Kaus On Hand

Perhaps Mickey Kaus hasn't returned triumphantly to Slate because he's trying to pay off his campaign debt. On his blog, Kaus claims that, as of July 20, "the campaign still has a small (approx. $5,000) debt." And then nods his head in the direction of his begging bowl.

I'm sure those donations are rolling in.

According to the FEC website, the campaign reported on 6/30/10 a debt of $4,997, but cash on hand of $5,050. That was enough -- three weeks after the election -- for Kaus to retire his campaign debt and have two pizza parties with Meegan McArdle. Was the accounting incomplete, or did Kaus run up additional expenses after the primary? And what exactly were the $3,970 in office supplies that Kaus fronted the campaign? More transparency, please!

Referencing the spambots who are the last surviving visitors to kausfiles.com, one commentator quips, "Mickey, are you getting a cut of all knock-off Gucci bags sold via your site? That $5k debt will be finished in no time!"