Cunningham Resignation

In case you've been away from the news today (or in class as I have been), Rep. Randy (Duke) Cunningham (R-CA) pleaded guilty to taking bribes and resigned from Congress, saying in part "The truth is I broke the law, concealed my conduct, and disgraced my office. I know that I will forfeit my freedom, my reputation, my worldly possessions, most importantly, the trust of my friends and family." The AP article linked goes into great detail about Cunningham's crimes, and Josh Marshall over at TalkingPointsMemo has been covering this scandal from the outset.

Like Jim Traficant back in '02, Cunningham abused the power of his office to enrich himself and his friends. I'm glad he had the decency to plead guilty and spare the state the expenses of a trial, and that he resigned from the House and saved that body the energy of expelling him. Cunningham deserves the maximum punishment allowed under the law, and I hope he gets it.