Now here’s a study for political junkies of all stripes: MRC has surveyed the ABC/CBS/NBC morning shows for presidential candidate interviews, and found that Democrats during the second half of 2003 received twice as many interviews as Republican contenders did in the second half of 1999. Not only that, but 2003 Democrats were urged 58 times to detail their grievances against Bush, while Republicans were asked for Clinton-Gore critiques on only four occasions in 1999. Tenor of the questions: CBS’s Rene Syler served up this softball to John Kerry on December 4: “You called President Bush’s foreign policy arrogant, inept and reckless. Give us some specifics.”

But everyone can chew on how the interviews are divided: Dean and Clark were tied for the lead with 13, followed by Kerry with 7, Edwards with 5, Lieberman with 2, and only one for Gephardt — the same quantity as Al Sharpton and Carol Moseley Braun. Does Gephardt like to sleep in?