September 2006

Yesterday, Florida Republican Congressman Mark Foley resigned from Congress when sexually inappropriate emails and instant messages he sent to a teenage boy came to light. While the shocking exchanges produced an immediate uproar that cost Congressman Foley his job, at least one member of the House Republican leadership had known about the situation for months and did nothing about it: New York Republican Congressman and chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee Tom Reynolds. Read more

Iraq is not the reason the terrorists are at war against us. Our troops were not in Iraq when terrorists first attacked the World Trade Center in 1993, or when terrorists blew up our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, or when they bombed the USS Cole, or when they killed nearly 3,000 people on September the 11th, 2001. Five years after the 9/11 attacks, some people in Washington still do not understand the nature of the enemy. The only way to protect our citizens at home is to go on the offense against the enemy across the world. When terrorists spend their days working to avoid capture, they are less able to plot, plan, and execute new attacks on our people. So we will remain on the offense until the terrorists are defeated and this fight is won. Read more

Amidst a storm of revelations of the scope of Bush Administrations failures in Iraq and the damage they have done to America's security, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin, Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Carl Levin and Democratic Senators Charles Schumer and Jack Reed today demanded a change. Iraq is in civil war, the reconstruction is a disaster and the Bush Administration and its Do Nothing Republican Congress are in a state of denial about the damage being done to our nation's security. It is time for a change. Read more

The Alliance for Marriage called upon Congress to pass AFM's Marriage Protection Amendment in the aftermath of today's Massachusetts trial court decision exporting the destruction of marriage from Massachusetts to Rhode Island. Read more

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) sent a letter today to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, better known as the ethics committee, asking for an investigation into Rep. Mark Foley's (R-Fla.) emails to a 16-year-old former House page. Read more

Of course, at the federal level, our judges are appointed and have lifetime tenure. Principles of judicial independence are woven tightly into the fabric of our nation's government. Alexander Hamilton championed the concept of life tenure for judges in Federalist 78, arguing that lifetime tenure would be the "best expedient (that) can be devised in any government, to secure a steady, upright and impartial administration of the laws." Read more

A list of distinguished American veterans, including former U.S. senators, retired military officers and a governor, will keynote a veterans' rally in support of U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., tomorrow in Johnstown, Pa.

The featured speakers include former U.S. Senator and Silver Star recipient Max Cleland of Georgia; Medal of Honor recipient and former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska; Retired Gen. Hugh Shelton, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO; Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell; and Murtha. Read more

"We know that intelligence collection can involve highly intrusive methods. That is the reality of intelligence gathering. But when those methods are employed against people within the United States, it is imperative that they comply with the Constitution, and that they be subjected to regular and thorough congressional and judicial oversight." Read more

Wednesday's horrible incident at Colorado's Platte Canyon High School once again underscores the fallacy and false sense of security that are at the core of so-called "gun free school zone" laws, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) said today. Read more

A bipartisan group of six Atlantic coast governors are reiterating concerns about offshore drilling as Congress actively considers proposals that would revoke a 25-year moratorium on the practice. Read more

"The premiere of Sacha Baron Cohen's new film featuring his farcical character 'Borat' has raised anew concerns among some in the Jewish community about the character's notoriously boastful expressions of anti-Semitism and stereotyping of others.

"When approaching this film, one has to understand that there is absolutely no intent on the part of the filmmakers to offend, and no malevolence on the part of Sacha Baron Cohen, who is himself proudly Jewish. We hope that everyone who chooses to see the film understands Mr. Cohen's comedic technique, which is to use humor to unmask the absurd and irrational side of anti- Semitism and other phobias born of ignorance and fear." Read more

Massive illegal immigration is the most pressing domestic issue in America today, a fact well known to author Dan Sheehy, who warns that the thousands of illegal aliens who enter the United States every day "jeopardize the future of our sovereign nation." After living in the epicenter of the illegal immigration chaos-Los Angeles-for twenty years, Sheehy has made it his mission to bring national awareness to this crisis to prevent the rest of the country from suffering the same fate as Southern California, much of which is in decay due to uncontrolled immigration. Read more

Kenneth L. Wainstein was sworn in today as the first Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division. He will oversee the creation of the new division and act as the department's main liaison with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense and other intelligence community agencies in order to improve coordination against terrorism and other threats to national security. Read more

A report by The Cornucopia Institute, the nation's most aggressive organic farming watchdog, accuses Wal-Mart of cheapening the value of the organic label by sourcing products from giant factory-farms and Third World countries, such as China. Read more

"Our prayers and good wishes go out to all of the families who went through a painful ordeal today as the hostage standoff developed at Platt Canyon High School. We also offer spiritual support to the survivors of the terrible tragedy at Columbine High School, who I know found themselves reliving bad memories today.

"We must all redouble our efforts to take all necessary steps to make our schools safer for our children. This is a responsibility we all share." Read more

"There are rare moments at which our leaders can stand up and affirm what America believes in. The House could have seized such an opportunity if lawmakers had defeated the flawed military commissions legislation that threatens to undermine some of the nation's most cherished and basic values. But they blew it. Instead the Representatives brought into question this nation's commitment to core principles of fairness and justice." Read more

More than 6,000 miles from Arlington, Va., up to 300 deployed Marines will earn their place as official Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) finishers by completing the first-ever satellite running of the event in Iraq's Anbar province. In conjunction with the Marines of the Multi National Force West, service members from throughout Iraq will gather to participate in the 26.2 mile test of endurance -- touted as the MCM Forward -- to honor their fellow servicemen. Today, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors ("TAPS") announced the partnership between Team TAPS, composed of participants in the 31st Marine Corps Marathon who are running in honor of a fallen hero and MCM Forward. Read more

A Maine couple that kidnapped their pregnant 19-year-old daughter and attempted to take her to New York to have an abortion did so because they were apparently upset that her boyfriend is black. A Maine sheriff said Tuesday that the kidnapping was racially motivated. Read more

As the United States Administration seeks new legislation stripping Guantanamo prisoners of the right -- now affirmed twice by the U.S. Supreme Court -- to judicial review of their imprisonment, attorneys for Lakhdar Boumediene, a Bosnian citizen imprisoned for nearly five years without charge at Guantanamo, today filed an application in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg against Bosnia and Herzegovina for on-going violations of the European Convention on Human Rights. Read more

A new poll of the Iraqi public finds a large majority want the U.S. to withdraw its military forces within a year. Most believe the U.S. presence is provoking more conflict than it is preventing and confidence in Iraq's army is growing. Support for attacks on U.S. troops has risen to six in ten. However, al Qaeda is overwhelmingly rejected by all ethnic groups. Contrary to the impression that major forces want a loose confederation, majorities of all groups say they want a strong central government and the Maliki government gets rather good marks. Read more

Federal, state and local officials need to do a better job of abiding by the parental involvement sections of the No Child Left Behind Act, according to a national report issued today by Appleseed. The publication, titled, "It Takes A Parent: Transforming Education in the Wake of the No Child Left Behind Act" is based on research involving 18 school districts in six states. Read more

Almost half (49 percent) of the nation's businesses are operated from home, and more than 6-in-10 owners used their own money to start the business, according to new U.S. Census Bureau reports on characteristics of businesses and business owners. Read more

Following fifteen months of intense bipartisan, bicameral negotiations, the United States House of Representatives last night passed legislation authored by Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R-IL) to expand peacekeeping operations in Darfur, Sudan, and to punish those who have committed genocide there. The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (H.R. 3127) now goes to the President for signature. Read more

The U.S. Congress this week finalized legislation that bars funding to construct permanent military bases in Iraq and states definitively that it is the policy of the United States government not to exercise control over Iraq's petroleum resources. Read more

PRESIDENT BUSH: I, of course, read the key judgments on the NIE. I agree with their conclusion that because of our successes against the leadership of al Qaeda, the enemy is becoming more diffuse and independent. I'm not surprised the enemy is exploiting the situation in Iraq and using it as a propaganda tool to try to recruit more people to their -- to their murderous ways. Read more

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi offered a privileged motion on the House floor today calling for the House to go into secret session to discuss the findings in a reported National Intelligence Estimate that concluded that the war in Iraq was making the war on terror more difficult to fight and win. Read more

A day after three top retired military officers offered a scathing analysis of how the failed Bush Administration Iraq policy is making America less safe , Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Carl Levin and Senate Armed Services Committee Members Jack Reed and Hillary Rodham Clinton today called for a change. With the threat of terror growing and the military increasingly stretched thin, Democrats are fighting to take America's security in a new direction. Read more

Halliburton spent $4.6 million since 2000, buying influence in Washington via campaign donations and lobbying, a HalliburtonWatch analysis reveals.

The board of directors and their spouses personally gave $828,701 to candidates for Congress and the presidency while Halliburton's political action committees gave $1.2 million, most of it donated to Republicans and political organizations with strong Republican ties, according to the analysis. Read more

The organics industry is booming. However, gaps in research and support for growers and others in the supply chain have hampered the growth of this segment of agriculture. Recognizing this, the United States Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with other organizations in the public and private sectors, sponsored a symposium to explore the issues and help the organics industry realize its true growth potential. Read more

As the 2006 political season moves into the home stretch, epolitics.com has released a new e-book to give campaigners and web professionals a comprehensive guide to using the Internet to promote candidates, shape public opinion, motivate supporters and raise money. Read more

Two of the nation's top military commanders will testify Oct. 5 in Washington in a hearing conducted by the independent commission that has been created to examine how the National Guard and Reserves should be tasked, organized, trained, equipped, compensated and supported to best meet the national security requirements of the nation. Read more

The Democratic Policy Committee today convened a watershed hearing into the Bush Administration's conduct of the war in Iraq. Three retired uniformed military officers who served as top commanders in Iraq, Major General John R.S. Batiste, U.S. Army (Ret.); Major General Paul D. Eaton, U.S. Army (Ret.); and Colonel Thomas X. Hammes, USMC (Ret.), delivered their assessment of the Bush Administration's strategy for war and of the civilian Pentagon leadership, deeming both a complete failure. On the heels of the disclosure that America's intelligence community has concluded that the war in Iraq has increased the terrorist threat, today's hearing deals a fatal blow to any claim that staying the current course is an acceptable strategy for success in Iraq. Read more

Consumer Reports announced today the launch of a new blog, Consumer Reports on Safety http://www.consumerreports.org/safetyblog. This blog will offer consumers analysis of important safety issues and provide need-to-know information for keeping families safe from preventable injury or illness. The entries will cover a wide range of topics including food safety, child safety, product recalls, hidden hazards and more. Read more

n an exclusive interview with the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC), Dr. Rashad Zaydan -- founder of the Iraqi non-profit Knowledge for the Iraqi Women Society -- explains how community-based organizations are essential for ending the violence in Iraq. Read more

With the mid-term elections rapidly approaching, Social Security remains a critical issue to Americans age 42 and older (boomer plus voters), many of whom are approaching retirement. The third in the weekly series of "AARP Election Watch: Pulse of a Generation" opinion tracking surveys, released new data today about voter preferences on Social Security. When given the choice, an overwhelming 79 percent of all respondents want candidates who are elected from both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to work to strengthen the existing Social Security program, rather than work to create new, private accounts. Read more

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) announces that they are in support of a national class action lawsuit to secure reparations for African-Americans. We support the efforts made by the African American Slave Descendants litigation on the landmark slavery reparations class action. Read more

Retired General and former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark will join former U.S. Senator Max Cleland, D-GA, as the featured speakers at the Veterans for Murtha rally this Saturday, September 30th at 11 am in Central Park, Johnstown, PA. Read more

His Excellency Jalal Talabani, president of Iraq will deliver a speech titled, "Iraq: An Update" at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars on Tuesday, Sept. 26 from 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Media wishing to cover this event must contact Sharon McCarter at 202/691-4016 by 4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25. Media must have all equipment in place by 11 a.m. Read more

Following is an op-ed by Christopher H. Pyle: "The Supreme Court's decision last June in the Hamdan case threw the military, CIA, and administration into a panic. The Court didn't just declare the military tribunals illegal. It held that the Geneva Conventions protect all detainees in the "war on terrorism," which meant that anyone who abused prisoners -- or authorized their abuse -- was vulnerable to prosecution as a war criminal." Read more

Over one hundred religious leaders will call on Congress this week to urge Congress to assert its oversight function to prevent a preemptive attack on Iran. Religious leaders are encouraging Congress to vote no on the Iran Freedom Support Act and pursue unconditional negotiations with Iran. Read more

Larry Cox, Amnesty International USA's executive director, issued the following statement in response to the proposed agreement reached by President Bush and Senate Republicans regarding detainee legislation: "Amnesty International is deeply disturbed by the proposed compromise between Senate leaders and the White House on detainee legislation. Without further clarification the legislation leaves loopholes big enough to drive a Humvee through. The parties appear to have negotiated themselves right back to the starting line. The core of the public debate between senior Republican leaders and the administration largely hinged on the president's ability to interpret the Geneva Conventions as he saw fit and as he basically granted himself authority to do in the war on terror." Read more

Latino elected officials still must contend with significant discrimination when they run for and hold public office, according to a study released today by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund. Read more

The following is a statement by Republican presidential candidate Dr. Hugh Cort: I work with Dr. Paul Williams, the source for the September 7th World Net Daily article "Al-Qaeda Warns Muslims: Time to get out of U.S.; Afghan terror commander hints at big attack on NY, Washington." He is in touch with Hamid Mir; the Fox News Middle East expert who has interviewed bin Laden three times. Read more

Attempting to break "hundreds of years of silence," a new, controversial book argues that pervasive homophobia in the historically black church has reached "crisis" proportion. Read more

National Council on Disability (NCD) chairperson John R. Vaughn today released the following statement regarding the United Nations International Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities: NCD commends the UN delegates, non-governmental representatives, and civil society for the hard work invested in drafting the historic agreement reached on a new treaty on the rights of people with disabilities around the world. This momentous occasion marks the end of a five-year long negotiation process that was unprecedented in its inclusion of non-governmental organizations made up of people with disabilities. Read more

HalliburtonWatch has obtained the first video of an ambush against a Halliburton convoy in Iraq that resulted in the deaths of three truckers who worked for the company's KBR subsidiary. The video, shot on Sept. 20, 2005 by KBR truck driver Preston Wheeler, shows what initially appears to be a routine convoy of sixteen-wheeler trucks delivering supplies to U.S. troops. Read more

"The statements of President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela at the United Nations in New York yesterday were intemperate and inappropriate. His differences with United States policies are well-known, and the United Nations is a forum for airing such policy concerns. But his personal attacks and ridicule directed at the President of the United States are unacceptable." Read more

Senator Russell Feingold will outline critical steps needed to defend our Democracy, including making all elections secure against vote suppression and tampering, ending the influence of big money on politics, preserving checks and balances in government and defending the constitutional rights of American citizens. The speech, sponsored by MoveOn.org Political Action, is the third and final in a series of events aimed at promoting a positive national agenda and at mobilizing the organization's volunteers and voters in the upcoming congressional elections. Read more

The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) today filed an amici curiae brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Gonzales v. Carhart, challenging the first-ever federal abortion ban on religious grounds and urging the court to strike it down. Read more

A new study, authored by economists at Northeastern University and published by the Center for Immigration Studies, finds that young native-born workers are being displaced in the labor market by immigrants. Although one recent report by a Washington think tank found no relationship between immigration and native employment, that study did not focus on young workers who are often in direct competition with immigrants and are the ones most adversely affected. Read more

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