At Tax Time, RNC Shows Us Creative Ways to Expense Costs

As I work on my taxes, it's good to know, courtesy of the RNC (Republican National Committee), that I can charge off alcohol purchases as office supplies and "...goodies from the girl's playground for trendsetting young women..." as meals according to this. Silly me. I was always careful to go through my receipts and separate out what are actual office supplies from other purchases, and I've never expensed alcohol (although there are occasions when it is perfectly legal to expense alcohol as a meal expense. sigh).

In an article at Huffington Post, Jason Linkins tells us about how in addition to the RNC's little problem with expensing charges at a bondage club in Los Angeles (and hey, I was just in west LA last weekend, great time, but no naked bartenders) and somehow bills from the Boyden Valley Winery in Vermont (over $700 worth) appeared on their disclosure forms under office supplies (the winery says they do not sell office supplies and I have to say, it's not the first place I would think of if I were in search of paperclips) and RNC Deputy Finance Director Debbie Lehardy decided last December that the appropriate column to list her expenses ($453 worth) at Bendels on 5th Avenue in New York was under meals. Not sure if you know what Bendel's is, but the "playground for trendsetting young women" captures it (clothes, jeweley, makeup), and no, they do not sell food any more than Boyden Valley Winery sells office supplies.

For those of you who want to say that "well, the Democrats do it, too" (as if that excuses anything), last night on Keith Olbermann's show, Karen Finney of the DNC talked about working under Howard Dean when he headed the DNC. She reported that while in New York, he was so careful of expenses that he finally let staffers use the subway rather than walk.

Chairman Steele certainly leads a charmed existence, for the Democratic Party. Clearly, after his antics of the past year without being fired, he's here through at least the 2010 election. The Democratic Party thanks him.

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Fox Covers for Steel by Re-Writing Transcripts. Now, What About the Video?

I heard on Tuesday, RNC head Michael Steele, in an interview with Sean Hannity, promise "Honest Injun!" at the conclusion of his remarks. At the time, I shook my head thinking, "there he goes again" and wondered how this man manages to keep his job or get anything done with his feet so firmly lodged in his mouth.

The usual firestorm ensued, with Steele exhibiting his usual deer in the headlights manner as he looked around saying, "What? What did I say?" According to Jason Linkins at Huffington Post, Rep. Dale Kildee (D - Mich), Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus demanded an apology.

Did Steele man up and say "I'm sorry?" Of course not. That would entail taking personal responsibility and acknowledge making a mistake. Remember, this is a Republican. Instead, Fox News, where the interview took place, re-wrote the transcript. Easy! Honest Injun is now Honest Engine! See? Make a verbal flub, Freudian slip, or other gaffe, and just have the relevant news organization re-write the transcript! 

Forget all those inconvenient video clips and other news reports. Forget all the people who watched the interview and heard him clearly say "Honest Injun." We all know that the "official" transcript is what rules, and if Fox News says he said "Honest Engine" then that's what he said.

Funnily enough, someone even made a recent entry (seriously, May 2007? I don't think so) into the Urban Dictionary listing the phrase Honest Engine as having the exact same definition as Honest Injun.

Imagine that.

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