RenziGate Roundup 4/9

The Hill notes that lawmakers all over the Hill, in accordance with federal law, are receiving notification that their conversations with Renzi had been recorded for a criminal investigation. No one is surprised at this point, I’m thinking. There is also a good layman’s discussion of the Speech and Debate clause, which will figure prominently in Dick’s defense.

Dick’s lawyers, despite a promise not the drag their feet, have succeeded in obtaining a postponement of the trial until October 14th. I would not be surprised if that date were pushed back, too. Kind of, umm… inconvenient to be having a public corruption trial going on right before, or given the admitted complexity of the case, during the general election.

There is also a motion pending to sever one of the co-defendants, James Sandlin, because most of the counts of the indictment don’t involve him, his lawyers allege a misjoinder. However, because Renzi is still a co-conspirator in those charges, that could be problematic.

Turns out the Senator McCain and Dick Renzi bonded the way males are wont to do: by duking it out. I gotta say I’m impressed, I wouldn’t want to fight McCain, even if he is a decrepit old man. The guy’s about the scariest guy to aim for the White House since Andrew Jackson. I wouldn’t be surprised if he carried brass knuckles, or a knife in his boot, or sword cane, or something. I guess McCain agrees because Dick standing to his name calling (McCain kept calling him ‘boy’ and goaded Renzi into threating to "kick your old ass") and refusing to apologize for the incident apparently won the Senator’s respect.

The DCCC has released a memo letting it be known that taking CD 1 is a top priority, expressing amusement that the GOP seems unable to field a top-tier viable candidate (they’ve run begging to at least 8 possible contenders who have turned down the crown), and consequently putting into circulation a few uncomfortable facts about two more potential GOP candidates.