Like Rasputin, who refused to die even after he was poisoned, shot three times and beaten with a 2-pound dumbbell, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley (R) is proving to be more resilient than many political observers once assumed.

Even though I'm skeptical that this kind of issue is going to pull the rug out from Al Gore, I think it's a plus for the Republicans to be able to talk about foreign policy, to talk about national security and to talk about the failure of the administration of Bill Clinton and Al Gore in this one area.

What we're seeing early on is Democrats rallying around Al Gore, Republicans rallying around George Bush and the difficulty of anybody else to get any room in the race.

He's a likable guy, a personable guy

For some conservatives, it was like a cold dish towel across their face, reminding them that, 'wait a second, we thought we were totally supportive of this president, now we know, maybe we have to keep an eye on him.' And, conservative groups have become much more animated and activist and second guessing of the president.

The same electorate that is unhappy with [Pennsylvania's] GOP Sen. Rick Santorum appears to have some qualms with Rendell.