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Randall "The Corrupt Duke" Cunningham Resigns
Share / Recommend - Comment - Print - Monday, Nov 28 2005, 2:55PM
The repugnant Duke Cunningham -- who was involved as well in the old Tailhook scandal -- has finally resigned his House seat after admitting that he took bribes.
An Associated Press report just posted on the New York Times website:
Rep. Randy ''Duke'' Cunningham pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy and tax charges, admitting taking $2.4 million in bribes in a case that grew from an investigation into the sale of his home to a wide-ranging conspiracy involving payments in cash, vacations and antiques.Randy Cunningham "enriched himself through his position and violated the trust of those who put him there," U.S. Attorney Carol Lam said.
Cunningham, 63, entered pleas in U.S. District Court to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud and wire fraud, and tax evasion for underreporting his income in 2004. Cunningham answered "yes, Your Honor" when asked by U.S. District Judge Larry Burns if he had accepted bribes from someone in exchange for his performance of official duties.Cunningham, an eight-term Republican congressman, resigned after his guilty plea. He had announced in July that he wouldn't seek re-election next year.
Here are two posts on TWN from August 26, 2004 and October 4, 2004 on Cunningham's race against Democrat Francine Busby -- who will hopefully now take this seat in 2006.
I have spoken with Busby in the past -- and can vouch for the fact that California's 50th District desperately needs someone of her caliber and character to clean up the damage from years of neglect and corruption by Cunningham.
Progressives had best not get over confident, but momentum certainly is on the side of those who want to restore health to America's system of checks and balances.
-- Steve Clemons
UPDATE: Laura Rozen has a great Duke Cunningham timeline that interested folks should check out. Also, a mutual friend of mine and Laura Rozen's, JR, sent this:
I didn't "know" Cunningham, but I flew with him.In 1983 I was in the Phillipines for an exercise and then-CDR Randy Cunningham was there flying in it as well. He was revered as a national hero for being one of only two pilot aces of the Vietnam War. (The USAF ace was basically "set up" with repeated trips to Hanoi until he got five kills).
Later, in 1984 Cunningham was squadron commander of an A-4 aggressor squadron in a huge exercise in the California-Nevada desert that was a practice for a showdown with the Soviets in Iran. Our two squadrons, based at Nellis AFB, were the "Red" air simulating the bad guys, and again we Air Force fighter pilots lionized this legend.
I have no sympathy for him, given what he has done, and it has been a long time coming. However, it is a national tragedy nonetheless, that someone who performed so heroically in combat could allow himself to become so corrupted by Washington. I think it speaks to the corrupt environment as well as to the man.
-- Steve Clemons
UPDATE II: Media Matters just sent out this fascinating bit of empirical work on the amount of coverage some of the news networks gave to the Duke Cunningham resignation. According to their report, CNN devoted 17 minutes to Cunningham between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. today (Eastern time).
During the same period, MSNBC gave the Cunningham announcement 4 minutes of air time -- and Fox News just 3 minutes. That's Fox for you -- fair and balanced. . .not.
-- Steve Clemons
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So who decides on the replacement? Ahni? Come on! You may as well put Kenneth Lay in there.
Thanks Da Duke -- Fixed the link.
Steve Clemons
From The Hill:
California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is expected to schedule special elections to replace Cunningham. Each party is expected to hold a primary before the general.
So looks like a special election sometime in early 2006.
Steve said: "Progressives had best not get over confident, but momentum certainly is on the side of those who want to restore health to America's system of checks and balances."
Yes! And may I propose that we put such upstanding "Progressives" as Jim Wright and Robert Torricelli in charge of restoring health to America's system of checks and balances.
Actually Cunningham's squadron didn't get into trouble during Tailhook. He was one of the commanders who exercised good supervision and made clear to his people that shennanigans would not be tolerated. He was a hero--shot down five MiGs in Viet Nam, and was involved in a famous dog-fight with North Vietnamese colonel-his victory is considered a classic in jet-jet dogfighting.
His being a no-shit war hero makes his actions as a Congressman all the more disappointing and deplorable. Note that his bribery conviction was not based on one event, but on numerous actions over several years. The U.S. Attorney must have had a lot to get the plea - and the forfeitures.
Cunningham won't be homeless for long (his home was foreit)--he will soon be the guest of the government.
I know I'm being a softie here, because I opposed Cunningham and everything he stood for, but I have to admit I was impressed with his statement today. I know it took him a while to come clean, and he obviously didn't have a lot of choices, but I still think his lack of mealy mouthing or excuse making is an example for the rest of the Republicans as the hammer starts to come down.
Steve,
Where do you get the idea that the 50th district has suffered "damage from years of neglect and corruption"? I can't imagine what you are referring to. And as far as Busby getting elected, she has about as much chance as Oliver North would in San Francisco. And how can you "vouch" for someone's character based on apparently a single conversation. You just say things because they suit your bias, without checking your facts.
Chris >"...his lack of mealy mouthing or excuse making is an example for the rest..."
As long as his actions follow his words
"I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends...that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them." - Adlai Stevenson
Dear Shogun -- or should I refer to you by real name as I believe I know who posted this comment.
I have had more than one conversation with Francine Busby -- and will probably have yet another conversation with her tomorrow night as she will be speaking in a conference call with a number of bloggers. If you are who I believe you are, then you also know that I have been to that district many, many times -- and because I have had an interest in how a character like Cunningham could manage to maintain his seat for so long, I've made myself aware of the kinds of things Cunningham did for his district, and what he did not.
Josh Marshall and I were both motivated to spend some time considering CA-50 in the last elections, and subsequently, because of the active role Chalmers Johnson took in that race on Busby's behalf.
I do know my facts in this case, and I know that Busby is a reputable figure and did relatively well in her challenge against Cunningham. I believe that she has a good opportunity to win in that district.
Thanks for your query.
Best regards,
Steve Clemons
I live under Cunningham, and he has been terrible - unless you like buying weapon systems. San Diego has a world-class-BAD airport and a Marine base inappropriately sitting on the perfect solution. The Marines fly helicopters over hundreds of thousands of people to practice elsewhere, with plenty of complaints. Soon there will be V-22 Ospreys, over 25% of which have crashed, so far. Cunningham snuk (sic) in an extension of the military cemetary onto the Marine base (an ugly and soulless place compared to Rosecrans), announcing it only when "it's a done deal!" The creep ruined the greater San Diego area to keep a military base in a high-cost environment and commute to work to commute to practice. He didn't do the Marines, or anybody in San Diego a bit of good. Heck, if the airport got switched, some of the old airport could be wonderful cemetary, looking right at the Naval ships. Cunningham was without any role except gung-ho dumb.
A few years ago I was surfing with my television remote and came across a House subcommittee taking testimony from Navy and Marine commanders on the cause of several fighter plane crashes. Cunningham was chair of the subcommittee.
One Naval officer testified that a Navy pilot was tasked with taking a plane on a post repair checkout flight, and told to under no circumstances perform a certain maneuver that would certainly stall the engine. The pilot did perform the maneuver anyway, stalled the engine and ejected. Another gazillion dollar aircraft was destroyed. The pilot was not punished.
Cunningham's reaction was to say in effect that boys will boys and that he was glad a 'good' pilot was still flying. That was the tenor of the entire meeting....hundreds of millions of dollars worth of aircraft destroyed in various crashes, no fault taken with anyone.
I couldn't understand his attitude, checked out who he was, and realized he was just a good old boy taking care of his pals. Not hard to see how taking bribes was business as usual for him.
Of the news outlets are not going to show the public how corrupted their goverment is. That might start a revolution.
"Duke Cunningham is a hero, he is an honorable man of high integrity.".... Tom Delay, June, 2005
It takes one to know one, eh?.
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