The Daily Muck

Federal Prosecutors have named top executives from TDC (a Louisiana-based company) as co-conspirators in William Jefferson’s alleged bribery scheme. TDC was awarded a $450,000 grant from a government agency that Jefferson attempted to influence. No word yet on whether TDC kept the cash in their freezer. (The Hill)

Just after Alberto Gonzaleswas sworn in as Attorney General, the Justice Department began retreating from its 2004 public declaration that torture is “abhorrent.” The New York Times reports that under Gonzales, the department issued new, highly secretive endorsements of the harshest interrogation techniques ever used by the CIA. James Comey, then deputy attorney general told department colleagues at the time that they would be “ashamed” when the world eventually learned of the Gonzales-sponsored memos. (New York Times)

Under the recently enacted lobbying reform bill, former senators-cum-lobbyists are barred from working out in the senate gym during a one year “cooling off period” (in January the term will be extended to two years) but they are allowed to dine with colleagues in the Senate while active members discuss legislative agendas. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who organizes such lunches, insists, “”There’s no lobbying that ever goes on,” it’s just a “kind of a small courtesy to former senators.” (Washington Post)

Off in Seattle, a former Army paratrooper lives and works behind the padlocked chain-link fence that surrounds his house. Though Blackwater will not confirm or deny whether he was an employee, he is the sole suspect in the shooting of the bodyguard of an Iraq vice president. His lawyer says he has not yet been charged with a crime. (NY Times)

Not in my backyard. Residents of Potrero, CA (a town forty five miles east of San Diego) are hoping that the recent bad press about Blackwater’s operations in Iraq will help their effort to stop Blackwater from building a training facility in their town. The local congressman, Bob Filner, has proposed legislation to ban the training of mercenaries on property not owned by the federal government. (LA Times)

Party crashers. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) is joining with fellow Florida Democrat representative Alcee L. Hastings to sue the Democratic National Committee over the penalties that the DNC is threatening against Florida for moving the presidential primary forward to January 29. The DNC has stated that Florida’s move could result in the state’s losing all of its 210 delegates at the 2008 convention. (CQ Politics)

A good number of people saw their cash cow in Bush’s formation of the Department of Homeland Security. The creation of a new agency lush with federal funds sent K-Street into a tizzy (think Sutter’s Mill, 1848). But, like the Gold Rush, there just wasn’t enough cash to go around. Well, that’s not exactly true; DHS is already the third largest cabinet-level agency. But the Department is so inefficient, most of those funds are still sitting in the pipelines! Bureaucracy: 1, Lobbyists: 0. (Politico)