Author: Moe_Lane

Million Dollar Burris in debt to Blagojevich supporter.

Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in!

It’s actually more like 1.57 million, but “Million Dollar Burris” scans better:

In his 2002 attempt to win the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, Burris depended heavily upon Joseph Stroud, an Illinois political heavyweight contributor, thanks to his ownership of Jovon Broadcasting and Telephone U.S.A. In the 2002 race, Stroud provided Burris with the following loans and contributions:

* Jovon Broadcasting individual contribution to Burris: $200,000
* Jovon Broadcasting in-kind contributions to Burris: $179,895
* Telephone U.S.A. (and USA) loans to Burris: $1,200,000

Burris repaid $6,000 of the Telephone U.S.A. loans in November 2003, but no other payments appear in the records. This puts the total support from Stroud to Burris at $1,573,895.

Continue reading Million Dollar Burris in debt to Blagojevich supporter.

Hypocrisy Watch: Iran’s Sex Tape Scandal

This is only superficially funny:

A video scandal has hit the Iranian Internet scene. Like many online scandals in the West, it involves a model. Not Paris Hilton, but a supposed model of virtue: a cleric.

In the video—for weeks voted the top story on Balatarin.com (an Iranian version of Digg.com)—a robed cleric is caught on a hidden camera in a private room. He walks to the door to let a chador-clad woman enter.

[snip]

The cleric was apparently a member of the government-run Friday Prayers Committee in Hamadan province. Semi-official news sites tried to downplay the impact of the video, which leaked out of an Intelligence Ministry investigation. But their reports did acknowledge that the man involved was a married cleric, and that the video depicts the consummation of an unlawful affair.

Continue reading Hypocrisy Watch: Iran’s Sex Tape Scandal

Burris finally seated.

Because all good things must come to an end. The bit about how Burris was doing opposition research for Blagojevich in 2006 came at precisely the right time, though: too late for the Democrats to do anything about it.

Burris approved for Obama’s old Senate seat

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate officials on Monday approved Roland Burris to fill the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, which would give Democrats 58 of the Senate’s 100 seats, their biggest majority since 1981.

Barring unanticipated objections from Senate Republicans, Burris, appointed to the seat by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, could be sworn in within days.

The decision was a major about-face by the Democratic leadership, which initially vowed that the December appointment would not stand because Blagojevich had been arrested on charges of having earlier tried to sell the seat.

Continue reading Burris finally seated.