California Congressman Quits

Gee, a Member of Congress involved in corruption. Who would've thunk it?

Taking bribes? Kickbacks? Where did this guy learn all that, Cook County?

Additional info...

Another republican crook, Im shocked, really.

I heard Republican Cunningham crying his crocodile tears on the radio today. What a mess! One of the people he's tied to also is tied to Abramoff. It'll be interesting to see how long it takes the media to figure out a link bloggers identified months ago.

Of course there are NO such things as Democratic crooks. Lighten up on the weed, because it's caused your memory to conveniently disappear.

Of course there are Democratic crooks, but this is the season for venal Republicans getting caught, so lighten up on the Texas truthteller, okay. Go Raze!

Jim Traficant could not be reached for comment.

I'm not lightening up on anyone. Democrats, Republicans--it's irrelevant. There are plenty of crooks on both sides. Always have been always will, I'm afraid. Raze is simply too blockheaded to grasp this simple fact.

Jim Traficant is a Democrat kinda the same way Zell Miller is.

Oh, he voted with the rethuglicans 96% of the time.

"take him, he's yours"

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Whoever is in power has the access to sell. But I think both sides have to admit there have been few moments in the past century when one party had so much power.

For that reason alone perhaps, we see somewhat more corruption from the party in power than usual. Bush, like a wounded beast, is dangerous.

Is there anything funnier than watching an elected official cry for the cameras as he admits to some wrong-doing? Whenever it happens, be the official a Democrat or Republican, I laugh so hard my sides hurt. And if he's got a combover or a bad toupee (Trafficant and, today, Cunningham) my amusement is magnified.

~Adam

Not just politicians, either, Adam. It seems that every time some famous person--celebrity, politician, athlete--doesn't "repent" until he's caught.

If something was so wrong to do in the first place, then why the hell did you do it at all? Enough of this phony bullshit sobbing.

Not me. Like all of us, he's a mix of good and bad. In his case, the bad was there for all to see, coast to coast, on network TV. I've never had to go through that.

I say it's tragic.

Gee, I wonder if gmginsfo helped this crook stay in office. Cunningham is from San Diego, but probably wrong precinct.

Yeah, the Dems have their share, but we seem totally infested with crooked Republicans lately. All that power has gone to their heads.

You're only half-right in your ASSumption, HF. I'm not in his district, but I've never supported him anyway, and have no reason to now. Cast your aspersions - and skyward glances - elsewhere.

Well who knew there was ever a Republican you couldn't support? I just figured you've rubbed elbows with Crookingham since you are such a self-proclaimed bigshot in the GOP in that area.

Can I nominate this for post of the year?

I may not like the Republican party, but hey, there's people taking advantage of their power everyone, no matter the party.

Plus, it was just god-damn hilarious

He's one who needed to go -- he's proven totally capable of civil debate, as evidenced by his response to former Rep. Pat Schroeder's request to yield during debate, which was something to the effect of "Sit down, you socialist". Good riddance.

Well there you go again "judge"; just making stuff up. I never said there werent Democratic crooks. Project much?

I hope you are teaching your children better.

By the way, Ive never done weed, I was never interested. Much as you have never been interested in facts or the truth.

When I was last in the House gallery in Sept '02, Cunningham had the floor (countering Barney Frank among others) and at some point he threw out a line about Bush "restoring morality to the White House" after Oralgate, etc. You could literally hear Congresspeople and citizens upstairs inhaling through their teeth at that loser.

Since there are more virulently holier-than-thou Repubs than Dems, their crooks are much funnier.

This is from the San Diego Union Tribune -- they put together a timeline of his life and career. This is just the portion that describes his tenure in the US House. And even conducting himself like this, they kept reelecting him. Gotta wonder.

Jan. 17, 1991

Draws headlines by saying he received intelligence that Iraqi-sponsored terrorists were operating in San Diego County. The incident aggravates tensions left over from his primary campaign, when he outraged local Arab-Americans with an attack on an Egyptian-born opponent, Republican Joseph Ghougassian.

Dec. 12, 1991

Announces he will seek election in the new 51st Congressional District, running against fellow Republican Rep. Bill Lowery. Lowery remains on ballot but suspends campaign for 1992 primary, which Cunningham wins easily.

Oct. 6, 1992

Makes The Washington Post's "Reliable Source" column by suggesting the liberal leadership of the House should be "lined up and shot."

May 11, 1995

A House debate over water pollution erupts in furor when Cunningham declares that lawmakers backing an amendment he opposes are the same people who support "homos in the military." Later, he tells Rep. Pat Schroeder, D-Colo., "Sit down, you socialist!"

Nov. 17, 1995

Colleagues and Capitol police break up a scuffle that erupts after Cunningham tangles with Rep. James Moran, D-Va., a former amateur boxer, during a debate on a Republican-sponsored resolution to bar President Clinton from sending U.S. troops to Bosnia without prior congressional approval.

Aug. 5, 1998

Has surgery to remove a cancerous prostate gland.

September 1998

At a forum for prostate cancer sufferers, Cunningham makes a crude reference about a fellow congressman who is gay and, in a fit of temper, directs an obscene gesture toward an audience member, telling him, "(expletive) you."

Nov. 5, 2002

Wins re-election, this time to the newly configured 50th District, with 63.9 percent of the vote.

Nov. 2, 2004

Wins re-election with 57.9 percent of the vote.

June 12, 2005

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that a defense contractor had purchased Cunningham's Del Mar house for $1.6 million and sold it for a $700,000 loss nearly a year later. Meanwhile, the congressman had supported the contractor's efforts to get tens of millions of dollars in contracts from the Pentagon.

OK, now THIS I like! Imagine how much more fun and entertaining it would be if we just let our congressmen and senators beat the crap out of each other. It's so much better than that boring floor debate.

I'd pay to see Hastert and Pelosi going at it. She'd try to claw his eyes out and he could just sit his large ass down on the caustic wench.

[ November 29, 2005, 11:08 AM: Message edited by: MIB ]

Just because . . .

Cunningham = closet case?

A closestd gay republican who supports anti-gay
legislation?

Im shocked, shocked, really.

Oh, HF ... to quote a fun line I heard from someone else here a while ago, have you been riding the Bitter Bus lately? LOTS of my posts fault fellow GOPers as much as they do Demos, although admittedly out of necessity, not with relish. Read much? If you did, you'd surely also realize that Cunningham was exposed by an investigative report in a GOP paper and prosecuted by a GOP Dep't o' Justice.

"Fares please!" Or should I say, "Pay up!"

You know, I don't care if he's a Republican or Democrat. I don't care if he's gay or straight, or even closeted. I don't care if he's liberal or conservative.

He's a Member of Congress, a U.S. Representative, an elected official, a public servant who betrayed the trust of his constituents, the bond that ties an elected individual to those whom he represents and to those who voted for him.

Such individuals are despicable and have no right to ever serve the public again--ever. Moreover, they have forfeited their right to possess the same freedoms we possess--the primary one being freedom from prison itself.

He lied. He betrayed The People. Now he must be punished. Severely.

and there are plenty of them to "fault"

Inclusion wins!