Celebrity Wannabee

It's one thing to proclaim Obama is a "celebrity" considering the length of your own listing at the "IMDB", but here's a little nugget of the hypocrisy inherent in the jet-set Mavericky life of John McCain. A rather lecherous old dude who will sell his soul to see what he would describe as "the woman who went topless in that gay cowboy movie" [and then unleash his creepy smirk while looking at Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman].

The photograph substantiates reports that in late August, 2006, McCain celebrated his 70th birthday aboard a yacht, the Celine Ashley, rented by A-list con man Raffaello Follieri and his then-movie star girlfriend Anne Hathaway. In the current edition of Vanity Fair, Michael Schnayerson reported that Follieri rented the Celine Ashley for the month of August 2006. Montenegro's leading daily newspaper, Vijesti, earlier reported that during McCain's visit in 2006 he celebrated with birthday cocktails and sweets aboard the Celine Ashley yacht. In the photograph, taken in Montenegro at the end of August, McCain is shown boarding the yacht ramp towards the smiling Follieri and Hathaway. Just ahead of McCain and shaking hands with Follieri appears to be Rick Davis--McCain's top aide and now co-manager of his campaign, who accompanied him on the trip and advised the government of Montenegro. A few months after McCain's yacht party, Follieri strengthened his ties to McCain's orbit by retaining Rick Davis's well-connected Washington lobbying firm, Davis Manafort, and offering Davis both an investment deal and help in securing the Catholic vote for McCain's presidential bid.

Follieri, who posed as Vatican chief financial officer in order to win friends and investments, pleaded guilty Wednesday in a Manhattan district court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering. As part of the plea, Follieri admitted to misappropriating at least $2.4 million of investor money and redirecting it to foreign personal bank accounts that were disguised as business accounts.

I just hope Meghan McCain can emerge from the $700,000 condo her mother bought her and explain to us all how this is more evidence that only her family understands war...and partying abroad with future felons.

"That's Stalking you can believe in my friends"

Somewhere Gary Hart is crying on the Monkey Business at the injustice of it all.

[photo via The Nation]

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]