Ever since the subject of redrawing the congressional map came up, there's been speculation that Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall's Middle Georgia district might be reshaped as a possible future home for former Republican U.S. Rep. Mac Collins.

The map hasn't reached final passage — that's likely to come in the Senate Tuesday — but Collins is already letting it be known he thinks the district is a good fit.

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Collins said Monday he is "looking very seriously" at the proposed new 8th District, which now would stretch from Newton County east of Atlanta to Colquitt County in South Georgia.

The proposed district includes Butts County, where Collins owns a home, and it even has his old number. Throughout the decade, the district Marshall represents has been the 3rd, while the Southside Atlanta district represented by Collins, and now Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, has been the 8th.

The new numbering system is just a return to the way things used to be before the beginning of the decade. The old 8th — which would be the new 8th — also bore more than a passing resemblance to the elongated new district.

Collins said he has represented at least 25 percent of the proposed new 8th. He noted that the territory went heavily for Bush last year — although it also went solidly for Marshall. "It looks very favorable," Collins said.

It might also look favorable to other Republicans, which could be why Collins is letting his interest be known before the last blessing has been said over the new map.

Collins, who left his House seat to run for the U.S. Senate and lost to Johnny Isakson in last year's Republican primary, said he's been getting some business in order and refurbishing a house on Lake Jackson. He will soon be "looking for something to do."

We're grateful to Department of Transportation board member Billy Langdale for reminding us that back in the day, this was known as "the Bloody 8th" because it changed hands so often.

We'll see what they're calling it by the end of the decade.

But, isn't that what a press secretary does?

Senate Republicans have done their best the past few years to strip Democratic Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor of his power. Now they are trying to strip him of his press secretary.

Senate budget writers cut $88,190 from the lieutenant governor's budget in their version of the fiscal 2006 spending plan. That's the salary and benefits for Taylor's press secretary, Kristi Huller.

Republicans don't like the idea of Taylor having a press secretary at the same time that he's planning to run against Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue next year.

"His press secretary is doing nothing but being a campaign spokesman paid by taxpayers," said Senate President Pro-Tempore Eric Johnson (R-Savannah).

One of the budget-writers who made the final decisions on the spending plan was Senate Majority Leader Bill Stephens (R-Canton). Stephens was press secretary for then-Lt. Gov. Zell Miller when he ran for governor in 1990.

Staff writer James Salzer contributed to this report.