Duke-stir Cries, Clutches Pearls

LAT runs down Duke Cunningham's lavish lifestyle. Lavish, alternative lifestyle. TheAir ForceNavy veteran apparently underwent a kind of, uhm, change at some point: "Personally, his taste ran to country music and cowboy novels — which made the French antiques and Oriental rugs he took from contractors seem anomalous." Anomalous? We think the Washington Post was more on target: Duke had "surprisingly delicate taste." Gaytaste. And, well, perhaps there's was an element of protesting-too-much when he derided the Dems for being the ones who let "homos into the military," let alone entertaining ladies on the Duke-stir boat all Ron Burgundy-style. The Washington Blade contends that if it walks and talks like a Duke, it's a Duke. The paper reports that Cunningham outed himself to HRC prez Elizabeth Birch, telling her once that he'd "loved men" -- on and off the battlefield. Well, he does cry like a girl.

[ Lenny Ignelzi ]

 Cunningham's Fall From Grace, Power [LAT]

 Duke's House of cards [Washington Blade]

 Birch denies speech outed anti-gay congressman [Washington Blade]

EARLIER:  Cunningham's Gifts [Wonkette]