Let the exodus begin

This whole thing reminds one of the Canadian political situation after the resignation of Jean Chretien. (click on photo for the Gurdian story)









Update

From the Guardian: the [British] Conservative Party announced it was withdrawing the whip from Black, who has sat in the House of Lords as a member of the Tories, after his fraud conviction. In a statement, the Tories said: "In the light of this verdict the Conservative whip will be withdrawn from Lord Black." However, correct me if I'm wrong, he still keeps his title "Lord Black of Crossharbour".

Update II (Why I don't like the government)

From Steyn: Lead Black counsel Ed Genson has just pointed out to reporters that the US government is still holding $9 million it seized upon the sale of Conrad's Park Avenue apartment - a charge on which the defendant was just found not guilty. Presumably the Feds will now promptly return that money to him, won't they?

Or maybe now. Chief prosecutor Eric Sussman is now demanding Conrad be taken into custody immediately as a "flight risk". If he was a flight risk, he'd have fled long ago. Most European countries wouldn't extradite to the US over a cockamamie case like this with trumped up charges like racketeering. Conrad Black chose not to flee because he believed himself to be an innocent man, and he believed in the US justice system. (I also believe him to be innocent, especially of the charge on which he was convicted - the APC payments - which was a bookkeeping wheeze dreamt up by David Radler that I'd wager Conrad wasn't even aware of until afterwards.)