Last month, we reported that Bob Casey's campaign had cashed the $2000 donation from Dan Savage, funded by the sale of Savage's ITMFA paraphenalia.  We also reported that Savage had tacitly endorsed Casey as the real choice to Rick Santorum, telling us to swallow hard and accept him.

Well,  Dan is having to follow his own advice.  Because the Casey campaign returned his donation. 

Jake Perry, finance director for Bob Casey, just called to tell me that Bob Casey is returning my check.

Here?s Jake: ?We appreciate your willingness to support Bob, but my higher ups? people above me? they think that we may wind up spending more, you know, money then the contribution is worth. But we appreciate your willingness to support us.?

Uh? you?re welcome, I guess.

The Casey folks seem to think that if Santorumites spots the Savage name, it will distract from real issues and force Casey to defend himself.  Huh.  There's a nice dose of the pragmatism Dan mentioned.

The Savage response?

So I?m going to have to swallow hard and support Bob Casey whether he wants me to or not. So Bob Casey doesn?t want to take my dirty money?or doesn?t want to be seen taking my dirty money. So what? I still want Casey to see him beat the lube-and-fecal-matter-splattered pants off Rick Santorum this November. So I?m sending the $2100 Casey spurned to Philadelphians Against Santorum.

So Savage's rightful place is working against Santorum, not on behalf of Bob Casey.  The Casey people are happy to have his money in a behind the scenes PAC way and probably ecstatic that he's encouraging his overwhelmingly pro-choice readers to support Casey. 

There's no way to justify this as anything other than cowardice.  Pragmatic cowardice, but nonetheless part of the ongoing decline of the political process as anything other than an exercise in non-leadership and pandering.  Things we women and homosexuals are sadly used to experiencing.  Casey comes off lucky because we all know that Santorum probably would use this contribution to further distract voters from real issues. 

I suppose we should be grateful Casey hasn't appeared on the 700 Club  ....