The Monica Mess

"Al Gore reached out and had a conference call with some bloggers (the call was on the record) and here's some of the highlights.

"He was witty, friendly and answered question after question. He quoted Johnny Cash.

"He responded to Tony Snow's demand that he fact-check the book. 'Unlike the president's State Of The Union address, this book was actually fact-checked.' . . .

"Al Gore is probably too decent a man to run for The White House again."

We don't deserve you!

Gore continued his media blitz with Larry King, and Dick Polman admires the artistry:

"It's a win-win for Gore; he perpetuates the tease, by signaling that he really has no interest in running, while stopping just short of a Shermanesque refusal. (Gore to King: 'I'm not thinking about being a candidate . . . I haven't ruled it out for all time.') Then it's on to the next venue. Why on earth would Gore want to revisit the indignities of 2000, and risk new ones? . . .

"Nobody with a yen for traditional political combat would write a book like The Assault on Reason. The typical candidate tome, appearing on the eve of a presidential primary season, is filled with poll-tested swill and boilerplate passages such as 'I believe that America's best days are ahead of us' and 'Together, we can forge a new tomorrow,' or whatever. Gore's book, by contrast, is a scathing putdown of the prevailing American culture, everything from television's obsession with celebrity trivia, the average citizen's couch-potato propensities, and the average politician's willingness to play on voters' fears with the help of propaganda techniques perfected by 'a new generation of media Machiavellis.'"

CBS's Kimberly Dozier speaks out for the first time about the Iraq bomb that nearly killed her and her long recovery. My piece is here.

I've also got an item in the Politics column about a war of words between John Edwards and his former adviser, Robert Shrum.

Here is a great soap opera involving New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine and his ex-girlfriend, union chief Carla Katz, who continues to personally lobby him. We learn that a) after the split she rented a Hoboken apartment two floors below his; b) she threatened to hold a news conference that would embarrass him; and c) he gave her a $6-million settlement, including a Volvo SUV.

Could Hillary stiff the caucus? "Hillary Rodham Clinton's deputy campaign manager wrote a memo this week urging the Democratic front-runner to bypass the Iowa caucuses, in order to spend time and resources in New Hampshire, South Carolina and several larger states hosting primaries next Feb. 5," the AP reports.

The New Republic's Ryan Lizza is skeptical: "Perhaps it is a controlled leak to lower expectations for Hillary in Iowa, where -- what a coincidence! -- she has been cratering in the polls recently. Just raising the idea that she might skip Iowa changes the perception about how well she has to do there, and it is precisely that perception that needs changing right now. Politics is weird."

Newt, having trouble with women? Sad but true. Politico's Anne Schroeder has the scoop:

"Newt Gingrich's latest media tour has left the ladies of the airwaves decidedly unsatisfied.

"On the heels of a disappointing appearance with heavyweight radio personality Diane Rehm, Newt Gingrich has turned around and done it again.

"Last Tuesday Gingrich cut short an hour-long interview with Rehm, leaving her holding the bag for 20 minutes of dead air. Although Gingrich's team insists Rehm's camp knew about it, her side swears it didn't agree to the abbreviated time. The usually stoic Rehm was highly 'disappointed' and 'angry.' Gingrich's excuse -- reportedly that he was tired -- probably didn't help smooth over matters. (It's not you, baby, it's me.)

"But it seems he didn't learn his lesson. A mere two days later on a different show, and with a different gal, Newt again failed to perform. This time it was with Laura Ingraham, a big Newt fan who slotted 25 minutes for the former House speaker on her show, which in the GOP world ranks in the top four, after Rush, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage . . .

"But 11:35 a.m. came and went with no Newt. As did 11:40 a.m. 11:45 a.m. Eventually the man of the hour called in to the show at 11:58 a.m. -- two minutes before the show comes to a close.

"Needless to say, the Ingraham folks are none too pleased with Gingrich and, we hear, have banned Newt until a proper apology has been issued."

Looks like flowers are in order.

I mentioned yesterday that Oprah is upset about her dad writing a book. Dinesh D'Souza says she's essentially being hoisted on her own petard:

"Oprah found out about the book from a newspaper report, and she is shocked! She can't believe he would do this. But why? He probably got the idea from watching Oprah. The premise of Oprah's show is that we should let it all hang out. Keep nothing inside. Share your personal demons with the American people. Benefit from Oprah's solicitude and self-help lessons. Watch patiently as the audience applauds every banality offered by Oprah's guest therapist. The whole process is thought to be elevating for all concerned.

"So why shouldn't Oprah's dad, who seems to have some unresolved issues with Oprah, fill us in on the details. Was Oprah a spoiled, ungrateful brat? Did he have untoward feelings for her? Did she molest him? Is her female Dale Carnegie routine a big act? I don't see why anything should be out of bounds, if we're going to use Oprah's standard for public relevance."