Sen. Specter Is Hardly Mr. Pure, Impartial Judgment Guy

You might have thought Sen. Arlen Specter was going after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the New England Patriots because he's an Eagles fan. (And because he is, generally, rather cranky.) Turns out he might have some ulterior motives.

You know that nasty fight still going on between the NFL and Comcast, over that whole NFL Network thing? Well, Guess who Specter's top campaign contributor is. That would be Comcast.

So let's review. Last week, Specter announced on radio and then in print that he may hold public hearings — on the taxpayer's dime — to find out why the NFL destroyed the videotapes at the center of the so-called "Spygate" scandal, in which the Patriots were fined and stripped of their No. 1 draft pick for breaking league rules about videotaping the New York Jets' sidelines and signals during a game. His announcement stirred up an embarassing story line for the NFL at the peak of its premier week, the Super Bowl where New England tried unsuccessfully to complete an unprecedented 19-0 season. But what is the point, other than the above-mentioned embarrassment of the NFL and its commissioner Roger Goodell? True, destroying the tape wasn't the smartest PR move by the PR-savvy NFL, but the tape would show...what? That the Pats spied on the Jets?...that's already been acknowledged by everyone involved, which is why New England was hit with a fairly severe punishment by league standards. Meanwhile, Specter's No. 2 donor and the lobbying client of his No. 1 donor, Comcast, is still at odds with the NFL.

Ugh: We can't believe we just defended the NFL for something involving the NFL Network. We need a shower.

Arlen's Tangled Comcastic Mess: It's Worse Than You Think [Attytood]