My former Congressman Dollar Bill Jefferson (of $90k in the freezer fame) was sentenced on Friday the 13th to 13 years in the slammer. Dollar Bill's sentence sets a new Congressional crook record topping Duke Cunningham's by 5 years.
It's a pathetic end to what should have been an inspiring life story. Here's the money quote from the Picayune's account of yesterday's sentence hearing conducted by Federal Judge TS Ellis:
"I have no doubt you have led an extraordinary life; you have accomplished a great deal," Ellis said to Jefferson, who stood before him in a dark suit and blue shirt. "It makes this even all that much sadder for me and many others.
"Obviously you are a man of great gifts. It is a tragedy these gifts have been squandered."
The 13-year sentence represented an ignominious end for Jefferson, who rose from the humblest beginnings in the small northeast Louisiana town of Lake Providence to attend Harvard University. He went on to become the first African-American to represent Louisiana in Congress since Reconstruction and a senior member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
He raised five daughters, each with undergraduate and graduate degrees from prestigious universities.
Jefferson was brilliant but greedy. He was dubbed Dollar Bill way back in the 1970's by his one-time mentor turned enemy, then New Orleans Mayor Dutch Morial.
Greed will get you every time.
One of the first blog-based books, the anthology Special Plans examines Feith's role in misleading America into war. Buy from 
i'd say duke had IOKIYAR on his side.
Posted by: pansypoo | November 14, 2009 at 21:06
Duke pled guilty and that never hurts.
Posted by: Adrastos | November 14, 2009 at 22:16