Great speeches tonight from what I heard. Brian Schweitzer is easily my favorite politician in America and Hillary kicked some major ass. Yeah, I had goosebumps.

Get the full rundown at The Delegates here, here, and here.

It’s been almost 12 hours since the 2006 election cycle ended so you know what that means?

That’s right, it’s time to talk about 2008! And, we have news this morning that Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, trying to get some buzz before others officially announce, is filing papers to run in ‘08.

From the AP:

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack is expected to officially launch his 2008 presidential campaign Thursday by filing documents with the Federal Election Commission.

His decision comes after months of speculation he would run and two days after his fellow Democrats scored overwhelming victories in state and national elections.

Vilsack is the first Democrat to make a formal declaration for the presidency although a number of better known candidates are presumed to be running.

Likewise, Rep. Duncan Hunter of California is the only announced candidate on the Republican side.

“Americans sent a clear message on Tuesday,” Vilsack said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press that will be released Thursday. “They want leaders who share their values, understand their needs and respect their intelligence. That’s what I’ve done as governor of Iowa and that’s what I intend to do as president.”

The recent departure of Governor Mark Warner from VA will surely help to bolster Vilsack’s chances in 2008.

Here we go…

Below is a large portion of the email that Mark Warner sent to supporters this morning. Very odd if you ask me, but I’m sure we’ll get all the details soon as to why he’s decided not to run. One thing is for sure- this shakes up ‘08 in a major way.

I love this game called politics.

From Mark Warner:

Nine months ago, I left the office of Governor in Virginia. I was immensely proud of what we had accomplished. We faced historic challenges and got real results.

Upon leaving office, I committed all my time and energy to Forward Together because we need a new direction in America.

Everywhere I’ve traveled, I found hope that we could turn this country around. That Americans are looking for leaders who at this moment of enormous challenge for our country can actually bring us together and get things done.

I’ve heard that regardless of the depth of dismay at the direction President Bush has taken our country, rank and file Democrats are energized, and want ours to be a party of hope, not of anger.

I am especially proud of the work we’ve done in supporting those kinds of candidates throughout America…

…But this has also been another kind of journey—one that would lead to a decision as to whether I would seek the Democratic nomination for President.

Late last year, I said to Lisa and my girls, “Let’s go down this path and make a decision around Election Day.”

But there were hiring decisions and people who’ve put their lives on hold waiting to join this effort.

So about a month ago, I told my family and people who know me best that I would make a final decision after Columbus Day weekend, which I was spending with my family. After 67 trips to 28 states and five foreign countries, I have made that decision.

I have decided not to run for President.

More after the jump.

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That former Virginia Governor Mark Warner will not run for President in 2008. No details yet but Warner will be giving an 11:00 AM press conference to deliver the news. More details to come…

has hired former Kerry campaign manager Jim Jordan to work for his Forward Together PAC. For all of us playing insiders baseball, this is a big news story and we’ll see how this changes Warner’s tactics in the coming months.

Obviously, money plays a huge role in politics these days. Too big, if you ask me or most Americans. However, real campaign finance reform isn’t coming any time soon, certainly not by the 2006 or 2008 cycles.

The Washington Post did a piece today on the magic number that it will take to be competitive in the 2008 presidential elections. That number: $100 million.

Michael E. Toner, the chairman of the Federal Election Commission, has some friendly advice for presidential candidates who plan to be taken seriously by the time nominating contests start in early 2008: Bring your wallet. “There is a growing sense that there is going to be a $100 million entry fee at the end of 2007 to be considered a serious candidate,” Toner said in a recent interview.

The article discusses the public financing system, whereby campaigns get federal funds in exchange for adhering to spending limitations.

Many political operatives are expecting that the gradual breakdown of the public funding system — federal funds in exchange for spending limits — that has taken place in recent years will become complete in 2008. The result would be candidates in both parties racing far past old spending records, and facing new pressure to begin raising money far in advance of the election year.

Not all political finance experts and campaign operatives agree with Toner that raising $100 million over the next 22 months is the price of admission for candidates who want to establish credibility and compete on an equal footing. The $100 million is nearly three times the previous threshold for being regarded in national political circles as a first-tier candidate. But it is plain that a number of factors have converged that will render obsolete old assumptions about what it costs to run for president.

First among those factors is the 2004 precedent. President Bush and Democratic nominee John F. Kerry decided then to do without public matching funds in the nominating phase of the campaign — money that came with a requirement to limit spending to just $44.7 million each. They went on to raise $274.7 million and $253 million, respectively, before accepting public funding for the general election campaign in the fall. Their success established what many strategists believe will be a new norm in presidential politics.

What’s more, many analysts believe that 2008 will be a clash of such titanic intensity that the nominees will reject public funding — and the spending limits that govern it — even for the fall campaign. If so, most bets are that each major-party candidate would need to raise in excess of $400 million by the Nov. 4, 2008, election. Candidates would want to raise as much of that money as early as possible, so as not to waste precious campaign time holding fundraisers.

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is expected to bank $100 million by the end of 2007 and experts suggest that any legitimate challenger to her would have to raise $35 to $40 million to wage strong campaigns in Iowa and New Hampshire.

This is an interesting article and it confirms what we already know: the race for the White House in 2008 has already started, and candidates who hope to stay competitive better get used to the ‘rubber chicken circuit.’ They should start saving their pennies now!

By the way, check out Gov. Warner’s new Political Action Committee (PAC) website, Forward Together. It has some interesting and pretty cool features.

The New York Sun is reporting that there is considerable buzz regarding the potential Presidential candidacy of Mark Warner, former Democratic Governor of Virginia.

Since helping to lead Tim Kaine to victory in 2005, there has been significant talk mounting “inside the beltway” about Warner’s “winning red state” strategy.

One things’s for sure- if Hillary runs she will be the immediate media front-runner and it will take real momentum among the anti-Hillary folks to take her down in the primaries.

Another interesting article today from the Boston Globe about John Kerry. While it’s not clear that Sen. Kerry will try again in 2008, this article suggests that if he does, it is not impossible to imagine another Kerry general election. Coming from the Boston Globe, a paper that did not help Kerry very much in the 2004 primaries, this is a pretty signifcant article for camp Kerry.

To listen to John Kerry sounding a lot like a candidate again, listen to Episode 1 of DoubleSpeak!