JUDGE [SUSAN WEBBER] WRIGHT: Well, I'm prepared to rule, and I will not permit this definition to be understood. Quite frankly, there's several reasons. One is that the Court heretofore has not proceeded using these definitions. We have used, we've made numerous rulings or the Court has made numerous rulings in this case without specific reference to these definitions, and so if you want to know the truth, I don't know them very well. I would find it difficult to make rulings, and Mr. Bennett has made clear that he acknowledges that embarrassing questions will be asked, and if this is in fact an effort on, on the part of Plaintiff's Counsel to avoid using sexual terms and avoid going into great detail about what might or might not have occurred, then there's no need to worry about that, you may go into the detail.

"Sexual relations," actually. And the definition provided at the deposition was a definition of rape on federal property. Under the doctrine of mitior sensus Clinton did not commit perjury.

Problem is, he also didn't tell the "whole truth." There are times when a "yes" or "no" answer is not sufficient to answer a question truthfully.

The lawyers conducting that deposition were also not skilled enough to deal with a witness like Clinton. To this day, video excerpts from that deposition are played at lawyer seminars, mainly as examples of how not to ask a question, how to fail at asking follow-up questions, how to fail at nailing a witness down, etc.

I have often wondered how a poll would turn out if people were asked what they would have done or said if they had been in his position when those questions were asked/ I think it made a lot of people squirm uncomfortably, perhaps even those asking the questions.

The thing we Irish never understood about the Brits is how they never let out how they really felt about someone...

I hated his guts from Day 1. The "two Americas" line was all well and good but it did sound awfully socialist and rich-hating. It's bad enough that Republicans tar Democrats with those labels with no justification. With Edwards the slurs would be accurate.

Source: DOJ green-lights Edwards charges


By Lisa Myers Senior investigative correspondent
NBC News
updated 2 hours 8 minutes ago



Sources close to the investigation tell NBC News that the Justice Department has given the green light for criminal charges to be filed against former U.S. Senator and presidential hopeful John Edwards, for alleged violations of campaign finance laws arising from the cover-up of an affair. One source with knowledge of the case says that while prosecutors are moving toward an indictment, it is still possible that a plea agreement could be reached.

Federal authorities have been investigating whether Edwards illegally spent campaign contributions to hide his affair with one-time campaign videographer Rielle Hunter, and whether more than $1 million provided by wealthy supporters to keep Hunter out of sight amounted to illegal campaign contributions.

More than a dozen witnesses have testified before a federal grand jury in Raleigh, North Carolina, over the past two years.

Sources says an indictment or a plea bargain is imminent, possibly within the next two weeks.

Federal auditors said the campaign understated its cash and overstated its expenses. Edwards’ attorneys said the Democrat’s campaign doesn’t owe anything.

Posted at 11:07 PM ET, 07/24/2011
Democratic leaders call for ethics investigation of David Wu
By Chris Cillizza

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel (N.Y.) issued statements Sunday night calling for the House ethics committee to look into allegations of sexual misconduct by Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.).

“I call on the Ethics Committee to initiate an investigation into the allegations against Congressman Wu,” Pelosi said in the statement. “With deep disappointment and sadness about this situation, I hope that the Ethics Committee will take up this matter.”

Wu is alleged to have had a sexual encounter with a woman against her will in late 2010, an episode first reported by the Portland Oregonian. The newspaper reported that Wu has acknowledged the encounter but insisted it was consensual.

more.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the ... _blog.html

Goddard says Pelosi has told him to step down. soon.

WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. David Wu of Oregon has announced that he is resigning in the wake of allegations that he had a sexual encounter with an 18-year-old woman.

Democratic leaders had called for a House Ethics investigation after the initial reports of the allegation. Wu had said that whatever occurred was consensual.

Wu said Tuesday the well-being of his children should come first, so he will resign after Congress resolves the debate over the debt ceiling.

Replacements for former congressmen are elected in a special election, regardless of state.

Check. Oregon has no provision for any interim replacements. Governor Kitzhaber is working on the date.

Prominent Democratic campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee, arrested in California on mail fraud charges over the weekend, routinely moved substantial sums of money out of the accounts of her clients and into the coffers of her firm, federal authorities alleged in a newly released criminal complaint on Tuesday.

An affidavit from an FBI agent alleges that Durkee, who has served as treasurer on hundreds of political campaigns, took money from campaign funds that she controlled and used the money to pay her own personal and business expenses. She also allegedly used cash from some campaigns to cover shortfalls in the accounts of other campaigns.

Specifically, Durkee allegedly took nearly $700,000 out of the account of California Assemblyman Joe Solorio. Some of that cash ended up in the campaign account for Rep. Loretta Sanchez, but there isn't any suggestion that the California Democrat knew what was taking place.

Durkee, head of the California firm Durkee & Associates, had signature authority for more than 400 bank accounts. She allegedly used money from various political campaigns to pay her mortgage, American Express bills for everything from Ulta cosmetics to Baskin Robbins purchases, and even the bill for her mother's care at an assisted living facility.