UGH!

I try so hard to look on the bright side.

BUT I AM PISSED. FROSTED. IRATE. MAD AS HELL.

I live in Florida, I was actually born in Florida (I have moved around a lot so don't judge me too harshly). Can I tell you how embarrassing it is to be from The Sunshine State? You know it's bad when Californians are saying, "at least we're not in Florida."

Mel Martinez, my senator, admitted to his office authoring the infamous "talking points memo". Of course, it was all his aide's fault. RIGHT. You work with someone every day and you don't know their views on an issue? How stupid does he think we are? I just called his office and the poor receptionist could not get me off the phone quick enough. I said, if the memo was reported by ABC on March 18th why did Senator Martinez JUST admit that it came from your office? The man who wrote it wouldn't stand up? She said, you know he's been fired, right? I said, yes, but I'd like to know why he was HIRED. Why would Senator Martinez hire a DeLay operative? And why, oh why would Senator Martinez allow all the usual suspects, Rush, Tucker et al to accuse the Democrats of dirty tricks while his office just sat on their hands and lied?

Mr. Martinez has been know to blame his aides for other political dirty tricks. During his campaign for Senate in 2004 he smeared his fellow Republican by calling him "the darling of homosexual extremists." Against his opponent, Betty Castor there's this:

His staff also put out a news release criticizing Castor for campaigning with former Attorney General Janet Reno. The release referred to the federal agents who took custody of Elián as "armed thugs." Martinez later said his staff should not have used that terminology to refer to federal agents.

Well, Senator Martinez, here's a few questions. If you can't control your staff, how are we supposed to trust you to do your job in Washington? Why are you in Rome instead of here, in Florida, apologizing to each and every one of us for your craven actions? Because, Senator Martinez, the idea of you attending the Pope's funeral after you used a poor woman's tragedy for political gain makes me sick.