Bramble now is telling party insiders he is considering a run for Republican national committeeman from Utah, an opportunity that has arisen because the current national committeeman, Winston Wilkinson, is taking a job with former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt in Leavitt's U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That means Wilkinson would resign his party post.

Bramble has said he is interested. Other Republicans expressing interest in running for national committeeman are Mark Towner, who writes commentary for a local political Web site, and Fred Lampropoulos, owner of Merit Medical and a GOP candidate for governor in 2004.

If Bramble runs for national committeeman, he obviously won't run for Cannon's seat this year. But two years as an insider strategist for the national party could make him a strong candidate for Congress next time around.

Memo to Sen. Tom Hatch: This is regarding your bill to exempt several types of people, including returned Mormon missionaries, from having to go through criminal background checks to become a foster parent or work in licensed caregiver facilities. You are quoted as saying, "These are highly supervised people and probably aren't out there committing crimes."

FYI: Arthur Gary Bishop, who was executed in 1988 for kidnapping, torturing, sexually abusing and murdering five young boys, was a returned Mormon missionary.

Such a deal: Wednesday's column noted that Whipple Heating and Air Conditioning reminded Salt Lake City residents of the carbon monoxide poisoning death of their neighbor in a flier that offered them a $50 discount on its $129 safety inspection and precision tune-up on heaters and boilers to ensure they don't suffer the same fate.

A spot check of other heating companies show the typical rate for a green-sticker safety inspection on heaters is $86.

Confused in Utah: A group of young men home for the holidays from college were getting together for a pre-New Year's party when they went to Smith's Food and Drug at 900 East and 800 South to buy poker chips.

The manager there told them the store did not sell poker chips because that was illegal in Utah.

When one of the men went home to tell his father of the shocking news, Dad went to the Smith's Market Place on 455 S. 500 East where he not only purchased poker chips, but noticed poker tables on sale.

Here's an irony: College students home for the holidays from institutions in those liberal sin cities of Boston and New York were disgusted with the bars in Salt Lake City - because of the cigarette smoke.

Boston and New York ban smoking in bars.

Quote of the week: KFNZ talk show host Jim Fuchuck, speaking about Gordan Giricek on the Jazz post game show after the Lakers game Tuesday night: "Sometimes he's on, sometimes he's off. But in a way, he's very consistent."

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Paul Rolly welcomes e-mail at prolly@sltrib.com.