Today is definitely the day to get a good table at D.C. Coast. Everyone important in Washington has fled for the even bluer confines of Cambridge, Mass., to hear Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill tell Harvard's Kennedy School the inside story of how Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman kicked her ass -- and to hear Mehlman's version, as well. (Even Lauriol Plaza should be open -- ABC's Mark Halperin is going to Harvard, too.) One reason things worked out that way? Mehlman's so on-message he put talking points in his bio for the forum:

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Mehlman supports the Bush administration because he personally believes Bush’s message to be a forward message of progress: “Months from now, we will have a choice…Will we keep going forward or will we turn backward?” Mehlman beleives his own question was answered in November.

But we're hearing things may be running more like a Kerry-Edwards event than a Bush-Cheney one. A Wonkette operative Blackberries:

Harvard sesh getting off to a slow start. Completely incompetent security at Reagan meant a bunch missed the shuttle, including guest star Mehlman and at least one panel moderator, plus some other humble journos.

Humble journos? Maybe Halperin's not going, after all. -- "Joe Klein"

WAR STORIES [Kennedy School of Goverment]