When embattled Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY), the Staten Island congressman whose recent DUI in Virginia came after a night of partying with an overserved pal and led to the revelation that he fathered the child of a woman other than his wife, causing a torrent of speculation—despite his statements to the contrary—that he would quit or be forced out of office , came to the realization that mounting embarrassments and personal setbacks (such as being forced to move into the room over his sister's garage) made his quixotic campaign for re-election untenable and announced his intention to stand down at the end of his term, it was predicted that Staten Island Republicans would clamor to take his spot. How's that working out?

Not so well. Despite favorable odds—Fossella holds the only Republican seat in New York City's congressional delegation—few local pols show any inclination to toss their cap in the ring. The New York Observer suggests a surprise candidate for the race: Vito Fossella. Political consultant Joe Mercurio tells the paper that, "in light of Eliot Spitzer's hooker habit and David Paterson's non-traditional marriage and the City Council's slush fund, Fossella's love child isn't actually such a big deal." The paper notes that the congressman has evinced no desire to pick up the gauntlet he so recently threw down, but who knows? Stranger things have happened. Why, I remember one time where this guy got popped for a DUI and it turned out that not only was he driving drunk, he was driving drunk to visit the secret family that only he and a bunch of suspicious congressional colleagues knew about. Weird, wacky stuff, right?