Well, actually it is a not so lazy Monday. I have been really behind on updates lately so I spent most of this MLK Monday morning getting the site back on track.

As you can see from the photo above the weather isn’t so hot here. Ice and rain fill everything and I have heard from some people around Upstate that they have lost power. Lucky for me I had the holiday off and have been pretty warm and toasty and chosen not to leave the house.

The only thing I can complain about is the fact that Stern is off for the day but luckily Bubba The Love Sponge, fresh off his wedding, is live on the air. So I will spend the rest of the afternoon finishing updates and enjoying some Ned recaps of the wedding magillicutty jones on the backside with the deal on. (For those none Sirius subscribers, just ignore that last paragraph!)

Sorry I’ve now read ninety articles about Mitt Romney changing his political views so I am a bit loopy.

Last night Senator Hillary Clinton launched what is being reported as an “attack” or in the linked article below a “jab” on Candidate John Edwards.

If you actually read the gossip you will find Clinton did not directly attack Edwards, one of her campaign officials responded to comments Edwards made recently (Silence is betrayal. Speak out and stop this escalation now”) that have been seen as an attack on Clinton.

In total both “attacks” or “jabs” or whatever you want to call them are pretty weak in my opinion but they do make for some fun reading and a good sign that the 2008 campaign has truly begun! It is also a good sign that just as in 2004 the Democrats don’t plan to rally around any one candidate early but will instead hedge their bets and risk losing a third presidential election in a row by tearing their candidates apart during the primaries. Not the smartest vetting process but some would argue it works.

I will add that if you watch the early attacks from Governor Mitt Romney against Senator John McCain and the recent exodus from Iraq support by Senator Sam Brownback you will see Republicans plan on doing the same!

Will apparently be in April (4th & 5th) of 2007. Manchester (N.H.) Union-Leader, Manchester television station WMUR & CNN will host.

Here are the details:

CNN is teaming up with WMUR-TV and the New Hampshire Union Leader to host “First in the Nation: Presidential Primary Debates,” two back-to-back debates to be held in America’s first primary state. Featuring Republican and Democratic presidential candidates, the debates will be held on consecutive evenings, Wednesday, April 4, and Thursday, April 5.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, anchor of the daily political newscast The Situation Room and the Sunday public affairs program Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, will moderate the debates. Union Leader political columnist John DiStaso and WMUR political director Scott Spradling will lead the panel, and WMUR anchor Jennifer Vaughn will moderate questions from the live audience.

In addition to live prime-time airings on both CNN and WMUR, a live video stream of WMUR and in-depth coverage from the Union Leader will be offered. The debates’ impact will also be enhanced by CNN’s multiple platforms. The broadcasts will be made available to all CNN Radio affiliates worldwide. In addition, there will be special coverage on CNN.com; CNN Pipeline, CNN.com’s premium live news video service; CNN Podcasting; Headline News and CNN en Español.

“We are thrilled to host the first debates of this landmark election,” said CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein. “With an open field in both the Republican and Democratic parties, it is going to be vital for viewers to learn as much as possible about these candidates early on – particularly in unscripted settings like debates.”

“We think it only makes sense that the state with the first-in-the-nation primary also has the first-in-the-nation presidential debate,” said Jeff Bartlett, WMUR general manager. “Many candidates and potential candidates have already made numerous trips to New Hampshire, and we felt that April would be a good time for the voters here to get their first impression about how the candidates stack up against one another.”

Joseph W. McQuaid, president and publisher of the New Hampshire Union Leader, said, “The issues facing the next administration are as crucial as they have ever been for this country. It is not too early for the first primary state to present a forum to explore the views and the competence of serious candidates.”’

Information on the location and exact times of the two New Hampshire debates will be forthcoming.

I am always curious about the staffs who makes up a political campaign and am currently in the process of collecting information about the people behind all the major players.

The Chicago Tribune lends some insight into Senator Barack Obama’s inner circle today and its worth a read.

Republican Governor Mitt Romney faces even more questions about his conservative credentials as more revelations about his past rise to the surface in the 2008 campaign.

The latest in the Then vs. Now battle is on Romney’s past support for gun control and his comment that he “does not line up with the NRA”. During previous campaigns Romney touted his support for strong gun control measures and his support for gun laws that the NRA opposed.

A much different vision of the Governor is now being shown in 2008 with his campaign saying Romney is a member of the NRA who has supported easing restrictions and who was lead around one of the countries largest gun stores.