(on newsstands Monday, November 5)

COVER: "The Billion Dollar Wild Card" (p. 30). One year from Election Day, Newsweek takes an in-depth look at the people-and places-that could have a major impact on Campaign 2008, including a profile of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the $1 billion wild card who represents a formidable threat to the traditional party nominees. "If it happens, it's a billion-dollar campaign," Kevin Sheekey, Bloomberg's chief political adviser, told Newsweek. Plus, a new Newsweek Poll shows, almost exactly a year before Election Day, Hillary Clinton's lead for the party's nomination remains unchanged with 44 percent of the overall Democratic vote, compared to 24 percent for Barack Obama (down a point since Newsweek's August poll) and 12 percent for John Edwards (down two points). The '08 campaign coverage also includes an extensive online component featuring video interviews with the candidates, an interactive election map, a polling center and more.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/68113

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071104/NYSU004 )

THE TECHNOLOGIST: "The Search for a Candidate" (p. 22). Senior Editor and Columnist Steven Levy writes that a new battleground for presidential candidates is a secret war in search ads in the Google and Yahoo era of campaigning -and John McCain is the frontrunner in this shadow race. After a slow start, candidates finally have begun exploiting this new medium, finally figuring out that this vehicle is an ideal way to reach potential voters-and especially donors.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67920

REPORT FROM THE FRONT: "'What She Can't Do Is Have It Both Ways'" (p. 40). Senior Washington Correspondent Howard Fineman and Senior White House Correspondent Richard Wolffe debut "Report From the Front" with an interview with Sen. Barack Obama. With the Iowa caucuses, a must win, just eight weeks away, Obama talks about the sense of urgency in his campaign and amps up his new willingness to criticize Democratic front runner Sen. Hillary Clinton, whom he calls "disingenuous."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67934

THE BATTLEGROUND: "Iowa's Field of Dreamers" (p. 42). Editor-at-Large Evan Thomas and Senior White House Correspondent Richard Wolffe examine why the Iowa caucus, although arcane and confusing, has a critically important role in the 2008 presidential race. An odd place to anoint as kingmaker (or kingbreaker) in the race for presidential nominations, Iowa is in the center of the country, the classic "heartland." While it is fairly well balanced between liberals and conservatives, it is notably older and whiter than the rest of the country.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67930

BETWEEN THE LINES: "Congenital Lawyer Redux" (p. 48). Senior Editor and Columnist Jonathan Alter writes, "the lawyer is back." The Hillary Clinton he followed around New Hampshire last week is "a much-improved model from the old days," he writes. "But politicians, like ordinary mortals, only change around the edges."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67935

POLITICS: "Putting Faith in a 'Black Chick From Brooklyn'" (p. 50). Washington Correspondent Eve Conant reports on what the Democratic Party's new Faith In Action Initiative is doing to court religious voters, and profiles Brooklyn's Rev. Leah Daughtry, the group's charismatic leader charged with the daunting challenge to shake Democrats free of their image as a faith-averse party.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67933

THE SLEEPER: "The Other Man From Hope" (p. 52). White House Correspondent Holly Bailey reports on why Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee may be the dark horse for the GOP nomination, winning converts by cultivating a regular-guy image.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67931

"Rocking 'Til the Cows Come Home" (p. 54). Editorial Assistant Andrew Romano reports on the time he spent with Mike Huckabee and his classic-rock cover band, Capitol Offense. "People substitute politics for their lives," Huckabee says. "That's a terrible thing. Politics is not a life. I'm a real person. I'm a musician. And I refuse to become subhuman to run for office."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67932

IRAQ: "A Civil War On Campus" (p. 60). Baghdad Bureau Chief Babak Dehghanpisheh reports that the Iraqi university system is breaking down along sectarian lines with Sunnis and Shiites dividing classrooms. A UNESCO report shows that amid Iraq's low-grade civil war, hundreds of college students and teachers have been kidnapped or killed since 2003.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67922

ELLIS COSE: "From a Prison to Princeton" (p. 61). Contributing Editor Ellis Cose writes about Abass Hassan Mohamed's journey from one of three refugee camps carved out of the Kenyan desert and collectively called Dadaab to Princeton University-where he's now a junior. "For kids in Dadaab without his diligence and luck, options are few," Cose writes. "An estimated 7 million refugees worldwide are similarly 'warehoused'... That number gives only a hint of the daunting odds a would-be Abass has to overcome."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67925

BUSINESS: "Google Goes Globe-Trotting" (p. 62). Senior Editor Steven Levy recently tagged along as the only reporter on a marathon 16-day worldwide trip with a group of 18 Google associate product managers (APMs), who were on a mission to see firsthand the humble, unwired ways of life experienced by billions. The experience provides a rare look into Google itself-its management philosophy, its future, its values and its attempts to maintain its vision in the face of tremendous growth.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67919

CAUSES: "Do-Gooders Gone Bad" (p. 68). Senior Editorial Manager Arlene Getz reports that the many activists who have brought issues like Darfur into living rooms has been astonishingly effective, but there is a downside. For all their success in raising public awareness, there's been little improvement on the ground. And critics say the activists' growing influence hasn't always been helpful, with the simplicity of their messages sometimes getting in the way of response.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67923

EDUCATION: "The Writing on the Wall" (p. 69). Associate Editor Raina Kelley reports that technology is affecting the written word with increasing numbers of children growing up without learning proper handwriting or cursive script. New research shows handwriting fluency is a fundamental building block of learning, and educators are trying to wedge it back into the curriculum.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67956

BROADWAY: "The Pride of Frankenstein" (p. 73). Senior Editor Cathleen McGuigan and Correspondent Nicki Gostin, in an exclusive interview, talk with Mel Brooks on why he loves doing Broadway as his newest musical, "Young Frankenstein," opening this week. "The great, great, great thing about Broadway is that you get what you got into show business for-the immediate payoff ... This is why I got into this, for this love and appreciation. There's nothing like a live show. You can't get goose bumps watching a movie, but you can always get goose bumps at musical theater."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/67957

TIP SHEET-PARENTING: "Who Needs Preschool" (p. 83). General Editor Anna Kuchment offers tips on the benefits of preschool-what it is, how to decide if your child needs it and, if so, how to select the right program for your toddler.

http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/tipsheet/archive/2007/11/03/who-needs- preschool.aspx (Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the space if one exists.) SOURCE Newsweek

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