From HuffPo:
In a Friday afternoon news dump, the Obama administration has released a list of nearly 500 visitors to the White House. Among the names: a host of prominent politicians who swung by to meet with the president and/or his aides.
Hey, what do you know? A blow for transparency. Cool.
I never liked Rep. Mickey Eric Cantor all that much. I think he is reactionary and hasn’t had a forward-looking thought during his public life. Maybe I have been too harsh but, then again, maybe not. One of his aides (Brad Dayspring) emailed a video “joke” to a reporter. Come on. A curse-filled joke from a Congressman’s office?!?! How did he think that this wasn’t going to get out?
Here’s the curse-laden video:
I’m sorry. I love a great joke. But this isn’t funny. It is simply offensive.
For more on this story click here.
Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska (Republican) has been indicted for receiving goods and services illegally. There have been several reporters on this story for over two years. I posted a couple of items on him last year:here and here.
From the Washington Post:
Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens (R) was charged with seven counts of making false statements on his financial disclosure forms in an indictment unsealed in federal court in the District this afternoon.
The indictment accuses Stevens, former chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, of concealing payments of more than $250,000 in goods and services he allegedly received from an oil company. The items include home improvements, autos and household items.
The Alaska oil firm, Veco, and its one-time leader Bill Allen, asked for help in return. Allen and another former Veco official pleaded guilty in May 2007 in connection with their role in the bribery of Alaskan public officials. Prosecutors said that in some but not all instances Stevens or his aides allegedly provided the help requested by Allen and Veco. (more… )