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The Daily Muck

Critics Say Blame Goes Higher Up in Walter Reed Scandal
Continuing its investigation of the Walter Reed scandal, the Senate Armed Services Committee be hearing testimony on Monday frmo David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. Both men have much to speak for - Chu stirred controversy year ago when he said the army was spending too much on veterans care and not enough on bullets and bombs, while Winkenwerder failed to calm tempers when on February 21 he called the Walter Reed complaints "quality of life experience" issues. (Salon)

$100 Million Contract for Friend of Nevada Gov.
"Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons, while serving in the U.S. House, helped longtime friend Warren Trepp secure a secret $100 million defense contract, according to court documents filed this week by Trepp's former business partner. If true, Trepp's dealings with the Defense Department, which have come under federal scrutiny, were far greater than what previously has been reported. The FBI is investigating whether Gibbons as a congressman received unreported gifts from the wealthy defense contractor and campaign contributor." (Las Vegas Sun)

Site of Secret CIA Prison Uncovered
"The CIA operated an interrogation and short-term detention facility for suspected terrorists within a Polish intelligence training school with the explicit approval of British and US authorities, according to British and Polish intelligence officials familiar with the arrangements. While previously suspected, the facility has never been conclusively identified as being part of the CIA's secret rendition and detention program." (Raw Story)

Female Soldiers See Harassment, Abuse
While comprehensive statistics measuring sexual abuse of female soldiers have yet to be compiled, informal investigations have revealed that a myriad of women serving in Iraq suffer sexual assaults and harassment from their male counterparts. Col. Janis Karpinski has stood by her statement that three female soldiers who died of dehydration in 2003 did not survive because they refused to walk to the latrines after dark for fear of physical attacks. (Salon)

Officials Received Memos For Discussing Climate Change
"Internal memorandums circulated in the Alaskan division of the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service appear to require government biologists or other employees traveling in countries around the Arctic not to discuss climate change, polar bears or sea ice if they are not designated to do so." (The New York Times)

Gates Defends Closed Gitmo Hearings
"Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Wednesday defended a Pentagon decision to hold secret hearings for 14 suspected terrorists transferred to Guantanamo Bay last year, despite the fact that similar proceedings have been held in open session. The decision, announced earlier this week, represents a change in administration policy and was criticized by former military lawyers and human rights organizations." (The Los Angeles Times)

No Motion For Pelosi On Jefferson Raid
"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has decided against filing a motion with a federal appeals court objecting to last year's FBI raid on Rep. William Jefferson's Capitol Hill office, according to Democratic insiders. FBI agents, armed with a search warrant from a federal judge, conducted an unprecedented search on Jefferson's office in the House Rayburn Office Building on May 20." (The Politico)

Feds Want Gag on DC Madam
"Federal prosecutors want to gag an indicted former Washington, D.C. madam who has recently threatened to go public with details about her former customers. In a motion filed Monday in U.S. District Court, investigators are seeking a protective order covering discovery material to be provided to Deborah Palfrey and her lawyers." (The Smoking Gun)


Comments (7)

Anonymous wrote on March 8, 2007 10:48 AM:

On the Martin/escort story - given the potential firings of other USA's for political purposes, can we really be surprised that the Bush DOJ wants to gag someone from releasing potentially damaging information against political figures.

I mean, c'mon... The DC US Attorney filing this motion was:

"...From 2002 to 2006, Mr. Taylor served as Counselor to Attorney Generals John Ashcroft and Gonzales, where he handled a broad array of matters, including oversight of the Department’s national security, terrorism, and criminal litigation and policy, as well as the operations of the Department’s law enforcement components..."

sholom wrote on March 8, 2007 10:51 AM:

Re: "Feds Want Gag on DC Madam" -- ok, so what's the motivation behind this. I find it hard to believe the feds want to protect "the johns", so, what else? Perhaps trying to get some "johns" to "flip" and provide testimony against DC Madam? What the motivation here, anyone?

(BTW, I can't believe it, but the security code for this entry is "screw"!)

MLV wrote on March 8, 2007 11:01 AM:

The madam was basically trying to fund her defense with blackmail by saying that if she does not get enough donations from the public to fund her litigation, she will have to sell the names of her johns. This is getting a bit into tinfoil hat territory, but perhaps the feds think that if they can get a gag order, the threat of exposure is gone, so rich johns no longer have an incentive to donate to the legal fund. Being faced with high legal bills (or the threat of losing high powered legal counsel) would put added pressure on the madam to cooperate. Like I said, tinfoil hat territory, but who knows with this bunch.

Anonymous wrote on March 8, 2007 11:16 AM:

you have to actually MAKE A BLACKMAIL THREAT AGAINST A PERSON, not against a class of people.

a gag order is completely insane and against the public interest...only in America can the politicians call on their USAs to gag eopel to prevent the politicians from going to jail.

mbbsdphil wrote on March 8, 2007 12:00 PM:

"Bullets and bombs" also include Ospreys, aircraft carriers, space lasers, and satellite monitoring equipment produced by a handful of companies. VA benefits go for disparate sources of medical equipment and services, drugs, building construction, renovation and maintenance. Follow the money out to contractors; follow it back to political coffers.

jillian wrote on March 8, 2007 2:30 PM:

during a recent interview with the wall street journal (1-25-05), pentagon official david chu, in a mockery of the contribution of veterans, defended a new round of cuts by ironically describing funding for programs like veterans' education and job training, health care, pensions, veterans administration (va) housing and the like as "hurtful" to national security. - democraticunderground.com

ma782zda wrote on December 10, 2007 8:33 AM:

c936t

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