Where Prescription Drugs and Doctor's Appointments Don't Mix

In all, the number could be anywhere from 100 to 200 people, and the Obama transition has been sending names over to the bureau for some time. (Unclear whether the McCain transition team has taken similar advantage of this opportunity, but they would not necessarily be confronting a near-void at senior positions.) The law says the FBI should complete the investigations by the day after the election, a manageable deadline at least for those people who held clearances in the Clinton administration.

Since many transition-team members have been known to move into top jobs where Senate confirmation is necessary, this should also speed nominations and reduce the number of "home alone" Cabinet members, a problem at some agencies that can last for several months after Inauguration Day.

Faster Than a FEMA Trailer

It's getting down to the wire for people with old television sets to switch to digital before the Feb. 17 deadline. A just-completed Consumers Union poll shows general awareness of the impending change to be 93 percent. Given that, some folks at the Federal Communications Commission think resources should now go to a system to answer calls and to assist seniors, the disabled, non-English speakers and others with their converter boxes and such.

But FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, back home yesterday in Charlotte, a hotbed of NASCAR activity, announced a nifty new public awareness project to have the FCC sponsor NASCAR driver David Gilliland and put a digital awareness ad on his No. 38 Ford in three races, starting Sunday.

FCC folks, alluding to idle chatter that Martin may be thinking of a run for GOP Rep. Sue Myrick's seat when she retires, are wondering about the NASCAR gambit, which is budgeted at $355,000. Martin, in his news release, said it's "an extremely effective way" to make sure racing fans know about the switch.

Upper House or Big House?

Back in much happier times, specifically on April 12, 2007, a couple of dozen senators rose on the floor of the chamber to pay tribute to Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) during the week he became the longest-serving Republican senator in history.

Senator after senator rose to pay homage to the man they reverentially called "The King of Pork." Counting those who later added their tributes, some 30 of his colleagues rose to honor Stevens. All but four were Republican. The Democrats included his close friend Sen. Daniel Inouye (Hawaii), who noted that he and Stevens "have received the crown of being 'pork men of the year.' We are number one in add-ons in the U.S. Senate."

Sen. Robert Byrd (W.Va.) called Stevens "a man of immense integrity, high personal principles and unqualified honesty." There were warm toasts from Sen. Edward Kennedy (Mass.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.).

Now Stevens's Senate career may be in the hands of 12 residents of the District of Columbia, the jury in his trial in federal court on charges of failing to report more than $250,000 in gifts and home improvements he received from a pal at an oil services company.

If the jury finds him not guilty, the political pundits say, he may well retain his seat. He's only slightly behind in the polls as it is. If he's convicted, well, there may be some lawmakers who'll want to, as they say, "revise and extend" their remarks.

Democrats' Good News, Bad News

Speaking of legal and ethical matters, Democrats are bemoaning the increasingly kinky news out of Florida, where incumbent Democratic Rep. Tim Mahoney enjoyed a healthy lead until news broke of his alleged affair with, and alleged subsequent payments to, a former staffer. And then there were reports of an alleged affair with another woman.

This is in the district long represented by Republican Mark Foley, who was forced to give it up after certain e-mails surfaced involving male ex-pages. (What's with that district? The water? The heat?) So that district, which leans GOP anyway, appears lost to the Dems. There are reports that the party is pulling the plug.

But the upside is that they stand to save maybe more than $1 million they would have spent on ad buys in a fairly expensive media market, trying to hold it for Mahoney. That money now can be spent on other candidates.

On the other hand, the Democrats have so much money they wouldn't even notice the savings.

Must be nice.

Research editor Alice Crites contributed to this column.