Spice From Rudy & Mitt's PR Shops

They used to work together in GOP PR shops, he the boss, she the protégé. Now they're battling each other on the presidential campaign. But it probably won't get nasty between Mitt Romney's spokesman Kevin Madden and Rudy Giuliani's spokesperson Maria Comella. In fact, they seem to be giving each other shout-outs in their daily briefings. Madden has long issued "the Romney Rundown" every morning, splicing in humor and his love of the New York Yankees, despite being headquartered in the heart of Red Sox Nation, with Romney news and scheduling. Comella just started her own, today dubbing it "the Giuliani Guidebook." She promises to test out other titles until one hits.

Today Madden took note of his former aide's work: "Good morning, folks," he E-mailed reporters. "Since the Rundown concept is now being copied (or is it emulated, since Maria is a Madden protégé?), I guess this means I'll have to step it up a notch. Either that or switch to podcasts, but then again my Yonkers accent might cause a dramatic drop in the Rundown audience."

Comella promised a "shout-out" to Madden in her Guidebook tomorrow. Today she used it to guide primary reporters in Iowa, where she toiled for former gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle, now President Bush's budget director. In it she wrote: "Good morning—I'm jealous of those of you out on the road in Iowa today. A few things—remember to wear sensible shoes, stop by Iowa Republican Party Chairman Ray Hoffmann's Italian restaurant in Sioux City—Luciano's—and make sure your rental car is full of gas before you begin the drive east on Highway 20 tonight. Trust me on that one."