Can you sit over there so we can talk about you?

In what had to be an at least somewhat awkward situation, the President spent some time recruiting this weekend. During a flight with Gov. Hoeven and Sen. Conrad of North Dakota, the President spoke with Hoeven about challenging Conrad next year. In 2004, North Dakota feel into the category of missed opportunities with Nevada and Arkansas as a state in which GOP recruiting failures meant that vulnerable Dems got a free pass. Not so in 2006 if the American Spectator has it right. Hoeven won reelection handily and would be a slight favorite in a Senate race against an incumbent whose seniority doesn't mean what it used to now that his party appears to have attained a permanent minority status. A Hoeven-Conrad race would be a slightly toned-down version of Thune-Daschle, with obstructionism being a central issue. While not having the President at the top of the ticket, Hoeven will benefit from the fact that the President can now make some stops in the state without having to worry about losing time in Florida and Ohio. Look for Conrad to think long and hard about retiring since he won't be able to accomplish anything in his next term even if he does eke out a victory.