Yesterday's Note sussed out the identity of Bush's next nominee. In a manner of speaking.

As for the identity of Mr. Bush's pick, we can't tell you exactly whom he will choose. But we have devised a matrix of questions that will lead all Note readers inexorably to the right answer.

If you put these statements in order from 'most on the President's mind' to 'least on the President's mind,' you will know his choice:

A. 'Harriet Miers is Al Gonzales in a skirt with size six shoes and without the vexing paper trail.'

B. 'Bushie, I promise, my third pick will be a woman.'

C. 'I think the 90% of the base would like to see a little Sister Soulja'ing of the other 10% of the base.'

D. 'Steve Schmidt can sell anything.' (Note to Senator Alexander: read that as 'almost anything,' and remember that Steve was young and inexperienced then.)

E. 'She was on WHICH side of the Michigan affirmative action case???!!??'

F. 'Are we SURE that Portugual is an Hispanic country?'

G. 'I think old Harry could stand a stick in the eye at this point.'

H. 'So John Lewis, Paul Wolfowitz, and Clarence Thomas will go on 'The Daily Show' together defending him?'

I. 'I understand: under no circumstances can I call her 'Owenie' or 'Sissy' at the announcement.'

J. 'The white-Catholic-male-from-New-Jersey quota is not quite yet filled, right?'

Oh, the greatness. DeLay indicted.

Mitt Romney goes water skiing.

He's actually pretty good, but as Last Call! asked, "Is 'Mitt Romney' Mormon for 'John Kerry'?"

I swear, sometimes it seems like this administration wants to lose my respect:

First lady Laura Bush is scheduled to visit the Gulf Coast today to participate in the filming of the ABC reality show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Michael Brown resigns in disgrace, and they keep paying him? That just doesn't seem right.

Brown told congressional investigators Monday that he is being paid as a consultant to help FEMA assess what went wrong in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, according to a senior official familiar with the meeting.

How is it that no one noticed the fifty-two extra seconds that appeared from thin air during the fourth quarter of the New England-Pittsburgh game?

Disclaimer: I was actually watching the game at the time, and I did not notice it.

Move over, Nellie! There's a new Benator in town:

Affleck spokesman Ken Sunshine said the rumors are baseless, though "he would be a superb candidate for public office in the future. Right now, he's very busy directing his first feature movie for Disney, 'Gone, Baby, Gone.'"

"Can we wrap this scene, please!? I've got a caucus in fifteen goddamn minutes!" (Or, perhaps more accurately: "Can we wrap this caucus, please!? I've got a scene in fifteen goddamn minutes!")

Follow-up: Mark Warner hears the Ben Affleck rumor. Laughs.

This is sappy, but I have to admit that it makes me like Charlie Weis.

Steven "Loneliest Man in the World" Stough. A Dover (Pennsylvania) Republican who believes in evolution.

"You can dress up intelligent design and make it look like science, but it just doesn't pass muster," said Mr. Stough, a Republican whose idea of a fun family vacation is visiting fossil beds and natural history museums. "In science class, you don't say to the students, 'Is there gravity, or do you think we have rubber bands on our feet?'"

From the Amazon review of Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed!

"This full-color illustrated book is a fun way for parents to teach young children the valuable lessons of conservatism."

Sounds like a hoot.

Britain's Observer headlines an article: "Flipper the firing dolphin let loose by Katrina." And I though the Idaho weatherman story was a trip.

Bill for First Lady. Nicely done.