The Daily Sandwich

"We have to learn the lesson that intellectual honesty is fundamental for everything we cherish." -Sir Karl Popper

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Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

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Sunday, July 03, 2005

Dukes of the world in trouble

This should have happened to Tom DeLay years ago, but you take what you can get. With a sudden flurry of reporting on the likely influence-peddling of California Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, the government has taken action. Look for him to be the fall guy for DeLay. Kinda like that quip in the Last Crusade about shooting one of your own men to convince the opposition that you believe in their cause.

A California congressman whose dealings with a defense contractor are under investigation was taking a "personal day" Saturday and not commenting on federal authorities' searches a day earlier of his home and a yacht where he stayed while in Washington, a spokesman said.

Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham didn't plan a public appearance until a Monday pancake breakfast in Encinitas, spokesman Mark Olson said.

Olson referred all questions about the investigation to Cunningham's attorney.

FBI agents on Friday searched Cunningham's $2.55 million mansion outside San Diego and a 42-foot yacht named Duke Stir, according to a bureau spokeswoman, who said agents from the Department of Defense and Internal Revenue Service assisted.

UPDATE: TPM has more on Cunningham. And he canceled his Fourth of July appearances-- expect him to be torpedoed in the near future. The powers that be are probably just relieved to have a little of the heat taken off of their criminal activities for a while. The WaPo has a big story on him as well.