These Are Not "Emails..!"

They are AOL AIM instant messages typed with one hand...sheesh, the MSM can't even get the little details correct.

XXX - and they are not pretty for a man in Foley's position.

In fact, "It's vile. It's more sad than anything else, to see someone with such potential throw it all down the drain because of a sexual addiction."

I Have A Good Feeling About This..!

and Melanie Sloan is in her early thirties! Late night amore...

Fitzmas60: You in your boxers, too?
CREWgal: Nope, just got home. I had a Foley press conference that went late.
Fitzmas: Well, strip down and get relaxed.

Another message:

Fitzmas60: What ya wearing?
CREWgal: tshirt, shorts, fuzzy slippers with rollers in my hair
Fitzmas60: Love to slip and clip them off of you.

And this one:

Fitzmas60: Do my Libby filings make you a little horny?
CREWgal: A little.
Fitzmas60: Cool.

This very special prosecutor hearts CREW!

And Condi, it's over even before it started. I find lying and incompetence ugly and unattractive...you are hereby kicked out of my Klingon scrabble group.

Rice Ignored bin Laden Warnings Prior to 9/11

Stand And Deliver...

Is this page for here or to go? And do you want to super-size your fries with your order?

"There are 72 House pages, 48 of whom were selected by Republicans and 24 by Democrats. The House page program is administered by the Office of the Clerk and supervised by the House Page Board, chaired by Representative John Shimkus (R-IL). Members of the Page Board include Representatives Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Dale Kildee (D-MI), as well as the Clerk and the Sergeant at Arms of the House." <more>

Among the Republican explanations during the night:

_The congressional sponsor of the page, Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., said he was asked by the youth's parents not to pursue the matter, so he dropped it.

_Alexander said that before deciding to end his involvement, he passed on what he knew to the chairman of the House Republican campaign organization, Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-N.Y. Reynolds' spokesman, Carl Forti, said the campaign chairman also took no action in deference to the parents' wishes.

_Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., chairman of the Page Board that oversees the congressional work-study program for high schoolers, said he did investigate but Foley falsely assured him he was only mentoring the boy. Pages are high school students who attend classes under congressional supervision and work as messengers.

_The spokesman for Speaker Dennis Hastert, Ron Bonjean, said the top House Republican had not known about the allegations. Shimkus said he learned about them in late 2005.

I feel no pity for Rep. John "Mark" Carr Foley. Countdown to admission of drinking problem and abuse by priest as a child...

Pages Were "Warned About Foley..."

Who, what, where, when and why?

HINT: Chairman of the House's page board, Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill

Follow that lead, and step on it! Obviously there has been a coverup for some time now.

DieBold - RIP..!

Diebold Added Secret Patch to Ga. E-Voting Systems in '02

"Top Diebold corporation officials ordered workers to install secret files to Georgia’s electronic voting machines shortly before the 2002 Elections, at least two whistleblowers are now asserting."

Resuscitate Chad - STAT!

Ann Coulter To Replace Foley..?

from a reliable source...

FL GOP to Draft Palm Beach County Resident

FL state law - Foley's name will stay on the ballot, but the FL GOP can pick a new candidate. Relevant statute:

"In the event that death, resignation, withdrawal, removal, or any other cause or event should cause a party to have a vacancy in nomination which leaves no candidate for an office from such party, the Department of State shall notify the chair of the appropriate state, district, or county political party executive committee of such party; and, within 5 days, the chair shall call a meeting of his or her executive committee to consider designation of a nominee to fill the vacancy.... If the name of the new nominee is submitted after the certification of results of the preceding primary election, however, the ballots shall not be changed and the former party nominee's name will appear on the ballot. Any ballots cast for the former party nominee will be counted for the person designated by the political party to replace the former party nominee."

TGIF...

Unless you are Karl Rove, Ken Mehlman, Mark Foley, Conrad Burns, George Allen, Scooter Libby, Condi Rice, Rummy, Andrew Fastow, Bernie Ebers, President Bush and the Grand Old Party - they are having a really really bad week.

Cheer up! It is all downhill from here. ;)

Kinky..!

Waterboard GOP Rep. Mark Foley

Foley - Hard On Kiddie Porn

Deeply disturbing! I say that Florida's 16th District will be BLUE sooner than you think.

UPDATE: GOP Foley To Resign Over Sexual Pedophile Misconduct

Hours earlier, ABC News had read excerpts of instant messages provided by former male pages who said the congressman, under the AOL Instant Messenger screen name Maf54, made repeated references to sexual organs and acts.

Afraid so, Karl...

White House Lashes Out - Limp Rebuttal

The White House is lashing out at a new report which says convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates had far more extensive contacts with the White House than President Bush's staff ever acknowledged.

Outside his home in Washington, D.C., Karl Rove commented exclusively to ABCNews on his dealings with Jack Abramoff.

In answer to inquiry on whether he had accepted gifts from Abramoff, Rove simply replied, "afraid not."

The report from the Republican-led House Government Affairs Committee stated that Abramoff had as many as 485 contacts with the White House, and prime among his lobbying targets was former White House political director Ken Mehlman, and Bush's adviser Karl Rove.

Of those 485 contacts, 345 were described as meetings or other in-person contacts; 71 were described as phone conversations and 69 were e-mail exchanges. <more>

Raking Them Over The Coals...

TPM Muckraker has his hands full today!

Email: Rove Killed Interior Nomination for Abramoff

Emails Suggest Mehlman Arranged Fed Funds for Abramoff Contributions

NYT: "Karl Would Like 3 Tickets For His Family"

Just say "no, thank you!" to graft.

"Quote Of The Week..."

"In 40 days, we can put an
end to this nonsense."

Pot Calling Kettle Black...

White House: Abramoff is a "Proven Liar"

The White House responded by sharply criticizing Abramoff.

"It is shocking and deeply disturbing that this admitted and proven liar ripped off his clients by over-billing and over-selling his supposed influence with any number of policymakers," Dana Perino, deputy White House press secretary, said Thursday.

Report Links White House and Lobbyist
On Oct. 31, 2001, the report said, Ms. Ralson sent an e-mail message to Mr. Abramoff that read: "You win :) KR said no endorsement."

Shocking AND disturbing! Uh huh...seems those WH ethics classes came a few terms late, yes?

How Does "Weapons Grade" Anthrax...

miraculously become "off the shelf?"

FBI denies it misunderstood the quality of anthrax used in 2001 attacks in U.S.

Sorry homies, I hate to contradict you but...that was very sophisticated and smartly manufactured stuff - aka "weapons grade." This homie don't like disinformation. If we lie, then we are no better than Libby, Rove, et al...no mas! Capice?

Anyway, good luck with the wider net and happy fishing... By the way, did we ever discover who perpetrated the Tularemia release on Washington DC last year because rabbits can't fly, right?

DISCLAIMER: Late night post for my conspiracy theory friends only - but it is true - really. ;)

No, really.

Graft Attendance Record...

Abramoff? "here"
Rove? "here"
Ken? "here"
Decider? Decider?

From Roll Call:

Hundreds of contacts between top White House officials and former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates "raise serious questions about the legality and actions" of those officials, according to a draft bipartisan report prepared by the House Government Reform Committee.

The 95-page report, which White House officials reviewed Wednesday evening but has yet to be formally approved by the panel, singled out two of President Bush's top lieutenants, Karl Rove and Ken Mehlman, as having been offered expensive meals and exclusive tickets to premier sporting events and concerts by Abramoff and his associates.

In total, the committee was able to document 485 contacts between White House officials and Abramoff and his lobbying team at the firm Greenberg Traurig from January 2001 to March 2004, with 82 of those contacts occurring in Rove¹s office, including 10 with Rove personally. The panel also said that Abramoff billed his clients nearly $25,000 for meals and drinks with White House officials during that period.

Rove, Mehlman, and other White House officials have denied having any close relationship with Abramoff, despite the fact that Abramoff was a "Pioneer" who raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Bush's White House campaigns.

"The documents depict a much closer relationship between Mr. Abramoff and White House officials than the White House has previously acknowledged," committee staff wrote in a three-page summary that accompanied the report. Reps. Tom Davis (R-Va.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman and ranking member of Government Reform, this summer subpoenaed e-mails and billing records from Greenberg Traurig and other firms, including Alexander Strategy Group, which was run by one-time aides to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). They examined more than 14,000 pages of documents from Greenberg Traurig, including 6,600 pages of billing records and 7,700 pages of e-mail.

During the period examined by the committee, Bush administration officials repeatedly intervened on behalf of Abramoff's clients, including helping a Mississippi Indian tribe obtain $16 million in federal funds for a jail the tribe wanted to build.

Abramoff was able to block the nomination of one Interior Department official using Christian conservative Ralph Reed as a go-between with Rove, according to e-mails between Abramoff and Reed.

White House - "We Barely Knew Jack..."

450+ contacts between Abramoff and WH peeps...

Congressional report coming out tomorrow...getting my candy coated popcorn and peanuts ready to go with this prize! ;)

House rescinds wireless Hill deal cut by Abramoff

Judge Delays Prison Again for Abramoff

Keep singing, Jack. I smell a Grammy!

Trying To Stay Relevant...

and salvage his career while making a buck or two...

"The Washington Post's Bob Woodward is set to release 'State of Denial,' the third in his series of books documenting the inner workings of the Bush administration. Woodward will discuss some notable revelations in the book this Sunday on 60 Minutes. Key highlights:

Bush is covering up the extent of violence against U.S. troops in Iraq:

According to Woodward, insurgent attacks against coalition troops occur, on average, every 15 minutes, a shocking fact the administration has kept secret. 'It's getting to the point now where there are eight-, nine-hundred attacks a week. That's more than 100 a day. That is four an hour attacking our forces,' says Woodward."

The Bob's (Novak and Woodward) are still nothing more than junkyard journalists to me! ;)

Loopy...

No more free passes?

Only forty days until the election...are you ready?

No Two Days Are Ever The Same...

bomb scares aside...the good guys won a round today. Beer and pizza tonight. Sweet.

And yes, it was my dirty laundry! ;)

I Lost My Lunch...

I am sure I had it when I came to court this morning for a Libby pre-trial hearing... Oh well.

UPDATE: Sitting outside the courthouse at Constitution & 3rd - some sort of bomb scare - Sure wish I had my salami on rye right about now...as usual Judge Walton has on a great tie...hmmm, he smells like salami...

UPDATE II: Sometimes I feel like a fly on the wall. I could sure use some sunscreen. My laptop battery is about to

UPDATE III: die. Back in the courthouse and ready to kick some evildoer a**. I was wrong...Reggie has egg salad on his tie...Also, CREW has a new blog! :D

FINAL UPDATE: Does salami have alot of nitrates in it...say like a bomb? Don't ask, don't tell works for me...

Bon Voyage...

Corporate crime...
.

.Just
.don't
.do
.it!

BTW...

in case you care...

I will be in District Court in our nation's capital tomorrow...

sleep tight...

Allen - Rice '08 GOP Ticket...

An "Ah ha!!!" moment- Call me crazy, but who would have predicted two terms of Bush-Cheney.

So Busted...

but why should anyone be surprised?

2001 memo to Rice contradicts her lies

Equal Time - "Friends" Of George Allen...

Join us and get to know the real Sen. Allen up close and personal. Buy your tickets and sign up below:

Tickets

Slave Hand $50.00

Mandingo Breeder
2 guests to the Hoe Down and Private Reception $1,000.00
(Each Package Includes 2 Tickets)

Slave Boss
Special Recognition at the Hoe Down
4 guests to the Hoe Down and Private Reception $2,500.00
(Each Package Includes 4 Tickets)

Plantation Master
Special Recognition at the Hoe Down
5 guests to the Hoe Down and Private Reception $5,000.00

El Wizard Grande
Special Recognition at the Hoe Down
6 guests to the Hoe Down and Private Reception $10,000.00

Paid for by Friends of George Allen

Hoe Down Membership

• I do swear and verify that I am of the White race.

• I am not addicted to or a user of illegal drugs.

• I am not or have never been a "follower" of the Jewish religion.

• I believe in the segregation of the races and I have never engaged in an inter-racial relationship.

• I believe in and will defend my Country, Homeland, and its Constitution and laws.

• I am not under bond or indictment for any criminal acts.

• I will conduct myself in an acceptable manner and WILL NOT commit criminal acts while a member.

I (print name):_________________________ hereby apply for membership in Friends of George Allen.

Street address: _________________________________________________
City: ___________________________________________________
State/Zip: ___________________________________________________
Date of Birth: ______(must be 18):__Sex (M / F )
Phone: (____)-_______-___________
Maritial status: ___________________________________________________

School (yrs completed): ___________________________________________________
Occupation: ___________________________________________________
Place of Employment: ___________________________________________________
Military Experience: ___________________________________________________
National Descent: _________________________________________________

Name and Descent of Spouse: ____________________________________________

Physical Conditions (List any Disabilities):
___________________________________________________

Height:_______ Weight:_______ Hair Color:_____________ Eye color:_______________

Special Skills: __________________________________________________
Are you registered to Vote? _____________
Previous Political Activity: ___________________________________________________
Do you have personal Transportation? __________________
Have you ever been Convicted of a Felony?_____If yes give details_____________

Oy! The irony...

Chronic Foot In Mouth Disease...

Sen. Allen - Lower Than A Grave Digger's Heel

"You mark my words," Allen said. "Jesse Jackson can't win in Virginia. Hell, he's so far-out that even the niggers won't vote for him."

"I need your help and support," he said. "Virginia is an old-fashioned state with traditional ideas. Just because we've got a black face in the governor's mansion doesn't mean the niggers are taking over." Doug Wilder, America's first African American Governor, had taken office in Richmond a year earlier."

"It was not unusual to hear racial slurs at gatherings of Republicans. Many GOP events are all-white. Allen, and others, would call Arabs "rag heads," Afro-Americans "niggers" and homosexuals "fags" or "queers" as part of their normal conversation. They would laugh at each other's racist jokes. When Allen and another well-known Senate Republican racist, Montana's Conrad Burns, got together the slurs would fly like confetti through the air." <more>

O'My Goodness...

I'm Too Sexy For My Suit

"Check it out: No less than five Beltway guys on "The Real Sexiest Men Alive" list of 16 in October's O magazine! Then again . . . seems they're trying to make the case that it's not about hotness per se but, you know, brains, humor, compassion, blah de blah.

Thus does NBC White House correspondent David Gregory -- the "firebrand in the front row" -- come in at No. 3, Barack Obama (what magazine list is he not on these days?) at No. 5, helper-of-the-homeless Robert Egger, founder of D.C. Central Kitchen, at No. 8 and "brilliant but accessible" Newsweek International editor Fareed Zakaria at No. 14. In last place is Very Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, cited for speaking truth to power and playing rugby -- "an unbeatably sexy combination." Hey, Oprah : We saw him first!"

Sorry Roxanne, I don't date "reporters." ;)

Rep. Hall - Hard On Underage Sex Slaves..!

or hard at work championing 15 year old girls right to work? Rep. Hall please clarify your position.

Sex Scandal In Congressman's Lap
Thanks To Abramoff

"She wanted to do nude dancing," Hall's statement in the Congressioanl Record said of the fifteen-year-old girl. She had earlier told federal investigators that she "was taken away from her parents in the Philippines at the age of fifteen to work at a nightclub in the Northern Marianas. Once there, she was forced to sell drinks, dance naked, and perform videotaped "sex acts on stage with customers." She and the other employees lived in barracks set up by the Philippino club owner until Katrina was able to run away.more>

Ralph, answer me this: How many 15 year old girls have served on your Congressional staff? You love them long time?

I Will Convict No Felons...

before their time.

U.S. details Black case

"Black, who is accused of money-laundering, racketeering and obstruction of justice, has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing and stated that he still hoped one day to run for a seat in the U.S. Congress." ;)

How does March work for you, Conrad?

Insert...

Sen. Macaca here?

Ohio Is Feeling Blue...

Gotta get down to it...
This summer they heard the drumming.

Common Sense Is Uncommon...

Spooks: Iraq War Not Very Intelligent - Hurting U.S. Terror Fight

"The war in Iraq has become a primary recruitment vehicle for violent Islamic extremists, motivating a new generation of potential terrorists around the world whose numbers may be increasing faster than the United States and its allies can reduce the threat, U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded.

A 30-page National Intelligence Estimate completed in April cites the "centrality" of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the insurgency that has followed, as the leading inspiration for new Islamic extremist networks and cells that are united by little more than an anti-Western agenda. It concludes that, rather than contributing to eventual victory in the global counterterrorism struggle, the situation in Iraq has worsened the U.S. position, according to officials familiar with the classified document." <more>

Who feels safer now?

Alot Cheaper Than A BJ Investigation...

CIA/Leak investigation on the cheap

Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's three-year CIA/Leak investigation has cost the taxpayer the least amount of any Justice Department probe by an Independent Counsel in history.

NBC News has learned, that since the start of Fitzgerald's investigation of the Valerie Plame leak, beginning in December 2003, the total cost to be reported to the GAO is about $1.5 million.

By contrast, the decade-long probe of former Clinton Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros by Independent Counsel David Barrett, cost about $23 million.

Fitzgerald's office has incurred only about $400 thousand in total expenses above the salary and benefits for the personnel working for him.

The Ken Starr investigation of Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky cost the tax-payer $64 million.

OutFOXed By The Best...

"Today, President Bill Clinton taped an interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace, which is scheduled to be aired Sunday. He was told the interview would focus on his nonpartisan efforts to raise over $7 billion to combat the world’s biggest problems."

"Early in the interview, Wallace attempted to smear Clinton with the same kind of misinformation contained in ABC’s Path to 9/11. Clinton was having none of it."

Here are some highlights...

TGIF - Justice Bloggers...

;)

Do You Secretly Lust...

for Sen. Hillary Clinton or Ken Mehlman, Congressman?

S.O.B. (sweet old boy) Rep. supports "methods necessary" for torturees

WASHINGTON - Georgia congressman Lynn Westmoreland backed away from comments he made suggesting that he supports torturing terrorism suspects, but said intelligence agencies should be given latitude to use "the methods necessary" to get information from detainees.

On Tuesday, the Grantville Republican told a Douglas County Chamber of Commerce luncheon that he "voted for torture" and that "we need to get information out of these people the best way we can," the Douglas County Sentinel reported.

He said Wednesday that he should have "put that another way."

"Maybe I shouldn't have said I voted for torture," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I should have said I voted against the anti-torture bill."

The vote he referred to came last year on an amendment reaffirming the United States' commitment to the U.N. Convention Against Torture. The measure passed the House 415-8, with Westmoreland among those opposing it. The U.N. convention defines torture as intentionally inflicting "severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental," to obtain information or a confession.

Westmoreland said that definition is too vague and that he believes intelligence professionals deserve more flexibility.

"I think they should use the methods necessary to get the information from the people who know the information," he said. "We're fighting people that don't wear a uniform. They're not from a country. They're not a recognized military. So I don't know that the Geneva Convention even covers them."

Pressed on whether that means he supports torture, he said, "What's torture? Torture is many things to many people ... people have different breaking points."

Asked whether he would support using electric shocks, he said, "Electric shocks are given to people during initiations to different clubs ... Is that torture? I don't know."

Asked about beatings, he said, "Are you talking about tying his hands behind his back and beating him in the head? No, I'm not for that."

Westmoreland criticized the handful of GOP senators, including former Vietnam prisoner of war John McCain, R-Ariz., who are blocking President Bush's effort to reinterpret Geneva Convention protections on detainees. He said he supports the White House position, which calls for a narrower interpretation of the protections, allowing more aggressive interrogation tactics.

It's Miller Time...

and I don't mean Judy.

Some of the comments posted on this blog are driving me to drink. ;)

OPEN THREAD - Comments Lite - more Larouche/conspiracy theories = less filling.

Cheers!

Texas Nuke 'Em Poker..?

Mushroom Clouds à l' Iran

"An April New Yorker report by Sy Hersh alleged that the nuclear option was on the table, and that some officers of the Joint Chiefs had threatened resignation.

"The attention given to the nuclear option has created serious misgivings inside the offices of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he added, and some officers have talked about resigning," Hersh wrote. "Late this winter, the Joint Chiefs of Staff sought to remove the nuclear option from the evolving war plans for Iran without success, the former intelligence official said."

The senior intelligence official who spoke to RAW STORY, along with several military intelligence sources, confirmed that the nuclear option remains on the table. In addition, the senior official added that the Joint Chiefs have "come around on to the administration's thinking." <more>

I am calling Chuck Colson if the Thai military is busy!

Good Old Fashioned Paper Ballots...

you think?

If Paper Ballots Restore Trust In Elections, Let's Bitch

"The obvious solution, as Gov. Bob Ehrlich said yesterday, is to put the machines in the closet (actually, returning them to the store is an even better idea; does anybody in Annapolis still have that receipt for $106 million?) and go back to paper ballots. The governor bemoaned flaws in the Diebold electronic poll books that Maryland used for the first time last week to check in voters: 'Technology is a wonderful thing, but clearly, given their apparent inability to function appropriately -- when in doubt, go paper, go lower technology.'" <more>

I always say - "Trust, but verify" - so paper is my first choice.

You Won't Find Any Answers...

in a bottle.

Ex-Enron CEO Arrested For Walking Under the Influence

AP - "Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling was ticketed for public intoxication earlier this month in Dallas, according to a newspaper report.

Skilling, convicted in May of 19 counts of fraud, conspiracy, insider trading and lying to auditors in the investigation following the company's 2001 collapse, was arrested about 1:45 a.m. Sept. 9, according to a report in Wednesday's online edition of the Houston Chronicle."

"Skilling faces 20 to 30 years in prison in the Enron case and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 23."

"'Jeff is doing the very best he can to deal with a nearly impossible situation,' his attorney Daniel Petrocelli said." <more>

Jeffrey, consider giving Chuck Colson a call, but definitely shy away from Omar Abdel-Rahman (prosecuted by yours truly)!

It Ain't Pretty...

Beauty Is In the Eye of the Beholder

"With the midterm elections less than seven weeks away, Americans have an overwhelmingly negative view of the Republican-controlled Congress, with substantial majorities saying that they disapprove of the job it is doing and that its members do not deserve reelection, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll."

"By overwhelming margins, respondents said that members of Congress were too tied to special interests and that they did not understand the needs and problems of average Americans. Two-thirds said Congress had accomplished less than it typically does in a two-year session; most said they said they could not name a single major piece of legislation that cleared this Congress. Just 25 percent said they approved of the way Congress was doing its job." <more>

Curtain Call - C.R.E.W..!

White House to open books on Abramoff-tainted visitors

"the administration has now decided to release the White House entry logs for Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed as early as Wednesday evening, settling an election-year legal dispute with the Democratic Party and an ethics watchdog group, officials told The Associated Press.

The logs will show Norquist and Reed attended numerous functions including Christmas parties and policy briefings and met with Bush staff members but had no one-on-one meetings with the president, according to people familiar with the records." <more>

It is amazing what a few dedicated NGO watchdogs can do with the FOIA and true grit. BULLY!

Name That Indictment Contest..!

You make the call!

Which member of Congress or Administration official will be indicted next?

Cash money prizes! New winners every month.

DEVELOPING...

I Heart C.R.E.W..!

CREW RELEASES 2ND ANNUAL MOST CORRUPT EVIL DOERS IN CONGRESS REPORT

September 20, 2006

2006 Edition Includes Five Members to Watch in 109th Congress

Washington, DC – Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released its second annual report on the most corrupt members of Congress entitled Beyond DeLay: The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and five to watch). This encyclopedic report on corruption in the 109th Congress documents the egregious, unethical and possibly illegal activities of the most tainted members of Congress. CREW has compiled the members’ transgressions and analyzed them in light of federal laws and congressional rules.

Two members have been removed from last year’s list of 13. Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA) is now serving an eight-year jail term for bribery and Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) has agreed to plead guilty to crimes that will likely result in a minimum two-year prison term.

CREW has also re-launched the report’s tandem website, www.beyonddelay.org. The site offers short summaries of each member’s transgressions as well as the full-length profiles and all accompanying exhibits. <more>

The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress

• Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)
• Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN)
• Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)
• Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
• Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
• Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA)
• Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
• Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL)
• Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA)
• Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
• Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA)
• Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV)
• Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO)
• Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA)
• Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
• Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)
• Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY)
• Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC)
• Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
• Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA)

Dishonorable Mentions

• Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT)
• Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL)
• Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ)
• Rep. John Murtha (D-PA)
• Rep. Don Sherwood (R-PA)

I Am In Big Trouble Now..!

Letter to DoJ Office of Professional Responsibility

H. Marshall Jarrett, Counsel
Office of Professional Responsibility
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 3266
Washington, D.C. 20530

Re: Patrick Fitzgerald’s handling of the Plame Case

Dear Mr. Jarrett:

I am writing to suggest that if one is not underway yet, it is long past due to undertake an investigation into the circumstances of the appointment of Patrick Fitzgerald and the way in which he has conducted this matter. <more>

Clarice, the only two things I am curious about are who signs your paycheck and have you received a response to your complaint about this blog yet?

Chip Hip Hooray..!

FBI forced to triple fraud squads to keep up with DC evil doers

WASHINGTON - There is so much political corruption on Capitol Hill that the FBI has had to triple the number of squads investigating lobbyists, lawmakers and influence peddlers, the Daily News has learned.

For decades, only one squad in Washington handled corruption cases because the crimes were seen as local offenses handled by FBI field offices in lawmakers' home districts.

But in recent years, the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal and other abuses of power and privilege have prompted the FBI to assign 37 agents full-time to three new squads in an office near Capitol Hill.

FBI Assistant Director Chip Burrus told The News yesterday that he wants to detail even more agents to the Washington field office for a fourth corruption squad because so much wrongdoing is being uncovered.

"Traditionally, a congressional bribery case might be conducted on Main Street U.S.A., but a lot of the stuff we're finding these days is here in Washington," said Burrus, who heads the FBI's criminal division.

He said typical crimes involve lawmakers' illegal interactions with lobbyists and "people who have a lot of savvy about how the congressional process works and appropriations."

Plus, the electronic and legislative paper trail that winds up as evidence is in Washington, as Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) and ex-Rep. Randy (Duke) Cunningham (R-Calif.) can attest.

Ney has agreed to plead guilty to corruption charges. Cunningham was sentenced to eight years in the slammer for taking bribes.

Two years ago, only 400 agents worked on public corruption cases. Now, 615 agents nationwide - including 30 in New York - are trying to nail public servants for betraying the public trust in 2,200 ongoing cases.

A recent FBI search of the Alaska Statehouse was a first of its kind.

In Washington, agents conducted unprecedented searches of the offices of the CIA's third-ranking executive and the House office of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.).

Both stemmed from bribery allegations.

Burrus wouldn't speculate about why there is so much graft, but said, "We have to pull the whole weed up or it's just going to grow back again."

Just say "No, thank you!" to graft .

And three cheers (not Bronx) for my boss AG Gonzalez's whose top priority and pet project is his "war" on child pornography.

Can You Hear Me Now..?

Bush is widely expected to apologize to leaders and citizens of the world for his lies and falsehoods leading up to war in Iraq...DEVELOPING ;)

UPDATE: "Blah, blah, blah."

Bush Owes Us an Apology

Photo Of The Month...

Meet the Boots on Meet the Press

If you ask me - THOSE boots were made for walking...

50 Days Until The Election...

Toss up in the Senate.

The battle for control of the U.S. Senate is getting closer—much closer. Little more than a week ago, our Balance of Power summary showed the Republicans leading 50-45 with five states in the Toss-Up category. Today, Rasmussen Reports is changing three races from “Toss-Up” to “Leans Democrat.” As a result, Rasmussen Reports now rates 49 seats as Republican or Leans Republican while 48 seats are rated as Democrat or Leans Democrat (see State-by-State Summary). There are now just three states in the Toss-Up category--Tennessee, New Jersey, and Missouri.

Today’s changes all involve Republican incumbents who have been struggling all year. In Montana, Senator Conrad Burns (R) has fallen behind Jon Tester (D). Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee (R) survived his primary but starts the General Election as a decided underdog. Sherrod Brown (D) is enjoying a growing lead over Ohio Senator Mike DeWine (R).

Four other seats are now ranked as “Leans Democrat”—Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Maryland, and Michigan.

Virginia is the only state rated as “Leans Republican.”

Democrats have to win all seven states leaning their way plus all three Toss-Ups to regain control of the Senate. While that’s a tall order, recent history shows that it is quite possible for one party or the other to sweep all the close races. The Democrats did so in Election 2000 and the Republicans returned the favor in 2002. If the Democrats win all those seats but one, there would be a 50-50 tie. In that circumstance, Vice-President Dick Cheney would cast the deciding vote in his Constitutional role as the presiding officer of the Senate.

President Bush’s Job Approval ratings have been a concern for Republicans all year. The President enjoyed a brief ratings bounce following his 9/11 speech, but that bounce has now faded.

New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez is the only Democratic incumbent currently caught in a Toss-Up race.

Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman (D) is now running for re-election as a Independent after losing a Primary Campaign to Ned Lamont (D). However, this race has no impact on the Senate Balance of Power considerations since whichever candidate wins will line up as a Democrat when the Senate convenes next January. <more>

TGIM...

Scarborough Country Revolt..?

Save Yourself, Blame Bush

By Joe Scarborough
Sunday, September 17, 2006

I can't help but feel sorry for my old Republican friends in Congress who are fighting for their political lives. After all, it must be tough explaining to voters at their local Baptist church's Keep Congress Conservative Day that it was their party that took a $155 billion surplus and turned it into a record-setting $400 billion deficit.

How exactly does one convince the teeming masses that Republicans deserve to stay in power despite botching a war, doubling the national debt, keeping company with Jack Abramoff, fumbling the response to Hurricane Katrina, expanding the government at record rates, raising cronyism to an art form, playing poker with Duke Cunningham, isolating America and repeatedly electing Tom DeLay as their House majority leader?

How does a God-fearing Reagan Republican explain all that away?

Easy. Blame George W. Bush. <more & more>

"The Practical Matter Is...

he is trying to grandfather in protections for illegal actions already undertaken. No grace, no substance, no intelligence - it is shocking that we have him as our president." - Lisa Simpson

Olbermann: Bush's 'rush' to redefine Geneva Conventions may be mostly about 'covering his own backside'

Matt Lauer: “I don’t want to let this 'within the law issue' slip though. I mean, if, in fact, there was water boarding used with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and for the viewers, that’s basically when you strap someone to a board and you make them feel as if they’re going to drown by putting them underwater, if that was legal and within the law, why couldn’t you do it at Guantanamo? Why did you have to go to a secret location around the world?”

President Bush: “I’m not going to talk about techniques. And, I’m not going explain to the enemy what we’re doing. All I’m telling you is that you’ve asked me whether or not we’re doing things to protect the American people, and I want the American people to know we are doing so.”

What's all the fuss? I would love to use "waterboarding" on Karl and Jack.

Public Servants Of The Month...

"Congressman Ney and his co-conspirators engaged in a long-term pattern of defrauding the public of his unbiased, honest services as an elected official," Alice Fisher, assistant attorney general, said in a statement. "Congressman Ney admits that he corruptly solicited and accepted a stream of benefits, valued at tens of thousands of dollars, in exchange for agreement to perform, and performing, a series of official acts. He also admitted deceiving the public and the U.S. House of Representatives about his actions."

FBI Assistant Director Chip Burrus, head of the Criminal Investigative Division, put the Ney plea deal in context, stressing that it is just part of a much wider federal crackdown on corruption. "The FBI is deeply committed to tackling corruption anywhere we find it—this is our promise to the American people, and corruption is the FBI's top criminal priority," he said. "We have more than 600 agents and dozens of analysts working more than 2200 investigations in all 56 field offices right now. Nationwide indictments are up 40 percent. In the past year alone, we have had over 950 arrests, 700 convictions, over 300 million dollars in restitution and over 15 million dollars in fines. The FBI participates in over 30 public corruption task forces and over 100 public corruption working groups." With that kind of tough talk, no one on Capitol Hill remotely linked to Abramoff will be breathing easy for quite some time. <more>

I tip my hat to Alice and Chip. Well done, you make us proud!

Good Lovin...

gone bad.
Transcript:

QUESTION: Mr. President, former Secretary of State Colin Powell says, The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism. If a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former secretary of state feels this way, don’t you think that Americans and the rest of the world are beginning to wonder whether you’re following a flawed strategy?

BUSH: If there’s any comparison between the compassion and decency of the American people and the terrorist tactics of extremists, it’s flawed logic. It’s just — I simply can’t accept that. It’s unacceptable to think that there’s any kind of comparison between the behavior of the United States of America and the action of Islamic extremists who kill innocent women and children to achieve an objective.

This situation is breaking my heart. Dr. Phil, Dr. Ruth, Dr. J, anyone - give me a caption for this photo?

Say It Ain't So, Bo..?!

Sept. 22 - 24. VOTERS-VALUES SUMMIT - Family Research Council's legislative action arm holds "Washington Briefing: Values Voter Summit 2006," with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Dr. Jerry Falwell, Dr. James Dobson, Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich, Bill Bennett, Sen. Macaca George Allen, others.

Alberto, Just Say "No, Thank You!" to your peers???

Oh Boy, Plea Bargains...

are a beautiful thing - Fastow, Scanlon, Abramoff, Cunningham, Sorich, Ney, Rove et al...

I prefer pre-indictment plea bargaining to post-indictment because evil doers usually have more to offer me, like not being indicted at all or downgrading their status to unindicted co-conspirator or reduced sentences. And pre-indictment plea bargaining can greatly enrich the indictments that the us prosecutors eventually obtain. If for example, I had a weak case against, say, Scooter Libby or Vice President Cheney, imagine how much Rove's cooperation might strengthen that/those cases ;)

Today has been a good day for justice in America. Thanks for the cooperation lil fishies. ;)

Next!

Have a great weekend.

On A Lighter Note...

Calls for Gov. Haley Barbour reach 'hot girls'

Callers to Gov. Haley Barbour's toll-free telephone number aren't greeted by the voice of his secretary.

Over a cheesy beat, a woman refers callers to another number, where they can hear "hot girls" for 69 cents a minute.

This past spring, Barbour's office changed its toll-free number, but the new version didn't make it in time for the 2006-07 State Government Telephone Directory.

Meanwhile, the original number was given to a phone sex hot line.

"That number is unacceptable to the governor," Barbour's spokesman, Pete Smith, said. "And we're examining options to correct it. The correct number is (900) GOP-Graft." <more

Here Is The Skinny...

crime does not pay...

WASHINGTON - Rep. Bob Ney agreed Friday to plead guilty to federal criminal charges he made false statements and conspired to commit fraud and violate federal lobbying laws in the congressional corruption probe spawned by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Ney, R-Ohio, had defiantly denied the charges for months. Now he faces up to 10 years in prison. The Justice Department said prosecutors will recommend that he serve 27 months based on federal sentencing guidelines. Ney became the first lawmaker to admit wrongdoing in the election-year investigation.

Ney agreed to plead guilty to making false statements and conspiracy to commit "wire and mail fraud," make false statements and violate post-employment restrictions for former congressional staff members.

Ney signed the plea agreement Wednesday, but it was not approved by the Justice Department or filed with the U.S. court until Friday.

Are they listening yet? Just say "No, thank you!" to graft.