Thursday, October 12, 2006
Lawyer: If asked, Fordham will continue to help investigation
From CNN Congressional Producer Deirdre Walsh
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Kirk Fordham emerged from the House ethics committee Thursday after being questioned under oath for over four hours, and his attorney said it is not clear if the former chief-of-staff to Rep. Mark Foley, R-Florida, will be called back to provide additional testimony about the page scandal. Tim Heaphy, Fordham's lawyer, said if the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct does ask his client to reappear for more questioning he would do so. A source familiar with Fordham's account tells CNN that he was expected to tell the panel he warned more than one GOP congressional official several times about Foley's inappropriate behavior with pages much earlier than what GOP officials have stated. After making brief remarks, the two men tried to make a quick exit only to realize they had to wait on a taxi. For a few minutes, Heaphy and Fordham were surrounded by a scrum of reporters and cameras, while trying to find an empty cab. Heaphy continued to fend off questions, saying, "We don’t want to say anything to jeopardize the investigation." A reporter asked Fordham if he was confident that his statements will stand up, and he nodded affirmatively. A cab finally pulled up and Heaphy closed by saying they were heading back to his office. Speaker's office 'confident' in ethics investigation
From CNN Congressional Correspondent Andrea Koppel
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert Thursday echoed the Illinois Republican's previous assertion that he is "confident" in the House ethics committee's investigation into the Foley page scandal. Ron Bonjean, Hastert's spokesman, made this remark at around the same time Kirk Fordham, the former chief-of-staff to ex-Rep. Mark Foley, wrapped up his testimony to the ethics committee about the Florida Republican's inappropriate behavior with House pages. "The Ethics Committee is investigating this matter and we are confident in its ability to determine the real facts," Bonjean said in a prepared statement. "The Speaker has said that any person who is found guilty of improper conduct involving sexual contact or communication with a page should immediately resign, be fired, or be subjected to a vote of expulsion." Warner blazed path for '08
From CNN Internet Correspondent Abbi Tatton
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In testing the presidential waters, Mark Warner's use of technology and his courting of the online community went above and beyond the outreach of other 2008 Democratic hopefuls. Even before leaving the Virginia governorship, Warner signed prominent liberal blogger Jerome Armstrong to be the Internet director of his political action committee. In June of this year, Warner not only attended the liberal blogger conference 'Yearly Kos' along with other potential '08 candidates, but threw an extravagant party for attendees - complete with computer-shaped ice sculptures, Elvis impersonators, and a chocolate fountain. Warner's web outreach occasionally bordered the bizarre: in a political first, a virtual Mark Warner appeared in the popular online community 'Second Life' to be interviewed ... by a virtual reporter. Prominent liberal blogger Markos Moulitsas of DailyKos.com called today's announcement a 'shocker' and questioned where Warner's online support will now turn. A number of bloggers say that John Edwards - another young, Southern Democrat with a significant web presence - has the most to gain from Warner's announcement today. AP: Pirate Wants Politics to Walk the Plank
ELDRIDGE, Iowa (AP) -- Pillaging, plundering and grog, sweet grog --James Hill-- is happy to discuss the finer points of pirate life. Just not before you hear him out on lobbying reform.
"Lobbying should be illegal," said Hill, a self-professed "drunken pirate" who is running for Congress as an independent in Iowa's 1st District. "It amounts to taxation without representation." Read full story Ahead on CNN tonight
4 p.m. ET, The Situation Room
-Terry Jeffrey, editor of Human Events, and former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland, join Wolf in today's strategy session for a debate on the latest developments in the Foley scandal and North Korea's latest actions. 5 p.m. ET, The Situation Room -Political commentator Bill Bennett weighs in on the upcoming midterm elections and the latest developments in North Korea. 6 p.m. ET, Lou Dobbs Tonight -Middle East expert Fawaz Gerges will discuss the chaotic week in Iraq. -Oscar-winning film director Barry Levinson, director of the new film "Man of the Year," discusses his frustration with America's political system. 11 p.m. ET, Anderson Cooper 360 -Former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger will voice his opinion on North Korea's reported acquisition of a nuclear weapon Bayh, Clinton and Edwards benefit from Warner's exit
From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Evan Bayh wasted no time Thursday expressing high praise for Mark Warner, following the former Virginia Democratic governor's decision to forgo a run for president. "Governor Warner is an exceptional public servant, a great leader, and an influential voice in the Democratic Party," said Bayh, an Indiana Democrat who is also considering a run for the White House. "I know how tough a decision that this must have been. Mark Warner has much to contribute to the national debate and I look forward to working with him to make our future everything it can be." Warner's exit provides an opening for Bayh, who would have had to compete with the former Virginia governor for the centrist Democratic vote. But a Democratic strategist suggests that the biggest winner of the day is Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, followed a close second by former Sen. John Edwards, D-North Carolina. "This is a great day for Hillary," said the strategist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "He was the most obvious 'Hillary slayer' in the race." Roll Call: Five Years After Attacks, FBI Refuses to Brief Congress
The FBI has completely shut Congress out of its now five-year investigation into anthrax attacks on Capitol Hill and around the nation, with accusations flying up and down Pennsylvania Avenue about the probe into the worst biochemical attacks in U.S. history.
The FBI and Justice Department have not briefed two key players in the attacks --former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the Senators who were targeted by anthrax-laden letters -- in at least two and a half years. Full story Kerry raising money for Hastert's opponent
From CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John Kerry is expanding his fundraising efforts to include John Laesch, a Democrat challenging House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, in November. Kerry made the announcement in an e-mail to political supporters, hours before President Bush is scheduled to stand with Hastert at a fundraiser in suburban Chicago. Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, noted the Foley page scandal, former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's bribery conviction and the resignation of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, who is under indictment in Texas, in the fundraising e-mail solicitation. "Speaker Hastert was planning a victory march from one congressional district to another," Kerry wrote. "That's until one Republican candidate after another begged him to stay home and not bring the debate about his shameful failures of leadership into their races." Kerry, who is seriously considering a run again for president, has been active on the campaign trail for Democrats this election cycle. For more of CNN's coverge of key races, check out America Votes 2006 Menendez has edge over Kean in New Jersey Senate Race
From Political Researcher Xuan Thai
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez has a slight advantage in the New Jersey Senate race over Republican nominee Tom Kean, Jr. According to a Quinnipiac University poll, Menendez is ahead by 4 points over Kean.
Protester fails to interrupt Bush
From CNN's White House correspondent Ed Henry
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A protester didn't cause the stir she was hoping during President Bush's energy speech in St. Louis Thursday. While an unidentified woman stood up during the speech and repeatedly yelled "out of Iraq now," her outburst was partially drowned out by the crowd's applause and the President seemed to hardly acknowledge her presence. Police and security officials removed the women as she continued to yell. Former President Ford in hospital for tests
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (CNN) -- Former President Gerald Ford was
rehospitalized Thursday for medical tests, and is "doing well," according to his chief-of-staff, Penny Circle. In a brief written statement, she said he was admitted to Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif. More details would be released later, she said. Ford, 93, was discharged from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in late August, after undergoing an angioplasty procedure to reduce or eliminate blockages in his coronary arteries. Angioplasty involves inserting a catheter-guided balloon to expand blocked arteries. His office said he received stents in two of his coronary arteries to increase blood flow, as well as a cardiac pacemaker. AP: Black leader acknowledges Lieberman's civil rights role
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A black leader who had accused Sen. Joe Lieberman of lying about his civil rights record said Thursday he accepted Lieberman's word that he marched with 1960s-era activists against segregation.
"It is true that he marched with Dr. King, but I believe Dr. King would be disappointed in his record as a senator over the past18 years," said Henry E. Parker, a former state treasurer, in a statement released by the campaign of Lieberman's rival Ned Lamont. "I accept the fact that Senator Lieberman provided documentation that he participated in the civil rights movement in the 60s," added Parker. McCain adds key South Carolina lawmaker to PAC
From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain is joining forces with a veteran South Carolina lawmaker in the Arizona Senator's latest move to build a powerful GOP network in the South ahead of a potential presidential run. South Carolina Senator Billy O'Dell, a member of the state Senate since 1989, will co-chair McCain's Straight Talk America Political Action Committee in the Palmetto State to "help Republicans win in November." "Having Senator O'Dell on my team gives us another experienced Republican leader who has served his people well and shares their values," McCain said in a statement. "I am honored to have him on board. He will be a tremendous asset as we enter the last few weeks of the 2006 elections." O'Dell may prove to be an asset beyond November if, as is widely speculated, McCain decides to give a go at another run for the White House. Allen gets Club for Growth endorsement
From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Club for Growth, the powerful conservative political action committee best known for its anti-tax positions, has endorsed Sen. George Allen's reelection bid. "Senator Allen has been a leader in the fight to cut taxes, limit wasteful spending and open foreign markets for American goods and service," Pat Toomey, President of Club for Growth, said in a statement. The Club for Growth, with its influential GOP fundraising network, has so far endorsed a total of 15 Congressional and Senate candidates running in general elections. The first-term Senator and former Governor of Virginia is locked in an unexpectedly tight race with the Democratic Challenger, former Navy Secretary Jim Webb. For more of CNN's coverage of key races, check out America Votes 2006 AP: Murtha to campaign against Republican who labeled him a 'coward'
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congressman Jack Murtha, a decorated Marine veteran who favors withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, will campaign against the congresswoman who called him a coward.
The Democrat will travel to Cincinnati on Saturday to campaign for Victoria Wulsin, the Democrat challenging Republican Jean Schmidt. Last November, Schmidt was booed off the House floor when she delivered a message to Murtha, saying: "Cowards cut and run, Marines never do." She later apologized for her remarks. A Murtha campaign spokesman says the Ohio appearance is "not a vengeance thing." Schmidt's campaign says her message against Murtha's Iraq war strategy resonated among voters in the district, even if she ended up apologizing. AP: One-man socialist show could open in Senate
BURLINGTON, Vermont (AP) -- For three decades, Rep. Bernie Sanders has been a party of one, an avowed socialist who rails against corporate America, Republicans, Democrats and all those he believes fail the poor and working families.
Now 65, the Brooklyn-born independent and his crusade could end up in the Senate. Polls put Sanders comfortably ahead of Republican Richard Tarrant, a wealthy businessman who has spent more than $5 million of his own money trying to buy the name recognition Sanders enjoys after eight years as mayor of Vermont's largest city and 16 years in the House. Sanders would succeed Sen. James Jeffords, a Republican turned independent who is retiring. http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/11/sanders.senate.ap/index.html Boehner to appear before House ethics committee
From CNN Congressional Producer Deidre Walsh
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, will appear before the House ethics committee investigating Congress' handling of former Rep. Mark Foley's inappropriate communications with a House Page. "He was invited to meet with them and looks forward to providing any information that might be helpful to their inquiry," Boehner's spokesman told CNN. The spokesman declined to say when Boehner is slated to appear before the panel. The majority leader acknowledged last week that Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Louisiana, had told him about one e-mail exchange between Foley and a page that was questionable but not of a sexual nature. Boehner maintains that he never saw the emails and was told the parents of the page did not want the matter pursued. Former Virginia Gov. Warner won't run for White House
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, touted as a possible Democratic presidential hopeful in 2008, announced Thursday that he has has decided against seeking the White House. In a statement to supporters, Warner, 52, said, "I want to have a real
life." "While the chance may never come again, I shouldn't move forward unless I'm willing to put everything else in my life on the back burner," he said. Warner had been considered an alternative to a potential Democratic presidential bid by New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. But a Democratic source close to Warner told CNN that the former governor "wasn't up for the personal commitment of running." And a veteran Democratic operative who was advising him said Warner is "an all-or-nothing guy, and over the past month or so, has just come to the decision no." The operative said Warner had planned to make a decision after the November midterm elections or in early 2007. But since the decision came earlier, he said, Warner did not want to ask backers to commit money or political support to a race he won't run. "He had as good a year as anyone exploring -- good demand for him on the stump, the money was fine," the adviser said. "By any objective yardstick, he was doing just fine positioning himself." But he added, "He just didn't burn for it, and decided not to do it." http://www.forwardtogetherpac.com/ -- CNN's Chief National Correspondent John King, Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash and Political Editor Mark Preston contributed to this report. Idaho senator seeks new pages applicants
From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Don't count Idaho Sen. Larry Craig among the lawmakers who are calling for a suspension, if not an all out end, to the Congressional page program. The Idaho senator put out a call Wednesday for page applications for the spring 2007 term. And he touted the valuable experience and direct working relationship pages have with lawmakers. "The Senate Page program offers high school students the opportunity to work side by side with U.S. Senators," Craig said in a press release. "Pages also live, study, and work with fellow students from all across the country. They gain valuable experience and have a chance to be directly involved in their government." While not specifically mentioning disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley, R-Florida, Craig stated that he believes the page program is "valuable and safe." Foley was caught having sexually explicit communications with pages. "I have worked closely with the Senate Page program for the past nine years and have continued to be impressed by their professionalism and care for the pages," Craig said. "I am confident the pages are safe, but I encourage parents to contact my office if they have any concerns." AP: Lieberman slams claim he lied about civil rights' marches
HARTFORD, Connecticut (AP) -- Sen. Joe Lieberman defended his civil rights record, disputing a black Democratic group's charge he lied about his 1960s activism fighting segregation in the South.
The Connecticut Federation of Black Democratic Clubs, which includes 20 clubs across the state, endorsed Lieberman's Democratic rival Ned Lamont and questioned whether he marched for civil rights. Read full story AP: Specter says FBI investigating Senate aide
(AP) -- Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter has acknowledged the FBI is looking into allegations that one of his aides illegally helped her lobbyist husband get federal dollars for his clients.
The Republican lawmaker on Wednesday provided The Associated Press a copy of a letter sent by the FBI in August to his office that said staff member Vicki Siegel Herson is under investigation in connection with allegations reported earlier this year. Read full story Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner will not run for President
From Senior National Correspondent John King
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner will not run for president in 2008 according to a democratic operative involved in Warner's Political Action Committee. The operative declined to give a reason why the Southern Democrat has decided not to run, but said it was a done deal. Another Democratic operative who is not involved with any potential 2008 candidates also was told Warner has decided not to run by someone in Warner's inner-circle. Pataki names New Hampshire GOP activists as PAC advisers
From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Gov. George Pataki added several New Hampshire GOP activists to his 21st Century Freedom Political Action Committee Thursday, as the New York Republican lays the groundwork for a potential run for the White House. The newly added advisers will help facilitate voter outreach efforts across the Granite State ahead of the midterm elections and will likely serve as key players for Pataki should he seek the GOP presidential nomination in 2008. "What we have is a hard working group of grassroots activists who have a proven record of helping spread the message of our party and our beliefs," said Pataki, who is retiring as governor in January. Joining Pataki's PAC are: Manchester Alderman Mike Garrity, developer Renee Rydell, Hampton Selectman Rick Griffin, St. Anselm College Republican Chair Brian Lawson, small business owner Tammy Simmons, congressional aide Rick Richardson, real estate developer Ben Gamache, New Hampshire College Republicans Chair Tom DeRosa, state Rep. David Currier and former Dover City Councilor Matt Mayberry. CNN Political Ticker AM
For the latest, breaking political news, check for updates throughout the day on the CNN Political Ticker. All politics, all the time.
Compiled by Stephen Bach CNN Washington Bureau Making news today... When the AP story hit the wires Wednesday afternoon, Reid's office immediately issued this statement: "Obviously, Republicans are in danger of losing the House and the Senate and are desperate to push out any story that takes their troubles off the front page," Reid spokesman Jim Manley, D-Nevada, said. "The fact is Senator Reid owned the land from 1998 to 2004 and he fully disclosed that fact. If the Ethics Committee requests a technical correction to Senator Reid's disclosure forms we are happy to provide one." President's Schedule: Also on the Political Radar today: ================================================================= Political Hot Topics (Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country) BUSH: IRAQ STRATEGY "MORE FLEXIBLE THAN CRITICS SUGGEST": Even as he rejected calls to hold bilateral talks with Pyongyang, Bush said during a Rose Garden news conference that diplomacy is beginning to unite the world against North Korea's nuclear efforts. He called it hopeful that China is helping North Korea "understand it's not just the United States speaking to them," and he reassured South Korea and Japan that the United States "reserves all options" to protect its allies in the region against threats from the communist state... At the same time, Bush addressed the recent doubts expressed by senior Republicans, including Sen. John W. Warner (Va.) and former secretary of state James A. Baker III, about the current U.S. course in Iraq -- which he described as more flexible than critics suggest. "We're constantly changing tactics to achieve a strategic goal," the president said, adding that "stay the course" is only a partial description of his strategy in Iraq. "My attitude is, 'Don't do what you're doing if it's not working; change,' " said Bush. Washington Post: Bush Stands Firm on Policies ECONOMY, NATL. SECURITY WILL LIFT GOP IN NOVEMBER, SAYS BUSH: President Bush predicted on Wednesday that Republicans would be victorious in November, declaring that positive economic signs, combined with tough rhetoric against Democrats on national security, would help lift his party on Election Day. Mr. Bush made his prediction at a news conference in the Rose Garden at which he promoted new figures from the Treasury Department showing that the federal budget deficit had dropped sharply from last year, to its lowest level in four years, on stronger-than-expected revenues... "We'll have a Republican speaker and a Republican leader of the Senate, and the reason I say that is because I believe the two biggest issues in this campaign are, one, the economy and the economy is growing," Mr. Bush said during the hourlong briefing in the Rose Garden. (The other major campaign issue, he said later, was national security.) New York Times: President Sees Signs Favoring G.O.P. Victory FLAWED INTEL ON NORTH KOREA? Recent U.S. intelligence analyses of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs were flawed and the lack of clarity on the issue hampered U.S. diplomatic efforts to avert the underground blast detected Sunday, according to Bush administration officials. Some recent secret reports stated that Pyongyang did not have nuclear arms and until recently was bluffing about plans for a test, according to officials who have read the classified assessments. The analyses in question included a National Intelligence Estimate, a consensus report of all U.S. spy agencies produced several months ago and at least two other classified reports on North Korea produced by senior officials within the office of the Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte. Washington Times: Intelligence failure cited in Korean crisis MILITARY SPOKESMAN SAYS BAGHDAD VIOLENCE IS AT AN "ALL-TIME HIGH": The number of sectarian killings each month in Baghdad has more than tripled since February, and the violence has not slowed despite a major offensive in the capital. Death squads killed 1,450 people in September, up from 450 in February, according to U.S. military statistics. In the first 10 days of October, death squads have killed about 770 Iraqis. The increase in death squad killings reflects the level of religious warfare that is now the largest threat to security in Iraq. Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a military spokesman, acknowledged violence in Baghdad is at an "all-time high" and said U.S. commanders, in coordination with their Iraqi counterparts, are continuing to adjust the security plan to try to reduce the violence. "We've been working to keep it peaceful, and we've been frustrated that the extremists keep perpetuating the number of attacks," Garver said. USA Today: 'All-time high' in Baghdad violence BOEHNER WILL TESTIFY BEFORE HOUSE ETHICS: The House ethics committee is stepping up its investigation into former Rep. Mark Foley's (R-Fla.) relationships with House pages, as Members are being lined up to offer testimony before the panel. According to sources, House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) received an invitation Wednesday to appear before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, but a specific date was not disclosed. A spokesman for Boehner reiterated that he will cooperate fully with the investigation. "Mr. Boehner welcomes the opportunity and looks forward to meeting with them and providing any information that might be helpful to their inquiry," said spokesman Kevin Madden. Roll Call: Boehner Asked by Ethics to Testify on Foley PRYCE SEES "STEADY DROP IN SUPPORT" DUE TO FOLEY: Representative Deborah Pryce is a former municipal court judge, a Republican and a member of the House leadership who has represented her central Ohio district for 14 years. She is also friends with Mark Foley, the congressman who resigned in the page scandal, as she told Columbus Monthly for a feature it published just last month. Ms. Pryce always thought she would have a difficult re-election campaign this year in a state raked by Republican scandals. But since Mr. Foley quit, she said in an interview on a tense day of campaigning here, her own internal polls have measured a steady drop in support under the weight of attacks by Mary Jo Kilroy, her Democratic opponent. New York Times: Foley Case Snags Incumbent in Ohio Race for House Seat HIRING GAY STAFFERS... "A POLITICALLY AWKWARD FACT OF LIFE": For Republicans, the most difficult problem posed by the e-mail exchanges that former congressman Mark Foley had with pages is not necessarily the flagrant misbehavior of one member. Rather it's the fact that the investigation is exposing a politically awkward fact of life: some GOP leaders practice a more tolerant brand of politics in their office hiring than some in the party have preached on the campaign trail. "They play somebody different on TV than they are in person," says John Aravosis, a gay blogger who used to work for Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska... "Has the social agenda of the GOP been stalled by homosexual members or staffers?" Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council wrote in an e-mail message to the organization's activists this week. In an interview, Perkins says that while he has not drawn any conclusions, "these are questions that need to be resolved." USA Today: Page scandal exposes GOP's gay identity crisis REID MAKES $1 MILLION ON SALE OF PROPERTY HE HADN'T OWNED FOR 3 YEARS: Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid collected a $1.1 million windfall on a Las Vegas land sale even though he hadn't personally owned the property for three years, property deeds show. In the process, Reid did not disclose to Congress an earlier sale in which he transferred his land to a company created by a friend and took a financial stake in that company, according to records and interviews. The Nevada Democrat's deal was engineered by Jay Brown, a longtime friend and former casino lawyer whose name surfaced in a major political bribery trial this summer and in other prior organized crime investigations. He's never been charged with wrongdoing - except for a 1981 federal securities complaint that was settled out of court... Reid hung up the phone when questioned about the deal during an AP interview last week. But in a news conference Wednesday in Las Vegas, the senator said he believed he did nothing wrong but was willing to change his ethics report's account of the sale if the Senate Ethics Committee ordered him to do so. AP via Las Vegas Sun: Reid Got $1M in Land Sale MENENDEZ, KEAN JR. "VIRTUALLY DEADLOCKED": The race between Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez and Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr. remains virtually deadlocked with less than four weeks remaining before Election Day, a new poll shows. The new Quinnipiac University poll shows Menendez favored by 49 percent of likely voters, compared to 45 percent of those polled favoring Kean. Six percent were undecided. In the last Quinnipiac poll, released Sept. 20, Kean was favored by 48 percent of likely voters with Menendez at 45 percent. AP via Yahoo! News: N.J. senate race still tight TOP IL GOV AIDE INDICTED; CHALLENGER "SEIZES" ON THE NEWS: Federal prosecutors alleged Wednesday that Antoin "Tony" Rezko used his influence as one of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's closest advisers and fundraisers to seek millions of dollars in kickbacks and campaign donations from firms seeking state business. Rezko's indictment comes less than a month before voters must decide whether to re-elect Blagojevich, a Democrat who won four years ago on a platform of ethics reform in the aftermath of the scandal-tarred tenure of George Ryan. The governor is not accused of any wrongdoing and the indictment does not mention him by name. But the long-rumored charges have been hanging over Blagojevich's campaign for months... Blagojevich's Republican challenger, state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, seized on news of the indictment, alleging the governor had violated the public trust by giving Rezko a prominent advisory role. Chicago Tribune: Top Blagojevich adviser indicted SPITZER'S "GILDED PATH TO POLITICAL STARDOM": There could hardly be a more perfect road map to becoming a rich lawyer than the bullet points laid out on Eliot Spitzer's formidable resume. There was high school at prestigious Horace Mann, then Princeton and Harvard Law, followed by stints as a prosecutor for Robert M. Morgenthau, the Manhattan district attorney, and at top law firms like Paul, Weiss and Skadden, Arps. But along the way, Eliot Spitzer would deviate from that gilded path: at age 20 and while still at Princeton, he set off for a summer in the Deep South to dig ditches and mop rooms at Georgia Tech, before going to pick tomatoes in upstate New York, a trip that he said "opened my eyes into a part of life I hadn't seen." Fifteen years later, at age 35, he took the biggest gamble of his life, giving up his job as a corporate lawyer to run for New York attorney general, a bid many considered preposterous. New York Times: A Gilded Path to Political Stardom, With Detours TRACKING OPPONENTS IN THE VIRAL VIDEO ERA: Trackers - using inexpensive hand-held cameras and having the ability to post clips almost instantly on YouTube and other video-sharing websites - have become a major element in several campaigns. The most notable tracker moment this year came in Virginia when Republican Sen. George Allen used the word "macaca" to describe his Democratic tracker, a 20-year-old Indian American man... In some ways, the work of trackers is not new. Opposing campaigns have long followed what the other guy was saying, trolling for a slip or worse. In 1987, for instance, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s presidential campaign was torpedoed when opponents unearthed the Delaware Democrat's use of bits of speeches lifted from other public figures. But back then, opposing campaigns had to either persuade the news media to pick it up or invest in a campaign ad to get their message on the air... With YouTube and related technologies, publicizing material now is much less cumbersome - and less expensive. Los Angeles Times: Political 'Tracker' Is Looking for Err Time ARNOLD: "TO LINK ME TO GEORGE BUSH IS LIKE LINKING ME TO AN OSCAR": While his opponent pleaded with NBC affiliates to black out Arnold Schwarzenegger's appearance on "The Tonight Show" on Wednesday, the Republican incumbent ignored his Democratic challenger and exchanged quips with host Jay Leno instead. During Schwarzenegger's 15-minute appearance, the only reference to the combative California campaign came in Leno's questions. Neither mentioned Democratic candidate Phil Angelides by name. Leno did ask if Schwarzenegger thought the political ads that seek to tie him to President Bush were fair. "To link me to George Bush is like linking me to an Oscar," replied the former action star. Sacramento Bee: NBC ignores protests READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE BEFORE FORWARDING!!! A state lawmaker who wants to reinstate a 1950s federal deportation program known as "Operation Wetback" is under fire again for sending supporters information from a white separatist group. Republican Rep. Russell Pearce has apologized for e-mailing the article from the West Virginia-based National Alliance. But that hasn't stopped criticism from all directions, including state GOP leaders. Arizona Republican Chairman Matt Salmon called the e-mail a "severe mistake," while U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth says he no longer supports Pearce's re-election bid... Pearce said he immediately sent two apologies to supporters after forwarding the article. He said he did not know what the group was and that he had not read the entire article before copying it into his e-mail. AP via Yahoo! News: Ariz. lawmaker under fire for e-mail AT LEAST THE KID GOT AN 'A'! [Carl J. Truscott], the former director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives violated ethics rules by requiring 20 employees to help his teenage nephew prepare a high school video project, part of a wide-ranging pattern of questionable expenditures on a new ATF headquarters, personal security and other items, according to a report issued yesterday... The report said that over 10 months, Truscott's nephew peppered ATF employees in Philadelphia and Washington with e-mails and time-consuming requests, obtaining copies of stock ATF video footage, interviewing ATF officials -- including his uncle -- and using agency video equipment. "Significant ATF resources were used to assist Truscott's nephew on a high school project," the report says. The nephew submitted his project to his teacher in April 2005, and included the credit, "Thank you for giving me this amazing opportunity Uncle Carl." The report says he received an A. Washington Post: Report Criticizes Ex-ATF Chief Source: Ex-aide to tell ethics panel of early Foley warnings to Hastert's
From CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Ex-congressional aide Kirk Fordham will tell a House ethics panel Thursday that he delivered warnings about former Rep. Mark Foley to House Speaker Dennis Hastert's top aide years ago, including a report that Foley showed up drunk at the congressional page dormitory, a source told CNN Wednesday. Kirk Fordham, once the disgraced congressman's chief of staff, plans to testify under oath that he warned more than one congressional official several times about Foley's inappropriate behavior with pages -- and that the warnings came much earlier than Republican leaders have reported. A source familiar with his account of events told CNN that Fordham will say he notified Scott Palmer, Hastert's chief of staff, three or four years ago about a report that Foley had shown up drunk at the dormitory that houses the teenage messengers. |
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• Hagel to announce decision on presidential bid Monday• Does Tiger Woods have a political future? • AFL-CIO makes push to keep unions united behind one presidential candidate • Obama: "No place for politics" in voter intimidation • Muslim congressman talks up 'American values' in State Department outreach • Year of the 'smaller' Pig • Pataki joins law firm • Bush 'sad' about Libby's conviction • House Dems urge colleagues to fund a withdrawal from Iraq • Romney recruits from the Sunshine State ARCHIVE
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