>>>>Well, another God fearing Republican has bitten the dust! U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a California Republican, resigned on Monday after pleading guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes in exchange for help in securing Defense Department contracts.
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>>>>I remember the words of Vice President Agnew: “I am innocent of any wrong doing”! I imagine that politicians expect to be bribed in order to do a credible job.
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>>>But Republicans are the party of morality!
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>>Huh? Are you implying that it's not moral to take bribes? Assuming that 'charity begins at home', what could be more moral?
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>>Oh, wait, you mean that charity is about giving money to other people?
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>Was there not a conflict of interest in this case? After all, the good representative supported the war with Iraq, served on two House Committees instrumental in the flow of defense contracting, and accepted a bribe from a defense contractor.

Any time someone takes a bribe, there is a conflict of interest. The conflict is between the job he is supposed to be doing and his greed.

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>Did Representative Cunningham assist in insuring our troops had proper equipment in the field? I would like to know. Who represents the troops when it comes to safety equipment and weapons? Seems like we are still hearing the the troops do not have all that they need.

The needs of troops will only ever be considered paramount when the guys in Washington are mandated to lead from on-site. I have a feeling a lot of the rhetoric would change too.

>Everything is all right though as he has asked for “God’s grace”! I do believe in forgiveness. Why would a man in political office do such a thing and why would a defense contractor engage in such conduct? It might boil down to greed on the part of both parties. In my opinion the contractor is just as guilty.

Certainly they are both guilty, and certainly it boils down to greed. I can't come up with any good reason for ever accepting a bribe other than greed.

>The republican led congress did allow itself a pay raise. That is something that they are good at. After all, it is all about me! :)

We get the same nonsense here. I have trumpeted for years that nobody should be allowed to vote his/her own raise. Similarly, those who set the tax laws should not be allowed to mandate tax exemptions for themselves. I'm not sure of the exact figure, but something like the 1st 30% of a member of parliament's income here is tax exempt. Why???? Or, to put it another way, why don't I get the same deal? People who make laws and rules by which the rest of us have to live, should have to live by the same laws and rules exactly without special loopholes that they devise only for themselves.