The American Spectator

p> DEMOCRAT CATTLE CALL br> The Democratic Leadership Council is expecting a big turnout at its late July national convention in New York City. The biggest attraction will be the “cattle call” of Democratic presidential hopefuls, who will attempt to sway the so-called “moderate” wing of the Democratic Party. /p>

Already Tom Daschle, Dick Gephardt, Joe Lieberman and John Kerry have lined up speaking slots. Two other key Democrats are still wrangling over theirs. Al Gore is demanding to be allowed to deliver the keynote to the entire event. “He feels he had the DLC’s support for president in 2000, that he carried their water for them for eight years of the Clinton-Gore administration, that he deserves to be given the spotlight this time around,” says a current Gore adviser in Washington. “He’s earned it.”

Apparently the DLC disagrees. According to a council insider, there remains vigorous debate among the leadership whether Gore should be invited at all. According one current DLC staffer, Gore was not on the initial “wish list” of key speakers at the New York event. “It may have been inadvertent or just assumed that he’d be there, but some of us took it another way,” says the DLC aide.

Gore’s problem could be the man who ran with him in 2000, DLC stalwart Joe Lieberman. “Lieberman has been a loyal member of the DLC, and while he remains supportive of Gore, he isn’t pushing that hard to give him what he’s demanding,” says the DLC-er. “There are a lot of council members and staff who are saying Lieberman deserves the spotlight. Gore is old news.”

The other question mark is Sen. John Edwards, who also has been pressing for a so-called “primetime” speaking slot. Given the buzz he now enjoys, there is little doubt Edwards is in DLC demand, but he wants a slot that will place him in close proximity to DLC chair Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana. Why? “Edwards thinks that is the 2004 dream ticket: Edwards/Bayh,” says a Democratic National Committee senior political aide. “He’s looking for any opportunity to test it out, and the DLC conference could be the perfect place for a test drive.”

p> TIED UP IN KNOTS br> On what could have been the biggest political day of his life, former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge yesterday focused more on his wardrobe than on the seemingly impossible task of serving as Secretary of Homeland Security. “He was worried about the color of the tie he was going to wear,” says a current Homeland Security staffer. /p>

Apparently Ridge was concerned that for big events and TV appearances President Bush prefers to wear the now famous Cornwall blue power tie that has become so popular in Washington since his inauguration.