Oddsmakers for 2008 listen up: The Dallas Morning News blares that top Bush ad consultant Mark McKinnon "has committed to help Sen. John McCain in a second presidential bid." This scoop would appear to confirm not just a Bushie defection but also the coy senator's intentions. But as is usually the case, the story gets less exciting the further you read: McKinnon's caveats, including his desire to "review his options, should Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or the president's brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, run" and his own wiggle-room-making disavowal of a for-sure McCain campaign make it tougher to say whether the point spread has really changed all that much. Oh, and apparently it was just a "friendly meeting." But whatever, it's never too early to start making meaningless predictions and charting out elaborate calculations about obscure polling factors. Beat the rush and alienate average Americans now! (Halperin, over to you...)

Austin consultant meets with McCain [DMN]