Kevin? Kevin? Where are you, Secretary Shelley? Shelley declined to appear yesterday at a state legislature committee hearing investigating what exactly he did with all the federal get-out-the-vote money he was supposed to be using for nonpartisan purposes, sending a poor sap who works in his office in for grilling instead. What, Shelley's gotta have an engraved invitation now?

At the hearing, Shelley's poor sap, Tony Miller, was forced to admit that maybe it did look a little funny to use nonpartisan funds earmarked for updating voting machines to send people to Kerry rallies, but that it was all just a big misunderstanding. Bygones, guys! Legislators are fuming, and Assemblywoman Nicole Parra (D, Kings County) will be issuing a subpoena if Shelley doesn't show up for day two of the questioning, scheduled for later this week.

To be fair, the legislature told Shelley either he or the person most knowledgable about the funds could appear -- but come on, guy, even Rumsfeld knows when he's expected somewhere. Here's hoping Shelley shows up later this week in a bathrobe carrying a toothbrush again!