The "Asshole of the Week" award this week goes to one Ted Moreno a former
Santa Ana, California city councilman. Moreno was convicted of extortion and
money-laundering in a sceme to take over that city's city council along with
co-defendants (former councilman)Tony Espinoza, Hector Olivares and Roman
Palacios (two failed candidates for city council). Moreno was sentenced to
almost five years in federal prison. The three other defendants pleaded guilty to
lesser charges, Espinoza and Olivares getting probation, Palacios awaiting sentence.

According to the LA Times, prosecutors had accused him of extorting 31K from a
gas station owner seeking council approval for a beer and wine permit. Moreno then
used to money to fund the campaigns of his political allies.

Which is nothing new in politics anywhere, except for the incredible line of
defense Moreno employed in justifying this shakedown. Moreno claims that the
reason he wanted to take over the Santa Ana City Council was to stop that
Orange County city's multi-million dollar plans to convert its "struggling"
downtown ("blighted" is more like it)  into an arts district, because said
district would attract gays and lesbians. A trend that Moreno found
"troubling". "I just know that the gay lifestyle is a sin and offensive to
God and it's wrong to take the city in this direction," said Moreno.
 

After that remarkable rationalization, Moreno begged U.S. district judge Gary
Taylor for house arrest, so as to be with his family. Taylor rejected the
request, saying that "Moreno corrupted everything around him, other people
and the justice system. Moreno is in a state of denial about his crimes".
 

No kidding. Funnier still was Moreno's claim that he was "entrapped" by the gas station owner
(who was a government snitch, as it turned out) after a government video showed Moreno
high-fiving the informant after being handed 2,500.00.

But as a righteous man, Tony Moreno was only doing the work of the Lord in
keeping those Sodomites out of downtown Santa Ana. Because everyone knows
that "arts" districts are synonymous was homosexuality, right? Who cares if
that part of the city is about as attractive as Rush Limbaugh's cyst, keeping
the "fruits and nuts" (and their money) is the real reason that brave Tony
slammed the fiscal hammerlock down on local businesses.

Sell it like soap, asshole.

Funny as hell that a "man of God" like Tony Moreno has no qualms about
Ashcrofting (lying) like a Persian rug to save his ass
(Isn't "thou shalt not lie" one of the Ten Commandments?

You know, the ones that, according to the Right, if you post them on a wall,
will prevent nuts from shooting you), the same ass that is about to be ravaged
repeatedly in the pen, as Mr. Moreno becomes inititiated into the so-called "lifestyle"
that he found so offensive.

(Bet the fellas in the joint will be salivating over a career politician who
cried like a baby in court. Squeal like a pig, Tony, or should it be spelled
"Toni" from here on in?)

ha ha
Good one, Johnny.

Deliciously ironic, albeit absolutely disgusting that a scumbag sleazeball would play
the "sexual preference card" to get off the hook, but this is probably gonna be SOP
from here on in, in Bush/Ashcroft America.