What’s that old saying? Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a trend?
The campaign ads were bitterly divisive, even by the standards of a bare-knuckle primary, accusing the opponent of then Republican senatorial hopeful Mel Martinez of playing to the “radical homosexual lobby.”
Martinez blamed the ads on ”young Turks” in his campaign and apologized to his GOP rival. Weeks later Martinez found himself again blaming a staff member after a press release from his campaign likened U.S. immigration agents to ”armed thugs” for seizing Elián González from his Miami home in 2000.
Now, for the third time, Martinez finds himself under fire — and blaming an aide for the conflagration. This time, Martinez said he has accepted the resignation of a staff member in his Senate office for penning the now-infamous political memo that suggested Republicans in Washington could use the plight of brain-damaged Terri Schiavo to bash Democrats, singling out Martinez’s fellow Florida senator, Democrat Bill Nelson.
And the really funny part? Late Wednesday night, while Martinez was on route to Rome for the pope’s funeral, the senator’s office released a statement saying, “As the senator, I am ultimately responsible for the work of my staff and the product that comes out of this office.”
It was no doubt written by some overzealous staffer who will be fired immediately.