The center of the Republican universe today is Ventura County, California. To wit:

-- At noon, former GOP governor Pete Wilson speaks to a policy forum at California Luthern University (it gets better).

-- At 1:30, Mike Huckabee, Tom McClintock, Hugh Hewitt and other conservative luminaries speak at another forum in Westlake Village (it gets better still).

-- At 3, the Regan Library has advised that a "special guest" may show up in advance of this evening's CNN Republican presidential debate. Speculation is rampant that this special guest's middle initial is W. (Can it get any better than that?)

-- At 4, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be on hand to take a few questions from the assembled media. (You didn't think he'd miss the chance, right?)

-- At some point, presumably before the beginning of the debate, it has been reported that Rudy Guliani will show up at the library to officially drop out of the race and endorse John McCain. (Imagine that, real news breaking out at a debate.)

-- At 5 p.m., the debate begins, the beginning of what amounts to a mano-a-mano contest between McCain and Mitt Romney.