The Bush campaign officially kicked off last night with the President running the gamut of likely election issues in his State of the Union address.

Regardless of who his opponent turns out to be, much will turn on his cheeleader-in-chief, vice-president Dick Cheney (and what an odd photograph...)

Usually hard to tell, but John Kerry is definitely smiling more as he rides his bump in the polls from his Iowa success into New Hampshire. And it looks like his fundraising effort is starting to shift into high gear, with $250,000 in online donations since Iowa.

John Edwards is also trying to capitalise financially on his strong showing.

The Manchester Union Leader, however, the state's biggest paper, has endorsed Joe Lieberman.

According to an email from Craig Smith, Lieberman's NH co-ordinator:

'The word 'conviction' keeps coming up when we ask people about Lieberman.'.

(Let's hope in the right context...)

'It was demonstrated most emphatically in his position on the war in Iraq. While his fellow candidates voted with him in support of that war resolution, they have turned tail now, in light of anti-war Howard Dean's campaign.'


After his outburst on the stage as he conceded his third place on Monday night (shades of Neil Kinnock at the Sheffield rally, anyone?), Howard Dean is toning down his message as he tries to stem the slippage.

Meanwhile, given their propensity for shameless self-promotion, it's surely only a matter of time before one of the candidates gets roped into this....