CT GOP Sen. candidate Linda McMahon warned steroid doctor of investigation

By GottaLaff

This won't exactly be a 2010 vote-getter:

In December 1989, as federal investigators were zeroing in on a Pennsylvania doctor who would soon be convicted of selling steroids to professional wrestlers, Linda McMahon sent a confidential memo to a fellow executive at Titan Sports, the family company that operated what was then known as the World Wrestling Federation.

The WWF, she wrote, should alert Dr. George T. Zahorian III that a criminal investigation could be heading his way, according to court documents reviewed by The Day.

"Although you and I discussed before about continuing to have Zahorian at our events as the doctor on call, I think that is now not a good idea," McMahon wrote in the memo. "Vince agreed, and would like for you to call Zahorian and to tell him not to come to any more of our events and to also clue him in on any action that the Justice Department is thinking of taking."

How above board and transparent of her. Who could ask for a better candidate than one who meddles in legal affairs that include steroidy drugs?

I'm sure she has a perfectly good explanation, though:

In an interview last week, McMahon said she could not explain the reason she directed Pat Patterson, a former wrestler, WWE executive and consultant, to alert Zahorian to the fact that he was under investigation.

See?

Connecticut can do better. Sneaky memos about secret drug dealings just won't cut it in a candidate. Then again, escapades like this are par for the GOP these days.

There is a whole lot more. Toddle on over and take a look-see.

H/t: TPM

AUDIO: RNC fake "census" mailer provides phone sex number by mistake

By GottaLaff

(Click on image to enlarge; via)

This is barely audible, and awfully ickworthy. Listen at your own risk:



Can these people do nothing right? And why do their little mishaps always involve sexcapades, even inadvertent ones? The RNC gives new meaning to Murphy's Law:

The Republican National Committee sent a fundraising mail piece earlier this month with a return number that leads to a phone-sex line offering "live, one-on-one talk with a nasty girl who will do anything you want for just $2.99 per minute."

Oops, that was supposed to be a 202 area code! But a Minnesota resident called the 800 number to complain about using a fake census form to entice donations. Surprise! Cringe Factor: 100.

It's not nice to deceive voters, RNC. When will they ever learn?

Not to mention, donations will likely suffer. Who wants to give money to the so-called Family Values party when they can't seem to adhere to their own standards?

But the Minnesotan was instead directed to a second toll-free number that greets callers as "sexy guy" before offering them the chance to talk with "real local students, housewives and working girls from all over the country."

The caller then sent the form to his Democratic congressman, who let the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in on it.

The RNC won't reveal how many mailers went out. But, hey, check phone records to see if there was an uptick in calls to Miss XXX. That should provide a rough idea... then check to see who called back.

Oh, but I kid...

That's all for now. Stay tuned for the next episode of How the RNC Rolls. But first, hide the kids.

Scandal Watch: Scott Brown Accused of Harassment in 1998

By GottaLaff

But will the Senate ethics committee investigate? Don't be silly:

Jennifer Firth, a local mortgage banker who was elected to the Board of Selectmen in 1999, filed a civil defamation suit against Brown in July of 2000, alleging that he had harassed her when she worked on his campaign in 1998, and then tried to smear her reputation around town with forged letters and emails.

I can see the attraction, what with his affinity for the pink leather shorts and all. Who could resist a guy like that?

She also alleged that Brown told several people that he'd had an "intimate relationship" with her and that he had a stack of sexually explicit letters that Firth had sent him. In her suit, Firth says that she'd never been sexually intimate with Brown, nor did she ever send him the aforementioned letters. A 2000 article in the local paper, the Sun Chronicle reported that Brown had denied the charges; for her part, Firth said she felt that filing the suit was "the only way I could stop this."

Allegedly.

But wait! There's more! Two days later....

Two days after the lawsuit was filed, Jennifer Firth's lawyer, Harvey Schwartz, filed a motion to withdraw as her counsel, saying that "to the best of [Schwartz's] knowledge, information and belief, the above allegations [by Firth] are not supported by 'good grounds.'" The next day, Jennifer Firth withdrew her suit. It was dismissed with prejudice, which means it can never be re-filed. Brown told a local newspaper that her lawyer had decided to withdraw after he was presented with letters and e-mail messages that proved she'd been harassing Brown.

Maybe Firth should go before the ethics committee.

Come to think of it, maybe the ethics committee should go before the ethics committee.

Who paid Firth off, I wonder... Or maybe she had no case. Or maybe ... Or maybe...

Rushpublics are so good at making a lot out of allegations and conjecture, enough to ruin careers. Dems on the other hand....

More details, speculation, and the court documents here.

Ex-Veco boss Bill Allen's alleged sex-for-gifts with underage girls

By GottaLaff

Bill Allen

I came across this by accident, just scrolling through sites. Why hasn't this been given more attention?

Anchorage resident Lisa Moore says she traded sex with then-Veco boss Bill Allen in 1996 for an apartment, money and jewelry. He was 59; she was 19.

She also says she introduced him to a 15-year-old girl who became his sex partner.

But the next year, an ex-boyfriend of Moore's got into legal trouble and threatened to blow the whistle on Allen's relationship with Moore and other teens, including the 15-year-old, Moore said, triggering a string of alleged cover-ups that now threaten to undermine the Alaska political corruption investigation.

Excuse me?

But long before the authorities got involved, Allen reportedly went to great lengths to keep his sexual activities secret. When Moore told Allen she expected to be called as a witness at her ex-boyfriend's trial and forced to reveal Allen's seamy and possibly criminal private life, Allen immediately sent her, her brother and her fiance on the lam to California to prevent her from being subpoenaed, Moore told an Anchorage police detective and elaborated in recent interviews with the Daily News.

That trip, characterized as a "potential obstruction of justice" when first made public in a federal court filing last month, are among the issues cited by former state House Speaker Pete Kott in his effort to throw out his conviction on corruption charges [...]

Allen has told FBI agents he never asked anyone to lie under oath or tried to hide witnesses to avoid subpoenas. [...]

Allen, after pleading guilty in 2007 to bribery and other corruption charges, was also the key witness in the trials of former state Rep. Vic Kohring and U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens. [...]

Defense attorneys in the corruption cases weren't allowed to raise the issue of Allen's sexual conduct. [...]

But the new material raises questions about how far Allen would go to protect himself. If Allen schemed to prevent a witness from testifying about his sexual conduct or tried to get two witnesses to lie under oath, that could give defense attorneys new ammunition to attack his credibility.

Allen was sentenced to three years in prison for bribery.

What a catch. Between his nefarious activities and the head shot above, who could resist hooking up with a guy like Bill Allen?

There is a whole lot more here.

The fun never ends.

Sarah Palin Gets Another Ethics Complaint

By GottaLaff

You know, if Barbie McLipSchmutz compiled all the ethics complaints against her, she'd have another book to sell... and she wouldn't have to write a word! Nor would her ghost writer. Think of the possibilities!

Not only would she not understand a word of her own book, she could keep on with the fancy talk show appearin', force feedin' us more Word Cole Slaw; she could post more Facebook entries of meaningless strings of Word Cole Slaw rants; why she could even charter another airplane and keep callin' it an "I'm just like you folks" bus tour!

Yet another ethics complaint has been filed against former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, this time on the grounds that both she and her staff used official state facilities and resources for "partisan political purposes."

Andree McLeod, an Alaska community activist who has filed at least half-a-dozen ethics complaints against Palin already, officially submitted a letter to the state Attorney General's Office on Friday charging that staffers within the governor's office engaged in efforts to aid the McCain/Palin campaign. Such efforts, she argues,violated an Alaska ordinance that states that public officers may not "use or authorize the use of state funds, facilities, equipment, services, or another government asset or resource for partisan political purposes."

And she could keep on insistin' that she can see Russia from her delusional homemade pedestal!

Among the highlights: Rhonda McBride, a rural adviser to the governor, wrote Palin on September 3, 2008, to offer some "random thoughts about how [her] experience dealing with the challenges of Rural Alaska will help on the national stage..." The thoughts included one memorable talking point that made it into Palin's public events: "Alaska was a critical outpost in the Cold War," wrote McBride. "Even today, we monitor Russian fighter jets that invade our airspace."

Here you go:


AKcomplaint -

Senators Dodd, Conrad allegedly told of Countrywide favors

By GottaLaff

Ruh-roh:

Despite their denials, influential Democratic Sens. Kent Conrad and Chris Dodd were told from the start they were getting VIP mortgage discounts from one of the nation’s largest lenders, the official who handled their loans has told Congress in secret testimony.

Both senators have said that at the time the mortgages were being written they didn’t know they were getting unique deals from Countrywide Financial Corp., the company that went on to lose billions of dollars on home loans to credit-strapped borrowers. Dodd still maintains he got no preferential treatment. [...]

Robert Feinberg, who worked in Countrywide’s VIP section, told congressional investigators last month that the two senators were made aware that “who you know is basically how you’re coming in here.”

“You don’t say ’no’ to the VIP,” Feinberg told Republican investigators for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, according to a transcript obtained by The Associated Press.

The next day, Feinberg testified before the Senate Ethics Committee, an indication the panel is actively investigating two of the chamber’s more powerful members:

Dodd heads the Banking Committee and is a major player in two big areas: solving the housing foreclosure and financial crises and putting together an overhaul of the U.S. health care system. A five-term senator, he is in a tough fight for re-election in 2010, partly because of the controversy over his mortgages.

Conrad chairs the Budget Committee. He, too, shares an important role in the health care debate, as well as on legislation to curb global warming.

Both senators were VIP borrowers in the program known as “friends of Angelo.” Angelo Mozilo was chief executive of Countrywide, which played a big part in the foreclosure crisis triggered by defaults on subprime loans. The Calabasas, Calif.-based company was bought last July by Bank of America Corp. for about $2.5 billion.

Mozilo has been charged with civil fraud and illegal insider trading by the Securities and Exchange Commission. He denies any wrongdoing.

Asked by a House Oversight investigator if Conrad, the North Dakota senator, “was aware that he was getting preferential treatment?” Feinberg answered: “Yes, he was aware.”

Referring to Dodd, the investigator asked:

“And do you know if during the course of your communications” with the senator or his wife “that you ever had an opportunity to share with them if they were getting special VIP treatment?”

“Yes, yes,” Feinberg replied.

Bryan DeAngelis, Dodd’s spokesman, said Feinberg has repeatedly made allegations of special treatment that were not true. [...]

Conrad’s spokesman, Chris Gaddie, said Monday that the senator “never asked for, expected or was aware of loans on any preferential terms” and has “worked overtime to set the record straight.” [...]

Two internal Countrywide documents in Dodd’s case and one in Conrad’s appear to contradict their statements about what they knew about their VIP loans.[...]

Conrad initially said in June 2008, “If they did me a favor, they did it without my knowledge and without my requesting it.”

The next day, Conrad changed course after reviewing documents showing he got special treatment, and said he was donating $10,500 to charity and refinancing the loan on the apartment building with another lender. He also said then it appeared Countrywide had waived 1 point at closing on the beach house.

There is much, much more here.

H/t: Jim Alger

Who's keeping score? Another C Streeter Extramarital Affair

By GottaLaff

(entire complaint here)

Quick, someone secure a plane reservation to Argentina, because someone else is about to be run out of town by his (ex) wife:

Former Congressman and C Street resident Chip Pickering's estranged wife has filed a lawsuit against Pickering's alleged mistress. Leisha Pickering is suing Elizabeth Creekmore-Byrd for alienation of affection.

Rep. Pickering, a Republican from Mississippi, allegedly continued seeing his college sweetheart while they were both married. According to the suit, some of the "wrongful conduct" occurred at the C Street facility for Christian congressmen -- the same one where Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) have lived, and where Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) has recently sought counseling.

Wait. They boinked at C Street? Really? Right there in front of god and everyone? No wonder the residents at the Rushpublic Men's Home for Wayward Cheats are sworn to secrecy.

The suit alleges Pickering and Creekmore-Byrd are still together. Perhaps they're soul mates? [...]

The suit says Rep. Pickering and Creekmore-Byrd rekindled their relationship while he was a congressman, before and while living at the C-Street facility. The relationship was "completely unknown" by Leisha Pickering, as it occurred in Washington on weekdays, and the congressman would return home to his wife and five children only on weekends.

I can hardly keep up with all these Family Values. I wonder if Pickering wrote Mrs. Till-Death-Do-Us-Part a pretend letter of apology yet... on C Street stationery...

Bonus Cartoon of the Day

Because I had to. Well, we don't know it's a sex scandal yet...Click to enlarge, via.

Scandal! Another handshake and bow from President Obama!

By GottaLaff

Stop the presses! Prez O is shaking hands again!

With the dog of the President of Mexico!

Wait... just... a minute. Is President Obama ... bowing?

The president meets Mexican President Felipe Calderon's family (and golden retriever) on April 16, 2009.
White House Photo/Pete Souza

What will Pat Buchanan say?!

VIDEO-- Michael Steele: WaPo should be ashamed + government jobs aren't jobs

By GottaLaff



Remember when Paddy posted about Mikey Steele's questionable campaign spending? He went into denial mode on "This Week":

Michael Steele, the newly elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, defended himself from allegations of campaign finance improprieties on Sunday, saying the Washington Post should be "ashamed of itself" for running a story highlighting irregularities from his 2006 Senate campaign in Maryland.

The (now convicted) former finance chair of Steele's own Senate campaign made the allegations in question. Here's some more info:

In March 2006 or thereabouts Turner filed the necessary paperwork to have her company disbanded but supposedly her ghost company did work for the Steele Senate campaign in October of 2006 and July 2007. Sounds very Chicago, though it happened in Maryland. [...]

[W]hat obviously raises red flags here is the timing of her business dissolution paperwork and the supposed work she did for campaign which was followed by the payments.

The WaPo contains other allegations by Fabian against Steele but the other allegations about campaign funds beings shifted between a state campaign fund to a federal one frankly aren't as sexy as the payment to his sister's dead company.

This is obviously not the way any party chairman wants to start his term in office, especially a Republican chair at this point in history where all of his efforts need to be aimed at rebuilding the party following two unsuccessful national elections,

Maybe this will turn out to be nothing more than Fabian's unproven allegations. If that's the case it will soon be forgotten. That has to be the prayer of Steele and fellow Republican officials right now.

If there's one thing the Republicans like to quack about, it's their predilection for prayer.

One more noteworthy item:

But in his interview on This Week with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, Michael Steele seemed to suggest, as he did back in January, that government jobs are not, in fact, really jobs.

Rather, Steele said, government jobs are "just work." (Is work not a job?) The newly-minted RNC Chairman added that when it comes to the private sector, job loss is never permanent.

"They come back though, George," said Steele. "That's the point. They've gone away before and they come back."

Stephanopolous did his best to sift through the logic, pointing out that millions of private sector jobs have been lost in just this past year.

There he is, folks: The RNC Chair. This is the man who represents the Republican party's collective-- and embarrassingly stunted-- mindset. Show him your appreciation by donating to the Democratic party.

H/t: Ellen for that last part

VIDEO-- Wall Street Madam: CEOs, Bankers Used Corporate Credit Cards for Sex

By GottLaff

Hey oversighters, who was overseeing this?

Wall street lawyers, investment bankers, CEOs and media executives often used corporate credit cards to pay for $2,000 an hour prostitutes, according to the madam who ran one of New York's biggest and most expensive escort services until it was busted last year.

But prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney's office chose not to pursue any of the corporate titans, says Kristin Davis, who pleaded guilty last year to charges of running a prostitution business that used more than a hundred women.

Can we take the word of a madam?

Davis provided ABC News with a print-out of her computerized client list, the same one she says that was offered to the district attorney.

The document shows Davis kept meticulous notes about her clients, their credit card numbers and mobile phone numbers.

And here we have a veritable orgy of names (pun intended):

Among the names the network says it confirmed:

* a vice president of NBC Universal (owned by General Electric)
* the part owner of a Major League Baseball team who "loves Kelsey"
* the CEO of one of the country's largest private equity firms who met "Cameron" at the Peninsula Hotel
* a major New York real estate developer who, according to the list, "will come to the door wearing women's panties"
* a partner at the Wall Street law firm Cravath Swaine Moore "looking for a party girl to come fully equipped" and spent a total of $20,000
* an investment banker from Lehman Brothers who saw "Kelsey and Keely together" and later saw "Aria and Skyler at the same time"
* an investment banker at JP Morgan Securities who "loves Brooke" and spent $41,600
* an investment banker at Goldman Sachs who "only wanted all-American girls" and spent $27,000
* a managing director from Merrill Lynch who saw "Lana" using the name "Nataly"
* a managing director from Deutsche Bank "who called about seeing Nataly again"

Kelsey seems to be on the A-List, as does that apparent CEO sentimental favorite, the ever-popular menage a trois:

Bristol's fiance Levi's (illegal?) apprenticeship raises questions about Palin

By GottaLaff

Can this family avoid scandal for even one lousy day? Happy New Year, Palins/Johnstons:

An Alaska talk show host and frequent critic of Gov. Sarah Palin claims in a column in the Anchorage Daily News that an apprenticeship Palin said her daughter's boyfriend is serving in Alaska's North Slope violates federal regulations.

Dan Fagan, who also publishes a Web site, thealaskastandard.com, said Levi Johnston's reported service as an electrical apprentice on Alaska's North Slope while he is enrolled in correspondence courses to complete high school violates federal regulations, which require a high school diploma.

Here are excerpts from Dan Fagan's piece:

Have you noticed how our governor seems to have convinced herself only some of the rules apply to her?

This attitude was really at the heart of Troopergate. It also allows her to do things like take cash from the state for spending more than 300 nights in her own home in Wasilla.

Now it appears the governor may have found a new way to skirt the rules. How is it possible that the governor's soon-to-be son-in-law, Levi Johnston, is working as an apprentice on the North Slope?

The governor, in trying to dispel rumors the father of her grandchild is a high school dropout, released this statement this past week [...]

You can read my original post about that here.

But federal regulations require all members of apprentice programs, union or otherwise, to first obtain a high school diploma, something the governor's soon-to-be son-in- law does not have. [...]

Bo Underwood, who heads up ASRC's electrical apprentice program, confirmed Johnston is indeed enrolled as an apprentice. Underwood claimed not to know whether a high school diploma is needed to be an ASRC apprentice and said he would check on it. But federal regulations clearly state a high school diploma is needed before entering an electrical workers apprentice program. How is it the man who runs the program does not know that?

Underwood also claimed not to know whether there is a waiting list for the ASRC apprentice program he runs.

As the McClatchy piece asks, how did Baby Daddy Levi get into the apprenticeship program if similar programs have long waiting lists?

Rebecca Logan, executive director of Associated Builders and Contractors, an organization that also has an electrical workers apprentice program, says waiting lists always accompany apprenticeship programs. Her organization's electrical apprentice program, one of only three in the state, has a waiting list of at least 100 people.

Favoritism? Linked to Grandma DimBulb? What?! Nevah! That would be-- Oh, what's that word again? Oh yes-- unethical.

Did Levi Johnston bypass the rules to get into a coveted program because of his soon-to-be mother-in-law? We don't know the governor's involvement. Eventually she will have to address the controversy.

Yeah, 'cause she's always been so good about doing that. Dream on, Fagan.

I believe 2009 will be the year more and more Alaskans will come to realize Sarah Palin is in way over her head as governor, doesn't always play by the rules, and is, at times, less than honest.

It would be about time. They're way-y-y behind the rest of us.

A poll commissioned by TheAlaskaStandard.com and conducted by Dittman Research shows the governor is losing some of her appeal. When respondents were asked whom they would vote for between Lisa Murkowski and Sarah Palin in a 2010 race for the Senate, an overwhelming number said Murkowski. According to the poll, Murkowski would beat Palin by a margin of 56 percent to 23 percent.

I sense slippage. Do you sense slippage? Say, around 33%'s worth? Now about 2010:

That's the year TransCanada will hold its open season. Chances producers will commit hundreds of billions of dollars to ship gas through the TransCanada pipeline instead of their own; I'd say 1 in 10.

Meaning AGIA. will be exposed for the silly policy it is several months before the governor is up for re-election.

Chances Palin is elected to a second term as governor, I'd say 3 in 10.

Schadenfreude? Priceless.

Blago 2? Evidence suggests Norm Coleman solicited monetary favors

By GottaLaff

Move over, Rod Blah-Blah-Blagejovich, you may have company. Ohpleaseohpleaseohplease:

Did Norm Coleman's financial problems compel him to turn to friends and GOP donors for help with his living situation?

That's what a new story out of Minnesota alleges. Friday morning, a local Fox News affiliate reported that at the time that Coleman alleged received $75,000 in unreported payments from a prominent Republican businessman, he was also struggling to make payments for the restructuring of his home.

Good government officials wondered whether there was something more than coincidental to the financial exchange. And, indeed, there is other compelling -- and up to this point, unnoted -- evidence to suggest that Coleman was soliciting monetary favors from his GOP backers.

Around the same time that Coleman and/or his wife were allegedly receiving three $25,000 payments from businessman Nasser Kazeminy, the Senator was also getting cheaply discounted rent from a major Republican figure who served as his landlord in Washington D.C.

Maybe Normy and Uncle Teddy Stevens could become roomies!

Indeed, in two separate lawsuits that emerged this fall, it is alleged that, around this time, the Colemans (one of the Senate's least rich families) were in financial straits. According to one of the lawsuits in March of 2007, Kazeminy said that "U.S. Senators don't make s---" and that he was going to try to funnel money to the Minnesota Republican. From there, it is alleged, Kazeminy arranged for the three $25,000 payments to be made from his Texas-based Deep Marine Technology to Hays Companies in Minnesota for "insurance." Laurie Coleman is, officially, an employee at Hays. But she is not a licensed insurance agent.

Records provided by the Coleman campaign to the local Fox affiliate show that, during the same month that Kazeminy made his profanity-laced statement about Coleman's financial situation, the Senator refinanced his home.

Al Franken is having a good day.

"Sentencing memo contains hints of a bigger scandal to come"

By GottaLaff

Mitchell Wade is a corrupt former lobbyist who plead guilty in 2006 to bribing former Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-CA). Well guess what: Now, according to Think Progress, he's helping “the government in investigating five other members of Congress,” according to a memorandum filed on Wednesday.

According to the sentencing memo:

[T]he other unnamed members are under investigation for “corruption similar to that of Mr. Cunningham.” Seth Hettena suggests two of those five include former Reps. Katherine Harris (R-FL) and Virgil Goode (R-VA). Hettena also reports that the sentencing memo contains hints of a bigger scandal to come:

Prosecutors drop tantalizing hints about an even bigger, ongoing investigation. Wade was debriefed in 2006 and provided “moderately useful” background information in another “large and important corruption investigation” that also has not yet resulted in any charges.

Katherine Harris? Under investigation for her involvement in a nice, big, fat scandalapalooza? Mmmm, dee-lish. I suddenly find myself salivating uncontrollably. Unbecoming, yes, but, shhh, no one's around, so it's okay.

Wal-Mart fires GOP lobbyist over Abramoff charges

By GottaLaff

From the Department of So What Else Is New:

Wal-Mart has fired Jim Hirni, its top in-house Republican lobbyist, who is expected to plead guilty to corruption charges in the Jack Abramoff scandal.

Another day, another GOP corruption charge.

CIA Misled Congress, Justice Dept. Over 2001 Peruvian Plane Incident

By GottaLaff

Where there's a probe, there's a revelation. Surprise:

The CIA repeatedly misled Congress and the Justice Department in their investigations of the 2001 shoot-down of a Peruvian plane carrying U.S. missionaries, according to findings of an internal CIA probe released today by congressional officials.

The agency's inspector general concluded that CIA officers in Peru consistently ignored rules of engagement in connection with the downing of at least 10 aircraft suspected of carrying narcotics over the South American country. Yet, CIA managers covered up the problems and knowingly gave false accounts to government officials investigating whether agency employees committed crimes.

[...] As part of a joint U.S.-Peruvian anti-drug program that began in the mid-1990s, CIA officers helped Peruvian air force pilots identify aircraft suspected of carrying illegal drugs through the country's airspace. The program had succeeded in bringing down numerous suspected planes when, in April 2001, a Peruvian pilot mistakenly shot into a small plane carrying U.S. missionaries. Two of the Americans on board, Veronica "Roni" Bowers and her infant daughter, Charity, were struck by bullets and killed. [...]

[A]gency officials had repeatedly described the 2001 incident as an aberration, insisting that CIA officers had closely followed the rules in other cases. In 2005, the Justice Department concluded its probe after deciding against filing criminal charges against any of the U.S. officials involved. [...]

The investigators found that CIA managers "knew of, and condoned" the violations and failed to properly oversee the program. Later, when asked about the problems by Justice officials and congressional overseers, CIA officials gave misleading accounts, knowingly distorting the facts, [Rep. Peter] Hoekstra said.

One: Whenever horrific things have occurred over the past 8 years, they're always "aberrations".

Two: Bush's Department of Justice does it again.

Three: January 20, 2009.

Pitiful Palin's Big Publicity Blitz... and another ethics complaint

By GottaLaff

Sarah Pallin creates dust-ups faster than Peanuts' grimy little Pigpen. For what it's worth, Pigpen's a better communicator. He's also a lot cleaner than she is... also:

Complaint says she crossed line between job, self-promotion

As Sarah Palin settles back into her job as the state's chief executive, a new ethics complaint filed Tuesday says she's already improperly mixing her official duties and broader political ambitions.

The charge: That Palin broke state ethics rules by holding national television interviews about her run for vice president from the governor's office.

Oh dear. ::stifling giggle:: This just gets better and better. Looky who's involved! Hint: See last sentence in the following:

The complaint comes as Palin's personal life, her prospects as a future presidential candidate and everything she says and does continues to draw headlines.

Zane Henning, a North Slope worker from Wasilla, said he filed the complaint with the attorney general. He says Palin is promoting her future political career on state property, pointing in particular to the governor's Nov. 10 interview with Fox News Channel host Greta Van Susteren.

Nooooo! Not Faux News' very own Greta Van Susterenenenenenen! Heh... Heehee...chuckle... snort... guffaw! Hahahaaaa!!

The Palin camp, besieged by interview requests, said the governor was no longer a candidate at the time of interviews, but otherwise had little to say about the complaint.

Pallin', however, is so gosh-darned ethical that, well, doggone it, she won't be gettin' back to ya on this one:

"The governor will respect that legal requirement for confidentiality, even if others do not."

Signs of things to come: Hogging the spotlight? Really? Sarah?? No way. Say it ain't so, Pallin'!

Barbara Walters wanted to make Palin one of her "10 most fascinating people." Requests from news media, production companies and agents ring non-stop. They want Palin to sit down for interviews. Or to write a book about her life. Or host a talk show.

Ethics schmethics:

On Nov. 10, Palin appeared with Van Susteren on Fox News, sitting in her government office talking about anonymous accusations from within the McCain campaign on Palin's performance on the trail.

In the clip, now online, Van Susteren welcomes viewers, saying they're about to see Sarah Palin at home and at work.

"Governor, it must be fun to be back in your office here in Anchorage," Van Susteren begins.

It's great, Palin says.

"A lot of work to do, so it's good to be back."

Welcome home.

The $150,000 (IWRC* Palin) question

By GottaLaff

What the puck is going on with the IWRC* Palin wardrobe receipts? Yes, folks, it's time to play, "$150,000 Wardrobe Malfunction!" Whoever answers the mystery question gets a tax break:

About that wardrobe …

There are still aspects of the Republican National Committee’s shopping sprees on behalf of Gov. Sarah Palin and her family that are murky.

Some of the fashion experts consulted Wednesday, for instance, about the $150,000 in purchases that appeared on Federal Election Commission records were puzzled by where all of that money had gone, given what they had seen of Ms. Palin’s wardrobe.

Consider also the $4,902.45 charge at Atelier New York, a high-end men’s store, presumably for Ms. Palin’s husband, Todd, the famous First Dude.

Karlo Steel, an owner there, said he had gone through the store’s receipts for September, twice, and found no sales that matched that amount, nor any combination of sales that added up to the total. Because the store carries aggressively directional men’s wear, he caters to a small clientèle and knows most of his customers by name, as well as the history of their purchases.

When The Caucus called Mr. Steel back to ask him to also check August sales just in case, Mr. Steel said he found one purchase that came close to the amount in the campaign finance reports but said that he knew who that customer was and it certainly was not Mr. Palin. Neither was it Jeff Larson, the Republican consultant who showed up in campaign finance records as the one who footed the initial bill before being reimbursed by the R.N.C.

The store carries expensive cut-up T-shirts and tricky suits from avant-garde designers, like Raf Simons, Yohji Yamamoto and Ann Demeulemeester, none of whom typically create beltway-appropriate attire.

“We have no recollection of that sale and no idea what they are talking about,” Mr. Steel said.

There was similar confusion when The Caucus spoke with Jon and Wing Witthuhn, owners of Pacifier, a high-end children’s boutique in Minneapolis [...]

“Sounds like somebody is using [the credit card number] for personal use,” Mrs. Witthuhn said.

You have 15 seconds to answer the $150,000 question, starting ri-i-i-ight.... NOW! ::tick, tick, tick:: Five seconds...

::BUZZ!:: Oh-h-h-h-h, sorry, times up. But you'll be receiving a Caribou Barbie, a six-pack of bulls**t, and a faux plumber's tool belt as parting gifts. See you all next week! Good night, folks!

There's more here.

*"In What Respect, Charlie?", or, as One of the Many Versions of Legal Alien puts it: "I Want Ridiculous Clothing".

Republicans Disgusted By $150,000 IWRC* Palin spree

By GottaLaff

Pantsuits and blouses and heels, oh my!

"With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it's remarkable that we're spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses. It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign." --McCain-Palin spokesperson Tracey Schmitt on this Politico story.

There is already an attempt to blame the media -- as in, the liberal media would have looked askance at Palin if she wasn't clad in Neiman Marcus, but this won't wash. Republicans, RNC donors and at least one RNC staff member have e-mailed me tonight to share their utter (and not-for-attribution) disgust at the expenditures.

This sort of spending is without precedent -- the closest approximation for any campaign I've ever covered is make-up expenses for television interviews and commercial shoots -- , and Schmitt's weakly defensive response tonight indicates that the campaign is deeply embarrassed by it and has nothing to say in their defense. Spokespeople have clammed up, a sure sign that they're trying to figure out who authorized the expenses and who knew about them. Did Palin wear all of the clothing? Where is it kept?

[T]he heat for this story will come from Republicans who cannot understand how their party would do something this stupid ... particularly (and, it must be said, viewed retroactively) during the collapse of the financial system and the probable beginning of a recession.

Ambinder said it so well, all that there is left to do is nod in agreement.

UPDATE (via Kerry), IWRC's newest accessory supports the wrong party:

H/t: Bucky

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

Gramm-pa McCain Bundler Accused of War Profiteering

By GottaLaff

We're witnessing an avalanche. They can try to dig out of all of these messes (the last two days of posts alone are overwhelming), but it's a losing proposition. The latest is all about Harry Sargeant, the Florida fundraiser who has been bundling checks for Republican Sen. John McCain:

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) released a letter today outlining his findings after reviewing contracts Sargent's oil company brokered with the U.S. Department of Defense.

They aren't pretty.

"I have been conducting oversight of procurement problems in Iraq since the war began over five years ago. The IOTC contracts stand out for the extent of the company's apparent profiteering," Waxman wrote. "Of the $210 million in profits received by the company, at least one third -- $70 million -- appears to have benefited a single individual: Mr. Sargeant."

At issue were the prices Sargeant's company, the International Oil Trading Company, charged for jet fuel. Waxman said the company offered the highest prices of six companies to bid for the military contract, but won because it was the only one with the blessing of the Jordanian royal family to deliver fuel over Jordanian land.

Waxman says that if the oil contracts Sargeant's company had been awarded to the lowest bidders, the taxpayers could have saved over $180 million.

Guilt by association, right Gramm-pa?