Demagogue

There is no other financial-political scandal that I know of that reaches the level of the Abramoff-Scanlon misdeeds. Having said that, I'd like to see the press dig more into the World of Hope AIDS charity that was set up by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.).

Last month, Daily Kos commented on the AP story that revealed that large portions of the $4.4 million raised went to overhead costs. Specifically, half-a-million dollars raised by Frist's charity went to pay unnamed consultants. Given Frist's efforts to depict himself as a "kinder, gentler" Republican, I'd like to see the media question the senator more about his World of Hope's financial dealings.

Because the AP story broke during the week before Christmas, my sense is that it went relatively unnoticed by the public. On a related note, as we ponder the World of Hope's high and mysterious overhead costs, consider what Frist had to say about foreign policy in this document from his Senate website:

Given the complex and difficult world we now live in, NATO must strive to be even more capable .... The Alliance also needs to cut unnecessary overhead while providing promised forces and equipment.

If only Frist were as concerned about his own charity's overhead costs as he seems to be about NATO's "unnecessary overhead" costs.