Or so goes the defense of Gregory Meeks in the wake of L’affaire McKay, at least according to the Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill (see half way down the Hill’s Under The Dome column). “I’m shocked by it,” Meeks told The Hill. “It does not reflect me at all. I would never use that language nor is that my opinion.”

While I would not suggest that Meeks isn’t being genuine, I find it hard to believe that McKay would pop off suddenly, without any warning or previous similar incidents; in fact, as The Hill points out, the e-mail I published was not McKay’s first try at being in touch with his Hemingway side.

But, the real issue is not McKay. It’s his boss. His boss cast the CAFTA vote. And it’s his boss that should be held accountable for a vote. Putting aside CAFTA, Meeks has abandoned his constituents for the corporate dough.

Meeks has been bent over at the trough, taking in $166,000 from financial and real estate interests in the 2004 cycle. In return, he voted for the bankruptcy “reform” bill–which was a giant French-kiss (see, to one of my readers, I use this for men, too) to the credit-card industry. I dunno, Greg, you think your constituents would like to know that you made it harder for poorer people or people in financial distress to get out from under crushing debt–while making it easier for the credit card industry (which, at a time of record-low interest rates, still charges loan-sharking rates) to shake down your constituents?

For the sake of working people, Meeks has got to go.

And that’s the real goal of the CAFTA 15 project here (UPDATE: yes, there’s something wrong with the CAFTA 15 project link but we’re working on it)–though I am giving serious thought to expanding this to include 15 vulnerable Republicans. We’re going to prepare dossiers on each of the annointed few, and keep track of what’s up through 2006, including who might be running against these folks and who might deserve a nod and a push from us.

So, if you’re interested in being an information collector and sentinel out there in the field, drop a note.

UPDATE: The New York Sun has also reported on L’Affaire McKay.