Shmuck of the Week: Marilyn Musgrave

Musgrave (left) receives an award from the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony Center.

First off, apologies are probably in order. It occurs to me that, over the last six months, you've probably managed to wipe clean the stains left on your mind by former Rep. Marilyn Musgrave. Since her election in 2002, Musgrave's devotion to squashing women's rights, gay rights -- basically the rights of anyone with a decent shoe collection -- has made her a front-runner for Shmuck of the Decade. But there she was in November, right-winging her way right out of office, and out of our gray matter too.

And here I am, bringing her back on an otherwise pleasant Friday. It will be brief, I assure you. Painless? Probably not.

Musgrave launched herself back into the public eye this week with a letter seeking donations for "Votes Have Consequences," the political arm of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony Center, which recently hired Mugrave to help take down pro-choice politicians.

According to the letter, Musgrave remains infected with the same strain of denial that caused her to disappear after her November loss, refusing to concede despite a two-touchdown loss to Fort Collins Democrat Betsy Markey. From the Post:

"It's certainly not easy to lose your seat in Congress. And harder still to be true to your values as I have been, but the radical homosexual lobby, abortionists, gun-grabbers and all the rest of the extremists finally spent enough money, spread enough lies and fooled enough voters to defeat me."

Mini-Musgrave Kristi Burton

But Musgrave didn't stop with the letter -- and that's when things get shmucky. It was reported yesterday that Musgrave has heeded her own call for cash, donating the last $50,000 from her campaign coffers to -- guess who? -- the Susan B. Anthony Center!

Of course, it's illegal to donate campaign money to your employer. Which is why Musgrave donated her money not to "Votes Have Consequences," but to a so-called "Young Leaders" program that aims to mobilize young anti-abortion activists like mini-Musgrave Kristi Burton. And wouldn't you know it, the "Young Leaders" program is conveniently sheltered by a different nonprofit tax status from "Votes Have Consequences," making the donation legal.

Campaign-finance laws: More toothless than a minor-league hockey goon!

But while the donation may have been legal, it's still $50,000 in the hands of Marilyn Musgrave, to be spent in search of America's Next Top Crazy Lady. So lock up your daughters, people. There's a shmuck in our midst.

For more shmucks, see our Shmuck of the Week archive.