ruh row*

at the beginning of february, the runaway train that is the republican party crashed another siding:

top house republicans were told in recent days that a former employee of their campaign committee may have forged an official audit during the contentious 2006 election cycle and that they should brace for the possibility that an unfolding investigation could uncover financial improprieties stretching back several years, according to gop sources briefed on the members-only discussions. the national republican congressional committee has retained a forensic auditor to review its accounting for the last several election cycles, the sources said. the nrcc’s accounting problems were discussed during two high-level conference calls between senior gop lawmakers on friday and monday night, according to republicans briefed on the calls. “there is a sense that this could be very damaging to the committee,” said a republican insider close to the gop leadership.

"damaging"? y'think?

i can't imagine that the republicans — whose fundraising prowess has wilted since 2006 — are too thrilled at the prospect of having the fbi open a criminal audit on their finances, which threatens to shutter their coffers during a crucial campaign year.

every financial advangtage the gop has enjoyed over the last few election cycles has evaporated. with the piggy bank locked up, added to the steadily accumulating retirements, special election losses and indictments, november 2008 looms as the year historians will mark as "the republican diaspora".

* see "scooby doo".