Friday, April 08, 2005
“We” were correct; Does it matter? The Schiavo Memo
Left-of-Center media are celebrating that it’s been admitted that a Republican aide to new Senator Mel Martinez (R-Fla) is the author of the infamous memo that celebrated Terri Schiavo as a golden political opportunity; previously Republicans, Rush Limbaugh et al had accused the Democrats of forging the memo. What Democrats and their media allies still don’t understand is that unless you USE these ‘victories’ by trumpeting them, repetitively screaming their meaning to an apathetic, apolitical public, the victory is, at best, measured.
Side note: Blaming an aide for authoring a memo still does not explain why many aides and senators knew of it and used it/disseminated it/ agreed with it, AND why they were so eager to blame (project) the Democrats for authoring it. Most of Us knew the Democrats are incapable of such. .
The aide, Brian H. Darling, Martinez’ chief counsel, also has worked for the Alexander Strategy Group that is basically Tom DeLay’s group. Darling has now resigned.
The [measured] victory:
Senator Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida, said Wednesday that a senior member of his staff had written an unsigned memorandum about the partisan political advantages of intervening in the case of Terri Schiavo that became a controversial footnote to the debate over the wisdom and motives of Congress's actions.
In a statement on Wednesday night, Mr. Martinez said that he had just learned that the memorandum originated in his office and that its author had resigned. He did not name the author, but aides said it was Brian Darling, his counsel.
Mr. Darling could not be reached for comment.
"It is with profound disappointment and regret that I learned today that a senior member of my staff was unilaterally responsible for this document," Mr. Martinez said. "It was not approved by me or any other member of my staff, nor were we aware of its existence until very recently."
Mr. Martinez added: "This type of behavior and sentiment will not be tolerated in my office. As the senator, I am ultimately responsible for the work of my staff and the product that comes out of this office. I take full responsibility for this situation." http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/07/politics/07memo.html?pagewanted=print&position=
Cutting Back at the U.N. The AP Report:
The Senate voted Wednesday to reduce the United States’ share of the cost of U.N. peacekeeping missions by tens of millions of dollars.
The vote reflected congressional criticism of the United Nations following allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the oil-for-food program for Iraq, sexual abuses by peacekeepers and other scandals.
U.S. dues are now capped at 27.1 percent of the peacekeeping budget. Under a 1994 law, that cap is to be reduced to 25 percent.
The AP dotes on “corruption and mismanagement in the oil-for-food program” as the reason for this vote. This sounds more like a GOP talking point.
Then again, John Bolton doesn’t believe in dues used for PEACEKEEPING at all. In 1997, he told the Wall Street Journal that the United States wasn’t legally bound to pay its United Nations dues.
Social Security: Pelosi and Reid have fun w/ Bush. Knowing that he is only capable of repeating high school-level talking points about Social Security, the Duo have invited Bush to leave the protective bubble of his so-called Town Hall Meetings.
“As you may know, throughout this entire session of Congress including this most recent Congressional recess, we and the members of our Caucuses have traveled throughout our states and districts, talking directly to the American people about Social Security and our concerns about privatization. We have heard from our constituents and Americans from all across the country that they are concerned that the deep benefit cuts and massive new debt required by your privatization proposal will do more to dismantle the Social Security system than strengthen it.
“As we have watched you and members of your administration travel throughout the country on your “60 Stops in 60 Days” Tour, we have seen and heard numerous accounts indicating that your events have been carefully staged and scripted to ensure that you will only hear from handpicked participants who support your privatization plan. Despite your statements that you welcome hearing all views on this important issue, it seems increasingly clear that the vast majority of Americans who oppose your privatization plan are excluded from participating in the conversation.
“We believe it is critical to hear voices from all sides of the debate to ensure that the positions we take and the decisions we make truly reflect the national interest.
“Therefore, as you reach the mid-point of this sixty day tour, we would like to invite you to participate in a National Town Hall on Social Security privatization. We would work with you and your staff to ensure that members of the general public would be invited so that you could hear first hand the concerns most Americans have about your privatization plan and its deep benefit cuts and massive debt increases.”
From a True Believer: Rep. Tom Cole (R-Ok)
This is like being for the Civil Rights Bill in 1960. You may not win but it makes you feel good and you're on the right side. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=645836
Bush’s Social Security Tour: The Cost:
To get an idea of just how much taxpayer money he is spending to promote his plan, check out these stats, compiled by David Sirota:
STAFF COSTS BETWEEN $22,000 AND $59,000 PER EVENT: On 10/3/02, the Associated Press reported, "The White House has estimated that trips, on average, cost between $22,000 and $59,000 for staff, not including security and aircraft."
AIR FORCE ONE COSTS ABOUT $55,000 PER HOUR: The operational, per hour cost of Air Force One varies, depending on who you ask, but ranges from $35,000—$50,000 per hour in 2000 dollars… $50,000 in 2000 dollars is about $55,000 in today's dollars.
BUSH HAS A HISTORY OF ABUSING TRAVEL BUDGETS: On 10/20/02, the Washington Post reported "the White House has billed the federal Office of Family Assistance $210,000 to help pay for five trips in which President Bush promoted welfare reform at official events and made separate fundraising appearances for GOP candidates." An HHS spokesperson "said the $210,000 from the Office of Family Assistance helped pay for stages, sound and other speech-related costs on the trips." The Office of Family Assistance is supposed to use its funding to administer programs for poor children and families - not the President's travel.
This, of course, doesn't include the costs to local government of security when he holds these events. And while the amount spent may be small compared to the federal deficit, every little bit counts, especially considering it costs five times more to run Air Force one for an hour ($55,000) than Social Security pays the typical recipient in an entire year ($11,000). When put that way, his abuse of his travel privileges and wasteful attitude toward taxpayer money is no small matter. http://www.davidsirota.com/2005/04/how-much-is-bushs-ss-tour-costing-you.html
Lou Dobbs: Most regrettable question posed by the CNN personality to viewers (as opposed to, “Do you believe Tom DeLay is behaving unethically’ or similar).
Do you believe Senate Majority Leader Tom DeLay is a victim of a campaign by the liberal media to embarrass him.”
Yet, the result? 93% no – 7% yes
What’s Happening, Iraq:
(1) New Prime Minister: Balance at the top: Shiite and a Kurd
The Shiite leader Ibrahim al-Jaafari was appointed Iraq's new prime minister Thursday, crystallizing the leadership of the first elected government in decades and ending more than two months of divisive negotiations.
Dr. Jaafari, a doctor and the leader of one of Iraq's major Shiite religious parties, was named by the new president, Jalal Talabani, shortly after Mr. Talabani was sworn into office with his hand on a Koran.
Hours earlier, Ayad Allawi, who has been the prime minister in Iraq's interim government, submitted his resignation, opening the way for the new government to take power. Dr. Allawi will remain head of a caretaker government until a full cabinet is chosen. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/08/international/middleeast/08iraq.html?
(2) Are the Iraqis Ready?
Col. Robert B. Brown, commander of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), which conducts combat operations throughout northern Iraq, predicted the transition would come "over the next six months to a year . . . until pretty soon they've got the whole area and we do nothing but respond" to emergencies.
The ambitious strategy is being questioned by some U.S. military advisers who work closely with the Iraqi forces. They say that although the Iraqis are progressing, they are being rushed into battle before they are ready in an effort to speed the withdrawal of American forces.
"It's all about perception, to convince the American public that everything is going as planned and we're right on schedule to be out of here," said one adviser, Army Staff Sgt. Craig E. Patrick, 40, a reservist from Rock Island, Ill. "I mean, they can [mislead] the American people, but they can't [mislead] us. These guys are not ready." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32631-2005Apr6.html
POWs, War Crimes, WW II and Gitmo: After WW II, the U.S. tribunals prosecuted Japanese guards for humiliation as well as actual torture, for example, sentencing one guard to 12 years for forcing POWs to salute non-stop for 30 minutes.-- "Extreme brutality or serious injury to the victim is not a necessary element" for conviction, wrote one judge.
So, how do the Bushies get out of the comparison? Their familiar fall-back position: it doesn’t apply to this unusual conflict.
One Pentagon legal expert says the World War II-era cases are of uncertain relevance to the treatment of prisoners, because President Bush has determined they do not qualify for international-law protections. "The distinction here is that these [suspected Taliban and al Qaeda fighters] are not members of the military services of a government," the official says.http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111282904090900187-email,00.html
Republicans Splintering: The Left-wing Wall Street Journal speaks
Almost three months into President Bush's second term, a raft of economic and social issues -- Social Security, immigration, gay marriage and the recent national debate over Terri Schiavo -- is splintering the Republican base.
After winning re-election on the strength of support from nine in 10 Republican voters, the president is seeing significant chunks of that base balk at major initiatives, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows. One-third of Republicans say Democrats in Congress should prevent Mr. Bush and party leaders from "going too far in pushing their agenda," and 41% oppose eliminating filibusters against Mr. Bush's judicial nominees -- the "nuclear option" that Senate Republican leaders are considering.
The Schiavo case has opened another rift. Though Mr. Bush and Republican congressional leaders acted to maximize the opportunity for reinserting Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube, 39% of Republicans said removing the tube was "the right thing to do," while 48% said it was wrong. About 18% of Republicans say they lost respect for Mr. Bush on the issue and 41% lost respect for Congress. http://online.wsj.com/public/article/0,,SB111282698216100132-oGnQKkV_guNprR__U8NEr4aX3G8_20050507,00.html?mod=blogs
Schwarznegger Retreats; Unlike Bush and Social Security, he quickly caves And, his popularity has plummeted.
Under pressure from firefighters and police officers, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday backed off, for now, his plan to privatize California's public employee pension system.
The Republican said ``misconceptions'' among firefighters and police officers that privatization would strip them of death and disability benefits had come to dominate the issue.
Over the past few weeks, Schwarzenegger has waged a campaign to put privatization on the ballot during a special election next fall. But on Thursday, he said he would wait until the June 2006 election if lawmakers did not craft a compromise measure in the coming months.
``Let's pull it back and do it better,'' said Schwarzenegger, flanked by more than a dozen police, fire and local government leaders.
The move followed days of meetings with police and fire chiefs and survivors of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty, all of whom expressed concerns that the ballot language opened the possibility that the employees would lose death and disability payments.
The attorney general's office, analyzing the proposed ballot language, had earlier reached the same conclusion.
Schwarzenegger said that was not his intention.
Schwarzenegger, who has called the state's pension system ``another government program out of control,'' wanted to hold down the state's escalating pension contributions by making new employees open 401(k)-style individual investment accounts. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/07/politics/07memo.html?
Steal Them Secrets! Old enough to remember when we were concerned about the Soviet Union getting our “secrets”? Seems like lots of countries are vying for U.S. information.
Because the U.S. has reached such lone, superpower status, government officials say, at least 90 countries -- in addition to Al Qaeda -- are attempting to steal some of the nation's most sacred secrets. It's not only foes, like members of terror groups or nations that are adversaries of the U.S., but friends as well. The top five countries trying to snoop on U.S. plans and cutting-edge technology, according to an official who works closely with the FBI on this issue, are China, Russia, Israel, France, and North Korea. Others running close behind: Cuba, Pakistan, and India.
'With the end of the Soviet Union, people stopped taking counterintelligence seriously,' says Patrick Lang, former head of Middle East intelligence at the Defense Intelligence Agency. 'Not enough attention has been devoted to keeping people from getting into our secret store of knowledge.'" http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0408/p01s01-usfp.html
Plame Investigation: End with a whimper? Are we surprised?
The special prosecutor investigating whether Bush administration officials illegally revealed the identity of a covert CIA operative says he finished his investigation months ago, except for questioning two reporters who have refused to testify.
The information in a March 22 court filing by special counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald suggests that syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak, who first published the name of undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame, has already spoken to investigators about his sources for that report, according to legal experts. Novak, whose July 2003 column sparked the investigation, and his attorney have refused to comment on whether he was questioned.
Legal experts and sources close to the case also speculated yesterday that Fitzgerald is not likely to seek an indictment for the crime he originally set out to investigate: whether a government official knowingly exposed a covert officer. The sources, who asked not to be named because the matter is the subject of a grand jury investigation, said Fitzgerald may instead seek to charge a government official with committing perjury by giving conflicting information to prosecutors. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A32380-2005Apr6?language=printer
More Daylight Savings Time?
If Congress passes an energy bill, Americans may see more daylight-saving time.
Lawmakers crafting energy legislation approved an amendment Wednesday to extend daylight-saving time by two months, having it start on the first Sunday in March and end on the last Sunday in November. http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/07/daylight.saving.ap/index.html
It is, however, an amendment to the Energy Bill which may be as awful as last year’s, and thus not worthy of passage.
-R
Left-of-Center media are celebrating that it’s been admitted that a Republican aide to new Senator Mel Martinez (R-Fla) is the author of the infamous memo that celebrated Terri Schiavo as a golden political opportunity; previously Republicans, Rush Limbaugh et al had accused the Democrats of forging the memo. What Democrats and their media allies still don’t understand is that unless you USE these ‘victories’ by trumpeting them, repetitively screaming their meaning to an apathetic, apolitical public, the victory is, at best, measured.
Side note: Blaming an aide for authoring a memo still does not explain why many aides and senators knew of it and used it/disseminated it/ agreed with it, AND why they were so eager to blame (project) the Democrats for authoring it. Most of Us knew the Democrats are incapable of such. .
The aide, Brian H. Darling, Martinez’ chief counsel, also has worked for the Alexander Strategy Group that is basically Tom DeLay’s group. Darling has now resigned.
The [measured] victory:
Senator Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida, said Wednesday that a senior member of his staff had written an unsigned memorandum about the partisan political advantages of intervening in the case of Terri Schiavo that became a controversial footnote to the debate over the wisdom and motives of Congress's actions.
In a statement on Wednesday night, Mr. Martinez said that he had just learned that the memorandum originated in his office and that its author had resigned. He did not name the author, but aides said it was Brian Darling, his counsel.
Mr. Darling could not be reached for comment.
"It is with profound disappointment and regret that I learned today that a senior member of my staff was unilaterally responsible for this document," Mr. Martinez said. "It was not approved by me or any other member of my staff, nor were we aware of its existence until very recently."
Mr. Martinez added: "This type of behavior and sentiment will not be tolerated in my office. As the senator, I am ultimately responsible for the work of my staff and the product that comes out of this office. I take full responsibility for this situation." http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/07/politics/07memo.html?pagewanted=print&position=
Cutting Back at the U.N. The AP Report:
The Senate voted Wednesday to reduce the United States’ share of the cost of U.N. peacekeeping missions by tens of millions of dollars.
The vote reflected congressional criticism of the United Nations following allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the oil-for-food program for Iraq, sexual abuses by peacekeepers and other scandals.
U.S. dues are now capped at 27.1 percent of the peacekeeping budget. Under a 1994 law, that cap is to be reduced to 25 percent.
The AP dotes on “corruption and mismanagement in the oil-for-food program” as the reason for this vote. This sounds more like a GOP talking point.
Then again, John Bolton doesn’t believe in dues used for PEACEKEEPING at all. In 1997, he told the Wall Street Journal that the United States wasn’t legally bound to pay its United Nations dues.
Social Security: Pelosi and Reid have fun w/ Bush. Knowing that he is only capable of repeating high school-level talking points about Social Security, the Duo have invited Bush to leave the protective bubble of his so-called Town Hall Meetings.
“As you may know, throughout this entire session of Congress including this most recent Congressional recess, we and the members of our Caucuses have traveled throughout our states and districts, talking directly to the American people about Social Security and our concerns about privatization. We have heard from our constituents and Americans from all across the country that they are concerned that the deep benefit cuts and massive new debt required by your privatization proposal will do more to dismantle the Social Security system than strengthen it.
“As we have watched you and members of your administration travel throughout the country on your “60 Stops in 60 Days” Tour, we have seen and heard numerous accounts indicating that your events have been carefully staged and scripted to ensure that you will only hear from handpicked participants who support your privatization plan. Despite your statements that you welcome hearing all views on this important issue, it seems increasingly clear that the vast majority of Americans who oppose your privatization plan are excluded from participating in the conversation.
“We believe it is critical to hear voices from all sides of the debate to ensure that the positions we take and the decisions we make truly reflect the national interest.
“Therefore, as you reach the mid-point of this sixty day tour, we would like to invite you to participate in a National Town Hall on Social Security privatization. We would work with you and your staff to ensure that members of the general public would be invited so that you could hear first hand the concerns most Americans have about your privatization plan and its deep benefit cuts and massive debt increases.”
From a True Believer: Rep. Tom Cole (R-Ok)
This is like being for the Civil Rights Bill in 1960. You may not win but it makes you feel good and you're on the right side. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=645836
Bush’s Social Security Tour: The Cost:
To get an idea of just how much taxpayer money he is spending to promote his plan, check out these stats, compiled by David Sirota:
STAFF COSTS BETWEEN $22,000 AND $59,000 PER EVENT: On 10/3/02, the Associated Press reported, "The White House has estimated that trips, on average, cost between $22,000 and $59,000 for staff, not including security and aircraft."
AIR FORCE ONE COSTS ABOUT $55,000 PER HOUR: The operational, per hour cost of Air Force One varies, depending on who you ask, but ranges from $35,000—$50,000 per hour in 2000 dollars… $50,000 in 2000 dollars is about $55,000 in today's dollars.
BUSH HAS A HISTORY OF ABUSING TRAVEL BUDGETS: On 10/20/02, the Washington Post reported "the White House has billed the federal Office of Family Assistance $210,000 to help pay for five trips in which President Bush promoted welfare reform at official events and made separate fundraising appearances for GOP candidates." An HHS spokesperson "said the $210,000 from the Office of Family Assistance helped pay for stages, sound and other speech-related costs on the trips." The Office of Family Assistance is supposed to use its funding to administer programs for poor children and families - not the President's travel.
This, of course, doesn't include the costs to local government of security when he holds these events. And while the amount spent may be small compared to the federal deficit, every little bit counts, especially considering it costs five times more to run Air Force one for an hour ($55,000) than Social Security pays the typical recipient in an entire year ($11,000). When put that way, his abuse of his travel privileges and wasteful attitude toward taxpayer money is no small matter. http://www.davidsirota.com/2005/04/how-much-is-bushs-ss-tour-costing-you.html
Lou Dobbs: Most regrettable question posed by the CNN personality to viewers (as opposed to, “Do you believe Tom DeLay is behaving unethically’ or similar).
Do you believe Senate Majority Leader Tom DeLay is a victim of a campaign by the liberal media to embarrass him.”
Yet, the result? 93% no – 7% yes
What’s Happening, Iraq:
(1) New Prime Minister: Balance at the top: Shiite and a Kurd
The Shiite leader Ibrahim al-Jaafari was appointed Iraq's new prime minister Thursday, crystallizing the leadership of the first elected government in decades and ending more than two months of divisive negotiations.
Dr. Jaafari, a doctor and the leader of one of Iraq's major Shiite religious parties, was named by the new president, Jalal Talabani, shortly after Mr. Talabani was sworn into office with his hand on a Koran.
Hours earlier, Ayad Allawi, who has been the prime minister in Iraq's interim government, submitted his resignation, opening the way for the new government to take power. Dr. Allawi will remain head of a caretaker government until a full cabinet is chosen. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/08/international/middleeast/08iraq.html?
(2) Are the Iraqis Ready?
Col. Robert B. Brown, commander of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), which conducts combat operations throughout northern Iraq, predicted the transition would come "over the next six months to a year . . . until pretty soon they've got the whole area and we do nothing but respond" to emergencies.
The ambitious strategy is being questioned by some U.S. military advisers who work closely with the Iraqi forces. They say that although the Iraqis are progressing, they are being rushed into battle before they are ready in an effort to speed the withdrawal of American forces.
"It's all about perception, to convince the American public that everything is going as planned and we're right on schedule to be out of here," said one adviser, Army Staff Sgt. Craig E. Patrick, 40, a reservist from Rock Island, Ill. "I mean, they can [mislead] the American people, but they can't [mislead] us. These guys are not ready." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32631-2005Apr6.html
POWs, War Crimes, WW II and Gitmo: After WW II, the U.S. tribunals prosecuted Japanese guards for humiliation as well as actual torture, for example, sentencing one guard to 12 years for forcing POWs to salute non-stop for 30 minutes.-- "Extreme brutality or serious injury to the victim is not a necessary element" for conviction, wrote one judge.
So, how do the Bushies get out of the comparison? Their familiar fall-back position: it doesn’t apply to this unusual conflict.
One Pentagon legal expert says the World War II-era cases are of uncertain relevance to the treatment of prisoners, because President Bush has determined they do not qualify for international-law protections. "The distinction here is that these [suspected Taliban and al Qaeda fighters] are not members of the military services of a government," the official says.http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111282904090900187-email,00.html
Republicans Splintering: The Left-wing Wall Street Journal speaks
Almost three months into President Bush's second term, a raft of economic and social issues -- Social Security, immigration, gay marriage and the recent national debate over Terri Schiavo -- is splintering the Republican base.
After winning re-election on the strength of support from nine in 10 Republican voters, the president is seeing significant chunks of that base balk at major initiatives, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows. One-third of Republicans say Democrats in Congress should prevent Mr. Bush and party leaders from "going too far in pushing their agenda," and 41% oppose eliminating filibusters against Mr. Bush's judicial nominees -- the "nuclear option" that Senate Republican leaders are considering.
The Schiavo case has opened another rift. Though Mr. Bush and Republican congressional leaders acted to maximize the opportunity for reinserting Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube, 39% of Republicans said removing the tube was "the right thing to do," while 48% said it was wrong. About 18% of Republicans say they lost respect for Mr. Bush on the issue and 41% lost respect for Congress. http://online.wsj.com/public/article/0,,SB111282698216100132-oGnQKkV_guNprR__U8NEr4aX3G8_20050507,00.html?mod=blogs
Schwarznegger Retreats; Unlike Bush and Social Security, he quickly caves And, his popularity has plummeted.
Under pressure from firefighters and police officers, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday backed off, for now, his plan to privatize California's public employee pension system.
The Republican said ``misconceptions'' among firefighters and police officers that privatization would strip them of death and disability benefits had come to dominate the issue.
Over the past few weeks, Schwarzenegger has waged a campaign to put privatization on the ballot during a special election next fall. But on Thursday, he said he would wait until the June 2006 election if lawmakers did not craft a compromise measure in the coming months.
``Let's pull it back and do it better,'' said Schwarzenegger, flanked by more than a dozen police, fire and local government leaders.
The move followed days of meetings with police and fire chiefs and survivors of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty, all of whom expressed concerns that the ballot language opened the possibility that the employees would lose death and disability payments.
The attorney general's office, analyzing the proposed ballot language, had earlier reached the same conclusion.
Schwarzenegger said that was not his intention.
Schwarzenegger, who has called the state's pension system ``another government program out of control,'' wanted to hold down the state's escalating pension contributions by making new employees open 401(k)-style individual investment accounts. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/07/politics/07memo.html?
Steal Them Secrets! Old enough to remember when we were concerned about the Soviet Union getting our “secrets”? Seems like lots of countries are vying for U.S. information.
Because the U.S. has reached such lone, superpower status, government officials say, at least 90 countries -- in addition to Al Qaeda -- are attempting to steal some of the nation's most sacred secrets. It's not only foes, like members of terror groups or nations that are adversaries of the U.S., but friends as well. The top five countries trying to snoop on U.S. plans and cutting-edge technology, according to an official who works closely with the FBI on this issue, are China, Russia, Israel, France, and North Korea. Others running close behind: Cuba, Pakistan, and India.
'With the end of the Soviet Union, people stopped taking counterintelligence seriously,' says Patrick Lang, former head of Middle East intelligence at the Defense Intelligence Agency. 'Not enough attention has been devoted to keeping people from getting into our secret store of knowledge.'" http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0408/p01s01-usfp.html
Plame Investigation: End with a whimper? Are we surprised?
The special prosecutor investigating whether Bush administration officials illegally revealed the identity of a covert CIA operative says he finished his investigation months ago, except for questioning two reporters who have refused to testify.
The information in a March 22 court filing by special counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald suggests that syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak, who first published the name of undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame, has already spoken to investigators about his sources for that report, according to legal experts. Novak, whose July 2003 column sparked the investigation, and his attorney have refused to comment on whether he was questioned.
Legal experts and sources close to the case also speculated yesterday that Fitzgerald is not likely to seek an indictment for the crime he originally set out to investigate: whether a government official knowingly exposed a covert officer. The sources, who asked not to be named because the matter is the subject of a grand jury investigation, said Fitzgerald may instead seek to charge a government official with committing perjury by giving conflicting information to prosecutors. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A32380-2005Apr6?language=printer
More Daylight Savings Time?
If Congress passes an energy bill, Americans may see more daylight-saving time.
Lawmakers crafting energy legislation approved an amendment Wednesday to extend daylight-saving time by two months, having it start on the first Sunday in March and end on the last Sunday in November. http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/07/daylight.saving.ap/index.html
It is, however, an amendment to the Energy Bill which may be as awful as last year’s, and thus not worthy of passage.
-R
