Briefly caught Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite this afternoon and asked about the controversy surrounding her last-minute decision not to seek re-election.

"How do you spell sour grapes?" she said, referring to criticism from would-be candidates Mike Fasano, Nancy Argenziano and others who missed the filing deadline.

One person who did not is Hernando County Sheriff Richard Nugent because, as it turned out, Brown-Waite tipped him off to her decision.

"None of them had the courage to run against me," Brown-Waite said. "I think it's called the Charlie Crist wing." With that, the Brooksville Republican got in a packed members-only elevator and was gone.

*