More Broun fallout

Blake's take on Paul Broun's money woes is a good read, and it continues to hammer home some of the concerns that have raised so many red flags. Again, I tended to respect Broun because, like Ron Paul, he seemed to hold deep principled beliefs about things like small government, and though I didn't agree with him on most ideological issues, it was refreshing to see someone stand up for them in what appeared to be an honest way.

(Granted, I think such a way of being an elected representative isn't feasible seeing how it leaves your constituents out in the cold, but whatever.)

But this whole breaking the bank thing by mid-year is inexcusable, particularly for someone who rails against wasting taxpayer money. And, make no mistake, if Broun spent - as some reports have estimated - more than half of his $1.5 million a year budget on franking in an attempt to use public funds to aid his re-election campaign, that's something he should be held accountable for.

As Blake notes, Broun's staff is either going to have to shift to the campaign staff - and they wouldn't be able to actually campaign either if they're performing day-to-day tasks related to his congressional obligations - or all work as volunteers. He doesn't have a ton of money either (or at least enough to handle both costs), and that could have opened the door for Bobby Saxon ... though, naturally, the DCCC didn't target his race for support.

The knock against Saxon was that he is struggling to raise money, and it's true that he hasn't raised a ton. But a little bit of support from the national level in the form of some mail and advertising could go a long way, particularly in Augusta where lots of Republicans are still very wary of Broun (and his latest financial woes won't help him out at all).