HOPE, CHANGE, AND A NEW KIND OF POLITICS: ABC News: Exclusive: Democrats Ask Pentagon for Info on Potential Obama Challengers. “The Democratic National Committee formally has asked the Pentagon for reams of correspondence between military agencies and nine potential Republican presidential candidates, a clear indication that Democrats are building opposition-research files on specific 2012 contenders even before the midterm elections.”

UPDATE: “So they’re digging for dirt early. That’s the Chicago Way…but in this case, the usual dirty tricks department may come back to haunt them. Voters are developing longer and longer memories.”