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LOUISVILLE /JEFFERSON COUNTY

DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

Week of March 18, 2007

The link to this electronic newsletter is being e-mailed to 4,000+

Jefferson County Democrats 

We hope you will forward the link to your own e-mail list.

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CLICK HERE FOR CURRENT LIST OF EVENTS

Updated on a regular basis

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The Louisville/Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee meets the 4th Wednesday of every month at 5:00 pm at 901 Barret Avenue .

 

Notice to our Readers &  2007 Primary Election Candidates:

This newsletter will carry in this space any Democratic candidates' notice of events or communications (250 words or less) to our readers that the candidate provides to the editor at rcrider@louisvilledem.com

 

Democratic candidates who want pictures of their fund raisers, activities, events, etc to be posted on this website, e-mail them to rcrider@louisvilledem.com. 

 

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DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES WEBSITES:

                                Steve Beshear (D)

·              Gatewood Galbraith (D)

·              Steve Henry (D)

·              Otis Hensley (D)

·              Bruce Lunsford (D)

·              Jonathan Miller (D)

·              Jody Richards (D)

                Jack Conway (D) 

                Dick Robinson (D)              

Other sites will be listed as they become available

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Senator Mitch McConnell Sings the Blues, Nick Stump

A recent quote from Senator Mitch McConnell in The New Republic’s The Plank blog betrays a weakened man who probably sees the handwriting on the wall when it comes to his future as a legislator: in the minority. Can Republicans take back the Senate in 2008? Here’s what McConnell had to say to that possibility with regard to the nation’s current focus on the war in Iraq:

Would I like the [2008] election to be about something else? You bet. We are the economic engine of the world in many ways…but that fact has become lost in public concern over Iraq. Iraq has just put people in a kind of funky mood.

Indeed, Iraq has put people in Kentucky in a very “funky mood.” Support for the war in rural America has dropped to 39 percent, its lowest point since fighting broke out. Moreover, a study by The Center For Rural Strategies in Whitesburg, Kentucky tracked 2006 rural voting trends and found that rural voters all over the country are slowly moving out of the Republican Party’s general sphere of influence.

This little statistic should be most troubling to Sen. McConnell. If rural Kentuckians are turning away from the GOP, then it’s a prime indicator that Republicans are in a heap more trouble than is conventional wisdom in the mainstream media.

As a bloc, rural voters are generally more conservative than their urban counterparts, but looking at a place like eastern Kentucky we must remember that large parts of the area were originally Democratic, and even into the recent past the voting habits of different counties there were still influenced by their great-grandfathers political leanings in the era of the Civil War.

 

For example, Breathitt County was for years a Democratic stronghold, while next door, Owsley County was solidly Republican. These old Civil War divisions are finally receding into the cultural past, and voters all over rural Kentucky are looking at the issues facing their communities in the here and now. And when one sees the Republican record on rural issues, Sen. McConnell and company have a failing grade.

Rural veterans see Sen. McConnell’s poor record on veterans issues. His scorecard from groups like the Disabled American Veterans is woefully low. As we move away from voting lockstep the way our fathers voted, more and more rural Kentuckians are taking a hard look at Sen. McConnell’s real record on those issues that affect the working class here. McConnell’s habit of taking from the rich and screwing everyone else just isn’t going to cut it.  READ THE REST….

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Rich Get Richer, Middle Class Shrinks by Tula Connell 

Billionaires have it made. So what’s new? What’s new is that there are lots more of them and they’re a lot richer. The number of billionaires around the world grew by 19 percent since last year, up to 946, with a total net worth increasing by 35 percent to $3.5 trillion, according to a report released today by Forbes magazine. That’s trillion with a T.

Says Forbes Chief Executive Steve Forbes:

This is the richest year ever in human history. Never in history has there been such a notable advance.

But before we drool too heavily over the lives of the rich and famous, another set of stats came out a few months ago that doesn’t paint quite the same picture of good fortune for America’s working people. Hat tip to Ian Welsh at the Agonist for this info from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

From 2003 to 2004, the average incomes of the bottom 99 percent of households grew by less than 3 percent, after adjusting for inflation. In contrast, the average incomes of the top one percent of households experienced a jump of more than 18 percent, after adjusting for inflation. (Census data show that real median income fell between 2003 and 2004. Average income is pulled up by gains at the top of the income spectrum; much of the 2.3 percent rise among the bottom 99 percent seems to largely reflect gains by households in the top ten percent of the income spectrum. In contrast, trends in median income capture the experience of households in the middle of the income spectrum.)

The top 1 percent of households (those with annual incomes above about $315,000 in 2004) garnered 53 percent of the income gains in 2004….

…The share of total U.S. income that the top one percent of households received in 2004 was greater than the share it received in any prior year since 1929, except for 1999 and 2000.

So, while the rich get richer, the middle class is shrinking. (Alternet today posted excerpts from a recent Paul Krugman speech on the shrinking middle class that puts the issue in perspective.)

Other economic indicators also show a less rosy scenario for working people. Such as the drop in construction jobs, which fell by 62,000 in February, after posting a net gain of 28,000 in January, according to data out today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As Bonddad notes,

The housing slowdown is starting to hit employment numbers. I would expect this number to continually worsen over the next year as the housing slowdown starts to bleed into the rest of the economy.

Manufacturing jobs took another hit in January as well, dropping by 14,000. Overall, private-sector jobs showed only a net gain of 58,000 last month, its lowest monthly gain since November 2004. Public-sector job increases kept January’s job numbers from tanking, by adding 39,000 jobs, for a total of 97,000 jobs last month.

As the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) notes, the job market remains tight and wage growth solid (after nearly four years of stagnant wage growth, wages recently have shown some signs of life). But the nonprofit group also says recent data show troublesome signs, such as slowing growth in the number of hours worked and a 1.7 percent spike in long-term unemployment. Plus real gross domestic product growth, with only a 2.2 percent fourth quarter increase, did not rise nearly as fast as in previous quarters.

As noted by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, even if the decline in hours worked was weather related,

it is worthy of note that this is the largest one-month decline since June 2004.

And as we noted last week, home owners with subprime mortgages are getting hit with new monthly mortgages they can’t afford. Some 20 percent of subprime loans at the biggest U.S. mortgage lender, Countrywide Financial, are more than 60 days late and late payments are increasing in the non-subprime mortgage markets. (Check out Mark Winston Griffith at DMI blog for a take on how subprime market disintegrations that have shaken Wall Street have not stopped some “free marketeer cowboys” from cooling their heels.)

So what does it all mean? Means even if Bush weren’t in Brazil peddling alternative fuels for South America while we pay higher and higher prices for fuel oil, the economy looks a lot better from the top. 

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Louisville Young Democrats seeks volunteers 

Like most civic organizations, the Louisville Young Democrats rely on volunteers to help it organize its events and initiatives. Getting involved with the Louisville Young Democrats is a great way to become involved in the Democratic Party and help improve our community. 

Just as our membership is diverse, so too are the needs of our organization. For example, the Communications Committee is looking for individuals to help design a new Web site and help provide content for the organization’s monthly newsletter. If interested or for more information, email Steve Bittenbender at lydcommunicationsdir@gmail.com. 

Other committees seeking volunteers include: 

Social Activities - Kenya McGruder -lydsocialactivitiesdir@gmail.com 

Fundraising - Shawn Reilly - lydfundraisingdir@gmail.com 

Membership - Antonia Lindauer - lydmembershipdir@gmail.com 

For additional volunteer opportunities, please contact Lisa Tanner. 

About the Louisville Young Democrats

The Louisville Young Democrats represent hundreds of young democrats, ages 18 to 39, in Louisville and surrounding areas, including student organizations at University of Louisville, Bellarmine University and several area high schools. The organization works toward the following purposes: To represent the interests of young people and to communicate those interests for the purpose of promoting political debate and change, to serve as a social and learning network for common interest in political involvement, connecting members with other young people, elected officials and political candidates and to assist and promote Democratic candidates and the Democratic Party.

To start receiving communications from the Louisville Young Democrats, please contact Lisa Tanner or Steve Bittenbender.

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DAILY GRILL  

"This is a really important place. This is a place that has a long tradition of turning civilians into highly skilled soldiers. And I can't thank you enough for the contribution you're making to the security of this country."  -- President Bush, 1/11/07, while visiting soldiers at Ft. Benning, GA

VERSUS

"As the military scrambles to pour more soldiers into Iraq, a unit of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Benning, GA, is deploying troops with serious injuries and other medical problems, including GIs who doctors have said are medically unfit for battle. Some are too injured to wear their body armor, according to medical records."  -- Salon, 3/11/07

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"[The administration is] going to try to really tamp this down and appeal to the polling which indicates that most people think, in fact, that he should be pardoned. Scooter Libby should be pardoned."  -- NBC's Andrea Mitchell, 3/12/07, during an appearance on Hardball

VERSUS

Sixty-nine percent of Americans think President Bush should not pardon Scooter Libby, according to a new CNN poll. Only 18 percent think Libby should be pardoned.  --  CNN, 3/12/07

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Q How about Karl Rove's office? Do you know if he was involved?  DANA PERINO: I don't believe so.
-- White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, 3/6/07, denying White House advisor Karl Rove's role in the prosecutor purge

VERSUS

"New unreleased e-mails from top administration officials show the idea of firing all 93 U.S. attorneys was raised by White House adviser Karl Rove in early January 2005, indicating Rove was more involved in the plan than previously acknowledged by the White House."  -- ABC News, 3/15/07

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Quotes of the Day

"I'm a little experienced in staying the course, and sticking with people who stick with me." --Sen. Hillary Clinton

"What's Al Gore up to these days? Four hundred pounds....Did Al Gore actually swallow Michael Moore?" --Ann Coulter, at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference

"Obama is half-white and half-black....Clinton was half-white, half-trash." --Ann Coulter
 

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READERS COMMENTS

 Nothing this week

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INTERESTING   

Rove pulls the strings

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Recent Senate Votes 

Airport Screener Amendment - Vote Agreed to (51-48, 1 Not Voting)

During consideration of the 9/11 Commission bill, the Senate approved this amendment that would give Transportation Security Administration airport screeners the right to unionize.

Sen. Mitch McConnell voted NO

Sen. Jim Bunning voted NO

Recent House Votes 

Water Quality Investment Act - Vote Passed (367-58, 8 Not Voting)

The House passed this $1.7 billion bill intended to help communities modernize their wastewater systems.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted YES

Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

 

Water Quality Financing Act of 2007 - Vote Passed (303-108, 22 Not Voting)

This House bill would provide $14 billion for wastewater treatment plant improvements.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted NO

Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

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HUMOR  

 

"Rudy Giuliani has defended Newt Gingrich, saying it's OK Newt had an affair and that no one is perfect. That's when you know the Republicans are in trouble -- when a guy with three marriages and an affair is defending the guy with three marriages and two affairs, so they can team up and beat a Clinton." --Jay Leno...

"The administration is still taking a lot of heat for firing eight U.S. attorneys. That shows you how unpopular this administration is -- when the people are siding with the lawyers." --Jay Leno

"People in Washington are now calling for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign. To give you an idea of how much trouble he is in, the White House is now thinking of replacing him with Scooter Libby." --Jay Leno

"The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, told the Chicago Tribune he considers homosexual acts to be immoral. In fact, he feels so strongly about this issue that he won't shake hands with the Navy's Rear Admiral." --Jay Leno

"President Bush is safely back from his tour of Latin America. He said it really opened up his eyes. He said, 'We thought we had a lot of illegal immigrants here, they're all over the place down there.'" --Jay Leno

"An Iraqi immigrant caused a big scare at the Los Angeles airport the other day, after he told the screeners he had a stone, a piece of metal and a bunch of wires inside his rectum. He said he did this to relieve stress. I'm no health expert, but wouldn't having all those things up there make you more stressful. I don't think this guy understand the concept of carry-on items." --Jay Leno

An elite military unit made up of Native American Indians is now being used to track down terrorists in the Middle East, including Osama bin Laden. They're over in Afghanistan right now. They haven't found bin Laden yet, but they did open 13 casinos." --Jay Leno

"Hillary Clinton announced that the vast right-wing conspiracy is back. You know what that means? Bill must be dating again." --Jay Leno

"Everybody is caught up in St. Patrick's Day. Here's exactly what I'm talking about: Earlier today, down in Washington, DC, Vice President Dick Cheney shot a leprechaun in the face. ... Scooter Libby, by the way, is already wearing a button that reads 'Pardon me, I'm Irish.'" --David Letterman

"March Madness NCAA Basketball. ... Here's how it works: You start with 65, then that goes down to 64, then it's 32, and then it's 16 ... no, that's presidential candidates." --David Letterman

"The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff recently upset gay activists because he said, 'a homosexual act between two individuals is immoral.' Then the chairman added, 'Unless it's two chicks.'" --Conan O'Brien

"The movie '300' is a setting box office records, but there is a controversy. The country of Iran is reportedly angry over the depiction of the Persian Empire in the movie '300'. Not only that, the Syrian government's upset that Eddie Murphy didn't win an Oscar for 'Dreamgirls.'" --Conan O'Brien

"According to the Chicago Tribune, Senator Obama's great-great-great-great-grandfather and great-great-great-great-grandmother may have owned slaves. It's damage control time. I believe the only way for Barack Obama to get in front of this story is to do the right thing -- the thing so many black leaders are unwilling to do -- apologize for slavery." --Stephen Colbert

"Mitt Romney, who is a Mormon, is reeling from reports that his great-grandfather had fives wives and at least one of his great-great-grandfathers had twelve. That poor bastard had to register at Crate and Barrel 12 times. And that's back when all they sold were crates and barrels. ... The word 'polygamy', of course, comes from the Greek 'poly' meaning multiple and 'gamy' meaning reasons not to vote for Mitt Romney." --Stephen Colbert

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ETHICS -- NEW E-MAILS SHOW ROVE, GONZALES HAD DEEPER ROLE IN U.S. ATTORNEY FIRINGS: New e-mails reveal that the plan for firing U.S. Attorneys originated in the White House. Both White House advisor Karl Rove and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales discussed the idea of firing all 93 U.S. attorneys in early Jan. 2005. The e-mails directly contradict White House Press Secretary Tony Snow's assertion on Tuesday that the idea to fire all 93 attorneys was first suggested by former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and was "her idea only." Miers proposed firing the prosecutors in Feb. 2005, a month after Rove and Gonzales did. Additionally, on March 6, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino denied that Rove had been involved in the prosecutor purge at all and yesterday, Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) said, "I'm not so sure if Karl Rove has much to do with this." But the new e-mails also show that not only did Rove first propose the mass firing of all the prosecutors, he also came up with the idea of targeted firings. In a Jan. 9, 2005 e-mail with the subject line "Re: Question from Karl Rove," then-Gonzales chief of staff Kyle Sampson, discussed with then-deputy White House Counsel David Leitch the idea of replacing "15-20 percent of the current U.S. Attorneys," because "80-85 percent, I would guess, are doing a great job, are loyal Bushies, etc." Sampson added, "[I]f Karl thinks there would be political will to do it, then so do I."
 

Protect And Defend President Bush

In an editorial entitled, "The Failed Attorney General," the New York Times wrote Sunday that Alberto Gonzales has "never stopped being consigliere to Mr. Bush's imperial presidency." Recounting the constitutional abuses that have taken place under Gonzales' watch, the Times urged Bush to "dismiss Mr. Gonzales and finally appoint an attorney general who will use the job to enforce the law and defend the Constitution." Appearing on CBS's Face the Nation, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Gonzales "has been even more political than his predecessor, Attorney General Ashcroft." "For the sake of nation," Schumer said, "Attorney General Gonzales should step down." Reflecting his keen understanding of how this White House operates, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) responded, "I think the fact that Senator Schumer asked for him to step down means he won't." But Schumer isn't alone in his concerns. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) -- who last week expressed his hope that there will soon be "a new attorney general" -- conceded yesterday that "there have been a lot of problems" at Gonzales's Justice Department. A conservative adviser to the White House told the Washington Post, "This attorney general doesn't have anybody's confidence. It's the worst of Bush -- it's intense loyalty for all the wrong reasons. There will be other things that come up, and we don't have a guy in whom we can trust."

PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT: A daily drip of new reports surrounding the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys by the Justice Department has shown that there was "a bald attempt to undercut the independence of prosecutors through tactics that included calling them at home, pressuring them to help Republican candidates, and threatening to punish them for speaking about the firings." The Chicago Sun-Times writes, "The firing of the prosecutors comes across as transparent in its political designs." Rather than address the serious concerns, Gonzales last week dismissed the firings as "an overblown personnel matter." This weekend, more evidence came to light showing that Gonzales has been carrying the water for the White House political operation. New Mexico Republican Party chairman Allen Weh said he complained about fired-U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to the White House in 2005 and again to Karl Rove personally in 2006. Weh asked that Iglesias be removed because he was not indicting Democrats. Weh said Rove assured him: “He’s gone.” It wasn't just Iglesias. Newsweek reports that Kyle Sampson, Gonzales’s chief of staff, developed the list of eight prosecutors to be fired last October "with input from the White House." The White House acknowledged last night that Rove served as a "conduit for complaints" about prosecutors, delivering instructions to a compliant attorney general. 

CORRUPTION -- HALLIBURTON LEAVING HOUSTON TO FOR 'LAISSER FAIR ATTITUDE' OF DUBAI: Halliburton, the oil services giant once run by Vice President Dick Cheney, "will soon shift its corporate headquarters from Houston to the Mideast financial powerhouse of Dubai." Time Magazine's Karen Tumulty wondered if their were reasons for the move beyond being closer to Mideast oil reserves: "Is this about tax breaks? Getting beyond the reach of congressional subpoenas? And what about all that sensitive information that Halliburton has had access to? At a minimum, reincorporating in Dubai would mean that Halliburton will be paying less taxes to the U.S. Treasury, even as it collects billions from government contracts." "Dubai," the Financial Times reports, "has long positioned itself as a regional business hub, with a laisser faire attitude to business regulations." House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chair Henry Waxman is "already planning to hold a hearing" on the move, Tumutly reported. Halliburton has brought the added scrutiny upon itself. In February, Waxman's committee found the U.S. government has wasted $10 billion in Iraq on "overpriced contracts or undocumented costs," and of that amount, more than $2.7 billion were charged by Halliburton. In one especially egregious case, the company "failed to protect the water supply it is paid to purify for U.S. soldiers throughout Iraq, in one instance missing contamination that could have caused 'mass sickness or death,'" according to an internal company report.

MILITARY -- ARMY SECRETARY WHO RESIGNED OVER WALTER REED GIVEN LAVISH FAREWELL CEREMONY: Army Secretary Francis Harvey resigned recently after the Washington Post exposed the neglect and squalor at Walter Reed. Yet last Friday, the Army gave Harvey a celebratory farewell ceremony at the large Conmy Hall in Virginia. The Progress Report obtained a media advisory promoting the event, which stated that Army chief of staff Peter Schoomaker would be hosting the "farewell ceremony" in Harvey's honor. Harvey not only oversaw the conditions at Walter Reed, but he also chose to place Lt. General Kevin Kiley -- who had been personally aware for years about the problems and apparently done nothing -- back in control of the hospital. Harvey's decision was reversed days later by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. In the text of his "Message to the Army," Harvey stated, "I am leaving your ranks saddened," and claimed the "well-being" of "soldiers and their families" has "always been my highest priority." The press advisory also noted: "The Secretary of the Army will not conduct a media availability before or after the ceremony."

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NEED COMPUTER ASSISTANCE?? 

Democrat Activist Mike Bailey is now providing “Professional Computer Support.”  He can be contacted at 502-558-4026, or mikebailey2000@usa.net. 

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Let me get this straight. In 2006, Wal-Mart tallied its worst same-store sales growth in 27 years. The company's stock price has remained stagnant for years. And, public opinion has taken a serious turn for the worse.

The company has slashed labor costs by capping the salary if its employees, reduced the number of its employees receiving company health care and implemented a series of additional business practices to cut labor costs.

Given all that, the company's board rewards Scott with a $22 million bonus? Something is seriously wrong with this picture.

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Think Fast  

67 percent: Number of Americans who believe President Bush should not pardon Scooter Libby, opposed to just 21 percent who believe he should.

Although Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's confession "may have effectively signed his own death warrant," his statements might actually help other suspects. "Mohammed took credit for so many different terrorist plots that others could use his testimony in their own defense strategy."

"Buried in the $124 billion House version of the wartime supplemental appropriation is an order to the Defense Department to release a report on the April 2004 death in Afghanistan of Army Spc. Patrick Tillman," whose death by friendly fire Army leaders tried to cover up.

Yesterday, the "House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a measure that barred the closure of Walter Reed Army Medical Center."

House investigators are looking at "whether the Army is running a plush ward at the [Walter Reed] complex for VIPs at the expense of ordinary war casualties." The suites -- which are reserved for high-ranking government officials and dignitaries -- "have carpeted floors, antique furniture and fine china in the dining rooms." The only enlisted members allowed to stay there are Medal of Honor recipients.

New report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that this "winter was the warmest on record worldwide."

"A review of existing computer climate models suggests that global warming could transform the North Pole into an ice-free expanse of ocean at the end of each summer by 2100, scientists reported today." The lead author of the review even said that their estimate "may be conservative."

John McKay, one of the purged U.S. Attorneys, yesterday "called for an investigation of the Justice Department's handling of the firings. McKay said that at very least, there should be an investigation by the DoJ's Inspector General, but if that was opposed, a special prosecutor should be appointed."

"In an emergency measure" Thursday night, the Cocoa Beach City Commission in Florida "banned indoor furniture from the beach, after what they said were rowdy weekend parties around sofas." "I think we just need to raise the bar a little bit, and this is a way we're going to start to do it," said Commissioner Kevin Pruett.

The Senate voted 60-38 to approve legislation "to implement many of the remaining reforms suggested by the Sept. 11 commission." Ten Republicans crossed party lines to approve the measure; Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) skipped the vote to fundraise in California. Bush has threatened to veto the bill "over a provision to expand the labor rights of 45,000 airport screeners."

78: Percentage of Americans who "do not think the Bush administration has done enough to care for [Iraq war] veterans," a new CBS/New York Times poll shows. "A majority of Republicans agree with all Americans overall on this issue."

The New York Times reveals more "shameful details...on the neglectful care extended to soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan." The Army's inspector general reports that "more than nine out of 10 disabled veterans have been kept waiting for benefit evaluations beyond the 40-day limit set by the Pentagon. Some have waited up to a year and a half for benefits."

"The federal government is sanctioning agreements that cost whistle-blowers their jobs after they expose safety and security lapses at nuclear facilities and toxic waste sites, Labor Department records show." 

"The Army Corps of Engineers, rushing to meet President Bush's promise to protect New Orleans by the start of the 2006 hurricane season, installed defective flood-control pumps last year despite warnings from its own expert that the equipment would fail during a storm."

A flurry of bombings shook Iraq today. Gen. David Petraeus "said car bombs are proving the biggest headache for troops trying to enforce a new security plan." There has been a "recent rise in violence" in northern Iraq that many blame on insurgents fleeing a security crackdown in the capital.

 “The White House was deeply involved in the decision late last year to dismiss federal prosecutors, including some who had been criticized by Republican lawmakers,” the New York Times reports. “Last October, President Bush spoke with Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to pass along concerns by Republicans” about several U.S. Attorneys. Weeks later, they were forced out.

In related news, Attorney General Gonzales’ chief of staff Kyle Sampson resigned yesterday in the wake of the U.S. Attorney scandal. Sampson was involved in generating the list of prosecutors to fire.

More questions about Halliburton’s move to Dubai. Senate Commerce Committee member Byron Dorgan (D-ND) asked yesterday, “I want to know, is Halliburton trying to run away from bad publicity on their contracts? Are they trying to run away from the obligation to pay U.S. taxes? Or are they trying to set up a corporate presence in Dubai so that they can avoid the restrictions that currently exist on doing business with prohibited countries like Iran?” 

News of Scooter Libby’s guilty verdict has brought in $70,000 in Internet contributions in a week. Wealthy supporters like publisher Steve Forbes and lobbyist Wayne Berman plan to raise much more; actor Fred Thompson plans a Washington fundraiser that may bring in more than $100,000.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced a resolution yesterday to allow Al Gore to stage a global-warming concert on the Capitol grounds. Gore’s Live Earth event will feature seven major concerts on seven continents to help bring attention to global climate change.

Hagel brings out the comedian in political pundits. Reacting to Sen. Chuck Hagel’s (R-NE) bizarre non-announcement yesterday, the Hotline called the speech “the biggest letdown since ‘Joey’ spun off from ‘Friends.’” CNN reporter Dana Bash added, “This trip was all steak and no sizzle.”

The Pentagon has “begun plotting a fallback strategy for Iraq that includes a gradual withdrawal of forces and a renewed emphasis on training Iraqi fighters” in case the President’s escalation fails. The new strategy is more in line with the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group and is “based in part on the U.S. experience in El Salvador in the 1980s.”

Tourism to the United States has dropped by 17 percent since 2001. “Two-thirds of respondents worried they could be held back at airports because of a mistake in form filling or a misstatement to immigration officials. Half said officials were rude and that they feared them more than the threat of terrorism or crime.”

Some officials within the White House are calling on President Bush to uphold his pledge to “have the highest of high standards” when it comes to granting pardons. “What you saw was a vice president’s office that was out of control,” a former White House staffer tells Newsweek, arguing against pardoning Scooter Libby.

“A new federal rule intended to keep illegal immigrants from receiving Medicaid has instead shut out tens of thousands of United States citizens who have had difficulty complying with requirements to show birth certificates and other documents proving their citizenship.”

The Army expects to have an “annual shortage of 3,000 [midlevel] officers through 2013 as it increases its ranks by 40,000 soldiers.” The Government Accountability Office notes that “officer retention has been a problem for the Army, in part because it “continues to remain heavily involved in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.’”

Former U.S. attorney John McKay tells Newsweek that after he was fired in December, he received a call from the Justice Department asking if he intended to go public: “He was offering me a deal: you stay silent and the attorney general won’t say anything bad about you.”

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