Over lunch today someone just back from the U.S. was telling of a very recently cancelled eating engagement with none other than Karl Rove. The secretary who called to reschedule explained politely that the mid-term elections were taking up more time than Mr Rove had anticipated.

Unsurprisingly, U.S. politics features heavily on the new Channel 4 News blog. For me, one of its strengths is that it provides a proper writing platform for Felicity Spector. Unless you’re a keen credit-watcher you probably won’t recognize the name. I’ve known Felicity since we were at college together in the 80s. She’s one of the brainy behind-the-scenes people who help write and produce Britain’s most distinctive TV news programme (a pinker and perkier version of NewsHour). Television writing is a wonderful thing, but a thirty second lead-in is still only ninety words tops, and if anyone deserves a bigger canvas it’s Felicity.

She did a spell at KSG on a Fulbright and is a keen observer of the US political scene. Keep an eye out for her contributions.