ORANGE COUNTY'S CORRUPT REPUBLICAN SHERIFF RESIGNS IN DISGRACE-- FINALLY!

Carona-- with the indicted wife in the background

Last October there were a flurry of articles about one of California's most corrupt non-Congressional politician, Mike Carona, the Republican Sheriff of Orange County, once considered the heir apparent to Schwarzenegger-- lauded in the clueless media as "America's Sheriff," which was as stupid, asinine and dangerous as the same idiots lauding Giuliani as "America's Mayor." As I mentioned last Halloween, the level of corruption among Carona and his gang of deputized GOP thugs (the self-styled "Team Forever") would even make fellow Republicans like Duke Cunningham, John Doolittle, Duncan Hunter, Dick Pombo, Darrell Issa, even Jerry Lewis blush with it's crassness and magnitude. Back then he was absolutely refusing to resign.

Today's L.A. Times reports on his long overdue resignation.

Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona said this morning he is resigning his office, effective today, to concentrate on fighting federal corruption charges that he sold access to his office for thousands of dollars in gifts and kickbacks.

Carona's longtime political adviser and attorney, Michael Schroeder, said at a news conference this morning that Carona's resignation was in no way an indication that the three-term sheriff intends to plead guilty, and that "no new evidence had popped up" to cause him to step down...

Prosecutors allege that Carona tried to enrich himself, his wife and his mistress by trading favors for cash and gifts.

His resignation comes a week after he had returned to work following a self-imposed leave of absence. In early November, he announced he was taking 60 days of paid leave. Soon after, he, his wife, Deborah, and a woman whom authorities describe as his longtime mistress, Debra Hoffman, were indicted in a federal corruption case.

Carona faces conspiracy, mail fraud and witness tampering charges; his wife is charged with one count of conspiracy; and Hoffman, one count of conspiracy, four counts of mail fraud and three counts of bankruptcy fraud.

Before resigning today, Carona promoted Assistant Sheriff Jack Anderson to second-in command, leaving Anderson to fill in for him until the Board of Supervisors appoint a successor to complete Carona's term, which ends in 2011...

"Politicians calling for his resignation played absolutely no role in this," Steward said. "The most important thing was we need Mike on a daily basis and we got used to having him in the 60-day period he took off. We need his continued help in the defense. It's very, very time-consuming."

A Times readers poll this morning shows that 80% of respondents think the resignation is "long overdue" and that "he should have done it when he was indicted." A little less than 7% of respondents thought his resignation was "a shame" and that "he's innocent until proven guilty." He has even less support that George Bush.