America's Most Audacious Politician...Lately (LC)
06-24-2009
, 04:21 PM
ITT we discuss America's most audacious politician since 2000. I don't want to go back to the Jacksonian era when Martin Van Buren once screwed two bear cubs while Jackson's wife watched. Too long ago.
Poll is limited to the last 9 years. Also limited to people with some national prominence; your local asshat State Senator got caught by Chris Hansen trying to sex up a 12 year old girl doesn't count either.
Also, I've missed about 10 other politicians engaged in far more audacious schemes; I'm mostly focused on guys sexing up other women, other dudes, or underage Congressional Pages. Also, Blagojevich.
Without further rambling...
***THE CANDIDATES***
Sen. David Vitter:
Gov. Eliot Spitzer:
Sen. Larry Craig:
Gov. Mark Sanford:
Gov. Rod Blagojevich:
Rep. Mark Foley:
HONORARY TITLE HOLDER IN PERPETUITY: SLICK WILLY
http://www.slate.com/id/1001970/
Poll is limited to the last 9 years. Also limited to people with some national prominence; your local asshat State Senator got caught by Chris Hansen trying to sex up a 12 year old girl doesn't count either.
Also, I've missed about 10 other politicians engaged in far more audacious schemes; I'm mostly focused on guys sexing up other women, other dudes, or underage Congressional Pages. Also, Blagojevich.
Without further rambling...
***THE CANDIDATES***Sen. David Vitter:
Quote:
Vitter's phone number was included in a published list of phone records of Pamela Martin and Associates, a company owned and run by Deborah Jeane Palfrey, also known as the "D.C. Madam", convicted by the U.S. government for running a prostitution service. Phone records show that Vitter's number was called by Palfrey's service five times, the first on October 12, 1999, and the last on February 27, 2001. Two calls were placed while House roll call votes were in progress.
Gov. Eliot Spitzer:
Quote:
The New York Times reported that Spitzer had previously patronized a high-priced prostitution service called Emperors Club VIP and met for over two hours with a $1,000-an-hour call girl New York City singer going by the name Ashley Alexandra Dupré (legal name Ashley Rae Maika DiPietro, born Ashley Youmans). This information originally came to the attention of authorities from a federal wiretap. Spitzer had at least seven or eight liaisons with women from the agency over six months, and paid more than $15,000. According to published reports, investigators believe Spitzer paid up to $80,000 for prostitutes over a period of several years while he was Attorney General, and later as Governor. Spitzer first drew the attention of federal investigators when his bank reported suspicious money transfers, which initially led investigators to believe that Spitzer may have been hiding bribe proceeds. The investigation of the governor led to the discovery of the prostitution ring.
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According to the police report, the police officer sat in a bathroom stall as part of an undercover operation investigating complaints of sexual activity in the restroom. After about 13 minutes of sitting in the stall, the police officer observed Craig lingering outside and frequently peeking through the crack of the door on the stall. Craig then entered the stall to the left of the officer's stall. The police officer made the following observations, which he recorded in his report of the incident, as to what happened next:
At 1216 hours, Craig tapped his right foot. I recognized this as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. Craig tapped his toes several times and moves his foot closer to my foot. ... The presence of others did not seem to deter Craig as he moved his right foot so that it touched the side of my left foot which was within my stall area. Craig then proceeded to swipe his left hand under the stall divider several times, with the palm of his hand facing upward.
According to the incident report and criminal complaint filed in court, the officer showed Craig his police identification beneath the partition separating their stalls, and the officer then pointed his finger towards the restroom exit. Craig initially said no, but he ultimately complied with the officer's request to leave the restroom. After Craig and the officer left the restroom, Craig was reluctant to go with the officer and demanded the officer show his police identification a second time. Once the officer complied with the request, Craig, the arresting officer, and a police detective, who was stationed outside of the restroom, went to the airport police station.
After the arresting officer read Craig his Miranda rights, the officer interviewed Craig about the restroom incident. At one point, Craig handed his business card to the arresting officer, which identified him as a U.S. Senator, and said to him, "What do you think about that?" Craig told the officer that he was worried about missing his flight, and the arresting officer asked the police detective to call the airline to hold the flight. The detective reported that no one answered the telephone for the airline, and the arresting officer proceeded with the interview.
According to the arrest report prepared by Sgt. Dave Karsnia, "Craig stated ... He has a wide stance when going to the bathroom and that his foot may have touched mine."Craig never used the term "wide stance" himself. According to the transcript of the police interogation, Sgt. Karsnia asked: "Did you do anything with your feet?" and Craig replied: "Positioned them, I don't know. I don’t know at the time. I'm a fairly wide guy."
At 1216 hours, Craig tapped his right foot. I recognized this as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. Craig tapped his toes several times and moves his foot closer to my foot. ... The presence of others did not seem to deter Craig as he moved his right foot so that it touched the side of my left foot which was within my stall area. Craig then proceeded to swipe his left hand under the stall divider several times, with the palm of his hand facing upward.
According to the incident report and criminal complaint filed in court, the officer showed Craig his police identification beneath the partition separating their stalls, and the officer then pointed his finger towards the restroom exit. Craig initially said no, but he ultimately complied with the officer's request to leave the restroom. After Craig and the officer left the restroom, Craig was reluctant to go with the officer and demanded the officer show his police identification a second time. Once the officer complied with the request, Craig, the arresting officer, and a police detective, who was stationed outside of the restroom, went to the airport police station.
After the arresting officer read Craig his Miranda rights, the officer interviewed Craig about the restroom incident. At one point, Craig handed his business card to the arresting officer, which identified him as a U.S. Senator, and said to him, "What do you think about that?" Craig told the officer that he was worried about missing his flight, and the arresting officer asked the police detective to call the airline to hold the flight. The detective reported that no one answered the telephone for the airline, and the arresting officer proceeded with the interview.
According to the arrest report prepared by Sgt. Dave Karsnia, "Craig stated ... He has a wide stance when going to the bathroom and that his foot may have touched mine."Craig never used the term "wide stance" himself. According to the transcript of the police interogation, Sgt. Karsnia asked: "Did you do anything with your feet?" and Craig replied: "Positioned them, I don't know. I don’t know at the time. I'm a fairly wide guy."
Quote:
Beginning June 18, 2009, the whereabouts of Governor Sanford were unknown to the public, including to his wife and State Law Enforcement Division, which provides security for him. His state and personal phones were turned off and he did not respond to phone or text messages. That prompted some to believe that he was missing and raised questions about who was acting as governor of South Carolina. His wife stated that she was not concerned and that he needed time away from their children to write something. After media speculation grew, Sanford's office on June 22 stated that he told them where he was going before he left and that he would be "difficult to reach." Later that day, Sanford's spokesman, Joel Sawyer, told the press that Sanford was hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Quote:
Later on June 24, Sanford held a press conference, where he admitted that he had been unfaithful to his wife. He told reporters that he had developed a relationship with an Argentinian woman that he had met "a little over eight years ago, very innocently," and that the relationship had turned romantic about a year ago
Quote:
At 6:15 a.m. on December 9, 2008, FBI special agents arrested Blagojevich and John Harris, the governor's chief of staff. After the simultaneous arrest at their homes, they were transported to FBI headquarters in Chicago. According to a criminal complaint filed in US District Court, Blagojevich is accused of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, as well as soliciting bribes. It is specifically alleged that he attempted to benefit financially from his sole authority to fill the US Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. The complaint alleged that Blagojevich went on a profanity-laced tirade, saying that the Senate seat "is a ****ing valuable thing, you just don't give it away for nothing". The affidavit says that in exchange for the Senate appointment, Blagojevich sought to be appointed as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Energy, or ambassador, or alternatively, that he could receive a lucrative job offer from a union in return for designating a pro-union appointee. He allegedly also mentioned corporate boards his wife could be appointed to, for which she could receive $150,000 a year compensation. If he could receive nothing for the seat, the complaint says, Blagojevich considered appointing himself, to position himself for a 2016 presidential run and to give himself increased resources to mount any potential legal defense.
Other allegations included in the 78-page criminal complaint include several of the schemes outlined during Rezko's trial. Patrick Fitzgerald, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, described the corruption as "the most staggering crime spree in office I have ever seen." In addition, federal investigators alleged that Blagojevich pressured the Tribune Company, parent company of the Chicago Tribune, by threatening to withhold state funds in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field unless they fired certain members of the editorial board who were critical of the governor. Federal authorities obtained recordings of Blagojevich and others after wiretapping the governor's residential phones and campaign offices, in addition to conversations recorded with the help of one of Blagojevich's closest friends, John Wyma. Fitzgerald read incriminating quotations from wiretap transcripts at a press conference held on December 9, 2008, in which he said Blagojevich engaged in a "political corruption crime spree" that "has taken us to a truly new low... We acted to stop that crime spree."
Other allegations included in the 78-page criminal complaint include several of the schemes outlined during Rezko's trial. Patrick Fitzgerald, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, described the corruption as "the most staggering crime spree in office I have ever seen." In addition, federal investigators alleged that Blagojevich pressured the Tribune Company, parent company of the Chicago Tribune, by threatening to withhold state funds in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field unless they fired certain members of the editorial board who were critical of the governor. Federal authorities obtained recordings of Blagojevich and others after wiretapping the governor's residential phones and campaign offices, in addition to conversations recorded with the help of one of Blagojevich's closest friends, John Wyma. Fitzgerald read incriminating quotations from wiretap transcripts at a press conference held on December 9, 2008, in which he said Blagojevich engaged in a "political corruption crime spree" that "has taken us to a truly new low... We acted to stop that crime spree."
Quote:
In 2005, Foley sent five e-mails to a 16-year-old former page from Monroe, Louisiana sponsored by Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA). They were the first messages to be made public in the scandal. Among other things, Foley asked for a photo of the page, his age and birthday, and what he wanted for a birthday present. Foley observed that another male page (to whom he had also written) was "in really great shape... i am just finished riding my bike on a 25 mile journey..." The page forwarded the e-mails to a colleague in Alexander's office, saying "this really freaked me out," and repeating the word "sick" 13 times in a row to describe the photo request. The page asked "if you can, please tell Rodney [Alexander] about this," and in addition, mentioned a female page who had been warned about a Congressman who "hit on" interns.
ABC News reported on October 5 that in 2002, Foley e-mailed one page with an invitation to stay at the congressman's home in exchange for oral sex. The page, who was 17 years old at the time, declined the offer. The same report stated that he e-mailed another with a request for a photograph of his erect penis. Another former page reports that he saw sexually explicit e-mails sent to one page from his page class of 2001-2002, and learned of "three or four" pages from that class who received similar e-mails.
After the initial story on the e-mails, other pages contacted ABC and the Washington Post, providing transcripts of sexually explicit instant messaging (IM) conversations from 2003 that Foley had with two pages under the age of 18 at the time. The Washington Post reported that it had received its copies of these same IMs from a page who had served on Capitol Hill with the two pages who received them.
Another former page, Tyson Vivyan, has said that he received "sexually suggestive" messages from Foley in 1997, a month after he left the page program. A page from the class of 1998 also reported receiving explicit IMs from Foley. A page from the class of 2000 reported that he chatted with Foley during the Congressman's 2000 visit to the page dormitory (see Visits and Meetings below), and that afterwards, he began receiving e-mails and IMs from Foley, which became explicit immediately after his 18th birthday.
ABC News reported on October 5 that in 2002, Foley e-mailed one page with an invitation to stay at the congressman's home in exchange for oral sex. The page, who was 17 years old at the time, declined the offer. The same report stated that he e-mailed another with a request for a photograph of his erect penis. Another former page reports that he saw sexually explicit e-mails sent to one page from his page class of 2001-2002, and learned of "three or four" pages from that class who received similar e-mails.
After the initial story on the e-mails, other pages contacted ABC and the Washington Post, providing transcripts of sexually explicit instant messaging (IM) conversations from 2003 that Foley had with two pages under the age of 18 at the time. The Washington Post reported that it had received its copies of these same IMs from a page who had served on Capitol Hill with the two pages who received them.
Another former page, Tyson Vivyan, has said that he received "sexually suggestive" messages from Foley in 1997, a month after he left the page program. A page from the class of 1998 also reported receiving explicit IMs from Foley. A page from the class of 2000 reported that he chatted with Foley during the Congressman's 2000 visit to the page dormitory (see Visits and Meetings below), and that afterwards, he began receiving e-mails and IMs from Foley, which became explicit immediately after his 18th birthday.
HONORARY TITLE HOLDER IN PERPETUITY: SLICK WILLY
Quote:
Monica Lewinsky alleged nine sexual encounters with Bill Clinton:
* November 15, 1995, in the private study of the Oval Office
* November 17, 1995, while Bill Clinton was on the phone with a member of Congress
* December 31, 1995, in a White House study
* January 7, 1996, in the Oval Office
* January 21, 1996, in the hallway by the private study next to the Oval Office
* February 4, 1996, while Clinton was meeting in Oval Office
* March 31, 1996, in the hallway near the study of the Oval Office
* February 28, 1997, near the Oval Office; this is when the blue dress stains were created
* March 29, 1997 (Clinton denied that this day's encounter actually happened)
* November 15, 1995, in the private study of the Oval Office
* November 17, 1995, while Bill Clinton was on the phone with a member of Congress
* December 31, 1995, in a White House study
* January 7, 1996, in the Oval Office
* January 21, 1996, in the hallway by the private study next to the Oval Office
* February 4, 1996, while Clinton was meeting in Oval Office
* March 31, 1996, in the hallway near the study of the Oval Office
* February 28, 1997, near the Oval Office; this is when the blue dress stains were created
* March 29, 1997 (Clinton denied that this day's encounter actually happened)
Quote:
The story is that Monica Lewinsky masturbated with a cigar while President Clinton watched and masturbated as well. Yassir Arafat was supposedly kept waiting in the Rose Garden while this was going on in a room next to the Oval Office.
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The story broke in the mainstream press on January 21 in The Washington Post. The story swirled for several days and, despite swift denials from Clinton, the clamor for answers from the White House grew louder. On January 26, President Clinton, standing with his wife, spoke at a White House press conference, and issued a forceful denial:
"Now, I have to go back to work on my State of the Union speech. And I worked on it until pretty late last night. But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you."
"Now, I have to go back to work on my State of the Union speech. And I worked on it until pretty late last night. But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you."
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There was someone else there?
06-24-2009
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06-24-2009
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06-24-2009
, 07:44 PM
Awesome thread OP.
May I suggest an Honorable Mention?
Former Governor James "I am a Gay American" Mcgreevey (D, NJ). Reststop escapades make Larry Craig's "footstomp signal for sex" seem tame imo.
Most LOLtastic "stand by your man" ever.
Also former Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and former Senator John "It's not my baby but I won't go on Maury to prove it isn't" Edwards should be on here somewhere as well.
Outside the time window but former Rep Bob Livingston (R, LA) getting called out by Larry Flynt around the time of the Lewinsky thing was pretty awesome as well.
May I suggest an Honorable Mention?
Former Governor James "I am a Gay American" Mcgreevey (D, NJ). Reststop escapades make Larry Craig's "footstomp signal for sex" seem tame imo.
Most LOLtastic "stand by your man" ever.
Also former Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and former Senator John "It's not my baby but I won't go on Maury to prove it isn't" Edwards should be on here somewhere as well.
Outside the time window but former Rep Bob Livingston (R, LA) getting called out by Larry Flynt around the time of the Lewinsky thing was pretty awesome as well.