Chairman Backpedaling Again
Ya almost gotta feel for Brian Melendez. His job thus far this summer is to spin his party's ethical problems to the press in such a way as to blame Republicans for his candidates' ethical lapses. Thus far, I'd say that it isn't working.
Earlier this summer, he was asked to spin Matt Entenza's ethical problems before Entenza dropped from the AG's race. Now he's spinning Mike Hatch's ethical problems.
All of which makes Brian Melendez' job with the State DFL that much tougher. Earlier I said that I almost felt sorry for him. The key is the word almost. After all, that's what you get if you want to chair a corrupt party.
I'd doubt that this is what Democrats meant by moving the country forward "in a new direction."
Posted Thursday, August 24, 2006 4:00 AM
July 2006 Posts
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Earlier this summer, he was asked to spin Matt Entenza's ethical problems before Entenza dropped from the AG's race. Now he's spinning Mike Hatch's ethical problems.
Yesterday, "in a complaint to the state Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, state GOP chairman Ron Carey asked for 'appropriate disciplinary action' against Hatch 'due to his apparently unethical conduct.'"Here's how Melendez is spinning this complaint:
DFL state chairman Brian Melendez responded that the complaint is "a shameless abuse of the justice system for political purposes." Melendez branded Johnson's involvement as "self-serving and self-righteous meddling."Notice that he didn't deny that Hatch isn't guilty of this unethical behavior. Notice that what he did do was a Howard Dean, namely come out with both barrels blazing at the GOP while ignoring the serious charges against his guy. That job just impossible because Judge Leary, the judge that Hatch threatened, has produced evidence that Hatch did threaten him. Here's what we know thus far:
- Ramsey County District Judge William Leary has accused Hatch, the DFL nominee for governor, of impropriety in suggesting during a call that a TV news crew was going to look into the judge's handling of the cases.
- In denying impropriety, Hatch last week said he never indicated to the judge that he had alerted the news media to the cases. Hatch said he believed it was proper to call the judge because one of the cases was in mediation, and he quickly ended the call after the judge told him that settlement talks were over.
- To bolster his argument that no improper conversations occurred, Hatch said that the call lasted only one minute, explaining, "You can't say much more in one minute." The attorney general released telephone billing records showing a one-minute call was placed at 4:21 p.m. on June 12 from a cell phone he uses.
- But Leary Tuesday produced his own records that showed his chambers received a seven-minute call that began at 4:22 on June 12 from another cell phone. Leary concluded it was the cell phone that Hatch used in their conversation, and the judge included its number in a legal document filed Tuesday.
"Whether it was seven or one, it doesn't matter as long as there was nothing improper said," Hatch said Tuesday.Folks, that isn't the sound of someone on the offensive, to say the least. That's the sound of a liar trying to juggle one too many lies. Hatch is right that "it doesn't matter as long as there was nothing improper said." The fact that Hatch lied about the length of the phone conversation is a red flag that Hatch might be lying about threatening the judge.
All of which makes Brian Melendez' job with the State DFL that much tougher. Earlier I said that I almost felt sorry for him. The key is the word almost. After all, that's what you get if you want to chair a corrupt party.
I'd doubt that this is what Democrats meant by moving the country forward "in a new direction."
Posted Thursday, August 24, 2006 4:00 AM
July 2006 Posts
No comments.
