The
St. Petersburg Times is one of the best newspapers in the U.S.
Yesterday SPT political reporter Adam C. Smith covered serial sleaze Katherine Harris, whose corruption denials are almost as prominent as her bosom these days.
Last month, as Harris' Senate filing deadline approached, she was busy denying improprieties with Mitchell Wade, the guy who (a) bribed California congressman Duke Cunningham; and (b) gave Harris $32,000 in illegal campaign contributions (c) during a $2,800 dinner-for-two at Citronelle, one of the priciest restaurants in D.C.
Harris made a clean breast of it all on Hannity and Colmes, claiming failure to pay for her half of that $2,800 bar tab was just an oversight she made good -- by donating $100 to a Jacksonville fundy church group.
Oops.
Adam Smith, SPT:
Now it turns out that wasn't her first fancy meal with corrupt contractor Mitchell Wade. Harris had dined with Wade previously at the same tony Washington restaurant and failed to pay her share as required by congressional rules, her campaign acknowledged Friday.
Of course, Harris had a cover story. Sort of. Same article:
[Campaign spokesperson Charles] Ingram said the Republican Senate candidate has made a charitable donation equivalent to her share of that meal, but he could provide no details. He said he did not know how much that meal cost, how much Harris donated to charity or what the charity was.
Watching Harris sink into her own fetid cesspool is starting to lose its charm. But as she ranks as one of the most perfectly representative Republicans in the U.S., her pathetic gasps are easier to endure.
Harris' principal Republican primary opponent, Will McBride, was prominently ensconced at the Florida Family Policy Council banquet in Orlando Friday night. The Dobson-allied front group shills for the usual people-hating issues and supports folks like Fla. governor Jeb Bush, who was in attendance -- seated next to Stuart Epperson, chairman of Salem Communications, the biggest religious radio broadcaster in America.
Epperson is also candidate McBride's father-in-law.
After the banquet, Bush bagged a couple of SPT reporters. This one's fun:
"People who act on their faith are a large number of people in our state. Sometimes I think you guys write about them like they're mutants out there, like they're some weird little group, like they're Scientologists or something," the governor said.
Sure and it's going to be a fun primary, with four months to go.