Carefully Crafted Self-Serving Hooey

About 3PM this afternoon I got an email press statement from the Shelby County Republican Party. I repeat it here for you:

STATEMENT FROM SHELBY COUNTY
REPUBLICAN PARTY ON LEGISLATOR INDICTMENTS
Legislators' actions, if proven true, could cost taxpayers
$1.2 million

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 26, 2005

Contact:
Bill Giannini
Chairman
Cell: (901) 601-6339
Cell #2: (901) 326-9791

The news today that two current and one former Shelby County
State Senators were arrested and indicted on charges of
corruption and bribery are a shock to us and to the rest of
the state. We applaud the FBI and other law enforcement
agencies for their diligence in protecting the public
interest from lawmakers who abuse the public trust.

It is possible that if these individuals are convicted they
will vacate their offices and eventually force special
elections.

Just a few days ago, Kathryn Bowers, who doubles as Chairman
of the local Democrat Party, was sworn in the State Senate
after Roscoe Dixon accepted a position as the Chief
Administrative Officer for Mayor Wharton with a salary of
$101,856 per year.

The election to replace Dixon has cost taxpayers over $300,
000 and this will be followed by a special election to fill
Bowers’ old state house seat which may also cost as much as
$300,000.

Now, new Special elections in Districts 33 and 29 will cost
an additional $600,000 if Ford and Bowers vacate their
offices.. That would bring the cost to the taxpayers of the
actions of indicted Senators Bowers, Ford, and Dixon to 1.2
million dollars.

If these allegations are proven true, then these officials
will face the consequences for their actions, which may
include jail time and fines. The taxpayers would
unfortunately end up absorbing the costs of these misdeeds.

###

A copy of this release is available online and may be linked
freely at:
(http://www.shelbygop.org/wordpress/?p=102)

What a load. You'll notice, first of all, that they didn't mention Barry Myers, "protege" of Roscoe Dixon. He is a Shelby Countian. Was it because he's not a legislator? Well, why didn't they mention the other legislators? Was it because one of them, Chris Newton, is a Republican? Is it because he has nothing to do with Shelby County? Please....

Avoiding uncomfortable yet obvious points just to score some political points may be a method as old as the hills in politics and spin, but it's still a dumb thing to do in this day and age.

Not to mention both political parties having the State and Counties paying for their primary elections. Unlike general elections for actual offices, these are purely party matters and should properly be handled by and paid for by the parties themselves. If the doofs at the SCRP were truly serious, they'd being working on that. They don't and hence we know this is just partisan hooey.

Straight-forwardness is a virtue that Americans appreciate. So is taking your lumps and not being a bitch about it. Someone clue in the SCRP.

Let events work their course. The only Republican involved so far, Rep. Chris Newton, is widely viewed as a RINO closer to Democrats than his own party. Let him sink. This is going to cripple Democrats in Tennessee (and Harold Ford, Jr.) for months and years to come. Don't force it like this, or you risk blowing the advantages you're likely to gain.