Nancy Soderberg interview

Salon interviewed her but I have yet to do so.

In short order he had Soderberg conceding that the idea of Bush's ushering in a new era of democracy in the Middle East was "scary for Democrats." When Stewart quipped, "My kid's gonna go to a high school named after [Bush], I just know it," Soderberg replied: "Well, there's still Iran and North Korea, don't forget. There's hope for the rest of us."[...]

Salon: Since your appearance with Jon Stewart, you've reminded people to take your remarks in the context of a comedy show.
Soderberg: That was banter with Jon Stewart, and I think that the fact that it was taken out of context says more about how desperate [right-wing] extremists are to find something to criticize the Democrats for. I think you can make way too much of a late-night comedy show and the right-wing bloggers who go around looking for ways to bash Democrats.

Another take on Nancy Soderberg's interview with Jon Stewart.

Woody Allen is to the big screen what Neil Simon is to theatre. He gives off the neurotic Jew vibe. If I have nothing to do at all, I just head down to Blockbuster and rent a Woody Allen film. Oh, wait, I don't have a car.

Throughout his 40-year career as New York City's preeminent filmmaker, Woody Allen has worked with a rotating cast of actors, cinematographers and producers. One thing that hasn't changed, however, is the way he writes his scripts.

"I still lie down on the bed and write the screenplay by hand on a yellow pad," says the legendary writer-director, who will turn 70 in December. "I can write faster that way. I was taught on a typewriter and it would probably be healthier for me to do it that way. Invariably, I have to type the scripts myself when I finish writing them, and that takes three days. But it goes so much faster when you write on a pad; you can hear the dialogue in your head."[...]

Ferrell is the latest big-name actor to appear in one of Allen's movies. Since the early '90s, the director has been able to lure such A-list stars as John Cusack, Julia Roberts and Sean Penn to act for little money and fewer perks (you won't find any two-story trailers on a Woody Allen set).

"Stars only want to work with me if they are between desirable jobs," Allen remarks honestly. "If I call an actor or actress and Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese are also calling them, they have no interest in me at all. But if they just finished a big picture and earned their $10 million salary and have nothing to do until August, they say, 'Why not?'"

Five Questions with Ed Helms. Here's an excerpt:

1. What's it like working on The Daily Show?
Helms:It's so wonderful. It's a fun, creative atmosphere. Everyone's contributing and working really hard. But it's stressful, too, because you have to deliver results so consistently. At the end of the day, it's a great show. It resonates so much with me because I like staying on top of political issues. But it's very much like a job. No matter how much fun it is or how much you like your job, after three years, it's still a job. It's really demanding and there's a lot of travel.

2. What separates smart comedy from the stupid stuff?
Helms: Education? I don't know. There's a term comedians use for bad comedy, it's hacky. It's something you've seen before. It's so hard to come up with new approaches. It's not the subject matter. It's not about the context. It's about the original thinking you bring to it. Can you do a smart joke about farts? That's a challenge. Farts are rotten territory. Smart is about originality. Take politics. There are a million hacky Bush jokes. The challenge is to find a sharp twist.

Is Olympia Snowe beatable?

But two prominent Democratic politicians, U.S. Rep. Tom Allen and Attorney General Steven Rowe, are not ruling out the possibility of a run. Their potential candidacies were floated last week in a Washington, D.C., newspaper story.

"I haven't closed the door to a Senate race. I haven't made a decision. And that's really where I am," Allen said Friday.

Rowe, 51, is similarly non-committal.

"I have been encouraged by a number of people to run for higher office," the third-term attorney general said. "I certainly have not ruled anything out."

Don't forget to tune in tonight!

The show, which airs at 11 p.m. on Comedy Central, ran a brief promo at the end of Thursday's show saying the segment will air sometime this week. In the promo, one of the comedian-hosts tries to get to Duprey to mispronounce Bangor so it would work as a punch line to a joke. Brian Duprey held his ground and refused to play along.

More namings of key positions are expected today:

Today, a key Democratic source tells The Note, Howard Dean will announce that Tom McMahon will be the DNC executive director.

Also slated to be announced: Pam Womack (a long-time DGA fixture) will lead the effort to work with state parties to help identify resources and programs that are needed to maximize efforts on behalf of Democrats in every state.

Join Inez Tenenbaum headlines a reception on Thursday, April 7 as she kicks off her 2006 campaign for South Carolina's State Superintendent of Education from 6-8 p.m.