As I was reading Brian’s blog post on the "First Amendment Alliance" – the energy industry front group that has already pumped nearly a million dollars to purchase elect a Republican Congress – I came across a familiar name: Clayton Williams of Clayton Williams Energy has donated $100,000 to the front group.

Anyone who was living in Texas in 1990 remembers Clayton Williams. He was the GOP candidate for governor who lost to Ann Richards that year – and who said that women should enjoy getting raped, a remark for which he was forced to apologize. As the New York Times reported at the time:

Mr. Williams made the remark on Saturday while preparing for a cattle roundup at his West Texas ranch. He compared the cold, foggy weather spoiling the event to a rape, telling ranch hands, campaign workers and reporters around a campfire, "If it’s inevitable, just relax and enjoy it."

By any standard, the remark was over the line, and the uproar over it contributed to his losing the election.

In 2008, John McCain insisted that a fundraiser at Williams’ house be moved after he got worried about guilt by association … but still took advantage of the $300,000 that Williams helped bundle.

The entire “First Amendment Alliance,” as if it weren’t sleazy enough already, is particularly tainted by the participation of Clayton Williams. So, too, are the campaigns of Republican Senate candidates profiting from this dirty money, including Ken Buck of Colorado, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Christine O’Donnell of Delaware, and Sharron Angle of Nevada.