Governor (Bush) Defends Controversial Hire

[Newsjock]

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050112/NEWS/501120347/1004

By JOE FOLLICK
Ledger Tallahassee Bureau

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush on Tuesday defended hiring a former newspaper editor who left his job in November amid public allegations of plagiarism and sexual harassment.

Bush said the allegations against Lloyd Brown, 65, "were not quite accurate" and said he was "thankful for the fact that (Brown) is willing to serve here in state government."

Brown did not respond to numerous requests for comment.

Bush was in Washington, D.C., last week when it was reported that his office had hired Brown as a staff writer Dec. 20 at an annual salary of $80,000. In that post, Brown will write speeches, letters to the editor and other material for the governor.

Brown retired from his position as editorial page editor of the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville on Nov. 2 after a newspaper review found instances of plagiarism in editorials he had written. Brown said any similarities between editorials he wrote and other published material were coincidental.

more

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Remember the time when Republicans were yelling about wanting

to kick out public servants who were incompetent or corrupt?

Yeah, well, neither do I.

It just seems odd how they seem to look for the most devious, corrupt, problematic people out there to appoint to government.