McCAIN, CLINTON SEEN HELPED BY PUSH FOR EARLY PRIMARIES

Florida, California and Michigan are pushing hard to move their presidential primaries to the front end of the schedule, the Boston Globe reports.

The three are high-cost campaign states, which would seem to offer the front-runners with money - Hillary Clinton and John McCain - the chance to make a big, quick splash that just might knock some of the less-well-heeled out of the water early.

ANTI-MORMON SENTIMENT MAY HURT ROMNEY

Not quite sure how we missed this one early this week, but according to a Rasmussen Reports poll, 43% of Americans say they wouldn't even consider voting for a Mormon for president.

The numbers are not good news for Republican Masachussets Gov. Mitt Romney, a Mormon, who is leaning toward a presidential bid in '08.

TWO POLITICAL PROS TALK ABOUT 2008

Rolling Stone magazine's latest issue includes a wrap-up of the 2006 mid-terms and a look ahead at 2008, as seen by two veterans of the political wars, David Gergen - an aide to four different presidents (Democrat and Republican alike) - and Peter Hart, pollster for The Wall Street Journal and NBC News.

The two seem to agree that 2006 was about the political center reasserting itself and they see the middle of the road as the place to be in '08.

SHARPTON MULLING BID IN '08

Rev. Al Sharpton, the New York City activist, says he may make another run at the presidency in 2008, if he doesn't hear anyone else raising "progressive" issues.

Sharpton ran in the Democratic primaries in 2004 but eventually backed party nominee John Kerry.