If you've read Charlie Wilson's War, you might remember how powerful was the subcommittee that both Wilson and until today, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, sat on, the House Appropriations committee subcommittee on defense. As I remember from the book, that subcommittee was aggressively courted not just by defense contractors, but by lobbyists for foreign governments interested in swinging US defense spending in certain directions. It is really where the checks are signed, and decisions about funding sometimes wholly undebated aspects of US national security policy are made. What I'm wondering is, is the Cunningham story one of just simple corruption, or is there more to it? Was he bought just to help steer contracts to MZM, or was there other stuff going on? Stuff that had policy implications?

And worth noting that Cunningham was chair of the House Intel committee subcommittee on terrorism/human intelligence, analysis and counterintelligence. It's hardly an insensitive post ... I mean, when someone has pled guilty to being essentially in the paid service of an enterprise, is that potential cause for concern, security wise?

Posted by Laura at November 28, 2005 08:13 PM