Bootmaker for world leaders arrested (Vincente Fox and Bush)

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CNN

A bootmaker to world leaders, including President Bush and Vicente Fox, is in a Colorado jail, charged with money laundering and conspiring to illegally smuggle the skins of protected animals into the United States to provide exotic footwear for high-end clients.

The arrest of Martin Villegas -- and Mexico's raid of a warehouse filled with hundreds of cowboy boots and belts made from endangered species -- has raised questions about how much Fox knew of the scheme and whether the former Mexican president purchased illegal boots himself.

Before Fox left office in December, Villegas created a special brand of cowboy boot named after him, which was manufactured in Mexico's shoemaking capital, Leon, in Fox's home state of Guanajuato.

The Mexican bootmaker also produced footwear for Fox's bodyguards, Cabinet members, relatives and friends -- including Bush, a fellow lover of ranchwear who accepted a pair of ostrich-skin cowboy boots as a gift during a visit to Fox's ranch in 2001.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/21/mexico.illegalboots.ap/index.html

[sinkingfeeling]

1. They could probably find boots made of protected animal skins in Bush's closet.

[TomInTib]

2. Well, I'll be damned.

I have a pair of Villegas' boots. Orange Caiman.

But I had no idea that he made boots for the Idiot. Now I have to consider whether or not I will wear them again.

Damn, those boots are really fine, too.

[lonestarnot]

3. A true bushilter through and through right there.

[dipsydoodle]

4. And one of these days

those boots are going to walk all over you................scumbag.

[daleo]

5. I wish one of the bootlickers for neo-con leaders would be arrested

Freidman, Coulter, etc.

[musette_sf]

6. ha!

at first glance i thought the OP's subject said "bootlicker" also

[clixtox]

13. At first I read "bookmaker"...

Who knows, he might have had another "cash-cow" sideline or two besides smuggling and dealing in the parts of rare animal species.

[kskiska]

7. Must be the ones with the presidential seal

[kskiska]

8. Or these:

[Judi Lynn]

11. Makes you wonder how many pieces of crap like this he has.

It's an insult, actually, to the country which didn't elect him in the first place.

Tacky, shabby, bad taste, obnoxious, absurd.

[blogslut]

9. Damn, those are ugly

Only a fool would wear those things. Oh, wait...

[Orsino]

10. Only crooks get to work for *. n/t

[skids]

12. Can they subpoena Bush's boots?

...no wait that must be a matter of national security.