No, No Nydia

The Hill reports today that House Republican aides and government watchdog groups are taking Rep. Nydia Velazquez to task. The topic? A press release issued by her congressional office on July 15th, which announced plans to endorse Judge Margarita Lopez Torres for the cushy seat of surrogate court judge of Brooklyn.

"We don't believe this advisory is kosher," said Celia Wexler of Common Cause. "The use of congressional staff, congressional equipment, a congressional address, is all not in keeping with the whole policy that you don't use government resources for purely political purposes."

The Hill also noted that a similiar press release, trumpteting a Torres endorsement back in 2002, was still up on Rep. Velazquez's website at press time. But it's gone now.