The Pinellas Democratic Executive Committee wants all those voters eager to cast a ballot for Obama to vote D all the way down the ticket. They've begun a multipronged approach that involves using Facebook to keep the public and what DEC chair Toni Molinaro called community "influencers" in the know about local Democrats. Check out the Web site here. From the site you can go to Vote Local Facebook sites for both Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

Molinaro said the effort was the work of consultants Larry Biddle and Mitch Kates and is unique to Pinellas and the Tampa Bay area rather than a statewide effort. All of the $33,000 collected at the DEC's recent Jefferson-Jackson dinner, plus $20,000 from the state party and another $16,000 in local contributions, is going to the Vote Local campaign, she said.

"We are branding the name 'Vote Local.' " Molinaro said. "We want people to understand that issues that are important to them are best addressed by local leaders, not national politicians."

Will Van Sant, Times staff writer

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