McCAIN TAKES FIRST STEPS IN PRESIDENTIAL BID



John McCain today took the first formal steps for his 2008 presidential bid by filing to form an exploratory committee.

The Arizona Republic's Web site is reporting, though, that McClain claims he will not make a final decision to run until after the holidays.

NEW POLL SAME RESULTS: GALLUP POLL SHOWS CLINTON, GIULIANI WITH EARLY LEADS

Yesterday we told you about a New York-based poll that put New Yorkers Hillary Clinton and Rudolph Guiliani at the top of their party's heap in the race for '08.

Today Gallup released a national poll showing pretty much the same thing. Clinton leads the Democratic pack at 31%. Barack Obama at 19%, John Edwards at 10%, Al Gore at 9%, and John Kerry at 7% round out the top five.

On the GOP side, much as in the Siena New York poll yesterday, Giuliani has a paper-thin lead over McCain (28% to 26%), Condoleezza Rice is third at 13%.

ROMNEY HIRES BUSH POLITICAL PITCH MAN

Massachussetts Gov. Mitt Romney finished with 5% among the Republicans in the Gallup poll. But of course things are just getting started. In fact, the Boston Globe reports today Romney has hired a former Bush ad man, Alex Costellanos, to assist him as he prepares to run.

By hiring Costellanos, it appears Romney didn't get any message that voters might have been turned off by one of the sleaziest political ad seasons ever this fall. Here's an an example of Costellanos' work, as desrcibed in the Globe article:

Castellanos also produced an infamous television ad for Bush against Vice President Al Gore in 2000, in which the word rats was superimposed over attacks on Gore's prescription drug plan. Castellanos said at the time that it was unintentional and merely a video-editing quirk, but Democrats accused him - and, by extension, Bush - of using a subliminal derogatory message. - Boston Globe

PATAKI ON DAILY SHOW - SORT OF

New York Gov. George Pataki, who has barely registered in any of the early polls, checked in at 1% in today's Gallup Poll. Despite his poor showing in the presidential polls, and his low 40s approval rating in his home state, Pataki is has been spending so much time in Iowa he's starting to look like Radar O'Reilly (those of you under 35 won't get the reference). All of which prompted the Daily Show's Jon Stewart to poke a little fun.