Friday, April 20, 2007

Friday night highlights

By Libby

It's been a long week and there's more news you can use than I can do justice to, so here's the handpicked linkfest.

Why politicians should stay out of show biz. You would think McCain would have learned something from Ashcroft and Rove. You would be wrong.

Tough week for Republicans. "Rep. Rick Renzi stepped down temporarily from the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday, after the FBI raided his family's business in connection with an ongoing federal investigation." Details are sketchy. I'm thinking it's related to Abramoff.

Speaking of Abramoff scandals, former Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles and Sue Ellen Wooldridge, who have both been implicated in Jack's empire of corruption, got married three days "after Griles pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about his relationship with Abramoff and a previous romantic partner." That previous partner being the ever elusive Italia Federici, who runs a Republican front group with strong ties to Abramoff. Last I heard, she's on the lam.

One can't fail to immediately remember that spouses can refuse to testify against each other but we're assured this is not the case here.
Griles attorney Barry Hartman angrily rejected any notion that spousal privilege had any bearing on Griles and Wooldridge’s decision to marry.

“Steve Griles and Sue Ellen Wooldridge got married because they love each other,” Hartman said. “Any other suggestion is wrong.”

Oh of course they're marrying for love. The timing is just a coincidence.

Finally, this man is the leader of the free world? Small wonder so many of us are on tranquilizers.

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6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

And in an additional news item, why candidates spouses shouldn't attack private citizens out of the clear blue...much less dig into their holdings once it's clear those private citizens aren't going to stand still for it.

You don't approve of this kind of behavior, do you Libby?

2:13:00 AM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

Oh, I've been meaning to follow up on that mysterious post of yours but my work schedule has been impossible. For the record, I thought it was a stupid remark and rather rude but frankly, I find the odd quote from a candidate's wife less important the ongoing corruption of the administration so I didn't follow the story out of a simple lack of time.

As for digging into the guy's holdings, I don't really see the outrage on that point. Any good real estate lawyer could come up with that info and it could be material in deciding what to offer for the property. I believe it's public record. It's not like she hired an investigator to dig up the family skeletons in the closet.

I have to also say, that a guy pulling a gun on utility workers makes me a little nervous too. I don't find that to be a responsible use of a gun. I don't live so very far from them myself and I would be a little reluctant about letting my little tyke hang around a place where the gun owner's first impulse is to go for his gun in a situation in which his life wasn't exactly threatened.

Nonetheless, it was a very interesting post and commentary. Good job on the investigation.

10:07:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

if gay marriage is legalized, we can forget prosecuting any of these people

10:10:00 AM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

Lester, I'm not sure I understand you point on that remark.

10:35:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

they will marry each other to avoid prosecution

3:14:00 PM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

Yeah, that's what I figure too.

3:32:00 PM  

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