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Larry
Craig
- 
Pete
Domenici
- 
Idaho
- New
Mexico - 
2008
Election - "Senate
Gets Two Surprises With Domenici Leaving, Craig Staying."
... "Two Senate Republicans revealed unexpected career changes yesterday:
New Mexico's Pete Domenici is leaving office and Idaho's Larry Craig is
staying. Party leaders would have preferred it the other way around." ...
"The announcement by Domenici that he won't seek re-election because of
a degenerative brain disease creates an opportunity for Senate Democrats
to expand their majority. Craig's insistence that he is rescinding his
resignation and will serve out his term may mean that the investigation
of a lurid incident will drag on through the courts or the Senate ethics
committee leading up to the 2008 elections." ... "``This is a party that
cannot catch a break when it comes to the Senate and the 2008 elections,''
said Jennifer Duffy, Senate editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report
in Washington." ... "Both decisions add more challenges as Republicans
try to defend 22 party-held Senate seats in next year's elections while
Democrats defend just 12. Domenici, 75, is the fifth Senate Republican
to announce retirement plans, leaving open seats that may be easier for
Democrats to capture." ... "Craig was arrested June 11 in a bathroom at
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on suspicion of making sexual
advances to an undercover policeman in the next stall. He said he did nothing
wrong and isn't gay." -By Laura Litvan and Chris Stern
-Bloomberg
China
- 
Sudan
- 
US
- 2008
Election - 
Oil
- 
Military
- Manufacturing
- 
Journalists
- Human
Rights - Sports
- 
Illinois
- New
Mexico - "China
Is Becoming an Issue in 2008 Race." ... "When [2008
election] Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama said in a recent
debate that ``the center of gravity in this world is shifting to Asia,''
he had one nation clearly in mind." ... "``China is rising and it's not
going away,'' said the senator from Illinois. ``They're neither our enemy
nor our friend. They're competitors.''" ... "More than a year before the
2008 election, China - occasionally as partner, more often as adversary
and potential vote-getter - is also rising as an issue among the candidates
for president." ... "Many of the comments, however, have been complaints,
as candidates work to connect with voters increasingly worried about China's
huge military buildup, its flood of goods into the U.S., its ability to
influence violence in Sudan's Darfur region, its repression of minorities,
dissidents and journalists." ... "A recurring theme has been that China
must do more to use its oil-buying leverage with Sudan to end rape and
murder in Darfur." ... "In a June debate, [2008 election Democratic Presidential
Candidate] Democrat Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, suggested
that if China does not put more pressure on Sudan, ``we say to them, maybe
we won't go to the Olympics.''" -By Foster Klug
-AP via -Guardian.co.uk
US
- 
Global
- 
Climate
- Oil
- 
Politics
- NM
- "GOP
blocks tax hikes for oil companies." ... "Senate
Republicans on Thursday blocked a $32 billion package of tax breaks for
renewable energy that would have been financed mostly by new taxes on major
oil companies." ... "The massive tax measure marked a sharp turn from longtime
congressional support of the oil industry to promoting alternative energy
development and moving toward energy sources that would help deal with
the growing concerns over global warming." ... "Oil companies earned $111
billion in profits last year and at that rate stand to earn $1 trillion
over the 10 years covered by the tax package, said [Democratic New Mexico
Senator] Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., rejecting suggestions that "this is
an undue burden" on oil companies." -AP
via -USATODAY
US
- 
Iraq
- 
Afghanistan
- 
Arizona
- 
Iowa
- New
Mexico - Disaster
- "How
ready is your state's National Guard?" ... "Most
representatives from National Guard units across the USA say they are ready
to handle whatever domestic disaster comes along. Some, however, are concerned
about equipment missing due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well
as the need to replace aging equipment." ... "Correspondents from across
the USA spoke with governors, National Guard commanders and public affairs
officers to determine each unit's equipment and preparedness levels for
dealing with national disasters." [CHART:
State - Equipment available Preparedness status] " ... "Maj. Paul
Aguirre, spokesman for the Arizona National Guard, said they have 35% of
their equipment on hand for national emergencies. Aguirre emphasized that"
... "Iowa National Guard officials are more concerned about having enough
equipment available for combat training than for disaster response. Lt.
Col. Gregory Hapgood, the guard's spokesman, says Iowa has 45% of the equipment
on hand that the state needs." ... "The New Mexico National Guard has the
lowest equipment inventory level of any state or territory, according to
a report from the Government Accountability Office about Guard readiness
[34%]." -USATODAY
2008
Election - John
Edwards
- Iowa
- 
North
Carolina - Illinois
- 
New
York - New
Mexico - "Democrats
prefer Edwards in new [Iowa] poll." ... "[Democratic]
Presidential candidate John Edwards leads [Democratic] rivals Barack Obama
and Hillary Clinton in a new Des Moines Register poll of Iowans likely
to take part in the Democratic caucuses." ... "The Iowa Poll shows Edwards,
a former U.S. senator from North Carolina, is the first choice of 29 percent
of those who say they definitely or probably will attend the January caucuses,
which kick off the nominating process for the nation." ... "Obama, a U.S.
senator from Illinois, edges out [New York Democratic Senator] Clinton
for second place in the poll — 23 percent to 21 percent." ... "Also in
double digits at this early stage of the race is New Mexico [Democratic
Governor] Gov. Bill Richardson, the choice of 10 percent of likely caucus
participants. Presidential" -DesMoinesRegister
Karl
Rove
- 
Alberto Gonzales - Kyle
Sampson
- 
Bradley
Schlozman - Political
- US
Attorneys - 
Law
- 
Enforcement
- 2006
Election - New
Mexico - 
Pennsylvania
- 
Wisconsin
- 
MO
- "White
House sought investigations of voter fraud allegations before elections."
... "Only weeks before last year's pivotal [2006] midterm elections, the
White House urged the Justice Department to pursue voter-fraud allegations
against Democrats in three battleground states, a high-ranking Justice
official has told congressional investigators." ... "In two instances in
October 2006, [Republican] President Bush's political adviser, Karl Rove,
or his deputies passed the allegations on to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales'
then-chief of staff, Kyle Sampson." ... "Sampson tapped Gonzales aide Matthew
Friedrich, who'd just left his post as chief of staff of the criminal division.
In the first case, Friedrich agreed to find out whether Justice officials
knew of "rampant" voter fraud or "lax" enforcement in parts of New Mexico,
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and report back." ... "But Friedrich declined
to pursue a related matter from Wisconsin, he told congressional investigators,
because an inquiry so close to an election could inappropriately sway voting
results. Friedrich decided not to pass the matter on to the criminal division
for investigation, even though Sampson gave him a 30-page report prepared
by Republican activists that made claims of voting fraud." ... "While it
was known that Rove and the White House had complained about prosecutors
not aggressively investigating voter fraud, Friedrich's testimony suggests
that the Justice Department itself was under pressure to open voter fraud
cases despite a department policy that discourages such action so close
to an election." ... "Another former U.S. attorney, Todd Graves of Kansas
City, Mo. [Missouri], revealed this week that he was asked to step aside
for another candidate. He also said he had refused to sign off on a voting-rights
lawsuit, which another Justice Department official later approved in Washington.
The official, Brad Schlozman, later became Graves' temporary replacement."
-By Margaret Talev and Marisa Taylor
-McClatchy via
-RealCities
Renzi
- Domenici
- 
Wilson
- 
Hastings
- Ariz
- NM
- Seattle
- 
WA
- 2006
Election - US
Attorneys - Law
- "Renzi
Aide Called U.S. Attorney to Ask About Probe: Chief
of Staff Inquired About Land Deal Investigation; Prosecutor Among Eight
Who Were Fired." ... "The top aide to [Arizona Republican Representative]
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) called the office of Arizona's U.S. attorney
about six weeks before the prosecutor was fired, inquiring about a federal
probe into the congressman's role in a land deal that benefited a former
business partner and political patron." ... "The former U.S. attorney,
Paul K. Charlton, told House investigators this week that his office alerted
the Justice Department's headquarters about the call from Renzi's chief
of staff, Brian Murray, because he considered it potentially improper,
according to congressional sources who spoke about the probe on the condition
of anonymity. Justice rules require prosecutors to report contacts from
members of Congress seeking information about investigations." ... "The
incident means that Charlton was the third of eight U.S. attorneys forced
to resign last year who had reported to Justice officials that Republican
members of Congress or their staffs made inappropriate overtures to their
offices about politically sensitive investigations they were supervising."
... "The former U.S. attorney for New Mexico, David C. Iglesias, has told
Congress he felt pressured to speed up an indictment of Democrats during
phone calls last October from [New Mexico Republican Senator] Sen.
Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.) and [New Mexico Republican Representative]
Rep. Heather A. Wilson (R-N.M.). And former U.S. attorney John McKay of
Seattle has said he was called by the chief of staff to [Washington Republican
Representative] Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) about a preliminary inquiry
into [2006 election] voter fraud in Washington state." -By
Amy Goldstein and Dan Eggen -WashingtonPost
Domenici
- Gonzales
- Rove
- Wilson
- US
Attorneys - Law
- Politics
- 2006
Election - New
Mexico - "Domenici
Sought Iglesias Ouster." ... "Former U.S. Attorney
David Iglesias was fired after [New Mexico Republican Senator] Sen. Pete
Domenici, who had been unhappy with Iglesias for some time, made a personal
appeal to the White House, the Journal has learned." ... "Domenici had
complained about Iglesias before, at one point going to Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales before taking his request to the president as a last resort."
... "At some point after the [2006] election last Nov. 6, Domenici called
Bush's senior political adviser, Karl Rove, and told him he wanted Iglesias
out and asked Rove to take his request directly to the president." ...
"Domenici and Bush subsequently had a telephone conversation about the
issue." ... "The conversation between Bush and Domenici occurred sometime
after the [2006] election but before the firings of Iglesias and six other
U.S. attorneys were announced on Dec. 7." ... "Iglesias' name first showed
up on a Nov. 15 list of federal prosecutors who would be asked to resign.
It was not on a similar list prepared in October." ... "Senate and House
Democrats have focused on a telephone call Domenici made to Iglesias in
October." ... "Iglesias testified before the congressional committees that
Domenici called him at home [prior to the 2006 election] and asked if indictments
were imminent in a public corruption investigation of Albuquerque's Metropolitan
Courthouse construction. Iglesias told him indictments were not expected
anytime soon." ... "Iglesias testified that Domenici said, "I'm very sorry
to hear that." And then hung up." ... "Iglesias said he felt "pressured"
and "violated" by the telephone call but did not report it to Justice Department
headquarters as required." ... "Democrats have accused Domenici of attempting
to influence the outcome of a tight congressional race between incumbent
Republican Heather Wilson [New Mexico Representative] and former [Democratic]
state Attorney General Patricia Madrid. Wilson won the election by fewer
than 900 votes." ... "Delays in the courthouse case led to frustration
among Republicans who had tried to make Madrid's track record on ethics
and corruption cases an issue in the Madrid-Wilson race." -By
Mike Gallagher -ABQjournal.com
Gonzales
- Monica
Goodling - Paul
McNulty
- Domenici
- US
Attorneys
- Politics
- NY
- NM
- 2006
Election - "Gonzales
Aide to Invoke Fifth Amendment." ... "Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales' liaison [Monica Goodling] with the White House will refuse
to answer questions at upcoming Senate hearings about the firings of eight
U.S. attorneys, citing her Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination,
her lawyer said Monday." ... "Goodling's statement contradicted her boss'
promise to allow his top aides to testify before Congress, voluntarily
and under oath." ... "[New York Democratic Senator] Sen. Chuck Schumer,
D-N.Y., who is leading the Senate's investigation into the firings, said
Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty told him he was misled by other Justice
Department aides before he testified to Schumer's panel on Feb. 6." ...
"A day earlier, Goodling was among those who helped McNulty prepare his
testimony. Schumer has said McNulty may have given Congress incomplete
or otherwise misleading information about the circumstances of the firings."
... "Additionally, Goodling was involved in an April 6, 2006, phone call
between the Justice Department and [New Mexico Republican Senator] Sen.
Pete Domenici, R-N.M., who had complained to the Bush administration and
the president about David Iglesias, then the U.S. attorney in Albuquerque
[New Mexico]. Domenici had wanted Iglesias to push more aggressively on
a corruption probe against Democrats before the 2006 elections." ... "Iglesias
told Congress earlier this month that he rejected what he believed to be
pressure from Domenici to rush indictments that would have hurt Democrats
in the November elections." ... "At a March 13 news conference, Gonzales
denied that he participated in discussions or saw any documents about the
firings, despite documents that show he attended a Nov. 27 meeting with
senior aides on the topic, where he approved a detailed plan to carry out
the dismissals." -By Laurie Kellman with contributions
by Lara Jakes Jordan -AP
via -SFGate.com
Gonzales
- Kyle
D Sampson
- Rove
- US
Attorneys - Law
- Politics
- 2004
Election - New
Mexico - 
Arkansas
- "For
Gonzales, More Records, and Questions." ... "An accumulating
body of evidence is at odds with the statements of [Republican President
Bush appointed] Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales that he played little
role in the deliberations over the dismissal of eight United States attorneys."
... "Mr. Gonzales has said he did not take part in any discussions of the
dismissal effort, and left the planning and execution of the removals up
to D. Kyle Sampson, his former chief of staff." ... "But e-mail messages
and other documents released by the Justice Department in recent days suggest
that Mr. Gonzales was told of the dismissal plan on at least two occasions,
in 2005 when the plan was devised and again in late 2006 shortly before
the firings were carried out." ... "Justice Department officials first
said the White House approved the ouster plan only after it was initiated
by Justice, but e-mail messages have shown that officials at the White
House initiated the effort, shortly after the 2004 elections." ... "Justice
Department officials at first gave no reasons for the firings, then cited
performance problems with the prosecutors, and, finally, acknowledged that
performance could not be cited in each of the cases as the rationale for
the firings." ... "Officials have said that politics played no role in
the firings. But they later acknowledged that they had received repeated
telephone calls from one Republican senator who sought the ouster of the
New Mexico prosecutor, and that a second United States attorney, in Arkansas,
was dismissed to make room for a former aide to Mr. Rove." ... "Mr. Gonzales
also said, more explicitly: “I never saw documents. We never had a discussion
about where things stood.”" ... "This directly conflicts with documents
released late Friday, which show he headed an hourlong meeting on the ouster
plan with key members of his senior staff 10 days before the firings."
... "Even before Mr. Gonzales left his position as White House counsel
in February 2005 to become attorney general, Mr. Sampson told him that
an effort had been initiated to examine which prosecutors, if any, should
be ousted, e-mail messages released as part of the investigation show."
(1, 2)
-By Eric Lipton and David Johnston with contributions
by Jim Rutenberg -NYTimes
Griffin
- Rove
- Schlozman
- US
Attorneys - Poor
- 
People- Civil
Righs - Law
- Enforcement
- Politics
- Ark
- 
Florida
- 
Colorado
- Wisconsin
- 
Minnesota
- Iowa
- Arkansas
- 
Michigan
- 
Nevada
- New
Mexico - 
Georgia
- 2004
Election - 2008
Election - "New
U.S. attorneys seem to have partisan records." ...
"Under [Republican] President Bush, the Justice Department has backed laws
that narrow minority voting rights and pressed U.S. attorneys to investigate
voter fraud - policies that critics say have been intended to suppress
Democratic votes." ... "Since 2005, McClatchy Newspapers has found, Bush
has appointed at least three U.S. attorneys who had worked in the Justice
Department's civil rights division when it was rolling back longstanding
voting-rights policies aimed at protecting predominantly poor, minority
voters." ... "Another newly installed U.S. attorney, Tim Griffin in Little
Rock, Ark. [Arkansas], was accused of participating in efforts to suppress
Democratic votes in Florida during the 2004 presidential election while
he was a research director for the Republican National Committee. He's
denied any wrongdoing." ... "Taken together, critics say, the replacement
of the U.S. attorneys, the voter-fraud campaign and the changes in Justice
Department voting rights policies suggest that the Bush administration
may have been using its law enforcement powers for partisan political purposes."
... "Last April, while the Justice Department and the White House were
planning the [US Attorneys] firings, [Republican President Bush's deputy
chief of staff Karl] Rove gave a speech in Washington to the Republican
National Lawyers Association. He ticked off 11 states that he said could
be pivotal in the 2008 elections. Bush has appointed new U.S. attorneys
in nine of them since 2005: Florida, Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa,
Arkansas, Michigan, Nevada and New Mexico. U.S. attorneys in the latter
four were among those fired." ... "Several former voting rights lawyers,
who asked to remain anonymous for fear of antagonizing the administration,
said the division's political appointees reversed the recommendations of
career lawyers in key cases and transferred or drove out most of the unit's
veteran attorneys." ... "Bradley Schlozman, who was the civil rights division's
deputy chief, agreed in 2005 to reverse the career staff's recommendations
to challenge a Georgia law that would have required voters to pay $20 for
photo IDs and in some cases travel as far as 30 miles to obtain the ID
card." ... "A federal judge threw out the Georgia law, calling it an unconstitutional,
Jim Crow-era poll tax." -By Greg Gordon, Margaret
Talev and Marisa Taylor with contributions by Tish Wells and Ron Hutcheson
-McClatchy via
-RealCities
Wilson
- Domenici
- New
Mexico - 2006
Election - Rove- 
Government
- Law
- Enforcement
- Politics
- "Second
Lawmaker Contacted Prosecutor: Wilson Complained
About Pace of Probes." ... "[New Mexico Republican] Rep. Heather A. Wilson
(R-N.M.) acknowledged yesterday that she contacted a federal prosecutor
to complain about the pace of his public corruption investigations, as
the Senate ethics committee signaled that it had opened a preliminary inquiry
into a similar communication by her state's senior senator, [New Mexico
Republican] Pete V. Domenici (R)." ... "Wilson denied allegations from
former New Mexico U.S. Attorney David C. Iglesias that she pressured him
to speed up a political corruption investigation involving Democrats in
the waning days of her tight [2006] election campaign last fall." ... "Iglesias,
one of seven U.S. attorneys fired by the Justice Department on Dec. 7,
is expected to tell Congress today that Wilson and Domenici were trying
to sway the course of his investigation. Domenici acknowledged Sunday that
he called Iglesias about the corruption case but said he did not pressure
him. The telephone calls to Iglesias by Domenici and Wilson appear to put
them in conflict with congressional ethics rules that bar contacts with
federal agency officials during most active investigations." ... "The furor
over Domenici and Wilson has rapidly become the focus of the dispute over
the firings of eight U.S. attorneys and a change in law that allows Attorney
General Alberto R. Gonzales to appoint interim prosecutors for an indefinite
period of time. The Justice Department has said that seven of the prosecutors
were dismissed for failing to follow Bush administration policy on multiple
issues, and acknowledged that one was sacked to make way for an ally of
White House political adviser Karl Rove." ... "But most of the prosecutors
have cited positive job reviews, and Democrats have alleged that there
were political motivations behind the firings." (1, 2)
-By Paul Kane and Dan Eggen
-WashingtonPost
New
Mexico - 2006
Election - Law
- Enforcement
- 
Money
- "Sources:
GOP lawmakers tried to influence federal investigation."
... "[New Mexico Republican Senators] Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather
Wilson of New Mexico pressured the U.S. attorney in their state to speed
up indictments in a federal corruption investigation that involved at least
one former Democratic state senator, according to two people familiar with
the contacts." ... "The alleged involvement of the two Republican lawmakers
raises questions about possible violations of House of Representatives
and Senate ethics rules and could taint the criminal investigation into
the award of an $82 million courthouse contract." ... "The two people with
knowledge of the incident said Domenici and Wilson intervened in mid-October,
when Wilson was in a competitive re-election campaign that she won by 875
votes out of nearly 211,000 cast." ... "David Iglesias, who stepped down
as U.S. attorney in New Mexico on Wednesday, told McClatchy Newspapers
that he believed the Bush administration fired him Dec. 7 because he resisted
the pressure to rush an indictment." ... "The allegations have fueled a
weeks-long controversy over whether the Bush administration forced out
eight Republican-appointed U.S. attorneys because of partisan politics."
-By Marisa Taylor -McClatchy
via -RealCities
Foley
- 
Ohio
- Florida
- NM
- NY
- Police
- Election
2006 - "Scandals
Alone Could Cost Republicans Their House Majority."
... "Indictments, investigations and allegations of wrongdoing have helped
put at least 15 Republican House seats in jeopardy, enough to swing control
to the Democrats on Tuesday [2006 Election] even before the larger issues
of war, economic unease and President Bush are invoked." ... "Democrats
have repeatedly hit [Republican] Rep. Deborah Pryce (Ohio), the House Republican
Conference chairman, for inaction on the [Florida Republican Mark] Foley
matter. And Democrats have tried to hold two former members of the Page
Board, [New York Republican] Reps. Sue W. Kelly (N.Y.) and [New Mexico
Republican] Heather A. Wilson (N.M.), accountable for Foley's actions."
... "Meanwhile, new allegations continue to spring up. Vern Buchanan, a
Republican running for the Florida seat vacated by Rep. Katherine Harris
(R), was the target of local media reports this week detailing his use
of business entities in Caribbean tax havens to reduce levies on his auto
dealerships. The Albany Times Union published an article yesterday charging
that the wife of [New York Republican] Rep. John E. Sweeney (R-N.Y.) called
police late last year to report that her husband was "knocking her around"
during a late-night argument." -By Jonathan Weisman
and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum -WashingtonPost
Hacker
- Government
- 
Nuclear
- Energy
- 
Computer
- Identity
Theft - New
Mexico - "Energy
Dept. Tells Workers of Data Theft." ... "Energy Department
officials have informed nearly 1,500 individuals that their Social Security
numbers and other information may have been compromised when a hacker gained
entry to a department computer system eight months ago, a spokesman said
Monday." ... "The computer theft occurred last September, but Energy Secretary
Samuel Bodman and his deputy, Clay Sell, were not informed of it until
last week. It was first publicly disclosed at a congressional hearing on
Friday." ... "The file that was compromised contained the names, Social
Security numbers, security clearance levels and place of employment of
1,502 people working throughout the government nuclear weapons complex
[in New Mexico]." -H. Josef Herbert
-AP via -HoustonChronicle.com
Hacker
- Government
- Nuclear
- Energy
- Military
- 
Intelligence
- Computer
- Identity
Theft - N.M.
- "DOE
computers hacked; info on 1,500 taken." ... "A hacker
stole a file containing the names and Social Security numbers of 1,500
people working for the Energy Department's nuclear weapons agency." ...
"The data theft occurred in a computer system at a service center belonging
to the National Nuclear Security Administration in Albuquerque, N.M. The
file contained information about contract workers throughout the agency's
nuclear weapons complex, a department spokesman said." ... "NNSA Administrator
Linton Brooks told a House hearing that he learned of the security breach
late last September, but did not inform Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman
about it. It had occurred earlier that month." ... "Brooks blamed a misunderstanding
for the failure to inform either Bodman or Deputy Energy Secretary Clay
Sell about the security breach. Brooks' NNSA is a semiautonomous agency
within the department and he said he assumed DOE's counterintelligence
office would have briefed the two senior officials." -By
H. Josef Herbert -APvia
-BusinessWeek
Religion
- Military
- Politics
- 
Flying
- 
