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I'm not as familiar with federal law, but with state and local law - once our committee collects its first check, there's a week for the committee to file. That's why I posted that. I always check the FEC or Secretary of State records before writing a check.

If Mr. Gilchrist's campaign wants me to send a check, I need to make sure he's running a serious campaign, has good campaign organization, is pounding the pavement, and is giving himself the best chance to win. That's even before I check where the individual stands on issues.

I'm skeptical since I've seen many "fly by night" campaigns and "celebrity campaigns" which run or pretend to run for office so they can sell their book, go on the talk shows, and put their name in the paper. Pat Buchanan, Ted Nugent, and Geoffrey Fieger come to mind. I'm not saying that Mr. Gilchrist is in that category. I don't know if he is or not, but he is well known in some political circles and running for office will keep his name and group in the papers.

I do believe that Mr. Gilchrist can bring a lot to a debate, and I hope he does so. That said, if he wants my money, I need to be convinced that this campaign is worth a check.