The Buzz gets a lot of e-mail, and not all of it is from mortgage brokers or Viagra peddlers.

We also get dozens of e-mails a day from the Democratic presidential candidates and their Republican adversaries.

Most of the e-mails are serious. They must be, since they come across with ALL CAPS AND EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!

But some of it is pretty witty, as far as it goes. We liked this "invitation," with pictures of balloons and streamers:

"You are invited to help us celebrate the retirement of George W Bush . Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2004.

"No gifts please. Just send a contribution to the John Edwards for President campaign to help pay for W's trip back to his ranch."

How much to send?

"$25 -- W. hitchhikes home"

"$50 -- W. goes Greyhound"

"$100 -- W. flies Southwest"

"$250 -- W. takes Halliburton's Gulfstream."

But hey. Those Republicans have a sense of humor, too.

The S.C. Republican Party sent out a press release of its own attacking Edwards' campaign ad.

The GOP blasted Edwards for saying he was from Seneca, even though he said during his U.S. Senate race in the other Carolina that he grew up in Robbins, N.C.

For the record, Edwards was born in Seneca but moved to Robbins when he was 12.

The Republicans had this headline: "For Edwards, home is where the heart is, or election, or photo-op, or wherever one of his multimillion $ mansions isn't."

FUUUUUMMMMBLE!

Gov. Mark Sanford has a conundrum.

He has a master's degree from the University of Virginia, but he's governor of South Carolina, which makes him a member of the USC board of trustees and holder of luxury box seats at Gamecock football games.

And, it just so happens, USC played UVA in football Saturday.

(FYI, The Buzz, believe it or not, is not actually written the day before it appears in the paper. Because of this, dear reader, at the time of this writing we have absolutely no idea who won the USC-UVA game.)

So, for whom did Sanford root?

Well, it appears there's another problem. Sanford's other alma mater, Furman University, played Clemson on Saturday.

So, for whom did Sanford root?

When asked, Sanford replied: "I know they're underdogs, but I really hope Furman beats Virginia."

Sigh.

But at least Sanford's getting better with his football terminology. Sanford has been known to butcher football metaphors, such as saying the state is on the "80-yard line" with some proposal or on the "99-yard line" with another.

Of course, there is no 80- or 99-yard line.

This past week on the ETV program "Stateline," however, Sanford referred to being at "the opponent's 20-yard line."

So maybe having USC coach Lou Holtz come speak to his Cabinet had a positive impact on Sanford after all.

A PARTING SHOT FOR HIS PARTY

"Once upon a time, the most successful Democratic leader of them all, FDR, looked south and said, 'I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill clad, ill nourished.'

"Today our National Democratic leaders look south and say, 'I see one third of a nation, and it can go to hell.'"

That was retiring U.S. Sen. Zell Miller, D-Ga., in his soon-to-be-published book, "A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat."

Miller often votes with Republicans and has said the national Democratic Party has abandoned its big-tent theory of inclusiveness.