Meet Suzan Delbene (D CAND, WA-08).

I haven’t really been paying attention to this particular race – it’s admittedly one of the few where the Republican incumbent (David Reichert) isn’t quite safe, but then again, it’s a bad year to be a Democratic challenger* – but I got tipped off to what appears to be a bit of a vetting problem with Dave’s challenger (one Suzan-with-a-Z Delbene). And, yes, if I’m able to use the phrase ‘dead of a heroin overdose’ in a completely literal manner then there was in fact a vetting problem.

The story starts with Ms. Delbene, who is a member of the Board of Trustees for Reed College. Oddly, while this information is on the Reed College website, and confirmed here, it does not show up in her official campaign biography.  Which would be very odd, no?  After all, she’s an alumnus; and having that bit of academic respectability would surely be an advantage in a competitive House race.  And it would be… if it were for any college besides Reed.  You see, Reed has a certain reputation:

“When you say Reed, two words often come to mind,” Mr. Diver said. “One is brains. One is drugs.”

Mr. Diver, by the way, is Mr. Colin Diver… President of the college. Continue reading Meet Suzan Delbene (D CAND, WA-08).

The truly amusing thing about the Obama vetting process.

It is not that, as Andrew Bolt notes, that the process has been so flawed to date that it’s fair to use the phrase “spivs and chiselers” without exaggerating. Very Commonwealth-y, but not exaggerating.

It is not that, as Gawker’s Owen Thomas notes, that it’s now come out that new chief vetter Gregory Craig’s wife herself apparently hasn’t been paying her business taxes, to the point where there’s now allegedly an investigation going on about that.

(Both links H/T Glenn Reynolds)

It is not even that the first reaction that everybody had – including you! Admit it – to hearing that Gov. Sebelius got the nod for HHS Secretary was “Hm. I wonder whether she’s paid her taxes.”

Nope. The funny part is that this process isn’t going to stop for months. Continue reading The truly amusing thing about the Obama vetting process.