The "what you get when you put crooks in charge" edition.
...Maybe they can put it next to Ben Carson's $31K dining table.
From AP via Yahoo! -
Scrutiny of Arkansas governor's $19,000 lectern deepens after new records are released
New public records have widened questions over when Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' office planned to use Republican Party funds to reimburse the state for a $19,000 lectern, which was bought in June using a government credit card.
The Arkansas GOP paid for the lectern in September, but the words “to be reimbursed” were only added later to the original invoice, records released this week show. The undated reimbursement note adds to weeks of scrutiny over the purchase, which has dominated political talk in Arkansas.
...If only the oft-charged Ken Paxton had a sense of irony.
From the Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton to file criminal complaints against Texas House impeachment managers
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Monday he plans to file criminal complaints against the group of state representatives who led the impeachment against him for releasing his personal information.
“The impeachment managers clearly have a desire to threaten me with harm when they released this information last week,” he said in a statement. “I'm imploring their local prosecutors in each individual district to investigate the criminal offenses that have been committed.”
The 12 House representatives being targeted by Paxton led the impeachment trial in the Senate after the House overwhelmingly voted to impeach Paxton in May. Last month the Senate acquitted Paxton of 16 articles of impeachment that alleged corruption and bribery.
...Should we all pitch in to buy Steve Scalise a hair shirt?
From CNN -
Steve Scalise picked as GOP speaker nominee, but struggles to lock down votes to win the gavel
House Republicans picked Rep. Steve Scalise as their nominee for speaker on Wednesday, but the Louisiana Republican lacks the votes needed to win the gavel and it remains unclear whether he will be able to win over holdouts.
Republicans are now worried that Scalise is facing grim prospects of becoming speaker as he confronts opposition within the ranks, a situation that threatens to prolong the GOP’s leadership crisis following Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster.
Do I believe that Scalise is a better human being than Gym Jordan? Yes. If only because he hasn't enabled and protected a sexual predator.
To the best of my knowledge, anyway.
On the other hand, he's still a lousy human being.
...Speaking of lousy human beings...
Does ignoring part of your job and actively working against the interests of your employers count as a voluntary resignation?
In his ads touting school vouchers to siphon money from public schools to private pockets., Arizona's Tom Horne refers to himself as the state's "superintendent of schools." [edited] Actually, he campaigned for and won the office of "superintendent of public instruction".
Yes, I believe that elected office is a job like any other.
[Note - edited on 10/12 - I heard the spot again. He said "schools", not "education", as I originally wrote. Of course, "public" is still not part of his mindset.
The original text -
]
