We'll be in Montgomery this morning and won't be able to blog or update the headlines until the afternoon. In case you missed it:

A scheduling hearing in federal court has been set for 8:30 a.m. in Montgomery Friday in what could be the "conspiracy" show trial of former Gov. Don Siegelman and deposed HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy.

The primary purpose of the hearing before Justice Mark E. Fuller, appointed to the court by President George W. Bush in 2002, is to set a trial date and rule on pending motions in the case, including one to try Siegelman and Scrushy separately and one for a dismissal of the case for "prosecutorial misconduct."

The judge may also consider and rule on whether there should be a change of venue if there is a trial and other procedural motions relating to jury selection and the admissibility of certain expert witness testimony, and whether or not there was an "actual conspiracy" in the case.

The trial date in the case is critical, especially to the Democratic Party, since the primary vote in the upcoming governor's race is set for June 6. If the trial is scheduled for March or even April, the Siegelman camp feels that would allow plenty of time for a determination in the case and time for a full campaign in the primary - if the case is dropped along the way or results in a not guilty verdict.

A later trial date could put a real crimp in the party's plans, according to party officials and other experts.

One insider in the Siegelman camp - who expressed concerns about delays on the part of the prosecution already - said they have a full realization about the political realities if the hearing on Friday goes badly. A guilty verdict, of course, would certainly knock Siegelman out of the race.

"If it goes badly Friday," according to one highly placed source, "Siegelman's dance in this show may be over."