Speaking of Rats Fleeing the Sinking GOP By: Mark W Adams

Friday UPDATE: 2 GIs, 22 Iraqis Killed; 15 22 Iraqis Wounded
Also, Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) are
threatening to attack Turkish pipelines
if Turkey attacks their bases.

Mel Marinez was never an easy fit for the face of the GOP, and while it looks like our friend Oliver exaggerated a bit when he said Martinez quit the GOP, Mel has stepped down as Chair of the Republican National Committee . . .

to spend more time . . .

with his . . .

(wait for it) . . .

(no, not his family, too easy . . .)

Constituents? :'-D

That's a new one. Ya think there might be some kind of trend coming? --Nya.

There's more...
Maha doesn't single out individual defectors and retirees that now seem to be running over each other to leave the GOP, but looks at the general trend of corporate types and evangelicals deserting a party that they thought they could control and through which could redraw the globe in their image -- but instead they became the party's vassal, subordinate and beholden to hacks they discovered were incompetently stupid, greedy, arrogant beyond tolerance, and are not going to be missed by the people who put them in power only to be jerked around.

But in the annals of the profoundly stupid, there's two types we usually see -- especially on shows like Keith Olbermann's Countdown: stupid Republicans and stupid criminals. TPM Muckraker scores the rare TwoFer: a really stupid Republican criminal. In fact, Duke Cunningham was so stupid, the defense contracters who were bribing him to strong-arm the Pentagon brass for those sweetheart deals Duke's benefactors were paying him to get had to literally spell out exactly what Duke was to tell the military officials. And when I say spell it out, Duke was given talking points -- which included a script.

4. I (Duke) would like you (Mr. Oliver) to take the following steps.......
5. I (Duke) would like to handle this immediately.

Rarely does one end up in jail if they didn't do something just plain stupid. Amazing that these neo-con-poops could turn the tables on anyone at all. But the story from Paul Krugman that Maha quotes does blow your mind, especially since this comes to us through a convoluted trail that started at Politico.com of all places. See, the party hacks of the GOP didn't take long to understand they didn't need to wait around to be bought by the K-Street lobbyists, but could sell their wares to the highest bidder:

According to The Politico, “many C.E.O.’s” used the term “extortion” to describe “the annual shakedowns by committee chairmen with jurisdiction over their industries.” And now that Mr. Santorum is out of office, heading the America’s Enemies program at a right-wing think tank, the faint sound you hear from K Street is that of lobbyists singing: “Ding, dong, the witch is dead.”

But, Sadly No. Or more accurately, MoJo alerts us that the Living Dead: Santorum, Blackwell, and Gingrich are out on the rubber chicken circiut.

It's a real horror show here at FRC's WB [The super-Christian Family Research Council's Washigton Briefing -mark]. Former senator Rick Santorum came out to slam Hillary Clinton on abortion, former Ohio secretary of state Kenneth Blackwell came out to jabber about civilization or ideas or something, and former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich came out to talk about how Americans support certain things in massive majorities (prayer in schools, the pledge of allegiance, etc.) only be see their near-consensus on these issues overruled by the courts and the elites in Washington.

Mind you, I wouldn't trade places with the Republicans for a minute. But I'm rather disgusted watching our own leadership cower before these hyperventilating outrage merchants because one of the few elected Democrats with steel instead of pudding in his spine called Bush out on his bloodlust and mentally defective priorities. It wouldn't take too many missteps for there to be outright revolt against Pelosi and Reid among the base of netroot activists, myself included.

Reid is especially bothersome as we end the week. You simply don't make nice with the likes of Limbaugh, and you certainly don't undermine one of your own, especially when he's doing the right thing despite running for President. But don't worry Harry, I guess nobody but us bloggers give a damn.

If Chris Dodd puts a hold on the Telecom immunity bill and everyone ignores it, did it really happen?

Nope, especially when even the leader of your caucus blows you off.

Hey GOPers! Any room on that raft of yours? This ship of state is almost too full of holes to save.