IT TURNS OUT GIULIANI, McCAIN AND OBAMA ARE HOT - OR AT LEAST FAIRLY WARM

That is the finding of one of the less conventional polls taken by Quinnipiac University.

In a poll that attempts to take the overall voter "temperature" on the nation's leaders, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani tops the list, followed closely by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (D) and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Voters are asked to give a 1 to 100 rating for their overall feelings toward a number of the nation's leaders. Rudy Giuliani scored a 64% while Obama came in at 58.8% and McCain at 57.7%. New York Sen. Hillary Clinton finished ninth, four notches below her husband, the former president.

Illinois Sen. Evan Bayh (D), Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) were among the least well-known; Each was unknown by nearly two in three Americans.

See the numbers here.

SIX SEEN AS AHEAD OF THE PACK IN SWING-STATE, OHIO

Six candidates, three Democrats and three Republicans, seem to have given themselves a leg up in the Buckeye state, as a slew of candidates visited the state during the fall campaign.

The Toledo Blade this morning sums up who made political hay in Ohio while stumping for the locals there.

The Ohio insiders say only a half-dozen emerged as serious threats to win the state. Democrats include Mrs. Clinton, the former first lady who is now a senator from New York; Mr. Obama, an African-Aerican freshman senator from Illinois, and John Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina and the party's 2004 vice presidential nominee.

Republicans include Mr. McCain, the maverick senator from Arizona; Mr. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Some Republicans also mention former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; others do not consider him seriously. -- The Toldeo Blade

IOWA STRAW POLL SET

The Des Moines Register reports today the GOP's Iowa straw poll has been slated for next summer - Aug. 11 to be exact. The party fundraising event is also an early barometer of candidate support in the state - the first to weigh in during the '08 primary season with its caucus in January.

ROMNEY STIFFS LOCAL GOP

Hoping to help Republican candidates in close races around the country, and collect political IOU's in the process, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney apparently was generous with campaign funds. But in his oh-so-blue home state, the Boston Herald reports, Romney's PAC did not donate a penny to local Republicans in the '06 election cycle.

GORE - ONCE AGAIN - SAYS HE'S NOT RUNNING

Former Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore was the subject of TIME magazine's "10-questions" feature this week. The last question, of course, was whether or not Gore will run for the presidency in 2008.

I don't have any plans to run. Nor do I have any creative denials. I'm using the same ones. They'll soon be out on DVD. --Al Gore to TIME magazine