Well, well, well. It appears that Bob Casey was for taking my money before he was against it.

For those of you just tuning in: Bob Casey is the Dem running against Republican U.S. Senator Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania. I slipped a little of that ITMFA cash Casey’s way—$2000 bucks worth—and Casey campaign called to thank me, and invited me to a Casey fundraiser in Seattle to meet Bob. Since the Casey folks called me at work I’m thinking they had some idea about what I do for a living.

Anyway, about two months after I sent the check I got a call from a Casey staffer. They didn’t want my dirty money after all. They were terrified that Rick Santorum would spot my name on Casey’s campaign finance reports. So thanks but no thanks, they told me. They just couldn’t risk having Casey’s name linked with mine. (Like it wound up being here, here, here, here, and here.)

Last week this letter arrived in the mail with a check:

Well… gee. “Per our conversation.â€� Can you feel the love? On the phone Casey’s campaign staffer thanked me over and over again for my support and personally expressed regret about having to return my money. But when it came time to pop my money in the mail? I barely get three words.

But here’s the thing that shocked me: My check wasn’t in the envelope, the one I sent Casey, the check they couldn’t in good conscience cash. Enclosed instead was a check made out to me from the Casey campaign. I checked with my bank and what do you know? Bob Casey took my money after all: Casey cashed the check I sent him on June 7, 2006. (I deposited Casey’s check in my account last week, and sent a check on to Philadelphians Against Santorum, a group that’s not so much working to elect Casey as defeat Santorum.)

Well, I’m outraged. Is Bob Casey a… a… flip-flopper? He took my money—he cashed my check and spent the two grand on God only knows what—and then sent it back. Flip-flop, flip-flop.

Look, Bob, if you don’t want my money, fine—give it back. But give all of it back, not just the $2000 but the interest as well. After all, you enjoyed my money—money that wasn’t yours, money you didn’t want—for eight long weeks. So what else was it if it wasn’t a loan? At an annual interest rate of 38%—if that rate is good enough for Visa, then it’s good enough for me—I figure you owe me $127.

You can either send me a check, Bob, or send it directly to Philadelphians Against Santorum.