Duke Cunningham's Wife Speaks! & It's Not A Pretty Picture

[kpete]

Duke Cunningham's Wife Speaks! (But Not to Us)
By Paul Kiel - August 17, 2006

It's not a pretty picture: the night before Duke Cunningham was sentenced and taken into custody, he dumped a duffel bag filled with dirty underwear and $32,000 in $20 and $100 bills in his wife's driveway as a desperate attempt to salvage some of his ill-gotten gains.

That's according to Nancy Cunningham, Duke's estranged wife, who granted an exclusive interview to Kitty Kelley, queen of Washington dirt. Kelley's article will be out in this week's issue of The New Republic, but we got a sneak peek. The piece will be posted online later today.

Mrs. Cunningham (who says she promptly turned that bag of cash over to her attorney) also reveals that Duke -- whom she coldly refers to as "Mr. Cunningham" -- once slept with a knife and then a loaded gun under his pillow; that he frequently threw temper tantrums and once physically threatened Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) because he was passed over for a leadership position; that he planned to strike it big as a lobbyist after he left Congress; and that she called him "Mr. Fun Ball" because of his aggressive flirtation with women.

Nancy Cunningham gave the interview, Kelley says, to demonstrate her ignorance of her husband's misdeeds. But many will no doubt find that hard to believe. Her husband accepted $2.4 million in bribes, and she enjoyed a lot of what that money bought. She didn't become suspicious of the stream of valuable antiques, didn't question her husband's explanation of how they could afford a $2.6 million house (creative financing, a lobbying career), and generally turned a blind eye to his carousing. It wasn't a close marriage, she says.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001358.php

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. cunningham's wife must be a saint, living with such a jerk

I like the part about her turning over his 'dirty' money

[TahitiNut]

12. wtf?? She was happy with the largesse ...

... as long as she didn't have anything to do with him or how he got money. "Saint"? Not in my view. No way. Leech is more like it.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. i did forget the sarcasm cue. sorry.

[TahitiNut]

17. Ah! Well, it's sad that it's needed ...

... since so many of the opinions I've seen expressed on DU recently seem, uhm, extraterrestrial.

[Octafish]

16. Carmela Soprano felt bad for a while.

Then Tony got her the spec house.

Of course, if things get rough, sudden divorce or widowhood is a great way to shield wealth.

Just ask Mrs. Ken Lay.

[Botany]

2. Who doesn't do that

"Mr. Cunningham" -- once slept with a knife and then a loaded gun under his pillow

:rofl:

[Pierre.Suave]

29. Hell...

I sleep with BOTH a loaded gun and a knife under the pillow...:sarcasm:

[Missy M]

3. Why is it that guys who look like Cunningham are the ones who....

think they are Casanova? He sounds like he is a little 'touched in the head'.

[Catherine Vincent]

4. Mr. Fun Ball's neighbors in lock-up better not find out his nickname.

:evilgrin:

[itzamirakul]

15. Oh, I hope they do! I hope they do!.....

:rofl:

[napi21]

5. The explaination of what a scum he was doesn't surprise me.

I don't believe the wife didn't know, or at the very least suspect he was dirty, but the fact that this was written by kitty Kelley bothers me too! I'm sure there's truth to the basic story, but Kitty is a scaldal sheet writer, so I have to wonder just how much of what's in her article is embellished fluff?

[Bandit]

13. When it comes to Republican scandals I doubt there needs to

be any embellishment. They are spectacular all on their own.

[spooky3]

19. don't forget that Kitty Kelley's never lost a lawsuit

People like the * family may hate her, and what she writes may be fluffy, but the targets never have been able to prove what she's written is untrue. That makes me suspect it probably IS true.

[marions ghost]

21. right

the fact that the Bushies hate Kitty Kelley speaks volumes. They've never been able to refute her facts.

[GreenTea]

47. Exactly, the Bushies hate Kitty Kelley... Want to know why?

Read her very interesting and exposing book on the Bush family.

[OzarkDem]

54. She may also be a Dem

Her niece has run for office here in Ohio as a Dem. Tough, bright women.

[yardwork]

36. Kitty Kelley doesn't embellish - she self-censors

Kitty Kelley plays it safe to avoid lawsuits. She knows a lot that she doesn't write about. Her book on the Bushes was quite restrained, imo.

[PADemD]

40. Kitty Kelly claims

in one of her books that she's never lost a lawsuit.

[waiting for hope]

6. Poster Boy!

His disgrace needs to be relived over and over in order to illustrate the "Culture of Corruption" issue.

[unpossibles]

7. dirty underwear?

ewww...

[Yavin4]

26. Money and dirty underwear together

And just think, those $20s, $10s, and $1s in your wallet may have mixed with Duke's dirty underwear.

[unpossibles]

28. please stop

so is this just another example of typical rightwing behavior, or is it some subtle message to either us or to her?

In other words, was he actually just getting her to wash his laundry one last time, or was it a hint to her that the money is dirty (duh) and she needs to launder it?

[Yavin4]

49. If You Smell Your $20 Bill

You can tell what the Dukester had for lunch.

[shain from kane]

31. You can trace those dollar bills in your wallet by using this website.

http://www.wheresgeorge.com/

[MUSTANG_2004]

55. I've seen that website

I've seen 2 or 3 dollar bills with "wheresgeorge.com" on them, and logged them in. A neat idea, but mainly for people who have plenty of free time.

[KansDem]

8. Man, why didn't I stake myself out in front of his house that night?!?!?

I would've left the underwear!

[peekaloo]

9. sounds like Walter from 'The Big Lebowski'

the "whites", "my dirty undies, Dude".

:rofl:

[Initech]

37. Ha, I was thinking the same thing!

"Walter, I'm sure there's a reason you brought your dirty undies, man!"

[motherbrain]

48. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

The very first thing that came to my mind was the Big Lebowski. I can just picture Duke in the Walter role... "No time to argue, hand me the ringer, chop chop!"

[peekaloo]

53. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

Dude, you're being very un-Dude. :D

[kpete]

10. Update: The piece is up here (sub. req.).

Duke Cunningham's wife tells all.
Ace in the Hole
by Kitty Kelley
Post date 08.17.06 | Issue date 08.28.06

Randy "Duke" Cunningham stumbled to the microphone. Heavily medicated, the former congressman from San Diego had to be propped up by federal marshals. He had lost 90 pounds since he pleaded guilty, and his rumpled suit hung on him like a deflated parachute silk. The fearless aviator and war hero who claimed to be the inspiration for the cocky ace played by Tom Cruise in Top Gun had vanished....

http://www.tnr.com/user/nregi.mhtml?i=20060828&s=kelley082806

[UpInArms]

30. more from your link

excerpt:

When Duke retired from the military in 1987, he and Nancy bought a four-bedroom house in Del Mar, California, for $450,000, which he said would be perfect for fund-raisers when he ran for Congress. In the meantime, he started his own business, Top Gun Enterprises, Inc., playing off his show-horse status as the first ace in Vietnam. Through it, he sold Top Gun merchandise, including lithographs of Randy "Duke" Cunningham, books by Cunningham, speeches by Cunningham, tapes by Cunningham, plus a Top Gun official organizational ball cap--a huge seller after the Tom Cruise movie. The most expensive item offered was "The Randy 'Duke' Cunningham Fighter Ace Kalinga Style Buck Knife." Packaged in a hardwood case lined with blue satin, it cost $595.00.

Nancy admired her husband's ability to turn his image into a lucrative brand. "Mr. Cunningham had great entrepreneurial skills," she said. "Everything he touched turned to gold." She rhapsodized about his motivational speaking, which brought in more money than either of them had ever seen. They no longer struggled to make their $1,600 monthly house payments on her salary as a school assistant principal, because he now earned $10,000 for weekend speaking engagements. "He told stories that had a real emotional impact on his audience," Nancy said. "He would relate his flight over Vietnam when he was shot down. He would always begin to cry."

After receiving a personal call from Ronald Reagan in 1989, Duke decided to run for Congress. "I didn't think he had a snowball's chance in hell of winning," said his wife. "But he stopped working and devoted 24/7 to the effort." When Duke officially announced his candidacy, Nancy had her 1976 divorce papers sealed. "I didn't want people to know he slept with a loaded gun under his pillow." The divorce papers remained sealed until the Cunningham scandal broke in 2005 and the San Diego Union-Tribune sued to get them released. Nancy went back to court to plead with the judge to keep secret the 25 words dealing with the knife and the gun. The judge granted her request. To show she had nothing to hide or any reason to protect her husband, she revealed them to me for the first time.

[seemslikeadream]

11. The richest man in Babylon

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/seemslikeadream/110

[progressoid]

20. Ewww. THAT'S a dusturbing picture.

[shain from kane]

23. No bulge for the Duke. That confirms it. n/t

[VeniceDave]

27. Oh, Duke, You Are Such A Stud

[stop the bleeding]

34. yep

the bigger they are the harder they fall -

[cascadiance]

18. Interesting comments about his comments on homosexuals...

Note this paragraph here from the Raw Story summary here:

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Cunninghams_wife_tells_all_Knives_gaybashing_0817.html

...
Nancy showed little interest in defending her husband's behavior, which, she said, was an embarrassment to her and her girls. "When I was going to retire and become director of the Rhoades School, I made him promise to stop gay-bashing in public, because it might upset parents at that private school," she said. She recalled when her husband addressed a group of men about his prostate surgery, he said his rectal procedure was "just not natural, unless maybe you're Barney Frank." Frank dismissed Cunningham's comment. "I wouldn't list stability as his strongest personal characteristic," he said. Frank later added, "He tends to frequently blurt out stuff on gay issues. He seems to be more interested in discussing homosexuality than most homosexuals."
...

and then note what's in this old link here:

http://ec.gayalliance.org/articles/000063.shtml

...
Elizabeth Birch of the Human Rights campaign (HRC) has been accused of outing a member of Congress by telling the story of an anti-gay congressman who, eight years ago, privately asked her how people know if they are gay, and stated that he had “loved men”.

At a Gay Pride Forum in Washington, D.C. on June 3, Birch was commenting on reaching out to foes of gay rights. She said that in 1995 she and HRC then-Political Director Daniel Zingale had met with an unnamed conservative Republican congressman, who had been “derisive and demeaning” in his attacks on gay rights legislation.

Birch said that the politician held her and Zingale back after the meeting, and when his staff had left, he asked them, “So how do you know?… You know, how do you know if you’re that way?”

Birch said she offered a description of how people struggle to come to terms with gay identity, and the unnamed congressman said, “Because I’ve loved men.” She said that at the end of the meeting, she told the congressman that she would always protect him. She added that, although he continued to vote against gay rights, “We didn’t forget him. We check in on him.” She said that “there was a moment when we touched each other.”

Birch said that the meeting took place shortly after the congressman had created a controversy in 1995 when he referred to gays as “homos” on the floor of the House of Representatives. The Washington Blade says that media reports and background facts indicate that the congressman was Randall (“Duke”) Cunningham, “an arch-conservative from San Diego”. Cunningham was apparently the only member of the House who called gays “homos” on the House floor at the time.

Hmm... Is Nancy now subtly corroborating Elizabeth Birch's "outing" of Duke Cunningham some years back? She's not saying so directly, but one could interpret her concern for what she's describing as an obsession with gays in her comments above.

Mind you, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being gay. But being a hypocritical person who attacked them as much as possible while looking to be more likely a closet gay himself I have a big problem with. With this interview, it seems potentially more likely that what Elizabeth Birch was alleging earlier is true.

[Scurrilous]

25. Well...

...Cunningham does claim to be the inspiration for the Tom Cruise character in 'Top Gun.'


Gay Top Gun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHklGtW3rwU

[PassingFair]

52. That was simply hilarious.

I love youtube.

Thank you!

[elehhhhna]

22. "Mr. Fun Ball" IS an EXCELLENT nickname for a prison bitch

[ComerPerro]

35. LOL! "Hey, FunBall! Its shower time!"

[fudge stripe cookays]

24. Do not TAUNT Happy Fun Ball....

Happy FUN BALL!
-only $14.95-
Warning: Pregnant women, the elderly and children under 10 should avoid prolonged exposure to Happy Fun Ball.
Caution: Happy Fun Ball may suddenly accelerate to dangerous speeds.
Happy Fun Ball Contains a liquid core, which, if exposed due to rupture, should not be touched, inhaled, or looked at.
Do not use Happy Fun Ball on concrete.

Discontinue use of Happy Fun Ball if any of the following occurs:
Itching
Vertigo
Dizziness
Tingling in extremities
Loss of balance or coordination
Slurred speech
Temporary blindness
Profuse sweating
Heart palpitations

If Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter and cover head.
Happy Fun Ball may stick to certain types of skin.

When not in use, Happy Fun Ball should be returned to its special container and kept under refrigeration...

Failure to do so relieves the makers of Happy Fun Ball, Wacky Products Incorporated, and its parent company Global Chemical Unlimited, of any and all liability.

Ingredients of Happy Fun Ball include an unknown glowing substance which fell to Earth, presumably from outer space.

Happy Fun Ball has been shipped to our troops in Saudi Arabia and is also being dropped by our warplanes on Iraq.

Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.

Happy Fun Ball comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Happy Fun Ball

ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES!

Thanks SNL! :D

[Strawman]

32. And they accuse liberals of having a sense of entitlement?

This little tale exposes that oft-repeated canard for exactly what it is: projection.

[manchild]

33. check this video out

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1059689597&n=2

Bush might have found a replacement

...This is a political ad from 2004 for some redneck running for president...

[manchild]

38. now this is good

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1059689597&n=2

Bush might have found a replacement

...This is a political ad from 2004 for some redneck running for president...

[racaulk]

39. This is my nominee for the #1 spot on next Monday's Top 10!!!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! What a dumbass!!!!

:rofl:

[YOY]

41. Hey he's not all bad...

"...he frequently threw temper tantrums and once physically threatened Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL)..."



:evilgrin:

[txb]

42. Ohh the POOR DEAR....

...also from the article....

After a few sips of iced tea, he departed and left us alone. Nancy continued her own sad story. Since the scandal began, she had endured picketers from MOVEON.ORG, press stakeouts, mounting legal fees, and sneers from co-workers in the Encinitas School District, where she is struggling to hold onto her job....

geez. the nerve of the left-wing to picket this poor woman.

:sarcasm:

(that's my first use of the sarcasm mark....ithankyavermuch)

[NJCher]

43. reward

Oh man, I can't wait 'til I get all my work done and can read this whole article. Thanks to the New Republic for putting in online so quickly!!

Woo hoo!

Lots of interesting comments on this thread by DU posters, too.




Cher

p.s. Duke looks amazingly like a pig, doesn't he?

[oxbow]

44. According to this article, the reason why he did it was...

because he had been passed over for senior committee positions by the GOP leadership. They thought that he was too emotionally unstable and basically ignored his seniority to elect younger members. This made him start taking bribes as a way to get back the status and prestige that he had been cheated out of. Why is it always pride that brings these big fish down?

[LaPera]

45. Kitty Kelley wrote an excellent book on the Bush family-

Before you listen to and mimic the media putting down Kitty Kelley books & her book about the fascist Bush family, read it for yourself, before you criticize it using some republican Bush supporters & Bush media words...about Kitty Kelley and her right on target book, about the sick fascist Bush family!!!

[LaPera]

46. Can't wait for the Hannity/Limbaugh/O'Reilly/Rove spin!!!!

They all despise Kelley and her book exposing the true Bush family, they all trashed it, before it even came out...and after all "Duke" Cunningham is a rotten lying, greedy republican thief, like themselves!!!

[wordpix2]

50. love it, keep the dirt coming on these slimeball repukes

[bobthedrummer]

51. Shamed Lawmaker's Wife Belittles Bribes (Guardian) in LBN

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,,-6024738,00.html

She filed for divorce-they got back together...

Wikipedia Cunningham entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_%22Duke%22_Cunningham

edited to fix link