Thursday, April 24, 2003

Grand Old Police Blotter: Oh, Hypocrite, Where Art Thou Edition

Atrios has featured the child pornography conviction of Richard A. Delgaudio, friend of Ollie North, Cap Weinberger and Bruce Fein. At Salon, Joe C. points out that Dickie D is the brother of Eugene Degaudio, Executive Director of the anti-gay activist group, Public Advocate of the United States ("PUS").

PUS takes a dim view of child pornography, according to its web site:

Public Advocate of the United States, a pro-family group based in Northern Virginia, announced today that they are mailing postcards to Arizonans alerting them of Attorney General Janet Napolitano�s frightening record in regards to prosecuting child sex offenders. ... The card also encourages voters to contact Napolitano to ask her to prosecute all sex offenders, regardless of sexual persuasion.

But PUS is willing to make exceptions. When asked about his brother's guilty plea on child pornography charges, the head of PUS said "It doesn't sound like him."

Fein v. Fein

Meanwhile, Delgaudio's lawyer, Bruce Fein, distinguishes himself by spouting the same rhetoric on behalf of his cilent that he denounces as claptrap in the press:

Fein in the Moonie Times, last month:

The Great Society euphoria of the 1960s brought forth the ill-conceived idea that criminal behavior was more a treatable medical malady than an evil in need of deterrence or incapacitation. Rehabilitation was touted as the North Star of criminal justice.

Moral denunciation of the loathsome was taboo. It mattered not that recidivism remained at frightening levels and that the incidence of crime leaped to unprecedented peaks. The usual suspects were summoned to exonerate rehabilitation's stark failure: too little money for psychological counseling and too much poverty and social injustice.

Fein on behalf of Delgaudio:

"[He] acknowledges the acute moral shortcomings of his conduct and he will continue intense self-examination, and professional and spiritual counseling."

How special, Bruce.

All we need now is Dave Kopel stating that Delgaudio was abused by a Super 8 movie when he was a kid.

Delgaudio also said he will donate $5,000 to "young mothers who are in distress and in need." Fifty dollars at a time, no doubt.

Addendum: Delgaudio is also a Clinton-hater. What a surprise.

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