Ralph.

Ralph has every right to run for president, just like any other natural-born citizen who has not been convicted of a felony. Go for it.

I actually have a certain amount of respect for Ralph, for his very helpful work as a consumer advocate. Thanks, Ralph. You should have kept that up.

But here and now, he's a tool. As I see it, he is either running independently, as a spoiler, or is running as a paid spoiler, to dampen Democratic chances of winning in November, or at least to confuse the facts of that election to such a degree that Rove-ian agents and their activities might go undetected.

Mark my words.

He wants to be president about as much as Grampa Thompson did. He's just in it for the payoff.

I have to wonder at his timing, though. Was this an attempt, for some reason, to get Don Siegelman off the front page?

How connected is Ralph to the Rove machine, anyway? I'm just askin.'