"As soon as I heard the voice, unmistakably, I knew it was him."

The first cyclist to come to a halt before Mr. Delaware's motorcycle.

Spangled Wrangler Leads Critical Mass on back of Harley

ST LOUIS - LOUIS HERALD

Over a thousand cyclists pulled into the middle of downtown traffic this afternoon, blocking roads and forcing Chief of Police Tim Downing to devote three squads to traffic detail. "Typically, you don't see this kind of reckless behavior from cyclists. Hear them shout as they ride through that red light." Though no single bike rider claimed to lead the group, which included all ages of participants, the demonstration was organized by Critical Mass, an informal network of bicycle enthusiasts who think bikes deserve more respect on the roads.

Amid shiny red trikes and black spandex, one participant stood out from the rest. Riding a sissy handle-barred motorcycle, presidential hopeful Frank Delaware roared up and down the column s of cyclists offering encouragement. Samantha Trekal, vice president of the local bank of America commented,

"I was upset at this guy riding a motorcycle in and out of the group. But then I reconsidered; probably motorcycles have a hard time [getting space on the road] too." When asked whether or not she supported Mr. Delaware's candidacy, Trekal responded, "That guy is running for president?"

Though Frank Delaware has been campaigning in Missouri for nearly a month now, most of the cyclists had never seen him before. The majority of Mr. Delaware's contributions in Missouri have been spent buying radio time for the advertisement "Frank Delaware Pay Our Taxes," a commercial that has played more times than the any of the songs in top 40 rotation on the FM dial.

When it seemed clear that Mr. Delaware's motorcycle was endangering the pedaling participants, Chief of Police Downing alerted his mounted police to intervene. The order was canceled, however, when the cyclists came to a halt around Mr. Delaware's motorcycle and urged him to address their concerns.

"As soon as I heard the voice, unmistakably, I knew it was him. Are you for real? What you mean you paid my taxes, and other things like that I started yelling at him. Then everyone stopped."

The improptu address that followed sketched Frank Delaware's plan for the Mobile Economy. "Planes are too slow. Bikes aren't the answer. When you talk transportation you're talking speed; speed to get from A to B in a hurry. That's what our economy needs, and that's what we need. Forget traffic, my car just won't go fast enough. What do you say to flying to around the world in one hour, what to you say to commuting to work in 17 minutes? I may be exaggerating now. But that's why I am your next President. I raise your need for speed."

"It's just another day for the police department," commented Sergeant Tom Rugart, "I'm happy so many of them are wearing helmets. One team of paramedics was kept on alert during the cyclist demonstration.

(I like Mr. Delaware.)