A couple of random musings before steppin' out to collect money from all these people behind on their telephone bills this Thursday morning...

How soon we forget. Of course, the high gasoline prices we are experiencing now is nothing short of criminal, and noone wants to pay two dollars a gallon. But now that the Saudis have said that they would increase production and are attempting to bring their OPEC brethern into the fold, I remember it was not long ago that we were reading reports of a sweetheart deal between President Bush and the Saudi royal family that they would manipulate production to bring prices down in time for the November elections. The Saudi Arabian move seems more than just a coincidence now...

Former Florida House Speaker Johnnie Byrd is an also ran. He began a TV ad campaign this week touting his conservative credentials as he seeks the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democratic incumbant Bob Graham. Sorry, but the way he ran the state house the past two years alienated even his fellow Republicans, and as soon as this year's session ended several of his former collegues who had endorsed his campaign jumped off the ship like rats off the Titanic. He'll be lucky to be in the second tier of Republicans behind McCollum and Martinez.

And Betty Castor, will you PLEASE QUIT TAKING THE TAMPA BAY AREA FOR GRANTED!?!? One of her supporters had scheduled a fundraising event in Auburndale for June, rented the building, and was making plans for the event when her campaign people called and cancelled saying there was a "scheduling conflict" in South Florida...nice way of saying a good way of getting a LOT MORE $$$ than in Polk County. If that's the case, JUST SAY IT!

Don't get me wrong, I like Betty Castor. I believe she'll be the Democratic nominee after her two primary opponents, who dislike each other with a passion, beat each other up while Ms. Castor stands aside and watches, waiting to pick up the pieces. And I believe she can defeat either Martinez or McCollum in the general election. But she can't afford to leave her home base vunerable.