Remember Robert Rodriguez? No, not the great director who just had a cult hit of sorts with his latest pic, but this Robert Rodriguez, the Democratic nominee who ran against popular GOP incumbent Congressman Buck McKeon in 2006?

Okay, I don't blame you for not recognizing Robert Rodriguez the failed Congressional candidate (I didn't remember him at first either), but according to this report, the erstwhile Democrat is now going "all in" and placing his bets on the fortunes of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.

Rodriguez has been tapped to serve the former Vice Presidential nominee as Edwards' Nevada State Political Director for his 2008 run.(Note: Mr. Rodriguez seems to be going by the name "Roberto Rodriguez" now - probably to avoid confusion with the film autuer of the same name, although this report sugests Edwards is specifically reaching out to increasingly influential Hispanic voters).

Now, I would not normally be inclined to offer my countless years of professional advice and analytical skill to a Democratic Party political operative, but Robert seems like an earnest, nice, hardworking young man who has been thrown into the rigors of the Edwards campaign in a US state of which he may not quite be familiar.

So here's my advice for the Edwards campaign's Nevada political team. This site may be of great interest to the candidate. Or here. Or here.

Oddly enough, the Edwards campaign press release that announced Rodriguez' hiring failed to include the fact that he stood for Congress just six months ago. Perhaps the fact that Rodriguez received just 36% of the vote in an otherwise bright year for Democratic candidates was a factor in Edwards' decision, or perhaps it was an oversight.

Finally, is it just me, or does anyone else find it curious that Robert (or, if you prefer, Roberto) Rodriguez still maintains an active campaign website for a bid for Congress that ended months ago?

Ahh, probably just an oversight.