WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young knows the question is coming — it always does this time a year — and he smiles while easing into a chair outside the House gallery.

Point blank, will you seek re-election, or is this your final year? His answer, delivered with the charm and patience of a man nearing his 79th birthday, provides few clues.

"You might find this strange but I really enjoy the campaign and I think there are some major issues that we need to be concerned about," he says. "I feel good. I've got plenty of energy. But I recognize that I'm getting older. I've not made a final decision and I never do until the election year."

Now in his 20th term in Congress, the Pinellas County Republican has endured a decade of such speculation. But talk on Capitol Hill is stronger than ever that Young is winding down. (story here)