Tribal Council

Vying for the award for Most Spineless Public Official with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid is Jan Martel, president of the United States Bridge Federation. Ms.Martel has taken issue with the actions of a team of women who represented the United States at the world bridge championships in Shanghai last month.

It all started with a sign.

At issue is a crudely lettered sign, scribbled on the back of a menu, that was held up at an awards dinner and read, “We did not vote for Bush.”

Sez Ms.Martel:

“This isn’t a free-speech issue,” said Jan Martel, president of the United States Bridge Federation, the nonprofit group that selects teams for international tournaments. “There isn’t any question that private organizations can control the speech of people who represent them.”

And so, sanctions are being sought by the Federation.

The federation has proposed a settlement to Ms. Greenberg and the three other players, Jill Levin, Irina Levitina and Ms. Rosenberg, who have not made any mollifying statements.

It calls for a one-year suspension from federation events, including the World Bridge Olympiad next year in Beijing; a one-year probation after that suspension; 200 hours of community service “that furthers the interests of organized bridge”; and an apology drafted by the federation’s lawyer.

It would also require them to write a statement telling “who broached the idea of displaying the sign, when the idea was adopted, etc.”

And of course, all rights to first born children would be handed over to the Federation.

Now, it is apparently a "crime" to disclose one's voting record.

For presiding over this farce, Ms.Martel has received the unanimous vote of the entire SLB staff to be ejected from the virtual island of Left Blogistan. The tribe has spoken.