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The Daily Muck
Former U.S. Attorney Thomas Heffelfinger excoriated the Justice Department following Monica Goodling’s testimony Wednesday that mentioned his excessive concern with Indian affairs. Heffelfinger, who was a U.S. Attorney under both Bushes, claimed “something is fundamentally broken within the Department of Justice.” (Star Tribune)
The House passed a bill yesterday requiring lawmakers to publicly disclose not only their individual fundraisers, but also the lobbyists that bundle the individual gifts. (NY Times)
Yesterday, an anonymous Senator put a hold on the bipartisan Freedom of Information Act of 2007. Yes, a secret hold is blocking a bill that would promote openness and accountability in government. (Public Citizen’s Congress Watch)
Last week, a former DoJ employee spoke out about the recent lack of diversity and hostile work environment that caused her to leave her position after 33 years. (NPR)
Douglas Feith’s paper “Assessing the Relationship Between Iraq and al-Qaida” was considered by the Vice President as “the best source of information on the topic.” However, the research in the recently declassified report has been heavily criticized; recently, the government of the Netherlands pointed out that a Dutch company described in the report as a front operation has never existed. (Think Progress)
The Center for Public Integrity narrates an exhaustive timeline of the frightening extraordinary rendition of Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, a Muslim cleric living in Italy.
Michael Wholley, general counsel to NASA, admitted yesterday that he destroyed recordings from a meeting involving the space program’s Chairman and Inspector General because he didn’t want the information to become public. The meeting in question came after an outside report suggested the Inspector General step down because of his lack of independence and bad management.
Salon takes a hard look at Mississippi governor Haley Barbour. A former RNC chairman, Barbour has been suspiciously successful at lobbying funds to aide his state after the damage of Katrina. Beyond the questionable role of politics in the recovery, however, is the fact that the money coming to Mississippi doesn’t seem to be helping.
"Robert E. Lee and George W. Bush"
www.ilovepoetry.com/viewpoem.asp?id=92268
A Memorial Day thought!
May 25, 2007 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Can anyone explain this "anonymous hold" crap to me? How can one cowardly individual derail the entire process? There must be some good rationale for this provision, but on the surface, it certainly looks like one of those pesky administrative options that is just begging to be abused.
May 25, 2007 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Michele asks: "Can anyone explain this "anonymous hold" crap to me?"
From the Senate.gov glossary:
"hold - An informal practice by which a Senator informs his or her floor leader that he or she does not wish a particular bill or other measure to reach the floor for consideration. The Majority Leader need not follow the Senator's wishes, but is on notice that the opposing Senator may filibuster any motion to proceed to consider the measure."
An anonymous hold is when a Senator does not want to be publicly named as the obstructor asks another Senator to pass along the request for a hold without naming the original requestor.
Recently www.sunlightfoundation.com (and other organizations) rooted out the Senator who placed an anonymous hold by compiling a list of Senators who publically stated they were not the one responsible for the hold; individuals were encouraged to call their own Senators for a statemnet and eventually the guilty party was revealed by the process of elimination.
I think the hold was originally intended to allow a Senator time to gather information or formulate an admendment, a courtesy that isn't just "begging to be abused", but is already abused regularly. There is legislation in the works to eliminate the anonymous hold.
May 25, 2007 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Conspiracy Theory:
Feb 2005 - Hizzoner, St Paul Mayor Randy Kelly is
probed by 2 FBI investigations as he announces re-election.
The publicity is not good.
Mar 2005 - US Attorney Heff gets put on the US Attorney General death list.
Nov 2005 - Hisdishonor Randy Kelly is kicked
out of town with the largest loss by an incumbent mayor in the
history of St. Paul.
Jan 2006 Citizen Kelly goes to Washington
to beg for a job and get revenge, he is well connected with
the Bush people.
Feb 2006 - US Attorney Heff feels the pressure and "resigns".
May 28, 2007 10:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
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