The Page

By Michael Scherer

DEPARTMENT OF FALSE MODESTY

Pick Me; I'm Perfect

Candidates' answers to the classic job-interview question "What's your biggest weakness?" in a Jan. 15 debate could have been uttered by The Office's Michael Scott.

HILLARY CLINTON: "I get frustrated when people don't seem to understand that we can do so much more to help."

JOHN EDWARDS: "I sometimes have a very powerful emotional response to pain that I see around me."

BARACK OBAMA: "I ask my staff never to hand me paper until two seconds before I'll need it because I will lose it."

"I work too hard. I care too much. And sometimes I can be too invested in my job"

FRINGE CANDIDATES

The early primaries knocked out contenders like Dodd, Biden and Richardson. But for a few lesser knowns, the primaries are the perfect stage for their quixotic runs.

Richard (Mad Dog) Caligiuri

PARTY: Democrat

OCCUPATION: Runs a hamburger stand

ON IMMIGRATION: "[Forget] your poor, your wretched ... give us your tall blondes."

Daniel Imperato

PARTY: Independent

OCCUPATION: Self-employed

ON BUSH: "He's taken [tips] off my website and used them for his benefit."

Albert Howard

PARTY: Republican

OCCUPATION: Limousine driver

ON THE ECONOMY: "I would shut down the IRS and the Federal Reserve."

Michael Skok

PARTY: Democrat

OCCUPATION: Former office worker

HIS GOALS: "I'm not happy with Hillary. I hope to give her a little challenge."

MORE AT TIME.COM For Nathan Thronburgh's video report from the fringe campaigns, go to time.com/video

GOD-O-METER

Pray for Me

The Huckaboom has even the admittedly lax Catholic Rudy Giuliani getting churchy. In his first church visit as a presidential candidate, the ex-mayor recently spoke at the El Rey Jesus Church in Miami. Giuliani addressed the congregation, quoting Scripture. Calling his presidential bid a "test of faith," he invoked Joshua 10: 25: "Fear not, be strong, and of good courage." Giuliani also tried to connect spiritually, insisting "I am not coming here to ask for your vote ... I am asking for your prayers." With a new poll showing the onetime GOP front runner in a four-way tie with Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Mitt Romney in Florida, he'll need both.

For daily God-o-Meter readings covering all the presidential candidates, visit beliefnet.com

Campaign Insider

Mike Huckabee's campaign manager wears all the hats

If he had his way, Chip Saltsman wouldn't shave much more than once a week, not even to go on television. He would wear his shirttails untucked with jeans and take time off whenever Linkin Park played a concert. Though he is the campaign manager for Mike Huckabee, a dry Baptist pastor, he would still stock bottles of Maker's Mark bourbon on the candidate's chartered flights.

But there are some sacrifices Saltsman, 39, must make to run Huckabee's upstart candidacy. Ever since the two met, on a duck hunt in late 2006, Saltsman has been doing the job of a dozen people. He sets national strategy, helps write the ads and raise the money, approves every expense--and even plays body man at events, clearing Huckabee's way through the crowd. Over the months, he has earned his boss's respect. "I would say he has been right virtually all the time," Huckabee says.

Before the duck hunt, Saltsman planned the aborted presidential effort of former majority leader Bill Frist. Before that, he ran the Tennessee Republican Party, overseeing the successful 2000 effort to deprive Al Gore of any home-state electoral votes. These days he deals with a whole new set of challenges. Hours before the Iowa caucuses, he helped talk down Huckabee, who wanted to bring his three dogs to New Hampshire, despite the airline's objections. "If it ever comes down to choosing between me and the dogs," Saltsman jokes, "I am done."

Time.com For daily political commentary, visit time.com/swampland

For Mark Halperin's daily take on the campaign, visit thepage.time.com