Tea Party Express: Orlando, here I come!

The Tea Party Express bus tour will end Thursday in Orlando, Fla., and my friend Barbara Espinosa -- "Grandma Is an Angry Mob" -- has invited me to attend the event. Barbara writes at her American Freedom blog:

I was a volunteer for the Tea Party Patriots and Freedom Watch at the 9-12 march in Washington D.C. also have attended Townhalls and Tea Party Rallies across Arizona protesting Government Run Healthcare, Cap and Trade, Higher Taxes, Out of Control Spending, taking over Banks, Car Industry, TARP, Stimulus.......I will be attending this GRAND FINALE and encourage all that can do so DESCEND on ORLANDO. . . . Be a part of history in taking back our government.

OK, so it's a 14-hour drive to Orlando -- 1,800 miles round-trip. At 20 cents per mile, that's $360. I'm hoping to make the trip down in two days, leaving tomorrow (Tuesday) and stopping Tuesday evening in Savannah. Ali Akbar lives there, and the 2010 congressional race in GA12 (a seat held by Blue Dog Democrat Rep. John Barrow) is something I'm interested in reporting about.

Given the extraordinary generosity of readers who funded the NY23 coverage, I hate to rattle the tip jar too hard for this expedition -- you gotta admit, Orlando in November is a pretty cool assignment -- but contributions to the Shoe Leather Fund would nonetheless be helpful in persuading Mrs. Other McCain that this isn't just a holiday.