Scorecard! Scorecard!

You can't tell the crooks without a scorecard!

Here's the latest lineup:

*Newly discovered emails strongly suggest that Ken Mehlman, liar-in-chief, excuse me, chairman of the Republican National Committee, did Jack Abramoff's bidding to get a State Department employee fired soon after Bush came to the White House. According to the LA Times, Abramoff wanted to get rid of Allan Stayman, whose work was interfering with the super-lobbyist's efforts on behalf of the interests controlling the Northern Marianas Islands, a semi-independent island group in the Pacific. According to one of Abramoff's henchmen, "Mehlman said he would get him fired." At the time, Mehlman was the White House Political Director.

*Former Food and Drug Administrator Lester Crawford (you could be pardoned for missing his tenure--he resigned after two months) has been charged with making false statements about his investments, and will plead guilty tomorrow. He joins a growing list of Bush appointees and Republican politicos in the dock.

*Homes of Rep. Curt Weldon's (R-PA) daughter and a friend were searched by the FBI today. The agents are investigating whether Weldon improperly aided them in obtaining government contracts. Weldon, who had denied that he was under investigation, promptly charged that the whole thing was politically-motivated. As he is a Republican, it is not clear who he thinks is out to get him, although a liberal clique in the FBI is, apparently, not beyond the realm of his imaginings. Weldon is in a tight race against Democrat Joe Sestak, a retired Navy Admiral.