From The Ramparts

Spin, Spies, Bribes and Hookers

Spin, Spies, Bribes and Hookers

“For more than a decade, Cunningham-linked defense contractor Brent Wilkes curried favor with lawmakers and CIA officials by hosting weekly parties at lavish hospitality suites at the Watergate and Westin hotels in Washington. Guests would gamble, socialize, and sometimes receive prostitutes; according to Harper’s magazine, the festivities ‘began early with poker games and degenerated’ into what one source described ‘as a ‘frat party’ scene — real bacchanals.’ GOSS’ NO. 3 ADMITS ATTENDING PARTIES: The highest-ranking CIA official to admit he attended the poker parties thrown by Wilkes is Executive Director Kyle “Dusty” Foggo, the agency’s third-ranking official. (Foggo even “occasionally hosted the poker parties at his house in northern Virginia,” though he denies ever seeing prostitutes at the gatherings.) Foggo’s connections to Wilkes and fellow contractor Mitchell Wade are now the focus of an investigation into CIA contracts by the agency’s inspector general, first made public in March. One of Wilkes’ companies, Archer Logistics, won a contract to provide supplies to CIA agents in Afghanistan and Iraq despite having ‘no previous experience with such work, having been founded a few months before the contract was granted.’” http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/05/breaking-cia-director-porter-goss-resigns

Washington is abuzz about the latest scandal that would sink the Bu$h administration if he and his cronies didn’t have their hands on the throttle of the corporate mind control apparatus or the Republicans had opposition with any guts or integrity. It seems the FBI is investigating the goings on of several “contractors” who allegedly bribed convicted California Congressman Randall “Duke” Cunningham to determine whether or not other US representatives were involved in what even the kept media is reporting as, “as a ‘frat party’ scene — real bacchanals.’” involving late night poker parties, free limousine service and attendant call girls at the Watergate and Westin Hotels in D.C.. One figure named is a high ranking CIA deputy who supposedly was a frequent guest at the poker games and hotel rooms where the “frat party scene” took place, “The highest-ranking CIA official to admit he attended the poker parties thrown by Wilkes is Executive Director Kyle ‘Dusty’ Foggo, the agency’s third-ranking official. (Foggo even ‘occasionally hosted the poker parties at his house in northern Virginia,’ though he denies ever seeing prostitutes at the gatherings.) Foggo’s connections to Wilkes and fellow contractor Mitchell Wade are now the focus of an investigation into CIA contracts by the agency’s inspector general, first made public in March. One of Wilkes’ companies, Archer Logistics, won a contract to provide supplies to CIA agents in Afghanistan and Iraq despite having ‘no previous experience with such work, having been founded a few months before the contract was granted.’” http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/05/breaking-cia-director-porter-goss-resigns There is no indication or evidence Porter Goss the CIA Director who resigned last Friday was involved with the prostitutes. Interestingly the media is spinning the story that Goss was pressured out by Intelligence Czar John Negroponte and this is another Bu$h administration shake up.. However Bloggers are viewing the situation differently. “This isn't part of some White House shake-up. This is a scandal-plagued Bush appointee resigning just as an investigation into another Republican corruption scandal hits too close to home. Former Republican lawmaker and current CIA Director Porter Goss's name has surfaced time and time again in the Republican bribe scheme, which began with a focus on disgraced Republican Congressman Duke Cunningham and his Republican lobbyists (hmm, do I think I mentioned ‘Republican’ enough in that sentence?). It is Goss's hand-picked #3 man at the CIA, Kyle ‘Dusty’ Foggo who is under serious investigation in connection with a massive bribery scheme that touches on sweetheart deals, million dollar contracts, and yes, even hookers.” http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/5/5/141116/9565 Not surprisingly a Wall Street Journal article dated April 27, 2006 did not even allude to Goss or connect the dots to his deputy Foggo. “In recent weeks, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have fanned out across Washington, interviewing women from escort services, potential witnesses and others who may have been involved in the arrangement. In an interview, the assistant general manager of the Watergate Hotel confirmed that federal investigators had requested, and been given, records relating to the investigation and rooms in the hotel. But he declined to disclose what the records show. A spokeswoman for Starwood Inc., Westin's parent company, said she wasn't immediately able to get information on whether the Westin Grand had been contacted by investigators.” http://online.wsj.com/public/article
Don’t you find it odd that in a culture where sex is used to sell everything and sex and violence are used whenever possible as lead ins for the nightly news; that a Washington D.C. corruption story involving sex and bribes stays on the front pages only a few days? I realize the FBI is still investigating, but that never stopped a media feeding frenzy before. (Plus this is the type of thing the FBI did in the old days under J Edgar Hoover to white mail and control politicians) Think back, the media was obsessed with the race, sex and violence trifecta of the O.J. Simpson case. The media went wild over the Chandra Levy disappearance and her affair with Congressman Gary Condit. Remember how the media dogged Bill Clinton about Monica Lewinsky? Look at how the media is spinning the Duke lacrosse team rape incident, trying to discredit the African-American victim. Those stories were in the news day and night for months. Yet this story about businessmen influencing politicians, securing major contract with the CIA and Department of Homeland Security by using bribes and prostitutes has had such a short media examination! How come no one is saying Republicans are degenerates, hypocrites and crooks? Not that I’m into sensationalism or anything, but what’s up with that?
Perhaps Bu$h thinks accepting the resignation of the CIA Director now will head off another scandal. Meanwhile the administration is spinning it as part of a deliberate shake up by Bu$h. If that is so, why isn’t the alternative media dogging Goss about his resignation and the fishy contract situation with regard to the FBI investigation? While it takes time to figure out the spin and misdirection the Administration is using, if a ruling class vehicle like the Wall Street Journal is intimating wide scale government corruption, shouldn’t the few honest alternative outlets and bloggers address it also?

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posted by Junious Ricardo Stanton @ 4:02 PM