Cunningham admits to poor judgement

So much for the party of personal responsibility. Read the article, then the statement at the end. All he's doing is playing the victim card -- Oh, I trusted in my friends, if anything wrong happened it must be because I'm so naive and trusting.

While Cunningham might not step down or be forced to resign, Democrat Francine Busby is already working to unseat the veteran lawmaker. Busby opened a campaign office in Encinitas earlier this month for a second run at Cunningham.

The 54-year-old former Cardiff school board member was her party's nominee in the 2004 election and drew about 36 percent of the vote in the traditionally Republican district.

Busby said Thursday that Cunningham, who earns a congressional salary of $162,100 a year, needs to come back to the district and address his constituents directly. Cunningham's current term expires in 2006."

Coming clean is more than just admitting what everybody already knows," Busby said. "It's about showing that your actions meet the high standards of honesty and integrity from a congressional representative."

Busby said there should not be any unanswered questions and that Cunningham needs to "prove flat out and openly that there are no violations here. I don't think his statement meets that standard."

In Washington, Keith Ashdown, vice president of policy and communications for Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan Washington budget watchdog, took issue with part of what Cunningham said.

"His statement that no congressman steers contracts to their favorite contractors is absolutely not true," Ashdown said. "It happens all the time."

Committee members are very influential," Ashdown said. "They control the purse strings of the armed services and they can make military officials' lives miserable if they don't do what they are told."

Ashdown added that Cunningham was presenting his own point of view but not offering any supporting documentation.

"He has to show real evidence and words are not going to cut it," Ashdown said. "These accusations are going to stick like glue until he provides evidence that proves otherwise."