[Kevin Curry]

The Prez needs more votes than the Republicans.

In the aftermath of the campaign finance reform, Medicare prescription drug entitlement, and guest worker amnesty-by-installment debacles, he certainly does.

But Rove's fronting Mel Martinez for the Senate is race-based politics pure and simple. While Martinez may be well qualified, I seriously doubt that Rove would be pushing his candidacy if he were not Hispanic.

[MindBender26]

But Rove's fronting Mel Martinez for the Senate is race-based politics pure and simple

It is far beyond that.

Here in Florida, you need to run 5 races.

1, Hispanic South Florida,
2, The East Coast Jewish Condo Commandos
3, Industrial Tampa and Jax
4, I-75 to I-4 to I-95, Naples to Orlando and north (outside Tampa and Jax.)
5, The Redneck Riviera (west of Jax to LA, or what we call Lower Alabama; I-10 all the way to Pensacola.

Mel wins 4 of the 5, losing only the Condo Commandos.

He wins.