MARTINEZ REPORTEDLY GETS EVEN

The Orlando Sentinel's Scott Maxwell looks at how politics can often turn very personal.

He writes about how last week syndicated columnist Robert Novak broke the news that Florida senator Mel Martinez held up the confirmation of prominent Republican attorney C. Boyden Gray's nomination as ambassador to the European Union.

The reason? Apparant payback from Gray's decision during the GOP primary last year to switch his support from Martinez to opponent Bill McCollum, one which embarassed Martinez greatly. Gray criticized Martinez for his closeness with trial lawyers, which would be normal, since Martinez was one.

From Maxwell's column:

The two men subsequently met. And the hold was lifted, stressed Martinez spokeswoman Kerry Feehery, who would not elaborate on the affair Monday, saying, "It was a private matter between the two men."

But this private matter got a very public vetting. A Washington Post columnist wrote Monday that Martinez's ploy had provided "a new definition of chicken fecal matter, stunning even for Washington standards."

Well, you know what they say about payback...