No It All

One for Daschle, One for SMSU

The Big Tent GOP is back! President Bush, apparently feeling confident at having secured his base, is branching out, way out. A White House announcement late Friday said he "announced his intention to nominate" some folks "to serve in his administration. . . . "

"The President intends to nominate Barbara J. Sapin, of Maryland, to be a member of the Merit Systems Protection Board. . . . Ms. Sapin currently serves as general counsel for the National Abortion Federation in Washington, D.C."

A White House spokeswoman noted that this was a Democratic selection to the board, which by law has to include non-Republicans. Sapin, she said, was Democratic "Senator [ Thomas A.] Daschle's pick." Ah, but if Justice Antonin Scalia were looking at the plain words of the announcement. . . .

Also late Friday, Bush tapped Jack Dyer Crouch II, former assistant secretary of defense for international security policy and more recently teaching at Southwest Missouri State University, to be ambassador to Romania.

Years past some might have wondered who Crouch offended, but Romania is an integral member of the "New Europe," far more important than France or perhaps Spain.

Indict the Site?

Turns out the use of government Web sites for political purposes, contrary to Monday's report on the House Resources Committee's blasts at Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), does appear to be against House rules that prohibit using official resources for campaign or political purposes. "The misuse of the funds and other resources" for members "is a very serious matter," the rules say, and "such conduct may result in not only disciplinary action by the House, but also in criminal prosecution."

Do say? Criminal prosecution? Well, that may change everyone's behavior.

Pfeifle to Pflack for GOP

Veteran and highly regarded GOP spinmeister Mark Pfeifle, now Interior Department press secretary and before that Republican National Committee deputy communications director, has been tapped to be communications director for the Republican National Convention this summer in New York City.