Randall “Duke” Cunningham, lays it down, gives it up, and prepares to move on with his life:

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2005/11/a_rising_tide_o.html Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.) pleaded guilty today to fraud, conspiracy to commit bribery and tax evasion. Shortly after entering his plea, Cunningham announced that he is immediately resigning his seat, though he had already announced that he would not seek reelection next year.

According to The Associated Press, Cunningham admitted "he took $2.4 million in bribes to steer defense contracts to conspirators." The defense contracting firm at the center of the scandal is MZM Inc., which is run by Mitchell Wade. Here's one of many Post stories from earlier this year with background on Wade's ties to Cunningham.

Bad Randy. Bad. Oh well, there’s always a bad apple somewhere, right?

Whoops….

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/nation/13262742.htm WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department's wide-ranging investigation of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has entered a highly active phase as prosecutors are beginning to move on evidence pointing to possible corruption in Congress and in executive branch agencies, lawyers involved in the case said.
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is one of the members under scrutiny, the sources said. Prosecutors have already told Rep. Robert Ney, R-Ohio, and his former chief of staff that they are preparing a bribery case against them, according to two sources knowledgeable about the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Whooops redux……..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/21/AR2005112101059.html WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An ex-aide to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and partner to a powerful Republican lobbyist pleaded guilty to conspiracy on Monday under a deal in which he is cooperating with prosecutors probing alleged influence-buying involving the lobbyist and lawmakers.
Michael Scanlon, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in defrauding Indian tribes of millions of dollars and lavishing gifts upon a member of the U.S. Congress.

Fortunately we still have the Fourth Estate to protect the Republic by keeping a skeptical eye on corrupt politicians, and valiantly alerting the citizenry when there’s evil afoot.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/28/AR2005112801683.html The reporter for Time magazine who recently agreed to testify in the CIA leak case is central to White House senior adviser Karl Rove's effort to fend off an indictment in the two-year-old investigation, according to two people familiar with the situation.
Viveca Novak, who has written intermittently about the leak case for Time, has been asked to provide sworn testimony to Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald in the next few weeks after Rove attorney Robert Luskin told Fitzgerald about a conversation he had with her, the two sources said.

It could not be learned what Luskin and Novak, who are friends, discussed that could help prove Rove did nothing illegal in the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity to reporters and the subsequent investigation of it.

[emphasis added]

Good grief!! Even the press is corrupt. If this keeps up, the Invisible Cloud Being is going to send us a message of his/her/its disapproval.

Nov 28, 2005 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A chunk of marble fell from near the roof of the U.S. Supreme Court onto the stairs in the front of the building but no one was injured, a court spokeswoman said on Monday.
The marble was above the inscription near the top of the building saying, "Equal Justice Under Law" and above the allegorical figure representing "Order," one of nine sculptured figures on the pediment.
[Spokeswoman Kathy Arberg] had no explanation why it fell, but said it was not related to the construction work occurring as part of the renovation of the building. She said no work is currently taking place on the front the building, which faces the U.S. Capitol.

So, no one working in the area, the damage not related to renovation work, and no one has any idea why this happened. I’m sure if this had happened while we had a Bill Clinton in OUR White House, Messers Dobson, Falwell, Robertson and their running buddies would have proclaimed it a sign from the Cloud Being that we must repent our sinful ways, stop trying to force third-trimester abortions on lesbians, and immediately dedicate the nation to some religion or other.

Because it is getting so hard to keep track of these “few bad apples” Wayne Madsen Report has thoughtfully prepared a program.