It’s me-too time for Hookergate. The AP filed its story on the scandal last night, with no new details. The WPost, no doubt burned up that they missed the biggest Watergate-related scandal since, well, Watergate, cast a frantic net for a second-day story (even though we’re on Day 3) — and brought up mostly inconsequential details about the car company, Shirlington Limousine, which Wilkes allegedly used to ferry around Cunningham and hookers. I hope and expect we will hear more from the Post on this mess.
Editor and Publisher helpfully reports that in the wake of the two articles that broke this open — the WSJ piece from Thursday and the San Diego Union Tribune piece yesterday — other papers are rushing to catch up.
Meanwhile, Laura Rozen points out that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution scooped everybody on the Wilkes-poker-parties story by nearly 12 years. Here’s the AJC story from May 20, 1994:
The CIA plays for high stakes. Some of the pots are close to $ 1,000.
For these agents, international intrigue isn’t the only game in town. Once a week, in a suite at the Watergate Hotel, they play poker. I’m not sure how they chose the Watergate. Perhaps because of a sense of history. Either that or a sense of humor.
Playing cards, these fellows are a bunch of cards. Funny? You wouldn’t believe it. I’m telling you, they’ll kill you.
I stopped by the game with my old friend, Charlie Wilson, the Texas congressman from my home town.
Pays to read the old clips.
Despite the lousy follow-on to date, things should look up soon. I understand that at least two more news outlets have been delving into this scandal for some time, and expect to hear something out of them in the not-too-distant future.
