Frostier Feelings All the Time

In the last remaining week of this historic election, it’s worth noting that money (hundreds of millions of dollars) spent on this costly campaign isn’t all that’s gone. Relationships have been taxed and the tough fight has cost many a friendship.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) held two fundraisers to help Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) retire millions in campaign debt from her presidential run, but former President Bill Clinton remains so sore at Richardson for endorsing Barack Obama that the two still hadn’t spoken when Richardson spoke of it recently. I wonder if Patti Solis Doyle, who went to work for Obama after getting fired from her job as Hillary’s campaign manager, has heard from Hillary yet. Solis Doyle was also interviewed recently and admitted the two weren’t speaking.

Bill Clinton is now fake friends with Obama, like Obama is fake friends with Jesse Jackson, but we can all read. There were shreds of some association between Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) until recently — since Lieberman kept sending money to help with Democratic Senate races — but with enough Democratic victories next week, that could be all over with.

After the clothing fiasco, as well as many, many more — there’s no doubt if Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) fails to pull it off next week Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin won’t be sending him a Christmas card. OK, they were never friends and had met only once, but you get the idea. Colin Powell, Mike Murphy and Joe Biden definitely won’t be getting a Christmas card from McCain. On that note, will Chris Buckley get invited to the National Review Christmas party?

Finally, saddest of all is the chilling of Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s warm camaraderie around the table at “The View.” She and her fellow table dames are no longer holding back the frosty feelings whatsoever.

What we need is someone who can bring us all together again. A uniter … wait, I almost forgot about President George W. Bush. After the thumping the GOP is going to take next week, he shouldn’t be expecting a lot of Christmas cards, either.

Ask A.B. returns after Election Day on Thursday, Nov. 6 — Join our post-mortem on my weekly video Q & A by sending your questions and comments to askab@digital-staging.thehill.com.