook squad around him and would be surprised if he didn't.

One of our esteemed colleagues points out that the Mittens signs and the Barackster signs look a lot alike, including their use of "change." Honestly, we're all pretty tired of that word, huh?

Today is Florida... can't wait to see how it all turns out.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Monday political fantasy No. 1 — Listening in on Bill Clinton's call to Ted Kennedy trying to route the Obama endorsement.

Monday political fantasy No. 2 — Hearing Hillary go off on Bill upon learning of Kennedy's endorsement.

Priceless.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Wow, the weather is pretty here. Did we say we dig the sunshine? Why yes, guess we did. Sadly, it's not bikini weather but it's bright enough to rout our seasonal affective disorder. For the rest of it, we'll count on self-tanners. There are worse places to be, no? We think back to Iowa and the chill. OY.

Prognosticating to the sounds of steel drums outside our hotel room:

John McCain will beat Mitt Romney in a race here that is less tight than the polls suggest. Mayor Rudy will come in third and that will rock his campaign, which doesn't feel like it has plan B. At least to us. We heard a broadcaster on satellite radio last night wonder if losing his political thunder would mute Rudy's brand, hampering his ability to earn the big bucks making speechs touting his leadership moxie. It is a good point to ponder. We don't want to count him out yet, but the backlash down here seems huge. Folks who might have voted for him six months ago now have moved on.

We like Gov. Charlie Crist, but he is way different from former Gov. Jeb Bush, who got a lot of things done here during his time in office. Jeb muscled his measures through and was successful by force, popularity be damned. Mr. Crist is less conservative, it would seem, and more populist and cares far more about what people think of him -- and not just GOP dealers -- than his predecessor. Still, Crist's less than articulate endorsement -- probably would have been good to write something rather than go off the cuff -- was important. It gave McCain publicity across this very diverse state where voters in Miami are far flung from those in the Panhandle. You have several different political universes rotating around Florida, so candidates have to cast a broad net, rather than count on certainties. An endorsement by a key player this close to a primary seems to have some clout.

For the Democrats, we think Hillary will best Barack Obama, but her margin will also not be as wide as current polls suggest. While handily winning South Carolina was significant for Mr. Obama, he won't get a huge bounce from it in Florida, because the Hillary machine will gear up and take root someplace else very quickly. Kinda like anthrax spores. Kidding. Only kidding. She's got a big, well-organized operation and he's up against a lot. Nice that Caroline Kennedy endorsed him. Whatever her opinion means on the public scale, Barack must've beamed at hearing what she said.

These are our predictions based on nothing but gut and conversations we've had with people across the Tampa Bay area.

Oh, and Michelle Obama, throw a sister a bone and tell us where you got that pink, primary night suit. LOVED IT.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

We are here in Tampa, Florida where temps in the 60s seem positively balmy. Loving the sunshine and here it doesn't seem like winter.

Counting down the final days til the all-important primary.

From conversations we've had with old pals and former colleagues, it seems the political uncertainty here is stronger than ever. We sense this election is wildly up in the air, even as many folks have already participated in early voting.

Some comments: One longtime Republican says she held her nose and cast a vote for John McCain. It wasn't like he is her ideal candidate, just the lesser of several evils and the guy she thought would do the least damage.

Another galpal, a Democrat, says she crossed off Hillary, bypassed Obama -- I like him very much but I don't agree with a thing he's for, she said -- so she cast a vote for John Edwards, "the one person who doesn't have any chance of winning."

Her husband believes Rudy truly scotched his fate in Florida by not competing elsewhere. He says plenty of people aren't informed voters; they pick a candidate based on who has the ability to possibly win. Thus, sensing Rudy's momentum here is fading and he's no longer a sure thing in other places, they pick someone else when Rudy previously was their man.

Not exactly overwhelming endorsements for any of these folks, but then Florida, with its wild demographic, geographic and political diversity, is many things to many people. Southern in Tallahassee, Republican in Southwest Florida, predictably Democrat in Broward with Dade, once a GOP stronghold with its large Cuban population, now also up for grabs in this election cycle. How they'll vote is anyone's guess and we aren't hedging our bets on the polls. Not after New Hampshire.

The only thing folks seem to agree about here is runaway growth must be tamed.
What, no more strip shopping centers? How will they live?

Seriously, a very cloudy political forecast -- even if the weather thus far is fab.

In other news -- the condo glut is fierce. If you want a Florida getaway, there are insane deals to be had in this sagging real estate market.

We must head out to buy sunscreen. Only a few scant weeks til Spring Training. There's something that is a certainty.

— Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Nearly everyone now is making fun of the two-headed Clintonian hydra. Sometimes, it's important we prop our newsie comrades, particularly when they make us laugh out loud. Thus, we thank today the NYT's Maureen Dowd, who refers to "the mute Chelsea," in her most recent column. Funny, huh? All that brain power, all that Stanford education, such a political pedigree -- and she stands there in those $500 shoes like Roxanne, the fabulously attired cocker spaniel. Sometimes when we see her there in the background, we wanna toss up a crudite (or perhaps a potato chip) and see if she snaps for it.

Kidding, we kid because we love.

She is youthful window dressing in the hydrafest. And we think she probably has something thoughtful to say. Bill says he's digging watching the missus squabble with Obama. We think it was Sean Hannnity who said that's because she's fighting with someone ELSE. We laughed out loud at that one, too.

What kind of gacks us out is Bill now referring to "us" on the campaign stump. We knew he meant that all along, but now it's game on and it's brazen. He's campaigning for him and the fun of four more years. It seems like he wants it more than her, too. The question is do enough people want him back so much that they vote for her as a default? We'd love to see some recent polling on that. Or are more folks sickened by the entitlement of that duo and they vote for Barack because they are ticked? It's been said before but we repeat: How is it that the nation's "first black president" can so creatively put down the nation's first credible black presidential candidate? And where is the outrage? It's just a flutter. Are people afraid to say it? That dude is BULLETPROOF.

Hey, wait a minute ... what if Oprah slammed Bill? That would get more headlines than Britney -- maybe. Speaking of which, we were slightly jazzed that her paparazzi boyfriend, Mister Bad Facial Hair, did not totally sell her out when he appeared on Entertainment Tonight this week. Didn't watch it? Sure ya did. Right before you swung over to FoxNews or CNN, you watched it. Couldn't help yourself.

Just wondering how many celebrity youngsters, the A-listers who like to drug and dive, did a little pharmaceutical gut check after Heath Ledger's untimely passing. We hope more than a few pushed back on the stash.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

While others muse over the all-gloves-off battle that is the Florida primary, we ponder the more important things, such as who is going to design Jenna Bush's wedding dress. Our first guess would be Lela Rose, a Bushie family friend and Texas-born designer who now creates sugar-glam girlie frocks from NYC. We love her stuff. She did some Bush girl attire for previous inaugurations and we could see her enlisted for this presidential wedding. Or, Jenna could go with Badgley Mischka, a fave of the Oscar set in Hollywood, or perhaps Vera Wang, who has dressed more celebu-brides than anyone on the planet. We must get to the bottom of the trousseau caper. We love weddings as much as anyone.

Speaking of Florida, our Hubris 'N' Handbags Tour continues there on Saturday and we could not be happier. BECAUSE IT'S WARM. And also sunny. The condo market there is so bad, we may just help ourselves to a little real estate steal. Possibilities are endless. Yes, we're toting sunscreen. Our skin is now the color of those fish at the bottom of the ocean, you know, the translucent ones. Ick. After the political season there is over, we will return for our annual spring training baseball trip. We urge you baseball freaks to consider such a vacation. A baseball game in the sunshine every day. Stars, up close and personal. Nice ball parks, yummy hot dogs and bad food, icy beers. It's just a little slice of America and we think all y'all would love it. It's a regular part of our holiday rotation.

We could not be more delighted that the new NASA martian causing such a buzz looks entirely like Sasquatch! It's a Big Foot galaxy, people. It really is. Time's man of the year for 2008. Get on the bandwagon now.

If anyone had a real idea about the unholy amount of drugs afloat in the Hollywood realm, they'd call in the DEA. There are any number of Heath Ledgers out there, on the verge of one toke over the line. Maybe someone will be scared straight over this one. What a tragedy. We see where Jack Nicholson reportedly said "I warned him," of Ledger's behavior. So see, someone knew. Many knew. Heath wasn't the only one of his generation or age group or even actor status who had a problem. It's Hollywood's dirty little secret.

We got private Pilates lessons as a Christmas gift and you know, it's the only time we actually are still and focused on something other than work. Crimony, perhaps there is something to this balance stuff. We must investigate further.

— Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Interesting goings-on in Florida. And we don't mean manatees and spring training prognosticating.

As we have written here several times before, we are a Florida Gator. A proud alum and longtime Sunshine State resident.

As such we keep up with the goings on in Gainesville.

We learned yesterday that UF Prez Bernie Machen, known as a maverick, stepped up in an unusual political move and endorsed GOP candidate John McCain, also known by some as a maverick, for president.

"They are a lot alike," says one campus source.

Mr. Machen was quick to note that this was his personal endorsement -- he was not speaking on behalf of UF, one of the nation's largest -- and dare we say BEST -- GO GATORS -- public schools. But certainly his move for McCain made more than a few eyes roll in academe.

One of our fave legal sources, Sheldon Steinbach, a dapper gent and bon vivant extraordinaire, now with the DC firm Dow Lohnes, tells us it's beyond rare for a president of a public university to be so openly political. In fact, he says it NEVER happens in a public school. Although he says that some private school heads have openly declared their support for a candidate, that is usually done with the blessing of a board or the trustees.

Politically, at least, it's a difficult move for a guy who must work with at state legislature and lawmakers who may not care for Mr. Machen's brand of politics.

We await the fallout -- particularly from key faculty who will no doubt say he overstepped his bounds (probably the big liberals on campus). We find it amusing that Mr. Machen chose Mr. McCain over Mitt Romney. Mr. Machen used to head the University of Utah where Mr. Romney successfully oversaw the 2002 Winter Olympics.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

We agree with the Barackster that he's having to fight both Bill and Hill and their joint attacks against his campaign. But we probably would spend less timing talking about it and more time taking them both on. Cause they aren't going away. He has to realize that this is a two-headed hydra.

We spent an hour on the phone Sunday with a Florida political consultant, a longtime pal whose opinion we trust who gave us a rundown of the state. We went to school in Florida. We lived all over, and most recently we spent time in Miami. So we are TOTALLY interested. He said he feels like Mayor Rudy's support is waning -- that he's lost his onetime luster in the Sunshine State -- but also allows that Republics seem lukewarm on nearly everyone else, so it is his to lose, come Jan. 29. There really isn't a huge frontrunner. He says economy is a big issue with the housing crunch and insurance issues at the top of the heap for Florida voters, many of whom are increasingly in favor of anti-growth measures. Umm ... go figure, given that the entire state is now one big long strip shopping center. Immigration, not so much. Florida has dealt with that for a long time and isn't bothered by the current sitch. The war? Maybe it propelled some youthful interest in the Barackster, but not a hot button. He calls the political climate odd and says it's tough to handicap this year what might happen. The outcome might not make the playing field any clearer either.

We read a story about a scientist who planned to clone himself and it made us scared when we saw his picture. People who clone themselves need to be somewhat cute. Cloning should be for cows and mice, not everyone.

Speaking of weirdness, we probably cannot resist the new Andrew Morton bio.

That Marine on the run after he allegedly murdered a fellow soldier down in North Carolina -- he sure has been able to stay under the radar for a while. Perhaps his Marine training is serving him well in this regard. We are surprised.

The Oscars nominations will be out tomorrow. We look forward to this announcement but more hope that they are able to have a show -- what with the writers strike ongoing. We also hope the Grammy Awards will go on as planned. We look forward to both. Wonder how much money has been lost thus far over this strike? Billions, we're sure. The Hollywood awards season helps our winter pass more quickly. And we wouldn't be us if we couldn't make fun of all the bad outfits. Plus, there are actual famous people on these shows -- versus all the politicos we have to watch this time of the year.

We watched "Get Smart" DVDs all weekend. Such a hoot. We highly recommend. Barbara Feldman had the greatest mod outfits, right behind Emma Peel on the "Avengers."

We are sure we are not alone when we say that we totally miss Drudge radio. The only thing we like now, for the most part, is the Art Bell show. UFOs. Sasquatch. It's all there.

After this election, we think we'll take it all down a notch and go on tour with the Spice Girls. We like the outfits and they seem happy. We think we could blend. If anyone has see this show, please write and let us know. We hear it's superfun.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

The Hubris 'N' Handbags Tour will resume in Florida. We're bypassing South Carolina entirely, chiefly because we're trying to stay on our diet and we know that Southern grub is too darned yummy to ignore. Did someone say shrimp and grits? Homemade biscuits? We do look forward to a meal at the Columbia Restaurant at some point. White sangria. FAB. If you drink enough, the GOP lineup seems fascinating. Simply fascinating. ZZZZZZZZZZ.

Speaking of the Sunshine State: We hear Jeb Bush -- memba him? -- has set up a new education foundation designed to embrace excellence and reward teachers who hit standardized test benchmarks among other things. Any reward and reform seems welcome. Interesting that education has fallen off the map as an issue in this election. Last time we heard about it as truly domestic policy, it was before 9-11. Since then, the momentum has sagged.

AP reporter Glen Johnson: OUR HERO! You rock, bro. Keep 'em honest. Someone must.

Thanks a lot, Jenna. We're a down and out nation and we wanted to share in your joy. We can appreciate you want your privacy and all -- we know you hate the media -- but still. A wedding makes people happy. A president with his daughter on his arm, walking the bride down the aisle. It makes us all weepy. We needed a national moment, some hope, what with the economy, the war, these boring candidates. But no ... It's awfully buggy in Texas, especially out there on the prairie, but we know you will cope. Sigh. We hope someone leaks the bridal registry. We're a FREAK for china patterns. Even Brad and Angie sold their baby pix to PEOPLE. We'll expect something, chica.

Stephen Colbert's interview with CNN honcho Lou Dobbs last night -- done en Espanol with Steve dressed and acting like a host of a Latin television variety show -- es muy bueno. His command of the language must've scared Lou, who probably has border patrol on speed dial.

So ... BET honcho Bob Johnson -- what about the Michael Jackson-esque voice? -- has apologized to the Barackster for his remarks on the campaign stump for Hillary. Like we said, he knew EXACTLY what he was saying. We're glad he had the stones to say he was wrong.

Speaking of which, we think Bill Clinton has ratcheted up the anger quotient popping off to reporters and others when his wife endures criticism that he thinks is wrong. Although he draws crowds, his behavior gets in the way of her message on some level.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Question: What is the cloudiest thing we can think of (other than Britney Spears' common sense)? The GOP's presidential race. One thing seems certain: no majority group of people like ANY of these candidates that well.

At least to us it feels like Republicans in all of these races are whittling down the lesser of evils and holding their nose and pulling the lever. Which helps the Democratics who seem to enjoy Hillary and Barack with equal appeal -- at least on a broad level. We smell a whuppin coming for the Republicans at this point. BTW: We think Mittens won Michigan because people there are so mired in their own failed work culture that they didn't want to hear John McCain tell 'em that these $60,000 auto line jobs are not coming back. They'd rather be told it's possible -- even if most thinking people realize it's not gonna happen. It's a nice thought that they could return, but those old manufacturing jobs are lost for good. Michiganders didn't want to hear that.

There is a baby boomlet afoot here in the USA and we gotta wonder: is this because things are so bad lately, that folks are looking for some free entertainment? Et voila. Or did we just decide as a culture that multiple kids are now ok? We'd love to understand this trend better.

We purchased several Oaksterdam University t-shirts today. We hope you did too.

White House wedding. White House wedding. We are hoping that Jenna sets a date for late summer when it's still pretty but a little cooler. This town needs a glitter moment now more than ever.

We met a very nice man on our plane out of New Hampshire after the primary. He's running for president. No, you don't know him. We didn't either. He's not popular but he does seem sincere. Here's his Web site. Now HE seems conservative enough, dontchathink?

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Actor Jon Voight has endorsed Mayor Rudy. Here's what they have in common: Angelina Jolie, Voight's own daughter, won't speak to him either.

Crimony, Cindy McCain's hair is bigger than OURS. And she's not even Southern. We must investigate. She's looking like Emmy Lou Harris. Sorta, kinda. She works that campaign wardrobe pretty darned hard. Maybe too.

So Hillary's camp sends out this 'why can't we all just get along' statement this evening after days of rumbling with the Barackster over race. Who started this anyway? We agree the rhetoric around this is way over the top. At least John Edwards has stayed out of it. Give him credit for that.

If Mittens does not win Michigan it will be interesting to hear the spin on his moving forward. It'll be a little like Al Gore losing Tennessee. If he wins tho, this horse race is a more crowded field in that the frontrunner remains super unclear. Mercifully, South Carolina comes quickly. We think Mike Huckabee rightly campaigned in Michigan, even if he doesn't win. It's kept his name in the news. If McCain wins Michigan, it gives him the one thing he needs most -- money -- we'd hope. And of course momentum and evidence that he could win (although we get the impression -- call us crazy -- that some GOP honchos aren't exactly hot on him making the final cut.) If we were Hillary, though, we'd much rather run against Romney or Huckabee than McCain, who has a big national profile, an image as somewhat of a maverick and who won't be afraid of duking it out with her, we bet.

In other happier news: the new season of "American Idol" premieres tonight and it's a blessed respite from all the political caterwauling.

We watched the Food Network until 3 a.m. last night and we have decided: when we grow up, we want to be Bobby Flay.

Big wisdom from the car people who have descended on Detroit in droves for the annual international car show.

Knowing your brand -- and staying on message with that -- is key, says David Reuter, the public relations executive for super-luxury success story Bentley, whose luxe, handmade wheels run anywhere from $170,000 to $500,000.

Despite a downturn in the economy, Bentley is up four percent over 2006 in North America and seven percent globally, he said proudly, noting that "capacity is lagging demand." By focusing on their product and staying true to its unique value, sales went from 995 vehicles in 2003 to 10,014 in 2007.

"Why go against the grain?" he says of marketing his product. "It really has to do with a strong, successful product plan. We have extremely good relationships and a lock on who our customers are."

There is a lesson there of sorts for aspiring presidential candidates, who he adds, should pay attention to the auto world and its economic history.

"I think the next president needs to recognize the amount of gross domestic product that is produced by the auto industry," Mr. Reuter said. "Any loss of that is going to significantly impact the rest of the economy."

PS: We've driven a new Bentley. It was an incredible ride and we felt just like J-Lo (minus all the publicity and bad marriages).

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Seems to us the Clinton campaign still has some 'splainin' to do about recent comments re: Mr. Obama. What with Bill's "fairy tale" and then BET founder Bob Johnson's backhanded reminder of B's youthful pot smoking -- which he later denied in a statement that we find TOTALLY unbelievable, he knew exactly what he was saying -- we just think these folks have sunk too low in an effort to squelch some of the Obama thunder.

Sure, they must energized by New Hampshire, but if they keep it up, they will surely be showing themselves as dirty tricksters capable of anything. Ahem ...

Probably they thought this would be easier and didn't anticipate such a challenge. We hope Obama and some of his people fight back and call them out. Michelle Obama's most recent comments on the "fairy tale" stuff were a good start. (BTW: We would like her to glam up her makeup a bit. The minimalist look is not doing her justice, particularly with her evening look where some color on the eyes -- smoke em up, girl -- a little sparkle on the cheeks and at the very least, some liner and gloss on her lips, would keep her from looking so washed out. We like her practicality, but she could do so much more with her graceful, statuesque presentation! Andre Leon Talley, line 1?) But we digress ...

Back to South Carolina, where we used to live many fun years ago. B should take a panel of high-profile supporters out with him down South, some big names like Johnson who are also well-known in the community. Oprah, ya busy? You need to bring Gayle and Steadman, too. Where is Darius Rucker? (OK, he's in Nashville, but he could come home.)

In other political fashion news: Chelsea Clinton has super-nice shoes. Great boots, little sister.

We predict John McCain will win Michigan. Mittens has worked hard to campaign there and has family ties, but we see McCain taking independent voters who will no doubt turn out for this one. We also predict Mittens will NOT get out of the race, even if he loses to McCain. He's gonna use his money to stay in. Unlike others who are scraping, he's got that luxury. Wonder how much he has truly spent?

We plan to watch "Gone Country," the new celebrity reality show on CMT, starting Jan. 25. This one has serious potential for fun. Bobby Brown, Whitney's ex, in a cowboy hat. See ... already that's funny. We can only hope that the redneck jokes are original.

We were wrong about Mayor Rudy's Mrs. Judy. She has been out campaigning with him in Florida. We must have missed it. We hope to see her out more. We like it that Rudy has spent some major time in Miami (where we also have lived -- holla!) South Florida is NYC lite, so these are his people, no doubt. He needs to step it up some if he intends to stay in it as a contender. A risky deal running a big-state strategy. We understand why, but still. McCain has managed to look far more presidential in the must recent debates, we think.

Speaking of the South Carolina debate: Ole hangdog Fred Thompson did pretty darned good in his last outing. He makes the right points, it's just the delivery that takes the heft out of his message.

We missed the Golden Globe Awards last night, with no red carpets, no afterparties because of the ongoing -- and TURBO expensive -- writer's strike. The Globes are usually better than the Oscars, at least more colorful, mainly because the guests get to imbibe all during the show.

How about that sheriff down in North Carolina in the case of the missing -- and now murdered -- pregnant Marine at the apparent hands of a Marine colleague who reportedly raped her? Did he hafta tell us what he found in the grave? That kind of horrid imagery of bodies is NOT NECESSARY in a national press conference. Murdered is murdered. Keep the gory deets to yourself, Bubba. ICKY.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Crazy is as crazy does: What about the dude who screamed "Marry me, Hillary" at a campaign rally in California? The only thing that surprises us here is that it was from … nevermind. Dropping that thought. She needs these light-hearted moments to keep it real after the genius meltdown in the Granite State.

Roseanne (Barr) — you remember her, the comedienne with the great taste and fashion sense — has called out Barack Obama and his little pal Oprah, too. A bad idea to mess with the Queen O'Talk. Couple her with the Obama Mama and funny girl will never work again.

Speaking of Barack, one-time presidential candidate John Kerry has endorsed him. That's like having a sandbag tied around your neck, no? What's next, Rosie? Barack must've been thinking: Just gimme your e-mail list and get out of here and party with Al Gore.

Hollywood — like those folks are working, what with this writer's strike — needs to get off its liposuctioned can and support Obama about now. Clooney, line one? He needs a bounce after New Hampshire, we think.

We are super in love with the black band and diamonds bracelet worn on the trail by Ann Romney. We don't think it's a watch; she had a gold one on her other wrist, but this little sparkler is positively divine. If Mittens bought it for her, he has exceptional taste. Pizza and cold beer to the political junkie who can tell us what it is and where we can get one. It's the important things that drive us this political season.

Where is Judy Giuliani? Still at the spa? Just wondering.

Here's the guy you want as running mate for prez: Gene Simmons. You know the one: from KISS, big tongue, spits blood, "parties every day." And now kicking butt and taking names on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice." He is a cunning … businessman. Probably worth checking out this show on ABC. He makes our fave Big Daddy, Dick Cheney, almost look like a wimp. We'd love to send Gene to Iran. (Cue mushroom cloud, incessant laughing, cocktails.) Wait: We are nominating him for Secretary of Defense, or State, or Global Head-Banging.

— Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Well, last night Mrs. Clinton got one thing right: fashion. As much as folks care about the issues, she looked better. We have to give her major props. Loved the jacket, the hair, the makeup, which made her look FEMININE. Now, stick with this look sister. And if you wanna keep on keeping on, get real with the public demeanor and look pretty. You can be a feminist AND look presidential. We promise!

As for Mr. Obama: Marvie speech. Incredibly statesmanlike. He's not out of it for the Democrats and certainly it is clear that there is a lot to love about him. Bravo on your remarks. Made me feel good for the future, truly.

Republicans: Probably all ya'll need to get it together behind a candidate. If you like McCain, BTW, he needs your money. Now seriously.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Live, from the Hubris 'N' Handbag tour: We are here in the bowels of the Mitt Romney press room — thanks for the pizza mates! — where we have covered the election night proceedings but are sitting here among our hard-working brethren watching this horse race between Hillary and Barack.

A lot of folks here are a tad shocked by Mrs. Clinton's apparent success tonight, given previous polls where it looked like she might get smoked.

Who knew?

Certainly women are turning out for her, but this is a record-turnout race, we hear. Be interested to hear the dissection of this one. Maybe it'll dry her tears.

Loving the political action tonight. Fun, fun, fun ahead. We must gas up the tour bus and get ready for a post-election turn at Guitar Hero III. After we have been on deadline, we git rid of the tension by playing a little Scorpions. We wonder if they do that on the Hillary bus. We doubt it.

— Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Live, from the campaign trail ... an afternoon update as we climb off the Hubris 'N' Handbags tour bus for a quick lunch and back at it.

As everyone can see, things are getting wild up here in the wilds of N.H. Obama is a fast-moving train and it's clear his runaway success is getting to Mrs. Clinton, who nearly broke down at the end of some questioning. We mean, there were TEARS! To get a woman to cry -- a power woman like her -- means things are BAD. We were shocked to see her breakdown -- which we caught only on TV -- because she seems so tough. There's no cryin' in baseball, right? And probably no cryin' in presidential politics a day before a critical election. OY!

We wondered with another journo this morning over coffee what it might be like to be a fly on the wall with Bill and Hill these past few days. Certainly he is frustrated and probably angry that the wheels are coming off a bit. We suspect she's angry, too, if not hurt on some level. We suspect they were not prepared for the strength of her opponent and couldn't have fathomed how his support might have grown so much.

What do we think? Since this is our blog, we will handicap it all: Mrs. Clinton can say she's the real change candidate and Mr. Obama's campaign is not real change, but she could go on til she's blue in the face, even be RIGHT, and still continue to lose ground.

People are attaching to Mr. Obama for a different reason -- he's young, fresh, seemingly more independent and has none of the baggage she has. He's kind of like a black JFK. We know that analogy probably will make eyes roll, but it feels that way here. (And candidly, several of us have mused that we have some concerns for his safety as this goes on. Truly there's been some talk about that in kind of a stage whisper.)

Lots of different types of people like him and it feels like they do over things that have nada to do with big issues. They aren't judging him on the specifics. It's broader. It's the rock star factor. Hard to pinpoint, but totally inflamed. Charisma, appeal, whether perception or reality -- he's got it. Mrs. Clinton is not doing badly here, BTW, it's just she can't seem to overcome his star power. His own star power, which seems mighty significant. Most certainly voters elsewhere are gonna be glued to this horse race. We think Florida is gonna be the crucible here. If she loses there, she's toast.

In other news:

This morning, we attended a house party with Elizabeth Edwards. We came away respecting her a lot and respecting her husband more -- for having married HER. And why hasn't she ever run for election? Whatever happens after this election is over, she should consider running for something because her command of the issues is significant. She looks tired, but also healthier than we would have imagined and we hope this is a good sign for her future health. We have read the stories about how impressive she was when she and John were in law school and we can totally see why. She's super humane, no fuss, looks like a woman whose home you'd like to drop by for coffee. A nice balance between mom and professional woman, VERY accessible. If Hillary Clinton could talk to people with Elizabeth's warmth, she'd probably be doing better. You know Elizabeth ought to debate Hillary. Never happen, but we'd love to see it.

At this rally, the actor James Denton, the hunky plumber from "Desperate Housewives" and film actress Elizabeth Stowe, both spoke on Edwards' behalf. The skinny on most actors and actresses is that they are always smaller and thinner than you might imagine, particularly the male leads. Mr. Denton was cute but very real in jeans and a t-shirt. We caught him snacking on donut holes in the kitchen, downing the dreaded killer carbs while the writer's strike is in full bloom and his show remains up in the air.

He talked about it a bit, and how it was hurting firm personnel who did not earn the massive salaries that actors make.

Miss Stowe talked to voters about her own family's struggle with serious illness when she was growing up. Her dad had MS that progressed quickly and she said having Social Security disability kept her family afloat in some very dire financial times. We chatted with her after the rally and she was gracious. And ya know, not a stitch of makeup, ladies. Nada. If she was wearing concealer, it was not visible. She wore a simple black turtleneck, weathered jeans (tiny) and was standing in her sock feet. She was easy to like, most articulate and said the campaign had been quite open to allowing them to say what they wanted while on the stump. She will stay through the election tomorrow to help get out the vote.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Live from Nashua, New Hampshire, political ground zero, pundit central, lots of quacking: the Hubris 'N' Handbags Tour continues ... a big day here, starting at the Londonderry United Methodist Church, where we attended morning services. Thanks to all there for the hospitality and fellowship. A great congregation. We love attending church when we travel. It adds perspective to our world.

Afternoon, we headed over to a Ron Paul speech at the Free State Project event that has been going on for several days at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. An interesting cross-section in attendance. SRO. The good doctor was in rare form and basked in the adulation of his people here. Great to watch. He did a nice job making his case without attacking any of his opponents.

Many of his followers were protesting his exclusion from the Fox News debate Sunday night and we can understand their ire, given Paul's strong showing in Iowa. This is a good state for Ron Paul, its culture much aligned with his freedom philosophy. We had a nice conversation with one of his granddaughters, who is working on the campaign. If Paul looks grandfatherly and a tad unhip, she is youthful perfection, blonde, smart, thoughtful, a Texas girl (and goodness we love those girls a lot. For the first time in days, we felt certain we'd found one of "our people") He should turn her loose on the campaign crowds. What a doll and well-spoken, too!

This evening, we paid a call on some old Alexandria, Va., friends who have relocated to Hudson, N.H. The hubbie here left The George Washington University for a job at Harvard. Over a dee-lish baked butternut squash,and some pasta, talk turned to the election. They are young and Democrats, 32 and 33, she more liberal than he. Both, well-educated professional folks, no kids yet. They went to two campaign rallies Sunday and came back with interesting perspectives.

Barack Obama, they said, was an hour and 45 minutes late, which they both dubbed rude. They said even diehard supporters were miffed, but they never found out what made him so tardy. They thought him charismatic, for the most part, but said the felt he did not delve enough into the issues. It was more a make-nice, please support me speech. With two days left to the primary and a winning appearance in Saturday night's debate, perhaps his strategy is to NOT make any news, maintain the same course and be charming. We could understand. He seems positioned, at least today, to do very well here.

They also visited a Hillary Clinton rally and both said they came away impressed with her low-key style -- "she was very much comfortable in her own skin," the wife said -- while the husband said he was won over by her thorough command of the issues. He felt she was more substantive, today at least, than Obama. Although the missus liked Mrs. Clinton all along, the husband said he was now leaning toward her after being undecided.

While we were dining, hubbie mistakenly answered the phone to what he says was most certainly a push poll. We all gagged.

This is its own world up here, an incessant, near 24-7 carnival of players criss-crossings towns and villages as the primary nears its end. It's cold. We are tired enough and we can only imagine how each of these candidates must be feeling, given the pace. Our hat is off to all of them because this is GRUELING, what they do. Mittens is battling a cold and it's no wonder most of these people are not down with the flu or somesuch. You have to want it and be superfocused at all times. Incredible physical and mental stamina on display. They should all get mega-credit for that.

Our fave bumper sticker so far: "It takes a school to bankrupt a village."

Changing directions: Strangely, we hope young Britney Spears can get some help. We fear we are watching a modern-day Judy Garland in the making. And some of you all know how that one ended. Badly.

Whaddya think of Roger Clemens? His story seems earnest and compelling. But we think he needs a really good lawyer.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

Downtown Nashua, N.H., was quite the scene Saturday. On one area of Main St., Hillary Clinton supporters maintained a presence with signs, waving at drivers as they passed. Not far up the street were the Obama cheerleaders, who were loud as they chanted and pumped their fists to motorists. A small contingent of John Edwards supporters appeared later in the afternoon, but the energy was mostly in the Obama camp, who were much younger than those of their competitor.

Citizens who ventured downtown did not seem bothered by all of the political bluster in their streets, which are lined with tons of signs from all the candidates. It would seem the circus that was Iowa is now squarely in Yankeeville. Here at least, it's super-energetic and aggressive.

We took a drive around town with our esteemed colleague Rod away from the beaten path and down a few sidestreets. We came across what looked like a pack of teenagers who yelled "Vote for Rudy" as we drove by. Were they kidding? Gosh, they looked awfully young.

We turned our Hubris 'n' Handbags Tour bus around and came back to the kids. What are ya'll doin?

Politely, they said they were campaigning for Mayor Rudy. Are ya'll in college? No, we're high school age, they said proudly. Some were even juniors and not old enough to cast a presidential ballot. They were Young Republicans who came to New Hampshire on a bus with a group of about 50 to rock the vote, from Essex and Bergen, they said.

Loved them. Knocking on doors, looking all cute wearing Rudy stickers on their little ski jackets, sporting red t-shirts. They were patriotic and festive. And they told us that everyone had been nice to them when they stopped by to talk -- except a woman firefighter they met who was a Hillary supporter. They said she used profanity in front of them.

Sigh. Great kids. Out in the cold, from another state, to get out the vote. Ya gotta love that. Made us feel good about the future that they cared enough to be here.

You crazy kids rock!

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

We arrived in Manchester, N.H., on a Northwest Airlines flight that was shockingly on time. There we met our newly refurbished Hubris 'N' Handbugs Tour bus, which took us south to Nashua.

Upon arrival at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, we could not make it to the doorway because John McCain's "Straight Talk Express" tour buses were blocking the entryway, with no signs of moving. AS IF. Thus, we were forced to schlep our large and unwieldy princess bags to the door through dirty ice and snow. Thankfully, one of the McCain bus drivers stepped up to haul our wardrobe to the curb. We could not have been more grateful, given that we found out there were ZERO bellmen available here as the desk clerk said they had all gone to the airport to pick up guests.

WHATEVER ... we did locate a Target and a mall so we feel somewhat safe.

Later in the evening, we dined in downtown Nashua, a cute little burg. Our waiter at Via Banco was fabulous and so was our grub. Our Junior League comrade and galpal Kate, a Massachusetts native (she actually LOVES John Kerry, who knew?) gave us the political lay of the land in the Shire. She'd been to a Mayor Rudy rally earlier in the day and enjoyed hearing Mister 9-11 speak, even though she says she plans to vote for Hillary.

We were on our way home for a quiet evening when she suggested we pop in at the local Lena Lanes bowling alley where Bill Richardson -- yep, he's still out there campaigning -- was doing some gladhanding. Even Kate allowed that this was his John Kerry moment: he showed up in a suit and tie and did not once pick up a ball and bowl a frame. And this was candlepin bowling, an apparent New England fad, which seems an awful lot like skeeball, but with small pins the size of Coke bottles at the end of the lane.

1. Don't wear a coat and tie to the bowling alley. It doesn't work.

2. If you show up on a Friday night at a bowling alley to meet people, probably you might consider BOWLING. Cause that's a photo op. Simple as that. uhum ... duh.

Tomorrow, we survey the local culture in the daylight and head out in search of the elusive Starbucks. We have already found the nearest Dunkin' Donuts, so there's that for Plan B.

The Ron Paul folks are out in full force here and on Sunday, we'll get to hear the Good Doctor speak. We'll let you know what else we find out. We locked up our tour bus right in front of the hotel so when McCain comes back, he'll have to park ol' Straight Talk down the street.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

We were right with our caucus prediction. Obama did win, but by a bigger margin than even we suspected. Huckster nailed Mittens, who spent a wad of cash to a dude who had NO campaign war chest. Proves a point. Can’t be bought. Perception is reality and well ... do the political math. A good thing. Hillary is probably mad, too. This is a big bounce for the boy wonder, no doubt. If he's strong in NH, all bets are off for Hill, although she is well organized and certainly not out of it yet. We wonder how long it will take her to go on the attack. This whole experience thing trips us up. Barack has at least the poltical equivalent experience of Bill Clinton when he race for president, no?

And, while we are on a roll: What about a McCain-Huckabee ticket? Or a Guiliani-Huckabee ticket? Would that work? Ponder, discuss. Certainly a Huckabee win means that people are sick of status quo candidates and folks who look slick. And finally, would Evan Bayh be the parfait running mate for Barack? Both midwesterners, but still.

In other more important news: Our Hubris 'N' Handbags Tour resumes in New Hampshire this weekend. The pink leopard motif on our tour bus looks magnfico and we are ready to rock the Granite State (ba dum dum, we’ll be here all week.) Look for our usual updates from the campaign trail. Yankeeville again. (Our esteemed former colleague Dave suggests a side trip to the Coach outlet in Maine, but we doubt we can work that in, sadly, even if a new bag would make us truly a better reporter.) For local recon, we are meeting up with our galpal Kate who lives up there and who is gonna set us straight about politics in the Shire. Which sounds oddly like a Hobbitt film, no? But that's what they call it. We can hardly wait for our tour to go South. South Carolina, Florida. Warmth. Sand, tanktops. It's all there. This winter stuff is starting to bogue our high.

Apart from the obvious horse race, we saw where Mittens is telling anyone who is gonna hit him not to touch the hair and we completely understand. We don't like people disassembling our precious coif either. Wonder what kind of hairspray he uses? We must find out. It's the little things that vex us. Mittens has super stay-in-place hair. It must be good.

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times

We were right with our caucus prediction. Obama did win, but by a bigger margin than even we suspected. Huckster nailed Mittens, who spent a wad of cash to a dude who had NO campaign war chest. Proves a point. Can't be bought. Perception is reality and well … do the political math. A good thing. Hillary is probably mad, too. This is a big bounce for the boy wonder, no doubt. If he's strong in NH, all bets are off for Hill, although she is well-organized and certainly not out of it yet. We wonder how long it will take her to go on the attack. This whole experience thing trips us up. Barack has at least the poltical equivalent experience of Bill Clinton when he raced for president, no?

And, while we are on a roll: What about a McCain-Huckabee ticket? Or a Guiliani-Huckabee ticket? Would that work? Ponder, discuss. Certainly a Huckabee win means that people are sick of status quo candidates and folks who look slick. And finally, would Evan Bayh be the