FEELING HIS OATS. Other state department heads will follow Safety chief Dick Flynn out the door.

HHS Commissioner John Stephen is certainly one. However, Transportation Commissioner Carol Murray is next. Her departure is expected soon.

We've learned that Chuck Douglas' law firm is representing the embattled Murray in negotiations with the Gov. John Lynch's office on a financial arrangement that would result in her exit.

Administrative Services Commissioner Don Hill and Revenue Commissioner Phil Blatsos are being mentioned as potential targets for next year.

THE NEW CHAIR. Republicans will choose a new leader Saturday at the state committee's annual meeting at the Palace Theater. The candidates to succeed Wayne Semprini are Reps. Fran Wendelboe and Will Infantine, businessman/activist Fergus Cullen and young activist Eric Estevez.

Wendelboe supporter Sam Pimm supplied us with his first-ballot vote count: Wendelboe 162, Cullen "about 100," and Infantine 30. He says he's also identified about 40 people as Wendelboe "leaners."

In the past week, Wendelboe has unveiled a sample of an e-newsletter, the N.H. GOP Voice, that she would set up as chair. She says she is "within striking distance of a win on the first ballot," which requires more than 50 percent of the 400-plus members of the committee who vote.

Cullen says he is feeling "confident, but not cocky," and has a "whip count" of more than 150.

Infantine says he has Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta, GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Coburn, Manchester GOP Chair Gerry Thibodeau and former Rep. Mike Biundo of Manchester whipping for him.

"My opinion is it could come down to Fergus and me," Infantine said.

The state committee will also take up about two dozen proposed bylaw changes. Wendelboe will recommend sending them to her proposed new by-laws committee, which would make recommendations for the September meeting.

WORKING THE CROWD. A healthy dose of Presidential politicking will surround that state committee meeting.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will get plenty of national coverage as the keynote speaker.

It's an important stop in an important weekend for Rudy. He arrives Friday night. After a private meeting with Berlin Mayor Bob Danderson, he appears at a sold-out Littleton Chamber of Commerce dinner at the Mount Washington Hotel.

Before the state committee meeting, Giuliani has private meetings planned with two key Manchester Republicans, Guinta and Executive Councilor Ray Wieczorek.

A John McCain backer, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, will host a post-meeting reception at the Merrimack Restaurant. The New Hampshire Conservative Network will host a lunch at the Taste of Europe featuring Presidential hopeful Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore. Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo will have his own event at the Chateau Restaurant.

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney returns to New Hampshire next Thursday for a North Country swing including a visit with Gale Thomson and her family in Orford and receptions in Grafton, Lancaster and Gorham.

LYONS ON BOARD. The McCain campaign will announce later today that John Lyons of Portsmouth will head an Educators for McCain committee in New Hampshire. Lyons is a member of the state Board of Education and president of the Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce.

NO CHANCE. Bill Shaheen thinks the world of John Kerry but wasn't surprised he decided not to run for President.

Shaheen, who chaired Kerry's state campaign in 2004, doesn't think the Massachusetts senator would have made it to top-tier status.

"I think the worse that President Bush drops, the more angry people get at John Kerry for losing," Shaheen said. "One-third of his supporters were Kerry supporters and two-thirds were for anybody but Bush. They can't forgive him for losing."

Still, "I'm proud I was with him," said Shaheen, who said he is now a "free agent" and will play the Presidential field before deciding who to endorse.

Kerry friend and supporter Joe Keefe, a former state Democratic chair, also praised Kerry and said the now-legendary "botched joke" regarding the education level of troops in Iraq "was blown way out of proportion."

AN OBAMA ENCORE? On the heels of Hillary Clinton's announcement that she'll be in the state Feb. 3 and 4, and again on March 10, the Barack Obama camp is discussing a return visit to New Hampshire.

Local supporters hope it happens next month.

State Obama adviser Jim Demers says he has forwarded at least 75 resumes from throughout the country to Obama headquarters. "I expect the Obama campaign will have additional New Hampshire staff hired by next week," he said. Last week, we reported the hiring of Matt Rodriguez as his state campaign manager.

We've also learned that John Edwards' campaign is working on a New Hampshire visit for the middle of next week with a stop at Dartmouth College probably included.

HUNTER'S ANNOUNCEMENT. California Republican U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter will announce his Presidential run at Wilcox Industries in Newington on Monday.

Wilcox, which designs and manufactures tactical equipment for the military, has a facility in Hunter's district.

HMMM. Massachusetts media consultant Ben Kilgore brought GOP Presidential hopeful John Cox to the New Hampshire Union Leader for a chat with editors and reporters Tuesday. Cox called himself an optimistic "Jack Kemp" Republican and said he is the only true conservative in the GOP race.

Near the end of the interview, Cox said he has four staffers on the ground in New Hampshire and nine regional coordinators in Iowa.

"I think we have the best grass-roots operations, bar none, of any of the candidates" in Iowa, he said.

He went on to say, still on the record, "Mitt Romney has spent a whole lot of money in Iowa. He's offering people, I've heard, $20,000 a month to work for his campaign."

"He is?" deadpanned Kilgore. "I'll be right back."

PRAISE FROM BYRD. Senate Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W. Va., doesn't agree with Judd Gregg very often, but he likes the guy.

Byrd opposed Gregg's semi-line-item veto amendment, but in a floor debate this week, said, "I like him. As Shakespeare said, he's a man after my own kidney. That about says it all I guess."

QUICK TAKES:

• Lynch and Secretary of State Bill Gardner said they saw nothing new in Politico.com columnist Roger Simon's report Wednesday that they won't let Nevada hold its caucus before New Hampshire.

• GOP activist and strategist Jack Heath has a new gig. He's live from 4 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays on Hillsborough's WTPL (107.7 FM) and six other New Hampshire stations that Great Eastern Radio recently purchased from Clear Channel.

• Guinta's former public affairs adviser, Craig Smith, recently joined veteran GOP activist Paul Young's Portsmouth-based Calypso Communications public relations firm as an account services director.

• The state Democratic Party is mourning the death last week of long-time grassroots activist George Der Koorkanian of Manchester.

• Rep. Paul Hodes has hired Lisette Morton, formerly of Rep. Jerry Nadler's office, as legislative director and Lauren Oppenheimer, formerly of Rep. Mel Watt's office as senior legislative assistant.

• Democratic state chair candidate Betty Hall has a new Web site, www.Hall4Chair.net.

• Several Granite State political activists are headed to a national conference for independents Sunday at John Jay College in New York City.

John DiStaso is senior political reporter of the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News.