Money, Money, Money, Mo-NEY! MO-NEY!

Looks like Gov. Perry's got some 'splainin to do!

"FORMER DELAY CHIEF OF STAFF FUNNELING TEXAS TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS"

From the release (via Quorum Report):

"Yesterday, House Democratic Leader Jim Dunnam wrote and asked Governor Perry to immediately cancel the contract with Washington D.C. lobbyist Todd Boulanger (and his lobby firm Cassidy and Associates) that Governor Perry approved through the Texas Office of State Federal Relations (OSFR). Today, Representative Dunnam wrote Governor Perry and asked the Governor to immediately cancel the lobby contract with Drew Maloney and his K Street lobby firm, The Federalist Group. "Governor Perry should not continue to waste huge sums of taxpayer money to fund the unnecessary ... Mr. Maloney is the former chief of staff to former Majority Leader Tom DeLay and one of his closest confidants."

The Houston Chronicle's tale on it is here.

Simply stated, the problem with government (whether national, state, or local, these days) is that it spends too much money and it controls too much money.

Spending $180,000+ on something our state and federal legislators are already being paid to do (be an advocate for the interests of their consitituents) is not only wasteful, but - particularly in this instance - it just doesn't pass the smell test.

It stinks so much that even Craddick and Dewhurst (no strangers to the grease that drives the political engine) are distancing themselves from it as fast as they can.

(And the connection to DeLay makes the story even more noteworthy... does Congressman DeLay hire anybody that doesn't end up causing controversy???)