OOOOOH! LADY MARMALADE IS A REPUBLICAN?

Damn for this to be true, on the verge of May, only seven months from the midterms. Seems that "Duke" Cunningham wasn't just passing around cigars and dollars. As reported by Think Progress and the WSJ approximately six members of Congress may have accepted sexual favors from prostitutes in return for their political favors.

Damn this gives an entirely different slant to the whole K-Street project. One would have thought it was confined to offices and cigar filled backrooms, not the corner of K-Street and then offices and cigar filled.... well never mind that.

Aren't you glad the "adults are in charge".

From The WSJ:

Prosecutors May Widen Congressional-Bribe Case
Cunningham Is Suspected Of Asking for Prostitutes; Were Others Involved?
By SCOT J. PALTROW
April 27, 2006; Page A6

Federal prosecutors are investigating whether two contractors implicated in the bribery of former Rep. Randall "Duke" Cunningham supplied him with prostitutes and free use of a limousine and hotel suites, pursuing evidence that could broaden their long-running inquiry.

Besides scrutinizing the prostitution scheme for evidence that might implicate contractor Brent Wilkes, investigators are focusing on whether any other members of Congress, or their staffs, may also have used the same free services, though it isn't clear whether investigators have turned up anything to implicate others.

Think Progress has a transcript of Scarborough's interview with Dean Calbreath, of the San Diego Union Tribune, one name that should be familiar to political junkies appears here, good ol' sleaze Mitchell Wade, founder of the military contracting firm, MZM, Inc. For a background to Mitchell's involvement in DUKE-gate take a look at the San Diego Union-Tribune's article from June 22, 2005. Also The Washington Post, of March 24, 2006, reported the investigation of Duke's bribes and the Pentagon contracts obtained through the congressman's corruption.

CALBREATH: Well now, Mitchell Wade is cooperating with the investigators, but the guy who supposedly has the black book, Brent Wilkes he is hanging tough. He is so far not cooperating. I think that he is going to hang tough until he is indicted. So, I think it will be a while before other names come out. Like I say, the rumor mill is alive with names. The rumor mill is alive with at least half dozen names. Congressman Cunningham in today’s story in the Wall Street Journal that is really the first solid confirmation we have gotten of an eyewitness report.

With Rove having been invited back to see the Grand Jury and now Hooker-gate, get some popcorn and let's watch the fur fly!

The lovely Wonkette, shares her opinion on the subject and shares a few more links.