Ex-U.S. Rep. Randy Duke\ Cunningham, R-Calif., pleaded guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors during the past several years in U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burn's San Diego courtroom this week.
As the first fighter ace of the Vietnam War, Cunningham earned a Purple Heart, the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars and 15 Air Medals. As a Congressman, he earned himself eight years and four months in federal prison. Democrats say he is an example of a GOP ""culture of corruption."" Republicans say he is simply a bad apple. Regardless, Duke Cunningham is more an odd apple than a bad apple—arguably, the only thing distinguishing him from his fellow rotten fruit was his flagrance and eventual admission of guilt.
If Cunningham was not an outstanding citizen, he was an outstanding dogfighter. In aerial combat missions over communist North Vietnam from 1969 to 1972, Lt. Randy ""Duke"" Cunningham flew a Navy F-4J Phantom (a.k.a. a Double Ugly) with Lt. Willie ""Irish"" Driscoll—""Goose"" to Cunningham's ""Maverick."" They were not only the first Vietnam War aces, but the first to shoot down a MiG-21 Fishbed fighter jet—and the only ones to shoot down three MiG-17 Fresco fighter jets in one day. During that dogfight, Cunningham had to ""hit the brakes,"" nearly stalling his Double Ugly, because he could not shake an ace MiG pilot. Fortunately, the MiG overshot, fatally exposing its red-hot tailpipe to a Sidewinder heat-seeking missile. Cunningham, who thought he was invulnerable, liked risk.
Once elected to the House in 1990, Cunningham never hit the brakes again. Beginning in 2000 with the
inauguration of our present laissez-faire mega-government, Cunningham hit the afterburners. And, like a Sidewinder missile himself, he homed in on the defense industry.
Until November 2005, when Cunningham was indicted, defense contractors gave him $50,000 for every $1 million of taxpayer-funded contracts they desired. To further sweeten Cunningham, the defense contractors also sold him an SUV below market value (a '99 Suburban for $10,000), bought his Del Mar house for $700,000 more than its actual value, paid his mortgage, and gave him antique furniture—a Rolls-Royce and a yacht, the Kelly C (renamed The Dukester).
In return, Cunningham used his spot on the Defense Appropriations Committee to insert, or ""earmark,"" millions for the specific defense contractors into budget legislation. The defense contractors took most of the federal dollars as pure profit or improved our national defense by providing the Pentagon with wonder-weapons such as $1.5 million worth of off-the-shelf Dell computers.
Actually, that is a simplified diagram of Cunningham's operation. Federal prosecutors only figured out the extent of his intricate schemes because he finally broke and confessed. Cunningham, who could shake a MiG, finally, in his own words, ""made a very wrong turn.""
Cunningham risked death in 1972—by waiting in his flaming cockpit after being struck by a missile—to avoid becoming a POW in Vietnam. He is now going to end up a prisoner in the United States.
As U.S. Sens. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, have noted, Cunningham isn't merely one bad apple. The entire apple barrel stinks; Cunningham's just the only member of Congress who has admitted anything thus far.
U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, an ex-bug exterminator and ex-House Majority Leader, was indicted in Texas for funneling illegal campaign money to congressional races. DeLay was also a buddy of that likewise indicted fruit fly, the Indian-bilking lobbyist Jack Abramoff (who awaits trial in Florida state court and DC federal court). DeLay refuses to admit to any wrong turns. Instead he accuses the democratic prosecutor, Ronnie Earl of skullduggery and ""unabashed"" partisanship.
Recently in Wisconsin there has been a stink over legislative candidates using state time and money to
campaign. But that is small-ball compared to the lobbyist-run larceny that passes for legislation in Washington today.
At least since Newt Gingrich's ""Republican Revolution"" in 1994, the GOP has run on the plank that our national capitol is a cesspool that needs cleaning. Since then they have proven even more corrupt—as Cunningham's tailspin shows—than the Democrats they originally criticized. In D.C., there are no bad apples, only ugly ones and doubly ugly ones.
Teddy O'Reilly is a senior majoring in international studies. His column runs every Wednesday. Send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.\
