Randy "Duke" Cunningham

LAT runs down Duke Cunningham’s lavish lifestyle. Lavish, alternative lifestyle. The Air Force Navy veteran apparently underwent a kind of, uhm, change at some point: “Personally, his taste ran to country music and cowboy novels — which made the French antiques and Oriental rugs he took from contractors seem anomalous.” Anomalous? We think the Washington Post was more on target: Duke had “surprisingly delicate taste.” Gay taste. And, well, perhaps there’s was an element of protesting-too-much when he derided the Dems for being the ones who let “homos into the military...http://wonkette.com/141133/duke-stir-cries-clutches-pearls

STAGES OF GRIEF

1. SHOCK & DENIAL-

2. PAIN & GUILT-

3. ANGER & BARGAINING-

4. "DEPRESSION", REFLECTION, LONELINESS-

5. THE UPWARD TURN-

6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH-

7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE-

http://www.recover-from-grief.com/7-stages-of-grief.html

Well these seven stages of grief apply to most of us when bad things happen. We attempt to skip a stage or two when we find ourselves in such a condition of grief and loss.

But it does not usually work to skip a stage or two!

Now I recall when those first 'reports' of wrong doing came down the pike from that damnable lame stream media and THE DUKE just stood up and called them all lies; lies and damn lies. He stood up in anger telling us that he was guilty of nothing!   

Then, as the time of trial was coming closer and closer...

Cunningham resigned from the House on November 28, 2005, after pleading guilty to accepting at least $2.4 million in bribes and under-reporting his income for 2004. He pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion. On March 3, 2006, he received a sentence of eight years and four months in prison and an order to pay $1.8 million in restitution.[1]

Who the hell was this Randall DUKE Cunningham anyhow?

• Guns: “Cunningham an NRA funding favorite.” Union-Tribune, 4 May 1999.

• Drugs: Articles about Mr. Cunningham seeking the death penalty for drug dealers, then pleading leniency for his son Todd, who was trafficking marijuana. Union-Tribune, 17 April 1994 to 24 November 1998. Cunningham swears and uses obscene gesture against a Vietnam veteran heckling him at a forum Union-Tribune, 9 to 10 September 1998

• Yacht: Article about Mr. Cunningham’s yacht, Kelly C, and securing $3 million in federal money to refurbish the waterfront around his yacht. Union-Tribune, 15 November 1998.

• Mr. Cunningham used foul language (B.S.) with the Secretary of the Army, who was trying to prevent sexual assaults on women. Union-Tribune, 11 March 1998.

• Cunningham helps contributor ADCS win defense contract. Union-Tribune, 15 December 1997.

• Cunningham challenges Rep. Obey to a fight on the House floor. Union-Tribune, 17 June 1994.

• Cunningham brags he can disintegrate Congress in a half-a-second. Union-Tribune, 7 May 1994.

• Cunningham is a loose cannon. Union-Tribune, 26 October 1992.

• Background on Cunningham’s 1992 race for Congress, redistricting, and primary fight. North County Blade-Citizen, 11 October 1992.

• Cunningham’s threats to shoot Democrats and war protesters; opposing candidates call Cunningham unethical. North County Blade-Citizen, 10 October 1992.

• Cunningham debuts as a candidate by sending racist hate mail that unfairly associates his Republican Arab-American opponent with Libyan strongman Gadhafi. Union-Tribune, 30 May 1990. http://dukecunningham.org/bibliography/

I found this site that demonstrates a man of the people; especially if you are his son, especially if you are a member of the NRA, especially if you are a repub, especially if you are a contractor who refurbishes waterfront around Representative Cunningham's yacht, especially if you are a hater of women, especially if you are a war monger, especially if you are a hater of our democractic system including the House of Representatives, especially if you are a hater of dems, and a racist.

And I thought things had changed among the repubs in recent years!

The more times change, the more they remain the same is what I always say.

http://www.moxiegrrrl.com/2005/11/cunningham-cries-delay-defends.html

So right now, five years after the fact, Duke has found himself in the condition of bargaining and in the further condition of rage over his situation.

DENIAL

Five years of prison and Cunningham is writing his grande opus.

Oh I never took any bribes!

Oh I was never even offered any bribes.

Oh that lamestream media is out to get me.

Oh those liberals are out to get me.

Oh those who hate America are out to get me!

Just as an aside, I recall a scandal in the 80's where this Minneapolis attorney was caught pocketing PI settlements without paying the clients or his firm any money. He built this 600,000 home from scratch and rode high for more than a few years before he was caught.

In an interview with the felon's attorney following the indictment, the media was told that the lawyer had never seen such a depressed client in his life!

Luke 13:28

There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.

Too many people attempt to skip the second step in the processing of grief.

You would almost feel sorry for such folks, until you remember what they did and who they really were all the time.

Now Josh Marshall tells us that THE DUKE has become a real prison reformist.

This man who wanted a death sentence for the 'drug dealers' as long as the drug dealer in question was not of his blood.

This man who would rant and rave about waste in government and push for clean ups in his own harbour; thereby protecting his yacht that was given to him by some damn lobbyist.

But now he is aspiring to be a prison reformist. Which is fine with me by the way; I mean I will take anyone who wishes to do something for the single worst criminal court/prison process in the entire world.

And if this is how Cunningham can reach an upward turn work on his own reconstruction and end up with some hope might be a good thing in the end.

But how anyone can look at this for Congressman's record and not think hypocrite, is beyond me.

In response to TPM's questions, Cunningham wrote that his life "will be dedicated to prison & DOJ reform."

"The United States has more more men & women in prison than any other nation including Russia and China," he wrote. "The largest growing number of prisoners, women -- 1-34 Americans are either on probation or in prison. The 95% conviction rate reached by threats of long sentences, intimidation, lies and prosecutorial abuse has got to be reckoned with now, not later."

"The system to return inmates to society is a joke and until real change is made our children will do w/o a mom/dad that can provide for them after release," Cunningham continued.

In the letter sent to a number of media outlets, Cunningham explains that he's spent much of his time behind bars teaching GED courses to other inmates and has even tried his hand at paddle ball and softball on weekends. He describes himself as a "walking skeleton" when he took his plea deal back in 2005 and says he has refused media requests "in hopes the judicial process would eventually get at the truth, the whole truth and nothing but."

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/duke_cunningham_my_untold_story.php?ref=fpblg

But now he is aspiring to be a prison reformist. Which is fine with me by the way; I mean I will take anyone who wishes to do something for the single worst criminal court/prison process in the entire world.

And if this is how Cunningham can reach an upward turn work on his own reconstruction and end up with some hope might be a good thing in the end.

But how anyone can look at this Congressman's record and not think hypocrite, is beyond me.