How Sharper Than A Con Man's Tooth: Extortionist-Blackmailer-Perjurer-Race-baiting Deadbeat and plastic preacher Al Sharpton who, by admission, doesn't even own his own shiny clothes, beat out all top dems in a Zogby poll of which democrat should lead the party. Tells 'ya something.

Headline of the Day: We mention this upbeat story only because we love the headline and the image of folks from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur flattened against the walls of tall buildings and as this burst of confidence swept by.

Richard Cohen Knocks Himself Out: Clearly Richard Cohen is slow to anger. Ann Coulter's best-selling "Slander" has been topping the charts for weeks and he's just now going berserk about she has to say. What this appears to be is a slithery way to let us know that he's in the book (he even tells us which pages). This must have been very exciting for him.

Little Terry, All Growed Up? We point you to this Washington Post article on the trouble Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is having in her lack luster race for Md. governor specifically because it is the first time we have seen DNC Spokes-Pez Terry McAuliffe referred to as 'Terence R. McAuliffe.' Looks like it was in a DNC press release and Dan Balz just typed it up (as usual.)

Ldotter Note: We promised we would keep on eye on the ImClone donation to Hillary. The total sum was $63,000, not the paltry $24,000 previously reported. That's the one she reluctantly decided to "donate to charity." She says she returned $7,000 to someone at ImClone (still checking that one). She then sent the rest to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Good luck on getting anything back from the DSCC. They don't have the face voters. Who said Three Card Monte had gone out of style?

Neal Travis: Journalist, Gentlemen and Utterly Worthwhile: There will be much written in the next few days about our friend Neal Travis' passing. Someone, recently, asked Neal if there was a basic tabloid style to which he replied. "It's an old idea. Just shout rat s**t at everybody." We loved the irreverence of the man, his style, his decency and the fact he existed at all. Last week, New York Magazine wrote about his valiant fight for life. He wrote his column and lived his life his own way to the very end. Neal was unique. He will be deeply missed. We shall not see his kind again.

-Your Saddened LComStaff