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LOUISVILLE /JEFFERSON COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER
Week of April 1, 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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Bulletin Board:
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.
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES WEBSITES:
Other sites will be listed as they become available
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How we achieve victory, Matt Gunterman
The victory we want and the victory we’re working for here at this blog is the defeat of Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell at the ballot box on Tuesday, November 4, 2008.
How
is that possible and how do we make it happen? I’ve been hearing that a lot
lately from
Kentuckians and non-Kentuckians alike. No-one likes Sen. McConnell, they’d
love to see him fall, but they just aren’t able to see how it all comes
together quite yet.
Let me explain how it’s possible first by explaining the political dynamics that are developing nationally and in Kentucky.
You’ve no doubt seen the Pew Research Center survey numbers that appeared yesterday that show the bottom falling out of American identification with the Republican Party brand. It’s significant that this trend has been both consistent and is now accelerating. There’s a sea change in American politics at work.
It’s a phenomenon that even some prominent Republicans are realizing. Note Senator Chuck Hagel’s comments recently that the nation is “experiencing a political reorientation, a redefining and moving toward a new political center of gravity.”
The Republican Party is going to adapt to this new political reality, and that’s part of our opportunity against Sen. Mitch McConnell. The Rest of the Story
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McConnell blocks Gore concert, James Bruggers
As far as he knows, Courier-Journal reporter James Bruggers is the only journalist covering the environment full time for a Kentucky newspaper, television station, or radio station.
Is Mitch McConnell a global warming party pooper?
McConnell, who leads the Republicans in the U.S. Senate, has blocked at
least for now one of Al Gore's global warming concerts planned for the
Capitol lawn.
Word of the legislative maneuvering from late Friday came to me from the
Politico, via HuffingtonPost.com. Look
here.
This has to do with the Save Our Selves and Live Earth shows planned for all
seven concerts. Look
here.
(I'd like to attend the show planned for Antarctica. Think I can get the C-J
to cover my travel expenses? Though it's gotta be pretty cold down there in
July).
Watchdog Earth called Mr. McConnell's press office this morning to find out
what's going on. Spokeswoman Julie Adams said the senator wanted the
authorizing resolution to first go before the Rules Committee, which is
where it is now. It's still not clear, however, whether the senator from
Louisville is trying to get the concert moved to a less political setting.
By the way, I posed direct questions to Mr. McConnell's press office last
year on whether he believes the Earth's climate is warming and, if so, to
what extent he sees a human influence. The senator evaded those questions,
and instead provided a statement that included:
"While there is not a consensus among scientists on climate change issues, I
believe that we can find a common-sense approach to conservation that works
to benefit all. The (Bush) administration has taken steps in the right
direction by creating new initiatives and research programs that center
specifically on reducing greenhouse gases, as well as improving conservation
efforts."
Look
here for Gore's recent congressional testimony on global warming.
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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
"I was not involved in seeing any memos, was not involved in
any discussions about what was going on."
-- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales,
3/12/07, claiming no personal involvement in the U.S. attorney firings
VERSUS
"Attorney General Alberto Gonzales approved plans to fire several U.S.
attorneys in a November meeting, according to newly released documents." --
AP,
3/23/07
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"I think if the
President would agree for his close advisers in the White House to testify
before Congress under oath, he'd be making a huge mistake. There is a thing
called executive privilege." -- Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-MS),
3/25/07, on President Bush invoking executive privilege in the
prosecutor purge
VERSUS
"I think they've made a mistake by [invoking executive privilege]. I think
it will damage the credibility. It looks like they are hiding something, so
I think they shouldn't have done it." -- Lott,
3/24/98, on President Clinton invoking executive privilege in the Monica
Lewinsky saga
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"General Petraeus goes
out there almost every day in an unarmed humvee." -- Sen. John McCain
(R-AZ),
3/27/07, on how safe Iraq is because of President Bush's escalation
VERSUS
"I mean, in the hour since Sen. McCain's said this, I've spoken to military
sources and there was laughter down the line. I mean, certainly the general
travels in a humvee. There's multiple humvees around it, heavily armed." --
CNN's Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware,
3/27/07
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"The [Justice]
Department is not aware of Karl Rove playing any role in the decision to
appoint Mr. Griffin." -- Former chief of staff to Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales Kyle Sampson,
2/23/07, in a letter to senators on the appointment of Tim Griffin as
U.S. attorney in Arkansas
VERSUS
"[G]etting him [Tim Griffin] appointed was important to Harriet, Karl,
etc." -- Sampson,
12/19/06
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Quotes of the Day
"Liberals have finally joined the ranks of scoundrels like Hitler." --Indicted former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, in his new book
"The ugliest part was my dear friend from Las Vegas (a male friend) was giving me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. We had about six beautiful girls there and there was (my friend) doing his part." --Former President George H.W. Bush, on collapsing from dehydration
"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
SENATE WEEK IN REVIEW
March 29, 2007
Submitted by Senators Denise Harper Angel, Perry Clark, Gerald Neal and Tim Shaughnessy
The final days of any legislative session are hectic, with lawmakers working out the final details of important bills and finding room to negotiate where we disagree. This year was no exception, as we worked late into the night to work out a plan to protect Kentucky's social workers.
In the end, Senate Bill 59 will be known as the "Boni Bill" in honor of the western Kentucky social worker who was killed in October while supervising a child's in-home visit with his mother.
SB 59 will allow social workers to request a background check and receive the results within an hour if they have concerns about the clients they are dealing with. Law enforcement could also accompany the front-line staff to a site if requested to provide protection. In addition, the General Assembly has authorized funding to hire more front-line staff and ease the workload of our social workers.
Under SB 59, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services will have $2.5 million to hire new front-line staff and ease the crushing workload on our current employees.
The cabinet will also receive $3.5 million to create and upgrade secure centers where social workers can supervise family visitations and other meetings they supervise. Finally, we have created a study group to investigate the needs of these public servants and report back to us any future changes that may be needed.
Because of the urgent need for new staff and these safety measures, SB 59 contains an emergency clause and will become law as soon as it is signed by the governor.
A pair of other high-profile measures also were approved in the waning days of our 2007 session, including a bill to help curb the rising spread of prescription drug abuse. SB 88 would require patients to be physically examined by a medical professional, and their medical history taken, before any prescription could be written. This is just the latest step in our efforts to combat Internet pharmacies, which will often send prescription drugs to a patient after a simple questionnaire. It's an easy avenue for an addict to obtain drugs they don't really need medically, because no one ever verifies their symptoms.
We also approved SB 22, which should improve health care for some state employees and save taxpayer money at the same time. This new law would allow veterans who now work for the state to receive supplemental health coverage through TRICARE, the Defense Department's health insurance plan. State government, rather than paying up to $700 each month for the employee's health coverage on the state plan, could pay less than $200 for their extra military health care. The military plan in many cases offers better benefits than our state plan, allowing our veterans better coverage while saving the state millions of dollars.
The TRICARE bill was just the latest in a series of bills we approved to recognize the service of our veterans this year. Over the course of our 30-day session, we expanded education benefits to the children of deceased or disabled veterans, required the Kentucky Housing Corporation to help Kentucky soldiers meet their mortgage or rent payments while on active duty, and made sure that military and veterans' families know what options are available to them when it's time to bury their loved ones. Unfortunately, the House did not approve one of our highest priorities this session, eliminating the state income tax burden on military pay, but we hope to bring the issue front and center once again next year.
Our state's coal miners work in dangerous conditions to bring us the cheapest electricity in the nation, but last year's 16 mine fatalities demanded more steps be taken to safeguard their lives and their health. House Bill 207 ensures that every underground mine is inspected six times a year, including two full electrical checks. Mine seal plans, which describe how miners are protected from dangerous gases, would be filed and approved by both state and federal regulators, and miners would be provided with multi-gas detectors to monitor the levels of carbon monoxide, methane, and other potentially deadly gases.
We recommended 15 additional mine analysts, who could give mine operators, managers, and workers the guidance they need to keep accidents from happening. Of course, accidents can happen despite the best of safety measures. For those situations, we've also mandated that emergency medical professionals by on site at each mine to immediately react to any situation that may arise. We've also mandated family liaisons for each mine, so that loved one could be regularly updated and informed on any situations as they happen.
Another way we can protect our family members will be through SB 65, which will require all registered sex offenders to list not only their home address, but also their e-mail addresses, screen names, and any other identities they use on the Internet. As parents, we can watch out for our children and keep predators from them in the real world, but we don't always know who they're talking to online when we're not around. This information will be listed in the state's database, which is available online at kspsor.state.ky.us.
Our lowest-paid Kentuckians will also benefit from this session. HB 305 will increase the minimum wage in three steps, with an eventual rise to $7.25 an hour on July 1, 2009. These workers will see an increase in their paychecks this summer, however, when the base rate will become $5.85, with an additional raise to $6.55 on July 1, 2008.
We'll return to the Capitol for committee meetings and other discussions throughout the year, but unless the governor calls a special session, we won't be back to vote on new bills until January 8, 2008. Until then, I hope you'll stay in touch and let me know how you feel about the issues facing our commonwealth. As always, call our Legislative Message Line at 1-800-372-7181, or follow our work online at http://www.lrc.ky.gov.
Senator Harper Angel represents the 35th Senate District in Jefferson County; Senator Neal represents the 33rd Senate District in Jefferson County;Senator Perry Clark represents the 37th Senate District in Jefferson County; and Senator Shaughnessy represents the 19th Senate District in Jefferson County.
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SENATOR PERRY CLARK'S REPORT
Now that the 2007 session has come to an end, I wanted to update you on the work the Kentucky Legislature has done over the past several months.
Below you will find a brief summary of
several pieces of legislation that I supported during the 20
07
Legislative Session:
ü Boni Bill -- Social Work
Senate Bill 59 directs the Cabinet of Health and Family Services to provide a safe work environment and improve policies and procedures to enhance the safety for all cabinet employees. Under this legislation, several dozen new positions will be created to help lessen the case work for our overburdened social workers. We will also increase funding for security of those who are on the frontlines serving Kentucky's children.
ü FORD
House Bill 536 will provide $200 million or more towards upgrades for Ford Motor automotive plants in order to demonstrate that Louisville and Kentucky are committed to keeping Kentucky's Ford plants open and continuing to employ over 8,000 citizens. The Legislative Research Commission estimates that Ford's two Louisville plants have a $4 billion-per-year impact on Kentucky's economy.
ü Human Trafficking
Senate Bill 43 will make human trafficking a Class B felony in Kentucky. The bill defines human trafficking as the transportation of persons for forced labor, sexual exploitation or other illicit activities.
ü Sex Offenders
Senate Bill 65 will require convicted sex offenders in Kentucky to disclose their Internet user names or other online identities to the Justice Cabinet.
ü Speed Limit
Senate Bill 83 raises the speed limits on some major highways to 70 miles per hour.
ü Minimum Wage
House Bill 305 will increase the state's minimum wage this summer to $5.85 an hour, then to $6.65 and hour on July 1, 2008, and finally to $7.25 on July 1, 2009.
ü TIF -- Tax Increment Financing
House Bill 549 will help protect our various economic development programs, which give incentives to employers that bring higher-paying jobs to counties across the commonwealth. This bill will allow large-scale projects in communities big and small to get the financing they need to move forward.
ü Mine Safety
House Bill 207 adds new safety requirements for coal mines. This bill is part of the General Assembly's continued efforts to improve life in the mines while protecting mining jobs.
ü Fire-Safe Cigarettes
Senate Bill 134 will require the cigarettes in Kentucky be "fire-safe," meaning they are made with a type of paper that extinguishes itself if no one puffs on the cigarette for a while. Fire experts say this will save lives by preventing cigarette-caused house fires.
Most of these bills and the others approved by the Kentucky General Assembly will take effect on or about June 25.
The Governor has stated he may call a special session to address issues that were not fully resolved during this 30-day short session. In order to avoid unnecessary tax payer expense, I am hopeful the Governor will not call us back to Frankfort until all parties are in agreement. I will provide updates as this situation unfolds.
Thank you for your input and advice. As always, you are welcome to contact me.
Sincerely, Perry Clark, State Senator
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INTERESTING
Congressman Yarmuth's Call is Answered, Louisville's Critical First Responder Funding is Restored for '08
Congressman Leads Effort to Block Several of President's Budget Cuts
Much of Louisville's security depends on funding
through Administration of Justice programs such as Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS) program, Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG),
Assistance to Firefighter Grants, and Juvenile Justice Funding, so when the
President's budget called for dramatic cuts to all four programs,
Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) took action.
Last week, Congressman Yarmuth called on Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt and Ranking Member Paul Ryan to restore the funding to all Louisville's critical first responder programs. Today, by a vote of 216 to 210 the House of Representatives passed a budget that increases COPS, Byrne-JAG, AFG, Juvenile Justice Funding, and other Administration of Justice programs by more than $1 billion.
"I am thankful to my colleagues for recognizing the importance of providing our first responders with the resources and equipment needed to keep our community safe," Congressman Yarmuth said. "A failure to fund these programs would have seriously jeopardized the security of Louisville's first responders and the families they protect."
"These funds help us put additional police officers on the street, purchase equipment for our officers and secure mobile data terminals for our firefighters and paramedics," said Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson. "I appreciate Congressman Yarmuth's leadership in helping restore funding for these critical programs that protect the health and safety of our residents."
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ITT fined $100 million for illegal exports, -- By CNN Producer Mike M. Ahlers
Manufacturer admits to exporting night vision materials to China, Singapore, and Britain without U.S. authorization.
The leading manufacturer of night vision gear for the Defense Department has admitted sending classified materials overseas and will pay a $100 million penalty, according to federal prosecutors, who say the actions of ITT Corp. have jeopardized the security of U.S. soldiers.
ITT, based in Roanoke, Va., exported classified or sensitive technical data to China, Singapore and Britain without having obtained authorization from the United States, prosecutors said.
The conviction is the first involving a major defense contractor violating the Arms Export Control Act, prosecutors said.
Saying that American soldiers are "the principal victims of ITT's crimes," U.S. Attorney John Brownlee said he has structured the $100 million penalty so that half of the money is spent by ITT to develop a next-generation night vision system and "ensure that our soldiers have the best night vision equipment in the world."
Safety gizmos that aren't worth the cost
ITT must invest the $50 million over five years to accelerate development of night vision technology, and the government will maintain rights to all technology that is developed under the agreement.
The arrangement will also allow the government to share any technology developed by ITT under the agreement with ITT's competitors, Brownlee said.
Prosecutors said the probe began Aug. 1, 2001, when Defense Department investigators discovered that ITT night vision employees sent a classified military document to Britain.
The company engaged in a "regular pattern of export violations and misrepresentation" to the U.S. government from 1980 to 2005, prosecutors said.
In some cases, information was transferred because the manufacture of laser gear could be done cheaper overseas.
ITT "went to significant lengths to set up an end run" around State Department licensing systems, prosecutors said, including enlisting a front company to export the systems.
The company also fought the government's investigation, Brownlee said, and attempted "to essentially run out the clock on the statute of limitations." He said the company's posture changed in 2005 with the hiring of a new CEO, Steven Loranger, who hired new outside corporate attorneys and instructed the company to cooperate with the investigation.
101 Dumbest Moments in Business
ITT Corp., whose competitors include Lockheed Martin (up $0.08 to $98.50, Charts) and United Technologies (down $0.34 to $66.07, Charts), has agreed to plead guilty to a count of violating the Arms Export Control Act by illegally sending classified and/or export-controlled information relating to night vision materials to foreign countries. It also will plead guilty to a count of knowingly or willfully omitting material facts from required reports with intent to obstruct a State Department investigation.
As part of the $100 million penalty, ITT will pay a $2 million criminal fine and a $50 million deferred prosecution penalty - to be invested in night vision technology - and will forfeit $28 million to the U.S. government as the proceeds of its illegal actions. ITT will also pay a $20 million penalty to the State Department.
Shares of ITT (down $0.28 to $60.91, Charts) edged lower during afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Recent Senate Votes
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Budget Resolution, FY2008 - Vote Agreed to (52-47, 1
Not Voting)
The Senate approved this $2.9 trillion budget resolution that sets spending priorities for the 2008 fiscal year.
Sen. Mitch McConnell voted NO - Sen. Jim Bunning voted NO
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Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007 -
Vote Passed (94-2, 4 Not Voting)
The Senate passed this bill that would prohibit the attorney general from filling U.S. attorney vacancies for an indefinite time period.
Sen. Mitch McConnell voted YES - Sen. Jim Bunning voted YES
Recent House Votes
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Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act - Vote Passed
(302-125, 6 Not Voting)
This House bill would require the government to replace public housing that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
Rep. Ron Lewis voted NO - Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES
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U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act
- Vote Passed (218-212, 1 Present, 3 Not Voting)
The House passed this $124 million emergency supplemental bill that provides funds for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and sets a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq.
Rep. Ron Lewis voted NO - Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES
Liberal group launches media campaign against McConnell
The liberal advocacy group Americans United for Change says it is spending $200,000 over the next week to run a TV ad blasting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for blocking efforts to end the Iraq war. Here's an excerpt from their press release:
McConnell Watch, a program of Americans United for Change, seeks to hold Mitch McConnell accountable for Standing in the Way of a forward looking, middle class economic agenda and a responsible redeployment of our troops from Iraq and out of the crosshairs of a civil war. McConnell’s use of procedure and other tactics to delay and obstruct key votes and debate on these issues – issues on which the majority of American’s agree that change is vital – is abominable. McConnell will continue to obstruct progress on these and other issues with impunity unless he is held accountable.
Here's the ad. Mitch McConnell: Kentucky sees it, why won't he?
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2008 Candidates on Workers’ Freedom to Form Unions, by Tula Connell
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) hosted a presidential candidate forum this week in Washington, D.C., with the three leading Democratic contenders: former Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).
The Washington Post is featuring a video clip of each candidate discussing workers’ freedom to form unions. It’s great stuff—check it out.
HUMOR
An authentic video featuring NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani in drag having his "breasts" shamelessly violated by "Apprentice" tycoon Donald Trump. (From the Mayor's Inner Circle Press Roast, 2000) Click Here
"Rudy's first wife was his cousin. Did you know this? I'm not making this
up. And they say a New Yorker can't win in the South." --Bill Maher
"Rudy Giuliani has defended Newt Gingrich, saying it's okay 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
"Some members of Congress are thinking about impeaching President Bush because he is adamant about not withdrawing troops. What are the odds of that? That's pretty ironic -- two presidents in a row would be impeached for not pulling out?" --Jay Leno
"In an interview, Rudy Giuliani's wife admitted that Rudy Giuliani is not her second husband. Actually, he's her third husband. She forgot about her first. But Rudy understands. When they started dating, he forgot he had a wife too." --Jay Leno
"Homeland Security announced that there are 600,000 fugitives unaccounted for in America. And those are just the ones in the Bush administration." --Jay Leno
"Iran has seized 15 British sailors who Iran claims had sailed into Iranian waters. Britain denied the sailors entered Iran territory. Iran responded by denying the Holocaust." --Jay Leno
"An aide to the newly elected Democratic Senator Jim Webb of Virginia was arrested for trying to bring the senator's gun into the Senate office building. Webb said he needed the gun for protection. Apparently, he had an afternoon meeting with Vice President Cheney." --Jay Leno
"Let's begin in Washington, where I am pleased to say that after just a few scant months in power, congressional Democrats have made great strides in their efforts to lose the war in Iraq. Last Friday, the House put yet another cherry on its treason sundae by narrowly passing a war spending bill calling for the end of combat operations by next September. A plan Republicans immediately denounced as an admission of failure, opposed to their plan, which is failure without admission." --Jon Stewart (Watch video clip)
"An aide to the newly elected Democratic
Senator Jim Webb of Virginia was arrested for trying to bring the senator's
gun into the Senate office building. Webb said he needed the gun for
protection. Apparently, he had an afternoon meeting with Vice President
Cheney." --Jay Leno
"In his new tell-all book, Republican former House Majority Leader
Tom DeLay said he
partied too much, drank too much, and slept with too many women he wasn't
married to. You know what the Republicans call a guy like that? A Democrat."
--Jay Leno
ETHICS -- GSA ADMINISTRATOR MAY HAVE USED POSITION FOR UNLAWFUL POLITICAL PURPOSES: Earlier this month, House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) discovered that the head of the General Services Administration (GSA), Lurita Alexis Doan, may have violated federal law by using her position for "political purposes." Based on information provided to Congress by witnesses, Doan and White House deputy director of political affairs J. Scott Jennings "joined in a videoconference earlier this year with top GSA political appointees, who discussed ways to help Republican candidates." During the meeting, Doan asked how the GSA could "help 'our candidates' in the next elections" and consequently explored "how to exclude House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from an upcoming courthouse opening in San Francisco and how to include Republican Senator Mel Martinez." According to Waxman, Doan's remarks were "confirmed by 'multiple sources.'" The investigation may also "raise questions" about the role Jennings, whose name has name has also surfaced in reference to the improper dismissal of eight U.S. Attorneys. Previously, questions arose surrounding Doan's attempts to award a $20,000 no-bid GSA contract to a firm headed by Edie Fraser, an individual with whom Doan has had a "long-standing," undisclosed business relationship. As the Post reports today, Doan had taken the "unusual step of personally signing the no-bid arrangement." Doan's inappropriate, and potentially unlawful, actions came just two months after Fraser helped provide Doan the "political support" needed to secure her post at the GSA. In a statement on March 7, Doan dismissed Waxman's assertions as "scurrilous" personal attacks and said she would be "delighted to have the opportunity to set the record straight" when she appears before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday.
ENVIRONMENT -- BUSH ADMINISTRATION MOVES TO 'GUT' THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT: In what is described as a "no-holds-barred end run around one of America's most popular environmental protections," the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is "maneuvering to fundamentally weaken" the Endangered Species Act, according to documents obtained by Salon.com. The strategy would "limit the number of species that can be protected and curtail the acres of wildlife habitat to be preserved." As Salon reports, many in the FWS feel the proposed changes are "not based on 'defensible science.'" Such reports come just months after the Washington Post reported last fall that senior political appointees in the Department of the Interior had ignored or rejected the advice of government scientists at the "behest of landowners or industry." These complaints were confirmed in a survey conducted by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility which found that "nearly half" of FWS employees that work with endangered species reported "being directed by their superiors to ignore scientific evidence that would result in recommendations for the protection of species." Under the leadership of President George W. Bush and Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, a long-time critic of the Endangered Species Act, the FWS has declared only 57 species endangered since 2000. In contrast, Bill Clinton listed 512 species endangered in his 8-year term, and George H. W. Bush listed 234 species as endangered in his 4-year term. As one FWS employee stated, "I have 20 years of federal service in this and this is the worst it has ever been."
ADMINISTRATION --
WHITE HOUSE STANDS BY SWIFT BOAT NOMINEE, BLAMES WITHDRAWAL ON 'PARTISAN
POLITICS':
Yesterday, the White House
withdrew the nomination of Swift Boat Vets
funder Sam Fox to be ambassador to Belgium. If there was any question
whether the White House's move was a gesture of good will towards Sen. John
Kerry (D-MA), it has been put to rest. During yesterday's press briefing,
White House spokesperson Dana Perino stood by Fox, calling him a qualified
candidate and saying that President Bush was "disappointed" that senators
had rejected him "based
on partisan politics instead of his leadership abilities." (Explaining
Fox's qualifications, Perino twice mentioned the fact that Fox was named
"St. Louis Citizen Of The Year" in 2003.) Asked whether the White House
thought Fox's contributions to a group that smeared veterans should have
been an issue, Perino said, "No,
I don't think it is." Also, while only Sens. Kerry and Chris Dodd (D-CT)
had
formally announced their opposition to Fox's nomination, Perino revealed
that Fox was pulled because "his nomination would not have passed" the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
ETHICS -- ADMINISTRATION'S VOTER FRAUD EXCUSE FOR FIRING PROSECUTORS IS A
FRAUD: The Justice Department has attempted to cover up its partisan
firings of eight U.S. attorneys by accusing them of
failing to aggressively pursue charges of voter fraud. Last week,
President Bush said, "We did hear complaints and concerns about U.S.
attorneys. Some complained about the
lack of vigorous prosecution of election fraud cases." As the New York
Times wrote last week, the right wing's pursuit of voter fraud is "code
for suppressing the votes of minorities and poor people." Michael
Waldman and Justin Levitt from the Brennan Center for Justice at New York
University School of Law also note that "the notion of widespread voter
fraud, as these prosecutors found out, is itself a fraud. Firing a
prosecutor for failing to find wide voter fraud is like
firing a park ranger for failing to find Sasquatch. Where fraud exists,
of course, it should be prosecuted and punished. ... Yet evidence of actual
fraud by individual voters is painfully skimpy." In testimony before the
Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, FBI Director Robert Mueller
further discounted the administration's claims, saying that since 2001,
there have been no FBI investigations related to election fraud that "should
have resulted in an indictment but did not." In addition, he confirmed that
he was never consulted about the performance of the fired prosecutors by the
Attorney General or his chief of staff.
Dems, It's Time To Go Fox Huntin',
As a loyal Democrat and paid commentator on CNN, I am hopelessly biased -- but at least I admit it. The folks at Fox News, on the other hand, are just as hopelessly biased -- and they deny it. While I openly admit that I love all things Clinton, think House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is strong and brave, see Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as Harry Truman reincarnated and don't believe George W. Bush would know the truth if it bit him on the ass, Fox insults our intelligence by feigning fairness.
That's
why the Nevada Democrats did the right thing in refusing to allow Fox to
pretend it is a neutral host for a Democratic debate. The more Fox is seen
as "fair and balanced," the easier it is for the network to swift-boat
Democratic candidates and propel misinformation into the mainstream media.
Thank God Democrats are finally growing a spine and fighting back. No longer
can Fox function as a Republican mouthpiece and expect us to put it on stage
as a neutral news source. Like I tell my kids: NHD -- not happenin', dude.
To be clear, this is not a boycott, and it's not about Democrats being afraid to go on Fox. It's about how Fox is presented to the public when it voices its right-wing views. During the fight against Fox in Nevada, MoveOn suggested a co-sponsored Fox/Air America debate. Perfect. An avowedly progressive media outlet paired with the conservative Fox. The spirit of "Crossfire" lives. But MoveOn's compromise was not accepted, and ultimately Fox lost everything.
Looking forward, the victory in Nevada sends a powerful message to Fox: You're not going to be able to use Democratic debates to whitewash your right-wing bias the way Exxon green washes its reputation by buying off academics and PR flacks.
For Democrats, it sends an equally powerful message: Fight back; you can win. From its first days on the air, Fox News has smeared Bill and Hillary Clinton. And when President Clinton finally called Fox on it, the effect was electric. Across America, progressives were galvanized into action.
For those who need reminding of Fox's agenda -- using its "fair and balanced" credibility to smear Democrats and help Republicans -- here's the bill of particulars:
- Fox News' founder and guiding genius, Roger Ailes, was the chief media strategist for President George H.W. Bush. When you have a Republican political consultant running a news network, don't be surprised if that network becomes a propaganda tool for the Republican Party.
- After the 2006 elections, Fox Senior Vice President John Moody sent a memo to news staff instructing them: "Be on the lookout for any statements from the Iraqi insurgents ... thrilled at the prospect of a Dem-controlled Congress."
- Robert Greenwald's film "Outfoxed" exposed 33 similar memos from Moody before the 2004 elections. On Bush: "His political courage and tactical cunning are worth noting in our reporting through the day." On Iraq: "Do not fall into the easy trap of mourning the loss of U.S. lives and asking out loud 'Why are we there?'"
- Fox's Iraq coverage was so biased that a university study showed 80 percent of Fox viewers believed one of these three falsehoods: Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11; WMDs were found in Iraq; or most of the world supported Bush's Iraq war. Fox is entitled to its own opinions, but not its own facts.
- Fox hired George W. Bush's first cousin, John Ellis, to chair its Election Night desk in 2000. Not surprisingly, Ellis spoke with Bush five times that night, and Fox was the first network to "call" Florida for Bush.
- Fox identified alleged pervert and GOP Congressman Mark Foley of Florida as a Democrat.
- Fox's headline when Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted on four of five felony counts was straight out of Pravda: "Scooter Libby Found Not Guilty of Lying to FBI Investigators."
- Fox cited an Insight magazine report that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was educated in a Muslim madrassa. CNN sent real journalists to Indonesia, interviewed people, gathered facts, and reported the news: Obama's school was public and nondenominational.
- More Fox smears and misinformation are captured in the YouTube videos at www.FoxAttacks.com.
When Bill O'Reilly hosted James Carville and me on his program back in September, I urged Bill and Fox to stop living a lie. "Come out of the closet!" I yelled. "You all are conservative!" But O'Reilly was unmoved. "I don't believe it for a second," he said.
I do. Bill Clinton does. So does the Nevada Democratic Party. Sometimes the thing a bully needs most is someone to stand up to him.
Paul Begala is a political analyst for CNN and a research professor at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute. He was counselor to President Clinton.
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Does A Major Swift-Boat Donor Become An Ambassador This Week?
When the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee meets on Wednesday to vote on whether or not
to favorably send some routine nominations to the full Senate, there's no
hiding that, among the eight people being considered for critical
appointments to U.S. agencies, there is one certifiable scumbag who the
White House is hoping will slip through the cracks.
When you have a disastrous war going on that's killing American troops every
day and draining the national treasury, approval ratings going nowhere but
down and an Attorney General who has more problems than a guy named
"Scooter" in a prison shower room, I guess you probably hope that something
like this will squeak by.
We'll see if it does.
Sam Fox, of St. Louis, was nominated by George W. Bush in January to be the
new U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. It's not unusual in either party for a guy
who pumps a lot of money into political campaigns to be rewarded with such a
post -- and Fox is certainly a big-time Sugar Daddy for the GOP -- but this
guy took that standard up a few notches by
donating $50,000 to the Swift Boat Liars, who used fabrications and
smears to help derail John Kerry's (D-MA) 2004 presidential campaign.
So it created substantial drama a month ago when Fox appeared before the
Foreign Relations Committee for his nomination hearing and, much to his
regret, a Senator named Kerry hadn’t called in sick that day.
What followed was a sweet grilling that included a
very controlled Kerry asking Fox how someone who gave that much money to
a pack of proven liars, who tangibly affected the outcome of a presidential
election, could be considered a decent representative for America. Fox
played dumb, first pretending to draw a blank on having given the money to
the Swifties and then saying he did it because all politics is dirty and he
was just trying to help his party.
The Rest of the Story
President Bush on Wednesday withdrew the ambassadorial nomination of businessman Sam Fox after Democrats denounced Fox for giving money to a controversial conservative group that undermined Sen. John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.
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Think Fast
The Justice Department apologized for a Feb. 23 letter stating that Karl Rove did not play a role in the attorney purge. The Department "released new documents showing that [Gonzales's ex-aide Kyle] Sampson was the primary author of the letter, which was approved by the White House counsel," which itself "raises new questions of whether the Justice Department and the White House worked together to mislead Congress."
Insurgent attacks on Baghdad's fortified Green Zone have increased recently, with attacks "on six of the past seven days, once with deadly consequences." One State Department official also noted, "There are increasing attacks on the [U.S.] embassy."
Meanwhile, two hours after two truck bombs killed at least 85 people in Tal Afar yesterday, "a group of gunmen, including Shiite policemen, began going door-to-door and assassinated 70 Sunnis." The wave of revenge killings has continued this morning.
"Income inequality grew significantly in 2005, with the top 1 percent of Americans -- those with incomes that year of more than $348,000 -- receiving their largest share of national income since 1928. … The top 10 percent, roughly those earning more than $100,000, also reached a level of income share not seen since before the Depression."
The White House has undertaken a "bold, behind-the-scenes drive to advance a key domestic goal: immigration reform. ... The intense effort -- conceived by the president's chief political strategist, Karl Rove -- is intended to ensure that Bush will achieve at least one crucial policy victory in the last two years of his presidency."
Air Force Gen. Lance Smith yesterday said that if President Bush's escalation extends beyond the summer, "there is a 'high probability' that some Army units would have less than a year at home between combat rotations, further compressing the limited time to train and reconnect with families."
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) is "holding up a popular bipartisan bill to crack down on cockfighting that was expected to pass easily in the Senate yesterday." House bill co-sponsor Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) said that Coburn's hold "testifies to the powers of these shadowy forces that allow this illegal and barbaric scandal to continue."
We all know 2008 may see the first female or African-American president, but "few have focused on the related question": are we ready for our first bald president in modern times? With potential nominees Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson, we may soon "hail a follically challenged chief executive." And thankfully, Giuliani's long-time "unpardonable comb-over" has been "transformed...into a more accepting and natural-looking sweep-back."
"The Army's new acting surgeon general said Tuesday she is concerned about long-term morale because the military lacks money to hire enough nurses and mental health specialists to treat thousands of troops coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan."
"The House on Tuesday approved a two-year extension [through 2010] of a program offering tax credits for construction of low-income housing in areas hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005."
After environmental groups leaked the Interior Department's secret plan</