Reform

Pork Database Bill Set to Move in House

Paul Kiel | September 8, 2006, 5:06PM

After clearing the Senate last night, the Coburn-Obama pork database bill will soon be up for a vote in the House.

House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has agreed to bring the bill to the floor next week, according to a press release. He has strong Republican support, which is essential for its passage.

Coburn credited "the army of bloggers and concerned citizens" who pressured Congress for moving the bill forward.

The bill's made speedy progress since last week, when blogs and their readers smoked out the two anonymous Senators who were holding up the bill.

"Path to 9/11" Maker Has Evangelical Ties

Justin Rood | September 8, 2006, 2:39PM

The director of ABC's controversial "Path to 9/11" docudrama has ties to an evangelical Christian group whose goals include "transform[ing] Hollywood from the inside out," according to research by readers of prominent blogs.

"Path" director David L. Cunningham is also involved in "The Film Institute," an offshoot of the Hawaii-based global evangelical group, Youth With a Mission.

One goal of Cunningham's Film Institute is to "fast-track" students from a digital film program associated with the YWAM organization into positions "within the film industry, not to give them jobs, but so that they can begin to impact and transform Hollywood from the inside out," according to a cached version of page from a YWAM Web site. The original appears to have been moved or deleted.

The digital filmmaking program at YWAM's University of Nations appears to provide Cunningham's institute with its interns. The school's Web site encourages potential students, "If you are serious about allowing the Lord to use either your professional background in film and television, or your God-given desire to learn, don't miss this opportunity. Apply today!"

Our phone calls to Cunningham, the school, YWAM offices and YWAM directors in the United States were not immediately returned.

Cunningham's involvement with the Film Institute was disclosed on the now-missing YWAM Web site.

David L. Cunningham is also the son of YWAM founder, Loren Cunningham, according to the evangelical film site, ChristianCinema.com.

On its Web site, YWAM describes itself as "an international movement of Christians" performing "evangelism, training and mercy ministry" in 149 countries.

Cunningham's ties to the evangelical organizations were discovered and reported by Digby, readers and bloggers on DailyKos, Democratic Underground, and elsewhere.

Robert Menendez

NJ Scandal: Wake Us When It's Over

Justin Rood | September 8, 2006, 1:12PM

So, what's going on in New Jersey?

A U.S. attorney is investigating the arrangement between U.S. Senate incumbent Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and a community charity who rents out his former Union City home, the Newark Star-Ledger reports today.

"[S]ure to rock New Jersey's hotly contested Senate race" is how the Star-Ledger described the revelation.

Far be it from me to question a paper's motives. But I note that the Star-Ledger broke the story of the unethical arrangement two weeks ago, reporting that the senator helped the group qualify to apply for a federal grant program. So they may have a bit of institutional ego wrapped up in seeing a federal investigation boost the fiasco.

Others have been less excitable about the flap. Here's how the Philadelphia Inquirer reacted to the Menendez-NHCA relationship:

Read more »

Senate Releases Pre-War Intel Reports

Justin Rood | September 8, 2006, 12:32PM

AP reports:

There's no evidence Saddam Hussein had a relationship with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his Al-Qaida associates, according to a Senate report on prewar intelligence on Iraq. Democrats said the report undercuts President Bush's justification for going to war.

The declassified document being released Friday by the Senate Intelligence Committee also explores the role that inaccurate information supplied by the anti-Saddam exile group the Iraqi National Congress had in the march to war.

It discloses for the first time an October 2005 CIA assessment that prior to the war Saddam's government ''did not have a relationship, harbor, or turn a blind eye toward Zarqawi and his associates.''

Bush and other administration officials have said that the presence of Zarqawi in Iraq before the war was evidence of a connection between Saddam's government and al-Qaida. Zarqawi was killed by a U.S. airstrike in June this year.

The two sections of the report released by the Senate intelligence committee can be found here:

Report: "Postwar Findings about Iraq's WMD Programs and Links to Terrorism and How they Compare with Prewar Assessments"

Report: "The Use by the Intelligence Community of Information Provided by the Iraqi National Congress"

Jack Abramoff

International Gambling Exec, Former Abramoff Client Arrested

Paul Kiel | September 8, 2006, 12:30PM

Where's Jack Abramoff when you need him?

Peter Dicks, the chairman of the London-based Sportingbet PLC, was arrested in New York late Wednesday as part of an increasing crackdown by U.S. authorities on internet gambling.

Sportingbet was a client of Jack Abramoff's* through 2004 and paid his firm a whopping $1.46 million for two years of work fighting off legislative attacks on internet gambling. But after Abramoff, things have gotten a lot tougher for the industry. In June of this year, the House finally passed a bill to severely restrict online gambling that Abramoff had fought for years. And law enforcement has started cracking down based on the laws already on the books; Dicks is the second web bet exec to be arrested by U.S. authorities in the last couple of months.

Lousiana state police are charging Dicks under a state law that prohibits computer gambling. It's just the sort of jam where a good lobbyist might be able to pull some strings. Too bad Abramoff is unavailable.

*Update/Correction: While Sportingbet was a client of Greenberg Traurig (Abramoff's firm) and represented by associates of Abramoff, Abramoff himself didn't represent the company.

Senator's Loan, Earmarks Raise Eyebrows

Justin Rood | September 8, 2006, 11:02AM

The AP nabs Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) for some too-close-for-comfort arrangements with a campaign advisor -- who's also a lobbyist -- and a personal debtor to the lawmaker:

Sen. Maria Cantwell helped arrange more than $11 million in federal money in the past year for projects benefiting clients of a lobbyist who is advising her re-election campaign and still owes her money from a personal loan.

Cantwell, a Democrat who is in a tight re-election race, has reported for years that former campaign manager Ron Dotzauer owes her between $15,000 and $50,000 for a personal loan predating her first Senate election in 2000. Dotzauer now runs a lobbying firm.

Cantwell's money-lending arrangement is the opposite of the traditional "loan" scam, in which a lobbyist or other influence-seeker makes low-interest, long-term or even "forgivable" loans to a lawmaker as a favor, or a way to slip them some cash. (See also Reps. Jim Moran (D-VA), Williiam Jefferson (D-LA).) But Cantwell's loan to Dotzauer seems to underscore a seemingly inappropriate closeness between the two.

The Daily Muck

The Daily Muck

pauljustin | September 8, 2006, 8:35AM

Bowing to Pressure, Kean Asks ABC to Alter Pre-9/11 Docudrama
"ABC plans to make minor changes to its docudrama on the run-up to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in response to heated complaints from former Clinton administration officials that a number of scenes are fabricated, a network executive said yesterday.

"Thomas H. Kean, the Republican who chaired the 9/11 commission and is a co-executive producer of the film, said in an interview that he recently asked for changes that would address complaints raised by the former aides to President Bill Clinton and that ABC is considering his request." (WaPo, NYTimes)

Read more »

Reform

CQ: Senate Passes Pork Database Bill

Justin Rood | September 7, 2006, 10:54PM

Congressional Quarterly's Martin Kady II reports:

The Senate passed legislation Thursday night that would create a massive, Google-like searchable database to track federal spending.

The legislation (S 2590), which aims to create more transparency in exactly who gets how much federal money, passed by a voice vote after both Republican and Democratic senators dropped their objections to it.

The bill had widespread support in the Senate and became something of a cause célèbre in the “blogosphere,” where liberal and conservative bloggers united in trying to figure out which senator had placed an anonymous “hold” blocking the legislation for the past month.

Senate Reports on Pre-War Intel to Drop at Noon Friday

Justin Rood | September 7, 2006, 10:50PM

Congressional Quarterly's Tim Starks reports:

The Senate Intelligence Committee will release two recently declassified documents from their investigation into prewar Iraq intelligence Friday, a day after the panel voted unanimously to make the long-delayed reports publicly available. . . .

One of the reports set to be released Friday addresses the influence on intelligence analysts of the Iraqi National Congress, an exile group led by Ahmed Chalabi.

The other reviews how prewar assessments of Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction capabilities and terror ties contrasted with postwar findings. . . .

The two reports, totaling nearly 400 pages, were three years in the making. Their release at noon Friday comes as President Bush and congressional Republicans are trying to bolster their election-season case that they can be trusted more than Democrats on national security issues.

A third report, which delves into prewar intelligence that estimated conditions in postwar Iraq, could be released by the end of the month, Rockefeller said.

Scholastic Veers from "Path to 9/11"

Justin Rood | September 7, 2006, 4:25PM

Educational media giant Scholastic, Inc. announced it's dropping its original classroom companion guides to a controversial new docudrama about the events preceding the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks -- and replacing them with materials stressing critical thinking and media literacy.

“After a thorough review of the original guide that we offered online to about 25,000 high school teachers, we determined that the materials did not meet our high standards for dealing with controversial issues,” said Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO of Scholastic, in a press release.

The original materials had been criticized for oversimplifications and failures to address flaws in post-9/11 policies, including the invasion of Iraq.

The new materials, Scholastic said, will stress three issues:

1. Media Literacy - what is a docudrama; how does it differ from a documentary; what are the differences between factual reporting and a dramatization?

2. Background to 9/11 - what are some of the causes of unrest in the Middle East and other parts of the world that give rise to attacks on the U.S. and other countries?

3. Geography and Culture -- there is a long history of conflict in the Middle East. How well do students understand each of the countries involved and what influences their behavior?

"[D]eveloping critical thinking and media literacy skills is crucial for students," the release quoted Scholastic CEO Robinson as saying. "‘The Path to 9/11’ provides a very ‘teachable moment’ for developing these skills at the high school level."

ABC News: "Path to 9/11" Didn't Go Through Our Offices

Justin Rood | September 7, 2006, 3:18PM

Responding to criticism of the upcoming ABC docudrama, "The Path to 9/11," at least one affiliate has suggested its outraged viewers contact the network's news division -- but the division says it has nothing to do with the program.

"We. . . suggest that you make your opinion known to the originator of the program: ABCNEWS," Minnesota ABC affiliates KSTP and KSTC wrote to complainers.

That's flat-out false, says an ABC News spokeswoman. "ABC News did not participate in any way in the production of this movie," Cathie Levine told me earlier today. In fact, she said, the news division didn't even let the production use its file footage, following ABC News policy.

What's more, former White House terrorism adviser Richard Clarke, who's now a consultant with ABC News, has criticized the film for its inaccuracies.

GOP Dirty Tricks in New Hampshire?

Paul Kiel | September 7, 2006, 1:44PM

Last weekend, an untold number of New Hampshirans in the 1st District were told a whole lot of negative things about Democrat Jim Craig in the course of what was purportedly a public opinion poll.

After first getting their name, party registration, age, and sex, and inquiring generally about which issues were most important to the voter, the pollsters asked three positive, leading questions about GOP incumbent Rep. Jeb Bradley. The pollsters, who identified themselves as calling from "Venture Data," asked if respondents knew that Bradley had voted against drilling in ANWR, in favor of stem cell research, and for reimportation of drugs from Canada -- all popular positions (although one wasn't true: Bradley once voted against allowing drug reimportation, citing safety concerns). The pollster then asked about the respondent's negative or positive impressions about Jeb Bradley.

The questioner then launched into fifteen leading, negative questions about Craig, according to those who alerted the Democrat's campaign. One question suggested that Craig was a strong proponent of gun control -- surely the kiss of death to any politician in New Hampshire. (Craig, who's a representative in the New Hampshire state House of Representatives, has never voted for new gun control measures, said Juli-anne Whitney, Craig's campaign manager.)

Other questions mentioned Craig's votes against banning late term abortions and against banning gay marriage. One suggested that, as a trial attorney, Craig supported legislation allowing lawyers to collect higher malpractice fees. Another asked about Craig's support of a state income tax. The poll ended without gauging the respondent's positive or negative impressions of Craig.

As reported, the calls had qualities of a "push poll" -- a dirty campaign trick used to smear an opponent, not collect data. "Sounds to me like a campaign technique instead of a legit poll," said Mickey Carroll of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute after hearing a description of the calls. Push polls are considered unethical by most pollsters and, if proven, can elicit FEC fines.

Read more »

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Neocons

Justin Rood | September 7, 2006, 12:35PM

Media Matters for America has taken education/entertainment media giant Scholastic Inc. to task for its role in promoting the questionable ABC docudrama, "The Path to 9/11."

The Democratic watchdog group found plenty not to like about the company's "Student Resource Sheets" (here, here, here and here [links removed; see Update]). In particular, it objected to Scholastic's treatment of the justification of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and its assertion that Afghanistan has grown "more independent and stable" since the American post-9/11 occupation of the country.

Scholastic is still making the sheets available online, but appears to have removed external links to the documents. A spokeswoman for the company said Scholastic had no comment on the matter at present.

I took a look at the sheets myself, and noted a couple other problems. To begin with, the sheets feature "critical thinking questions" that reference specific scenes in the movie -- although the film isn't a documentary and its creators, as we know, didn't always stick to facts as they're known.

Read more »

AK Scandal Company Has Long History of "Influence"

Justin Rood | September 7, 2006, 8:38AM

The alleged bribery scandal in Alaska that's ensnared Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-AK) son Ben gets more stunning by the day.

Today, the Anchorage Daily News reveals that a top executive at the company in the center of the fiasco, Veco Corp., in May sat in on the state legislature's handling of an oil tax proposal -- "directing traffic" from the gallery by passing notes and making arm-twisting phone calls to legislators on the floor.

And in years prior, the exec -- Bill Allen -- was such a presence in the state legislature that the body passed a regulation-weakening package dubbed "the Bill Allen bill," which exempted him from earlier requirements that he file as a lobbyist and restrict his giving.

For its part, Veco's public line on the FBI probe, said to focus on possible vote-buying by the company, is that to its knowledge it has never done anything "improper or illegal."

"Veco regrets if those efforts could be construed as wrong," ADN quotes the company as saying, "especially in view of the fact that the right to participate actively in the political process is something treasured by all Americans."

Reform

Dem Still Holding Pork Database Bill

Paul Kiel | September 7, 2006, 8:20AM

An unknown Democrat is still holding the Coburn-Obama bill to create a searchable database of federal grants and contracts, The Hill reports. And that Senator is now the only one holding up the bill, since Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), who had reinstated his earlier hold, has since changed his mind dropped it.

So who's that unknown Senator? We don't know. And neither do we know what concern the Senator has -- whether it's about the bill's cost, as the Pork King claimed, or whether it's the speed with which the bill's been moving forward, as the pork-inclined senior senator from West Virginia asserted. Sure would be good to know, wouldn't it?

The Daily Muck

The Daily Muck

pauljustin | September 7, 2006, 8:07AM

Democrats Court Lobbyists Heavily
"With control of the House within reach for the first time in more than a decade, Democratic lobbyists say they’re feeling unusually intense pressure from House Democratic leaders to open their wallets and help their party close the deal.

"But Democratic lobbyists are rising to the challenge, a dozen Democratic consultants said, upping their personal contributions and making the case to their corporate clients that they need to pony up as well.

"Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) 'has been pretty blunt with people,' one Democratic lobbyist said. “Now, people downtown are finally paying attention and believing.”

"“There’s been a significant increase in House Democratic fundraising activity. Folks are really working it hard,” said another well-placed Democratic lobbyist." (Roll Call, sub. req.)

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Former IL Guv Gets 6 Years Plus for Corruption

Paul Kiel | September 6, 2006, 5:25PM

Reuters reports:

Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, promoted as a Nobel Peace Prize candidate for his vigorous opposition to capital punishment, was sentenced to 6-1/2 years in prison on Wednesday for corrupt dealings while in office. . . .

On April 18, after a nearly six-month trial, a jury convicted Ryan and friend and lobbyist Larry Warner on 18 counts of racketeering, conspiracy, fraud and other offenses involving favoritism and kickbacks for state contracts and property leases that enriched Ryan and his friends.

He maintained his innocence throughout the trial.

Jack Abramoff

Abramoff Called Rove Streetcorner Meets "Easier"

Paul Kiel | September 6, 2006, 3:41PM

A representative from the Tigua tribe of Texas, one of Jack Abramoff's former clients, says that he witnessed a clandestine meeting between the lobbyist and Karl Rove on the street just outside the White House -- and that Abramoff said he and Rove regularly met in such ways in order to stay below the radar.

The account comes in James Moore and Wayne Slater's new book "The Architect: Karl Rove and The Master Plan for Absolute Power." Schwartz told them that he was visiting Abramoff in Washington in March of 2002 when, in the midst of a conversation with Abramoff in the back seat of the lobbyist's car, Abramoff suddenly said "I gotta meet Rove."

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Senate Hopeful Returns Cash from Scandal-Linked Company

Justin Rood | September 6, 2006, 12:20PM

Out, out, damn spot!

In an apparent effort to distance himself from the growing stain of scandal in Alaska, a GOP Senate candidate in Washington State is returning thousands of dollars contributed to his campaign by employees of a company in the middle of a bribery investigation, the Seattle Times reports.

Mike McGavick, running against incumbent Sen. Maria Cantwell (D), announced he was returning $14,000 his campaign received from executives at VECO Corp., an Alaskan oil services firm. Last week federal agents served warrants at VECO's offices and those of several state legislators. News reports indicate prosecutors are concerned VECO may have engaged in vote-buying.

While he's the first to return the cash, McGavick is not the only federal candidate to take money from VECO employees. The company has given over $640,000 to federal candidates over the past two decades. Over two-thirds of that money, however, went to members of the Alaskan congressional delegation.

Will any other candidates follow McGavick's lead?

"They B.S. Us, We B.S. Them," U.S. Bin Laden Hunter Says of Pakistan

Justin Rood | September 6, 2006, 11:51AM

"Today, the United States and Pakistan are working closely in the fight against terror, and Pakistani forces are rounding up terrorists along the nation’s western border."

So reads the White House's "Record of Achievement," extolling not only President Bush's alleged diplomatic successes in the War on Terror, but also Pakistan's close allegiance with the U.S. cause.

So why would Pakistani officials sign a "peace deal" with al Qaeda (with the Bush administration's encouragement?), and tell ABC's Brian Ross that if Osama bin Laden "is being like a peaceful citizen" in Pakistan, the al Qaeda leader "would not be taken into custody?" (Ten minutes later, the Pakistani ambassador to the United States disavowed that statement.)

In truth, it seems Pakistan has been a non-actor on the front lines of terror for some time. Take a look at what's been happening at the handful of secret U.S. outposts which dot the Afghan-Pakistani border. Despite the White House's "Record of Achievement," U.S. anti-terror efforts have met zero support from the Pakistani government -- even before the Bush administration endorsed the Pakistani's hands-off policies.

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Rick Santorum

Santorum: Greens Must Be Heard!

Paul Kiel | September 6, 2006, 10:51AM

Sen. Rick Santorum's (R-PA) spokeswoman Virginia Davis offered a ringing endorsement of Green candidate Carl Romanelli in today's USA Today piece on third party candidates affecting certain races around the country. Yes, she admits that the campaign steered Republican dollars towards Romanelli, but they did it so that his voice was heard:

"We encouraged those who inquired to help with the Green Party effort.... We welcome Carl Romanelli's entry into the race because at least he's expressed a real interest in being up front and honest about where he is on the issues."

It seems that Romanelli was right when he commended his Republican donors last month for their commitment to a "free and open debate."

Surveillance

In 2nd NSA Wiretap Case, Judge Sounds Concerns

Paul Kiel | September 6, 2006, 8:39AM

In addition to the ACLU's suit against the NSA filed in Michigan, which recently resulted in a (temporarily delayed) injunction to shut down the agency's warrantless wiretapping program, the Center for Constitutional Rights is pursuing a separate case challenging the program in New York.

Arguments were heard yesterday in that case, and it appears that skeptical of the government's position.

The administration's lawyer brought out the big guns ("Suppose for example the president obtains intelligence that a nuclear bomb was planted ... right there in Washington, and the only way he was going to find out whether that was going to happen was to grab the person and interrogate him....Would that be in his constitutional authority? I would say so."), but to no great effect, it seems.

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Katherine Harris

HarrisWatch: Katie Wins Primary

Justin Rood | September 6, 2006, 8:28AM

AP reports:

Rep. Katherine Harris, who as secretary of state oversaw Florida's 2000 recount that gave George Bush the presidency, easily won the Republican nomination to challenge Sen. Bill Nelson, shrugging off critics who derided her campaign as spectacularly inept.

"Tonight I say to Bill Nelson: Come home, Bill. Enough is enough," Harris said Tuesday.

Also, apparently it's now okay for mainstream reporters to state as fact that Harris is "widely ridiculed" -- that's generally the kind of observation journos like to hedge behind a quote. Anyway, Katie, I'm glad you're still with us. On to November!

The Daily Muck

The Daily Muck

pauljustin | September 6, 2006, 8:24AM

Abramoff Probers Examine Payments to DeLay's Wife
"The Justice Department's congressional lobbying-and-bribery investigation is looking into whether former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's wife received money from a lobbying firm for a no-show job, recent FBI interviews indicate.

"In the last few weeks, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have interviewed several people at the Alexander Strategy Group lobbying firm to determine if Christine DeLay was being paid $3,200 a month -- a total of $115,000 over three years -- but not earning it. In a series of interviews last month, investigators questioned people who used to work at Alexander Strategy as well as people who worked in the same building as the now-defunct firm. "They wanted to know how often she came to the office? What did she do there? How long was she there?" said one person who was interviewed by the FBI.

"Alexander Strategy was run by a pair of Mr. DeLay's former aides: Tony Rudy, who pleaded guilty to bribery charges in March; and Edwin Buckham, who remains under investigation. The firm also shared clients with Jack Abramoff." (WSJ)

Read more »

Reform

Return of the Anonymous Hold

Paul Kiel | September 5, 2006, 6:11PM

You thought it was over.

Yet just days after bloggers conducted a nationwide hunt for one -- then two -- senators responsible for placing "secret" holds on a porkbusting database bill, an unnamed Democratic senator has placed a third secret hold on the porkbusting database bill, Cox News reports.

It's not clear if this is a new hold, or if a Democratic senator lied earlier when denying he was responsible for holding up the bill.

A spokesman for Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), who along with Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) had fessed up to an earlier hold, wasn't immediately available, but a woman in Byrd's office assured TPMmuckraker he's not responsible for the current hold.

There are no holds from any Republicans, according to sources from the office of Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), who introduced the bill along with Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). So who is it?

Update: Majority Leader Bill Frist writes on his PAC's blog:

I can confirm that Senator Stevens has lifted his hold and that no Republican Senator will stand in the way of the up or down vote that this legislation deserves.

My Democrat colleagues have not yet cleared this legislation ... but I'm confident that they will do so promptly or pay the consequences of continued obstruction.

Later Update: Whoops! No sooner had Frist posted than he received word that there was again a Republican hold on the bill. Whispers from the Republican side of the aisle is that the culprit is Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) again; Stevens' spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. Nevertheless, Frist vows "I will bring this legislation to the floor for a vote in September."

Latest Update: Spokesman for Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) confirms that Stevens is the one with the hold and called the move "unexpected." "We met with his staff last week," he said, "and provided a detailed cost-benefit analysis of our bill. Senator Stevens then lifted his hold. Only Senator Stevens can explain why he reversed his position and reinstated his hold."

9/11 Panelist: ABC Flick Gets It Wrong

Justin Rood | September 5, 2006, 5:05PM

ABC's new docudrama, “The Path to 9/11,” has garnered at least one unfavorable review so far -- from a former member of the 9/11 Commission, whose final report supposedly formed the basis of the film.

At a recent screening in Washington, D.C., former commissioner Richard Ben-Veniste "rose to denounce the veracity of a key scene involving Clinton national security adviser Samuel R. Berger," CQ's Jeff Stein reports:

Berger, portrayed as a pasty-faced time-server by Kevin Dunn (Col. Hicks in “Godzilla”) freezes in dithering apprehension when a manly and virtuous CIA agent played by Donnie Wahlberg radios in from the wilds of Afghanistan to say that he and his noble band of local tribesmen have Osama bin Laden within sight and begs for the green light to terminate him with extreme prejudice. In the film, the line goes dead before Berger offers any reply. . . .

[T]he camera pans back to show Berger surrounded by a supporting cast of fellow Clinton administration nervous Nellies, including Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and Defense Secretary William S. Cohen.

“There was no incident like that in the film that we came across. I am disturbed by that aspect of it,” Ben-Veniste, a loyal Democrat, told the panel, which included both the producer and the commission’s GOP chairman, former Gov. Thomas H. Kean of New Jersey.

Kean wasn't so distraught about the scene, reports Stein. "[It was] representative of a series of events compacted into one," Kean reportedly said in response to Ben-Veniste's comments.

ABC has generated some controversy with the film by sending advance screening copies to conservative bloggers. At least one right-wing blogger loved the film -- especially the fictional Berger scene. “[O]ne unbelievable sequence shows how . . . Sandy Berger . . . actually hung up the phone on the CIA agent on the ground,” CQ quotes.

Valerie Plame

Book: Plame Worked Iraq Pre-War WMD

Justin Rood | September 5, 2006, 4:11PM

Outed CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson held a senior position in the CIA's intelligence-gathering group tasked with nailing down the details of Saddam Hussein's WMD programs, a new book says.

From spring 2001 until Bush Administration officials leaked her identity to reporters, Plame -- her maiden name, which was used to out her -- was an undercover operative placed in charge of the operations group for the agency's Joint Task Force on Iraq. She oversaw clandestine programs to acquire inside knowledge of the Hussein regime's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs, report David Corn and Michael Isikoff in their new book, "Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War."

Some, including the National Review's Jonah Goldberg, claimed Plame had been "a desk jockey" before her outing. Bob Novak, who played a key role in revealing her identity, called her an "analyst."

Corn and Isikoff note that at the time of the outing Plame was "in the process of changing her clandestine status. . . to official cover, as she prepared for a new job in personnel management," Corn writes on the Nation Web site today. "Official cover" means an operative acknowledges they work for the U.S. government, although not necessarily the CIA. The book says she planned to return eventually to undercover work.

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Jerry Lewis

AP: Feds Probe Lewis Land Deal

Paul Kiel | September 5, 2006, 3:24PM

It's been awhile since you've heard about Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), the famed earmarker who's under federal investigation for his close ties to lobbyist Bill Lowery.

But today the AP reports that investigators are asking questions about a top contributor's land deal. Jack and Laura Dangermond donated a 41-acre, $2 million plot to the city of Redlands -- a plot which just happens to abut Lewis' home. The land was donated on the condition that it not be developed, a move that the AP points out "helps ensure property values remain high."

You know what's coming next. The Dangermonds run a government contracting firm called Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc., which has received at least $55.4 million in earmarks since 2004. The company is, of course, a client of Lewis friend Bill Lowery's lobbying firm -- a setup which won them a big fat subpoena from investigators back in June. To top off the cozy relationship, the Dangermonds have given at least $23,000 in political contributions to Lewis since 2001.

Funny thing -- the Dangermonds claim not to have known that Lewis would be affected by the land deal, and Lewis says he didn't know they had anything to do with it. Small world, huh?

Reform

The End of an Era?

Paul Kiel | September 5, 2006, 2:11PM

I'll believe it when I see it, but The Hill reports that conservatives are so spooked by the anti-pork crusade that they may try to end the era of the anonymous earmark in the House. The paper says they're mulling a rule change that would require members to attach their names to each of their precious projects -- a rule that won't necessarily prevent future Duke Cunninghams, but should make them easier to spot.

Of course, the House passed a similar, weaker measure as part of their lobbying reform bill back in April -- but the bill seems fated to die in conference, since the GOP is convinced that in the absence of any recent criminal indictments, no one cares about reform any more. So a rule change -- which would apply in the House, but not the Senate -- may be the only reform Americans could get before Election Day.

Ted Stevens

Alaskagate: While We Were Out

Justin Rood | September 5, 2006, 12:34PM

Over the long weekend, more details emerged in the growing Alaska state legislature scandal, which has now involved more than two dozen search warrants and a growing posse of federal agents from around the country, and includes the IRS as well as the FBI. The probe has put two names in the headlines: Ben Stevens, president of the Alaska State Senate and son of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), and VECO Corp., which has given generously not only to Alaska state legislators but to friendly U.S. lawmakers as well, including Stevens senior. What are the feds investigating? Investigators appear to have a keen interest in legislation recently hammered out by Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski (R). Currently awaiting passage by the state legislature, the deal would pave the way to build a $21 billion natural gas pipeline to tap the state's North Slope reserves. VECO has been a strong supporter of the deal. However, the probe seems to have expanded -- in scope and in size -- past that one deal:

"They are after people paying for votes during the recent oil and gas special sessions. I think that was fairly transparent," said political pollster Marc Hellenthal, who said he was interviewed Friday afternoon by two FBI agents from Sacramento, Calif. Agents also told him what they are looking for "goes back longer than that."

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John Sweeney

Ahoy, There, Sweeney!

Paul Kiel | September 5, 2006, 12:15PM

What does the yacht industry use to lobby Congress? Yachts, of course.

As yesterday's Chicago Tribune reported, the recreational boat manufacturer's trade association has been hosting lawmakers and staffers on one of its yachts for years -- it calls the events the "Congressional Cruise Series."

Having read the story, I went to the group's Web site, eager to see a picture of Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY) at the helm of the 38-foot Meridian 381 Sedan, which the news story had mentioned. It was one of a number of photos of lawmakers on the National Marine Manufacturers' Association's boat, enjoying -- literally -- a free ride.

But alas, I found that NMMA.org has suddenly gone down for "routine maintenance." A coincidence, I'm sure.

Thankfully, the muckrakers at Capitol Confidential saved a copy of the NMMA's newsletter (pdf) before it disappeared, which they've hosted online. And at the end, voila! there's Captain Sweeney at the helm (at an unfortunately low resolution).

Although hundreds number of lawmakers and staffers (650 last year alone, according to the Tribune) climbed aboard the NMMA's yacht, a few took advantage of the boat to throw classy fundraisers. One of those was Sweeney, who threw two campaign events -- and also happened to sponsor legislation that makes personal flotation devices tax deductible for boat manufacturers, legislation the NMMA strongly supports. (He reimbursed the organization $500 per event.)

And so we add this picture to an already fine photographic collection of Sweeney's activities, and as a bonus to earlier classic photos of Congressional maritime activities.

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Is Bob Novak Channeling TPMmuckraker?

Justin Rood | September 5, 2006, 10:31AM

For the second time in a month, a news item first reported by TPMmuckraker has shown up in the work of conservative columnist Bob Novak.

The first appearance of a TPMm item in Novak's column came on Aug. 14, you'll recall; Novak mentioned that Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) hadn't reported a subpoena to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), as House rules require. On Aug. 2, we were the first -- and until Novak, I believe the only -- outlet to note Harris' flaunting of the obscure rule.

Now, Novak has noted in his Sept. 3 column the difficulty Texas Republicans will have in "writing in" the name of candidate Shelley Sekula-Gibbs in the TX-22 congressional race, which will choose Tom DeLay's successor. This pithy item was first probed and written about in detail on Aug. 22 by my colleague, the sharp-eyed and indefatigable Paul Kiel.

To be fair, we cover a broad swath of waterfront, so some subject overlap with Novak isn't surprising. But in both cases, the tidbits have been obscure. In fact, on both items Paul and I conferred about whether more than a handful of our die-hard readers would care. (On both, we decided it didn't matter, we simply thought they were kind of funny.)

So Mr. Novak, if you're reading us, let us know! Send us a fan e-mail. At least let's get our stories straight before Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald gets to us.

The Daily Muck

The Daily Muck

pauljustin | September 5, 2006, 8:20AM

GOP Sen Candidate Mike McGavick Gave Misleading DUI Account
"McGavick, on his web site and in an interview, gave a vague account of the incident that omitted details showing how intoxicated he was....

"'During processing (at the police station), McGavick fell asleep,' the officer wrote [in the police report].McGavick acknowledged in an interview last week that he blew 0.17 on a blood alcohol test, which was well above Maryland's then-standard of intoxication of 0.1 (it is now .08). The police report said his intoxication level was that high even though he wasn't given the test until 83 minutes after he was arrested." (Seattle PI)

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