The Arrogance & Egoism of the Republicans Continues Unabated

Jack Abramoff is a crook. We here at the Political Asylum celebrate his arrest.

His own willingness to break the law with impunity and to be so bold as to flaunt his "investment" in a gambling boat business sped his downfall.

Now comes the arrogance of U.S. Rep Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who recently announced that he will retire at the end of the 109th Congress. The reason? A $700,000 bribe he took (in the form of an overpayment) from a defense contractor. Shouldn't he retire now? Yes, but such a move would indicate something akin to remorse or shame, emotions that Republicans are apparently incapable of displaying in the current environment.

If you are not familiar with the Cunningham scandal, here's a summary from the San Francisco Chronicle:

"The former Navy "Top Gun" fighter pilot and Vietnam War veteran has been hounded the past month by questions concerning his relationship with longtime friend Mitchell J. Wade, the founder of defense firm MZM Inc.

Federal prosecutors have been investigating Cunningham's 2003 sale of his 3,826-square-foot house in the wealthy coastal community of Del Mar to Wade for $1.675 million.

Wade resold the house the following year at a $700,000 loss. That amounted to a 60 percent drop in value during a period when the average price of a San Diego County home increased 25 percent.

Around the same time, Washington, D.C.-based MZM was increasing its federal contracting business. Revenues tripled last year, according to the company's Web site. In fiscal 2004, MZM was No. 38 on the list of defense contractors performing intelligence-related and other work, with $65.5 million of contracts."

But Cunningham is going out in true Republican style. He recently sent a letter to his campaign contributors telling them that their campaign contributions will be used for his legal defense fund, unless they inform him that they object to his plan.

Here's the kicker: the letter concludes with a plea for more money!

And the American public goes merrily along, claiming their allegiance to the President and his Party? Let's hope not.

Here's to bringing down an entire pod of white whales and bringing back a Democratic majority.

(Props to the drewmeister for suggesting this post)