McCain Alienates His Base

Been on the road with McCain for his campaign relaunch tour -- an entertaining diversion from the Democrats' Gravel-tastic debate. Yesterday saw a tour through South Carolina, during which the Senator repeatedly insisted that his 2000 loss in the state was not due to the sneaky, bastard black baby tricks of Karl Rove, but rather to a weaker political and financial organization. Of course!

Today takes us to Des Moines, for a town hall meeting that the campaign says will be a hallmark of McCain 2008 2.0. Meanwhile, those super intrigued by process stories might want to check out this meta-process story from yesterday -- "the process inside the process," as one aide complained.

Campaign trivia: Lindsey Graham uses Grecian Formula -- not to color, but because "it makes my hair thicker." And Graham also had the line of the day yesterday, responding to a reporter's query about the "threat of a Clinton/Obama ticket." Replied Graham: "In South Carolina? We will drive them here, and give them a place to stay."