Russert's take

The gas tax holiday did Hillary Clinton in tonight -- at least Tim Russert thinks so.

Just now on MSNBC, he said the gas tax debate helped shift focus away from Jeremiah Wright and onto an issue where Barack Obama took a principled stand and she looked untrustworthy.

Gregory's rising star

Per Patrick Gavin's advance copy of this weekend's New York Times Magazine profile of Chris Matthews:

Friends say Matthews is wary of another up-and-comer, David Gregory, who last month was given a show at 6 o'clock, between airings of "Hardball." It is a common view around NBC that Gregory is trying out as a possible replacement for Matthews.

The silver-haired Gregory carries a lot of stature for someone who is only 37 years old. Forget Matthews, he's probably going for Russert's job.