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Scandals collide! -- the BushCo-rattling USAttorneys scandal may have intersected with the titillating DCMadam scandal. And just in time, after the extraordinary buildup and letdown from ABCNews "investigative reporter" Brian Ross on Friday night (transcript). I guess 20/20 doesn't believe in full release and happy endings.
The notion that variety of scandals might indeed be linking up is not outside the realm of possibility. Remember, prostitution was alleged in the Duke Cunningham case:
Federal authorities are investigating allegations that a California defense contractor arranged for a Washington area limousine company to provide prostitutes to convicted former congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.) and possibly other lawmakers, sources familiar with the probe said yesterday.
We've learned that the Akin Gump temptress worked for someone even more senior at the firm -- and even more powerful. We have confirmed, with knowledgeable sources, what was previously rumored in reader comments. The Akin Gump Escort worked for John M. Dowd, the high-powered head of the firm's criminal litigation group.
David asks the relevant question:
Does this mean that telephone and/or face-to-face conversations took place between (1) the Magnificent Monica Goodling, of U.S. Attorneygate fame, and (2) the Akin Gump Escort? Presumably Monica Goodling had to interact with the Akin Gump Escort, whenever she called John Dowd on the phone, or came to his office for a meeting. Please excuse us for a moment. Our head is about to explode, due to fabulosity overload!!!
And gets a standard non-denial from AkinGump:
Per your query, I write to advise that this is an internal personnel matter, and as such we will not provide comment. Going forward, please feel free to contact me with any questions. Kind Regards, Sheila M. Turner Director of Communications Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.
Think about this for a moment, firepups: did John Dowd's letter to Henry Waxman on client Monica Goodling's behalf get typed up by the assistant manager to Deborah Jeane Palfrey? Did Monica Goodling make her attorney appointments with the DCMadam's assistant manager?
Margolis testified in private that he tried to console Goodling and listened to her discuss her personal life, a congressional aide said. He recalled telling a colleague that he was concerned about Goodling's emotional state, the aide said.
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zed?
Doing the zed dance for lolo. Then brb
Teddy!
Hypocrisy? I’m beginning to feel energized and quite radical.
TSF!!! Once again, the reality is far stranger than anyone’s fiction could ever be.
The Grand Unified Scandal Theory!
Hmmm you don’t know the fundies like I know them.
If this is true (re Monica) and it gets published somehow, warch the explosions. Very, very interesting indeed.
Teddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMFG
So, is Dowd pimpin’???? I wonder how Monica’s gonna pay for her legal defense??
This just gets more amazing by the minute.
I just had another thought. DC Madam…Do you think she handed out tasty “cookies”????
“I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s awfully hard to satirize people who keep outdoing your best efforts.” — Tom Tomorrow
What is interesting me about the assistant is the confidentiality issue - she will have had access to a great deal of confidential/personal information in both jobs. I’m curious about possibly overlapping client bases.
yup, and no one suffers more then our commander in chief about the Iraq war or is that the “commander guy?”.
I can’t keep his names straight.
I just wished we could call him “Impeached”!!!!!
Oklahoma turns 100 this year.
OK, tinfoil hat time: What if, my dog I can’t believe I’m typing this, what if, Monica got referred to Dowd in the first place by knowing the secretary from dealings through the secretary’s night job? What if they were friends/acquaintances from PMA and that’s how Monica came to ask John Dowd to represent her? Would explain the crying jag and a whole host of other “coinky-dinkys”
Just wonderin’ is all, not sayin’, just wonderin’.
Oooh Teddy. Thanks for keeping us up to date on this one. More to come…
Recall, if you will, Keith Olbermann’s wonderment that Monica Goodling’s attorney was the powerful John M. Dowd. KO knew of Dowd’s 1989 authorship of the Pete Rose gambling report in 1989 for Major League Baseball Commissioner Giamatti. KO seemed bemused that Goodling would rate such a truly heavy-hitter (as a partner, he heads the criminal defense section at AkinGump).
I’m loving this.
Poor Monica. She cried because she may lose her job. Any compassion for the 8 she helped fire? And wasn’t there a story about her firing someone on the spot for some nebulous reason?
Little Monica, you were used. And, sweetie pie, if you find your conscience and tell the truth to Congress, your old boss will slime you and make you pay a very steep price. But since you’ve used this tactic yourself, I’m sure you’ll understand.
In the Duke Cunningham scandal weren’t some of the hookers male? I thought that I heard something to that effect.
After all, a good host makes sure that his/hers guests’ tastes are taken care of, no?
Redshift @ 3
Hello, you lucky Webb constituent! Have you asked your other Senator if he supports the Clinton/Byrd plan? It’s so like his January proposal, I wonder if Warner will hop aboard the train.
Phoenix Woman @ 6
As they circle the drain, they spin closer and closer to one another.
Is Goodling where the scandals touch?
Phoenix Woman @ 6
GUTS - The Grand Unified Theory of Scandal:
All scandals converge.
A lot is happening and I hear nothing from the ‘front runners’.
The more this story unfolds, the more I keep giggling like a teenager. But it looks like ABC kind of hoodwinked our madame. Well, perhaps Ms. Palfrey ought to just take that phone list, scan it into a computer, and “dump” it onto the internet.
The internet sharks will feast on that list. Nothing but bones would be left…and lots and lots of interesting names.
Ghostman
noen @ 17
I recall rumblings of the same noise. I think especially concerning Dusty-boy.
“nothing is shocking any more”
Never say never, and never say nothing. I’m sure there’s more to come.
Fern @ 10
I would bet that AkinGump’s confidentiality paperwork is more ironclad than Pamela Martin & Associates’, if any exists at all for the latter.
dakine01 @ 2
I am so embarrassed about the last zed. I posted the zed and all the other ones before I read what the topic it was about. Please forgive me for being a jerk firepups. I know I should behave when we have guests. Hey how was the guests anyhow? I had to do a zed-by because I had a friend over for a haircut, now off to read Teddy’s post.
lolo
dakine01 @ 13
You stole my chapeau!
TeddySanFran @ 27
I think I just typed what was beamin’ in from a lot of folks hats, doncha know! :})
GUTS
So…so…so you mean there is only one scandal now. Oh, I’m so disappointed. Well, at least it involves sex.
Seriously, could Monica have been moonlighting with the DCMadam, as well? 45 minutes of crying to your boss? Well, that’s a “my life is falling apart and I could go to jail” kind of cry.
Well, perhaps Ms. Palfrey ought to just take that phone list, scan it into a computer, and “dump” it onto the internet.
The internet sharks will feast on that list. Nothing but bones would be left…and lots and lots of interesting names.
But, but Brian Ross of ABC said that the names on the list are “boring”.
And ABC wouldn’t lie or cover for the admin, would they? [/snark]
dakine01 @ 23
It is the hypocrisy of this scum that bothers me the most, as a GLBT person myself, I don’t really care about whom they choose for partners. But the unbridled hypocrisy of having a public face of being against gay marriage while at night you’re barebacking with some young stud… if true… that is what really pisses me off.
I keep hearing that DC’s social/political life is incestuous. If the scandals merge, it would be an excellent example. (I almost typed ‘good’ example, but that’s certainly not the correct word here!)
I was reading a blog where they had a link to Monica’s homepage from the 90’s, before she was “famous”. It had a picture of her sitting on a bridge in cut-offs. She is, as the Washington insiders say, a “hottie”.
I gotta admit I wouldn’t mind slipping her the ol’ “cocktail weenie”.
jayt @ 30
No more than they would produce a sham documentary that blamed 911 on Clinton.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - A U.S. document proposing a detailed May-to-August timeline for easing Palestinian movement and improving Israeli security was being reviewed by the Palestinian leadership on Saturday, even as the top Hamas leader dismissed the plan as a “farce.”
Also Saturday, Islamic Jihad militants fired three rockets toward Israel, damaging a house in the town of Sderot, to avenge the killing of three members of the group by Israeli undercover troops a day earlier.
Riesz Fischer @ 33
A link to it is on FDL 2 threads back near the bottom of the thread. She looks pretty hot in that picture.
I did not realize that David Lat had left Wonkette.
The Palestinians have as much right to be treated as human beings as do the Israelis.
This gets a little stranger:
William Keisling, the author of the Midnight Ride of Jonathan Luna, has investigated extensively the death of assistant US attorney Jonathan Luna.
This was a gruesome death, where Luna disappeared from his office, leaving his cell phone, laptop and glasses needed for driving. He “drove” around for a while leaving credit card clues and ended up in a ditch, his Honda idling, drowning after suffering 36 stab wounds, genital mutilation and horrible defensive wounds on his hands. The DOJ and FBI floated suicide as a possibility although it was later revealed he was stabbed in the back.
Comey fired the US attorney DiBiagio who was in charge of Luna’s office. Too much to tell.
Palfrey, the DC Madam just contacted the author, William Keisling, to accompany her and her lawyer to Palfrey’s hearing in DC. She related her concerns to him about the death of a former Maryland professor who went to work for her as an escort. It is alleged she committed suicide a few months ago.
Riesz Fischer @ 32
monica
It seems like karma has caught up with the Republics after all of these years of their santimoneous investigations and pronouncements.
Yea, Teddy, but you still didn’t connect Niger forgeries with the DC madam. Can you work on that? With all those Italian spies visiting DC and Michael Ledeen in his natural role as a pimp, there may still be an opportunity for you here.
noen @ 31 says:
Agreed. I could not give a tinker’s damn about the private lifes of these idiots and scum. EXCEPT when they use their office to malign or discriminate against other citizens, then all bets are off
I don’t care if Monica WAS moonlighting, just as I don’t care about those who called PMA unless they’ve been among those who have worked to make life more miserable for the rest of us. Although I will admit, it is a bit of a snark to think about the poster child for Pat Robertson U being caught up in a call-girl/escort scandal.
noen @ 33
Well, there *is* that.
I’m sure it was all just a misunderstanding.
Thanks for the post TSF. Based on prior experience with Monica types, I would guess that she has no
f*ckingclue as to where her professional relationships end and her personal relationships begin.TeddySanFran @ 25
Could she (the assistant) have had a conflict of interest and/or divided loyalties?
More scandal! Yum!
Boston1775 @ 39
Just before he went offline, Billmon was writing quite a bit on the Bush Mafia Crime Family. He wasn’t joking about the comparison either. Some people believe there is a trail of dead reaching far back that follows the Bushes.
The Iraqis fighting against the oppressors, occupiers and colonialists who are are killing their women and children and stealing their resources are “militants”. Oh well. That clears everything up.
The puzzlement over Monica taking the Fifth so suddenly may be explained in this connection as well. Recall that, at the time, there was much head-shaking over her doing so. We have more evidence of wrongdoing now, in her role at DoJ, but if she and Sampson never saw the delegation-of-authority memo, might she have thought she was acting within the letter of the law regarding the USA firings?
So, about what criminal wrongdoing did she need to take the Fifth?
Here is a
McNultyconnection, and some scandal linkies. The Nation yesterday had a good update on Wolfie-Gate.. But the reference to “Cleveland” leads to more scandal-topia.Robin Cleveland was part of the BOEING SCANDAL. She had to leave OMB, but Wolfie gave her and several other of his cronies jobs at the World Bank at $250 K a year-more than Riza got and tax free. MSNBC had a report over a year ago. It does seem “Iraqi Reconstruction” leads to the biggest crooks.
Robin Cleveland tried to get a job for her brother Peter.
This case also includes REDACTED DOCUMENTS and MISSING PENTAGON E-MAILS. Why was Cleveland not prosecuted? Who was the prosecutor in the Boeing scandal? McNulty.
Badwater @ 41
Karma? or Waxman?
OT but, “RIDER”S UP!”
Oh my!!
WH “Liaison”:
“liaison
n 1: a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship [syn: affair,
affaire, intimacy, involvement, amour]
2: a channel for communication between groups; “he provided a
liaison with the guerrillas” [syn: link, contact, inter-group
communication]
Source: Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Liaison Li`ai`son” (l[-e]`[asl]`z[^o]N”), n. [F., fr. L.
ligatio, fr. ligare to bind. See Ligature, and cf.
Ligation.]
A union, or bond of union; an intimacy; especially, an
illicit intimacy between a man and a woman.”
dakine01 @ 43
The Goddess works in mysterious ways.
Blessed be. ;)
Oklahoma kiddo @ 35 -
analysis from jeff halper:
i am leaning towards agreeing with this view. it may be time (or past time) for an anti-apartheid movement.
In the first moment that my eyes lit on that picture of Madame, I thought it was Rudy Giuliani in another evening dress.
And if there are members of my party, the Democratic Party, involved in this mess, I want them called to account.
It’s funny, another attorney death is now the official reason for McKay’s firing…he seemed to want to get to the bottom of it and “clashed” with Justice over the murder.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....v=hcmodule
Oklahoma kiddo @ 12
Shoot kiddo I didn’t think you were a day over 85 *g*
Oklahoma kiddo @ 57
I think they call it a desire for clean and responsive government and nothing to be ashamed of.
The blogger at The Pirate’s Life for Me speculates about the absence of photos of Goodling on the web:
If you’ve been following the mess that is the U.S. Justice Department–I’m sorry, I mean the mess that the DOJ is currently embroiled in–you’ll no doubt have heard the name Monica Goodling. If you haven’t been following things, Ms. Goodling is the aide who was acting as liaison between the DOJ and the White House which put her right in the midst of the brouhaha
But whether or not you’ve heard of Monica Goodling, I’ll bet good money that you haven’t seen a picture of her.
Why is that? She’s been all over the news for weeks, she took the 5th for crying outloud and no one has taken her picture? You can find all sorts of pictures of everyone else involved, why not her? Seriously, do a Google image search on Monica. You’ll find a bunch of possibilities, but nothing definitive.
Clearly this is some sort of conspiracy and once we’ve taken care of Gonzales I want an investigation into this.
That’s his take. I checked a bit too. What I found was a gallery of Regent University alumni at a reunion party BBQ. If you scroll down, you’ll see three photos of her. One of them is the one which has been cropped and is posted at places like TPM as her standard file photo.
Maybe if we drum up some money for Deborah Jean Palfrey’s defense fund, she’ll share HER pictures of Monica with us…
yardbird dat comm
You can read about Keisling’s trip to court with the Madam and then all about the poor guy who was murdered. I still cannot grasp how horrifying this is.
Riesz Fischer @33 ” was reading a blog where they had a link to Monica’s homepage from the 90’s, before she was “famous”. It had a picture of her sitting on a bridge in cut-offs. She is, as the Washington insiders say, a “hottie”.
Yeah, interesting “Black Snake Moan” pose.
http://web.archive.org/web/199.....u/monigoo/
Frank33, that’s very intriguing.
Thanks TeddySanFran!
Ya just can’t make this stuff up.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 21
Who? Rudy
MussoliniGuliani?He is generaly unfazed by scandal. Particularly scandals involving infidelity.
Oh, wait–did you mean our party?
I don’t think the she-Lieberman wants to comment on infidelity, either, what with her husband’s…past.
Elliott @ 66
Well, if you did make it up, no one would believe you. I’m not sure I believe it all yet, but if it’s true, this will horrify the base.
TeddySanFran @ 68
Sex either sells or horrifies, depending on your perspective.
TeddySanFran @ 50
Teddy, I asked Marcy this the other day and she chose not to reply. I truly think this is plausible.
solai @ 16
EX-ACT-LY. And well said.
Want to talk hypocrisy? George Bush is by far the biggest terrorist on the planet.
Note to self–do NOT ever hire a lawyer from Regent University. Not for nuthin. Not even to mow the lawn or pick up leaves.
Monica seems to be a quite conflicted gal, according to her site. For one thing, she’s a child of a broken home…still seems to worship her Dad…but writes essays on how screwed up divorce makes kids.
http://web.archive.org/web/199.....egkids.htm
Then there is an earlier incident where she cried for an hour with her college RA about something about her sister.
She likes “good Christian boys” that talk dirty about dating and gynecologists. She likes being “kidnapped” by boys. Once had her car completely buried by a bunch of prankster Christian boys - all in good fun- no charges were, of course, filed. The Christian omerta code seems to have held.
cleter @ 67
;0)
Monica is upset only because she got caught. It’s the Repub disease…Not getting caught in a lie is exactly the same as telling the truth!
Riesz Fischer @ 32
Monica Goodling Website
My bet, is even if Monica knew and/or had dealings with the legal secretary/escort, that is the smallest of her present problems. Probably lots of high powered people came in contact with her, and even many of her friends probably had no idea of her side job.
Monica’s real problem is that she seems to finally understand why an inexperienced, though loyal bushie like herself was given so much authority…and it wasn’t for her brilliance. She realizes that she’s a patsy, and her whole world is collapsing around her.
cleter @ 73
My philosophy on hiring attorneys is hire the best murder attorney within 1,000 miles, because no matter how much worse things get, you won’t have to go lawyer shopping again.
mc @ 29
I think its a “my life was shiny and rocketing toward what they said was my righteous due and now its lying in a heap of crap that might end in prison” kind of cry. Pass her a hankie.
sonate @ 76
But what was she caught at?
TeddySanFran @ 68
I don’t know, the right-wing base is remarkable in it’s ability to overlook their own sins. Clinton has a little affair and it’s a major scandal. Bush invites a male prostitute over 200 times and there’s not a peep.
OT but They’re entering the gate…
Hey Oklahoma Kiddo–
Is “she-Lieberman” too mean? too harsh?
I think it’s a stretch to think that Monica is involved with the DC Madame.
But I would like to know who recommended that assistant to Akin Gump.
Ed*ard Teller @ 79
Uh, do you…murder…people a lot?
A-a-a-a-n-n-n-d they’re OFF!
Oh God, I love the Kentucky Derby
lolo @ 77
Thanks, lolo. A few people have provided links to her website, and it’s much appreciated. But I was having a hard typing a response because the keys on my keyboard are sticking for some reason.
dakine01 @ 83
THANKS!
From her homepage - Monica:
And smile,
the world can be a good place or a bad place,
depending on which way you look at it.
But it’s a lot better when you’re smiling.
So there you go. World of Regent University = good place.
World of D.C. = good place which turned into a bad place. Until she found a way to see that more people were “smiling”.(?)
Well you may see me tonight, with an illegal smile, it don’t cost very much, but it lasts a long while…
I named this “The Improper Storm” -
Intertwingling Gonzo’s ‘nothing improper’ with the situation of seemingly unrelated scandals overlapping being analogous to the meeting of weather patterns outlined in “The Perfect Storm”.
HST on Churchill Downs:
http://www.derbypost.com/hunter.html
LS @ 54
Sondheim does a wonderful rhyme with “raisins” in A Little Night Music.
TeddySanFran @ 64
So many scandals, so few blogs.
Just in case no one has put up this link:
http://ladybunny.net/blog/2005.....owers.html
It’s way better than the NYT obit on Wayland. One of our heros, so it goes.
And the winner of your 133 Kentucky Derby is:
Street Sense comes from 19th to win
Hard spun on the place
TeddySanFran @ 68
Dunno. The base is masterful at denial.
AnnieW @ circa #78
“[Monica] realizes that she’s a patsy, and her whole world is collapsing around her.”
I beg to differ (mildly). Your giving Monica the benefit of the doubt because she’s stupid (which might be true). If her education was worth $0.02 (which it maybe wasn’t) she’d know that she was engaged in unethical and illegal activities. I think that she knew exactly what she was doing. She has no remorse. She’s crying because she got caught.
George W. Bush is a killer.
jayt @ 91
Reptiles smile too Monica hun, but it is usually bad news.
cleter @ 73
After all, Monica Goodling didn’t! I think her lawyer is from Tulane.
dakine01 @ 97
prophetic
We had 20 dollars on Street Sense. Wow.
I’m beginning to think there must be a Unified Field Theory of GOP corruption.
OK, who’s gonna get cracking on it? Who’s our Einstein? (But ya gonna have to do BETTER than Einstein did…he died trying.)
Sheesh.
Boston1775 @ 104
WooHoo For You!
Boston1775 @ 104
First Breeder’s Cup Juvie winner to win the Derby. Broke a jinx.
solai @ 85
She wasn’t Miss Popularity, according to Mr. Lat.
cinnamonape @ 64
Are you sure that picture is the same Monica as the one in the press pictures?
Mrs. K8 @ 105