Here's a quick look at today's top political and election stories:

"A Year Before Voting, a Nation of Discontent" (Susan Page, USA Today) According to a new USA Today/Gallup poll, the nation is smack dab in the middle of its longest funk in 15 years. If most Americans aren't impressed with President Bush, they have no love for Congress, either. But, hey, at least it's not 1979.

"Clinton's Rivals See an Opening" (Peter Nicholas and Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times) It only took them nine months or so, but Hillary Clinton's rivals finally might have found a way to bruise her. That it took them so long to figure out Clinton's weakness is being "Clintonesque" -- a term coined more than a decade ago -- is the surprising part.

"Campaign Call Reveals Clinton Debate Concern" (Sam Youngman, The Hill) If you're Chris Dodd or Joe Biden, you can have a bad debate or two and no one notices. If you're Hillary, one bad debate and red flags start appearing everywhere.

"GOP Hopes Bloomberg Runs" (Ralph Hallow, Washington Times) The thinking goes like this: Mayor Bloomberg would attract more liberals than conservatives should he run for president. Ergo, a Bloomberg independent candidacy would hurt the Democratic nominee more than the Republican. Sound thinking, but with the country's mood the way it is (see above), there's no telling whom an independent candidate would attract.

"NY Mayors See Route to White House" (Sara Kugler, Associated Press) Reading this story one wonders why those who have done "the second toughest job in America" have never been president before. But that's what Rudy Giuliani is pitching, and should he get in the race, that's what Bloomberg will pitch as well. And don't miss Ronald Reagan's pitch-perfect put-down of the late NYC Mayor John Lindsey, who also ran on the "second-toughest job" thing, at the end.

"Thompson Compares Fund-Raising of NY Senator With 1996 Scandal" (Josh Gerstein, New York Sun) Campaigning for the first time in California, Fred Thompson joined the anti-Hillary wave, but from the fundraising angle.

"Edwards Endorsed by SEA - Or Was He?" (Lauren Dorgan, Concord Monitor) Apparently there was a revote of the State Employees Association's endorsement, with Barack Obama winning the first ballot, then, John Edwards winning the second. While Edwards said an endorsement is an endorsement, Obama called the whole thing "interesting."

"Biden-Giuliani Smackdown Enlivens Campaign Trail" (Michael Cooper, New York Times) Aside from Clinton's immigration (et al.) gaffe, the second most memorable moment of Tuesday's debate was Joe Biden's attack on Giuliani. Even better, the GOP frontrunner took the trouble to respond to a candidate barely registering in the polls.

"Immigration Burns Candidates" (June Kronholz, Wall Street Journal) A little background on the infamous Eliot Spitzer driver's license proposals, and why neither party's candidates want to go anywhere near immigration issues.

Get these and today's other election stories at RCP's Politics and Election page.