Her calendar was full, but with what?

Wondering where Katherine Harris was during the chaotic final week to qualify for the 2002 election? Don't count on her public schedule to tell you much.

For days, neither the secretary of state's office nor her congressional campaign would say where Harris was. When her office finally released her schedule, many of her appointments were missing, leaving the public to wonder where she had been during that crucial week.

Some of the schedule was in code.

For example, her July 23 schedule says: "**Arcadia**Project Prairie," which is explained as "Successful partnership between: Major Corp/Fed Gov/State/Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority/SWFWMD and DeSoto County."

Further investigation revealed that Harris was announcing a new Wal-Mart distribution center in DeSoto County. Mary Dougherty-Slatt, a DeSoto official involved in the matter, said Wal-Mart wanted its name kept off Harris' schedule until a deal was reached.

There were other indecipherable entries. Two said merely "**DCA**," which could stand for the Department of Community Affairs, or the District Court of Appeal. Harris spokesman David Host said it actually stands for Washington, D.C.

On July 24, Harris attended two international trade meetings in D.C. from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The rest of the day's schedule is blank. It doesn't even say "Personal time" as the governor's schedule typically does if he's off public time.

On her off-time, Harris attended a campaign fundraiser at the Washington offices of Holland & Knight.

On July 26, with the deadline for elections qualifying at noon, her morning schedule had her in staff meetings, posing for photos and speaking to the Able Trust Youth Leadership Forum in the Capitol.

Noon to 1 p.m. was reserved for lunch.

Three little words -- "not yet designated" -- will appear for the first time on the Sept. 10 Democratic primary ballot. It's because of a new law that allows a candidate for governor to delay the naming of a running mate until after the primary. Leading Democrats Janet Reno and Bill McBride are doing just that, but it hasn't ended the speculation.

Conventional wisdom suggested that McBride, who trails Reno in polls, would pick a running mate early, in hopes of stretching his base and generating some desperately needed excitement in this humdrum primary. But no.

One name that surfaces in speculation about a McBride running mate is state Sen. Walter "Skip" Campbell of Fort Lauderdale. Campbell is a gregarious and rich trial lawyer from a crucial Democratic county, Broward. He confirmed McBride's agents approached him to inquire about his interest in being second banana, but he's not interested.

Could it be that even this McBride supporter knows McBride can't beat Reno?

"I think if he (McBride) got elected, I can help him more by being a state senator than a do-nothing lieutenant governor," Campbell said.

American flags sprouted on the lapels of legislators attending a recent conference in Denver, but only one legislator sported a lapel pin offered by the American Association for Nude Recreation.

Rep. Sally Heyman, D-North Miami Beach, wore hers with pride. After all, she was the group's legislator of the year in Florida for opposing Republican efforts to make nudity illegal everywhere but in your bedroom.

-- Times staff writers Julie Hauserman, Adam C. Smith, Steve Bousquet and Lucy Morgan were on spin patrol. Send tips, thoughts, suggestions to spinpatrol@sptimes.com.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright