Dimming "The Torch"

By Karen Tumulty and Douglas Waller/Washington

Abrasive and camera hungry, new Jersey's ROBERT TORRICELLI has infuriated fellow Democratic Senators with his public breaks from party positions. He was one of the first Democrats to suggest that AL GORE throw in the towel during the Florida electoral dispute. So last week, as Torricelli denied charges that he received tens of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts from a political supporter seeking his help in an international business dispute, his Democratic colleagues weren't rushing to defend him in the federal investigation. The probe of Torricelli's 1996 campaign rests heavily on testimony from DAVID CHANG, a New Jersey businessman who has pleaded guilty in the case. Chang told investigators he lavished suits tailored in Italy, envelopes of cash, earrings for a girlfriend and a used Rolex watch on Torricelli, according to the New York Times. Still, his colleagues are not yet ready for "the Torch" to be extinguished. They have struggled to keep him as part of their united front against Bush's legislative agenda. With a 50-50 Senate, Democrats can't afford to lose even a maverick.

--By Karen Tumulty and Douglas Waller/Washington