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In a January 17, 2006 letter, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Richard Durbin, Senate Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman Charles Schumer and Senate Democratic Conference Secretary Debbie Stabenow requested that President Bush “…make public as soon as possible an accounting of Mr. Abramoff’s personal contacts with Bush Administration officials and the official …
Honest Leadership & Open Government Act: “The Act will reinvigorate Congressional ethics rules and institute broad-based lobbying reforms to ensure that the representatives of the people are operating in the peopl’s interest, not the special interests.” [press release from House Democratic Leader Pelosi]
Follow-up to yesterday’s posting, Stronger Safeguards Sought As Cell Records Sold on Web – two related press releases on new legislation to protect the privacy of cell phone logs which are available for sale online. press release: “Today U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer introduced legislation to combat the growing black market of cell phone call …
“In a pair of new reports, Rep. Henry A. Waxman examines the failure of the Republican-controlled Congress to investigate wrongdoing by the Bush Administration and the very different approach toward oversight taken by the Republican-controlled Congress during the Clinton Administration. An additional report released in 2001 documents numerous examples of allegations against the Clinton Administration …
Press release: “Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA) Ranking Democrat on the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, released responses from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) [2 pages, PDF] and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) [2 pages, PDF] in response to his inquiry into reports of the commercial availability of consumer telephone records by companies …
The New York Times reports on a speech given today in Washington D.C. at DAR Constitutional Hall by former Vice President Al Gore, the focus of which was presidential authority, government secrecy, domestic surveillance, and the decline of congressional power. An audience of several thousand attended Gore’s speech, which was simulcast by C-SPAN, and co-sponsored …
WSJ free feature today: The High-Court Battle That Never Was – Senators’ Pact on Judicial Filibusters Drained Drama From Roberts, Alito Nominations: “If Judge Alito is confirmed in coming days, the president’s legacy will include at least two high-court appointments, both of whom could steer the court in the conservative direction sought by the Republican …
AP reports Sen. Arlen Specter, Chief of Judiciary Panel, Says He’s Skeptical of Domestic Spying Program. Related news: U.S. Attorney General Gonzales to Testify at Spying Hearings, January 13, 2006 Postings on domestic surveillance
The Economic Costs of the Iraq War: An Appraisal Three Years After the Beginning of the Conflict, By Linda Bilmes and Joseph E. Stiglitz Working Paper Number: RWP06-002 (37 pages, PDF). Submitted: 01/11/2006. “”We have not attempted in this paper an overall assessment of whether the war was conducted in the most cost efficient manner, …
A January 12, 2005 ABC News Nightline interview with former President Clinton clarified information on the use of warrantless wiretaps during his administration. According to Clinton: “My attitude was that once the Congress had spoken on it and given us the tools that we needed, we used it…We used the law. We either went there …
From The Nation, a commentary by attorney Elizabelth Holtzman, former Representative from New York, 1973-1981.
Americans Taking Abramoff, Alito and Domestic Spying in Stride – Democrats Hold Huge Issue Advantage, Released: January 11, 2006 (32 pages, PDF) Summary of findings: “The public has been hardly stirred by the flurry of major Washington news in the early days of 2006. Jack Abramoff’s admission that he bribed members of Congress has sparked …
