The Blago impeachment panel continues, with Roland Burris the witness today.

The Chicago Way in Action--in Illinois, and D.C.

UPDATE: Burris Needs GOP Votes in Illinois. Chicago Tribune editorial, "Profiles in Cowardice".

Added: Impeachment draft released. It could still be amended after Burris appears before them at 3 pm today.

And Dana Milbank, WaPo, Blagojevich outwits Dem leaders. In case you missed it, Burris is already fundraising and the SEIU plot thickens, An effin' gold mine. Plus, the debut of the Bleeping Blagojevich Burger.

We just had East St. Louis, now Pittsburgh, the ACORN issue is not going away:

A group of dissident members is seeking a federal investigation of ACORN for alleged criminal violations stemming from an embezzlement scandal that rocked the organization last year.

The splinter group, ACORN 8, released a 24-page document Wednesday that asks federal investigators to consider fraud, embezzlement and conspiracy charges, and criminal civil rights violations relating to the embezzlement of nearly $1 million from the nonprofit's accounts and an alleged cover-up of the theft for almost a decade.

"Moreover, due to the admission that a felony has been committed, other federal offenses may have also been committed ... ," states the document signed by 14 members of ACORN 8, including recently expelled members of ACORN's national board of directors.

The embezzlement and accusations of voter registration fraud in at least eight states, including Pennsylvania, have cost ACORN -- the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now -- the support of a benefactor that gave the activist group $7 million in the past decade.

Presumably these dissidents are Dems who have enough clout to keep these investigations going in an Obama Justice Dept. It wasn't close this time.

P.S. One of the dissidents apparently was a naive idealist--and is especially tenacious now:

Inman, a retired school teacher who lives in St. Paul, Minn., became a dues-paying ACORN member about four years ago when an ACORN worker knocked on her door and sang the praises of the group's work.

When the owner of a "Clean Flicks" franchise in Utah was arrested for sexual acts with underaged girls (I thought they were eighteen...), it was international news. After all, a guy who edits swearing and nudity out of Hollywood movies getting oral sex from a fourteen year old is big news right?

Of course if your the mayor of Portland, and you engaged in sexual relationship with a young, male intern named--I kid you not--Beau Breedlove, its a case of "move on people, there's nothing to see here.

Former community organizer and current mayor of Hartford, Connecticut is submitting himself for arrest today on charges of bribery, fabrication of evidence and conspiracy. Party affiliation isn't explicitly mentioned in the Hartford Courant, but there is a picture with the following caption.

Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez addressed the crowd and led a cheer for Democratic winners at an Election Night victory party at Union Station in Hartford last Nov. 4

Frankly, that's pretty brave of the Courant in this political environment. They might want to keep a watch out for Dodd's goon squad.

Perez apologized to voters for his "lapse of judgment". Jammie Wearing Fool notes that this is becoming a popular excuse for Democrats caught red-handed doing things that would get a Republican the death penalty.

A lapse in judgment?

Hmm. That sounds familiar.

Politics, of course, involves compromise—and by sticking with Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary, Obama has signaled his willingness to overlook an earlier lapse in judgment by his nominee in order to get the most competent person for the job.

There must be an "oh crap" hotline for Democrats for public relations advice since they all seem to be using the same "words that work". "Lapse in judgment" sound so much better than "cheating", "stealing" or graft.

Barack and Blago's money buddy Tony Rezko is movin' up, out of the hole. Sun Times:

The convicted businessman -- poised to become a crucial witness in the massive corruption case against ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- was quietly moved out of a downtown jail and into another facility in mid-December.

Authorities seeking Rezko's cooperation pushed for the move after Rezko complained about being held in the tough confines of solitary imprisonment, known as "the hole," even as he was providing information to prosecutors. [snip]

Rezko's relocation is a sign that, even with thousands of taped conversations of the governor, investigators still highly value Rezko's potential as a witness.

--crossposted at BackyardConservative

Andrew Stuttaford, on Michael Phelps's recent scandal:

In the meantime, I merely note that this broken wreck of a man's failure to win any more than a pathetic fourteen Olympic gold medals (so far) is a terrifying warning of the horrific damage that cannabis can do to someone's health—and a powerful reminder of just how sensible the drug laws really are.

Legalize it. Regulate it. Then tax the everloving hell out of it. There's your stimulus money!

via Samizdata

Now that my favorite congresscrook is in the news, it's time to resurrect and update an old post:

Congressman John Murtha’s mystery earmark sounds familiar. He sent one my way when I worked for the Defense Logistics Agency.

I was overseeing several R&D projects for improving distribution when my boss handed me a single sheet of paper with a short paragraph stating I had a million dollars to determine if using third party logistics providers for DLA was feasable. The kicker was the study had to go to a “not-for-profit trucking research institute engaged exclusively in motor-carrier R&D”. Apparently the one-legged, left-handed, harpsichordist was other-wise engaged.

We didn't need a study since DLA was already making extensive use of third party logistics. We already knew it was feasable.

I checked with the legislative liason officer. He told me the requirement came from John Murtha of the House Appropriations committee (see conference report 104-863). I was not to question the requirement, but to dutifully spend the money.

Dems hit ethics pothole--even the AP has noticed so it must really be obvious. And they haven't even picked up on the Rahmbo scandals--but then he doesn't have to be confirmed by the Dem Congress.

Then there's the latest mini-Madoff--we are still talking billions, but only $8 billion, chump change these days. R. Allen Stanford is also a big Dem donor, who is not only accused of fraud but drug money laundering, etc., and helping pay for a party hosted by Nancy Pelosi and Bill Clinton at the Dem convention. ABC has unearthed a photo with their story. Stanford is also suspected of bribing foreign officials. Wonder if any of them donated to Bill's presidential library. Hillary's off schmoozing more foreign officials.

AP says the pattern has developed so quickly since the election. Really?

Meanwhile the number 2 Dem leader in the Senate, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois Machine) is angry in Greece. No doubt on an urgent foreign fact-finding mission. At our expense. After just railing at corporate greed and passing a porkulus bill.

P.S. Once again, Mick and I emerge from the blog fog on the same page:)

Rahmbo's questionable housing deal and its tax treatment gets an airing in the Tribune today:

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel's Washington lodging arrangements, a rent-free basement room in a Capitol Hill home owned by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn) and her pollster husband, have inspired debate among tax experts and in Republican-leaning parts of the blogosphere.

One issue is whether Emanuel, who served in the House with DeLauro until early January, should have listed the room either as a gift or as income on his congressional financial disclosure forms. Emanuel's disclosure filings contain no mention of his use of the room.

A murkier question is whether Emanuel has a tax liability for the arrangement. The matter may have particular sensitivity in the early days of an Obama administration in which at least four picks for high posts have had confirmations delayed or derailed by tax irregularities.

--crossposted at BackyardConservative

I didn't comment on Eric Massa and his allegations that he was being bounced from the Congress because he wouldn't vote 'the right way' on healthcare.

All that red meat, just dangling out there for the taking. It was all a little too contrived.

Massa represents a long-time Republican district out of upstate New York. He was part of the 2008 tide of allegedly blue-dog Democrats that captured Republicans seats.

Its hard to see how the Democrats benefit from forcing him out, since his district will almost certainly go back to the Republicans, but being rid of a problem like Massa may be its own reward.

Certainly it sends a message to the largely centrist freshman class of Congress persons that they are expendable if they don't create some value for the party.

After 40 years of marriage, Al and Tipper Gore are divorcing.

According to an e-mailed statement obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, the Gores said it was "a mutual and mutually supportive decision that we have made together following a process of long and careful consideration."

Gore spokeswoman Kalee Kreider confirmed the statement came from the Gores, but declined to comment further.

As someone who has been married a long time, I found myself surprised by this news, since for all of Al's other flaws, his virtues as a husband and father were never really in doubt. They had all the earmarks of a healthy relationship--successful adult children, independent success and interests, no money or substance abuse problems. Add to this the benefit of a very long relationship, where you can literally read each other's minds and accommodate each other's likes and dislikes automatically. I just did not see this coming. Its ironic that Bill and Hillary Clinton are still married, but the Gores are divorcing.

There is only a couple of reasons people married this long get divorced--they've been waiting for the opportunity for a long time, or one has betrayed the other.

I suspect the later, especially considering Al Gore's celebrity, wealth and power. I think the John Edwards scenario is in play.