It looks like the “family values” party may have another gay-sex scandal on it’s hands, and this time its local:
An alleged extortion attempt involving a state lawmaker and a reputed male prostitute is under investigation by Spokane police.
Details surrounding the case remained sketchy Sunday, but authorities confirmed that it involves two-term state Rep. Richard Curtis, a Republican from the small southwest Washington town of La Center, and that there was some type of confrontation last week at Davenport Tower. The identity of the alleged extortionist was unavailable, though police confirm he is a reputed prostitute.
[…] Elected to the state House of Representatives in 2004, Curtis has voted like a fiscal and social conservative. This spring, he voted against domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian couples. Last year, he opposed a gay rights bill that banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Of course, nobody wants to jump to conclusions when somebody’s reputation is at stake, but I find this tidbit particularly intriguing:
State GOP lawmakers were in Spokane Wednesday through Friday for a retreat to discuss the upcoming legislative session, said Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee.
He said most who attended the meeting stayed at the Red Lion Hotel at the Park. He said he visited with Curtis “a number of times” at the Red Lion and assumed he was staying there too.
“I didn’t know of anyone who stayed at the Davenport,” Armstrong said. “My first thought is that it must be a mistake.”
That was Armstrong’s “first thought,” but the phrasing kinda implies that there might be a second. I’m guessing we’re going to be hearing a lot more about this story over the coming weeks.
The Davenport is about a 10 minute walk from the Red Lion. Hmmm….
@1: A mere 1/260,000 of a standard Friedman Unit. Less if you’re hot to trot.
One could make all sorts of interesting tropes about the difference between the Red Lion Hotel at the Park (not to be confused with the Red Lion River Inn) and the Davenport Tower (not to be confused with the main hotel). The Red Lion is on the Yankee side of the river, whereas the Davenport is on the Rebel side. The Davenport is assumed to have Democratic leanings mostly because nearly all the bands (rock, rap, country, hip/hop, et al) visiting town stay there, and several of the environmental organizations use their conference facilities (but Cheney spoke there for gawd’s sakes). The Red Lion hosts lots of those business roundtables, and is physically connected with the Corporate offices of West Coast (hospitality, entertainment, various hotel chains etc.) {hasn’t seemed to bother Drinking Liberally in the past}.
If the new entertainment facilities in the Davenport Tower (only opened in January) have promoted a rainbow friendly environment that makes GOPers run across the river, that would be surprising. We live in an overly xTian town (albeit one that at least reflects the five proximal universities and colleges) and the closets are relatively locked in comparison to Seattle and Portland.
Gosh, I am starting to wonder if the GOP really is the party of liars, hypocrites and deficit spenders. To be fare though, it would take some kind of pattern to justify such a thought.
Where’s today’s open thread? I want to talk about medical billing “errors.” An AOL News story today says,
“WASHINGTON (Oct. 29) – Don’t assume that your complicated medical bill is correct. Errors on bills for doctors, medical tests or hospitals can result in overcharges that run from a few dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. …
“Nora Johnson, director of education and hospital billing compliance for Medical Billing Advocates of America, … estimates ‘eight out of every 10’ hospital bills she scrutinizes contain multiple errors. …”
http://news.aol.com/health/sto.....0509990001
If there was an open thread to post in, I would say something like this:
8 out of 10 hospital bills contain “errors”
The “errors” are ALWAYS in the hospitals’ favor
People are charged for procedures that weren’t performed, etc.
This isn’t “error,” it’s FRAUD. Hospitals are systematically committing billing fraud against 80% of their customers. They’re as crooked as door-to-door encyclopedia salesmen.
It’s time to nationalize our rotten corrupt system of hospital billing. Under Roger Rabbit’s hospital plan,
1) The government will tax us for hospital care;
2) The government will pay our hospital bills;
3) Hospitals that defraud the government will be shot by firing squads.
But, since this isn’t an open thread, I didn’t post this. All I’m sayin’ is … where’s the open thread?
I now this isn’t an open thread, so I can’t post off-topic here, but I just wanted to mention that I recently read somewhere that if Rep. Curtis gets AIDS from fucking himself in hotel restrooms there’s an 80% probability he’ll get ripped off on his hospital bill.
The rabbit should be pro gay. Hetero sex sooner or later ends up killing a rabbit.
Anyway this story is not about the Gay community. Its about hypocrisy in the Gop community.
Wait a minute, the police haven’t even arrested anyone… much less a trial. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? I mean honestly…we have already taken the word of a prostitute over a legislator that citizens voted into office just because he is conservative. Wow. What if it turns out the reason that police are looking into the whole thing is because of actual extortion based on slander just to ruin this man’s reputation and he turns out to be innocent? He has a family you know.
I see your point. no one has provan that the man was a prostitute.
so the guy wanted a blow job – what the hell
are you all prudes, hard dick knows no politics
and if some bad ass wanted to blackmail him and he called the cops – bravo
Spokane is hot as hell if you know how to cruise and are a good looking rugged male, county boys and men abound, horny as hell – some cold beers and some joints and a place to go gets all you want
three cheers for sexual liberation – some of you prudes need to loosen up – or get loosened up
wow…and all this time i believed your party line” it’s just sex…so what”
and the ever favorite “it all depends on what the meaning of “is” is.”
sheesh…..can you be more transparently biased and partisan?
now you are just the party of “let’s OUT him…he doesn’t count, he’s a republican”
Its = possessive (like “his”)
e.g. …another gay-sex scandal on ITS hands…
It’s = it is (the apostrophe is for the missing ‘i’)
e.g. …and this time IT’S local…