Posted on 04/06/2005 7:53:03 PM PDT by Crackingham
Senator Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida, said Wednesday that a senior member of his staff had written an unsigned memorandum about the partisan political advantages of intervening in the case of Terri Schiavo that became a controversial footnote to the debate over the wisdom and motives of Congress's actions.
In a statement on Wednesday night, Mr. Martinez said that he had just learned that the memorandum originated in his office and that its author had resigned. He did not name the author, but aides said it was Brian Darling, his counsel.
Mr. Darling could not be reached for comment.
"It is with profound disappointment and regret that I learned today that a senior member of my staff was unilaterally responsible for this document," Mr. Martinez said. "It was not approved by me or any other member of my staff, nor were we aware of its existence until very recently."
Mr. Martinez added: "This type of behavior and sentiment will not be tolerated in my office. As the senator, I am ultimately responsible for the work of my staff and the product that comes out of this office. I take full responsibility for this situation."
The anonymous memorandum, which was distributed to news organizations by Democratic aides and first reported by ABC News, became widely cited in news reports as evidence that at least some Republicans were applying a political calculus to the case of Ms. Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman. Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, the majority leader, and many other Republican Senators quickly disavowed the document, saying they had never seen it and that they condemned it.
In his statement, Mr. Martinez said that on March 9 he had mistakenly and unknowingly handed the document to Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, on the floor of the Senate. Mr. Martinez said that he had meant to reach for a different document and that he did not know how it had entered his possession.
"Senator Harkin was kind enough today to call me and tell me this afternoon that he believes the memo he received was given to him by me," Mr. Martinez said. "Until this afternoon, I had never seen it and had no idea a copy of it had ever been in my possession."
Are you kidding? Harkin's a politician.
Do you think a GOP rep would hand an incriminating document back to Teddy Kennedy?
Make you wonder what? That he might not be an honorable man?
To each his own. Tell us tomorrow what Ingraham says about Harkin, after she trashed him today about the memo. Beck doesn't bother with this "inside baseball" stuff.
Excellent advice, Sinkspur.
Its like I tell my clients, before they write that memo or letter, imagine what it will look like blown up on a big posterboard on a stand in front of a jury.
Agree. As soon as he found out, he went public. Good move.
She twangs and hems and haws. She's worse than Rush about not completing sentences. But unlike with Rush, I've never heard her say anything insightful or original. I don't know how you can listen to her for a whole hour. My hat is off to you. I cannot listen to her for more than a few minutes at a time. I've never heard Beck.
When you think about it--this isn't much different than last year when Manuel Miranda, a GOP aide found the dem talking points about how they were going to obstruct Bush's nominees and even avert a pro-GOP ruling in an affirmative action case....
What happened then, Miranda got fired for finding the notes and giving them to the GOP---and the dems got NADA, ZILCH, NOTHING, for writing them and using unethical obstuctionist tactics to stall judicial nominees from getting a floor vote.
Even Orrin Hatch and Lindsay Graham went against their own aide, Miranda and threw him under the bus---and NEVER confronted the dems about what the memos said!!!
I know Beck is very funny---he was at the funeral of Terri Schiavo last night and sat with her family---
He was the one that got me on board to learn what MS was doing to Terri---he got very emotionally involved in the case, and became a very ardent proponent for the Schindlers.
But, I also love Laura Ingraham, she is a lot more of an activist talk show host --- she almost single handedly tried to get Specter from getting the Chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee...
Eh, it's not tin foil, it's wishful thinking.
Questioning Sen. Harkin's ethics is in my opinion not a good tactic, when we were just caught with our hands in the proverbial cookie jar. It makes us look that much worse.
That's what turns me off about Ingraham. She's constantly going on about not being able to sleep, and getting up in the middle of the night, and what she watches on tv.....and calling Lee and on and on and on.
Somebody needs to pull her and aside and coach her into getting rid of "I mean." It's lazy and undisciplined to trash up your speaking with filler phrases. I don't think she prepares much for her show.
Michael Medved, OTOH, is the premiere talk show host in the country. Three hours, three different topics, invites those who disagree to call in. This makes for very interesting radio.
The real trouble comes when the constitutional option comes to the forefront. I just don't think that this will vanish guys. From what I surmise is the "gameplan" in Washington, the strategy was to get the public riled over the power of judges and use that outrage as fuel for the constitutional option in the Senate. I don't think that the Republicans in the Senate will be able to muster the guts to do it if the justification for the action (at least in the short term) is actually seen to be a crass political ploy.
I like them both about the same though I rarely listen to either for more than an hour or so. I'm not sure that anyone could beat Beck though in terms of off the wall, flat out funny stuff.
I forgot about Medved---you are right, he always has such interesting guests also---and he will have them for the hour instead of hurrying them through an interview...
Yep--he is great--
This is the second time I have seen this post. Are you referring to this memo? I hardly think that an aide's memo rises to the level of a political gameplan. Of course it will be portrayed as such but I don't see how you can surmise that it was an endorsed strategy.
Beck's funny stuff makes me laugh out loud---when he does interviews with (pretend) real people like Michael Jackson and such--I don't know how he has time from day to day to think up and do some of that stuff--
And when he starts talking about DUCT TAPE---watch out!
Sorry, I want partisan hackery exposed regardless of whose ox is being gored.
How could you listen to Glen Beck? He was one of the most pro-Terri of all radio hosts!
The republicans are politicians too....they think in terms of politics instead of principles. It's the new philosophy of pragmatism, they have to beat the democrats who have a full press on their side.
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