Thursday, April 27, 2006
Maybe Now People Will Pay Attention
Remember Randy "Duke" Cunnigham, former Repub Representative from San Diego who was convicted of taking more than $600,000 in bribes from MZM Inc. a software firm who he gave lots of big contracts? He's also the guy who cried while resigning, and (btw) he was also the basis for Tom Cruise's character in Top Gun (it's true).
His story has fallen off the radar to a certain extent; although, Francine Busby is fighting hard to take his seat in the upcoming special election (see the lovely ActBlue bar to the left for more details). Although, if what the Wall Street Journal is reporting is true, then we might see a big surge of....ahem...interest in the case.
It seems that the Dukestir wasn't just interested in antique furntiture and yachts. He also seems to have had a prediliction for clear heels and frosted hair. The journal says it best:
"According to people with knowledge of the investigation, Mr. Wade told investigators that Mr. Cunningham periodically phoned him to request a prostitute, and that Mr. Wade then helped to arrange for one. A limousine driver then picked up the prostitute as well as Mr. Cunningham, and drove them to one of the hotel suites, originally at the Watergate Hotel, and subsequently at the Westin Grand."
How can the American people stay away from this story? We have a Congressman and a prostitute in a limo (it sounds like a bad joke, or an episode of Law and Order), and we have the Watergate Hotel. It's perfect.
This story confirms something that Josh Marshall had started to get into months ago, but didn't quite have any evidence to confirm it.
And...the prosecutors are considering widening the investigation to determine if other Congressmen also had a few prostitutes tossed their way by MZM.
This stuff just keeps getting better and better. Some say that the whole Lewinsky thing took up so much time because Americans love sex-scandals, and it would be hard to get people fired up about Congressional corruption (which everyone thinks always happens anyways). But once we have a few Congressmen in limos with "escorts" I think a few more people will pay attention.
Oh...and one more thing that I love from this article:
"In recent weeks, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have fanned out across Washington, interviewing women from escort services, potential witnesses and others who may have been involved in the arrangement."
Those must have been awkward interviews...
Remember Randy "Duke" Cunnigham, former Repub Representative from San Diego who was convicted of taking more than $600,000 in bribes from MZM Inc. a software firm who he gave lots of big contracts? He's also the guy who cried while resigning, and (btw) he was also the basis for Tom Cruise's character in Top Gun (it's true).
His story has fallen off the radar to a certain extent; although, Francine Busby is fighting hard to take his seat in the upcoming special election (see the lovely ActBlue bar to the left for more details). Although, if what the Wall Street Journal is reporting is true, then we might see a big surge of....ahem...interest in the case.
It seems that the Dukestir wasn't just interested in antique furntiture and yachts. He also seems to have had a prediliction for clear heels and frosted hair. The journal says it best:
"According to people with knowledge of the investigation, Mr. Wade told investigators that Mr. Cunningham periodically phoned him to request a prostitute, and that Mr. Wade then helped to arrange for one. A limousine driver then picked up the prostitute as well as Mr. Cunningham, and drove them to one of the hotel suites, originally at the Watergate Hotel, and subsequently at the Westin Grand."
How can the American people stay away from this story? We have a Congressman and a prostitute in a limo (it sounds like a bad joke, or an episode of Law and Order), and we have the Watergate Hotel. It's perfect.
This story confirms something that Josh Marshall had started to get into months ago, but didn't quite have any evidence to confirm it.
And...the prosecutors are considering widening the investigation to determine if other Congressmen also had a few prostitutes tossed their way by MZM.
This stuff just keeps getting better and better. Some say that the whole Lewinsky thing took up so much time because Americans love sex-scandals, and it would be hard to get people fired up about Congressional corruption (which everyone thinks always happens anyways). But once we have a few Congressmen in limos with "escorts" I think a few more people will pay attention.
Oh...and one more thing that I love from this article:
"In recent weeks, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have fanned out across Washington, interviewing women from escort services, potential witnesses and others who may have been involved in the arrangement."
Those must have been awkward interviews...
