Schiavo Memo Was From GOP

The Washington Times is reporting that Florida GOP Senator Mel Martinez is the source of the notorious Terri Schiavo talking points memo, but Martinez is still denying involvement. He's blaming the memo on his now-former counsel Brian Darling, and says it wasn't authorized and he never saw it.

This whole thing stinks. Martinez' explanation sounds too much like a politician dodging blame for him to effectively protect himself from the Dem firestorm that will follow the revelation:

"Until this afternoon, I had never seen it and had no idea a copy of it had ever been in my possession. I have vehemently denied the memo and its sentiments, as has my staff. As I have stated numerous times, I vehemently condemn this memo's sentiments. This memo in no way reflected my motivations for being involved in this legislation whatsoever."

A little too vehement, don't you think? It might well have been the unknown work of one staffer ... or it might not have been. Follow Darling; that's where the story is.

Fishiest is this: Martinez handed the memo to Dem. Sen. Tom Harkin on the Senate floor. He says he thought it was a copy of the "Save Terri" legislation he was helping move. Certainly, he knowingly never would have leaked such a document to a Dem, but there it is: an admission of possession.

Being from Florida, Martinez would be an obvious leader of the Save Terri push, and it's not a surprise to learn that his office was involved in the talking points memo. What's surprising is that no one else in his office is admitting ever seeing it ... and that it took so long to sniff this one out.

This story i's an embarassment to the conservative blogosphere. The Washington Times simply polled all 100 senatorial offices and sniffed it out. Good ol' gumshoe reporting won this time, and all the speculating on all the blogs is looking pretty silly compared to what WashTimes reporters Brian DeBose and Stephen Dinan did in reporting this story.