From Crooks and Liars:
Former Nixon advisor, actor, TV game show host and comedian, Ben Stein appeared with FOXNews’ Neil Cavuto and makes what is probably the most misguided, fact-free and delusional defense of Larry Craig we’ve found since the scandal broke earlier this week. Stein says Craig was railroaded, and that all he did was tap his foot. He repeatedly accuses the Minneapolis Police Department of using Gestapo tactics and aiding terrorists because they should be scouring the airport looking for terrorists, fervently states that gay sex isn’t illegal because the SCOTUS says so and then claims the Executive Branch may have been involved in bringing Craig down to change the balance of power in D.C. WTF?
On a side note:
Ben Stein, American Spectator on Foley:
On the one hand, we have a poor misguided Republican man who had a romantic thing for young boys. He sent them suggestive e-mail. I agree, that’s not great. … I hope it won’t come as a surprise to anyone that a big part of male homosexual behavior is interest in young boys. [Link]
Memo to all closeted lawmakers and journalists and all curious cruising hypocrites: Don't say anything because your personal life could be exposed!!!
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Excerpt of former USA David Iglesias' interview on August 6, 2007
Iglesias did an interview on the Travis Smiley show. Here is an excerpt:
Tavis: When you say - and you've said it a few times now - that you have very good reason to believe that you were fired for political reasons, what do you mean by that?
Iglesias: Okay, we are political creatures. I ran for office as a Republican attorney general candidate in 1998. But once we are in office, similar to federal judges, we are expected to stay out of politics. In fact, John Ashcroft, the former attorney general, told me in his office six years ago, "David, you are not to engage in political activities once you're in office." And I took that very seriously, as did my colleagues.
What happens is when you do get engaged in political activities if you're a U.S. attorney, that is grounds for termination, and there've been a few examples of that in this administration and in prior administrations.
Tavis: So draw the line for me, then, between that advice coming from former Attorney General Ashcroft to not get involved in politics with your believing that you were fired for political reasons. What's the connection?
Iglesias: Sure. Because when I took the two phone calls, one from Congresswoman Heather Wilson, the other from Senator Pete Domenici - both -
Tavis: Both Republicans.
Iglesias: Both Republicans, both from New Mexico, I took their message to be file indictments against a prominent Democrat before the election cycle. And I take that from the questions they ask me. They were asking me questions of private, confidential, non-public information regarding an investigation we were then doing about alleged corruption.
So I didn't play ball with them, I didn't file the indictments because they weren't ready, and surprisingly my name was put on a list to be terminated within weeks of Senator Pete Domenici's phone call.
Tavis: On a personal level, if I might ask - I can certainly ask; doesn't mean you have to answer. (Laughter) As an attorney, you well know that, of course. On a personal level, how do you process - 'cause a lot of folk would not have had the courage, the conviction, or the commitment to stick to the truth and to do what you did when they, by definition, on demand, are going to put on Front Street the person who sponsored them to have that job in the first place. How did you decide inside of yourself that that was the answer you were going to give?
Iglesias: It was really hard. In fact, it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do because I knew there would be consequences. But as I talked to my wife about it, as I prayed about it, I just figured you know what? I can do the wrong thing, which is to stay silent and hope it never happens again, but I felt like if I didn't speak out, this would happen to future U.S. attorneys, and it's wrong.
Because our political system, our criminal justice system, is one that is apolitical in nature. It doesn't really matter if the president is Republican or Democrat. Historically, U.S. attorneys stay out of politics. I felt like this was a really bad new trend, and I wanted it not to be repeated.
Tavis: Let me ask you, to your point now, whether or not you think that, aside from doing what was right, aside from - if I can put it this way - standing in your own truth - aside from that, do you think you made the right decision? And I ask that against the backdrop of the fact that these investigations continue to go forth, the White House isn't cooperating, Mr. Rove invokes executive privilege - I can give you a bunch of examples.
Al Gonzalez is still attorney general; we'll come back to that in a second. But I could run you a litany of things that would suggest, if I were a cynic, that David Iglesias might have done the right thing, but so what? It don't matter; nothing's happened.
Iglesias: But the fat lady hasn't sung yet. It's too early. We won't know until the end of this administration, and I knew they would claim executive privilege. They would circle the wagons; they would try to give some information but not all the information. No, there is no doubt in my mind that I did the right thing. I know I did the right thing, and I've got no regrets for that.
Tavis: How does that empower you or make you rethink your choice?
Iglesias: It empowers me. It does not - I've never lost a night's sleep saying I should have been quiet. That's never entered my mind. And a lot of it's due to people - complete strangers in L.A., in New Mexico, in New York, in Washington - coming up to me and saying, “You did the right thing. We support you. Thank you.”
I had somebody say, “Sock it to Heather Wilson” yesterday in a restaurant. Complete stranger hugged me yesterday. That's very empowering, because the American people get it.
Tavis: And yet, unless my hearing is bad, Mr. Iglesias, I thought I heard you say earlier in this conversation that you're still not prepared, after all this, to change your political affiliation. What's the problem?
Iglesias: (Laughs) Because I believe in the core ideas of the platform. I like the ideas of the Republican Party, which are smaller government, less taxes, personal responsibility, government restraint. Only problem is, our leaders haven't been practicing that. We've outspent the Democrats for the past eight years. So there's a difference between the ideals, which I love, and the actual application, which I don't love.
Tavis: I'm about to moderate a presidential forum; we've already done the Democrats in June. I moderated a forum of all the Democrats running for the White House; I get a chance to do the same thing for all the Republicans on September 27th here in prime time on PBS. I wonder, that said, whether or not you think that the Republican Party has sort of lost its moral compass?
Iglesias: They have lost their moral compass. I've described it as they've fallen off the cliff. They're in freefall right now. Look at most of the members of Congress that are being investigated or have actually pled guilty to federal felony counts. Almost all of them are Republican. So come on, we talk big, we talk about family values and smaller government and being on the up-and-up, but the practice, as I'm seeing it, is just the opposite, and it's really disillusioning.
Iglesias: Let me tell you something: I'm heartbroken about it. When he was announced as our next attorney general, I was happy 'cause I knew about his history. He came from a dirt poor background in south Texas; his grandparents were immigrants from Mexico. He had to fight and scratch for everything he got. Nothing was handed to him on a golden platter.
But here's where I draw the line. His job as attorney general is to represent the people of the United States, not to be the White House counsel anymore. I don't think he ever made that connection. White House counsel, he's the president's lawyer. As attorney general, he's the people's lawyer. He's still being the president's lawyer. That's not what attorney generals do. In fact, just look at recent history. Janet Reno and Bill Clinton didn't get along. Reno was a good AG, because she knew her job was to represent the people and enforce federal law.
Tavis: What's the moral like inside the department right about now?
Iglesias: It's terrible. And I get this from career people in Washington, D.C. and in my old office that I talk to on occasion. It's not good. In fact, it's very bad right now.
Tavis: I've got three minutes here to go in our conversation - I wish I had more time. But I want to get to just a little bit of your personal story. I mentioned earlier that for those of us who've seen "A Few Good Men" a few good times - a bunch of times, I just saw it the other day, as a matter of fact - we know that the Tom Cruise character is, in part, built around what you have done in your career. Tell me about your back story.
Iglesias: Well, I was one of three Navy JAGs that tried that case. We had three separate courts martial, all down in Gitmo. Mine was the last to go - it was tried in December. Yeah, there was a code red. The Marines hurt - they didn't kill the fellow Marine, but they hurt him - and we asserted that offensive (unintelligible). So a lot of that's based on truth.
And I knew even then, as a junior officer - I think that was my second or third court martial - that this was going to be a real different kind of case, and it really transformed my career early on.
Tavis: So what do you (unintelligible) when you see a movie like that with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, no less?
Iglesias: Well, it's hard to put into words, watching the movie for the first time like I did in the early nineties and knowing what was going to happen, because I'd lived it. In fact, one of the other attorneys lives here in L.A. One of the three of us.
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200708/20070806_iglesias.html
Tavis: When you say - and you've said it a few times now - that you have very good reason to believe that you were fired for political reasons, what do you mean by that?
Iglesias: Okay, we are political creatures. I ran for office as a Republican attorney general candidate in 1998. But once we are in office, similar to federal judges, we are expected to stay out of politics. In fact, John Ashcroft, the former attorney general, told me in his office six years ago, "David, you are not to engage in political activities once you're in office." And I took that very seriously, as did my colleagues.
What happens is when you do get engaged in political activities if you're a U.S. attorney, that is grounds for termination, and there've been a few examples of that in this administration and in prior administrations.
Tavis: So draw the line for me, then, between that advice coming from former Attorney General Ashcroft to not get involved in politics with your believing that you were fired for political reasons. What's the connection?
Iglesias: Sure. Because when I took the two phone calls, one from Congresswoman Heather Wilson, the other from Senator Pete Domenici - both -
Tavis: Both Republicans.
Iglesias: Both Republicans, both from New Mexico, I took their message to be file indictments against a prominent Democrat before the election cycle. And I take that from the questions they ask me. They were asking me questions of private, confidential, non-public information regarding an investigation we were then doing about alleged corruption.
So I didn't play ball with them, I didn't file the indictments because they weren't ready, and surprisingly my name was put on a list to be terminated within weeks of Senator Pete Domenici's phone call.
Tavis: On a personal level, if I might ask - I can certainly ask; doesn't mean you have to answer. (Laughter) As an attorney, you well know that, of course. On a personal level, how do you process - 'cause a lot of folk would not have had the courage, the conviction, or the commitment to stick to the truth and to do what you did when they, by definition, on demand, are going to put on Front Street the person who sponsored them to have that job in the first place. How did you decide inside of yourself that that was the answer you were going to give?
Iglesias: It was really hard. In fact, it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do because I knew there would be consequences. But as I talked to my wife about it, as I prayed about it, I just figured you know what? I can do the wrong thing, which is to stay silent and hope it never happens again, but I felt like if I didn't speak out, this would happen to future U.S. attorneys, and it's wrong.
Because our political system, our criminal justice system, is one that is apolitical in nature. It doesn't really matter if the president is Republican or Democrat. Historically, U.S. attorneys stay out of politics. I felt like this was a really bad new trend, and I wanted it not to be repeated.
Tavis: Let me ask you, to your point now, whether or not you think that, aside from doing what was right, aside from - if I can put it this way - standing in your own truth - aside from that, do you think you made the right decision? And I ask that against the backdrop of the fact that these investigations continue to go forth, the White House isn't cooperating, Mr. Rove invokes executive privilege - I can give you a bunch of examples.
Al Gonzalez is still attorney general; we'll come back to that in a second. But I could run you a litany of things that would suggest, if I were a cynic, that David Iglesias might have done the right thing, but so what? It don't matter; nothing's happened.
Iglesias: But the fat lady hasn't sung yet. It's too early. We won't know until the end of this administration, and I knew they would claim executive privilege. They would circle the wagons; they would try to give some information but not all the information. No, there is no doubt in my mind that I did the right thing. I know I did the right thing, and I've got no regrets for that.
Tavis: How does that empower you or make you rethink your choice?
Iglesias: It empowers me. It does not - I've never lost a night's sleep saying I should have been quiet. That's never entered my mind. And a lot of it's due to people - complete strangers in L.A., in New Mexico, in New York, in Washington - coming up to me and saying, “You did the right thing. We support you. Thank you.”
I had somebody say, “Sock it to Heather Wilson” yesterday in a restaurant. Complete stranger hugged me yesterday. That's very empowering, because the American people get it.
Tavis: And yet, unless my hearing is bad, Mr. Iglesias, I thought I heard you say earlier in this conversation that you're still not prepared, after all this, to change your political affiliation. What's the problem?
Iglesias: (Laughs) Because I believe in the core ideas of the platform. I like the ideas of the Republican Party, which are smaller government, less taxes, personal responsibility, government restraint. Only problem is, our leaders haven't been practicing that. We've outspent the Democrats for the past eight years. So there's a difference between the ideals, which I love, and the actual application, which I don't love.
Tavis: I'm about to moderate a presidential forum; we've already done the Democrats in June. I moderated a forum of all the Democrats running for the White House; I get a chance to do the same thing for all the Republicans on September 27th here in prime time on PBS. I wonder, that said, whether or not you think that the Republican Party has sort of lost its moral compass?
Iglesias: They have lost their moral compass. I've described it as they've fallen off the cliff. They're in freefall right now. Look at most of the members of Congress that are being investigated or have actually pled guilty to federal felony counts. Almost all of them are Republican. So come on, we talk big, we talk about family values and smaller government and being on the up-and-up, but the practice, as I'm seeing it, is just the opposite, and it's really disillusioning.
Iglesias: Let me tell you something: I'm heartbroken about it. When he was announced as our next attorney general, I was happy 'cause I knew about his history. He came from a dirt poor background in south Texas; his grandparents were immigrants from Mexico. He had to fight and scratch for everything he got. Nothing was handed to him on a golden platter.
But here's where I draw the line. His job as attorney general is to represent the people of the United States, not to be the White House counsel anymore. I don't think he ever made that connection. White House counsel, he's the president's lawyer. As attorney general, he's the people's lawyer. He's still being the president's lawyer. That's not what attorney generals do. In fact, just look at recent history. Janet Reno and Bill Clinton didn't get along. Reno was a good AG, because she knew her job was to represent the people and enforce federal law.
Tavis: What's the moral like inside the department right about now?
Iglesias: It's terrible. And I get this from career people in Washington, D.C. and in my old office that I talk to on occasion. It's not good. In fact, it's very bad right now.
Tavis: I've got three minutes here to go in our conversation - I wish I had more time. But I want to get to just a little bit of your personal story. I mentioned earlier that for those of us who've seen "A Few Good Men" a few good times - a bunch of times, I just saw it the other day, as a matter of fact - we know that the Tom Cruise character is, in part, built around what you have done in your career. Tell me about your back story.
Iglesias: Well, I was one of three Navy JAGs that tried that case. We had three separate courts martial, all down in Gitmo. Mine was the last to go - it was tried in December. Yeah, there was a code red. The Marines hurt - they didn't kill the fellow Marine, but they hurt him - and we asserted that offensive (unintelligible). So a lot of that's based on truth.
And I knew even then, as a junior officer - I think that was my second or third court martial - that this was going to be a real different kind of case, and it really transformed my career early on.
Tavis: So what do you (unintelligible) when you see a movie like that with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, no less?
Iglesias: Well, it's hard to put into words, watching the movie for the first time like I did in the early nineties and knowing what was going to happen, because I'd lived it. In fact, one of the other attorneys lives here in L.A. One of the three of us.
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200708/20070806_iglesias.html
Saudi Arabia: The Hoppin Town for jobs.
Saudi Arabia's new industrial cities to create 2.1 million jobs by 2020
BY HABIB SHAIKH
JEDDAH — The new industrial cities being built in Tabuk, Hail, the Eastern Province, Madinah, Rabigh and Jizan will create a total of 2.1 million job opportunities over the period between 2010 and 2020, according to Abdul Wahid Al Homaid, undersecretary for planning and development at the ministry of labour.
"Out of a total of 1.3 million new permanent jobs in these cities, 170,000 jobs would require skilled workers, 675,000 would be for semi-skilled and 455,000 would need only a low level of skill," Abdul Wahid said while presenting a paper at a seminar organised by the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently.
He added that 870,000 temporary jobs required in 2010 in the general construction sector would gradually fall to 260,000 jobs by 2020.
Meanwhile, according to Dr. John Sfakianakis, chief economist of SAAB, the development of four economic cities in the Kingdom should proceed according to a phased plan to offset any negative impact as a result of hastening the pace of the projects.
He was reported as saying that the government would have to work out the projects schedule in consultation with contractors, since they will need 1.3 million skilled and unskilled manpower when the projects are scheduled to be completed by 2020. They should also look into the demand and supply situation concerning the various sectors to avoid any adverse impact.
"If these mega projects are undertaken at the same time, there will be a huge demand for labour that will create bottlenecks in the economy, which the economy will not be able to cope with. So the issue now is the pace of development vis-à-vis the manpower supply. The mega projects could be implemented at the same time, but the pace will have to be adjusted. Otherwise, the cost of production could go up," he explained.
Regarding the scheduling of the mega projects for the economic cities, informed sources said there is no definite timeline for them, since there is no separate authority similar to the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu to act in a coordinated manner.
A cross-section of expatriates from south and southeast Asia favour reviewing the existing salary structure to make employment opportunities in the Kingdom an attractive proposition.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/2007/September/business_September6.xml§ion=business&col
BY HABIB SHAIKH
JEDDAH — The new industrial cities being built in Tabuk, Hail, the Eastern Province, Madinah, Rabigh and Jizan will create a total of 2.1 million job opportunities over the period between 2010 and 2020, according to Abdul Wahid Al Homaid, undersecretary for planning and development at the ministry of labour.
"Out of a total of 1.3 million new permanent jobs in these cities, 170,000 jobs would require skilled workers, 675,000 would be for semi-skilled and 455,000 would need only a low level of skill," Abdul Wahid said while presenting a paper at a seminar organised by the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently.
He added that 870,000 temporary jobs required in 2010 in the general construction sector would gradually fall to 260,000 jobs by 2020.
Meanwhile, according to Dr. John Sfakianakis, chief economist of SAAB, the development of four economic cities in the Kingdom should proceed according to a phased plan to offset any negative impact as a result of hastening the pace of the projects.
He was reported as saying that the government would have to work out the projects schedule in consultation with contractors, since they will need 1.3 million skilled and unskilled manpower when the projects are scheduled to be completed by 2020. They should also look into the demand and supply situation concerning the various sectors to avoid any adverse impact.
"If these mega projects are undertaken at the same time, there will be a huge demand for labour that will create bottlenecks in the economy, which the economy will not be able to cope with. So the issue now is the pace of development vis-à-vis the manpower supply. The mega projects could be implemented at the same time, but the pace will have to be adjusted. Otherwise, the cost of production could go up," he explained.
Regarding the scheduling of the mega projects for the economic cities, informed sources said there is no definite timeline for them, since there is no separate authority similar to the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu to act in a coordinated manner.
A cross-section of expatriates from south and southeast Asia favour reviewing the existing salary structure to make employment opportunities in the Kingdom an attractive proposition.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/2007/September/business_September6.xml§ion=business&col
The Adminstration who really stick to its “formula.”
From Carpetbagger Report:
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: career Bush administration officials had an idea that would benefit the public; affected corporations balked and hired lobbyists, political appointees (”loyal Bushies”) scrapped the idea.
In the latest instance, it was a public-service campaign on breast-feeding scuttled by the infant-formula industry.
In the latest instance, it was a public-service campaign on breast-feeding scuttled by the infant-formula industry.
In an attempt to raise the nation’s historically low rate of breast-feeding, federal health officials commissioned an attention-grabbing advertising campaign a few years ago to convince mothers that their babies faced real health risks if they did not breast-feed. It featured striking photos of insulin syringes and asthma inhalers topped with rubber nipples.
Plans to run these blunt ads infuriated the politically powerful infant formula industry, which hired a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a former top regulatory official to lobby the Health and Human Services Department. Not long afterward, department political appointees toned down the campaign.
The ads ran instead with more friendly images of dandelions and cherry-topped ice cream scoops, to dramatize how breast-feeding could help avert respiratory problems and obesity. In a February 2004 letter, the lobbyists told then-HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson they were “grateful” for his staff’s intervention to stop health officials from “scaring expectant mothers into breast-feeding,” and asked for help in scaling back more of the ads.
So breast feeding was going to be the most important concern in this country than the soldier dying overseas, the messed up economy, or our environment! Another stupid and laughable pet project by the Bush Administration.
Moyers Responds To Wallace’s Baseless Slander: Repeated Requests To Rove Went Unanswered.
From Thinkprogress:
On Thursday, Rick Byrne, Director of Communications for Bill Moyers Journal, wrote that the show repeatedly tried to contact Rove. It never received a response:
For the record, Bill Moyers did ask Karl Rove to come on BILL MOYERS JOURNAL, by fax and by mail. These requests were made before Chris Wallace responded on-air on Fox News Sunday to Bill Moyers’ letter, and we still haven’t heard from Karl Rove.
On Thursday, Rick Byrne, Director of Communications for Bill Moyers Journal, wrote that the show repeatedly tried to contact Rove. It never received a response:
For the record, Bill Moyers did ask Karl Rove to come on BILL MOYERS JOURNAL, by fax and by mail. These requests were made before Chris Wallace responded on-air on Fox News Sunday to Bill Moyers’ letter, and we still haven’t heard from Karl Rove.
It's official: Craig resigns, effective Sept. 30.
As this is expected.. And his GOP buddies really showed their "real" loyality to Craig. Moving on folks!
AP reports:
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig resigned Saturday over a men’s room sex sting, bowing to pressure from fellow Republicans worried about a scandal dimming their election prospects.
And what is sad that Craig will carry the shame in his heart for not admitting who is really is. Only he has to live with that.
Girlfriday accepts that Iraq is ‘a stain’ on her legacy.
From Thinkprogress:
In an analysis of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s efforts to “reshape her legacy,” New York Times reporter Helene Cooper notes today that Rice “is trying hard to rewrite her legacy to include something more than Iraq.” As for Iraq, Rice’s “colleagues and friends say that she has accepted that Iraq is a stain that she probably cannot remove before she leaves office.”
In an analysis of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s efforts to “reshape her legacy,” New York Times reporter Helene Cooper notes today that Rice “is trying hard to rewrite her legacy to include something more than Iraq.” As for Iraq, Rice’s “colleagues and friends say that she has accepted that Iraq is a stain that she probably cannot remove before she leaves office.”
Marine tells of order to execute Haditha women and children.
From Raw Story:
A US Marine was ordered to execute a room full of Iraqi women and children during an alleged massacre in Haditha that left 24 people dead, a military court heard Thursday.
The testimony came in the opening of a preliminary hearing for Marine Sergeant Frank Wuterich, who faces 17 counts of murder over the Haditha killings, the most serious war crimes allegations faced by US troops in Iraq .
Wuterich, dressed in desert khakis, spoke confidently to confirm his name as the hearing to decide if he faces a court martial began at the Marines' Camp Pendleton base in southern California.
The 27-year-old listened intently as Lance Corporal Humberto Mendoza recounted how Marines had responded after a roadside bomb attack on their convoy in Haditha on November 19, 2005 left one comrade dead.
Mendoza said Marines under Wuterich's command began clearing nearby houses suspected of containing insurgents responsible for the bombing.
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Marine_tells_of_order_to_execute_Ha_08302007.html
A US Marine was ordered to execute a room full of Iraqi women and children during an alleged massacre in Haditha that left 24 people dead, a military court heard Thursday.
The testimony came in the opening of a preliminary hearing for Marine Sergeant Frank Wuterich, who faces 17 counts of murder over the Haditha killings, the most serious war crimes allegations faced by US troops in Iraq .
Wuterich, dressed in desert khakis, spoke confidently to confirm his name as the hearing to decide if he faces a court martial began at the Marines' Camp Pendleton base in southern California.
The 27-year-old listened intently as Lance Corporal Humberto Mendoza recounted how Marines had responded after a roadside bomb attack on their convoy in Haditha on November 19, 2005 left one comrade dead.
Mendoza said Marines under Wuterich's command began clearing nearby houses suspected of containing insurgents responsible for the bombing.
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Marine_tells_of_order_to_execute_Ha_08302007.html
E-mails show Surgeon-General pressured.
From Boston.com:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - E-mails from the White House demonstrate clear political pressure on former Surgeon-General Dr. Richard Carmona and suggest that other federal health agencies felt similar pressure, Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy said on Thursday.
Kennedy, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt asking for copies of any correspondence between political appointees at HHS and the Surgeon-General's office.
He also asked for more information about possible political pressure on employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.
Kennedy made public several e-mails that he said were evidence that Carmona was indeed pressured, as the former surgeon general testified to Congress last July.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - E-mails from the White House demonstrate clear political pressure on former Surgeon-General Dr. Richard Carmona and suggest that other federal health agencies felt similar pressure, Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy said on Thursday.
Kennedy, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt asking for copies of any correspondence between political appointees at HHS and the Surgeon-General's office.
He also asked for more information about possible political pressure on employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.
Kennedy made public several e-mails that he said were evidence that Carmona was indeed pressured, as the former surgeon general testified to Congress last July.
U.S. Military Censors ThinkProgress.
<--Recently, an avid ThinkProgress reader — a U.S. soldier serving his second tour in Iraq — wrote to us and said that he can no longer access ThinkProgress.org. The error message he received:
ThinkProgress is now banned from the U.S. military network in Baghdad.
The ban began sometime shortly after Aug. 22, when Ret. Maj. Gen. John Batiste was our guest blogger on ThinkProgress. He posted an op-ed that was strongly critical of the President’s policies and advocated a “responsible and deliberate redeployment from Iraq.”
Plane with U.S. lawmakers shot at in Iraq.
This wasn't on the news...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A military airplane carrying four members of the U.S. Congress came under fire over Iraq on Thursday but the plane was not hit and no one was hurt, a spokesman for one of the lawmakers said on Friday.
The C-130 cargo aircraft conducted evasive maneuvers after a nighttime takeoff from Baghdad, said Ken Lundberg, spokesman for Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, who was on the plane.
In addition to Martinez, the plane was carrying fellow Republican Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama and James Inhofe of Oklahoma, and Alabama Rep. Robert "Bud" Cramer, a Democrat.
Lundberg said Martinez had been told three rocket-propelled grenades were fired at the plane. But a senior U.S. defense official in Washington said small arms fire appeared to have been responsible.
"He (Martinez) had just taken his body armor off and was getting ready to snooze," Lundberg said the senator told him. "Then there was a flash of light, and the plane started banking in different directions."
"The whole incident was over in three to five minutes," Lundberg said, and the aircraft flew on to Amman, Jordan.
A statement from U.S.-led forces in Iraq said the plane "observed surface-to-air fire" upon departure from Baghdad and dispensed flares and conducted "standard evasive maneuvers."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A military airplane carrying four members of the U.S. Congress came under fire over Iraq on Thursday but the plane was not hit and no one was hurt, a spokesman for one of the lawmakers said on Friday.
The C-130 cargo aircraft conducted evasive maneuvers after a nighttime takeoff from Baghdad, said Ken Lundberg, spokesman for Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, who was on the plane.
In addition to Martinez, the plane was carrying fellow Republican Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama and James Inhofe of Oklahoma, and Alabama Rep. Robert "Bud" Cramer, a Democrat.
Lundberg said Martinez had been told three rocket-propelled grenades were fired at the plane. But a senior U.S. defense official in Washington said small arms fire appeared to have been responsible.
"He (Martinez) had just taken his body armor off and was getting ready to snooze," Lundberg said the senator told him. "Then there was a flash of light, and the plane started banking in different directions."
"The whole incident was over in three to five minutes," Lundberg said, and the aircraft flew on to Amman, Jordan.
A statement from U.S.-led forces in Iraq said the plane "observed surface-to-air fire" upon departure from Baghdad and dispensed flares and conducted "standard evasive maneuvers."
Bush Email Mystery Deepens: White House Won't Name Tech Contractor
By Justin Rood
ABC News
Friday 31 August 2007
The White House will not identify a private company which appears to be involved in the disappearance of millions of White House e-mails.
The company was responsible for reviewing and archiving White House e-mails, a White House official told congressional staff in May, according to a letter yesterday from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif. Congressional investigators asked then for the name of the company and "have repeatedly requested" the information since then, according to Waxman.
They are still waiting for an answer, the chairman wrote to White House counsel Fred Fielding. Waxman asked the White House to come up with the company's name by Sept. 10.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel declined to tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com the company's name or explain why the White House would not provide it to Congress.
"We are reviewing Rep. Waxman's letter and will respond expeditiously," Stanzel said in an e-mailed statement.
According to the White House, at least five million e-mails were not properly archived and may be lost forever, in apparent violation of the Presidential Records Act. The post-Watergate law states that communications relating to official activity in the offices of the president and vice president are owned by the American public and cannot be destroyed.
The unnamed firm "was responsible for the daily audits of the e-mail system and the e-mail archiving process," Waxman said a White House briefer had attested in a May meeting.
The firm worked for the Information Assurance Directorate, under the White House chief information officer, Waxman said he was told.
In addition to requesting the firm's name, Waxman's staff has also asked to see a White House report which detailed the days on which few or no e-mails were archived; the White House has been similarly unresponsive to that request, Waxman charged, and asked it provide the document by Sept. 10 as well.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman's Letter: http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20070830152740.pdf
ABC News
Friday 31 August 2007
The White House will not identify a private company which appears to be involved in the disappearance of millions of White House e-mails.
The company was responsible for reviewing and archiving White House e-mails, a White House official told congressional staff in May, according to a letter yesterday from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif. Congressional investigators asked then for the name of the company and "have repeatedly requested" the information since then, according to Waxman.
They are still waiting for an answer, the chairman wrote to White House counsel Fred Fielding. Waxman asked the White House to come up with the company's name by Sept. 10.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel declined to tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com the company's name or explain why the White House would not provide it to Congress.
"We are reviewing Rep. Waxman's letter and will respond expeditiously," Stanzel said in an e-mailed statement.
According to the White House, at least five million e-mails were not properly archived and may be lost forever, in apparent violation of the Presidential Records Act. The post-Watergate law states that communications relating to official activity in the offices of the president and vice president are owned by the American public and cannot be destroyed.
The unnamed firm "was responsible for the daily audits of the e-mail system and the e-mail archiving process," Waxman said a White House briefer had attested in a May meeting.
The firm worked for the Information Assurance Directorate, under the White House chief information officer, Waxman said he was told.
In addition to requesting the firm's name, Waxman's staff has also asked to see a White House report which detailed the days on which few or no e-mails were archived; the White House has been similarly unresponsive to that request, Waxman charged, and asked it provide the document by Sept. 10 as well.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman's Letter: http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20070830152740.pdf
Aoun: US wants to destroy Hizbullah
Prominent Lebanese parliament member and leader of National Free Party, Gen. Michel Aoun, said at parliament on Friday US favors election of a president in Lebanon to eliminate Hizbullah.
According to IRNA, Aoun considered the elimination of Hizbullah synonymous with eliminating one third of the Lebanese nation, adding, "They have decided to do such a thing, and they expect us to yield to their decision." He added, "We will not choose Iran, or Syria, to replace the United States, since our choice is peace rather than civil war."
Aoun expressed pessimism about the situation prevailing in Lebanon, and said, "Aggrandizing the civil war threat and the chaotic economic conditions are rumors aimed at weakening the nation's spirit of resistance."
He highlighted the need for election of the Lebanese president with two thirds of the MPs' votes, arguing, "Those who speak about the 50% plus one, or any other limits for the purpose behave as if the future president is not going to be the entire nation's political leader."
© 2007 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
According to IRNA, Aoun considered the elimination of Hizbullah synonymous with eliminating one third of the Lebanese nation, adding, "They have decided to do such a thing, and they expect us to yield to their decision." He added, "We will not choose Iran, or Syria, to replace the United States, since our choice is peace rather than civil war."
Aoun expressed pessimism about the situation prevailing in Lebanon, and said, "Aggrandizing the civil war threat and the chaotic economic conditions are rumors aimed at weakening the nation's spirit of resistance."
He highlighted the need for election of the Lebanese president with two thirds of the MPs' votes, arguing, "Those who speak about the 50% plus one, or any other limits for the purpose behave as if the future president is not going to be the entire nation's political leader."
© 2007 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
Iran's Big Plans
BAGHDAD, IRAQ -- Iranian President Ahmadinejad Tuesday said that "a huge power vacuum" was imminent in Iraq and promised that Iran would be ready to fill it. This plainly-stated desire by the totalitarian regime in Tehran to overtly interfere in the affairs of a sovereign nation -- while simultaneously accusing the US of doing so, despite the fact that coalition forces are still present in Iraq at official invitation of that nation's sovereign government -- should come as no surprise to any who have followed the course of the Iraq war (and postwar) to this point.
From establishing training and base camps for both Shi'a and Sunni fighters (further proof - as if more was needed that sectarian lines are not an obstacle to cooperation if there is a common enemy to be fought), to funding and equipping insurgents within Iraq, Iran's ever-growing involvement in the fight against Iraq, and against the United States within that country, has been both real and pronounced for several years now. That involvement not only includes sending soldiers from the elite Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard across Iraq's eastern border, it also includes supplying terrorists in Iraq with rockets, assault weapons, and the materials necessary to assemble EFPs (explosively-formed penetrators -- an improvised explosive device which, in the past two years, has become the number one killer of American troops in Iraq).
http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2007&m=08&d=31&a=7
From establishing training and base camps for both Shi'a and Sunni fighters (further proof - as if more was needed that sectarian lines are not an obstacle to cooperation if there is a common enemy to be fought), to funding and equipping insurgents within Iraq, Iran's ever-growing involvement in the fight against Iraq, and against the United States within that country, has been both real and pronounced for several years now. That involvement not only includes sending soldiers from the elite Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard across Iraq's eastern border, it also includes supplying terrorists in Iraq with rockets, assault weapons, and the materials necessary to assemble EFPs (explosively-formed penetrators -- an improvised explosive device which, in the past two years, has become the number one killer of American troops in Iraq).
http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2007&m=08&d=31&a=7
Deceptive ads at bottom of sub-prime mortgage crisis.
<--This ad, sent to a McClatchy Newspapers reporter, warns that an adjustable-rate mortgage was about to reset to a higher rate. The ad from Community Mortgage in Silver Spring, Maryland, was a lie.
Financial planners warn against taking home loans whose monthly payments exceed 40 percent of income. Yet Patricia Clemons, 62, found that she'd signed up for a new loan whose costs exceeded 62 percent of her fixed income. Clemons became a victim of deceptive advertising that relied on bait-and-switch tactics. Fraudulent ads are used to hook many borrowers with weak credit histories such as Clemons. » read more
White House had daily audits of e-mails, which suggests missing e-mails were destroyed.
From the CREW:
As CREW's Anne Weismann told Bloomberg News, that certainly suggests the e-mails weren't lost in a technical glitch:
The revelation that there were daily audits suggests that e-mails were destroyed, said Anne Weismann, general counsel of the nonprofit watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which sued the Bush administration in May over the missing e-mails.
"It's hard to imagine it could have been a technical problem," Weismann said in an interview. It is "incomprehensible that e-mail could go missing and it not be caught."
And according to Waxman's recent letter to Fielding, Waxman's wrote:
On May 29,2007, Keith Roberts, the Deputy General Counsel of the White House Office
of Administration, and Emmet Flood, Special Counsel to the President, briefed Committee staffon the White House e-mail system and the missing e-mails. At the briefing, Mr. Roberts informed Committee staff that the White House had discovered in 2005 that an unknown number of e-mails may not have been preserved in the White House archive, as required by the Presidential Records Act. According to Mr. Roberts, the Offrce of the Chief Information Officer then conducted a review of the e-mail system to determine the scope of the potential loss. He said that this review apparently found some days with a very small number of preserved e-mails and some days with no e-mails preserved at all. He also stated that areport summarizing these findings had been presented to the White House Counsel's office.
In addition, Mr. Roberts informed the Committee that an unidentified company working
for the Information Assurance Directorate of the Office of the Chief Information Officer was responsible for daily audits of the e-mail system and the e-mail archiving process. Mr. Roberts was not able to explain why the daily audits conducted by this contractor failed to detect the problems in the archive system when they first began.
Hmm.. Could it be Sidley Austin and Wood LLP? A blogger wrote on CREW website:
Sidley Austin is one of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the US, employing 1700 attorneys (per wikipedia) in offices on four continents. They were employed by the White House to advise on “document retention” issues and now are about to be embroiled in the issue of 5 million missing White House emails.
This is interesting on Sidley law firm website:
Rest assured all companies, institutions, government, and so have audits. White House is no different.
As CREW's Anne Weismann told Bloomberg News, that certainly suggests the e-mails weren't lost in a technical glitch:
The revelation that there were daily audits suggests that e-mails were destroyed, said Anne Weismann, general counsel of the nonprofit watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which sued the Bush administration in May over the missing e-mails.
"It's hard to imagine it could have been a technical problem," Weismann said in an interview. It is "incomprehensible that e-mail could go missing and it not be caught."
And according to Waxman's recent letter to Fielding, Waxman's wrote:
On May 29,2007, Keith Roberts, the Deputy General Counsel of the White House Office
of Administration, and Emmet Flood, Special Counsel to the President, briefed Committee staffon the White House e-mail system and the missing e-mails. At the briefing, Mr. Roberts informed Committee staff that the White House had discovered in 2005 that an unknown number of e-mails may not have been preserved in the White House archive, as required by the Presidential Records Act. According to Mr. Roberts, the Offrce of the Chief Information Officer then conducted a review of the e-mail system to determine the scope of the potential loss. He said that this review apparently found some days with a very small number of preserved e-mails and some days with no e-mails preserved at all. He also stated that areport summarizing these findings had been presented to the White House Counsel's office.
In addition, Mr. Roberts informed the Committee that an unidentified company working
for the Information Assurance Directorate of the Office of the Chief Information Officer was responsible for daily audits of the e-mail system and the e-mail archiving process. Mr. Roberts was not able to explain why the daily audits conducted by this contractor failed to detect the problems in the archive system when they first began.
Hmm.. Could it be Sidley Austin and Wood LLP? A blogger wrote on CREW website:
Sidley Austin is one of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the US, employing 1700 attorneys (per wikipedia) in offices on four continents. They were employed by the White House to advise on “document retention” issues and now are about to be embroiled in the issue of 5 million missing White House emails.
This is interesting on Sidley law firm website:
Rest assured all companies, institutions, government, and so have audits. White House is no different.
NY TImes asks: Where's the GOP Senate leadership on Stevens and Vitter?
We also want to know. GOP Senate leaders have turned on their colleague Larry Craig. But where is the outrage about the ethical scandals involving Senators Ted Stevens and David Vitter?
The Republican Party is in quite a rush to keelhaul Senator Larry Craig for his run-in with the vice squad in an airport men’s room. Disclosure of the senator’s guilty plea to disorderly conduct set off a frenzy to demand an investigation by the Senate’s somnolent Ethics Committee and to strip Mr. Craig of his committee seniority. Some of the senator’s peers simply demanded that he resign.
No similar leadership chorus for judgment has been heard about any number of other scandalous revelations on the party’s plate.
There’s the F.B.I.’s inquiry into whether Senator Ted Stevens swung a quid-pro-quo deal for a government contractor who eventually renovated his Alaska home. There’s also Senator David Vitter’s presence on the client list of a Washington brothel. Mr. Vitter, a social conservative, pleaded guilty to “sin” (heterosexual) and no leadership call ensued for a thorough in-house ethics inquiry. Certainly, no Republican called for the resignation of Mr. Vitter, who comes from Louisiana, which has a Democratic governor who would then replace him. Mr. Craig is from a safe state with a Republican governor.
The Republican Party is in quite a rush to keelhaul Senator Larry Craig for his run-in with the vice squad in an airport men’s room. Disclosure of the senator’s guilty plea to disorderly conduct set off a frenzy to demand an investigation by the Senate’s somnolent Ethics Committee and to strip Mr. Craig of his committee seniority. Some of the senator’s peers simply demanded that he resign.
No similar leadership chorus for judgment has been heard about any number of other scandalous revelations on the party’s plate.
There’s the F.B.I.’s inquiry into whether Senator Ted Stevens swung a quid-pro-quo deal for a government contractor who eventually renovated his Alaska home. There’s also Senator David Vitter’s presence on the client list of a Washington brothel. Mr. Vitter, a social conservative, pleaded guilty to “sin” (heterosexual) and no leadership call ensued for a thorough in-house ethics inquiry. Certainly, no Republican called for the resignation of Mr. Vitter, who comes from Louisiana, which has a Democratic governor who would then replace him. Mr. Craig is from a safe state with a Republican governor.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Warner Won't Run Next Year.
From BLT:
In a blow to Republican hopes of regaining control of the Senate, Virginia Sen. John Warner announced today that he will retire after this term, reports The Washington Post. Warner, 80, has been a leading critic of President Bush's handling of the Iraqi war. His decision means the seat becomes a bigger target for Democrats, and Republicans could face a difficult primary.
In a blow to Republican hopes of regaining control of the Senate, Virginia Sen. John Warner announced today that he will retire after this term, reports The Washington Post. Warner, 80, has been a leading critic of President Bush's handling of the Iraqi war. His decision means the seat becomes a bigger target for Democrats, and Republicans could face a difficult primary.
Deborah Jeane Palfrey Update #21
Received an email from Ms. Palfrey's attorney Montgomery Blair Sibley. Mr. Sibley writes:
Greetings:
Three developments of note:At the hearing before Judge Kessler on Tuesday, August 28th, the scheduled suppression hearing was adjourned until September 7th at 10:00 AM in Courtroom 26A. Before the start of that suppression hearing, Judge Kessler will conduct an in camera interview of Jeane prior to determining Jeane's motion to (i) replace her present counsel, Preston Burton, with me, and (ii) allow Jeane at times to represent herself in what is known as Hybrid Representation.
Second, Jeane has retained the services of Cataphora, a small Silicon Valley search and data analysis company, to assist her in preparing her defense. A recent article regarding this collaboration is available from RedHerring.com.
Last, today Jeane filed with the Court her pro se "Motion for Pretrial Conference to Consider Matters Relating to Classified Information" under the "Classified Information Procedures Act".
This filing alerts the government that Jeane's defense will likely involved the disclosure of evidence and identities presently deemed "Classified" by the U.S. government.After the hearing on September 7th, Jeane will read a brief written statement and she or I will answer a few questions.
Here is an excerpt from Red Herring.com:
Now the woman at the center of Washington’s most titillating scandal in years is hoping to bolster her defense by hiring a small Silicon Valley search and data analysis company that she hopes will be able to mine a treasure trove of phone records, Congressional papers and other documents to draw up a much longer list of her clients.
That could put Cataphora, a relatively unknown Redwood City, California-based company, at the center of one of the most closely-watched scandals in Washington in recent memory.
“It could be the cornerstone of our defense,” Ms. Palfrey's attorney, Montgomery Blair Sibley, said of Cataphora’s work.
Privately-held Cataphora will analyze thousands of pages of Ms. Palfrey’s old telephone records—which do not have names attached to them—to names and numbers subpoenaed from telephone companies. Ms. Palfrey has said she knew most of her customers by first names or aliases only. And Mr. Sibley said her telephone records are the only evidence she has not yet destroyed.
It looks like Ms. Palfrey is expanding her list of clients to be exposed. And I look for many government officials on that expanded list to be exposed. I will be writing the lateston Ms. Palfrey next week for Newsinkling.org.
Greetings:
Three developments of note:At the hearing before Judge Kessler on Tuesday, August 28th, the scheduled suppression hearing was adjourned until September 7th at 10:00 AM in Courtroom 26A. Before the start of that suppression hearing, Judge Kessler will conduct an in camera interview of Jeane prior to determining Jeane's motion to (i) replace her present counsel, Preston Burton, with me, and (ii) allow Jeane at times to represent herself in what is known as Hybrid Representation.
Second, Jeane has retained the services of Cataphora, a small Silicon Valley search and data analysis company, to assist her in preparing her defense. A recent article regarding this collaboration is available from RedHerring.com.
Last, today Jeane filed with the Court her pro se "Motion for Pretrial Conference to Consider Matters Relating to Classified Information" under the "Classified Information Procedures Act".
This filing alerts the government that Jeane's defense will likely involved the disclosure of evidence and identities presently deemed "Classified" by the U.S. government.After the hearing on September 7th, Jeane will read a brief written statement and she or I will answer a few questions.
Here is an excerpt from Red Herring.com:
Now the woman at the center of Washington’s most titillating scandal in years is hoping to bolster her defense by hiring a small Silicon Valley search and data analysis company that she hopes will be able to mine a treasure trove of phone records, Congressional papers and other documents to draw up a much longer list of her clients.
That could put Cataphora, a relatively unknown Redwood City, California-based company, at the center of one of the most closely-watched scandals in Washington in recent memory.
“It could be the cornerstone of our defense,” Ms. Palfrey's attorney, Montgomery Blair Sibley, said of Cataphora’s work.
Privately-held Cataphora will analyze thousands of pages of Ms. Palfrey’s old telephone records—which do not have names attached to them—to names and numbers subpoenaed from telephone companies. Ms. Palfrey has said she knew most of her customers by first names or aliases only. And Mr. Sibley said her telephone records are the only evidence she has not yet destroyed.
It looks like Ms. Palfrey is expanding her list of clients to be exposed. And I look for many government officials on that expanded list to be exposed. I will be writing the lateston Ms. Palfrey next week for Newsinkling.org.
Breaking: Brokeback Craig reported ready to quit Saturday
From The Swamp:
Sen. Larry Craig, the Idaho Republican who pled guilty to disorderly conduct after his arrest earlier this year in an airport men's room, plans to announce Saturday that he will resign, the Associated Press is reporting this evening.
UPDATE: According to four Idaho GOP officials, “Craig will announce at a news conference in Boise Saturday morning that he will resign effective Sept. 30.”
And don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out!
Sen. Larry Craig, the Idaho Republican who pled guilty to disorderly conduct after his arrest earlier this year in an airport men's room, plans to announce Saturday that he will resign, the Associated Press is reporting this evening.
UPDATE: According to four Idaho GOP officials, “Craig will announce at a news conference in Boise Saturday morning that he will resign effective Sept. 30.”
And don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out!
McRove all choke up on his last day;
And I am sure he will surely miss passing the dutchie with Bush in the Crawford Ranch backyard..
From Thinkprogress:
Karl Rove was nearly overcome with emotion Friday as colleagues privately paid tribute to the political adviser as he leaves the White House, senior officials say.
At the closed-door senior staff meeting at 7:30 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room, Rove was surprised with a slide show of photos chronicling his nearly seven years at President Bush’s side, through good times and bad.
At the closed-door senior staff meeting at 7:30 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room, Rove was surprised with a slide show of photos chronicling his nearly seven years at President Bush’s side, through good times and bad.
White House Press Secretary Tony Snow told CNN that Rove was so touched by the tribute that he didn’t have any final words for his colleagues. “He was pretty choked up,” Snow said.
And don't let the door hit you on your ass on your way out!!!
King George gets mounting reports of Iraq woes
From Yahoo News:
WASHINGTON - Awaiting a visit Friday by President Bush to discuss the war, the Pentagon defended its efforts to rid the Iraqi national police of sectarian bias and corruption, even as an independent review found the force too tainted to continue.
In a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a secure conference room dubbed "the Tank," Bush was expected to hear deep concerns from leaders of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines about strains that are building on the force — and on troops' families — as a result of lengthy and repeated tours in Iraq.
In a fresh sign of U.S. frustration with the Iraqi government in Baghdad, a senior U.S. commander said in an Associated Press interview that he is aggravated by the slow pace of action by Iraq's central government to ensure that its security forces are properly led, supplied and equipped on the battlefield.
"I have not seen any improvement really in the year I've been here in that regard," said Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, the commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq. He said the Iraqi army is doing "pretty well" in fighting the insurgency alongside U.S. troops, but they are not getting sufficient support from Baghdad.
"Progress is slower than it should be inside the (Iraqi) army in particular" with regard to proper support and direction from national leaders in Baghdad, Mixon said by telephone, adding that the problem lies in a combination of bureaucratic obstacles and sectarian-based decisions about army leadership appointments.
Everything that Bush touches, thinks of, and does will never go his way. Bush has written his own destiny in his own demise in which he cannot erase. Welcome George to the Outer Limits. Operators are standing by. Have a great Labor Day Weekend. And remember the troops!!!
U.S. Attorneys Go Begging.
Truly sad...
From BLT:
Jeffrey Taylor, the U.S. attorney for D.C., isn’t the only federal prosecutor lamenting the lack of funding and personnel in his office. Although Taylor’s proposal to have attorneys from private firms prosecute cases on a pro bono basis is a novel approach to the problem, the proposal stems from a budget crunch that is affecting prosecutors around the country.
According to today’s Wall Street Journal, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are struggling with a major funding shortage.
Vacancies haven’t been filled, investigations are stalled, and money for basic office needs like photocopying has been slashed. The budget for the offices isn’t even keeping up with inflation, and Congress denied cost-of-living increases to Justice Department employees. The result of all this belt tightening has been a downturn in prosecutions, especially in drug, violent crime, and white-collar cases.
So where is all the money going? The Journal reports that a shift in spending to terrorism investigations, the Iraq War, and a White House loath to fund domestic programs has caused the bulk of the budget squeeze.
On a side note from WSJ:
SHORT OF STAFF
• The Issue: Slow growth in budgets has prevented U.S. attorneys' offices from filling vacancies.
• The Result: Some cases, including an investigation of California Rep. Jerry Lewis, have been delayed, and fewer cases overall are being prosecuted.
• New Attention: Congress has begun to allot funds toward the problem. It is an issue for the next attorney general.
From BLT:
Jeffrey Taylor, the U.S. attorney for D.C., isn’t the only federal prosecutor lamenting the lack of funding and personnel in his office. Although Taylor’s proposal to have attorneys from private firms prosecute cases on a pro bono basis is a novel approach to the problem, the proposal stems from a budget crunch that is affecting prosecutors around the country.
According to today’s Wall Street Journal, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are struggling with a major funding shortage.
Vacancies haven’t been filled, investigations are stalled, and money for basic office needs like photocopying has been slashed. The budget for the offices isn’t even keeping up with inflation, and Congress denied cost-of-living increases to Justice Department employees. The result of all this belt tightening has been a downturn in prosecutions, especially in drug, violent crime, and white-collar cases.
So where is all the money going? The Journal reports that a shift in spending to terrorism investigations, the Iraq War, and a White House loath to fund domestic programs has caused the bulk of the budget squeeze.
On a side note from WSJ:
SHORT OF STAFF
• The Issue: Slow growth in budgets has prevented U.S. attorneys' offices from filling vacancies.
• The Result: Some cases, including an investigation of California Rep. Jerry Lewis, have been delayed, and fewer cases overall are being prosecuted.
• New Attention: Congress has begun to allot funds toward the problem. It is an issue for the next attorney general.
Bernanke to investors: You are responsible.
From BLT:
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the Fed is closely monitoring the economy and will "act as needed to limit the adverse effects on the broader economy that may arise from the disruptions in financial markets."
But speaking today, Bernanke gave no sign that a rate cut is imminent, reports The New York Times, and said it's not the Fed's job to protect investors from the consequences of their decisions.
Now Bernanke is throwing the investors under the bus. That will come back to bite him.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the Fed is closely monitoring the economy and will "act as needed to limit the adverse effects on the broader economy that may arise from the disruptions in financial markets."
But speaking today, Bernanke gave no sign that a rate cut is imminent, reports The New York Times, and said it's not the Fed's job to protect investors from the consequences of their decisions.
Now Bernanke is throwing the investors under the bus. That will come back to bite him.
U.S. Cites ‘Secrets’ Privilege as It Tries to Stop Suit on Banking Records.
From NY Times:
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 — The Bush administration is signaling that it plans to turn again to a legal tool, the “state secrets” privilege, to try to stop a suit against a Belgian banking cooperative that secretly supplied millions of private financial records to the United States government, court documents show.
The suit against the consortium, known as Swift, threatens to disrupt the operations of a vital national security program and to disclose “highly classified information” if it continues, the Justice Department has said in court filings.
A hearing on the suit is scheduled for Friday in federal court in Alexandria, Va.
The “state secrets” privilege, allowing the government to shut down litigation on national security grounds, was once rarely used. The Bush administration has turned to it more than 30 times in terrorism-related cases, seeking to end public discussion of cases like the claims of an F.B.I. whistle-blower and the abduction of a German terrorism suspect.
Most notably, the administration has sought to use the privilege to kill numerous suits against telecommunications carriers over the National Security Agency’s eavesdropping program.
The administration has turned to the privilege much more frequently than past administrations. According to a report due out this weekend by an advocacy group, OpenTheGovernment.org, the administration has used it 39 times in the last six years, compared with 59 times in the 24 years before that.
GOP officials say Otter already has picked Craig successor; Otter's office says that's not so.
Republican officials say Gov. Butch Otter will name Lt. Gov. Jim Risch to the Senate if Sen. Larry Craig resigns.
But Otter's spokesman Jon Hanian said the governor hasn't made that decision yet.
"The governor has made no promises or guarantees to anyone regarding a seat that at this hour is still occupied by Larry Craig," Hanian said. "We have not heard anything otherwise from their office."
"We'll deal with the facts when we know them," Hanian added.
Hanian said Otter and Craig had met in the past few days, but Otter spent most of Thursday on his previously scheduled business.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/146825.html
Meanwhile at Legal Times website, they are pretty insulted by the Craig scandal:
The Larry Craig story isn't going away. It's driven The Idaho Statesman's web page to record traffic numbers. More and more Republicans are calling on the also-Republican senator to resign.
Slate remains on vacation and, so far, hasn't commented further. But we here at Legal Times are still pondering Craig's unthinkable behavior.
No, not that whole restroom thing.
We mean his decision to face criminal charges without a lawyer. What longtime senator doesn't have a lawyer on speed dial? We've never even heard of a member of Congress who didn't have a lawyer before. Anyone know if it's a violation of the Constitution?
But Otter's spokesman Jon Hanian said the governor hasn't made that decision yet.
"The governor has made no promises or guarantees to anyone regarding a seat that at this hour is still occupied by Larry Craig," Hanian said. "We have not heard anything otherwise from their office."
"We'll deal with the facts when we know them," Hanian added.
Hanian said Otter and Craig had met in the past few days, but Otter spent most of Thursday on his previously scheduled business.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/146825.html
Meanwhile at Legal Times website, they are pretty insulted by the Craig scandal:
The Larry Craig story isn't going away. It's driven The Idaho Statesman's web page to record traffic numbers. More and more Republicans are calling on the also-Republican senator to resign.
Slate remains on vacation and, so far, hasn't commented further. But we here at Legal Times are still pondering Craig's unthinkable behavior.
No, not that whole restroom thing.
We mean his decision to face criminal charges without a lawyer. What longtime senator doesn't have a lawyer on speed dial? We've never even heard of a member of Congress who didn't have a lawyer before. Anyone know if it's a violation of the Constitution?
The Itchy & Scratchy show: Friday bailout.
They fight! and bite!
They fight and bite and fight!
Fight, fight, fight!
Bite, bite, bite!
The Itchy and Scratchy Show!(lyrics by the T.V. show The Simpsons)
From Raw story:
White House press secretary Tony Snow will step down Sept. 14, 2007, Fox News reported live on air Friday. CNN quickly confirmed.
Snow will be replaced by White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino, who has occasionally done briefings for the President.
Snow, who battled cancer earlier this year, has said he wanted to leave his post, citing the position's "low" pay.
More soon...
More soon...
Should have stayed at Faux Noose, dude.
Bad day for the Clown today.
DOJ Investigators Probe Hiring Practices
From TPM:
Do you believe in God? Are you gay? Have you cheated on your spouse? What's your position on abortion? Should gays be allowed to marry? Have you contributed to Republican candidates? What kind of conservative are you?
Welcome to Bush's Department of Justice. Those are just some of the questions that investigators think may have been asked during interviews for both career and political positions at the Department over the past three years.
They come from a questionnaire (pdf) sent out from the Department's inspector general and Office of Professional Responsibility, the two offices conducting the joint investigation of politicization at the DoJ. The questionnaire (as reported yesterday by Bloomberg and The Washington Post) recently went out to an untold number of people who'd applied for spots at the DoJ. Investigators are trying to get a hold on how widely politicized the hiring process was at the Department.
Do you believe in God? Are you gay? Have you cheated on your spouse? What's your position on abortion? Should gays be allowed to marry? Have you contributed to Republican candidates? What kind of conservative are you?
Welcome to Bush's Department of Justice. Those are just some of the questions that investigators think may have been asked during interviews for both career and political positions at the Department over the past three years.
They come from a questionnaire (pdf) sent out from the Department's inspector general and Office of Professional Responsibility, the two offices conducting the joint investigation of politicization at the DoJ. The questionnaire (as reported yesterday by Bloomberg and The Washington Post) recently went out to an untold number of people who'd applied for spots at the DoJ. Investigators are trying to get a hold on how widely politicized the hiring process was at the Department.
Tommy K. is---Jack Bauer
From TPM:
Thomas Kontogiannis: thrice-convicted felon. Identity thief. Admitted money launderer to extremely crooked Congressman. And, in his own telling, counterterrorist.
Thanks to Judge Larry Burns, who earlier this week ordered four days of court transcripts in the murky Kontogiannis case unsealed, we have our first peek into the motivations of the shady Long Island businessman. Not avarice nor profit guided his actions, Kontogiannis told the court: he linked up with Duke Cunningham out of a post-9/11 sense of patriotism.
“My interest is (the) United States, basically. And (Cunningham) was in a position that I could reach and tell (the government) information that I was gathering from all over the world.”
Cunningham and Kontogiannis have a relationship stretching back years before 9/11. With his frequent travel abroad -- including on a strange trip with Cunningham to Saudi Arabia in December 2004 -- Kontogiannis told the court that he was in a position to help the government learn to fight terrorism, based on his network of contacts. Laundering money for Cunningham's boat and home purchases was merely, to Kontogiannis, a cost of doing business to keep the ear of a Congressman who served on crucial defense and intelligence committees. Asked if he was buying Cunningham's influence, Tommy K replied, "definitely."
Cunningham and Kontogiannis have a relationship stretching back years before 9/11. With his frequent travel abroad -- including on a strange trip with Cunningham to Saudi Arabia in December 2004 -- Kontogiannis told the court that he was in a position to help the government learn to fight terrorism, based on his network of contacts. Laundering money for Cunningham's boat and home purchases was merely, to Kontogiannis, a cost of doing business to keep the ear of a Congressman who served on crucial defense and intelligence committees. Asked if he was buying Cunningham's influence, Tommy K replied, "definitely."
Ten years after Diana: Still the people's princess.
From BBC News:
Friends and family of Diana are gathering to mark the 10th anniversary of her death at a service at the Guards' Chapel in London.The princess' death provoked an unprecedented outpouring of national grief, with hundreds of thousands gathering to mourn outside Kensington Palace, where they left a sea of floral tributes.
A very giving, talented, and humanitarian princess that will not be forgotten. Happy anniversary, Princess Diana. :D
Results of last week's poll.
Here are the results of last week's poll:
Safety fears in the US have recently prompted the recall of a host of Chinese-made products, including toothpaste, pet food and toys. Do you think these are isolated cases or are they indicative about the quality of Chinese products in general?
Majority of readers answered yes.
This week's poll is now up.
Safety fears in the US have recently prompted the recall of a host of Chinese-made products, including toothpaste, pet food and toys. Do you think these are isolated cases or are they indicative about the quality of Chinese products in general?
Majority of readers answered yes.
This week's poll is now up.
The ATM-in-chief Plans Loan Relief on Housing
A three failed businessman and failed President has a solution to the subprime crisis and finances.. LOL!
From NY Times:
From NY Times:
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 — President Bush, in his first response to families hit by the subprime mortgage crisis, plans to announce several steps Friday to help Americans who have credit problems meet the rising cost of their housing loans, administration officials said Thursday.
The officials said Mr. Bush would call for the Federal Housing Administration to change its federal mortgage insurance program in a way that would let an additional 80,000 homeowners with spotty credit records sign up, beyond the 160,000 likely to use it this year and next.
The administration is offering his plan, which will include what one official called jawboning of lenders to persuade them not to foreclose on some borrowers, at a time of growing attacks on Mr. Bush from Democrats who say he has remained on the sidelines amid increasing anxiety over whether millions of Americans could end up losing their homes. Other elements of the plan would need legislative action, requiring Mr. Bush to win over the Democratic leadership in Congress.
Administration officials, who asked not to be identified, briefed a handful of news organizations on the proposals to be announced by Mr. Bush at an appearance in the White House Rose Garden on Friday morning.
Dead soldier's brother tells his story.
Dante Zeppala writes a Daily Kos diary about his brother, Army Sgt. Sherwood Baker, who was killed in Iraq in 2004:
He was killed two weeks after he sent that e-mail when a paint factory exploded. The mission had been aborted several times before because of safety concerns. Under the direction of a British Captain, they went looking for WMD. Sherwood saved lives, I’m told, of soldiers and an Iraqi translator.
That was over three years ago. Now, in light of Ari Fleischer’s latest propaganda campaign to continue the unabated bloodshed, I’m seeing my big brother out there again–his sacrifice somehow becoming a reason for more sacrifice, his death used to justify more death. It doesn’t make sense to me, and it wouldn’t make sense to Sher, either. […]
Does Fleischer even know who our primary military targets and threats in Iraq are? Does he know the actual amount of foreign Al Qaeda members in Iraq?
It doesn’t matter. It didn’t matter to him in 2003, when he told lie after lie selling this war to the American public. It doesn’t matter now. This is about ideology for him, not humanity.
He was killed two weeks after he sent that e-mail when a paint factory exploded. The mission had been aborted several times before because of safety concerns. Under the direction of a British Captain, they went looking for WMD. Sherwood saved lives, I’m told, of soldiers and an Iraqi translator.
That was over three years ago. Now, in light of Ari Fleischer’s latest propaganda campaign to continue the unabated bloodshed, I’m seeing my big brother out there again–his sacrifice somehow becoming a reason for more sacrifice, his death used to justify more death. It doesn’t make sense to me, and it wouldn’t make sense to Sher, either. […]
Does Fleischer even know who our primary military targets and threats in Iraq are? Does he know the actual amount of foreign Al Qaeda members in Iraq?
It doesn’t matter. It didn’t matter to him in 2003, when he told lie after lie selling this war to the American public. It doesn’t matter now. This is about ideology for him, not humanity.
CNN:Cruising and Potty Craig likely to hit the streets pretty soon.
CNN’s Dana Bash, who is reporting from Idaho, said today that her sources “do think that Senator Craig will likely resign pretty soon. That is sort of the sense that people are getting.”
Spanky DeLay talks to Tweety Matthews about Brokeback Craig.
Yes, Spanky was on HardBalls...I'm waiting for Fingers Foley to host an episode of To Catch A Predator or Dick Cheney to host To Catch a Thief...
From Crooks and Liars:
I knew this was going to be bad when Matthews introduced him as Mr. Leader. Matthews has a strange fascination with Delay and allows him an extraordinary amount of time to rehash every scandal to involve a Democrat in the past twenty years while denying the stench of hypocrisy that emanates from the Republican Party. Delay’s basic argument is that Republicans deal with their bad apples while the Democrats rally behind theirs and re-elect them.
And look for Craig to become a college professor to teach Cruising 101: Larry Craig's Guide to the Mensroom.
Investigation of DeLuca Begins.
And this scandal is in Connecticut...
HARTFORD-A somber tone filled the halls of the State Capitol building Tuesday morning as a bipartisan committee of six state senators gathered to begin reviewing the events leading to the guilty plea in early June by State Sen. Louis DeLuca (R-Woodbury) to a misdemeanor charge of conspiring to commit threatening in the second degree with James Galante, a Danbury businessman who owns trash-hauling companies and has been the target of a wide-ranging federal investigation into organized crime.
With Mr. DeLuca standing firm in his refusal to resign from the Senate, the committee is charged with recommending if he should be expelled, censured, reprimanded or face no action.
State Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-Goshen) co-chairs the committee with State Sen. Martin Looney (D-New Haven), and hours before convening the first meeting he noted the importance of not only deciding the fate of Mr. DeLuca, but also in setting a precedent for reviewing the conduct of colleagues-something Mr. Roraback said has not occurred in the Senate in what he called the modern era.
"We are sailing in uncharted waters," said Mr. Roraback of himself and fellow Sens. Donald DeFronzo (D-New Britain), Anthony Guglielmo (R-Stafford Springs), William Nickerson (R-Greenwich) and Andrea Stillman (D-Waterford). "We recognize that it is Senator DeLuca that brings us together, but we also recognize that we are going to be setting a precedent for all time. ... None of my colleagues campaigned for this responsibility and I think each of us kind of accepted out of respect for the institution."
In the past 30 to 40 years there have been two impeachment inquiries and two censure processes in the House of Representatives, Mr. Roraback noted. In 2005, the state legislature formed a Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board in response to the scandal that led to the resignation of former Gov. John Rowland. At the time, Mr. DeLuca acknowledged the public's urging of the General Assembly to "entrust our new ethics commission in the hands of those who are above the fray of politics."
"I think that voters happily are increasingly attentive to the propriety of the conduct of their elected officials," said Mr. Roraback of the public's demand for accountability in its elected officials. Mr. DeLuca is not alone in facing an ethics scandal. Nationally, senators are calling for Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig's resignation following his guilty plea to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from a recent incident in an airport bathroom with an undercover law enforcement agent.
More on the story.
Book em, Markie! ;-)
HARTFORD-A somber tone filled the halls of the State Capitol building Tuesday morning as a bipartisan committee of six state senators gathered to begin reviewing the events leading to the guilty plea in early June by State Sen. Louis DeLuca (R-Woodbury) to a misdemeanor charge of conspiring to commit threatening in the second degree with James Galante, a Danbury businessman who owns trash-hauling companies and has been the target of a wide-ranging federal investigation into organized crime.
With Mr. DeLuca standing firm in his refusal to resign from the Senate, the committee is charged with recommending if he should be expelled, censured, reprimanded or face no action.
State Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-Goshen) co-chairs the committee with State Sen. Martin Looney (D-New Haven), and hours before convening the first meeting he noted the importance of not only deciding the fate of Mr. DeLuca, but also in setting a precedent for reviewing the conduct of colleagues-something Mr. Roraback said has not occurred in the Senate in what he called the modern era.
"We are sailing in uncharted waters," said Mr. Roraback of himself and fellow Sens. Donald DeFronzo (D-New Britain), Anthony Guglielmo (R-Stafford Springs), William Nickerson (R-Greenwich) and Andrea Stillman (D-Waterford). "We recognize that it is Senator DeLuca that brings us together, but we also recognize that we are going to be setting a precedent for all time. ... None of my colleagues campaigned for this responsibility and I think each of us kind of accepted out of respect for the institution."
In the past 30 to 40 years there have been two impeachment inquiries and two censure processes in the House of Representatives, Mr. Roraback noted. In 2005, the state legislature formed a Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board in response to the scandal that led to the resignation of former Gov. John Rowland. At the time, Mr. DeLuca acknowledged the public's urging of the General Assembly to "entrust our new ethics commission in the hands of those who are above the fray of politics."
"I think that voters happily are increasingly attentive to the propriety of the conduct of their elected officials," said Mr. Roraback of the public's demand for accountability in its elected officials. Mr. DeLuca is not alone in facing an ethics scandal. Nationally, senators are calling for Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig's resignation following his guilty plea to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from a recent incident in an airport bathroom with an undercover law enforcement agent.
More on the story.
Book em, Markie! ;-)
GOP no-shows prompt cancellation of debate.
Univisión's Republican presidential debate has been called off after only one contender agreed to participate, though the network hopes to reschedule. The debate for Democrats is still on for Sept. 9.
From Miami Herald:
Univisión planned to air the first presidential debates in Spanish on Sept. 9 and 16, one for Democrats, the other for Republicans, trumpeting a national coming-out party for Hispanic voters.
Except Republican candidates aren't coming. Only Ariz. Sen. John McCain agreed to participate in the event at the University of Miami.
So much for Sept. 16.
''That date is off the table,'' university spokeswoman Bárbara Gutiérrez said Wednesday.
She said a GOP debate hasn't been ruled out for later in the fall.
''We're thinking that everyone wants to see how the Democratic one goes before they commit,'' she said.
All eight Democratic candidates are slated to show up Sept. 9, and party leaders plan to highlight the contrast.
The New Democratic Network, a nationwide political group, is planning news conferences and inviting Hispanic leaders, including Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, former Cabinet member Henry Cisneros and U.S. Rep. Luís Gutiérrez of Illinois.
Most of the Republican field also ignored invitations to attend Hispanic-oriented conferences in Florida organized by the National Association of Latin Elected Officials and the National Council of La Raza.
That doesn't mean they're not courting Hispanic votes. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani campaigned in Hialeah in June and July.
On Wednesday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney announced endorsements from Hispanic leaders around the country.
''This is all part of a continuous effort to reach out to the Hispanic community,'' said Romney spokesman Alex Burgos. ``We had a conflict with the debate, but we continue to be in contact with them about potential opportunities in the future.''
TPMtv: The Muck Gap
Great job by Josh Marshall!
The Muck Gap
Okay, it's the unreported political story of the year: the GOP's ability to dominate scandal news even while in the minority. Usually, the majority party, with more power and money, takes the scandal cake. It's almost an iron law of politics. But whether it's lobby shop or the restroom, the GOP has so far been able to reverse the historical tide, maintaining a decisive muck advantage even in the political wilderness.
The Muck Gap
Okay, it's the unreported political story of the year: the GOP's ability to dominate scandal news even while in the minority. Usually, the majority party, with more power and money, takes the scandal cake. It's almost an iron law of politics. But whether it's lobby shop or the restroom, the GOP has so far been able to reverse the historical tide, maintaining a decisive muck advantage even in the political wilderness.
Justice Department questions top lobbying firm with Republican connections.
From Rawstory:
The Washington lobbying firm Barbour Griffith & Rogers, which was hired by former Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi, is being questioned by the Department of Justice about improperly disclosing how Allawi is
paying his lobbying bill, Newsweek reports in a story by Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball.
When Barbour Griffith made its legally required filing of their Allawi account with the Justice Department, the firm listed only Allawi in their records--a fact that drew instant attention from the department's Foreign Agents Registration Unit when Allawi told CNN that his BG&G bill was actually being taken care of by an unnamed Iraqi.
Allawi previously told Newsweek that two Iraqi supporters were paying his $300,000 lobbying contract with Barbour Griffith, a firm closely aligned with Republicans and the Bush administration. However, Allawi refused to identify those backers, saying there were "security reasons" and that "[t]hey may be killed by Iranians, they may be killed by the sectarian people...These are details I am not interested in answering."
"While acknowledging the need to amend their filing with Justice, however, Barbour Griffith officials may not shed much additional light on a lobbying blitz that has injected new elements of controversy into the Washington debate over Iraq policy," Newsweek reports.
The Washington lobbying firm Barbour Griffith & Rogers, which was hired by former Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi, is being questioned by the Department of Justice about improperly disclosing how Allawi is
paying his lobbying bill, Newsweek reports in a story by Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball.
When Barbour Griffith made its legally required filing of their Allawi account with the Justice Department, the firm listed only Allawi in their records--a fact that drew instant attention from the department's Foreign Agents Registration Unit when Allawi told CNN that his BG&G bill was actually being taken care of by an unnamed Iraqi.
Allawi previously told Newsweek that two Iraqi supporters were paying his $300,000 lobbying contract with Barbour Griffith, a firm closely aligned with Republicans and the Bush administration. However, Allawi refused to identify those backers, saying there were "security reasons" and that "[t]hey may be killed by Iranians, they may be killed by the sectarian people...These are details I am not interested in answering."
"While acknowledging the need to amend their filing with Justice, however, Barbour Griffith officials may not shed much additional light on a lobbying blitz that has injected new elements of controversy into the Washington debate over Iraq policy," Newsweek reports.
Waxman Power!
Waxman presses on..
Committee Requests Information on Reports of Lost White House E-mails
Chairman Waxman wrote to request information from the White House Office of Administration about reports that millions of e-mails that may have been lost from the White House e-mail system.
· Letter to Fred Fielding
· Letter to Fred Fielding
Thursday, August 30, 2007
BREAKING NEWS: Polk judge rules against gay marriage ban
Now this is interesting since the state of Iowa is put in the spotlight for the 2008 Presidential race.
A Polk County judge on Thursday struck down Iowa's law banning gay marriage.
The ruling by Judge Robert Hanson concluded that the state's prohibition on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and he ordered the Polk County recorder to issue marriage licenses to six gay couples.
"This is kind of the American Dream," said plaintiff Jen BarbouRoske, of Iowa City. "I'm still feeling kind of shaky. It's pure elation, I just cannot believe it."
Camilla Taylor, an attorney with Lambda Legal, a New York-based gay rights organization, said the ruling requires "full equality for all Iowans including gay and lesbian Iowans and their families."
"The Iowa Constitution has lived up to its promises of equality for everyone," she said.
Gay couples from anywhere in Iowa could apply for a marriage license from Polk County. The process takes three days, however.
Polk County is expected to appeal the ruling to the Iowa S upreme Court.
County Attorney John Sarcone said the county would immediately seek a stay from Hanson, which if granted would prevent anyone from seeking a marriage license until an appeal could be heard.
The case will be appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court, which could refer it to the Iowa Court of Appeals, consider the case itself or decide not to hear the case.
Des Moines lawyer Dennis Johnson represented the six gay couples who filed suit after they were denied marriage licenses. He called the ruling "a moral victory for equal rights."
Johnson argued that Iowa has a long history of aggressively protecting civil rights in cases of race and gender. He said the Defense of Marriage Act, which the Legislature passed in 1998, contradicts previous court rulings regarding civil rights and should be struck down.
Johnson called the Defense of Marriage law "mean spirited" and said it was designed only to prohibit gays from marrying. He said it violates t he state constitution's equal protection and due-process clauses.
Lambda Legal, which spearheaded a same-sex marriage drive across the country, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the gay and lesbian couples in Polk County District Court on Dec. 13, 2005.
More on the story
A Polk County judge on Thursday struck down Iowa's law banning gay marriage.
The ruling by Judge Robert Hanson concluded that the state's prohibition on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and he ordered the Polk County recorder to issue marriage licenses to six gay couples.
"This is kind of the American Dream," said plaintiff Jen BarbouRoske, of Iowa City. "I'm still feeling kind of shaky. It's pure elation, I just cannot believe it."
Camilla Taylor, an attorney with Lambda Legal, a New York-based gay rights organization, said the ruling requires "full equality for all Iowans including gay and lesbian Iowans and their families."
"The Iowa Constitution has lived up to its promises of equality for everyone," she said.
Gay couples from anywhere in Iowa could apply for a marriage license from Polk County. The process takes three days, however.
Polk County is expected to appeal the ruling to the Iowa S upreme Court.
County Attorney John Sarcone said the county would immediately seek a stay from Hanson, which if granted would prevent anyone from seeking a marriage license until an appeal could be heard.
The case will be appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court, which could refer it to the Iowa Court of Appeals, consider the case itself or decide not to hear the case.
Des Moines lawyer Dennis Johnson represented the six gay couples who filed suit after they were denied marriage licenses. He called the ruling "a moral victory for equal rights."
Johnson argued that Iowa has a long history of aggressively protecting civil rights in cases of race and gender. He said the Defense of Marriage Act, which the Legislature passed in 1998, contradicts previous court rulings regarding civil rights and should be struck down.
Johnson called the Defense of Marriage law "mean spirited" and said it was designed only to prohibit gays from marrying. He said it violates t he state constitution's equal protection and due-process clauses.
Lambda Legal, which spearheaded a same-sex marriage drive across the country, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the gay and lesbian couples in Polk County District Court on Dec. 13, 2005.
More on the story
Audio of Craig's cruising and potty sex arrest.
As transcribed by the Minneapolis airport police:
Investigative Sergeant Dave Karsnial#4211 (OK) and Detective Noel Nelson #62 (NN) INTERVIEW WITH Larry Craig (LC)
Case 07002008
LC: Am I gonna have to fight you in court?
OK: No. No. I'm not gonna go to court u11ess you want me there.
LC: 'Cause I don't want to be in court either.
OK: Ok. I don’t either.
(inaudible)
DK: Um, here's the way it works, urn, You’ll you'll be released today. okay.
LC: Okay
DK: All right. I. I know I can bring you to jail, but that's not my goal here, okay? (inaudible)
LC: Don't do that. You You
DK: I’m not going to bring you to jail
LC: You solicited me.
DK: Okay. We’re going to get. We’re going to get into that. (inaudible)
LC: Okay.
DK: But there’s the, there there’s two ways, yes. You can, you can, ah, you can go to court. You can plead guilty.
LC: Yep.
DK: There’ll be a fine. You won’t have to explain anything. (inaudible) I know.
LC: Right.
DK: And you’ll pay a fine, you be (inaudible) done. Or if you want to plead not guilty, as, and I, I can’t make these decisions for you.
LC: No, no. Just tell me where I am (inaudible) I need to make this flight.
DK: Okay. Okay. And then I go to people that are not guilty, then I would have to come to court and end up testifying. So those are the two things, okay. Did I explain that part?
LC: Yes.
DK: Okay. Um, ah, I’m just going to read you your rights real quick, okay? You got it on?
NN: Yep.
DK: Okay.
DK: Ah, the date is 6/11/07 at 1228 hours. Um, Mr. Craig?
LC: Yes.
DK: Sorry about that. (Ringing phone)
DK: You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court of law. You have the right to talk to a lawyer now or have a present, a lawyer present now or anytime during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to you without cost. Do you understand each of these rights the way I have explained them to you?
LC: I do.
DK: DO you wish to talk to us at this time?
LC: I do.
DK: Okay. Um, I just wanna start off with a your side of the story, okay. So, a
LC: So I go into the bathroom here as I normally do. I’m a commuter too here.
DK: Okay.
LC: I sit down, um, to go to the bathroom and ah, you said our feet bumped. I believe they did, ah, because I reached down and scooted over and um, the next thing I knew, under the bathroom divider comes a card that says Police. Now, um (sigh) that’s about as far as I can take it, I don’t know of anything else. Ah, your foot came toward mine, mine came towards yours, was that natural? I don’t know. Did we bump? Yes. I think we did. You said so. I don’t disagree with that.
DK: Okay. I don’t want to get into a pissing match here.
LC: We’re not going to.
DK: Good. Um.
LC: I don’t, ah, I am not gay, I don’t do these kinds of things and…
DK: It doesn’t matter. I don’t care about sexual preferences or anything like that. Here’s your stuff back sir. Um, I don’t care about sexual preference.
LC: I know you don’t You’re out enforce the law.
DK: Right.
LC: But you should be out to entrap people either.
DK: This isn’t entrapment.
LC: All right.
DK: Um, you, you’re skipping some parts here, but what about your hand?
LC: What about it? I reached down my foot like this. There was a piece of paper on the floor. I picked it up.
DK: Okay.
LC: What about my hand?
Well, you’re not being truthful with me. I’m kinda disappointed in you Senator. I’m real disappointed in you right now. Okay, I’m not, just so you know, just like everybody. I, I, I treat with dignity. I try to pull them away from the situation.
LC: I, I
DK: and not embarrass them
LC: I appreciate that.
DK: And I
LC: You did that after the stall.
DK: I will say every person I’ve had so far has told me the truth. We’ve been respectful to each other and they’ve gone on their way. And I’ve never had to bring anybody to jail because everyone’s been truthful with me.
LC: I don’t want you to take me to jail and I think.
DK: I’m not gonna take you to jail as long as your cooperative but I’m not gonna lie. We…
LC: Did my hand come back below the divider? Yes, it did.
DK: Okay, sir. We deal with people that lie to us everyday.
LC: I’m sure you do.
DK” I’m sure you do to sir.
LC: And gentleman so do I.
DK: I’m sure you do. We deal with a lot of people that are very bad people. You’re not a bad person.
LC: No, I don’t think I am.
DK: Okay, so what I’m telling you, I don’t want to be lied to.
LC: Okay.
DK: Okay. So we’ll start over, you’re gonna get out of here. You’re gonna have to pay a fine and that will be it. Okay. I don’t call media, I don’t do any of that type of crap.
LC: Fine.
DK: All right, so let’s start from the beginning. You went into the bathroom.
LC: I went in the bathroom.
DK: And what did you do when…
LC: I stood beside the wall, waiting for a stall to open. I got in the stall, sat down, and I started to go to the bathroom. Ah, did our feet come together, apparently the did bump. Well, I won’t dispute that.
DK: Okay. When I got out of the stall, I noticed other other stalls were open.
LC: They were at the time. At the time I entered, I, I at the time I entered, I stood and waited.
DK: Okay.
Investigative Sergeant Dave Karsoia!#4211 (OK) and Detective Noel Nelson #62
(NN) INTERVIEW WITH Larry Craig (LC)
Case 07002008
LC: They were all busy, you know
DK: Were you (inaudible) out here while you were waiting? 1could see your eyes. I saw you playing with your fingers and then look up. Play with your fingers and then look up.
LC: Did I glance at your stall? I was glancing at a stall right beside yours waiting for a fella to empty it. I saw him stand up and therefore I thought it was going to empty.
DK: How long do you think you stood outside the stalls?
LC: Oh a minute or two at the most.
DK: Okay. And when you went in the stalls, then what?
LC: Sat down.
DK: Okay. Did you do anything with your feet?
LC: Positioned them, I don't know. I don’t know at the time. I'm a fairly wide guy. ,
DK: I understand.
LC: I had to spread my legs.
DK: Okay. ,
LC: When I lower my pants so they won’t slide.
DK: Okay.
LC: Did I slide them too close to yours? Did I, I looked down once, your foot was dose to mine.
DK: Yes.
LC: Did we bump? Ah, you said so, I don't recall that, but apparently we were close.
DK: Yeah, well your foot did touch mine, on my side of the stall.
LC: All right.
DK: Okay. And then with the hand. Urn, how many times did you put your hand under the stall?
LC: I don't recall I remember reaching down once. There was a piece of toilet paper back behind me and picking it up.
DK: Okay. Was your was your palm down or up when you were doing that?
LC: I don'1 recall.'
DK: Okay. I recall your palm being up. Okay.
LC: All right.
DK: When you pick up a piece of paper off the ground, your palm would be down, when you pick something up.
LC: Yeah, probably would be. I recall picking the paper up.
DK: And I know it's hard to describe here on tape but actually what I saw was your fingers come underneath the stalls, you're actually ta touching the bottom of the stall divider.
LC: I don’t recall that.
DK: You don’t recall.
LC: I don’t believe I did that. I don’t.
DK: I saw, I saw
LC: I don’t do those things.
DK: I saw your left hand and I could see the gold wedding ring when it when it went across. I could see that. On your left hand, I could see that.
LC: Wait a moment, my left hand was over here.
DK: I saw there’s a…
LC: My right hadn was next to you.
DK: I could tell it with my ah, I could tell it was your left hand because your thumb was positioned in a faceward motion. Your thumb was on this side, not on this side.
LC: Well, we can dispute that. I’m not going to fight you in court and I, I reached down with my right hand to pick up the paper.
DK: But I’m telling you that I could see that so I know that’s your left hand. Also I could see a gold ring on this finger, so that’s obvious it was the left hand.
LC: Yeah, okay. My left hand was in the direct opposite of the stall from you.
DK: Okay. You, you travel through here frequently correct?
LC: I do.
DK: Um,
LC: Almost weekly.
DK: Have you been successful in these bathrooms here before?
LC: I go to that bathroom regularly
DK: I mean for any type of other activities.
LC: No. Absolutely not. I don’t seek activity in bathrooms.
DK: It’s embarrassing.
LC: Well it’s embarrassing for both… I’m not gonna fight you.
DK: I know you’re not going to fight me. But that’s not the point. I would respect you and I still respect you. I don’t disrespect you but I’m disrespected right now and I’m not trying to act like I have all kinds of power or anything, but you’re sitting here lying to a police officer.
LC: I, I, I.
DK: It’s not a (inaudible) I’m getting from somebody else. I’m (inaudible)
LC: (inaudible)
(Talking over each other)
DK: I am trained in this and I know what I am doing. And I say you put your hand under there and you’re going to sit there and…
LC: I admit I put my hand down.
DK: You put your hand and rubbed it on the bottom of the stall with your left hand.
LC: No. Wait a moment.
DK: And I. I’m not dumb, you can say I don’t recall…
LC: If I had turned sideways, that was the only way I could get my left hand over there.
DK: It’s not that hard for me to reach. (inaudible) it’s not that hard. I see it happen everyday out here now.
LC: (inaudible) you do. All right.
DK: I just, I just, I guess, I guess I’m gonna say I’m just disappointed in you sir. I’m just really am. I expect this from the guy that we get out of the hood. I mean, people vote for you.
LC: Yes, they do. (inaudible)
DK: unbelievable, unbelievable.
LC: I’m a respectable person and I don’t do these kinds of…
DK: And (inaudible) respect right now though
LC: But I didn’t use my left hand.
DK: I thought that you…
LC: I reached down with my right hand like this to pick up a piece of paper.
DK: Was your gold ring on your right hand at anytime today.
LC: Of course not, try to get it off, look at it.
DC: Okay. Then it was your left hand, I saw it with my own eyes.
LC: All right, you saw something that didn’t happen.
DK: Embarrassing, embarrassing. No wonder why we’re going down the tubes. Anything to add?
LC: Uh, no.
DK: Embarrassing. Date is 6/11/07 at 1236 interview is done.
LC: Okay.
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