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Military
- 
Money
- 
Law
- 
Politics
- "Interior,
Pentagon Faulted In Audits: Effort to Speed Defense
Contracts Wasted Millions." ... "The Defense Department paid two procurement
operations at the Department of the Interior to arrange for Pentagon purchases
totaling $1.7 billion that resulted in excessive fees and tens of millions
of dollars in waste, documents show." ... "Defense turned to Interior,
which manages federal lands and resources, in an effort to speed up its
contracting. Interior is one of several government agencies allowed to
manage contracts for other agencies in exchange for a fee." ... "But the
arrangement between Interior and Defense "routinely violated rules designed
to protect U.S. Government interests," according to draft audit documents
obtained by The Washington Post." ... "More than half of the contracts
examined were awarded without competition or without checks to determine
that the prices were reasonable, according to the audits by the inspectors
general for Defense (DOD) and Interior (DOI). Ninety-two percent of the
work reviewed was awarded without verifying that the contractors' cost
estimates were accurate; 96 percent was inadequately monitored." ... "They
examined 49 deals and concluded that 61 percent had evidence of "illegal
contracts, ill advised contracts, and various failings of contract administration
procedures."" ... "The Interior inspector general said Defense "could have
used these monies to purchase as many as 50,000 sets of body armor to protect
our soldiers."" (1, 2,
3)
-By Robert O'Harrow Jr. and Scott Higham
-WashingtonPost
Food
- Business
- Law- 
GOV
- 
Science
- 
Consumer
- Politics
- "Outbreaks
Reveal Food Safety Net's Holes: Produce Growers Balk
At Calls for Regulation." ... "First it was spinach. Then tomatoes. Now
possibly green onions." ... "Over the past three months, fresh produce
has been the culprit in one episode of food-borne illness after another,
the latest an E. coli outbreak that appears to be linked to green onions
served at Taco Bell restaurants in the Northeast. More than 60 people have
been sickened in that outbreak." ... "The patchwork of federal and state
regulations that is supposed to ensure food safety has become less effective
as the nation's produce supply has grown increasingly industrial. Three
months after the spinach scare, there is no agreement on what should be
done to reduce health risks from the nation's fruits and vegetables even
as each episode of illness has heightened a sense of urgency." ... "The
number of produce-related outbreaks of food-borne illness has increased
from about 40 in 1999 to 86 in 2004, according to the Center for Science
in the Public Interest. Americans are now more likely to get sick from
eating contaminated produce than from any other food item, the center said."
(1, 2,
3)
-By Annys Shin -WashingtonPost
US
- 
Israel
- Palestine
- 
Book
- 
Media
- "Carter
says criticism has led to more attention Israeli policy."
... "Former President Jimmy Carter says the criticism aimed at his latest
book is a sign that its take on Israeli policy is generating more interest
in the plight of the Palestinians." ... "Carter said Monday he expected
the backlash against his top-selling book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.""
... ""The premise of this country concerning what's going on in Palestine
is so deeply ingrained, so deeply rooted that it's not surprising to me
that any contradiction of that has aroused a strong reaction," he told
The Associated Press in a telephone interview." ... "Part of the reason,
he said, is that Americans often see no counterbalance to pro-Israeli viewpoints
in the news media." ... ""All they really read or hear is really one-sided,
where the Israeli point of view is put forward," he said. "Very rarely
do you see any expression or concern of the horrible plight of the Palestinians
in their own land."" -APvia
-IHT.com
Tom
Anderson - 
Alaska
- 
Texas
- Prison
- Money
- Politician
- "Anderson
indicted on seven counts: Federal bribery case centers
on link to prison firm lobbyist." ... "[Alaska Republican] State Rep. Tom
Anderson pleaded not guilty Friday to a series of federal charges accusing
him of selling his legislative office for $12,828 in bribes from a lobbyist
representing private prison interests." ... "Anderson, a 39-year-old Republican
who has represented Muldoon's District 19 since he was elected in 2002,
was ordered freed Friday by U.S. Magistrate Judge John Roberts on an unsecured
$10,000 bond after his arrest Thursday by FBI agents. Roberts said Anderson
could travel to Mexico on a previously scheduled vacation next week with
his wife, Republican state Rep. Lesil McGuire, who was elected to the state
Senate in November, and their infant son." ... "The 18-page indictment
against Anderson said the lobbyist was secretly recorded July 21, 2004,
boasting that for a price, Anderson would be "our boy in Juneau [Alaska's
capital]."" ... "A week later, the same lobbyist was recorded telling a
confidential informant, "If I was a Soviet spy and I was looking for a
legislator to recruit, (Anderson) would be the one I'd get." Anderson "needs
the money," the lobbyist said." ... "The government didn't charge the lobbyist.
He is identified only by the letter "A," but the facts in the case point
to Bill Bobrick of Anchorage, who represented Cornell Companies [Inc. of
Houston, Texas], a private prison firm Outside." -By
Richard Mauer, Lisa Demer, and Tom Kizzia -ADN.com
Government
- Legislative
- Money
- Military
- 
Health
- Food
- 
Elderly
- 
Calif
- "Some
Republicans Take a Scorched-Hill Tack: Leaving Budget
Decisions To Democrats Could Disrupt New Leadership's Agenda." ... "Like
a retreating army, Republicans are tearing up railroad track and planting
legislative land mines to make it harder for Democrats to govern when they
take power in Congress next month." ... "Already, the Republican leadership
has moved to saddle the new Democratic majority with responsibility for
resolving $463 billion in spending bills for the fiscal year that began
Oct. 1. And the departing chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee,
Rep. Bill Thomas (R., Calif.), has been demanding that the Democrat-crafted
2008 budget absorb most of the $13 billion in costs incurred from a decision
now to protect physician reimbursements under Medicare, the federal health-care
program for the elderly and disabled." ... "The unstated goal is to disrupt
the Democratic agenda and make it harder for the new majority to meet its
promise to reinstitute "pay-as-you-go" budget rules, under which new costs
or tax cuts must be offset to protect the deficit from growing." ... "The
collapse of the appropriations process will be felt soon in the Justice
and Commerce departments, food-safety agencies and veterans' health care."
... ""It's a demonstration of the irresponsibility of Republicans that
they would leave this country with this mess," said the next House speaker,
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.). "But we won, we will deal with it."" -By
David Rogers -WSJ.com
Gay
- Dick
Cheney - Law
- Politics
- "Groups
mixed on Cheney pregnancy." ... "Conservative leaders
voiced dismay Wednesday at news that Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter
of Dick Cheney, is pregnant, while a gay-rights group said the vice president
faces "a lifetime of sleepless nights" for serving in an administration
that has opposed recognition of same-sex couples." ... "Mary Cheney, 37,
and her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe, 45, are expecting a baby in late
spring, said Lea Anne McBride, a spokeswoman for the vice president." ...
"Family Pride, which advocates on behalf of gay and lesbian families, noted
that Virginia last month became one of 27 states with a constitutional
amendment banning same-sex marriage." ... ""Unless they move to a handful
of less restrictive states, Heather will never be able to have a legal
relationship with her child," said Family Pride executive director Jennifer
Chrisler." -AP
via -USATODAY
US
- Government
- 
Iraq
- Military
- 
Intelligence
- 
Privacy
- 
Environment
- Health
- Seniors
- Drugs
- 
Oil
- Industry
- Legal
- 
History
- 
Missouri
- "Democrats
are set to subpoena: The new majority is expected
to hold hearings on military spending and the Iraq war -- just for starters."
... "[Missouri Democrat] Rep. Ike Skelton knows what he will do in one
of his first acts as chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the Democratic-led
House: resurrect the subcommittee on oversight and investigations." ...
"The panel was disbanded by the Republicans after they won control of Congress
in 1994. Now, Skelton (D-Mo.) intends to use it as a forum to probe Pentagon
spending and the Bush administration's conduct of the Iraq war." ... "With
control of every committee in Congress starting in January, the new majority
will inherit broad powers to subpoena and investigate. And that is expected
to translate into wide-ranging and contentious hearings." ... "The agenda
is likely to be dominated by the Iraq war, but could include probes into
the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance, environmental policies
and new prescription-drug program for seniors. Industries, such as oil
companies, could also come under closer scrutiny." ... ""This could be
remembered as a historically unique period in which an administration got
immunity from Congress to engage in errors with impunity," said Charles
Tiefer, a University of Baltimore law professor and a former House counsel."
... "Democrats are expected to bore into the Iraq war, including review
of no-bid contracts for reconstruction, intelligence failures and decisions
to ignore the advice of military commanders about troop levels." (1, 2)
-By Richard B. Schmitt and Richard Simon
-LAtimes
US
- 
Afghanistan
- Military
- 
People
- Law
- 
Investigation
- Journalism
- "AP:
Startling findings in Tillman probe." ... "The latest
inquiry into Tillman's death by friendly fire should end next month; authorities
have said they intend to release to the public only a synopsis of their
report. But The Associated Press has combed through the results of 2 1/4
years of investigations — reviewed thousands of pages of internal Army
documents, interviewed dozens of people familiar with the case — and uncovered
some startling findings." ... "Investigators are looking at who pulled
the triggers and fired at Tillman; they are also looking at the officers
who pressured the platoon to move through a region with a history of ambushes;
the soldiers who burned Tillman's uniform and body armor afterward; and
at everyone in the chain of command who deliberately kept the circumstances
of Tillman's death from the family for more than a month." ... "Military
investigators under Gimble's direction this year visited the rugged valley
in eastern Afghanistan where Tillman was killed. It was a risky trip; the
region is even more dangerous today than it was in 2004." -By
Scott Lindlaw and Martha Mendoza -AP
via -Yahoo
Virginia
- 2006
Election
- Politics
- Law
- "FBI
looking into possible Va. voter intimidation: Officials
probing reports of phone calls allegedly intended to confuse voters." ...
"The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into the possibility of
voter intimidation in the hard-fought U.S. Senate race between Sen. George
Allen, a Republican, and Democratic challenger James Webb, officials told
NBC News." ... "State officials alerted the Justice Department on Tuesday
to several complaints of suspicious phone calls to voters who attempted
to misdirect or confuse them about election day, Jean Jensen, Secretary
of the Virginia State Board of Elections, told NBC's David Shuster." ...
"Jensen told NBC that she had been contacted by FBI agents. The FBI in
Richmond refused to comment." ... "State Democratic Party counsel Jay Myerson
said in a written statement issued by the Webb campaign that he believed
Republicans are behind an orchestrated effort to suppress votes for the
Democratic challenger." -MSNBC
2006
Election - Money
- Phone
- Law
- "It's
a Candidate Calling. Again." ... "Republicans Deny
Subterfuge as Phone Barrages Anger Voters." ... "This year's heavy volume
of automated political phone calls has infuriated countless voters and
triggered sharp complaints from Democrats, who say the Republican Party
has crossed the line in bombarding households with recorded attacks on
candidates in tight House races nationwide." ... "Some voters, sick of
interrupted dinners and evenings, say they will punish the offending parties
by opposing them in today's [2006] elections. But critics say Republicans
crafted the messages to delude voters --especially those who hang up quickly
-- into thinking that Democrats placed the calls." ... "Democrats cited
federal records indicating that the NRCC recently spent about $600,000
in at least 45 contested House districts for robo-calls, which are among
the least expensive campaign tools." ... "Many voters hang up as soon as
a robo-call begins -- without waiting for the criticisms or the NRCC sign-off
at the end -- so they think it was placed by the Democratic candidate named
at the start, said Sarah Feinberg, spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee." ... "Democrats also cited Federal Communications Commission
guidelines saying the originators of automated calls must identify themselves
at the beginning of each call. Republican Party lawyers, however, said
the requirement does not apply to political nonprofit organizations. They
rebuffed a "cease and desist" letter sent yesterday by the DCCC." (1, 2)
-By Charles Babington and Alec MacGillis with contributions
by Jonathan Weisman, Dale Russakoff, and Michael Powell -WashingtonPost
Ted
Haggard - Gay
- Drug
- Politics
- 
Colorado
- Law
- "Haggard
fired for "sexually immoral conduct"." ... "Ted Haggard,
the beleaguered pastor of a Colorado Springs [Colorado] evangelical church
who had denied having sex with a male prostitute, has been fired by an
oversight board, which found him guilty of "sexually immoral conduct.""
... "The findings stand in stark contrast to the immensely popular public
image of the New Life Church's founding pastor. A rising star, Haggard,
50, was at times a consultant to the White House, the author of several
books, and until he stepped down this week, president of the National Association
of Evangelicals, which represents more than 30 million worshippers." ...
"The board that made the decision, called the "Overseer Board of New Life
Church," said in a prepared statement Saturday afternoon: "Our investigation
and Pastor Haggard's public statements have proven without a doubt that
he has committed sexually immoral conduct."" ... "Mike Jones, 49, of Denver
[Colorado], had come forward Wednesday and said Haggard had had a paid
sexual relationship with him monthly for three years. Jones also said Haggard
used crystal meth." ... "And though he said he didn't want to ruin Haggard's
life, there was too much at stake in keeping silent. Haggard is a vocal
support of Amendment 43, which would define marriage in Colorado as being
strictly between a man and a woman." -By Chuck Plunkett
with contributions by Kirk Mitchell -DenverPost.com
Secret
- US
- Iraq
- 
Nuclear
- Government
- Military
- Intelligence
- 
Internet
- Archive
- History
- Hoekstra
- 
Michigan
- Roberts
- 
Kansas
- Legislation
- Politics
- "U.S.
Web Archive Is Said to Reveal a Nuclear Primer."
... "Last March, the federal government set up a Web site to make public
a vast archive of Iraqi documents captured during the war. The Bush administration
did so under pressure from Congressional Republicans who had said they
hoped to “leverage the Internet” to find new evidence of the prewar dangers
posed by Saddam Hussein." ... "But in recent weeks, the site has posted
some documents that weapons experts say are a danger themselves: detailed
accounts of Iraq’s secret nuclear research before the 1991 Persian Gulf
war. The documents, the experts say, constitute a basic guide to building
an atom bomb." ... "Last night, the government shut down the Web site after
The New York Times asked about complaints from weapons experts and arms-control
officials. A spokesman for the director of national intelligence said access
to the site had been suspended “pending a review to ensure its content
is appropriate for public viewing.”" ... "Officials of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, fearing that the information could help states like
Iran develop nuclear arms, had privately protested last week to the American
ambassador to the agency, according to European diplomats who spoke on
condition of anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity. One diplomat
said the agency’s technical experts “were shocked” at the public disclosures."
... "The documents, roughly a dozen in number, contain charts, diagrams,
equations and lengthy narratives about bomb building that nuclear experts
who have viewed them say go beyond what is available elsewhere on the Internet
and in other public forums. For instance, the papers give detailed information
on how to build nuclear firing circuits and triggering explosives, as well
as the radioactive cores of atom bombs." ... "The director of national
intelligence, John D. Negroponte, had resisted setting up the Web site,
which some intelligence officials felt implicitly raised questions about
the competence and judgment of government analysts. But President Bush
approved the site’s creation after Congressional Republicans proposed legislation
to force the documents’ release." ... "The campaign for the Web site was
led by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Representative
Peter Hoekstra [Republican] of Michigan. Last November, he and his Senate
counterpart, Pat Roberts [Republican] of Kansas, wrote to Mr. Negroponte,
asking him to post the Iraqi material." (1, 2,
3)
-By William J. Broad with contributions by Scott Shane
-NYTimes
Ney
- 
Abramoff
- Money
- Politics
- 
Ohio
- "Ney
Says He’ll Resign From House." ... "Rep. Bob Ney,
facing certain expulsion from the House after being convicted of two felonies
in relation to the Jack Abramoff scandal, said on Friday he will resign
by the end of the day." ... "Ney’s corruption case was detailed in Justice
Department documents released in September, and they revealed a five-year
association with Abramoff that included taking trips to Scotland, luxury
sports suite tickets and gambling chips from a foreign businessman." ...
"In return for these favors, Ney tried to give Abramoff clients favorable
treatment." ... "In the plea document, Ney says he accepted free trips,
including a $160,000 excursion to play golf in Scotland in 2002; a $7,200
gambling vacation in New Orleans in 2003; and a $3,500 vacation in Lake
George, N.Y., that same year, with lobbyists picking up the tab in each
case." ... "Ney also accepted thousands in gambling chips at a British
casino. He had a staffer carry $5,000 in cash through U.S. Customs so he
wouldn’t have to report tens of thousands in winnings from the casino."
-By Martin Kady II -CQ.com
Ted
Haggard - Drugs
- Religious
- Gay
- Colorado
- "Christian
Leader Admits to Buying Drugs." ... "The Rev. Ted
Haggard, the former president of the National Association of Evangelicals
and one of the nation’s most influential Christian leaders, admitted today
that he had purchased the illegal drug methamphetamine from a gay escort
in Denver [Colorado], but denied that he ever had sex with the man." ...
"Ted Haggard, the former president of the U.S. National Association of
Evangelicals, resigned on Thursday after being accused of having a sexual
relationship with a male escort." ... "Mr. Haggart resigned as president
of the evangelical association and stepped aside as senior pastor of the
New Life mega-church in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday after Michael
Forest Jones, a self-described former gay prostitute, accused him of having
a sexual affair for three years and using the drug, commonly known as crystal
meth, during those encounters." -NYTimes
Gay
- Military
- 
Entertainment
- Money
- Law
- "RNC
Accepts Money From Army Porn Movie Distributor."
... "Despite running an attack ad accusing a Democratic senatorial candidate
of accepting money from "porn movie producers," the Republican National
Committee itself has accepted several donations over the past few years
from the president of a large pornographic movie distribution company."
... "Marina Pacific Distributors calls itself "the leader in adult video
distribution." Included in the movies for sale on their Web site are videos
made by "Active Duty Productions." Active Duty, as their name suggests,
has cast active duty soldiers in some of their films but not without serious
consequences for the soldiers." ... "Three Fort Bragg soldiers were found
guilty and sentenced to prison in separate courts-martial earlier this
year for appearing in pornographic videos made by Active Duty." -By
Maddy Sauer -ABCNEWS.com
Sherwood
- Secret
- Money
- Politics
- 
Pennsylvania
- Election
2006 - "Rep.
paying ex-mistress about $500K." ... "A Republican
congressman [Don Sherwood of Pennsylvania] accused of abusing his ex-mistress
agreed to pay her about $500,000 in a settlement last year that contained
a powerful incentive for her to keep quiet until after Election Day, a
person familiar with the terms of the deal told The Associated Press."
... "The settlement, reached in November 2005, called for Cynthia Ore to
be paid in installments, according to a person who spoke on condition of
anonymity because the deal is confidential. She has received less than
half the money so far, and will not get the rest until after the Nov. 7
election [2006], the person said Thursday." ... "A confidentiality clause
requires Ore to forfeit some of the money if she talks publicly about the
case, according to this person and two other people familiar with elements
of the case." -By Michael Rubinkam
-AP via -Yahoo
John
E Sweeney - Politician
- 
New
York - Law
Ken
Calvert
- 
Gay
- Government
- Transportation
- 
Real
Estate - Money
- Law
- California
- "Running
for Their Lives." ... "Ken Calvert, a Republican
representative from California, was caught in a car with a prostitute during
his first term but, after putting out campaign literature implying that
his Democratic opponent was gay, held on to his seat. Last year Calvert
and a business partner bought a four-acre parcel of land in Riverside County
for $550,000; after securing federal funds for the expansion of a nearby
freeway interchange, along with federal money to support commercial development
in the area, they sold the property for nearly $1 million. But Democrats
say they are not running a serious challenger against Calvert, because
the seat leans strongly Republican." -By Juliet Eilperin
-TheAtlantic.com
Renzi- Phoenix
- 
Arizona
- Real
Estate - Money
- Politics
- Law
Enforcement - "Lawmaker's
Influence in Land Deals Probed." ... "U.S. prosecutors
in Arizona have opened a preliminary investigation into whether [Republican]
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) twice pressured landowners to buy a 480-acre
parcel owned by his former business partner, a major backer of Renzi's
political campaign, according to federal law enforcement sources." ...
"The deal ultimately netted the business partner a $3 million profit, according
to Arizona land records." ... "The Arizona transaction has drawn the interest
of the U.S. attorney's office and the FBI's Phoenix field office. Three
law enforcement officials said both are investigating Renzi's involvement
in two land deals -- one of which was not completed -- designed to put
the 480 acres under federal protection from development in exchange for
land more fit for commercial development." ... "According to sources, the
investigation is focusing on whether, in exchange for political contributions
and business support, James Sandlin received special treatment from Renzi
for a parcel of land that earned him a $3 million profit." ... "Sandlin
bought into Renzi's real estate firm in 2001, then paid about $200,000
for half the business and, after he was elected to Congress, $1 million
to $5 million for the rest." ... "Investigators want to know whether Renzi
twice attempted to arrange deals for Sandlin, including once by proposing
legislation, two sources with knowledge of the investigations said." -By
Jonathan Weisman and Dan Eggen -WashingtonPost
Renzi
- Arizona
- Legislation
- Politics
- 
International
- Money
- 
Family
- Military
- Communications
- Virginia
- "Congressman
From Arizona Is the Focus of an Inquiry." ... "Federal
authorities in Arizona have opened an inquiry into whether [Arizona Republican]
Representative Rick Renzi introduced legislation that benefited a military
contractor that employs his father, law enforcement officials said Tuesday."
... "Mr. Renzi, 48, a Republican who represents the First Congressional
District, is a former insurance executive and real estate investor who
was first elected in 2002. Almost from the start, he has been a target
of citizen watchdog groups who have accused him of ethical laxity in office."
... "Law enforcement officials said that the most serious accusation involved
Mr. Renzi’s sponsorship of legislation in 2003 that appeared to indirectly
benefit the ManTech International Corporation, a communications company
based in Virginia that employs Mr. Renzi’s father, Eugene, a retired Army
general, as executive vice president." -By David Johnston
-NYTimes
Noteworthy
- US
- Guantanamo
Bay - 
Cuba
- Military
- Intelligence
- Torture
- 
Terrorism
- Prison
- Religion
- People
- War
Crimes - Law
Enforcement - Politics
- "Can
the '20th hijacker' of Sept. 11 stand trial? Aggressive
interrogation at Guantanamo may prevent his prosecution." ... "Mohammed
al-Qahtani, detainee No. 063, was forced to wear a bra. He had a thong
placed on his head. He was massaged by a female interrogator who straddled
him like a lap dancer. He was told that his mother and sisters were whores.
He was told that other detainees knew he was gay. He was forced to dance
with a male interrogator. He was strip-searched in front of women. He was
led on a leash and forced to perform dog tricks. He was doused with water.
He was prevented from praying. He was forced to watch as an interrogator
squatted over his Koran." ... "That much is known. These details were among
the findings of the U.S. Army's investigation of al-Qahtani's aggressive
interrogation at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba." ... "But only now is a picture
emerging of how the interrogation policy developed, and the battle that
law enforcement agents waged, inside Guantanamo and in the offices of the
Pentagon, against harsh treatment of al-Qahtani and other detainees by
military intelligence interrogators." ... "In interviews with MSNBC.com
- the first time they have spoken publicly -former senior law enforcement
agents described their attempts to stop the abusive interrogations. The
agents of the Pentagon's Criminal Investigation Task Force, working to
build legal cases against suspected terrorists, said they objected to coercive
tactics used by a separate team of intelligence interrogators soon after
Guantanamo's prison camp opened in early 2002. They ultimately carried
their battle up to the office of Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld,
who approved the more aggressive techniques to be used on al-Qahtani and
others." ... "Although they believed the abusive techniques were probably
illegal, the Pentagon cops said their objection was practical. They argued
that abusive interrogations were not likely to produce truthful information,
either for preventing more al-Qaida attacks or prosecuting terrorists."
... "And they described their disappointment when military prosecutors
told them not to worry about making a criminal case against al-Qahtani,
the suspected "20th hijacker" of Sept. 11, because what had been done to
him would prevent him from ever being put on trial." ... "Defense Department
e-mails seen by MSNBC.com show that a delegation visiting Guantanamo on
Sept. 25, 2002, included Alberto R. Gonzales, then the White House counsel
and now attorney general; David S. Addington, legal counsel to Vice President
Dick Cheney, now his chief of staff; Timothy E. Flanigan, the deputy White
House counsel; William Haynes III, the Pentagon general counsel; Larry
Thompson, then deputy attorney general; Christopher A. Wray, the principal
associate deputy attorney general, now head of Criminal Division at the
Justice Department; and John Yoo, a lawyer in the Justice Department's
Office of Legal Counsel, who reportedly had just helped write an Aug. 1,
2002, "torture memo" to Gonzales, defining torture narrowly as causing
pain equivalent to organ failure or death." ... "The visiting VIPs met
with Gen. Dunlavey and his staff, but not with any of the law enforcement
investigators who opposed the aggressive interrogations." ... "Under the
Military Commissions Act signed last week by President Bush, statements
made under torture would not be admissible in a military trial." ... "But
the law says a military judge could accept statements made under coercion.
A court may have to decide which category, torture or coercion, encompasses
such techniques as a fake trip to Egypt, sleep deprivation, and being forced
to do dog tricks. The new law also extends legal protection from prosecution
for war crimes to any U.S. personnel who used coercive tactics, if they
believed in good faith that what they were doing was lawful." (1, 2,
3,
4)
-By Bill Dedman -MSNBC
Renzi
- Arizona
- Real
Estate - Money
- Politics
- Government
- Legislation
- "Officials
scrutinize Ariz. land deal." ... "A land deal involving
Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz. [Republican-Arizona], is being scrutinized by
the U.S. attorney's office in Arizona, a law enforcement official in Washington
said Tuesday." ... "Records and officials involved in the October 2005
deal say Renzi helped promote the sale of land that netted a former business
partner $4.5 million." ... "The property eventually was to be part of a
swap in which potential buyers could exchange it for land owned by the
federal government. And while Renzi's business partner, James Sandlin,
made money off the land sale, Renzi never introduced legislation in Congress
to complete the swap for the new owners." ... "State records indicate that
Renzi and Sandlin were partners in a real estate development firm dating
back to at least 2002. It is unclear whether the two still have a business
relationship." -By Jennifer Talhelm with contributions
by Arthur H. Rotstein -AP
via -BostonGlobe
Sherwood
- Pennsylvania
- 2006
Election - Law
- Police
- "During
National Character Counts Week, Bush Stumps for Philanderer."
... "So it has come to this: Nineteen days before the midterm elections,
President Bush flew here [Pennsylvania] to champion the reelection of a
congressman who last year settled a $5.5 million lawsuit alleging that
he beat his mistress during a five-year affair." ... ""I'm pleased to be
here with Don Sherwood," a smiling president told the congressman's loyal
but dispirited supporters at a luncheon fundraiser Thursday. "He has got
a record of accomplishment."" ... "Quite a record. While representing the
good people of the 10th District, the married congressman shacked up in
Washington with a Peruvian immigrant more than three decades his junior.
During one assignation in 2004, the woman, who says Sherwood was striking
her and trying to strangle her, locked herself in a bathroom and called
911; Sherwood told police he was giving her a back rub." ... "At a time
when Republicans are struggling to motivate religious conservatives to
go to the polls next month, it is not clear what benefit the White House
found in sending Bush to stump for Sherwood -- smack dab in the middle
of what Bush, in an official proclamation, dubbed "National Character Counts
Week."" ... "The nature of the accuser's allegations -- she said Sherwood
gave her "facial lacerations, bruises about the head, neck and other portions
of her body, head injury, injuries to her teeth, mouth and gums, back and
neck strain, injuries to her scalp" -- makes it more than a distraction.
Sherwood continues to deny abuse after reaching the secret settlement."
-By Dana Milbank -WashingtonPost
John
E Sweeney - 
Jack
Abramoff - 
Tony
Rudy - Politician
- 
Trip
- 
Northern
Mariana Islands - US
- New
York - Law
Sherwood
- Pennsylvania
- 2006
Election - Lawmaker
- Police
- "Bush
campaigns for Pennsylvania congressman enmeshed in sex scandal."
... "He said she was "a casual acquaintance." She said they were extra-marital
lovers, but told police that he tried to choke her. His wife says she forgives
him. So does President Bush." ... "In fact, Bush traveled to northeastern
Pennsylvania Thursday to help the wayward husband, Republican Rep. Don
Sherwood, keep his seat in Congress. Perhaps it's a measure of the Republicans'
plight that the president would throw his prestige behind a candidate whose
marital misbehavior conjures memories of Bill Clinton." ... "Sherwood's
five-year fling with a woman half his age has all the elements of a bad
soap opera, but voter reaction to his performance could help decide whether
Republicans keep control of the House of Representatives. Polls show Sherwood
trailing Democratic challenger Chris Carney in a district that had been
considered a lock for the GOP." ... "Sherwood's problems started in September
2004, when Cynthia Ore called police to the congressman's Capitol Hill
apartment claiming that he'd choked her for no apparent reason." ... "She
was 29 at the time; he was 63." ... "Sherwood was never charged, and the
matter attracted little attention until the following spring, when Ore
threatened legal action and provided details of a relationship that Sherwood
had initially denied. The two met in 1999 at a gathering for young Republicans."
-By Ron Hutcheson -McClatchy
via -KansasCity.com
Alexander
- 
Foley
- 
Hastert
- 
Boehner
- Trandahl
- 
Reynolds
- Lawmakers
- E-Mails- Child
- 
Louisiana
- 
Florida
- 
Ill
- Ohio
- NY
- "House
Panel Probes Foley Page Scandal: Sponsor Of Louisiana
Page Tells Ethics Panel Others Knew Of E-Mails Before He Did." ... "GOP
Rep. Rodney Alexander [Louisiana Republican] appeared Wednesday morning
and says that after he and his staff learned of the [Florida Republican
Mark Foley] e-mails to the former page, his aides contacted the office
of House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.[Republican-Illinois], for advice
on what to do about communications the boy's family thought were inappropriate."
... "His testimony is a small piece of a more confusing puzzle that puts
Hastert and his aides at odds with the accounts of other top GOP lawmakers
and their aides." ... "Two of those figures, Majority Leader [Republican]
John Boehner, R-Ohio, and former House Clerk Jeff Trandahl, are scheduled
to testify Thursday." ... "Boehner has said he discussed the Foley situation
with Hastert last spring after Alexander informed him of the e-mails, as
has Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-N.Y. [Republican-New York.]"
-AP via
-CBSNews
US
- 
Russia
- 
Weldon
- Family
- Government
- Money
- Law
- Energy
- Politics
- Pennsylvania
- "Weldon's
Ties to Serbian Businessman Part of Probe." ... "Officials
at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade were surprised three years ago to be invited
to a luncheon in honor of visiting Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa. [Republican-Pennsylvania]),
hosted by Bogoljub Karic, a wealthy Serbian businessman who had been barred
from visiting or trading with the United States because of his close ties
to former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic." ... "Weldon "was visiting
solely because of Karic," whom he was trying to get off the U.S. blacklist,
a former senior embassy official familiar with the visit concluded. "It
seemed odd" at the time, because Karic had no obvious tie to Weldon's district
outside Philadelphia [Pennsylvania], and Weldon should have known the embassy
was shunning contacts with him, the official said." ... "What the embassy
apparently did not know is that the Karic family that year signed a contract
with Weldon's daughter, Karen, and a business partner that called for monthly
payments of $20,000 for "management, government and public relations,"
according to a copy of the March 2003 contract. In all, the family paid
Karen Weldon's firm $133,858 that year for efforts she undertook to set
up a foundation for it." ... "Curt Weldon's visit and that deal are under
investigation by the FBI, according to a law enforcement source familiar
with the probe. His efforts to assist clients of his daughter's consulting
firm in their dealings with the federal government are the focus of that
probe, according to sources familiar with it." ... "Besides looking at
Weldon's Karic connection, the FBI is examining the lawmaker's contacts
with a Russian-managed oil and gas company, Itera International Energy
Corp., the sources said." (1, 2)
-By R. Jeffrey Smith and Carol D. Leonnig -with contributions
by Lucy Shackelford and Madonna Lebling -WashingtonPost
Jim
Kolbe
- Foley
- Lawmakers
- Teens
- Ariz
- Fla
- "Kolbe
Matter Is Referred to House Ethics Panel: Allegations
Involve Contact With Male Former Pages." ... "The House committee looking
into allegations that former congressman Mark Foley (R-Fla. [Republican-Florida])
had improper contact with male former pages has been asked by lawmakers
overseeing the page program to look into allegations involving a second
lawmaker, House sources said yesterday." ... "Members of the Page Board
sought the review after news reports last week that the Justice Department
had opened a preliminary inquiry into a camping trip that Rep. Jim Kolbe
(R-Ariz. [Republican-Arizona]) took with male former pages in 1996. That
report sparked a conference call Monday among board members." ... "It was
not clear what allegations the board was concerned about. But The Washington
Post has learned of a potentially inappropriate incident involving Kolbe
and a male page. The man recently told the House clerk's office and the
FBI about an encounter with the Arizona Republican that occurred about
five years ago when he was 16, according to someone familiar with the man's
account. The page told authorities that he was "uncomfortable with a particular
social encounter" that involved physical contact when he and Kolbe were
alone, the source said yesterday." -By Jonathan Weisman
and James V. Grimaldi -WashingtonPost
Secret
- Military
- Terrorism
- Torture
- Prisons
- Legislation
- Religious
- Civil
Liberties - History
- Politics
- "Bush
Signs Terror Interrogation Law." ... "President Bush
signed legislation Tuesday authorizing tough interrogation of terror suspects
and smoothing the way for trials before military commissions, calling it
a "vital tool" in the war against terrorism." ... "Bush's plan for treatment
of the terror suspects became law just six weeks after he acknowledged
that the CIA had been secretly interrogating suspected terrorists overseas
and pressed Congress to quickly give authority to try them in military
commissions." ... "A coalition of religious groups staged a protest against
the bill outside the White House, shouting "Bush is the terrorist" and
"Torture is a crime." About 15 of the protesters, standing in a light rain,
refused orders to move. Police arrested them one by one." ... "The law
protects detainees from blatant abuses during questioning - such as rape,
torture and "cruel and inhuman" treatment - but does not require that any
of them be granted legal counsel. Also, it specifically bars detainees
from filing habeas corpus petitions challenging their detentions in federal
courts." ... "Many Democrats opposed the legislation because they said
it eliminated rights of defendants considered fundamental to American values,
such as a person's ability to go to court to protest their detention and
the use of coerced testimony as evidence." ... "The American Civil Liberties
Union said the new law is "one of the worst civil liberties measures ever
enacted in American history."" ... ""The president can now, with the approval
of Congress, indefinitely hold people without charge, take away protections
against horrific abuse, put people on trial based on hearsay evidence,
authorize trials that can sentence people to death based on testimony literally
beaten out of witnesses, and slam shut the courthouse door for habeas petitions,"
said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero." ... ""Nothing could be
further from the American values we all hold in our hearts than the Military
Commissions Act," he said."