If Ileana Ros-Lehtinen ever got an important 3am phone call of national importance, apparently she would hang up, and then put out a press release about it. Riptide has already written up Ileana's now infamous Obama hang up, but let's use the magic of bullet points to painstakingly detail just how this is the stupidest thing ever.
- Apparently Ileana was afraid the call might be South Florida radio pranksters setting her up for some epic FM LOLs. Which is funny in itself, because Ileana has never really had a problem with letting radio jocks make her look stupid before. Enrique Y Joe already enticed the congresswoman onto a stripper poll just a few months back, and put the thing on YouTube.
- Rahm Emanuel got on the phone, too and she hung on him. How many radio show shock jocks in the world have Rahm Emanuel impersonators? And we know there are over 9000 people in the US House, but she did once work with the man.
- She put out a press release about it, ensuring that it gets coverage everywhere. This incident probably could have been kept in the realm of beltway gossip, but she legitimized it and publicized it, and made herself look like an idiot. ABC News was in utter disbelief, and simply reprinted it with the title "An Actual Press Release from the Office of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Florida"
- And, here is the actual important thing! She passed up the chance to work with a powerful incoming President on policy she and her constituents feel passionate about. Obama had called her to discuss Cuba and Israel policy, and when he finally got her on the phone, instead of making sure that her personal views or those of Miamians were known to the man who will soon be the most powerful in the world, she "asked Obama to please consult with Senator Bob Menendez and Congressman Albio Sires on Cuba policy and to rely on Secretary of State designate Clinton on Israel, two issues about which Ros-Lehtinen feels passionately." Don't we elect her to make sure things get done and make sure we have a voice in Washignton? Then when the President-elect calls her to provide the chance to do that, she defers him to two Democratic Reps in New Jersey.
Somewhere Annette Taddeo is wondering how she lost to this lady.