2008 Quick Hits

• A new batch of Republican presidential candidate favorability ratings shows that Rudy Giuliani still has the heats of the GOP faithful. The poll, conducted earlier this month, has Rudy getting the high marks over John McCain, with all other candidates having a clean slate in voters minds. Giuliani's favorability raring is at 41%, with JMac's at 39%. But those numbers may tumble for Rudy with his incredible playbook gaffe still settling in and his campaign stuck in neutral as Rudy continues to mull if he should even run at all. McCain could pounce.

• Although Hillary Clinton has stabilized in Iowa, she is increasingly facing pressure from all sides over her continued dawdling over her Iraq stance and a sharp push from John Edwards on issues near and dear to Hillary (poverty and health care). No campaign announcement has also doused some of her perpetual buzz. H and Co. does realize this, and is bound to right the ship ASAP. Look for tough talk from her during the much ballyhooed Senate investigations on Iraq. But Hillary will never pull an Edwards concerning her Iraq vote from '02. She is not going to make such a bold move to the left when her electability is still in question.

• Joe Biden's '08 campaign is simply a trail balloon - started to see if his Senate hearings on Iraq (starting tomorrow) will rev up Dems enough to propel him to a choice spot as the anti-Hillary or, failing that, the perfect Hillary running-mate. Biden's pulpit in the Senate will allow him let loose with plenty of air time for his Bush bashing and the launch of the Biden plan for the Iraq mess. Biden's not going anywhere, however. A loose cannon for a mouth (Indian-Americans-7/11 comment, anyone?) and a terribly late start will be his downfall. A Veep slot? Not likely.