From CREW (Citizens for Responsiblity and Ethics in Washington), we get their list of the 26 biggest, most corrupt elected fuckwads in office:

    * Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
    * Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
    * Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
    * Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL)
    * Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
    * Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
    * Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA)
    * Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
    * Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
    * Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
    * Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL)
    * Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
    * Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA)
    * Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV)
    * Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
    * Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA)
    * Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY)
    * Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA)
    * Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY)
    * Rep. David Scott (D-GA)
    * Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)
    * Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH)
    * Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN)
    * Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)
    * Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
    * Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

There are quite a few D's on that list, which supports my theory that most elected fuckwits are worthless bags of sheepshit that seek to further their own bank accounts. The majority are from the House of Rep's. If these fuckers actions don't scream reform, I don't know what does. Also check out their sister site, Under Investigation which provides updates on those being investigated...sadly not all the fuckers listed above are. From that site:

CREW has compiled a list of Congress members likely under investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (House ethics committee), the Senate Select Committee on Ethics (Senate ethics committee) or the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE). Due to the secrecy surrounding these investigative bodies, the list is compiled from press reports. On October 30, 2009, The Washington Post revealed a leaked House ethics committee memo documenting the investigative activities surrounding House members by the House ethics committee and/or the OCE. The OCE was created in 2008 to review allegations of misconduct against members of the House and refers matters to the House ethics committee for further action. As a result, it is not always clear which body is investigating the Member.

U.S. Representatives

• Representative Robert Aderholt (R-AL) UPDATE
• Representative G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) UPDATE
• Representative Ken Calvert (R-CA)
• Representative John Campbell (R-CA) UPDATE
• Representative Joseph Crowley (D-NY) UPDATE
• Representative Alcee Hastings (D-FL) UPDATE
• Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
• Representative Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
• Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY)
• Representative Gary Miller (R-CA)
• Representative Allan Mollohan (D-WV)
• Representative Timothy Murphy (R-PA)
• Representative Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) UPDATE
• Representative Tom Price (R-GA) UPDATE
• Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY)
• Representative Pete Visclosky (D-IN)
• Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA)
• Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) UPDATE
• Representative Don Young (R-AK) UPDATE

U.S. Senators

• Senator John Ensign (R-NV)
• Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

It's always amazing to me how these bags of batshit get re-elected over and over again, even when in the throes of a congressional investigation and/or on trial for corruption. Why would you vote for someone that has questionable practices in the first place? Don't these voters want good people to represent them, folks who do not have a dark-fucking-cloud hanging over their heads?  WTF does that say about their constituents? I will tell you....either they don't give a rat's ass or they are an entire district of ignorant assholes...take your pick.

Remember Randy Duke Cunningham? His worthless ass was re-elected in California's 50th District, whilst on trial in federal court for kickbacks. The evidence was overwhelming and he pled guilty and did the perp walk into a federal prison. He admitted to taking $2.4 million in bribes mostly from defense contractors in exchange for government business and "other favors". Most of the folks on these lists, one would think, should of heeded that message. So really, I don't know who is dumber, the elected fucktards or their voters.

Could it be??? Nah, I don't trust that doughy white boy as far as I can toss his flabby ass. Professor Turley discusses the latest on Countdown last night.

As an added bonus, Gonzo blames the economy on his inability to find a job..LMAO!! Remember, this man was the highest official in the Dept of Justice...and he can't get a job selling pens...that should tell everyone, including our Congress, something.

From Jurist:

The Texas Third Court of Appeals has allowed money-laundering indictments to stand against two alleged co-conspirators of former US House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), rejecting their argument that the state laws used to prosecute them were unconstitutionally vague or overbroad. The Austin-based intermediate appellate court on Friday affirmed (pdf) a trial court's denial of habeas relief sought by John Colyandro and Jim Ellis, who were originally indicted in 2004. The defendants are accused of accepting $190,000 in illegal campaign contributions from corporations and transferring the money to the Republican National Committee, which then allegedly donated the same amount to candidates for the Texas Legislature. The court concluded that restrictions on corporate campaign contributions in the Texas Elections Code need not survive strict scrutiny, and Justice G. Alan Waldrop wrote:

[W]e believe that a person of ordinary intelligence is capable of intending and designating his or her contributions to a political committee to be for lawful purposes unrelated to supporting or opposing a political candidate. Whether misuse of such funds by the political committee or innocent redistribution of such funds for unlawful purposes may have implications for the contributor or raise additional constitutional concerns is not before us in this appeal.

An attorney for DeLay predicted on Monday that the charges against the defendants would eventually be dismissed because the defendants are accused of accepting checks, while the appellate court concluded that the term "funds" applied only to cash until the language was amended in 2005. AP has more. The Houston Chronicle has local coverage.

DeLay himself still faces money-laundering and conspiracy charges, although another conspiracy charge was dismissed last year. Following his indictment in 2005, DeLay stepped down as House majority leader, later resigning from Congress and eventually withdrawing his candidacy for re-election. Separately, a former aide to DeLay pleaded guilty in 2006 to conspiring with lobbyist Jack Abramoff and others to bribe public officials. The US Senate Indian Affairs Committee that year issued a report calling the connections between Abramoff and another former DeLay aide "astonishing." US Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) also pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements after accepting money and gifts in exchange for taking actions on behalf of Abramoff and his clients.

Can't wait for this trial to finally start up. Delay and his buddies have been living on borrowed time. Lets see if Hot Tub Tommy is still smiling when his trial is over..shall we? ;)

tags: Tom Delay, Jack Abramoff, Scott Muschany, John Colyandro, Jim Ellis

This jackass just never learns. Don Young, the smarmy, sneaky, on-the-take most likely representative for Alaska's voters actually had in writing which lobbyists and special interest groups got straight to him and his top advisors. From the link, at TPM muckraker:

Rep. Don Young (R-AK) has had his share of federal investigations, scandal and legal bills, but he may now have a new problem: "The A Team."

In a document obtained today by TPMmuckraker.com, entitled 'An Intern's Survival Guide,' new interns in Young's office are given various instructions on how to thrive and excel working in Young's office. The document was distributed to new interns by a paid member of Young's staff.

The..cough..document is quite precise in its intent. One of Young's "A Team" folks? Again from TPM:

Most notable on the list is Rick Alcade, the lobbyist at the center of the "Coconut Road" earmark scandal, which the Senate, in an unprecedented move, has formally asked the Justice Department to investigate.

I hope this fucker goes down soon..he really gets on my last friggin nerve.

Enigma mentioned this raid in my comments yesterday. Today I read about over at TomPaine/OurFuture.com:

FBI agents on Tuesday searched the home and office of a federal watchdog as part of an investigation into whether he obstructed an inquiry into allegations of his own misconduct.

About 20 agents seized documents and computers from the office and Virginia home of U.S. Special Counsel Scott Bloch, said officials familiar with the investigation.

Several of his employees have been subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury as early as next week, according to the officials, who asked to remain anonymous because they weren't authorized to comment.

Agents are looking into whether Bloch deleted his agency's computer files to hinder an outside investigation of his treatment of employees, the officials said. Bloch, appointed in 2004, investigates allegations of retaliation and ethics violations by federal employees.

Man, its just amazing how much corruption there is in BushCo. It makes Nixon's administration look like a kids birthday party. Notice he is an appointee...didn't they vet these fuckers? Or do they actually look for this type of smarmy creep?

Update: the fine folks at POGO, Project on Government Oversight, have released a "smoking gun" memo written by Mr. Bloch. From their press release:

An extraordinary document obtained by the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) from inside the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) reveals that Special Counsel Scott Bloch created a special task force to investigate sensitive and high-profile matters and then ignored virtually every recommendation made by it. The document lends support to POGO's theory that Bloch used the task force to launch an investigation of the White House, issuing demands for documents termed by his own task force as "overly broad," to create the appearance of a conflict of interest with an ongoing investigation into allegations that Bloch himself had engaged in misconduct.

"With this deeply troubling new evidence of Bloch's misuse of his office POGO now believes the President has more than ample cause to fire Bloch immediately, said Danielle Brian ," Executive Director, POGO.

Hot damn...

TPMmuckraker has a post up about HUD Director Alphonso Jackson. Seems Mr. Jackson is a loyal Bushie to the max. He didn't blink an eye at punishing Philadelphia's public housing director Carl R. Greene for refusing to transfer a piece of city property to a business friend of Jackson's. From the TPM writeup:

Federal investigators are currently probing the limits of Jackson's cronyism and whether he lied to congressional and HUD investigators when he proclaimed that he doesn't touch contracts. Besides that, a suit by Philadelphia's public housing director has exposed some of the embarrassing goings-on under Jackson. In testimony before Congress, Jackson has refused to comment on any of this, saying that he won't comment on an ongoing investigation.

To read the emails which started this probe, check out this article at WaPo. Just a taste of the email's which show how HUD officials plotted against Mr. Greene's agency:

"Would you like me to make his life less happy? If so, how?" Orlando J. Cabrera, then-assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, wrote about Philadelphia housing director Carl R. Greene.

"Take away all of his Federal dollars?" responded Kim Kendrick, an assistant secretary who oversaw accessible housing. She typed symbols for a smiley-face, ":-D," at the end of her January 2007 note.

Cabrera wrote back a few minutes later: "Let me look into that possibility."

Friggin amazing..this crap never ceases to amaze me.

Oh yeah, right...from TPM..read his response to the committee here..then read Leahy's pov below:

“It is a deeply regrettable that it takes so much work and effort for this Attorney General to try to justify answers that appear to remain far short of the full truth the American people should expect from the Nation’s top law enforcement officer. Sadly, this is becoming a familiar exercise. Testifying with full candor under oath would be so much easier and better.”

Lets cut to the chase..Gonzo of course, doesn't think he misled anyone..lol..anyone want to buy a bridge I have for sale?? Its not however a bridge in MN.

Tags: GonzoGate, Leahy, Attorney General

Great video created by Campaign for America's Future.

Tags: Federal Fuckwits at the Helm, GOP Stonewalling

TPM has the links to the transcripts up from FBI jailhouse interviews held in Feb of this year, with Randy Duke Cunningham. Here is one and here is the FBI affidavit. All pdf files of course.

I don't want to spoil it for you..but Brent Wilkes ain't gonna be happy..nope..not one damn bit. A small snippet: “Cunningham stated that, by 2000, he had already been receiving numerous benefits from Wilkes that included such things as vacation trips, liquor, cash/maintenance money . According to Cunningham, in return for these benefits, he had been helping Wilkes/ADCS in their efforts to secure government contracts.”

Wilkes faces 30 counts in two separate indictments, including charges that he gave Cunningham $600,000 in gifts and cash in exchange for Cunningham's help in getting more than $80 million in defense contracts. Wilkes' two trials are expected to occur this fall. The government has not said if it will bring Cunningham back to San Diego to testify.

God, I hope they bring the Dukester back for Brent's trials. San Diego's local rag has more.

Tags: Randy Cunningham, Brent Wilkes, bribery, Corruption, The Dukester