By Thomas Oliphant
Those of us who are true fans of hypocrisy and corruption need to pause and salute Randy Cunningham on his way out of town toward the beckoning slammer.
He was the king, and one can hope the disgraced, now-former California congressman will be the gift that keeps on giving.
Otherwise mere fans will be left with the improbable assertion that this right-wing buffoon went on a defense contractor's arm for the gigantic sum of $2.4 million all by his lonesome in order to steer scores of millions of dollars in military business the guy's way.
Those of us who have derived comic relief from Cunningham's career know that this guy would screw up a two-car motorcade. Frustration looms, however, because the House leadership's "ethics" machinery has been so completely and intentionally crippled that we will have to depend on the obligation in Cunningham's plea agreement to sing like a canary, and that means depending on Cunningham - always a lousy bet.
Until he came along, we had to rely for bemusement on garden variety scandals like members taking money from undercover FBI agents posing as rich Arabs, turning postage stamps into cash, or bouncing checks at their credit union.
The most recent exposed crook - Jim Trafficant, an entertaining Democrat from the Youngstown area in Ohio who had a penchant for hilariously bombastic rhetoric - went away for hiding no more than 75 grand from his tax return and forcing employees to do work on his farm.
Cunningham left his federal court plea proceeding in tears. Trafficant, at least, had more flair as he was kicked out of the House and sent to the clink. Said the great man: "When I get out I will grab a sword like Maximus Meridius Demisius (he ruined the name of the Russell Crowe character from "Gladiator"), and as a gladiator I will stab people in the crotch.".......
No comments:
Post a Comment