UPI's Capital Comment for Dec. 30, 2002

     WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Capital Comment -- Daily news notes, political rumors and important events that shape politics and public policy in Washington and the world from United Press International.            Graham cracker...      Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., says he might run for president in 2004. If he does run he starts off as a dark horse even though Florida, now with 27 electoral votes, is a political powerhouse. With a reputation as a moderate Democrat, Graham has spent almost his entire adult life in politics, serving in the state legislature and as governor for eight years before joining the senate in 1986. A late entry into the field of prospective candidates Graham would start off well behind the nominal frontrunners, Sens. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., and Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn.

     If Graham does run in 2004 then he would likely have to surrender his seat in the U.S. Senate. He has to run for re-election in 2004 and Florida law does not permit a two-track campaign. The pressure will be on for him to choose his race and to choose it early if the Democrats hope to hold on to the seat -- something many analysts say would be difficult in light of the way Florida has been trending Republican for the last ten years.

     A natural candidate for the vice-presidential slot, Graham may be taking about a presidential bid as a graceful way to ease himself out of the senate rather than retire outright.

     -0-      Hard time...      In one of his final acts as Michigan's chief executive, outgoing Republican Gov. John Engler has signed several pieces of legislation repealing the state's mandatory minimum drug sentences. Laura Sager, executive director of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, a special interest group leading the fight for repeal, praised the move, saying it brought " a quarter-century of failed sentencing policy to a close."

     "Harsh mandatory minimums, originally intended to target drug 'king pins'warehoused many nonviolent, low-level drug offenders at a very high cost to taxpayers. Now judges can use their discretion under sentencing guidelines to more closely fit the punishment to the crime and the offender," Sager said.

     Engler's signature on Michigan Public Acts 665, 666 and 670 of 2002 eliminated most of what opponents called "Draconian mandatory minimum sentences" in favor of judicial discretion in sentencing based on a range of factors in each case, rather than solely drug weight.

     -0-      Out...      Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., who had been considered the front-runner in the race for the 2004 GOP nomination for U.S. Senate has announced he will not make the race. His withdrawal leaves the field wide open -- with former U.S. Rep. Tommy Hartnett, former state Attorney General Charlie Condon and current U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint most often mentioned as potential challengers to Democrat Sen. Ernest 'Fritz' Hollings, who is finally the state's senior senator after 36 years.

     -0-      Flying down to Rio...      On Monday the White House announced the designation of four people who will serve as representatives of President George W. Bush at the Jan. 1, 2003 inauguration of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the new president of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

     The delegation will be led by Ambassador Robert Zoellick, the United States Trade Representative, and will also include U.S. Ambassador to Brazil, Donna Hrinak, U.S. Sen. Michael B. Enzi, R-Wyo., and John Maisto, special assistant to the president and senior director for western hemisphere affairs on the staff of the National Security Council.

     -0-      Poll watch...      A FOX News/Opinion Dynamics poll of 344 Democrats across the country has New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at the top of the list of preferred presidential nominees for 2004. Though Clinton has said repeatedly through aides that she would not be a candidate, she nevertheless got the support of 21 percent of the survey's respondents. The next candidate on the list, at 18 percent, is Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, the party's vice-presidential nominee in 2000.

     Rounding out the top tier are Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., at 16 percent, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., at 6 percent, and U.S. rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., at 5 percent. Also winning votes were Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, and the Rev. Al Sharpton while 'Not sure' was the choice of 20 percent of participants.

     -0-      UPI's Capital Comment will not be published on Dec. 31, 2002 or Jan. 1, 2003. Happy and safe New Year to all our readers.