Hotline After Dark -- Funny Guy

John McCain does media interviews again as he kicks off his bio tour. ABC's Claiborne: "McCain's tour ... is a way to get him back into the political spotlight, which has been dominated lately by Democrats" ("World News," 4/1).

McCain stopped by the "Late Show":

Asked if he ever considered dropping out: "Probably I was riding on a well-known airline in group D -- you know, that's the one where you get to sit in the center seat between two heavy-set Americans."

Asked what he'd say to Clinton and Obama: "I don't know what I'd say to them because I think they're in a difficult situation, but I also think that whoever wins, there will be plenty of time for them to campaign. I think most Americans don't focus until later in campaigns" (CBS, 4/1).

McCain also appeared in David Letterman's monologue:

More McCain interviews after the jump along with talk from DNC Chair Howard Dean and ex-MN Gov. Jesse Ventura (I): (EMILY GOODIN)

McCain spoke with CNN's Bash:

Asked about being seen as "heartless" on the economy, McCain: "Actually, I think the government should facilitate a lot of things. And there have been numerous proposals, many of which I have supported and some that I will be coming forward with. What we really need to do is -- fundamentally -- is make sure that we take every action to have the lender and the borrower sit down together so that the millions of Americans who are facing terrible challenges will be able to afford to keep their home. ... That does mean government helps out. What I worry about, of course, are massive bailouts that will then reward people who didn't behave well. But my efforts and my proposals will to be help that homeowner who is now experiencing a great trauma of losing the American dream."

On polls: "We are either tied or slightly ahead of both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton. So overall in the polls, I'm very satisfied, where we are, particularly since the generic ballot has Republicans trailing Democrats rather badly. So I'm very happy with where we are."

Asked if age is a criteria in picking a VP: "Not particularly, no. I think about whether that person who I select would be most prepared to take my place. And that would be the key criteria" ("Situation Room," CNN, 4/1).

And McCain strategist Charlie Black was on "Lou Dobbs Tonight":

Asked about being a lobbyist and working for the McCain campaign: "Actually Senator McCain asked me to do a fairly significant job for the campaign that's going to be a six or seven-day-a week job. I'm totally devoted to his election so in order to do that, I needed to leave my other business. But along the way, some people in the other party have raised questions about having lobbyists play big roles in campaigns. So I've resigned. I'm now a retired lobbyist. Nobody can allege a conflict."

More: "If you look at the senior staff, the top 12, 15, 20 people of the McCain campaign, there's no one other than me that was a lobbyist, a currently active lobbyist. Now I am not. I don't know what the criticism is. All of these campaigns, including those of the two remaining Democrats, have lobbyists involved. Senator Obama has lobbyists as bundlers. They can't write a check but they can raise funds. He has lobbyists on his policy advisory committee. They're knowledge about politics and government and most of them care about the country too."

On fundraising: "Our fundraising has already stepped up. We'll be raising funds in conjunction within the Republican National Committee and its victory fund and we're very optimistic about being able to raise a lot of money. We'll be outspent but not dramatically outspent and we'll have plenty of money to run a good campaign" (CNN, 4/1).

BORN ON THE FIRST OF JULY

DNC Chair Howard Dean made the media rounds last night:

On superdelegates: "I do believe that the unpledged delegates need to make their preferences known long before the convention. You know, they can do it whenever they want. But the truth is, if you go into a convention divided, you usually come out of a convention divided. There's no reason that we shouldn't know who our nominee is by the 1st of July" ("Situation Room," CNN, 4/1).

On asking superdelegates to choose their candidate by 7/1: "I'm asking them for the sake of their country to do this."

On MI and FL: "They can be seated in one of two ways. One, they can be seated by agreement between the two campaigns if there is no clear winner, or, two, they will be seated I suspect by whoever does win the nomination. Whoever wins the nomination will control the credentials committee, which will control the seating. And I strongly believe our nominee is going to want Florida and Michigan in the hall. Under which rules, that will depend. The nominee will set the rules."

On his critics: "The people who are complaining that I'm not taking a stronger role, when you drill down on that a little, as I have, when they have called me, is, I see what you mean, is you would like me to be a strong leader and adopt your point of view and then ram it through the DNC. I am going to not going to do that for either side. There are going to be donors and supporters on both sides that are mad at me. I am going to play this one by the rules" ("Election Center," CNN, 4/1).

HE'S BACK!

And ex-MN Gov. Jesse Ventura (I) was on "LKL":

Asked what he's doing now: "Well, two days ago, I just finished a film called 'Wood Shop' in Boulder, Colorado. So I'm back doing a little acting again, which is a lot of fun.But I'm living now at least half the year down in the Baja in Mexico. ... I live one hour from pavement and one hour from electricity, about 850 miles down there. And, amazingly, I live with those brown-skinned people that frighten Lou Dobbs so much."

More: "I have electricity but it's all solar. I'm completely solar-powered down there."

Asked if he'll run for POTUS: "Am I going to run? Too difficult, because they make an Independent like me jump through 50 different hoops, because every state has different things you have to do to qualify to get on the ballot."

Asked who he'll support for POTUS: "I never vote Democrat or Republican. I'll pick someone else. There'll be a libertarian on the ballot. There'll be someone else on the ballot. I will not vote for a Republican or a Democrat and I don't do it every election" (CNN, 4/1).