| Are you kidding me? Is the entire length and breadth of your political analysis limited to some cockamamie process by which bad quotes for Democrats get spun up and bad weeks for Republicans get played into "Democrats do it too"...?
WHY IS CONGRESSMAN TIM WALZ'S TAXPAYER-FUNDED COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR?
commenting on the 2008 U.S. Senate race? Why is she commenting on campaign/political meetings with the DSCC?
According to MN Campaign Report, Meredith Salsbery provided this quote:
{Quote}
She's paid by the taxpayers, not a campaign.
Look, I understand spindoctorism. No big deal. But I put this to the readers: which of these is not like the other? A congressional communications director responding truthfully to a direct inquiry from a member of the media about an upcoming event and what it's about, or a congressional communications director violating franking privilege to send out an email imploring readers to write glowing letters to the editor about a Congresswoman who has repeatedly embarrassed herself and the entire state of Minnesota?
Responding to a media inquiry as one's job description dictates, or potentially violating House ethics rules (and potentially federal law as well)? Which would you rather have done? It's not a rhetorical question - the two cases are not comparable.
It's okay though, I'm just as happy to let Bill Prendergast smack you around. Rhetorically, at least. From the comments thread at TBQ:
Michael B. Brodkorb says:
March 14th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Why is Walz's taxpayer-funded communications director commenting on the 2008 U.S. Senate race? Why is she commenting on campaign/political meetings with the DSCC? She's paid by the taxpayers, not a campaign.
Bill Prendergast says:
March 14th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Mr. Brodkorb-
That's a fair question you're asking there, about why Walz' communications director is fielding questions about a possible Senate run. What did Walz' communications director say, when you called and asked her to comment on the issue?
Michael B. Brodkorb says:
March 14th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Bill: I haven't called Ms. Salsbery.
Bill Prendergast says:
March 14th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Ah.
Thank you Bill Prendergast. The reason Meredith Salsbery answered my question (which I actually, you know, asked before publishing) is because I asked it - it's her job to handle media communications for Congressman Walz, and since, to the best of my knowledge, his re-election committee does not yet have a communications director, I asked her. As noted above - not quite comparable to Michele Bachmann's communications director going out of her way to solicit friendly letters to the editor in potential violation of federal law and House ethics rules.
Or, just click here for a link to some audio that perfectly describes what the problem is. |
