Just caught Juan Williams on NPR discussing the cocktail party chatter – apparently it does exist! – about the “DC Madam” story. He says the chatter is that the direction the story is likely to go in is going to be Abramoff like in that it’ll come out that escort services were handed out as part of general influence peddling activities.
Whee.
***Update***
I should probably add one thing – nobody has hinted before that Palfrey’s services were traded for political favors. Kind of reminds me of that hookergate story which dragged down a few CIA figures and then petered out. Explicit influence peddling is obviously a major no-no that can bring down a politician (Cunningham, Ney) faster than almost anything other than inappropriate sex. Trading inappropriate sex for political favors, well, I’m not sure how often that particular scandalrama has even been tried.
Needless to say trading influence for favors implies that the pol has some influence to trade. Looking back at Palfrey’s salad years, that means Republicans. If this plays out a certain way Democrats stand to be embarrassed, Republicans stand to go to jail.
***Update 2***
Weak. From RawStory’s summary of the ABC report:
According to ABC, most of the names just aren’t “newsworthy.” While reports indicated that ABC would reveal at least two client’s names, no new ones were revealed, including the name of the president of a conservative think tank, who was alluded to in earlier reports.
“The phone numbers also track back to Georgetown mansions and prominent CEOs, officials at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and lobbyists both Republican and Democratic,” ABC’s Brian Ross reported.
Ross added, “But as usually is the case in Washington, much of it is dull. There were no members of Congress that we could find in these phone records, no White House officials.”
Lesson for the day: people who aren’t smart enough to disguise their identity exaggerate their importance in government, and people who are important usually have enough sense to hide their identity.
Zombie Santa Claus
I just hope we can dig up a connection to ferrets from this thing, somehow. Then Rudy Giuliani’s Presidential prospects will be shot.
Zombie Santa Claus
Sorry. That comment’s more appropriate in the thread under this one.
Although, it’d be pretty hilarious if Palfrey has some dirt on Giuliani, involving ferrets.
uh_clem
On the one hand, careful what you wish for. Libido, and the inappropriate actions that ensue from the lack of it’s proper control, is not limited to one party. Don’t be surprised if several prominent Democrats are swept along on this one.
On the other hand, DC has been subject to one-party-rule long enough that those one the inside are going to be a lot more sloppy about getting cauht than those on the outs. When you think uncle Karl and uncle Alberto have got your back, you’re more like to be brazen than someone with, say, Janet Reno’s home phone in his rolodex. I’m just sayin’…
And on the gripping hand, pass the frickin popcorn. This one should be good.
Catsy
Clem wins bonus points for grammatically correct use of “on the gripping hand”. As well as substantially correct–no matter who gets outed in this, it’s going to be entertaining.
Dug Jay
Dream on. The latest from Brian Ross suggests that Dems may have more to fear. Apparently, she also ran a “male service,” and there are a few fairly senior Dems involved.
Andrew
At least Giuliani has the decency to marry his whores.
Tsulagi
Iâve got 20/20 scheduled for recording tonight.
Dream show: Brownback is identified as on a frequent flyer program at Madame Palfreyâs and has the nickname of bareback among the ladies. That happens, Iâll go to church on Sunday and thank God for his sense of humor.
Zifnab
Honestly, there are a few Dems I wouldn’t mind seeing swept out with the trash. I can only cross my fingers and hope William Jefferson or some of the more thick-headed war-cheerleader Blue Dogs is on that list.
But, knowing how the media handles this sort of thing, if one Dem shows up in the middle of a list of ten Republicans, you can bet who’ll get all the limelight.
Dreggas
Yep, definitely watching the 20/20 show tonight. Hopefully, if she only outs one, it’ll be a doozy. I wonder, if it’s a married republican will the rest of the republicans who called for Clinton’s impeachment call for their resignation? Wait…who’m I kidding…
Zifnab
Its not enough to see Newt’s name in there once. I want to see him with frequent flyer miles on that thing. If they can get me an instance where Gingrich, DeLay, and Hastert all gang-banged the same girl on Christmas Morning, I will quit my job and devote myself to Jesus for the rest of my days.
srv
John Bolton profits on his failures
AEI Fellow and now a nice $250K. You can’t say being a loser isn’t profitable.
mrmobi
Fixed, me too.
lard lad
I knew this li’l imbroglio was gonna be especially bad for the GOP when I caught Sean Hannity – Sean Hannity! – playing down the whole schmear as much ado about nothing.
Fifty bucks says that some Republican alpha dog rang up Sean and said “we need this story shot down pronto.”
Rumors are abounding that Grover Norquist is but one of the high-profile clientele at Madam Palfrey’s House of Iniquity. Wouldn’t it be cool is his particular kink involved dunking his “companions” in bathtubs?
(rimshot)
Salty Party Snax
Uh oh. Pussygate.
RSA
As long as there was no influence peddling involved, I don’t see a lot of blowback for any Democrats that might have been involved. My view is that it’s a personal morality issue, and the Republican base takes this much more seriously than the Democratic base does (e.g., George Bush may be an incompetent fucktard, but he’s a righteous man–imagine how quickly his base would turn on him if there were evidence of a personal rather than political scandal surrounding Bush). To be clear, Democratic voters aren’t less moral than Republican voters, but my impression is that the former seem to make a clearer separation between private behavior and public, professional behavior.
srv
Tim, we’ll trade you a sex post for a beer blogging post.
Andrew
Tagg/Not-Jenna in 2016!
Perry Como
Rim what?
Dreggas
Looking at him I hope he tipped her well because…well…*full body shiver*
Dreggas
Shit if there were pictures of that, and I somehow inadvertantly saw them…I’d devote my life to Jesus too…or at least wash my eyes out with clorox.
Tim F.
Either you’re suggesting that being gay is fatal for a dem, in which case you’re living in the past, or you think that some Dems traded sex for favors. In that case the sooner we clear the bums out the better.
Dreggas
O/T But
You thought “Conservapedia” was funny?
AkaDad
I so hope Condoleeza was moonlighting…
Dreggas
with a mug like that she’d be paying me…
Bruce Moomaw
I honestly think today’s GOP could turn the sale of Girl Scout Cookies into a major scandal.
Dreggas
O/T again but there’s going to be another report on 20/20 worth watching tonight. Say what you will about John Stossel but this looks good
Dreggas
In what way?
Offering “favors” in return for Samoas?
McMartin
Then we’d have weeks of hearing on the radio how those filthy liberals try to pass off Girl Scout cookies that aren’t made with real Girl Scouts.
Tulkinghorn
I would seriously consider a couple years as a Saddu on a bed of nails to be a fair trade for your scenario.
p.lukasiak
wow. watched the show, and not one new person was identified. I had to sit through John Stossel for THAT!?!
Scruffy McSnufflepuss
O/T but I just noticed that tiny Doylestown, Pennsylvania has just lost two soldiers in Iraq in the last 4 days. Both of them 1st Lieutenants, one named Tavis L. Manion and the other Colby J. Umbrell.
Quietly, and without a huge fuss being made about it in the media, some small towns are facing an enormous bloodletting in Iraq. South Portland, Maine, population 23,324 lost two soldiers in March 2007. Pontotoc, Mississippi, population 5,253 lost two in June and July of 2005. Chillicothe, Ohio (2000 population 21,796) has lost two; Watertown, New York (2000 population 26,705) has lost three. Wasilla, Alaska (2000 population 5,470) has lost two. Camden, Arkansas (2000 population 12,024) has lost three. Plant City, Florida (2004 population 30,906) has lost two. Roseburg, Oregon (2006 population 21,050) has lost two. Spring, Texas (2000 population 36,385) has lost five, including the 3,000th soldier to die in Iraq, Spc. Dustin R. Donica.
There are many, many other such towns. Check out the list, you’ll see. Even in your own state, you’ll probably see a dead soldier or two from some village you’ve never even heard of.
Make of this what you will. To me, it feels like small town America, which was already dying from demographic factors, is now dying a literal death in the Mesopotamian maelstrom this Administration marched us all in to. Not sure how that will play out in the future, except that America’s future is looking pretty grim on every front at this point, thanks to our MBA President who promised to restore integrity to the White House and to avoid nation-building. (You will note, of course, that nation-destroying was not included in that pledge.)
Dug Jay
Sorry, Moonbats, but as usual with those of your ilk, you got all hot and bothered over nothing more than your own wet dreams:
Sadly, one of her male escorts believed to be involved with the key Dem noted above, committed suicide when outed and charged with prostitution.
cleek
here’s the CEO/founder of QubeTV telling insane Pam that YouTube has serious “first amendment” issues:
fucking knuckleheads
Bob In Pacifica
Dug Jay Says:
“Dream on. The latest from Brian Ross suggests that Dems may have more to fear. Apparently, she also ran a âmale service,â and there are a few fairly senior Dems involved.”
Where’s Jeff Gannon when you need a man? The Republican Party is gayer than Adolf Hitler.
Mary
That’s strange. 20/20 focused on a female escort, a university professor, who committed suicide after being outed. No Democratic connection was mentioned at all.
I think those little voices in Dug Jay’s head are messing with him again.
Tim F.
You’re just making this up, aren’t you? What a tool.
cleek
Bush at 28%
What a tool.
rachel
He always wanted to beat his dad at something.
Tsulagi
The 20/20 show was a bust for the titillation factor. What a let down.
Before the show I was thinking how stupid would you have to be not to pick up something like a pre-paid cell phone to use when making your âmassageâ appointments. Pay cash for the sucker. You can even pick them up in 7/11s.
Youâd have to be pretty dumb to use your office phone or cell tied to your name. But then it has been the reign of the Super Stupids in Washington for the past six years so I was hoping for another name or two.
demimondian
You only just now figured that out?
Dug Jay is to DougJ as Conservapedia is to Wikipedia. The second isn’t always right, and is occasionally off the wall — but the first has never had a formal introduction to reality in the first place.
Chad N. Freude
Well, it seems there have already been minor Girl Scout Cookie scandals. Is nothing sacred anymore? Somebody (other than me) should research this to see if the thieves were Republicans.
The Other Steve
Now look at the other side of the coin. Let’s say you are providing a service… one which is questionably legal, as well as dangerous. You are charging high bucks, and as such anticipating a certain level of clientele.
You are going to screen your customers. You don’t want cops. You don’t want mass murderers. You want people who can’t pay the $2,000 an evening.
That means:
– Only calls from confirmed traceable numbers
– Requests for references
– Background checks
– Credit checks
– Meet in public place, and verify the customer ahead of time
If something does go wrong, I’m quite certain they want to have on file who you were so they can contact the police. Or if you just refuse to pay they can contact their collection firm of Guido, Lefty and Shorty.
Not that I have any experience with this. But I did work with a guy once who got arrested for being a pimp. ;-)
billfry
only republicans will be named,bet on it.
lard lad
As soon as my better half clicked on the TV and I saw that douchebag Stossel, I turned to her and announced “I can’t watch this, no matter how much luscious GOP dirt gets unearthed here… please make this terrible, terrible man go away.”
John Stossel produces the kind of pressure in my head that (WARNING: music snob reference!) could fell an oboe player in his tracks.
Rusty Shackleford
Tim,
Didn’t the investigation into Watergate-gate (or Hookergate, or Watergate 2: Hooker Boogaloo) “peter out” because the U.S. Attorney in charge of investigating those CIA figures (“Duke” Cunningham, Kyle “Dusty” Foggo) was purged?