Auction gets $1 for dinner with Gov. Blanco

During a charity lunch presented by the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, in northeastern Louisiana, the last item up for bid was a chance to dine with Gov. Kathleen Blanco.

The AP reports that the bidding opened at $1,000 and dropped to $500 before the auctioneer accepted a $1 bid from bank executive Malcolm Maddox, a regional chairman for Capital One. Others were trying to bid on the dinner when the bidding abruptly closed.

Chamber president Sue Edmunds apologized for the "poor joke gone awry." Maddox came forward Monday to donate $1,000 to the chamber. He won't be dining at the governor's mansion, however. Edmunds said a chamber official will be going in Maddox's place.

While a spokesperson for Blanco said the Governor was too busy to care. But, how could that not sting? Isn't that the first rule when you are in one of these "date-auctions"? You have to have a ringer in the bidding to drive up the price. PETA has shown they make interesting use of these auctions to confront celebrities... I bet they would have paid more than a $1.