On this week's Chris Matthews Show, Richard Stengel of Time magazine made a prediction in the "Tell me something I don't know" segment of the program:

John Edwards. Senator John Edwards--remember him?--who's been conspicuously silent since he dropped out of the race, will endorse a Democratic candidate probably before North Carolina, certainly before North Carolina, possible before Pennsylvania. And our own Mark Halpern [sic] on the page [sic] says it's going to be Senator Hillary Clinton.

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As Robert Anton Wilson pointed out (or William S. Burroughs, if you prefer), hexagram 23 of the I Ching is "breaking apart." Anyone who subscribes to his "23 enigma" theory will note that this is the twenty-third installment of this column. If you throw hexagram 23, the I Ching cautions: "the roof is shattered, the house collapses." I leave you, dear reader, to draw your own conclusions as to how this relates to Democratic politics for this particular week.

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Just a short roundup today of some wiretapping news items... as always, in the three-dot style of the late great Herb Caen...

...The New York Times has a piece this week on exactly why letting the government powers that stretch the Fourth Amendment beyond recognition is always a bad idea -- because what is introduced as "emergency, extraordinary" powers always devolves in the blink of an eye into just a standard tool for law enforcement (to use for whatever reason they see fit). National Security Letters (or, in the original Louis XVI French, lettres de cachet) are an outright insult to the Constitution and should be stopped. I'm still waiting for a hard promise from either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama that this practice will end, on Day One. Or for that matter, a speech in the Senate right now from either of them. They're running to be leader of our country, so how about showing some leadership when it counts?

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"Hello. My name is Chris W., and I'm a primaryholic."

That's how I would introduce myself if there was a twelve-step program for political junkies. Because we have now entered the long Spring of our discontent -- six weeks with nothing on the Democratic primary calendar before Pennsylvania votes on April 22.

Six weeks! I mean, really... six weeks?!? Who thought up this crazy system?

I (and many others like me) have become so addicted to watching primary returns come in that six weeks seems an eternity. Primaries, caucuses, even Texas two-step primacaucuses -- it was all good. But now, a stark seemingly-endless month-and-a-half before political addicts can get another "fix" of that sweet endorphin rush that comes from watching the numbers mount on election night? I don't think I can take it....

As Bob Dylan said when he defined the term for junkies of all types: "Something is happening here but you don't know what it is... do you, Mr. Jones?" But Bob, that's exactly the point -- nothing is happening here! And I'm not the only one out here seriously jonesing for another vote.

OK, I've got to take a deep breath. Ahhh, that's better.

No, dammit, it isn't. The doldrums of those six weeks still stretch out to the dim future of late next month, on the calendar page before me.

Sigh.

For all of you out there snickering gleefully at my distress and offering me meaningless platitudes such as "it's really not all that long," I say no, thanks. Think about this to grasp what this stretch of time means -- six weeks ago, Super Tuesday hadn't even happened yet. The score was tied at: Clinton 2 (New Hampshire and Nevada); Obama 2 (Iowa and South Carolina). The race was wide open. Heck, there were even other candidates still in the race! That was only six weeks ago. See what I mean? An eternity!

The problem with the race now is that even after six weeks of ups and downs on the primary rollercoaster, it's still fairly wide open. And there are a shrinking number of contests which remain. Eight states (Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon, Montana, and South Dakota) still have yet to vote, as do Guam and Puerto Rico.

Hey, wait a minute....

There's still the problem of what to do about Michigan and Florida! Oh, salvation!! A quick look at the calendar shows exactly when they should schedule their re-vote: March 25, and April 8. That would space them and Pennsylvania a comfortable two weeks apart. And at this point, I'm desperate, so either can go first, and they can use any method they wish to count votes (mail-in, firehouse primary, caucus, regular primary -- at this point I'm easy).

Please, Michigan and Florida, break up this political six-week desert with a few oases. I'm counting on you to feed my jones....

Please?

-- Chris Weigant

We begin not with Eliot Spitzer, but with a small history lesson. From the Civil War, two otherwise unremarkable Union Generals (militarily, both are known for their spectacular defeats) who obviously detested each other: Ambrose Burnside and Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker. Here is Burnside on Hooker, who served under him: "unfit to hold an important commission during a crisis like the present." Here is Hooker, on Burnside: "[a] wretch... of blundering sacrifice."

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Clinton/Obama 08?  Or Obama/Clinton 08?

The argument for the so-called "Dream Ticket" isn't a new one, but for the first time one of the campaigns is actually talking about it. Hillary Clinton, of late, has been hinting that it'd be OK with her if both her name and Barack Obama's are on the ballot this fall. Of course, out of the two possible arrangements of these names, it's probably a safe bet as to which Senator Clinton would prefer to be on top.

Senator Obama, so far, has been keeping the idea at arm's length. He has demurred from commenting on it, except to say that it's way too early to start thinking about. And that he (of course) would also prefer not to be the vice presidential candidate.

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A quick primary pick here, before we get on to the awards and the talking points.

Wyoming will be holding its Democratic caucus tomorrow. This one is pretty easy, since the Clinton campaign has already all but conceded the race to Barack Obama. There is no polling easily available, but I'm going to take a wild stab at it and say that Obama will win the Wyoming caucus.

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They are called many things. Party leaders. Party elders. Senior statesmen. Bigwigs. Movers and shakers. But whatever you call them, the big voices of the Democratic Party have been remarkably silent when it comes to endorsing one candidate over the other for the party's nomination for president. I speak of such big cheeses as Al Gore, John Edwards, and Bill Richardson. It's time to lay your cards on the table, boys, and let us know which side you're on.

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[An imaginary news interview from the future...]

"This is King Leadhat reporting here in Denver on the night before the 2008 Democratic Convention begins. Before we begin our interview, we have some scenes from the building where the convention will take place to show you. Our correspondent is standing by...."

"Thanks, King. It's a lovely evening in Denver, but as you can see behind me, there is the possibility of a full-scale fracas in the parking lot here. The Michigan and Florida delegations have banded together and are trying to gain entrance to the building. The Democratic National Committee, along with a huge crowd of Obama supporters are just as steadfastly refusing them entry. While strong words have been exchanged, no violence has broken out yet, but the night is young. Clinton supporters have been slowly adding to the ranks of the Michiganders and Floridians, and the atmosphere is tense. Back to you, King."

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[THE SCENE: Exterior of a polling place. Could be Ohio, could be Texas -- it's unclear from the building itself. An impossibly-well-groomed pollster (impossibly good hair, impossibly good clothes, impossibly cheerful and chirpy) is waiting for voters to emerge from the polls, clipboard in hand. A GROUP of four people approach the pollster, two men and two women.]

POLLSTER: Hello there, I'm conducting an exit poll, would you mind if I asked you a few questions?

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