THE PREZ TOUTS HIS PLANS IN FLORIDA

President Bush came to Florida as part of his tour promoting his Social Security "reform" Friday. He appeared in Pensacola to a group of about 1,000 supporters, including mother and former first lady Barbara and brother/governor Jeb! Meanwhile, groups of both supporters and detractors gathered to offer their views.

After the Pensacola visit, Bush and his mother flew to Orlando for a similarly orchestrated appearance. Before the event at a YMCA Centre, the President and former first lady visited The Life Project Senior Development Centre to meet a group of senior citizens.

The crowds at both events, par for the course for Bush's events, were ticketed and available only through congressional offices and selected like-minded community groups.

In a case of bad timing, Bush's visit to Orlando was "below the fold" on the front page of the Sentinel (pdf file). It would likely have been the main headline had it not been for the confession by a former neighbour in the abduction and murder of nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford and the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube.