In the crowded FL-11 Democratic primary, once candidate has started garnering some publicity for himself in interesting and innovative ways:

"By ERNEST HOOPER, St. Pete Times Columnist
Published December 2, 2005
Some people may accuse congressional candidate Scott                                          Farrell of turning to gimmicks, but his decision to convert a campaign recreational vehicle to run on waste vegetable oil does draw attention to the need for clean energy fuels.

Farrell, one of five Democratics vying to replace Rep. Jim Davis, D-Tampa, leaves Tampa today in the 33-foot RV for what he's calling the Real American Values Tour.

Farrell will depart from his Ybor City office and stop in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina en route to Washington, D.C."

Our esteemed Majority Leader, Bill Frist, has gotten himself in the sort of pickle that sends home decor experts to jail. It was reported today in Chicago's Daily Herald that Sen. Frist sold ALL of his shares in the family business HCA, only weeks before a poor earnings report that led the stock to tumble.

http://www.dailyherald.com/search/searchstory.asp?id=96641

While the assets were in a "blind trust" to sever any conflicts of interest, Frist is the one who made the order to sell. He said it was to avoid conflicts, but there has been pressure on him to sell this stock since he was elected.

This sounds more than a little fishy.

Democrats are clearly stuck in a pickle over the Roberts nomination. A heavy majority "yea" vote delivers Bush a major victory at a time when he hasn't seen a good new cycle since before his vacation. A large, Democratic, "nay" vote - but especially a filibuster - sets Senate Democrats up for accusations of "obstructionism". Neither option is tenable at this point.

The Party needs strength and unity should Bush nominate an ultra-conservative such as Owens or Luttig. Roberts is a lock. He is clearly qualified and clearly a sharp legal mind. What is not clear is anything else. Where does he stand on abortion rights? The right to privacy? Search and seizure?

If the Democrats want to make a bold move in opposition to the Roberts nomination, the caucus should not vote. Harry Reid should stand on the steps of the Capitol and declare that Senate Democrats will not place a vote for a candidate who refuses to state his views on major, relevant issues.

I imagine it something like this...