This might be a first: unless my eyes deceive me, Carly Fiorina formally announced her Senate candidacy on the O.C. Register's editorial page this morning.

The paper may have Chuck DeVore to thank for that development because it's clear Carly's rushing her announcement to take the news cycle away from last night's endorsement of DeVore by the GOP's brightest light in the Senate, Jim DeMint.

Reportedly, what was supposed to happen this week was a series of warm-up events leading to an official Fiorina announcement in Northern California in a couple of days. Instead, this.

It's actually the right play, by my estimation, because the DeMint endoresement will give DeVore serious legs.

I'm out of the office so this will probably be my only post today, but one other interesting tidbit: not surprisingly, I'm told John McCain aggressively lobbied to stop the DeMint endorsement.

No such luck, Mav.

Oh, and while I've been thinking we'll come to find out that Fiorina is more conservative than most of us expect, you do have to say that in addition to McCain, her Senate backers at her big D.C. fundraiser coming up in February reads like a rogue's gallery of wayward Republicans: Graham, Collins, Snowe-- blech!

Trying not to add to the "with friends like these" syndrome which I believe will hurt Fiorina more than it helps her, interestingly, is the NRSC.

Oh, she already has its support, but you're not seeing anything about it today--something else I think is smart. Wear those scarlet letters and you're, well, Charlie Crist.

Carly announced today in a rush. The real news happened last night, though, because DeMint's endorsement may just help DeVore raise the money he needs to make this a fight.