John McCain's PAC paid blogger's employer.

I was impressed with the blogosphere (and especially a lot of you here at Night Bird's Fountain) for the work you did with the Lamont campaign. And I'm sure you will work hard to finish the job in November.

And the best part of it is, that you are all doing it for free, on your own time, your own dime and with your own rhyme. No one is telling you or paying you what to write.

Unlike, of course, a certain right-wing blogger named John Balbach, who is getting paid to blog for John McCain:

John Balbach, a Michigan political professional and an employee of a firm currently under contract to McCain’s PAC Straight Talk America, wrote two posts on RedState.com touting the Arizona Senator and one criticizing the ethics of Rudy Giuliani, a likely rival of McCain’s in the 2008 Republican presidential primary. However, Balbach is not currently working for McCain’s PAC; he is working on other accounts for the firm, Strategic National Consulting. Balbach was previously employed by former U.S. Ambassador Ron Weiser, who is a veteran GOP fundraiser and currently finance chair of the Michigan Republican Party.

“When I was employed by Ambassador Weiser, I assisted him in raising funds for numerous causes, candidates, and organizations including Dick DeVos, the state party, several local candidates as well as Straight Talk America,” Balbach said in an e-mailed statement. “Checking contribution information will also show that I made a personal contribution of $1000 to STA...

According to Straight Talk America’s filings with the FEC, the PAC has paid Strategic National Consulting $27,500 since the beginning of the year.

Just keep in mind that one of Joe Lieberman's best friends in the Senate has always been... John McCain.