Too Much Information Prize: Mr. Kerry and his campaign, for indignantly disputing Mr. Bush's assertion that he had passed only five bills in his Senate career.

"Once again, the president is misleading America," he said. "I have passed 56 individual bills that I have personally written."

His press office followed up with a list of the 56 legislative achievements, none of which brought to mind Daniel Webster. Among the highlights:

— a "joint resolution designating Oct. 22 through 28, 1989, as 'World Population Awareness Week' ''

— a "resolution amending the Standing Rules of the Senate to change the name of the Committee on Small Business to the 'Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship'

— a "bill to re—designate the federal building located at 380 Trapelo Road in Waltham, MA as the 'Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center,' "

— and, lest we forget, "a resolution to recognize the accomplishments of Lewis A. Shattuck."

Ed Lasky   10 17 04