'Brutally Stupid' II

In this previous post, 'Brutally Stupid', I went over the new information on the Schiavo Memo, that it had orginated with a staffer in freshman Senator Mel Martinez' (R-FL) office.  According to Michelle Malkin there is a lot of gloating and vitriol from those on the left that the GOP has been besmirched.

Let me point out a few things, as Michelle is also.  Based on what we know now:

1. The memo did not orginate with GOP Senate leadership, nor was it "distributed" to Senate Republicans.
2. There is no explanation as to why Sen. Harkin (D-IA) sat on the information for nearly three weeks.
3. I'm willing to admit that Mr. Darling, the memo's author, and Sen. Martinez were 'brutally stupid' in this instance.  While I speculated that the memo's origins may lie with the Democrats, I noted that it was equally likely it came from a 'brutally stupid' Republican.
4. This does not explain the shoddy reporting by Mr. Allen of the Post, who leaped before he looked in the original story, then backpedaled, but not far enough at the time.  As Mickey Kaus points out, even with the new information his characterizations have not been factually correct.
5. At Michelle's site she excerpts some of the lovely emails she's received.  Now, really, is there any need for such personal and virulent attack speech?  At this site I try to maintain a cordial and civil tone, and reserve the right to out-of-hand delete any comments that do not follow that directive.

UPDATE: More from Ms. Malkin, who speculates about a possible cover-up by Sen. Martinez staffers, which resulted in the misinformation received by Josh Claybourne.

UPDATE: Here's a post from Joshua Claybourne, who provides a link to Fishkite; that site has a pithy section discussing the MSM presentation and the influence of blogs.

UPDATE: Three weeks later, Post reporter Mike Allen finally offers up some details.

Conservative Web logs have challenged the authenticity of the memo, in some cases likening it to the discredited documents about Bush’s National Guard service that CBS News reported last fall.

Actually, Mike, in addition to challenging the memo’s authenticity as an offical GOP Talking Points document (wrong), we also challenged its source, which you reported were Republican party leaders (wrong), and we challenged the fact that it had been distrubuted to Senate Republicans (wrong), and we simply asked you to reveal your sources. On all three counts, you still owe your readers a correction...

If not for the blogs, we would still be under the impression that GOP party leaders drafted that ridiculous memo and that all the Republican Senators received, read and approved of it.

UPDATE: Jim Geraghty's TKS blog addresses the issue, and notes that a lot of the legwork was done by Washington Times reporters Stephen Dinan and Brian DeBose.  They apparently tracked down in one way or another all 100 senators, and found this, apparently via a personal communication:

They contacted all 100 senators (either in person as they came off the floor or though their staff) and discovered that not one Republican had ever seen the memo and only one Democrat did — Harkin... (my emphasis)

A fair reading of how this story has played out shows that the Washington Post misreported the story and the Washington Times set the record straight.

Comments

[Bob]

It's still someone else's fault, isn't it?!!

[Giacomo]

Where, exactly, did I blame someone else for 'it'? I called the lawyer in Martinez' office 'brutally stupid', as well as Martinez.

The story as the facts - remember facts? - are currently understood do not lead to this being a "Senate leadership" memo, nor do they indicate that it was distributed to Senate Republicans. In fact, the only Senator we're certain received it is Harkin, a Democrat. Nor do they lead to an explanation for the two versions. Nor do they explain the rush to judgement before the facts were known.

I simply would like answers.

[Rob W]

Why should anyone believe Martinez? Turns out he pulled the same "rouge staffer" manuver when linked to dirty tricks politics during his election campaign FOUR TIMES. Try the St. Petersburg Times Nov. 4, 2004 post-election editorial:

But Martinez will need more than a gesture to separate his office from the ugliness and excesses of his campaign.

Long after leaving Republicans embittered by his appeals to bigotry and his vulgar attacks on former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, Martinez used his general election campaign to tar Castor, a distinguished former legislator and education leader, as a terrorist sympathizer.

When challenged, Martinez was too eager to assign blame to his staff or to groups he said he couldn't control. As a senator, he will need an office and a staff that speaks with the measured and centrist tone he says will be his own. He can't pretend to be above it all if the people he employs are not.

[Giacomo]

The only reason to believe Martinez now, at least a little, is that certain other facts line up with his current story (although others don't).

Personally I'm not impressed with him, and haven't been. Then again, I wasn't impressed with Castor. In looking at her positions she toes the far left line in almost all areas. Definitely not a centrist.

Still, Martinez is a buffoon for handing that paper to Harkin at all, and probably even more of a buffoon in that he likely had something to do with its production.

[Rob W]

You know the simplest explanation is always the best one. Just becasue 100 senators (or 1000 deny seeing it does not mean it is true.) The fact is that there were plenty of reports it was circulating and even Martinez admits that it "may have been circulated" in this morning's Post story. The memo circulated and staffers and senators probably saw it. Otherwise you have to accept Martinez's explanation that the dog ate his homework.

You guys keep digging that hole deeper. I'm sure you'll hit gold soon. Trust me.

[Giacomo]

Actually, the simplest explanation is the current one - an idiot staff lawyer gave an idiot Senator a memo, and same idiot Senator gives it to opposition, with whom he's working.

Alternatively, idiot staff lawyer gives idiot Senator memo, but he's sharp enough to circulate an incriminating document to over 50 other senators - who no one can prove have seen it or had it in their possession - then takes same incriminating document and hands it to opposition. Unlikely.

Of course, I'm willing to admit I could be wrong. I'm just not willing to jump to a conclusion - like calling it a 'Senate leadership' memo without proof.