Tony Rudy & DeLay

* read driftglass on economics

* rollcall via laura:

"In a largely overlooked element of the plea agreements, first Abramoff and now Tony Rudy both pleaded guilty to a bribery scheme that began in 1997 and ran through 2004, which suggests that the bribery of Members of Congress and their staffs began much earlier than has so far been publicly acknowledged.

But Rudy pleaded guilty to a bribery conspiracy that ran January "1997 and through 2004," according to Friday's court filings.

In interviews, defense attorneys in Washington, D.C., suggested that this phrasing was notable, saying that Rudy must have turned over bribery details covering those years to the Justice Department, even if the prosecutors have chosen not yet to reveal them publicly."

* "The administration is refusing to release this year's Social Security report, apparently in violation of federal law." (link)