SINCE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY MANAGED TO HIDE at is convention the civil war in its ranks over the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, the next best place to glimpse the competing schools of grand strategy is in Chicago this weekend at the American Political Science Association.

I AM ON MY WAY TO CHICAGO TO ATTEND THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION MEETING TOMORROW, and Alan Keyes just moved to town to run for the U.S. Senate here. I would love to run into him.

PERHAPS I SHOULD REFER INSTEAD TO THE ENRON-IZED BUSH ADMINISTRATION. I was impressed today with the “Progress Report” of the American Progress Action Fund that offers a roster of truth and fraud items about Bush economic policy claims.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER THOUGHT HE HIT A FUN CHORD WHEN HE CALLED the Democratic National Convention, “True Lies.” Clearly though, the convention we have been watching this week is piling a mound of duplicity on a foundation of mistruths.

IN THE FEDERALIST PAPERS NO. 68, ALEXANDER HAMILTON writing as Publius defends the Electoral College. Hamilton wrote: “A small number of persons, selected by thir fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such complicated investigations.” In other words, don’t let the mob rule.

I USED TO THINK THAT SEBASTIAN MALLABY WAS A MANIC NEOLIBERAL.

THE WASHINGTON POST IS TAKING NOMINATIONS for the best political blogs. Obviously, I think that Josh Marshall’s www.TalkingPointsMemo.com ought to sweep the categories, but I think that there may be a couple of sections that www.TheWashingtonNote.com might be competitive in.

THE POST’S BRADLEY GRAHAM AND THOMAS RICKS also finger Pentagon staffer Larry Franklin (confirmed to me by two sources as well) as the FBI’s spy probe target in an article today.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ASKING ABOUT LARRY FRANKLIN in the next few days. Josh Marshall has been working on a related story for a long time and will be offering a lot on this — so do check what he says about this when he posts.

TWO YEARS AGO, LE MEMORIAL DE CAEN INVITED ME TO DEBATE RICHARD PERLE on the conduct and direction of U.S. foreign policy at a star-studded event attended by about 4,000 people. The entire meeting was terrific, and on another day I will share some of the juicier moments of the exchange.