Eric Massa on Allegations: 'No, No, No, No, No'

Jon and Stephen agree, however, that the hour wasn't a total waste

(NEWSER) - Glenn Beck got skewered for his Eric Massa interview by both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert last night. “Yes, Glenn Beck said this interview might change the course of the nation. He never specified which direction,” Stewart said. But, he added, “the night wasn’t a total loss,” showing a clip of Beck apologizing for wasting America’s time. "Every show, he can now end with, ‘I think I’ve wasted an hour of your time, and I apologize for that, see you tomorrow.’” More»

Rhode Island Congressman blasts media for Afghanistan Coverage

(NEWSER) - Patrick Kennedy blasted the media on the floor of the House this afternoon, calling the focus on the likes of Eric Massa rather than the war in Afghanistan "despicable." The lame-duck Rhode Island Democrat was speaking—and eventually shouting—in favor of a Dennis Kucinich-sponsored resolution requiring President Obama to pull American troops out of Afghanistan. More»

Esquire delves into his Petraeus conspiracy theory, downfall

(NEWSER) - On the day he resigned from Congress, Eric Massa called Esquire editor Ryan D'Agostino and invited him to stand witness to, in his own words, “the total and complete destruction of a man.” A month prior, Massa had been feeding D’Agostino a story about Gen. David Petraeus, who was allegedly being primed for a 2012 presidential run by Dick Cheney in a move Massa called “treason” and a “coup d’etat.” In a lengthy Esquire piece, D’Agostino delves into both stories. Highlights:

• Massa says he attempted suicide, twice, as he drove from Washington, DC, back home to his district for the last time, and had to pull over to stop himself.

Feds looking at big payments in days before resignation

(NEWSER) - The hits just keep on coming for Eric Massa. Now the FBI and the Justice Department have launched an investigation into questionable payments he made just before resigning his seat in Congress, reports the Washington Post . The feds are looking at a $40,000 payment from campaign funds to top aide Joe Racalto and a $39,000 payment to renew the lease on Massa's personal car. More»

Says former staffer accusing him of sex harassment wrote himself $40K check

(NEWSER) - Eric Massa fired right back at his former chief-of-staff yesterday, alleging that Joseph Racalto wrote himself a suspicious $40,000 check from Massa's campaign war chest as he was forced to resign amid sexual harassment allegations. Racalto not only decided the amount, but he or someone forged the former congressman's signature, Massa says. Politico notes that it's not unusual for top staffers to be authorized to sign such checks. More»