Mikel Grenzner.com

Andrew Sullivan asks this pertinent question:

Why would a Republican Congressman leave a voicemail like this? As a ‘brother in Christ,’ that is.

(Via The Daily Dish.)

In short, the Barthas wrote a letter to the editor of the Denver Post, complaining about the hypocrisy of an anti-gambling member of Congress accepting a donation from an associated political action committee. The fun started shortly after when the rep in question left two messages on their answering machine warning the couple of “consequences” if they were unable to meet privately to discuss the matter.

While I understand that working for Focus on the Family makes Jonathan Bartha a somewhat influential citizen to a conservative representative, this sort of response is totally out of hand. Frankly, it doesn’t make any sense to me. I would have expected a quick press release detailing a mixture of bureaucratic confusion and general clarification, with a chance of him ripping up the check in public for good measure. Instead, he sends a creepy and arguably threatening message.

As to the repercussions, it’s really hard to say. Right now everyone is too busy watching their stances in public restrooms to care too much about this. I can see the Barthas filing a complaint with the House Ethics Comittee, and this becoming a larger story.