(Providence, Rhode Island)

I have been in Rhode Island five weeks, but am just now getting my first taste of winter snow. Yes, it has been bitterly cold and windy at times, but this is my first measurable snowfall.

That's my dad's old car behind me, still bearing the Wisconsin plates. I used the car a good bit in the Midwest during my 2008 presidential election coverage, taking it to four states. It came to be known in my book as my "campaign war wagon!" At times the windchill was 20 degrees below zero, but the car kept me safe and warm on the highways. My late dad was looking down on me as my copilot! My brother Bill works at M&I Bank, thus my cap! As I've said for 26 years now: "You can take the boy out of Wisconsin, but you can't take Wisconsin out of the boy!" My sister Tracy drove the car here a few weeks ago, and we had a great time feasting in the fine restaurants of Providence!

For more about my book and my campaign travels, just click on the blue book button on the right side of this screen. It will take you right to the checkout lane at www.Amazon.com. "Age of Obama: A Reporter's Journey with Clinton, McCain and Obama in the Making of the President 2008," was my first published book and, I hope, won't be my last.

I am LOVING covering Rhode Island politics. For a tiny state, we sure make a lot of political waves. Last week's announcement that Congressman Patrick Kennedy will be retiring, in fact, caused a tidal wave in Rhode Island politics. Now a lot of current office holders are shifting gears and running for other offices.

For example, Providence Mayor David Cicilline was running for a third term; now he's running for the Democratic nomination for Congress. The whole Kennedy tsunami is prompting what we've termed a game of "political musical chairs" in our coverage at ABC 6.

Here is a link to our "musical chairs" coverage: http://www.abc6.com/news/84401717.html

Please post your comments below. In tomorrow's blog I will talk about why I think Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana is stepping down. Could he be planning to challenge President Obama for renomination in 2012? Stay tuned!