If the situation in Iraq has not improved, and if the hurricane causes an economic downturn, then Republican candidates have something to worry about.

The Democrats are in exactly the same position as the Sunnis in Iraq. From the very beginning, they have done everything they can to disparage the process. Now they have to turn around and convince their supporters to participate. That is a pretty quick pivot.

The governor may have underestimated the depth of Republican concerns about borrowing.

If you're running against a Republican in a vulnerable district, you've got Iraq, you've got Harriet Miers, you've got Katrina, you got Tom DeLay being indicted. You've got a lot of ammunition.

Together, they are greater than the sum of their individual political parts. Schwarzenegger may not have picked a running mate like he would have in a presidential campaign, but McClintock provides him the same balance that a running mate would.

This is very much in keeping with Cheney's persona, but it is also a natural byproduct of what you will find with a politician who has already run his last campaign.