Another Day, Another Outrage

Where to start?

Tom Delay, of course!

From The Washington Post today:

Allies and friends of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (Tex.) have concluded that public attention to his ethics is unlikely to abate for months to come, and they plan to try to preserve his power by launching an aggressive media strategy and calling in favors from prominent conservative leaders, according to Republicans participating in the strategy sessions.

The Republicans said the strategy combines leaks from DeLay allies about questionable Democratic trips and financial matters; denunciations of unfavorable news stories as biased, orchestrated rehashes; and swift, organized responses to journalists' inquiries.

So, in order to fight the vast left wing conspiracy Mr. Delay has decided to use the time honored third grade strategy, "He did it, too." Let me speak for all mothers of America and say, "Tom, if he jumped of a bridge would you have done that, too?"

But wait, there's more! This is from Fox News (Oh, Tom, you in trouble!)

As Senate Republicans try to push through several of the president's judicial nominees, top Republicans told FOX News that the party is still smarting from what they perceive as massive public backlash against their legislation that ordered Schiavo's case to be reviewed by a federal court.

Sources said Frist and other top Republicans are annoyed at Delay for criticizing the judges who ruled against intervening in the matter.

DeLay has been making headlines lately over other issues as well. Liberal groups have launched ads attacking his allegedly unethical connections to lobbyists and former associates, which are under investigation. Other news reports have raised questions about his use of campaign cash. The House Ethics Committee rebuked him
three times in one week last year.

You wonder how many people are actually taking his calls now? Toxic Tom is going to be talking to a lot of receptionists. Um, yeah, he just stepped out of the office, um, ok, he, ah, well, he just stepped into a meeting, jeez, sorry, but he's on a conference call. No, no, I don't need your number.

And finally, there's this from MSNBC:

"Everybody is lying," Abramoff told a former colleague. There are e-mails and records that will implicate others, he said. He was noticeably caustic about House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. For years, nobody on Washington's K Street corridor was closer to DeLay than Abramoff. They were an unlikely duo. DeLay, a conservative Christian, and Abramoff, an Orthodox Jew, traveled the world
together and golfed the finest courses. Abramoff raised hundreds of thousands for DeLay's political causes and hired DeLay's aides, or kicked them business, when they left his employ. But now DeLay, too, has problems—in part because of overseas trips allegedly paid for by Abramoff's clients. In response, DeLay and his aides have said repeatedly they were unaware of Abramoff's behind-the-scenes financing role. "Those S.O.B.s," Abramoff said last week about DeLay and his staffers, according to his luncheon companion. "DeLay knew everything. He knew all the details."

Oops!

Let's move on, shall we? How about we revisit Senator Martinez? I'm not letting this go. His good friend, Myriam Marquez wrote an interesting editorial in The Orlando Sentinel today.

Has Martinez's loyalty to Bush and White House political guru Karl Rove, who encouraged him to run for the Senate, so blinded him to partisan bullying that he doesn't see the unethical muck that's sinking his past reputation as a straight-shooter?

When I spoke to him over coffee a couple weeks ago -- when the memo was all the Washington buzz -- he seemed disgusted that anyone would use Schiavo's suffering as a political strategy.

Well, someone did, and if Martinez didn't know what his lawyer was up to, then the question begs: Who's really running things?

It's one thing to surround yourself with political operatives sent by the White House during a hard-fought Senate campaign in a presidential election year. (Ask Bill Clinton -- both parties do it.) But once elected, Martinez promised to be his own man and seek bipartisan solutions, particularly on issues that affect Florida. So why the memo?

A look at Martinez's staff reads like a who's who of political operatives and ideologues.

Matthew Hunter, the personable former White House associate political director who worked for Rove, now heads Martinez's Florida offices as state director. Is Hunter's role to oversee constituent service -- the traditional job of a state director -- or to strategize how to unseat Nelson in next year's election? If not for Memogate, we wouldn't have to wonder.

Martinez's legislative director is Tripp Baird, who ran Senate relations for the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. He plotted GOP strategy with lobbyists and congressional staff members as part of the Conservative Working Group. The senator's chief of staff, John Little, came from an Alabama senator's office.

There's nothing wrong with these guys working for Martinez -- if that's whom they're really working for.

I wrote Ms. Marquez a letter thanking her for the editorial; I then copied the letter and sent it off to Senator Martinez, adding an apology for his receptionist and about five or six disgustings and cravens. Just so he gets the picture.

You're probably wondering, what about President Bush? OK, good questions. How much do you think his gone in 60 seconds tour is costing us? From Marketwatch.com:

President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and more than 20 other administration officials have blanketed the country since early February, delivering more than 100 speeches in 37 states in an effort to rally the public behind Bush's Social Security plans.

Although no hard figures on costs are available, rough calculations show the White House and other agencies have spent at least $2.2 million on the campaign so far.

Super! I don't know much about money but perhaps, Mr. President, if you would just put that money back in the Social Security Trust Fund you could help us out. Thanks, thanks a lot. Because the more you talk about your imaginary plan the less people like it! Stay home.

OK, well that's enough outrage for today. Check in tomorrow for news about how Walmart has more employees and their families on Medicaid in Florida than any other employer in the state!

Same bat time, same bat channel!