I guess some of my recent posts have hit a nerve with my friend Steve. He lets loose with an ad hominem screed over at Orange Punch. So much for debate and discussion. Maybe if I march in lock-step with Orange Punch, I'll get a nice post for Valentine's Day.

Back to Steve's Sunday column.

Steve also hauls out the favorite bugaboo of those who find themselves stymied in the political arena: Mike Schroeder. According to this storyline, there is only one possible explanation for the behavior of the Central Committee members last week fear of Schroeder.

I addressed this particular issue in a post earlier this week -- and I discovered that because I don't think Mike is all-powerful means that is somehow the same as thinking he isn't powerful. I also heard that if you eat a chicken heart and stick pins in a Schroeder voodoo doll, you can render him powerless over your campaign.

Now, let's imagine Schroeder/the Establishment/the Bilderbergers were twisting Central Committee arms to vote in favor of a resolution calling on  Carona to resign. In that event, I sincerely doubt would have a Greenhut column screaming how the "OC GOP Cowers" and castigating the Central Committee members for being "sheep." More likely, Steve would have lauded supiness in service of a cause of which he approved, and lauded GOP leaders for being courageous (it's only a Machine when local GOP leaders are doing something one disapproves of).

Steve continues:

The Central Committee was dealing with a political issue, not a criminal one. The courts will deal with the indictment, but the party needs to stand up for integrity in public office. Even Baugh argues that the public should "question [Carona's]innocence, his character, his integrity and his private life." Well, aren't those questions enough reason to call for Carona to resign?

Yes and no. It's a political issue because of the criminal indictment. You can't just - presto! -- separate the two. The question of whether Carona should resign is a serious one that reasonable people can disagree on. I'm still torn on it myself. But like it or not, Carona hasn't been convicted of anything. And like it or not, we haven't seen any details from the feds to back up their indictment. And like it or not, the feds case appears to be built on the testimony of convcited felons with an axe to grind against Carona.

None of that is the same as saying Mike Carona is a paragon of virtue. But it's petty and unreasonable to attack as cowards anyone who doesn't want to help you build the gallows, just because they want to wait for an actual verdict or guilt or innocence.

More to come...