The Memogate Moment
Senator Martinez of Florida and the talking points memo. The one that outlined why Terri Schiavo was excellent prey for the Republican machine to inflame the right, create a wedge in the country, generate new campaign income.
And how the right spun like mad pointing fingers at the left and insisting it was all a forgery. It's another Rathergate! An annonymous forgery?
Washington Post reports that the Freshman Senator had it in his pocket, and handed it over by accident to Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) (on the senate floor). Senator Harkin says that Senator Martinez said "these are talking points," as he handed it over. Though now Martinez says he never read it. Perhaps the full quote by Martinez went something like "These are talking points on this one page memo that I haven't read yet," Busted.
Martinez now said his legal counsel wrote it, Brian Darling. Who he then fired. But Schiavo's name is mispelled at the top of the document. I thought lawyers instinctively double checked details like that before hitting "print" lest a briefing be thrown out of court. Or did Martinez write it, and after so ineptly handing over his own secret partisan plan, just had to find the fall guy? Link
And how the right spun like mad pointing fingers at the left and insisting it was all a forgery. It's another Rathergate! An annonymous forgery?
Washington Post reports that the Freshman Senator had it in his pocket, and handed it over by accident to Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) (on the senate floor). Senator Harkin says that Senator Martinez said "these are talking points," as he handed it over. Though now Martinez says he never read it. Perhaps the full quote by Martinez went something like "These are talking points on this one page memo that I haven't read yet," Busted.
Martinez now said his legal counsel wrote it, Brian Darling. Who he then fired. But Schiavo's name is mispelled at the top of the document. I thought lawyers instinctively double checked details like that before hitting "print" lest a briefing be thrown out of court. Or did Martinez write it, and after so ineptly handing over his own secret partisan plan, just had to find the fall guy? Link
posted by Phil at 12:27 PM
3 Comments:
When I read the article that said Martinez's unnamed aide had written it and been fired, my first thought was, "I wonder why that poor sap got stuck being the fall guy." And, of course, I still wonder who really wrote it. Am I a bad person?
this guy has a history of being deceitful. The mispelling of the name is a real ding as well. I think he was particularly thrilled to have a regional event that he could galvanize against the democrats in Florida as well, and geared up for it. I think the trick is not to let them control the story, and not to let anyone forget it has happened.
Liberal Reps hurrt the party again with their mindless attempt to grow the government. It looks like 06 will be 92 all over again. If the Reps want to keep their majorities they need to replace Frist with a conservative.
Jo macDougal
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