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LOUISVILLE /JEFFERSON COUNTY

DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

Week of April 8, 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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Nope, Kentucky’s not Berkeley, but war’s not popular here, either,  Matt Gunterman

Sen. Mitch McConnell’s statements are getting more and more off the wall. I think the pressure and constant spotlight of the senator minority leader position really are getting to him.

He’s just making strange, strange statements as of late. First, there was his inability, after admitting the surge might fail, to articulate any position on what might come next. Second, there was his terrible performance in an interview yesterday when confronted about his shifting positions on the testimony of presidential staffs before Congress.

Now, we get Sen. McConnell so out of touch with Kentuckians that he seems to think that the desire to end the war in Iraq is only a majority position in places like liberal Berkeley, California.

What’s the problem here? Well, for months now, Kentuckians have been sitting around the family dinner table, the local coffee shops, and every where else people gather and they’ve been talking about this war.

And the consensus that they’ve come to is that the war’s just not a good thing. Our soldiers have done the best job they could with the inferior support and equipment that the Bush administration and Senator McConnell’s Republican Party have given them, but the task they’ve been asked to do — police a civil war for a decade or more — is simply not what the nation’s military force was intended or designed to do.

So, with this latest crazy statement, McConnell reveals that he hasn’t a clue that this debate has been going on among Kentuckians. After all, he’s only in the state to raise money with George W. Bush.

Well, Sen. McConnell, I think you have a lot to learn a lot about your constituency and their opinions over the 20 months.

And it won’t be pretty for you.  Source: Ditch Mitch KY

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Congressman Yarmuth Announces $10 Million for Louisville International Airport, Federal Funding Will Go Toward Noise Mitigation for Surrounding Areas

Wednesday, Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) announced that Louisville International Airport has been awarded a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to be used for noise mitigation for the surrounding neighborhoods.

"It's a great honor to announce that our airport has been selected to receive a $10 million grant from the Department of Transportation," Congressman Yarmuth said.  "As our airport grows to meet new demands, this funding will provide relief to families who have been impacted by the airport's expansion -- ensuring that their quality of life remains a top priority. 

The grant is part of the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century.  The funding will support the Louisville Airport's Voluntary Residential Relocation Program.   This initiative is designed to provide relocation support for families in the noise-impacted areas. 

"This $10 million will voluntarily relocate half of the remaining eligible-and interested-families from the most noise-impacted areas around Louisville International Airport-clearly moving the relocation process closer to completion," said J.D. Nichols, Chairman of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority Board.

Highlighting a recent economic report, Yarmuth added, "Federal support is not only essential to our airport, it is also critical to Louisville's economic development."

An economic impact study released last month found that Louisville International Airport and its business partners provide 43,600 jobs for the community, yielding nearly $2 billion of income.  The airport is also responsible for $4.5 billion in yearly business expenditure, generating $246 million in local and state tax revenue annually.

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Two big victories boost Ohio's election protection movement
by Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman

In a victory for election protection activists, Ohio's powerful GOP Chair Bob Bennett will be forced to face a public hearing on his removal as Chair of the Cuyahoga (Cleveland) Board of Elections. And in a second triumph, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has agreed, as part of a legal settlement, to take possession of the ballots and other key documents from the disputed 2004 election that gave George W. Bush a second term in the White House.

Brunner has requested the resignations of the entire scandal-plagued Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, which Bennett has chaired. Two Democratic members and one Republican have complied with her request. The BOE's executive director, Michael Vu, previously resigned amidst a cloud of scandal resulting from a mishandled primary election and more than $12 million in budgetary overruns. Two BOE workers have been given 18-month prison sentences for felony convictions stemming from what a government prosecutor called the "rigging" of an officially mandated recount for the 2004 presidential election.

Bennett has issued a legal challenge against his removal. But on Wednesday, April 4, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge John Connor ruled Bennett has to comply with Brunner's call for a public hearing on the matter. The hearing is scheduled for Monday, April 9.

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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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N.Y. Times Warns of Income Inequality Reminiscent of Roaring Twenties

by Payson Schwin

The New York Times editorial board today lamented the return to pre-Depression income inequality and said the Bush administration has failed to address the issue. The editorial says: 

Not since the Roaring Twenties have the rich been so much richer than everyone else.…

[G]overnment policies do matter. Part of the reason for the shared prosperity of the late 1990s was an increase in the minimum wage and a big expansion of the earned income tax credit.…

[T]he economic policies of the Bush years have failed to benefit most Americans. The tax cuts have overwhelmingly benefited the richest. As a result, the tax code does less to narrow the income gap now than it did as recently as 2000. At the same time, important social spending has been cut. That exacerbates disparities, because middle-class and poor Americans use government services more than affluent Americans.

The nation needs an administration that will offer solutions for the scourge of income inequality.

One way Congress can help ease the “scourge of income inequality” is to pass a minimum wage increase immediately. Currently, the Senate’s Republican minority is blocking the first increase since 1997, as full-time minimum wage workers have the lowest real buying power in more than 50 years.

Click here to tell your representative and senators to pass a clean minimum wage bill.

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DAILY GRILL     

"But what we're doing today is different. And to say it's not different is just really not being fair. ... We went to the market and were just really warmly welcomed. I bought five rugs for five bucks. And people were engaging, and just a few weeks ago, hundreds of people, dozens of people were killed in this same place."  -- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), 4/1/07, on visiting the Shorja market in Iraq

VERSUS

"Just yesterday, an Iraqi soldier was shot in his shoulder by a sniper, and the day before, two civilians were shot by a sniper as well. ... Everybody closes their shops by 2:30 p.m. ... It is not even 10 percent of our work before the bombings, because people are afraid to come."  -- Amir Raheem, 4/2/07, a floor carpeting merchant at the Shorja market

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"During a live press conference in Baghdad, Senators McCain and Graham were heckled by CNN reporter Michael Ware."  -- The Drudge Report, 4/1/07

VERSUS

"I did not heckle the senator. Indeed, I didn't say a word. I didn't even ask a question. In fact, when I raised my hand to ask a question, the press conference abruptly ended."  -- CNN Reporter Michael Ware, 4/2/07 

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"Using his harshest language to date, the president upbraided the Democrat-controlled Congress for leaving on 'spring break' without completing work on the bill." -- Washington Times, 4/4/07

VERSUS

“We should mention President Bush is heading to his ranch in Crawford, Texas tomorrow to begin his own Easter weekend break.” -- CNN, 4/3/07 

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"I told reporters afterward that it was just like any open-air market in Indiana in the summertime. ... I just meant that that was what it looked and felt like...lots of people, lots of booths and a friendly relaxed atmosphere." -- Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), 4/3/07, on the Shorja market in Baghdad

VERSUS

"'There've been no shootings or car bombings' at that market since it opened a few years ago, said Robin Gibson, assistant metro editor of the Star Press in Muncie [Indiana]. ... 'Maybe some overeager dogs jumping at people.'" -- Washington Post, 4/4/07

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"This is al Qaeda operating in Iraq. And as I say, they were present before we invaded Iraq."
-- Vice President Cheney, 4/5/07

VERSUS

"Captured Iraqi documents and intelligence interrogations of Saddam Hussein and two former aides 'all confirmed' that Hussein's regime was not directly cooperating with al-Qaeda before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, according to a declassified Defense Department report released yesterday." -- Washington Post, 4/6/07

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Quotes of the Day  

"A year ago, my approval rating was in the 30s, my nominee for the Supreme Court had just withdrawn, and my Vice President had shot someone. Ahhh, those were the good old days." --President Bush at the Radio-TV Correspondents' dinner (Watch video)

"Liberals have finally joined the ranks of scoundrels like Hitler." --Indicted former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, in his new book

"My FOX guys, I love every single one of them." --Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, caught on an open mic singing the praises of Fox News's correspondents

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LEGISLATIVE REPORT FROM SENATOR DENISE HARPER ANGEL

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 2007 Legislative Session: 

ü     Boni Bill  --  Social Work

Senate Bill 59 directs the Cabinet for 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 $6.55 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. 

During the session I was pleased to be the primary sponsor of 3 pieces of legislation that passed both chambers:

• Senate Bill 25, the Kentucky Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, is designed to enhance nutrition by requiring the program to provide fresh, locally grown produce to low-income seniors and recipients of the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for women, infants and children.
• Senate Joint Resolution 6, which directs the Kentucky Office on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders to assess the impact of Alzheimer's disease in Kentucky.
• Senate Bill 23 will prohibit the denial of emergency medical treatment to assistance dogs because of their handler's ability to pay prior to treatment.

Most of these bills and the others approved by the Kentucky General Assembly will take effect on or about June 25, 2007. 

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, Denise Harper Angel, State Senator  

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INTERESTING      

OFF THE RECORD WITH BOB NOVAK (GOT $595??)

For the Evans-Novak Political Forum the registration fee is $595 per person

Dear Friend,

When was the last time you sat in a room just a few feet from the likes of Vice President Cheney or Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, asked a question and got a straightforward answer?

Unless you have attended the Evans-Novak Political Forum, you may have never had this experience.

Twice a year my friend, Bob Novak, brings together a select few of the nation's leaders in a one-day Forum at an exclusive, private club in Washington, DC, just blocks from the White House.

Each speaker talks briefly about the issues of the day, then opens the floor to questions -- any question. The answers are frank and open, because there are no reporters. This meeting is 100% off the record.

The topics to be discussed may include the economy, the War in Iraq, the current political situation on Capitol Hill, and a preview of the 2008 presidential elections.

There are very few times in your life when you will actually have the opportunity to meet the political leaders of the nation in such a unique setting. Now is your chance to attend the next Evans-Novak Political Forum to be held Thursday, April 26.

Important note: There will soon be a waiting list to get into the Forum. (Bob limits the group to just 70 people to keep the interaction intimate and meaningful, and most of the spaces are already taken.) You need to reserve your seat now before it's too late.

Confirmed Forum speakers so far include Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, and Lance Tarrance, a leading Republican pollster.

The rest of the lineup promises to be no less impressive with top leaders from the Bush Administration, the House and Senate and news-making corporate titans all being considered for the upcoming event. When it comes to speakers, Bob believes in under-promising and over-delivering -- and he has done just that for Forum after Forum for more than 30 years.

Only 70 people are allowed to attend the Forum, and most of the seats are already reserved. But this is not an event you want to miss. Just read what these past attendees have to say:

Given the limited number of attendees, the stature of the speakers, and the confidential nature of the meeting, this Forum is rarely publicized. In fact, in its 30-year history, the Forum has always been and will continue to be one of Washington's best-kept secrets.

For the Evans-Novak Political Forum the registration fee is $595 per person. And as a special benefit, you may bring up to two guests for just $395 per person.

I hope to see you on April 26th.

Sincerely,

Tom Winter
President and Editor in Chief, Human Events

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TOP  

Recent Senate Votes 

 

U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act - Vote Passed (51-47, 2 Not Voting)

The Senate passed this $122 million emergency supplemental bill that provides funds for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and sets a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq.

Sen. Mitch McConnell voted NO

Sen. Jim Bunning voted NO

 

Recent House Votes 

 

Budget Resolution, FY2008 - Vote Passed (216-210, 7 Not Voting)

The House passed this $2.9 trillion budget plan setting spending priorities for the 2008 fiscal year.

Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

Rep. Ron Lewis voted NO

 

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HUMOR    

"A big issue this year is how many of these presidential candidates are guys that have been divorced -- some of them two or three times. Do you think that hurts the candidate? See, I think it gives them valuable experience. They know how to negotiate with the enemy." --Jay Leno

"Although Hillary Clinton set the mark by raising $26 million for her presidential campaign in the first quarter of 2007, Mitt Romney, the Republican, was right behind her with $23 million. That's something Hillary hasn't felt in 20 years -- a man breathing down her neck." --Jay Leno

"Republican candidates are announcing their first quarter fundraising totals so far. Mitt Romney announced he's raised $23 million, Rudy Giuliani said he's raised $15 million, and Congressman Tom Tancredo announced he's raised two children." --Conan O'Brien
 

"During a press conference today, President Bush was asked if he knew the current price of a gallon of gasoline. And Bush's answer was within a few pennies. He did well, which isn't surprising, because Bush spends most of the day watching the 'Price is Right.'" --Conan O'Brien

"Police in Connecticut arrested a man for speeding who identified himself as Vice President Dick Cheney. They took the guy to the hospital. Obviously, this guy has mental problems. I mean, these days, what sane person would try to pass themselves off as Dick Cheney?" --Jay Leno

"We're now finding out where all the candidates met their spouses. Barack Obama met his wife at a law firm. John McCain met his wife at a Naval officers’ dance. And Rudy Giuliani met his third wife when he was cheating on his first wife with his second wife." --Jay Leno
 

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IRAQ -- WHITE HOUSE SHOCKED BY ABDULLAH'S CONDEMNATION OF IRAQ OCCUPATION: On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah denounced the "American military presence in Iraq as an "illegitimate foreign occupation" and called on the West to end its financial embargo against the Palestinians." Yesterday, the Bush administration responded with shock to Abdullah’s declaration. “We were a little surprised to see those remarks,” said Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns. White House spokesman Dana Perino went so far as to claim, “It is not accurate to say that the United States is occupying Iraq.” Abdullah's remarks were just the latest instance of the Saudi's public distancing from the Bush administration. Earlier this week, the Washington Post's Jim Hoagland reported that the Saudi government rejected an offer to attend a White House state dinner with President Bush. Prince Bandar, “the Saudi national security adviser, flew to Washington last week to explain to Bush that April 17 posed a scheduling problem. ‘It is not convenient’ was the way it was put, says one official.” "I think he was concerned that he was seen too much as Bush's friend," said Patrick Clawson, deputy director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The Saudis have expressed repeated concerns over Bush's Iraq policy. The day after last year's Thanksgiving, Vice President Cheney was "summoned" to Saudi Arabia to "read him the riot act." The Saudis expressed their concerns that the United States might take the Shiite side in Iraq's civil war, disregarding the safety of the Sunni Arab community.

ENVIRONMENT -- SENIOR BUSH APPOINTEE FAULTED WITH WEIGHING INDUSTRY INTERESTS OVER WILDLIFE PRESERVATION: The inspector general of the Department of the Interior found this week that Julie MacDonald, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks and a senior Bush political appointee, "has repeatedly altered scientific field reports to minimize protections for imperiled species and disclosed confidential information to private groups seeking to affect policy decisions." According to the report, MacDonald has "repeatedly instructed Fish and Wildlife scientists to change their recommendations on identifying 'critical habitats,' despite her lack of expertise," as her degree is in civil engineering. Other complaints regarding MacDonald include yelling at subordinates, redacting statements from scientists, and "disclosing confidential documents to 'private sector sources' such as the Pacific Legal Foundation and the California Farm Bureau Federation, both of which have challenged endangered-species listings." In 2006, MacDonald consistently "rejected staff scientists' recommendations to protect imperiled animals and plants under" the Endangered Species Act. She had also pressed staff biologists to more seriously weigh industry positions, arguing that they were "equivalent to scientific studies." The complaints against MacDonald reflect a larger trend of disregard for wildlife and natural habitats from the Bush administration. Just this week, a "secretive plan" was uncovered from the FWS that would "gut" the Endangered Species Act in order to "limit the number of species that can be protected,” curtail preserved acres of wildlife habitat, and “dilute legal barriers that protect habitat from sprawl, logging or mining." Learn more about the Bush administration's record on wildlife preservation here. 

CONGRESS -- SENATORS NOW DECRYING 'PORK' VOTED TO APPROVE 'RAILROAD TO NOWHERE': Because Americans strongly back a timeline to redeploy from Iraq, conservatives have focused their opposition to the recently-passed Iraq redeployment legislation on the domestic spending that is attached. For example, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) recently stated, "They used this serious effort, what should have been a serious effort to fund the troops as an opportunity...to get pork for various and sordid products back home. Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-MS) added, "So why are we going through this exercise of heaping pork on the backs of our men and women in uniform and trying to put artificial dates which will not occur?" But just one year ago, these same conservatives endorsed the emergency supplemental bill that included $15 billion in domestic spending, including "$4 billion for farmers, $1.1 billion for Gulf Coast fisheries, and $1 billion in grants to states." The bill also included the notorious $700 million Railroad to Nowhere in Mississippi, reportedly the largest earmark ever, sponsored by Lott. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) introduced an amendment aimed at eliminating Lott's egregious pork project, but it was defeated. Fully 18 senators who last week opposed the Iraq spending bill -- including McConnell and Lott -- voted last year to preserve the Railroad to Nowhere. (See a list of the 18 senators here.) Conservatives are now complaining about "pork" to distract from their real problem with the Iraq legislation: the fact that it forces President Bush to change course. These senators want to give Bush a blank check to wage a war without end; they just don't want to admit it to their constituents. 

DELEGATIONS IN OPPOSITION TO PRESIDENT NOT UNPRECEDENTED: Fox News host Steve Doocy accused Pelosi of "freelancing" by going to Syria. "Here's the thing, what's she doing?" he asked. "This is something the president does." The right-wing blog Wizbang said that Pelosi is meeting with Assad "in direct opposition to President Bush, who is the only one who can set our country's foreign policy." It added that Democrats, "have decided to conduct their own foreign policy." On Monday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said, "I think it's very dangerous for America to start having 535 secretaries of state and 535 secretaries of defense, all of whom happen to be elected to the U.S. Congress, none of whom were appointed to those jobs." But in reality, "The United States Constitution divides foreign policy powers between the President and the Congress so that both share in the making of foreign policy. " Pelosi and the other lawmakers meeting with Syrian officials have encouraged the regime to cooperate with the U.S. government. Conservatives have not always done the same thing. In 1997 -- when President Clinton was in power -- Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) took a congressional delegation to meet with Colombian military officials, at the same time the President and Congress were "attaching human rights conditions to U.S. security assistance programs and negotiating a formal end-use monitoring agreement with the Colombian defense ministry." He encouraged Colombian officials to "bypass the U.S. executive branch" and deal directly with Congress. 

ETHICS -- BUSH USES RECESS APPOINTMENT TO SNEAK SWIFT BOAT FUNDER PAST SENATE: President Bush used his recess appointment powers yesterday to bypass the Senate and appoint Republican fundraiser Sam Fox as U.S. ambassador to Belgium. The appointment of Fox, whose nomination the White House admits "would not have passed" the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is controversial not only because he donated $50,000 to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, but because it may also be illegal. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), the target of the Swift Boat smear campaign that Fox helped fund, said of the appointment that it was "sad but not surprising that the White House would abuse the power of the presidency to reward a donor over the objections of the Senate." Bush has also announced that he will recess-appoint Susan Dudley as his "top regulatory czar" at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Previously, Dudley worked as the director of the Regulatory Program at the Mercatus Center, an "industry funded, anti-regulatory advocacy organization," where she urged the destruction of major public safeguards. Additionally, Bush yesterday appointed Andrew Biggs, a supporter of Social Security privatization, to the No. 2 spot at the Social Security Administration. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) said the move "could derail any chance of a Social Security overhaul." Bush has such reserved recess appointments for some of his most controversial allies, including John Bolton as U.N. ambassador, right-wing Charles Pickering as U.S. Appellate Judge, and Ellen Sauerbrey, a staunch opponent of reproductive rights, as Assistant Secretary of State for Refugees, Population, and Migration. According to congressional expert Sarah Binder of the Brookings Institution, Bush's use of recess appointments has "outpaced that of Bush I and of President Clinton," which is "pretty striking" because they have been made during "a period of unified party control of Congress and The White House." 

IRAQ -- PENCE CLAIMS BAGHDAD BAZAAR IS LIKE 'ANY OPEN-AIR MARKET IN INDIANA IN THE SUMMERTIME': On Monday, Republican lawmakers visiting Iraq tried to argue that President Bush's escalation in Iraq has made Baghdad -- especially the Shorja market -- safer. Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) told reporters that Shorja -- where a suicide bomber killed 88 people in January -- is now "like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summertime." On his blog, he wrote, "I didn't mean that Baghdad was as safe as the Bargersville Flea Market; I just meant that that was what it looked and felt like...lots of people, lots of booths and a friendly relaxed atmosphere." But Indianans find any similarities between Bargersville and Baghdad ludicrous. "There've been no shootings or car bombings" at that market since it opened a few years ago, said Robin Gibson, assistant metro editor of the Star Press in Muncie, IN. "Maybe some overeager dogs jumping at people," she ventured. "Avon Waters, a former features editor and writer for the Herald Bulletin in Anderson, the other relatively big town in Pence's largely rural congressional district, said he never wore a flak jacket and 'never felt afraid' when he spent a couple of recent years covering farmers markets in Madison County." Iraqis also disagreed with Pence's assessment of the Shorja market's "friendly relaxed atmosphere." Karim Abdullah, a textile merchant at Shorja, said that the lawmakers "were laughing and talking to people as if there was nothing going on in this country or at least they were pretending that they were tourists. ... To achieve this, they sealed off the area, put themselves in flak jackets and walked in the middle of tens of armed American soldiers." A day after the congressional delegation visited Shorja, 21 Shorja market workers were "ambushed, bound and shot dead north of the capital."

ETHICS -- WOLFOWITZ BYPASSED WORLD BANK RULES TO GIVE MISTRESS EXORBITANT PAY RAISE: Employees at the World Bank are "expressing concern, dismay, and outrage" as reports show that Shaha Riza, "who has been romantically linked to bank President Paul Wolfowitz, has done exceptionally well in terms of salary in the last 18 months -- and she doesn't even work there." Wolfowitz originally disclosed to bank board members that he had a relationship with Riza just after he was nominated as president, but bank regulations prohibit such a relationship. "Wolfowitz reportedly attempted to circumvent the rules so he would be able to continue to work with Riza. Informed by the bank's ethics officers that that would not be allowable, the problem appeared solved when Riza was detailed to work at the State Department's public diplomacy office in September 2005 -- even though her salary was still to be paid by the World Bank." After moved to the State Department, she was given a nearly $60,000 salary raise, well over the limits permitted by the World Bank. A spokesperson for the The World Bank Group Association, "which represents the rights of the bank's 13,000 members," said the raise was "grossly out of line with" bank rules. No investigation into the controversy is expected to begin anytime soon, as "the person who would conduct any such investigation, Suzanne Rich Folsom, is a Republican party activist and long-time friend of Wolfowitz's." Aside from his influential position at the World Bank, Wolfowitz is also well-known for being the "chief architect of the Iraq War," and "despite knowing [that] the threat of Iraqi WMDs was not imminent, Wolfowitz hyped the threat to sell the war" anyway. Reports show that Wolfowitz is still romantically engaged with Riza.

MILITARY -- 'STRANGELY QUIET' SCENE AS BUSH VISITS BASE WHERE MEDICALLY-UNFIT TROOPS WERE DEPLOYED: On Wednesday, President Bush visited Fort Irwin, California, the main desert training camp where most U.S. soldiers are sent before deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan. Bush told the troops, "The government didn't say, you have to do this, you chose to do it on your own. You decided to put your country ahead of self in many ways." That message must have resonated in a unique way for some of the soldiers present. As Salon.com's Mark Benjamin reported recently, Fort Irwin is where some soldiers with debilitating injuries and other medical conditions, including female soldiers who were pregnant, were deployed for weeks. "All of the soldiers said they had no business being sent to Fort Irwin given their physical condition," Benjamin wrote. "In some cases, soldiers were sent there even though their injuries were so severe that doctors had previously recommended they should be considered for medical retirement from the Army. Military experts say they suspect that the deployment to Fort Irwin of injured soldiers was an effort to pump up manpower statistics used to show the readiness of Army units." As the blog The Carpetbagger Report noted, Bush's remarks to the soldiers on Wednesday hardly produced the rally-like atmosphere of years past. Reuters reported that troops "sat quietly at their lunch tables, some joined by family members, as Bush spoke." The Houston Chronicle's Julie Mason described the event as "less than a rally, more than a stare-down" and said the troops were "strangely quiet."

ETHICS -- FEDERAL INVESTIGATION TARGETS EMBATTLED GSA CHIEF: ABC News reported yesterday that the Office of Special Counsel has launched an investigation into General Services Administration (GSA) chief Lurita Doan. The probe, which began before a similar inquiry by the House Oversight and Reform Committee and had not been previously disclosed, is investigating concerns that Doan "may have violated a ban against conducting partisan political activity at government expense by participating in a meeting featuring a presentation by a White House political aide on GOP election strategy." At the presentation, W. Scott Jennings, an aide to Karl Rove, briefed Doan and other officials at a GSA facility on Jan. 26, 2007, with a power-point presentation of polling data about the 2006 elections. Upon completion of the presentation, Doan allegedly asked the assembled GSA staff "how they could help 'our candidates' in the next election." Though Doan testified to Congress that she "doesn't have a recollection of the presentation at all," the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has "issued a report finding that the presentation itself and Ms. Doan's comments could be violations of the federal Hatch Act." The potentially illegal presentation to the GSA is not an isolated incident. "The White House political office has been giving presentations similar to the one at GSA since at least 2002, briefing officials throughout the government on Republican campaign information," according to a recent book by LA Times reporters Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten.

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In an editorial entitled "Cheney's Chance," the New York Sun encourages Vice President Cheney to run for president. The Sun claims that, were he in the race, "it's hard to imagine that the president's approval ratings would not be five or 10 points higher" because the administration would have "a defender on the campaign trail." Note: Cheney's approval is even lower than Bush's.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said this week of purged U.S. attorney Carol Lam, "She's a former law professor; no prosecutorial experience; and the former campaign manager in Southern California for Clinton." In fact, Lam served as a prosecutor for 15 years, and according to Lam, was neither a law professor nor a Clinton campaign worker.

The Justice Department's White House liaison Monica Goodling yesterday "refused a request from the House Judiciary Committee to answer questions in a private interview." Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) earlier indicated that if Goodling refused to grant the private interview, she may be required to attend a public hearing and invoke the Fifth on a "question-by-question basis."

A new Amnesty International report states that conditions at Guantanamo Bay prison have worsened. "Most detainees have suffered harsh treatment throughout their detention," the report says, and a new facility opened in December "has created even harsher and apparently more permanent conditions of extreme isolation and sensory deprivation."

10,328: The number of housing complaints received in 2006 by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Fair Housing Assistance Program agencies, "up 65% from the 6,270 complaints received in 1996." Last year's number was a record, "with disability and race as the leading reasons for filing a complaint."

"A newly formed consulting firm hired to account for more than $7.3 billion in Iraqi reconstruction money did not deliver a database that could help investigators track waste and fraud. ... The result: Two years after uncovering one major fraud case, auditors still haven't determined whether there was more graft in the spending of Iraqi oil proceeds."

Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) has been greeted at events recently by someone dressed up as a dolphin, dubbing himself Flip, who is highlighting Romney's "flip-flops" on various issues. Earlier this week, Flip tried to enter a campaign event "but was caught in a net of young Romney staffers. 'You need to leave the building,' bellowed one, as he porpoisely pushed out the heckler." The dolphin "would only admit to being a student from Davenport, Iowa. Asked what he school he went to, Flip offered: 'The University of the Pacific Ocean.'"

The New York Times criticizes the Bush administration for its suggestion that Matthew Dowd and other war critics “whose children are at risk are too ‘emotional’ to see things clearly,” calling it “deeply wrong” and “especially galling from a president who from the start tried to paint this war as virtually sacrifice-free.”

Tim Griffin, Karl Rove's protege installed as U.S. attorney in Arkansas, "claims on his official Web site that he prosecuted 40 criminal cases while at Ft. Campbell, where he was stationed from September 2005 to May 2006. But Army authorities say Ft. Campbell’s records show Griffin only serving as assistant trial counsel on three cases, none of which went to trial."

"They were just making fun of us and paid this visit just for their own interests," said Jaafar Moussa Thamir, a merchant in the Shorja market visited by Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) congressional delegation. "Do they think that when they come and speak few Arabic words in a very bad manner it will make us love them?"

In the "latest evidence of stepped up sectarian and insurgent killings outside Baghdad," a "truck bomber carrying food supplies killed eight Iraqi schoolgirls and a baby in the northern oil city of Kirkuk on Monday as suspected Sunni militants executed 21 Shiite workers north of Baghdad."

The Justice Department has notified Italia Federici that she is a target of the ongoing Abramoff investigation. Federici is the former girlfriend of Stephen Griles, the most senior Bush official thus far convicted in the Abramoff probe. Federici offered Abramoff access to high-level Bush administration officials in return for money.

"Despite repeated requests from a House committee chairman and government investigators, the Pentagon has failed to hand over its official assessments of the readiness of US-trained Iraqi security units to take over key functions from the US military."

"His job on the line, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales shelved plans for a family vacation and began prepping yesterday for a showdown with senators over the firings of federal prosecutors." 

Meghan O'Sullivan, President Bush's "top day-to-day adviser on Iraq," who has "played a key behind-the-scenes role in implementing Bush's controversial Iraq policies over the past four years, will leave later this spring." O'Sullivan was known for her "steady optimism over the eventual outcome in Iraq."

Lawmakers are calling for the resignation of NASA's Inspector General, who "created a hostile and dysfunctional workplace...and compromised his independence by appearing to be close to former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe."

"The world needs at least 4 million health care professionals, the director-general of the World Health Organization said Tuesday." The crisis is "