Hey, Saturday Night Live! I have a funny comedy sketch idea for you! What if Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Bill Richardson and other Democrats went to a Halloween costume party? And their choice of Halloween costume directly related to their Presidential campaigns! Funny, right? Right?

Damn, you guys beat me to it. With some timely jokes about Bill Clinton's sexual proclivities, even! But I must say that I'm impressed, because you also worked in Barack Obama, wearing his Sexy Barack Obama costume. Well-played, SNL. Well-played.

Some might want to tell Rudy Giuliani that the 2000 election for the New York Senate is over, and that Hillary Clinton won. How else are we to explain this bizarre campaign ad attacking her? After starting out by accusing Clinton of flip-flopping on her the Iraq War, the spot goes to accuse Clinton of standing "silently by when MoveOn.org ran [a] venomous ad in The New York Times" about General David Petraeus? Earth to Rudy: Hillary hasn't won the nomination yet, and she never publicly supported MoveOn's ad.

Could it have been that Rudy's real fight wasn't really with Hillary, but with MoveOn, the liberal nonprofit group which has been relentless in its criticism of the Bush Administration and the Republican party? (The day before, Giuliani went after the New York Times for giving MoveOn preferential ad placement.) If it wasn't then, it certainly is now. Today, MoveOn released another ad that directly targets Rudy, accusing him of blowing off the opportunity to contribute to the Iraq Study Group in order to stuff his pockets with public speaking fees. Its tagline: "Rudy Giuliani. A betrayal of trust."

How will Rudy -- who has never shied away from taking off the gloves for a good scrap -- respond? We have a feeling that answer will come sooner rather than later.

I have great admiration for any woman who is willing to sacrifice her career for that of her husband's, and despite her husband's many campaign missteps, Michelle Obama's feisty spirit and charm have won my approval. But does she go too far in this Chicago campaign appearance, subtly reminding voters of Hillary Clinton's problematic personal life? I am not sure. To borrow some expressions of the day, I am torn between two reactions to this clip -- one being "oh, SNAP!" and the other being "OH NO SHE DIT'NT."

This campaign ad must be doing something right; it's already earned an angry response from the White House. But what's surpising here is not that Clinton takes potshots at the president -- it's how effectively the ad pulls it off.

Let's face it: most politicians are not poor, and most never have been. All too often, when they try to connect with the troubles of the "average American," the average American is tempted to flip them off. But somehow, speaking of the people she says the current administration has rendered "invisible," Clinton does connect. She's not putting on falsely folksy airs and saying, "Hey, I'm one of you." She's saying, "Okay, I'm not one of you. But I see you and I get you, and I want to help make your life better."

Of course, distancing yourself from an outgoing administration with record-low approval ratings isn't exactly revolutionary campaign strategy. Hell, even the Republicans are doing it. But Clinton's already using the debates as a forum to showcase her tough side and shout down those that think a woman (or a Democrat) doesn't have the strength to lead the country.

Am I convinced that I'm looking at the next president? Not just yet. But I am more intrigued than I thought I'd be, and for 15 months before the election, that ain't bad.