Saturday night, Tim Mahoney and [Speaker of the House Tom Craddick crony] Harrison Keller qualified for a runoff election in the race for Austin Community College Board of Trustees, with the former getting 48.5% of the vote and the latter taking 33%. Today, Keller decided to withdraw . . .

His explanation?

I have learned that the cost of the upcoming runoff for Place 1 on the Austin Community College Board of Trustees could cost the college up to $400,000. Given that I joined this race to expand educational opportunities for our community and to make sure that taxpayers’ money is spent as efficiently and effectively as possible, I think this money would be better spent on ACC’s educational programs.

And:

. . . I have decided to withdraw from the runoff election and to donate the balance of my campaign funds to the Austin Community College Foundation.

For a Republican crony who stands by the side of wannabe-emperor Tom Craddick, that’s a pretty upstanding thing to do — acting on your principles. If only we could convince Hillary to do the same. [Chronic]

It reminds me of that quote from Kurt von Hammerstein:

I divide officers into four classes — the clever, the lazy, the stupid and the industrious. Each officer possesses at least two of these qualities. Those who are clever and industrious are fitted for the highest staff appointments. Use can be made of those who are stupid and lazy. The man who is clever and lazy is fit for the very highest command. He has the temperament and the requisite nerves to deal with all situations. But whoever is stupid and industrious must be removed immediately.

I once thought Bush fit in the clever and lazy category which is good for a President. After a while it became clear that stupid and lazy was closer to the mark which is a bad thing but not the worst. But it’s clear that around him are serried ranks of the stupid and industrious and the sooner the whole lot are gone the better. Is this the worst, most willfully blind wartime leadership in American history? I think it is.

[Hotel Tango: Kings of War]