MAYBE THEY SHOULD TRY READING IT BEFORE SHUTTING IT DOWN

Considering how obsessed Tom Corbett and his minions appear to be with our li'l ol' blog here, it doesn't appear that they (or the people they pay to do their reading for them) have actually read this blog very carefully. (Or they do and have just chosen to lie about it. It's always so hard to figure out whether they're being ignorant or deliberately malicious.)

Set aside the fact that their presentencing report for one of the Bonusgate defendants actually asserts that a defendant they suspect of "maligning the prosecution" should be penalized for this criticism.

Seriously.

But what really chaps our blogger asses is the entirely false claim that the defendant has (they think) used the blog to "defect blame and deny responsibility for his criminal conduct."

We issue a challenge to friend and foe: Find one post on this blog which fits that description.

This blog has a simple mission, which is clearly stated at the top of the page and which we humble contributors take very seriously: exposing the hypocrisy of Tom Corbett.

Yes, we have pointed out that Tom Corbett has failed to investigate numerous instances of conduct identical to the conduct for which he prosecuted Democratic staffers (and one sitting legislator, who was acquitted.)

Yes, we've pointed out that Tom Corbett himself has engaged in practices for which he has prosecuted others.

Yes, we have pointed out that Tom Corbett's failure to investigate House Republicans from the start - despite his repeated claims that he was doing so - resulted in the disappearance of evidence he later whined about. (Despite the fact that he himself okayed the disposal of computers)

Yes, we've accused Tom Corbett of using his office to intimidate critics.

Yes, we have pointed out that Tom Corbett's own staffers exchanged hundreds of phone calls on state time, using state phones, with campaign workers who had no legitimate business with the state.

Yes, we have pointed out that Tom Corbett attacked his primary opponent in 2004 for failing to recuse himself from an investigation involving a campaign supporter, while defiantly refusing to recuse himself from an investigation involving dozens upon dozens of his own campaign supporters.

Yes, we have pointed out the absurdity of Tom Corbett's refusal to indict Bill DeWeese in connection with bonuses, "LCOMM" and the Nader and Romanelli petition challenges.

Yes, we have called attention to the other political cronies who have escaped criminal prosecution due to their close ties to Tom Corbett.

And yes, we have called into question why Tom Corbett's "investigation" of Senate Republicans did not uncover the overt political operation Jane Orie allegedly ran out of her district office.

We're the first to admit, as the Morning Call's John Micek says today, we've "spent the last year or so being a bee in Tom Corbett's bonnet."

But "deflect blame" and "deny responsibility?" Sorry, we've got bigger fish to fry and no one else seems willing to step up to the fire.