US Representative Randy “Duke” Cunningham, (R-Calif. 5oth) resigned today from the US House. His resignation immediately followed his pleads of guilty …

… in a San Diego federal court to accepting bribes and violating tax laws in the sale of his home two years ago to a defense contractor.

Cunningham entered pleas in U.S. District Court to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and tax evasion for underreporting his income in 2004. He answered, “Yes, Your Honor” when asked by U.S. District Judge Larry Burns if he had accepted cash in exchange for his performance of official duties.

Make no mistake, this was admission of corruption of a most serious kind. Cunningham could be sentenced on Feb. 27 to up to 10 years in prison for his crimes involving millions of dollars of transactions.

Cunningham is a bona fide hero of the Vietnam war, where he became America’s first fighter ace of the conflict. All in all,

Cunningham became one of the most highly decorated U.S. Navy pilots in the Vietnam War. … [H]e received the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, fifteen Air Medals, and the Purple Heart.

The dogfight in which he scored his fifth aerial victory has become a classic study of air combat and was recently featured in The History Channel’s documentary, “Greatest Air Battles.”

Update: Leopold Stotch is enraged.