The Goss /Wilkes /Cunningham Watergate prostitute story needs another look

[bigtree]

‘As Many as a Half a Dozen’ Members of Congress May Be Involved in Prostitution Scandal

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the FBI is “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.” http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114610728002837324-nRnF_ahxSnYdWg6foBQ3_mvCwZ4_20070427.html?mod=blogs

The Journal also said the investigators are exploring “whether any other members of Congress” are involved.

Last night on MSNBC’s Scarborough Country, Dean Calbreath of the San Diego Union Tribune – which recently won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Cunningham case – said that “as many as a half a dozen” members of Congress could ultimately be implicated in the prostitution scandal.

Watch it: http://images1.americanprogress.org/il80web20037/ThinkProgress/2006/sixmembers.320.240.mov


Goss denies that he partied with Wilkes.

TPM Muckraker digs into reports that Goss may be implicated (http://www.harpers.org/sb-red-lights-on-capitol-hill.html) in the “free limousine service, free stays at hotel suites at the Watergate and the Westin Grand, and free prostitutes” provided by corrupt defense contractors. “This is horribly irresponsible. He hasn’t even been to the Watergate in decades,” a CIA spokeswoman said. “When I asked if Goss had attended Wilkes’ parties at the Westin or other locations, repeated the denial. ‘It’s horribly irresponsible. Flatly untrue.‘” (http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000505.php)


Republican "family values" in action
by kos
Fri Apr 28, 2006 at 07:53:09 AM PDT

Sex sells. The dam is already breaking.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/4/28/10539/3881

[Cooley Hurd]

1. K&R - Why else would Goss SUDDENLY resign???

:shrug:

[babylonsister]

2. I think everyone in the US should 'have a look'!

:thumbsup:

[Norquist Nemesis]

3. Hookergate's just one reason I come up with

I wonder if something's going to be breaking about the Secret Prisons (more pics?). Or maybe there's heat because of what Kristen Breitweiser (sp) was saying with us having the planners of 9/11 in custody but they are nada on getting justice.

There's also the possibility that Goss isn't getting them the intelligence on Iran and it's "nuclear weapons programs". Goss was chair of the Intelligence Committee and knows how/who to leak info (aside from being a former spook himself as I recall).

Something's going to blow within the next day or two.

[bigtree]

7. Bush doesn't can his cronies for policy reasons

he doesn't even know his own policies

Goss left like a man with personal troubles

[TomInTib]

4. "He hasn’t even been to the Watergate in decades"

That is CIA double-speak meaning Goss hasn't CHECKED IN to the Watergate in decades.

I have a friend at the Watergate who says Goss is in on Hookergate.

[Jack from Charlotte]

9. Read: He was knocking boots in the limos only. (nt)

*

[Cooley Hurd]

5. Another kick & some add'l words from Josh Marshall

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/008375.php

Late Update: Here at TPM HQ we were listening to the president's announcement. And the talking heads on CNN were speculating whether Goss's departure might be part of Josh Bolten's 'new blood' shake up in the Bush administration. I don't suppose it anything to do with the fact that Goss is neck deep in the Wilkes-Corruption-and-Hookers story that's been burbling in the background all week. We don't know definitely why Goss pulled the plug yet. But the CIA Director doesn't march over to the White House and resign, effective immediately, unless something very big is up.

WOW!!!!!!!

[notadmblnd]

6. They're talking about it on CNN right now

the limo service and parties at the watergate...

[bigtree]

8. MSNBC getting in on it now

[Imagevision]

10. Goss and free prostitutes? -- could be...

[leesa]

11. If hookergate gets him out, great...but his crimes far exceed that, I'm

sure, so keep looking. His job was to hide information and keep a lid on the CIA...what's he done during his months there?

[bigtree]

13. if only those concerns would cause these clowns to resign

we could clear the administration

I'll take something like this. As Kos sez, sex sells.

[vickitulsa]

23. But doesn't the Hookergate scandal revolve around defense contractors

BRIBING "officials" to get no-bid or other juicy contracts? Isn't this bribery a way bigger issue than any of the sex stuff?

It's true that sex sells, but if the attention it gets brings folks into the story and they learn of the defense contractor bribery deals, it seems the "serious issue" in this matter will get plenty of air time as well.

And the dung keeps on piling up on the White House steps....

[notadmblnd]

12. They just played poker.. there were no prostitutes

.. other things are swilrling...

[bigtree]

14. bribery implications

favors, influence peddling . . .

[incapsulated]

15. He just wants to spend more time with the family...

He has a wife and kids and a cat and a dog!

:rofl:

Thanks for the links!

[Tuesday_Morning]

16. Something to keep in mind...

WSJ story said there are photos... http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114610728002837324-FnHaEYAFT_b7QFGwPxnAIiEcHEI_20060527.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top

and Time Magazine sez Cunningham wore a wire "at some point during the short interval" between Cunningham's agreement to cooperate with prosecutors and his plea deal.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1146700,00.html

[Dora]

18. Thanks for the reminder!

I remember reading about Cunningham's wire and my first thought was that other bigger fish would be reeled in because of that wire. I wonder if any fish will get away.

[cascadiance]

19. Here's the earlier blog post that lead to speculation of Goss...

On Talking points memo, they speculated that Porter Goss fit the description of someone who was involved made by Ken Silverstein on Harpers' Magazine blog site.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000494.php

CIA's Goss Drawn Into Hooker Probe?
By Justin Rood - April 27, 2006, 7:23 PM



Ken Silverstein reports at Harper's blog on the spreading Cunningham-Wade-Wilkes prostitute scandal. He says more lawmakers, past and present, are being investigated. Sounds like he thinks House Intel Chair-turned-CIA Director Porter Goss is one of them:

I've learned from a highly-connected source that those under intense scrutiny by the FBI are current and former lawmakers on Defense and Intelligence comittees -- including one person who now holds a powerful intelligence post.

Yowzah.

[bigtree]

21. Josh Marshall was on top of this all week

it all deserves a closer look. TPM's got a good head start.

[cascadiance]

22. On the other hand, Sibel Edmonds had a stinging rebuke to him earlier too

When he was trying to decry whistleblowers. There could be something that she knows of that they also want to have him resign first so that the suspicion cloud when it comes out doesn't taint the administration that much more.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0211-25.htm

...

Last year, the CIA, your agency, classified the entire findings of the Inspector General’s investigation into the failures of CIA managers prior to 9/11. Sir, I believe you made the case for this classification based on your intention to protect the wrongdoers within the CIA bureaucracy from being “stigmatized.” Is this what your op-ed intended to say? Did you mean to say that these national security whistleblowers may end up stigmatizing the wrongdoers and incompetents within the rank and file of the CIA by divulging information that you decided to classify to prevent exposure of embarrassing and criminal activity? Was that a Freudian slip, since nowadays the lines get blurry between classification for national security purposes and classification to protect the agency’s bureaucrats?

Mr. Goss, I cannot attribute this misleading op-ed to your ignorance, since you were a member of Congress until recently and are surely aware of the lack of meaningful protection for national security whistleblowers; so I won't. I will not attribute it to your stupidity, since obviously our Congress confirmed your position and I do not intend to insult their wisdom and intelligence. Thus, it must be your arrogance, nurtured and fed by your boss on your purported inherent and limitless authority and power, leading you to treat us, the American Public, as stupid.

Sincerely,
Sibel Edmonds
A Proud National Security Whistleblower

[robbedvoter]

17. Hard to keep track these days

[w8liftinglady]

20. hehe-I love that cartoon..

[robbedvoter]

25. Ganon days are here again....thought I'd resurrect it

[WiseButAngrySara]

24. K&R and thanks for the links. ....n/t

[bigtree]

26. RESIGNATION Of A PENTAGON UNDER-SECRETARY AlSO IMMINENT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/05/05/were-hearing-resignat_n_20444.html ???!!!!

[Renew Deal]

27. Wilkes gave $2000 to Bush in 2003

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=wilkes%2C+Brent&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&Order=N

[bigtree]

28. good catch!

not a pioneer, but . . .

[katinmn]

29. I hope Hastert and Sensenbrenner are in on it

I hate those guys. They are smarmy.