Living large, free of charge.

Ever since the story broke Sunday about Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham and his uncanny real estate prowess, there've been questions bubbling about just how he affords other aspects of his lavish lifestyle. One question that's popped up again and again was how he can afford to have a 40+ foot yacht as his DC residence.

While in Washington, you see, the Duke resides on the "Duke Stir", a 42-foot, 34-ton yacht docked at the Capital Yacht Club down on the Potomac River.

Well, it turns out that the "Duke Stir" is owned by Mitchell Wade.

In reply to William Finn Bennett, who has the story in this morning's North County Times, Cunningham's office sent an email in which the Duke said: "I am putting information and records together so that you will know how much I pay to stay there, and you will see that everything we've done is appropriate."

I think we're pretty much at checkmate now, aren't we?