A child sex offender who worked as a campaign aide for Executive Councilor Ray Burton also held jobs with the state, according to state personnel records.

Mark Seidensticker was convicted of attempted sexual assault on a teenage boy in 1992. That didn't stop him from getting jobs with the state Department of Transportation in 1994 and the state Liquor Commission in 2001, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.

According to the Union Leader, Seidensticker previously has been convicted of indecent exposure after masturbating in front of three teenage boys, failing to register in Maine and New Hampshire as a sexual offender, stalking a former boyfriend and violating probation. He has served several jail sentences.

In the latest allegations, a 14-year-old boy reported being approached by a man who offered him beer and cigarettes. Seidensticker was arrested and charged with offering alcohol and tobacco to a minor after police found beer, blankets, rope, tape and sexual aids in his car.

full article @ boston.com

# posted by Jon Easton : 7:08 PM  3 comments

Democrats agree to add contests to early presidential calendar

Democrats trying to change their party's presidential primary for 2008 agreed Saturday to allow at least two other states to join Iowa and New Hampshire in voting during the opening days of the nominating campaign.

That expansion, debated before a commission considering changes in the primary calendar, is intended to provide more racial and geographic diversity to an opening process now dominated by Iowa and New Hampshire. Those states, representing about 1.5 percent of the country's population, have residents who are mostly white.

The additional states, expected to be named later, were likely to include a smaller state from the South and a smaller state from the Southwest or West.

# posted by Jon Easton : 7:04 PM  0 comments

A lawyer who knows Mr. Libby’s account said the administration efforts to limit the damage from Mr. Wilson’s criticism extended as high as Mr. Cheney. This lawyer and others who spoke about the case asked that they not be identified because of grand jury secrecy rules.

On July 12, 2003, four days after his initial conversation with Ms. Miller, Mr. Libby consulted with Mr. Cheney about how to handle inquiries from journalists about the vice president’s role in sending Mr. Wilson to Africa in early 2002 to investigate reports that Iraq was trying acquire nuclear material there for its weapons program, the person said.

This is an effort by the White House to reveal more details about Cheney’s role on their own terms. The information was leaked to the New York Times on Saturday, the day when the fewest number of people read the paper. Also, it is presented in a way that makes Cheney’s involvement sound innocuous as possible.

Now, when more details about Cheney’s involvement are released by the special prosecutor or another source, the administration can dismiss it as “old news.” Remember, the first details about Karl Rove’s role were released by his own lawyer.

Nevertheless, the fact that this scandal reaches all the way to the Vice President – at a minimum – is very big news.

from thinkprogress

# posted by Jon Easton : 6:57 PM  2 comments

At least two bombs exploded almost simultaneously Saturday in tourist areas of the Indonesian resort island of Bali, killing at least 22 people and wounding about 50 others, officials said. The blasts came a month after Indonesia's president warned of possible terrorist attacks.

The wounded included at least two Americans

UPDATE: 25 Killed, 100 Wounded in Bali Explosions

# posted by Jon Easton : 6:53 PM  0 comments

At least 12 Iraqis were killed in a car bomb explosion on Friday in a surge of violence ahead of an October constitutional referendum that has claimed more than 110 lives in two days.

The bomb ripped through a crowded marketplace in the southern town of Hilla. Police and health officials said 47 were wounded in the attack, just hours after three car bomb blasts killed 98 in the mainly Shi'ite town of Balad Thursday night.

Twenty-five children were among those killed in the last two days, part of an insurgent campaign of suicide bombings, shootings and assassinations intended to topple Iraq's U.S.-backed government.

From yahoo news

Three Iraqi policemen killed in bomb attack

Three Iraqi policemen were killed and four wounded when a bomb exploded next to their patrol in the northern town of Kirkuk.

"One vehicle was completely burnt with three policemen inside," Captain Mohammed Adil said Saturday.

The second patrol car was badly damaged and its four occupants wounded, he added.

From yahoo news

The US military released about 500 detainees from the notorious US-run Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad, the second group to be released ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Those set free were given new white jelabas, copies of the holy Koran and the equivalent of 25 dollars in cash.

Lieutenant-Colonel Guy Rudisill, spokesman for prison operations in Iraq, said about 42,000 Iraqis had been detained by the US military since the March 2003 invasion, of whom about 11,240 had since been released.

On Monday, a first batch of 507 inmates were freed from Abu Ghraib, where a prisoner abuse scandal last year dealt a severe blow to the credibility of the US-led occupation of Iraq.

From yahoo news

# posted by Jon Easton : 10:12 AM  0 comments

Specifically, Vermonter Tony Gordon reports receiving a call from a out-of-state call center in Nebraska. The caller asked "While it is fine to have a gadfly like [Senate candidate] Bernie Sanders in the House, since Vermont is such a small state, we must have real leadership in the Senate. Do you agree or disagree?" Clearly, as Gordon notes, the question was deliberately phrased to guarantee a desired result and spread misleading information about Congressman Sanders - not to guage actual public opinion.

Webster's Dictionary defines a "push poll" as "an opinion poll done with loaded questions or offering negative information to sway the opinions of those polled." By that definition, what was described in the Rutland Herald, can safely be called a push poll - a practice widely considered to be among the most unethical in politics.

Incidentally, for those who think that Sanders is merely a gadfly and not a "real" leader, see this Rolling Stone article on his ability to pass legislation through the GOP-controlled House, or this previous post detailing his record.

from sirota blog

# posted by Jon Easton : 10:04 AM  2 comments

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger followed through Thursday on his promise to veto a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in California, saying the issue should be decided by voters or the courts

Susan's comment reminded me that I meant to post this earlier. Supposedly Arnold is also pissing off his conservatives because he is allowing all the domestic partner rights to stand.

"I am proud California is a leader in recognizing and respecting domestic partnerships and the equal rights of domestic partners," Schwarzenegger said in his veto message. "I support current domestic partnership rights and will continue to vigorously defend and enforce these rights and as such will not support any rollback."

That stand would put him at odds with two initiatives being pursued by conservative groups for the ballot next year. Those measures would not only create a constitutional ban on gay marriage but would also eliminate rights domestic partners currently enjoy.

from sfgate.com

# posted by Jon Easton : 11:27 AM  3 comments

Sunni-led insurgents killed at least nine people with a car bomb in a crowded vegetable market Friday, the Muslim day of worship, in the second blast against Shiite civilians in as many days, police said. The death toll rose to nearly 100 from the previous day's attacks in another Shiite town.

Elsewhere, in the southern city of Basra, an Iraqi police convoy was ambushed late Thursday, killing four policemen and wounding one, said police Capt. Mushtaq Khazim.

Car bombs have killed more than 110 people, 25 of them children, in a surge of violence in Iraq ahead of an October 15 referendum on a new constitution.

One of the four car bombs ripped through a crowded market in the southern town of Hilla killing at least 12 people and wounding 47 on Friday, police and health officials said.

In the mainly Shi'ite town of Balad, north of Baghdad, the death toll from three huge car bombs on Thursday rose to 98 on Friday, hospital director Kassim Aboud said.

# posted by Jon Easton : 9:54 AM  0 comments

The laptop will be tough and foldable in different ways, with a hand crank for when there is no power supply.

Professor Negroponte came up with the idea for a cheap computer for all after visiting a Cambodian village.

His non-profit One Laptop Per Child group plans to have up to 15 million machines in production within a year.

# posted by Jon Easton : 8:51 AM  0 comments

Two senators on Thursday asked federal officials to explain their decision to sign a $236 million deal with Carnival Cruise Lines for Hurricane Katrina housing, saying Greece was ready to provide two ships for free.

The six-month deal with Carnival for three full-service cruise ships — which now sit mostly empty in the Gulf Coast — has been criticized by lawmakers of both parties as a prime example of wasted spending in Hurricane Katrina-related contracts.

To critics, the price is exorbitant. If the ships were at capacity, with 7,116 evacuees, for six months, the price per evacuee would total $1,275 a week, according to calculations by aides to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). A seven-day western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston can be had for $599 a person -- and that would include entertainment and the cost of actually making the ship move.

"When the federal government would actually save millions of dollars by forgoing the status quo and actually sending evacuees on a luxurious six-month cruise it is time to rethink how we are conducting oversight. A short-term temporary solution has turned into a long-term, grossly overpriced sweetheart deal for a cruise line," said Coburn and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in a joint statement yesterday calling for a chief financial officer to oversee Katrina spending.

# posted by Jon Easton : 8:03 AM  5 comments

Saying he supports the concept of raising the wages for California's lowest paid workers, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger nonetheless vetoed a bill Thursday that would increase the minimum wage by $1 an hour to $7.75 over the next two years.

Schwarzenegger also vetoed:

_ A bill that would have imposed stiff financial penalties on employers who are found to be paying equally qualified employees at different rates.

_ A bill that would have banned the use of the nickname Redskins for school teams and mascots. The governor said decisions about team names should be made by local officials.

_ A bill that would have forced employers and insurers who take injured employees to court before paying out workers' compensation benefits to pay a penalty. Schwarzenegger said current law already penalizes companies that unreasonably delay or refuse to pay benefits.

He signed:

_ A bill that clarifies that marital status and sexual orientation are among the characteristics protected against discrimination by business establishments.

_ A bill that requires the Department of Education to post on its Web site an athletes' bill of rights explaining that federal law bars sexual discrimination in school programs, including sports.

_ A bill that encourages the use of biodiesel by allowing public agencies to use the alternative fuels.

_ A bill that requires home buyers to be specifically notified before an agreement is signed about all property taxes pending.

_ A bill that returns millions of dollars in sales taxes from jet fuel to communities that host airports.

from SFgate.com

# posted by Jon Easton : 7:46 AM  1 comments

For Marine Sgt. Todd Bowers that extra piece of equipment — a high-tech rifle scope bought by his father for $600 and a $100 pair of goggles — turned out to be a life or death purchase. And he has never been reimbursed.

He and other soldiers and their parents are still spending hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars for armor they say the military won't provide. One U.S. senator said Thursday he will try again to force the Pentagon to obey the reimbursement law it opposed from the outset and has so far not implemented.

from SFGATE.com

The question here is not whether we should spend even more money on military. If you are going to go start a war shouldn't you have all the equipment you need first? Then when you did start your war without everything you needed, shouldn't you have it by now? Where is all the hundreds of billions of dollars spent in Iraq going?

Military spending is and always has primarily gone into the pockets on large corporations for weapons systems that are unnecessary, don't work, or quickly go obsolete. It is not and has never gone primarily to good pay and good benefits for military personnel. Under the Republican controlled government it isn't even going to equipment or protect military personnel.

You would think after the pentagon hands off billions of dollars to corporations that they could spare a little bit to take care of the troops OR at least reimburse them for purchasing their own equipment!!!

# posted by Jon Easton : 7:16 AM  1 comments

• Tried to slip pro-Big Tobacco provision into a Homeland Security bill (!) - while he was sleeping with a Philip Morris (aka Altria) lobbyist.
• Hurt the war effort by passing legislation that reduced competition by limiting military cargo shipments to certain companies such as UPS and FedEx - while his son Andrew was (you guessed it) a lobbyist for UPS.
• Funnelled $76,000 to his son Matt's gubernatorial campaign in Missouri by laundering it through a bunch of various campaign committees - while Altria also tossed $24,000 to Matt's campaign, and $100,000 to one of those middle-man committees.
• PAC took money from top GOP arrested scum-bag-man Jack Abramoff, to the tune of $8,500. It's all about the company you keep, ay?
• Took a trip to Korea in 2002 paid for by a registered foreign agent - which is against House rules.

from daily kos

# posted by Jon Easton : 6:51 AM  0 comments

Bret Clemons, spawn of NHDP's Co-Vice Chair Jane Clemons is looking to run against North Country Favorite Paul Hodes. Bret is also the brother of NH Dem party ExecutiveDirector former Kerry Campaign staffer Nick Clemons.

Two say they might challenge Hodes for Congressional nomination

By JAMES W. PINDELL PoliticsNH.com

CONCORD, Sept. 28 - There was a time not too long ago when Paul Hodes thought he would sail through the Democratic primary in the Second Congressional District and get a second shot at incumbent U.S. Rep. Charlie Bass.

But now, PoliticsNH.com has learned, Hodes, the 2004 Democratic nominee in that district, will face competition for the nomination by at least one credible Democrat and possibly even a second.

Bret Clemons, a Granite State native and greeting card executive, has moved back to New Hampshire from Ohio and is preparing for a Congressional bid, according to three sources. Clemons is the son of House Deputy Democratic Leader Jane Clemons, of Nashua, and the brother to the Executive Director of the state Democratic Party.

With Nick and Jane on his side expect to see Bret's campaign recieve unparalled support from New Hampshire Democratic Party.

Also considering a bid is House Democratic Communications Director State Rep. John DeJoy, of Concord.

Dejoy, who is serving his second term, said in an interview that he is "actively exploring" a run with "an emphasis on exploring".

"If I were a candidate I would be campaigning, but as it stands I am talking and listening to folks," said DeJoy, a firefighter. "I have been encouraged by what I am hearing, but I am still a few months away from any decisions."

WOW! It’s a regular NHDP insider’s picnic… On a side note Bret's greeting card company uses 0% recycled paper. Paul Hodes plays guitar and makes children's albums. Jon Dejoie doesn't return emails from his Merrimack County Democrats which seems like the county chair thing to do these days.

# posted by Jon Easton : 12:10 PM  1 comments

Here’s what DeLay said last night in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity:

Ronnie Earle has established no intent, no motive to commit a crime.

But only minutes earlier, DeLay did a pretty good job establishing motive:

So we had an opportunity in 2002. I wanted to redistrict the congressional seats, so I wanted to make sure and help gain a majority in the Texas House. So I came up with this idea to form a political action committee to raise money to get into state representative races so that we could win seats.

We were successful. And after that, we were successful in a congressional redistricting to the tune of gaining five Republican seats and more fairly represent the values of the people of Texas.

I’m sure Earle appreciates the help.

# posted by Jon Easton : 11:38 AM  0 comments

others pardoned:

Adam Wade Graham, Salt Lake City, Utah, conspiracy to deliver 10 or more grams of LSD.

Larry Paul Lenius, Moorhead, Minn., conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

Larry Lee Lopez, Bokeelia, Fla., conspiracy to import marijuana.

Mark Lewis Weber, Sherwood, Ark., selling Quaalude tablets, selling, using and possessing marijuana.

From CBS news

Not that I have any problem with Bush pardoning people convicted of non-violent drug offenses. I think the action itself is actually a good think. There are probably a lot more people deserving of such pardons. This is real issue is that this is about Wealthy Families and Individuals who are Bush supporters or contributors getting “indulgences” for family members and friends. Check out this paragraph from the CBS news article.

“Some pardons, like the one Mr. Ford gave Nixon in 1974, protect recipients from going to jail or reduce their sentences. But Mr. Bush has granted clemency mainly to allow people who committed relatively minor offenses and served their sentences long ago to clear their names.” From CBS news

# posted by Jon Easton : 11:21 AM  0 comments

Bradley to return money from DeLay's PAC

Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., says he will return $15,000 in campaign funds from former House majority leader Tom DeLay's political action committee.

# posted by Jon Easton : 10:14 AM  4 comments

By LARRY MARGASAK

The political committee of Rep. Roy Blunt who is temporarily replacing Rep. Tom DeLay as House majority leader, has paid roughly $88,000 in fees since 2003 to a consultant under indictment in Texas with DeLay, according to federal records.

from yahoo news

# posted by Jon Easton : 8:40 AM  0 comments

"But I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could -- if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down. That would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down. So these far-out, these far-reaching, extensive extrapolations are, I think, tricky."

From Bill Bennett, one of the big thinkers of the Republican Party.

# posted by Jon Easton : 8:32 AM  0 comments

The statewide rumor mill is buzzing with reports that Lowell Weicker is considering an independent run for his old U.S. Senate seat next year against Democratic incumbent Joe Lieberman of New Haven (for now). Lieberman deposed former Weicker in 1988 with the help of his famous sleeping bear commercial--a commercial Weicker could now turn back on his old nemesis.

The rumors have been building since last week, when Weicker appeared at a public forum with radio talk-show host and Courant columnist Colin McEnroe. Weicker, a former liberal Republican who turned independent in 1990 when he left the Senate to run successfully for governor, dropped notice at the Sept. 20 forum that he'd consider another political run.

Remember, Lieberman took out Weicker from the right, and any Wicker run would take on Lieberan on the war. Weicker is an opponent of Bush's War. Lieberman is one of its chief enablers. Read more about it here.

# posted by Jon Easton : 8:27 AM  0 comments

DeLay Indicted in Campaign Finance Probe

By LARRY MARGASAK

A Texas grand jury on Wednesday charged Rep. Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, forcing the House majority leader to temporarily relinquish his post.

DeLay attorney Steve Brittain said DeLay was accused of a criminal conspiracy along with two associates, John Colyandro, former executive director of a Texas political action committee formed by DeLay, and Jim Ellis, who heads DeLay's national political committee.

"I have notified the speaker that I will temporarily step aside from my position as majority leader pursuant to rules of the House Republican Conference and the actions of the Travis County district attorney today," DeLay said.

Karl Rove, 4/18/05:

“Tom DeLay is going to continue to be a strong and effective majority leader. … We strongly support Tom DeLay. He’s a good man, a close ally of this administration.”

# posted by Jon Easton : 1:01 PM  3 comments

A new documentary “Inside the Bubble” about the Kerry Campaign is coming out!!

See inside the frat boy clubhouse “a disorganized, contentious, self-absorbed team that thought they could win by 'not making mistakes,' and keeping their candidate in the public eye without clarifying a position on anything.” I wonder if the two Kerry staffers who are now employed by the New Hampshire State Democratic Party are in the movie.

Kerry, the movie

"I hear that John Kerry loyalists are kicking themselves for cooperating last year with filmmaker Steve Rosenbaum on 'Inside the Bubble,' a potentially devastating behind-the-scenes look at the Massachusetts senator's failed presidential campaign," Lloyd Grove writes in his Lowdown gossip column in the New York Daily News.

"I'm also told that Hillary Clinton partisans are licking their chops to see the film, which 'could end up being the silver bullet that kills Kerry's presidential chances for 2008,' says a Lowdown spy.

"Kerry spinmeister David Wade -- one of the senior staffers who allowed Rosenbaum to film his private moments -- tried to dismiss Rosenbaum's effort as 'a childish home movie destined to be forgotten.' ...

"But people who've screened the documentary say it's compelling and revealing," Mr. Grove said.

"It features, among other not-ready-for-prime-time moments, Clinton scowling and rolling her eyes over an apparent Kerry gaffe during a presidential debate; Kerry pretending to interview himself and babbling in Italian while waiting for a real interview to begin; Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) cursing at reporters during a campaign stop, and Kerry message guru Robert Shrum confidently declaring a few days before the 2004 election: 'Zogby [a prominent pollster] just announced who's gonna win. Us!' ...

A press release claims the movie -- which won't be shown publicly until Thursday -- 'turns a harsh but deeply revealing mirror on the campaign ... a disorganized, contentious, self-absorbed team that thought they could win by "not making mistakes," and keeping their candidate in the public eye without clarifying a position on anything.'

"Director Rosenbaum, meanwhile, told me: "I'm a lifelong Democrat and I supported Kerry. I think people will see the film as fair, and maybe searing.'"

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/349883p-298362c.html

# posted by Jon Easton : 11:44 AM  3 comments

=====================================

First Lady Makes Her Reality TV Debut

By JAY REEVES, Associated Press

First lady Laura Bush made her reality TV debut Tuesday, helping with a taping of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" in a sweltering community building as she toured hurricane relief sites on the Mississippi coast.
.....

Before Mrs. Bush entered the community center where the show was filming, a director shooed away both victims and volunteers from the doorway, instructing them how to react as her entourage entered.

"Act surprised!" he said above the din.

more from yahoo news

# posted by Jon Easton : 5:53 AM  2 comments

Today, while testifying under oath, Mike Brown claimed that Louisiana Gov. Blanco’s August 27th request to the President for a federal emergency declaration excluded Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquerines parishes. Here’s Brown today under questioning by Rep. Steve Buyer:

BUYER: So I’d like to know why did the president’s federal emergency assistance declaration of August 27th not include the parishes of Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines?

BROWN: …[I]f a governor does not request a particular county or a particular parish, that’s not included in the request.

BUYER: All right.

Orleans Parish is New Orleans. I was listening to my colleague, Mr. Jefferson’s, questions about when they talked about, you know, they asked for this assistance for three days and then president responded the very next day, not the day that it was made — the request — but the governor of Louisiana actually excluded New Orleans from the president’s federal emergency assistance declaration?

BROWN: Again, Congressman, we looked at the request.The governors make the request by…

BUYER: Let me ask this. Since you went through the exercise in Pam, was that not shocking to you that the governor would excluded New Orleans from the declaration?

BROWN: Yes.

BUYER: When that request came in excluding these three parishes, did you question it?

BROWN: We questioned it. But I made the decision that we were going to go ahead and move assets in regardless because we have the ability to add those parishes…

In fact, Blanco requested the President to declare a disaster in “all the southeastern parishes,” which includes Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines. See the request for yourself HERE.

from think progress

# posted by Jon Easton : 8:43 PM  0 comments

Think it's hyperbole to say that President Bush's tax cutting agenda significantly contributed to the disaster that followed Hurricane Katrina? Think again. As meticulously documented in this new cover story for In These Times magazine, the White House repeatedly ignored desperate calls to better-fund flood/hurricane prevention infrastructure in recent years, and instead pushed more and more tax cuts for the very wealthy.

Just look at the timeline that is included with the article - year after year explicit decisions were made to ignore the Gulf Coast's crumbling infrastructure in order to pay for more tax breaks for the wealthy. It all begs one question: when will the tax cut madness end?

# posted by Jon Easton : 8:32 PM  0 comments

Burton has bipartisan support

Raymond Burton has bipartisan support in New Hampshire's North Country, the vast region he represents as an executive councilor.

"We don't have a lot of political capital up here," said former Republican state Rep. Brien Ward of Littleton. "Burton is the one person who makes government work for the North Country, he's done it time and again.

"If we lose Ray Burton, we will become the portion of New Hampshire that time has forgotten," Ward said.

…

Jerry Sorlucco, North Country Democratic committee chairman, said Burton's decision to hire Seidensticker was unfortunate, but didn't warrant his resignation from the council. New Hampshire's congressional delegation and Gov. John Lynch have called for him to resign.

….

Former state Rep. Ned Densmore of Franconia said Burton's political struggle was due to a lack of support from Republican leadership.

…..

Ralph Doolan of Bethlehem, Grafton County Republican committee vice chairman, said he was surprised by congressional delegation and Lynch's call for Burton to resign. He said voters should be allowed to determine Burton's fate. Burton is up for re-election next year

frm boston.com

Please please please, stay in office Ray. I want the FULL STORY to come out on you AND I want to kick your ass in the next election. Plus it will be fun to watch all those people speaking up for him play duck and cover when the "FULL STORY" comes out. I also noticed that no CURRENTLY elected officials came out for ray. Poor ray, he is all alone in his mission to reach out to repeat child molesters. Maybe he just couldn't find enough non-convicted sex offenders that were willing to work for his campaign?

If you are out of the loop on the Ray Burton Scandle get informed about the story so far here.

# posted by Jon Easton : 11:37 AM  0 comments

Burton: 'I don't plan to resign'

By David Tirrell-Wysocki, Associated Press Writer

CONCORD, N.H. --All four members of New Hampshire's congressional delegation are calling on fellow Republican Raymond Burton to resign from the Executive Council for hiring an aide he knew was a convicted child sex offender. Burton said Tuesday he has no intention of stepping down.

from boston.com

# posted by Jon Easton : 8:09 AM  0 comments

Sen. Bill Frist: The report accuses him of violating federal campaign finance laws in how he disclosed a campaign loan. It also calls for an inquiry over his recent sale of stock in HCA Inc., his family's hospital corporation. The sale has raised questions about possible insider dealing. Frist aides confirmed Friday that the SEC was investigating. They have denied claims of campaign finance violations.

Rep. Roy Blunt: The report criticizes him for trying to insert provisions into bills that would have benefited, in one case, a client of his lobbyist son and in another case, the employer of his lobbyist girlfriend, now his wife.

Sen. Conrad Burns: The report says that questions arose over $3 million in appropriations he earmarked for an Indian tribe in Michigan that was a client of lobbyist Abramoff. The senator received substantial campaign contributions from Abramoff and various clients. [...]

Rep. Bob Ney: The report says the chairman of the House Administration Committee went on a golf outing to Scotland in 2002, arranged by Abramoff, at a time when the congressman was trying to insert a provision into legislation to benefit one of Abramoff's tribal clients. [...]

Rep. Tom Feeney: The report says he incorrectly reported that a golf trip to Scotland with Abramoff in 2003 was paid for by the National Center for Public Policy Research, which denied it. A Feeney aide said the congressman had been misled. Questions also have arisen about two other privately funded trips.

Rep. Richard W. Pombo: He paid his wife and brother $357,325 in campaign funds in the last four years, the report says. He also supported the wind-power industry before the Department of Interior without disclosing that his parents received hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties from wind-power turbines on their ranch. [...]

Rep. Maxine Waters: The report cites a December 2004 Los Angeles Times investigation disclosing how members of the congresswoman's family have made more than $1 million in the last eight years by doing business with companies, candidates and causes that Waters has helped. Before publication of the Times investigation last year, Waters declined to be interviewed, but said of her family members: "They do their business, and I do mine."

Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.): The report says he encountered controversy over disclosures that Pennsylvania taxpayers paid for his children's schooling while they lived in Virginia. Santorum maintained he did nothing wrong, and has pulled his children out of the school, according to reports.

Reps. Randy "Duke" Cunningham and William J. Jefferson: Both congressional veterans are under federal investigation.

Cunningham, who has announced that he will not run for reelection, faces questions over his dealings with a defense contractor who allegedly overpaid him when he purchased Cunningham's house. Jefferson is under scrutiny for his role in an overseas business deal. Normally the House ethics committee does not hold inquiries while criminal investigations are underway.

Rep. Charles H. Taylor (R-N.C.): The report says that questions have been raised about his private business interests, including a savings and loan in Asheville, N.C., and personal business interests in Russia.

Rep. Marilyn N. Musgrave (R-Colo.) and Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.): Both second-term House members encountered criticisms tied to campaign activities, the report says.

Musgrave was accused of misusing her congressional office for campaign purposes. Renzi was accused of financing portions of his 2002 campaign with improper loans.

via daily kos from AMERICAblog,

# posted by Jon Easton : 8:06 AM  0 comments

From CBS News:

CBS News correspondent Gloria Borger reports that Michael Brown, who recently resigned as the head of the FEMA, has been rehired by the agency as a consultant to evaluate its response following Hurricane Katrina.

(HT: Crooks and Liars)

UPDATE: The Department of Homeland Security is already spinning the story. From the AP:

Brown is continuing to work at the Federal Emergency Management Agency at full pay, with his Sept. 12 resignation not taking effect for two more weeks, said Homeland Security Department spokesman Russ Knocke.

During that time, Brown will advise the department on “some of his views on his experience with Katrina,” as he transitions out of his job, Knocke said.

This isn’t consistent, however, with Brown’s statement on the day he resigned:

Today I resigned as Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. As I told the President, it is important that I leave now to avoid further distraction from the ongoing mission of FEMA.

from thinkprogress

# posted by Jon Easton : 7:52 AM  0 comments

Lynch, Sununu, and Bradley ask Burton to resign
By James W. Pindell
PoliticsNH.com

CONCORD, Sept. 26 - Gov. John Lynch, U.S. Sen. John Sununu, and U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley asked for the resignation of Executive Councilor Ray Burton, a Republican, after he admitted to retaining a staffer who he knew had numerous prior convictions.

FULL STORY

[thanks M.M. for the tip]

# posted by Jon Easton : 7:49 PM  0 comments

The administration clearly was using this case for its own political reasons. This cover-up started within minutes of Pat’s death, and it started at high levels. This is not something that (lower-ranking) people in the field do.”
--Pat Tillman Sr.

Of all the symbols the right used to cultivate domestic support for the Bush administration's military escapades in Iraq and Afghanistan, that of Pat Tillman was one its most effective. If your memory is fuzzy, Tillman was a handsome, muscle-bound NFL star who passed up a multi-million dollar contract to become an Army Ranger battling Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The official Army account of Tillman's death held that he was killed while charging up a rocky incline in pursuit of a band of Qaeda fighters. When word of Tillman's killing hit stateside, the conservative propaganda factory sought to make him theirs. Ann Coulter described Tillman as “an American original -- virtuous, pure and masculine like only an American male can be.” (Can we have that in the original German, bitte?) Though the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan were growing increasingly catastrophic, Tillman's reinvigorated public support for the administration's mission, at least momentarily.

Now, almost a year and a half later, the right's version of Tillman's killing has been shattered. The San Francisco Chronicle got its hands on 2000 pages of testimony on Tillman's death and interviewed his family and soldiers who served with him. The Chronicle's report not only strengthens the evidence that the Pentagon deliberately covered up Tillman's death from friendly-fire to better exploit him as a PR tool, it reveals that:

--Tillman joined the Army specifically to fight Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, but was sent to participate in the invasion of Iraq against his wishes. He called the invasion, "so fucking illegal."

--He was an avid reader and fan of Noam Chomsky. Tillman was scheduled to meet Chomsky upon his return from Afghanistan.

--Tillman was an independent-minded, outspoken Bush critic who planned to vote for John Kerry.

--On April 23, 2004, a day after he was killed, Tillman's bullet-riddled body armor was burned by a soldier. That same day, all Army Ranger top commanders were informed of the suspected fratricide.

--Two days later, Tillman's uniform was burned.

--On April 30, Tillman was awarded the Silver Star for bravery. "Through the firing Tillman’s voice was heard issuing fire commands to take the fight to the enemy on the dominating high ground,” the Army stated.

--Three days later, acting Army Secretary Lee Brownlee was told of Tillman's death by fratricide.

--On May 29, once Tillman's PR value had been exhausted, the Army admitted to his family that his death was a fratricide.

--ON November 14, an officer who interrogated Rangers involved in Tillman's killing stated he thought some could have been charged with "criminal intent" and other with "gross negligence."

--Portions of the Pentagon's report on Tillman's death were deleted.

from huffington post

# posted by Jon Easton : 10:39 AM  0 comments