<div id="a" style="width:100%;">
       <a href="">bob</a>
</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
    $("a").observe('mouseover', function(e) {
            Event.element(e).setStyle({backgroundColor: '#900'});
     });

    $("a").observe('mouseout', function(e) {
                Event.element(e).setStyle({backgroundColor: '#fff'});
    });
</script>

<div id="a" style="width:100%;">
       <a href="">bob</a>
</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
    $("a").observe('mouseover', function(e) {
            Event.element(e).setStyle({backgroundColor: '#900'});
     });

    $("a").observe('mouseout', function(e) {
                Event.element(e).setStyle({backgroundColor: '#fff'});
    });
</script>

$("a").observe('mouseover', function() {
  this.setStyle({backgroundColor: '#900'});
});

$("a").observe('mouseout', function() {
  this.setStyle({backgroundColor: '#fff'});
});