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10 Worst Political Scandals
Mary Ann Chastain / AP Photo
Alan Grayson called a Fed lobbyist a shocking slur—the latest outrage in a year packed with sex and wackos. Mark McKinnon savors Sanford’s steamy emails, Bachmann’s battiness and more.
2009 isn’t even over yet, but has already gone down as an epic year for political misbehavior.
Just this week, the Florida Rep. Alan Grayson, the Democrats’ version of Joe “You Lie!” Wilson, was forced to apologize for calling a K Street lobbyist a “whore”; Grayson had become so radioactive in his own party that even Anthony Weiner, no shrinking violet he, suggested that his colleague was “one fry short of a Happy Meal.”
• Peter Beinart: Why the Democrats Should Lose Who else joins Grayson as nominees for this year’s Political Hall of Shame awards? We’re not yet closing the nominations, but we feel confident the following have already secured their place on the ballot:
1. Do I hear $100,000? $100,000 going once...
Democrat Rod R. Blagojevich, former governor of Illinois
Blagojevich served Illinois in the capacity of governor from 2003 until he was impeached January 29, 2009, by the Illinois House of Representatives following his arrest for federal corruption charges in which he tried to “auction off” Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat. He was charged with bribery and attempted conspiracy of wiretapping and mail fraud. Blagojevich has proclaimed his innocence, written a book—and had his lawyers lobby to let him appear on a reality TV show.
2. “Hiking the Appalachian Trail” will never be the same
Republican Mark Sanford, governor of South Carolina
Governor Sanford used taxpayers' money to fund trips to South America to see his mistress. Meanwhile, a record of his very purple prose with his mistress, with whom he sought “the sparking thing,” was captured on the government’s email service and later circulated to the world. In the weirdest press conference of the year, Sanford admitted he had been unfaithful to his wife. Since then, Sanford responded to claims he used state funds to help finance his amorous adventures by reimbursing taxpayers for expenses he racked up during a visit to Argentina. Democrats and Republicans alike have sponsored impeachment measures.
3. All in the Family Republican
John Ensign, U.S. senator from Nevada
Ensign admitted to having an eight-month affair with campaign aide Cynthia Hampton, the wife of his Senate aide Doug Hampton, whom Ensign helped to set up a lobby practice and secure clients. Once a GOP presidential hopeful, Ensign went to great lengths to hide his affair.
4. Liar, Liar, Your Rep Is on Fire
Republican Joe Wilson, U.S. representative from South Carolina
Wilson received a formal rebuke from the House of Representatives for yelling out “You lie” during President Obama’s speech before both houses of Congress on September 14, 2009. Wilson subsequently apologized.
5. Bringing Back the Loyalty Oath
Republican Michele Bachmann, U.S. representative from Minnesota
It would be no surprise if Bachmann is connected somewhere on her family tree to Joseph McCarthy. She’s demanded an investigation of “anti-American” members of Congress and suggested that Obama was creating “re-education” camps through the AmeriCorps program. She has said she would consider running for president “If I felt that’s what the Lord was calling me to do.” If she answers the call, we will indeed know the Lord works in mysterious ways.
6. Cold, Hard Cash. Literally
Democrat William Jefferson, former U.S. congressman, Louisiana
Jefferson was convicted this year for bribery and corruption. The FBI found $90,000 in his freezer. He was convicted on 11 counts, but surprisingly was found not guilty for the 90k. The freezer debacle did, however, forever stamp him with the moniker “Dollar Bill” Jefferson.
7. And You Are Such a Bad Boy
Republican Mike Duvall, assemblyman, California
Resigned after inappropriate sex comments were broadcast over a microphone during an assembly meeting in September 2009. A couple of comments below:
• “She wears little eye-patch underwear, so I can see her eye patches. So, the other day she came here with her underwear”
• “So I am getting into spanking her… Yeah, I like it… I like spanking her. She goes, I know you like spanking me, I said yeah, that's 'cause you're such a bad girl.”
The Right Dumps Carrie
Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
What's Joe's Problem?
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
Geithner's Stock Plummeting
Jeff Madrick is a contributor to the New York Review of Books and a former economics columnist for the New York Times. He is editor of Challenge Magazine, visiting professor of humanities at Cooper Union, and senior fellow at the New School's Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. He is the author of Taking America, The End of Affluence (Random House) and The Case for Big Government.
How Palin Helps Bloomberg
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
Huckabee's Power Surge
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
The GOP Surge Isn't Obama's Fault
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
Thnaks for the concise rendition. i had lost track. Man i am a guy out here in the colonies and just dont get it.
i want to see the fellow who is burning bibles for some enlightenment to this quandry. He thinks he one of gods chosen and ansers to no one. what makes these peolpe think they are right. like right to the point that i am wrong.
i want to get to the bottom of that human thing that we call ...rational.
Finally, McKinnon retreats to his element. He has been a lifelong devotee of the tabloids and a scandal junkie. But leaving off the nutcase who was elected head of the Young Republicans as well as the biggest political criminal of the all - his big brother Rove - shows he is still nothing but a GOP errand boy.
He left off several dems. Rangel, Edwards, Spitzer, Geithner. to name a few. Sounds more like a DNC errand boy to me.
You are wallowing in last years news.
You need to update this list with the 30 Congressmen being investigated, including Maxine Waters, et al.
AND you forgot to mention one of the biggest crooks on the Hill: Charley Rangel (who happens to also be on the new list above). How can he remain head of the finance committee, when he cannot even do his own taxes? Either he is severely incompetent or severely criminal. Either way, he should be kicked out of office.
Rangel is a pretty decent legislator. You should mind your mouth.
Rangel will never hold a candle to Mitch McConnell who always makes the top 10 list of most corrupt in Congress.
Obama and his entire administration,
commies, tax evaders, perverts, oh my!
yeah! the republicans are great they are only dumb.
rhonda,
snark, right?
Mark -
Your recap of Mark Sanford forgot to mention the HuffPost you wrote while he was "missing". Based on how well you claimed to know him, you predicted that the whole episode was overblown and people's positive reaction would put him at the front of the likely GOP Presidential list.
Nice call.
Even better was McKinnon's article here a couple of months ago with the headline "Sanford For President" followed the next day by his article with the headline "Sanford Should Resign".
That, boys and girls, is McKinnon in a nutshell....a 'blownin with the wind/two-faced pantywaist' if there ever was one. If the Tzarina of Glitzy Glib, Tina Brown, didn't have a crush on McKinnon, he would have faded off the political landscape long ago.
Maybe tzarina Brown is an equal opportunity benign monarch and tolerates fools gladly and as gladly wise men and women.
It must have been hard for this Rightie to have to list so many gDOp party members. Grayson deserves a slap for the "K-Street Whore," but the other jabs are just an tit-for-tat of the idiocy spewed for by the gDOps on a daily basis;-)
What a bunch of maroons.
Here in NC our biggest embarassment remains John Edwards.
Wonder why he didn't make the list. I was sure he'd be number ONE. What could more scandlous than knocking up a publicty aid and then getting another loyal aid to falsely claim he is the father? This scandal kinda puts these others to shame!!
The democrats relentlessly entertain themselves with the republicans shenanigans while those of their folks fade fjust quietly fade from memory. The republicans need to be equally aggressive at at keeping theirs alive.
Edward's was exposed last year, but Elizabeth resurrected the slime with her poor, pathetic book tour this year.
Grayson's epithet is bad manners. It is not a scandal.
No Rangel? The man has more power than all of these people combined and he's conveniently overlooked?
Spitzer is easily as bad if not worse than Sanford. Prostitution is illegal afterall, Spitzer actually prosecuted it!
Grayson is easily worse than Wilson. One two word outburst vs a whole series of orchestrated rants over days including personal and sexist insults.
I wonder how long it took to craft such careful bias.
What about politicians "cozy" with Fanny and Freddy, Countrywide . . . ?
Leading to the collapse of the housing market, and economy ?
Wouldn't that be # 1 ?
The Becton exchange deserves honorable mention.
Here's a redacted version of the exchange:
From: XXX
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 11:38 AM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: JPMC Meeting Request
Elizabeth,
Attached is a meeting request for JP Morgan Chase who will be in DC June 3rd-4th and would like to request a brief meeting with the Congressman.
Let me know if you need any additional information.
Thank you!
Best,
XXX
________________________________
From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:05 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Hi Liz,
just checking in on whether the Congressman is available next week. [REDACTED] can confirm a meeting time for you - she is available at [REDACTED].
Thank you!
Best,
XXX
________________________________
From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:07 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Importance: High
Who is Liz?
Elizabeth Becton
Executive Assistant/Office Manager
Office of Congressman Jim McDermott
XXXX Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
XXX phone
XXX fax
________________________________
From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:07 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Hi Elizabeth, I thought you went by Liz - apologies if that is incorrect. Best, XXX
________________________________
From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:08 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
I do not go by Liz. Where did you get your information?
________________________________
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:10 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Hi Elizabeth, I'm so sorry if I offended you! I thought you had gone by Liz at Potlatch, this was my mistake. Best, XXX
________________________________
From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:11 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
NEVER. I hate that name.
________________________________
From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:13 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Hi Elizabeth, I'm so sorry if I offended you! I must have mis-heard. My mistake! Best, XX
________________________________
From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:20 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Importance: High
XXX:
If I wanted you to call me by any other name, I would have offered that to you. I think it's rude when people don't even ask permission and take all sorts of liberties with your name. This is a real sore spot with me. My name has a lot of "nicknames" which I don't use. I use either my first name or my last name because I row with a lot of other women who share the same first name. Now, please do not ever call me by a nickname again.
As for your meeting request, who is the point of contact for this meeting? If it's not you, then I need to know who because it's very time-consuming to deal with a lot of people for one meeting.
Thanks,
________________________________
From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:23 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Hi Elizabeth, I'm so sorry I offended you! My mistake!
XXX can confirm a meeting time for you - she is available at XXX XXXX.
Thank you!
Best, XXX
________________________________
[UNRELATED EMAILS REDACTED]
From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:33 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Of course! Again, I am sincerely sorry for offending you. I must have mis-heard and it was in no way my intention to make you upset. I always enjoy working with you and seeing you at the WSS events J
Best,
XXX
________________________________
From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:37 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Sounds like you got played by someone who KNOWS I hate that name and that it's a fast way to TICK me off. Who told you that I go by that name? They are not your friend...
________________________________
From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:38 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Hi Elizabeth,
Again, I am sincerely sorry for offending you. I don't want to cause trouble as I clearly must have mis-heard the person at Potlatch. It was in no way my intention to make you upset.
Best,
XXX
________________________________
From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:41 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Importance: High
I REALLY want to know who told you to call me that.
________________________________
From:XXX
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:44 PM
To: Becton, Elizabeth
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Hi Elizabeth,
Again, I am sincerely sorry for offending you. I don't recall who I overheard. It was in no way my intention to make you upset.
Best,
XXX
________________________________
From: Becton, Elizabeth
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 6:04 PM
To: XXX
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Let me put it this way, they don't know me and perhaps they were PRETENDING to know me better than they do and pretended that I go by Liz. They did YOU a disservice.
In the future, you should be VERY careful about such things. People like to brag about their connections in DC. It's a past time for some. It's also dangerous to eaves drop, as you have just found out.
Quit apologizing and never call me anything but Elizabeth again. Also, make sure you correct anyone who attempts to call me by any other name but Elizabeth. Are we clear on this? Like I said, it's a hot button for me.
And please don't call the office and not leave a message. My colleague told me you called while I was away at the Ladies' room. I do sometimes leave my desk.
Clearly, LIZ is a complete whack job and needs to be taken down a peg or two or three - thanks for including that series of e-mails.
The jury is still out on Joe Wilson. It looks more and more like Obama and the Dems will have to ask forgiveness. Any one want to take a bet that "non-documented" get health coverage?
Sanford is a mess I agree. Should be long long gone.
Wilson is a cowardly drunk who is an embarrassment to himself and to the state of South Carolina.
Aw Give Grayson some slack. He deserves it.
He's got balls.
Unusual for a Democrat.
Alan Grayson is an idiot, but I have to chuckle at all the liberal bedwetting about his "K Street whore" comment. The fact that the whore in question is female is irrelevant. No one seriously thinks he called her a "whore" because she's a woman. He called her a whore because she's a lobbyist. And like all lobbyists, male and female, she's a whore. Not with her body, but with her services. We have lots of whores in our society today: not just lobbyists, but congresspeople, celebrity publicists and journalists -- as it happens, some of the very same people who are so pissed at Grayson.
You are confused. The John pays the money, the prostitute takes the money. Do you think that an examination of Grayson's campaign contributions might not put him in the prostitute category with the rest of Congress?
Good Christ McKinnon, you still think of yourself as a political analyst yet your blatant use of the false equivalency unmasks you as a cheap propagandist. Grayson calling somebody a whore may be bad manners but hardly moves the needle as a "scandal". I guess you had to make some attempt to level the playing field seeing how the GOP practically corners the scandal/idiot/looney market these days.
Scandals
1) Rob did conspire.
2) Mark spent state funds on his trips.
3) John gave a job as a cover up.
6) William had 90 grand from bribery and corruption.
10) Edwards cares only about himself. Not a crime but what a bastard. And hypocrite.
Not Scandals
4) Joe was a dick in the house.
5) Michele doesn't know real Americans from dick. Gone in a heartbeat.
7) Mike is a laughable sad loudmouth.
8) Liz had a really bad day. Wasn't so good for Becton either.
9) Alan was making a valid point, in a sure way to get on the tv, on the floor. Un-funny on Hardball. Stupid on radio.
One difference between most Democrats and Republicans is there reaction to all these "Scandals". The Dems get saddened and embarrassed and always end up dumping the corrupt in their party. They also get a little angry but mostly just laugh, shaking their heads in amazement, at the hypocrisy of the Marks and Johns and Joes and Republicans who stick by them. The Republicans just blindly keep trying to pretend they ever were the moral party.
Per Merriam-Webster, one of the definitions of the word "whore" is a "venal or unscrupulous person." Are we sure it isn't a case of Grayson hitting the nail on the head?
Thank you.
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