In Washington, CBS and MTV executives were paraded before righteous lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to explain the term "wardrobe malfunction."

The venue was a U.S. House committee, which left Miller without a forum. So the Georgia senator created one.

His staff zapped out an Internet-driven, instant, televised statement. The first of its kind, that we've seen.

At the following address, you can see and hear Miller compare the Super Bowl half-time show to the lingering smell of a skunk: rtsp://video.webcastcenter.com/srs_g2/miller021104.rm

For the rest of you, we offer this tidbit: "The thing that yanked my chain the hardest was seeing this ignoramus with his pointed head stuck up through the hole he had cut in the flag of the United States of America, yelling about having 'a bottle of scotch and watching lots of crotch.' That did it for me."

Fresh Democratic poll: Bush strong, but slightly stale in Georgia; and Kerry seems to be catching on.

Fresh from his victory in pushing Atlanta's sales-tax-for-sewers bill through the state Senate, Kasim Reed of Atlanta has been named co-chairman of the John Kerry presidential campaign in Georgia. His partner will be David Worley, the former state Democratic Party chairman and congressional candidate.

Reed, a confidant of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, said Kerry could be counted on for at least one visit to Georgia before the March 2 primary.

Recent polling might make him happier to be here.

Democratic pollster Beth Shapiro on Wednesday produced a poll showing President Bush's re-elect numbers still below the 50 percent mark -- lower than expected, she said, in a state that he carried comfortably in 2000. Bush's race against a generic Democrat has also closed a tad since October.

According to Shapiro's numbers, support for Bush is strongest in North Georgia, perhaps because of Zell Miller's endorsement. Surprisingly, Bush support is at lowest ebb in Middle Georgia.

Here are her numbers, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points:

2/04 10/03

VOTE FOR

Republican George W. Bush
2/04: 47%
10/03: 49%

Democratic candidate
2/04: 44%
10/03: 41%

LIKE TO SEE BUSH REELECTED

Yes
2/04: 48%
10/03: 48%

No
2/04: 46%
10/03: 44%

The poll also shows Kerry leaping to the front of the pack with Georgia Democrats likely to participate in the March 2 presidential primary. Shapiro considers Kerry "well-positioned to win the primary." Sen. John Edwards is running a distant second, Al Sharpton doesn't seem to be moving, and support for Don't Know seems to be shrinking. Here are those numbers, based on a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points.

Candidate

John Kerry
2/04: 39%
10/03: 2%
2/03: 13%

John Edwards
2/04: 18%
10/03: 3%
2/03: 6%

Howard Dean
2/04: 10%
10/03: 9%
2/03: 1%

Wesley Clark
2/04: 8%
10/03: 12%
2/03: n/a

Al Sharpton
2/04: 7%
10/03: 7%
2/03: 8%

Don't know
2/04: 18%
10/03: 37%
2/03: 36%