Washington Wrap

Dotty Lynch, Douglas Kiker, Steve Chaggaris, Clothilde Ewing and Smita Kalokhe of The CBS News Political Unit have the latest from the nation's capital.

If Clark does decide to join the mix, supporters say he would offer a strong voice and record on national security issues and he can sell himself as a Washington outsider who is untainted by politics. After graduating first in his class from West Point, Clark served in the Army for 34 years, including a stint as NATO Supreme Commander, but he never revealed his party affiliation. Now in the private sector, Clark is now free to talk about his political allegiances. (Although, it must be noted, he still has not even said in public whether he's a Democrat.)

Although its' a little late in the game, Clark has already gained a lot of support through the grassroots movement that's already campaigning on his behalf. The Draft Clark 2004 for President Committee, which recently established its national headquarters in Clark's hometown of Little Rock, Ark., has received pledges of nearly $500,000 and has 98 chapters in 42 states. The committee opened an office in New York City this week, too.

New information is also coming from the Joe Biden camp. After saying he would not seek his party's nomination in 2004 because it was too much of a long shot, he left the door open for future White House runs. Biden's spokeswoman, Margaret Aitken, said Biden would not rule out accepting the vice-presidential slot on the '04 ticket and would consider a run for president in the future, the Delaware News Reports.

As Simple As RWQ: When it comes to the California recall ballots, throw away any semblance of the ABCs you know so well.

Monday, California's Secretary of State randomly chose letters to determine the ballot order for the 247 candidates running to replace Gov. Gray Davis, if he's recalled on Oct. 7. Candidates with last names that begin with R, W and Q will be the ones at the top of the ballot while those that begin with Y, F and L are at the bottom.

The new alphabet also applies when listing names within each initial. What that means is as of today, David Laughing Horse Robinson, chairman of the Kawaiisu Indian tribe, will be the first name on the ballot.

But if this process already seems complicated, there's another hitch. Robinson will only be the first name on the ballots in California's 1st Assembly District. The names will be switched in each of the state's 80 districts, placing the top name at the bottom of the list in the subsequent district.

So, in the 2nd District, Robinson would be the last name of the 247 candidates and Ned Roscoe would move from the second slot to the top. In the 3rd District, Roscoe would move to the bottom while Daniel Ramirez would move to the top, and so forth. In essence, the first 80 of the 247 will have a shot to top a ballot.

Ultimately, what this means is that some of the better-known candidates may never be at the top of the ballot. Arianna Huffington's H was chosen eighth, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante's B was ninth, Arnold Schwarzenegger's S was picked tenth (and within S, C comes before I, so Arnold would come before Bill Simon), Peter Uberroth's U was 21st and Larry Flynt's F was 25th.

"This is a big test for California," Secretary of State Kevin Shelley said. "History will be our witness."

Meantime, multi-millionaire Schwarzenegger isn't planning on spending just his own money in the campaign. He was spotted at the Four Seasons in New York City meeting with Republican fund-raisers and hinted he may be back to raise money in the Big Apple, reports The New York Times. In addition, his campaign Web site is asking folks to contribute as much as $21,200, the limit in California, to his campaign.

G.I. GWB: Move over Mattel, Blue Box Toys has come out with the newest hot thing, "Elite Force Aviator: George W. Bush – U.S. President and Naval Aviator." The Washington Post reports the Hong Kong-based toy company will begin distribution of the plastic presidential collector's doll on Sept. 15.

Promoters boast the toy costing $39.99 is "exacting in detail and fully equipped in authentic gear." Modeled after President Bush's apparel from his USS Abraham Lincoln appearance in May, the Elite Force Aviator is decked with a flight suit, survival vest, parachute harness, helmet and oxygen mask. The figurine joins Blue Box's Elite Force series with other top commanders including Navy Seals, Blue Angels and World War II aviators.

Although many believed the president's G.I. Joe performance on the Lincoln be used to project a war hero image in the 2004 campaign, few foresaw the emergence of an actual action figure. With complaints coming in before the toy has reached the market, Mr. Bush might be the first and the last president to become an action figure.

"We don't condone or endorse the president, but he fit the criteria of our Elite Force collection … somebody in uniform, a military hero of some kind, or depicting a military uniform," said Lauri Aibel company spokeswoman.

Maybe Blue Box will be objective and put out a G.I. Joe Lieberman toy.

Quote of the Day: "Where the power hungry Charles Taylor goes next remains a mystery. Although he was seen leaving the country with $3,500 and the signatures of 65 friends in California." – Comedy Central's Jon Stewart on the now-exiled former Liberian president's future plans. (Comedy Central's "Daily Show")