White House Won’t Condemn Saddam Taunts
“The Bush administration sent conflicting signals Wednesday about the taunting and baiting that accompanied Saddam Hussein’s execution, with the White House declining to join criticism of the procedure and the State Department and U.S. military raising questions about it.
“‘The president is focused on the new way forward in Iraq so these issues are best addressed out of Iraq, out of Baghdad,’ deputy White House press secretary Scott Stanzel said. ‘Prime Minister Maliki’s staff have already expressed their disappointment in the filmings, so I guess we’ll leave it at that.’
“Stanzel said the U.S. military and the U.S. Embassy in Iraq had expressed concerns about the timing of Saddam’s execution and later about ‘the process and what took place.'” (AP)
Contractors Cited In Gitmo Abuses
“New allegations of detainee abuse at Guantanamo Bay released by the FBI on Tuesday put private contractors at the center of interrogation operations, raising questions once again about where they fit in the military’s chain of command.
“The FBI’s disclosures, which are based on eyewitness reports, refer several times to contractors directing the Army’s interrogation efforts at the military detention center in Cuba. In at least one case, FBI agents were told that detainees may have been mistreated on orders from a contractor.” (WaPo)
House Dems To Toughen Ethics Rules
“Don’t look for members of Congress sharing box seats with lobbyists at an NBA game. Do look for more of them flying coach. The new Democratic-led House is scheduled to begin voting on Thursday on ethics rules that would expand current bans on some privately financed trips, eliminate gifts from lobbyists, prohibit travel on corporate jets and require greater public disclosure of targeted special interest legislation.
“The target of the new rules is the sometimes cozy relationship between lawmakers and lobbyists that deteriorated into influence peddling and bribery scandals in recent years. Though more restrictive, the proposed rules require that certain congressional activity be curbed through disclosure rather than prohibitions.
“For instance, lawmakers will still be able to take privately financed trips to exotic locations. But they will have more explaining to do.
“They will still be able to load legislation with funding that benefits special interests. But they’ll have to put that work, often hidden in the past, on display for everyone to see.
“The ethics rules will be the first order of business, just hours after the Congress convenes under new Democratic control for the first time since 1994. Democratic leaders said by dealing with ethics first, they wanted to set a tone for their new majority.” (AP)
House Dems Defend Plan To Block Republican Amendments
“The voters’ decision last November to give Democrats control of Congress justifies party leaders in blocking Republicans from amending a wave of bills that will move through the House this month, said incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
“Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, said his party campaigned on a ‘100-hour’ agenda that includes raising the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour from $5.15 and should be able to move that measure through the chamber without interference. Democrats will later make good on a separate campaign promise to allow the minority party more opportunity to amend bills on the House floor or in committee.
“‘We view the first 100 hours as essentially a mandate from the American people,’ Hoyer told reporters.
“His comments come amid a controversy that began Dec. 14 when House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said for the first time that Republicans wouldn’t get a chance to offer amendments to those initial bills. House Republican leaders have protested the move, and some key committee chairmen yesterday sent letters to Democrats complaining that they are being locked out of the process.” (Bloomberg)
Feeney To Repay Cost Of Abramoff-Linked Trip
“Rep. Tom Feeney has agreed to pay the costs of a 2003 trip to Scotland that apparently was paid for by lobbyist Jack Abramoff or his clients, House ethics committee leaders said Wednesday.
“Feeney, R-Fla., sought committee review in March 2005, after news reports said Abramoff â a now-imprisoned influence peddler â financed the trip rather than the sponsor listed by the lawmaker on a public disclosure form. The media reports also said the trip was mainly recreational.
“House rules prohibit lobbyists from paying for lawmakers’ travel.
“The expenses were reported by Feeney as $5,643, paid by The National Center for Public Policy Research. A report prepared last year by Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee said the group used money from Abramoff’s clients to sponsor golf trips in 2000 and 2003 to Scotland for members of Congress. Committee Republicans, who were in the majority, agreed to release the report.” (AP)
Feds Demand Files Of Three House Panels In Cunningham Case
“Federal prosecutors in San Diego have subpoenaed documents from three House committees as part of an investigation into special-interest earmarks in spending bills.
“The demand ratchets up an investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office in San Diego into contracts awarded by the Defense Department and other agencies. The probe stems from the bribery case against Rep. Randy ‘Duke’ Cunningham (R-Rancho Santa Fe), who pleaded guilty and resigned in 2005.
“The scope of the investigation is unclear, although the request for documents is considered unusually broad.
“The subpoenas, which follow a failed attempt by the Justice Department to persuade the Republican Congress to voluntarily turn over thousands of documents, could test Democrats’ pledge to reform ethics in the new Congress. Last year, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) â who today becomes House speaker â opposed a broad-based Justice Department search warrant targeting Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.).
“The subpoenas went to the armed services, appropriations and intelligence committees, whose Republican chairmen reported the subpoenas to outgoing House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) in letters dated two weeks ago.
“The subpoenas were made public Wednesday by the Congressional Record online. The House is supposed to turn over the requested records by Jan. 11 or else file an objection with the U.S. District Court in San Diego. Typically, such deadlines are extended.” (LATimes)
Two New Orleans Cops Say Drop Charges Due To Immunity Deal
“Two New Orleans police officers charged in a deadly shooting in Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath say the district attorney reneged on a deal granting them partial immunity in exchange for their testimony before a grand jury.
“Attorneys for both asked a judge on Wednesday to throw out the murder and attempted murder charges against their clients.
“A grand jury last week indicted the two officers and five others in the Sept. 4, 2005, shootings on the Danziger Bridge that killed two men and wounded four other people.
“Officer Ignatius Hills and Sgt. Kenneth Bowen were assured their grand jury testimony about the shooting wouldn’t be used against them, their attorneys maintain in court papers. District Attorney Eddie Jordan reneged on the deal, they argue.” (AP)
U.N. To Probe Sudan Abuse Allegations
“The United Nations will investigate a report of allegations of sexual abuse and child rape by peacekeepers operating in southern Sudan, a key U.N. official said Tuesday.
“Jane Holl Lute, the U.N. assistant secretary-general who oversees peacekeeping operations, said the allegations, reported by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, if shown to be true would not be tolerated.
“‘There could be truth. These environments are ones in which it is difficult to ascertain the truth. I do not believe these are new allegations. Nevertheless, we will treat them as seriously as we treat all other allegations,’ she told The Associated Press at U.N. headquarters in New York.
“The Daily Telegraph, citing an internal UNICEF report along with interviews with more than 20 alleged abuse victims, reported that several children, some as young as 12, had been sexually abused by U.N. peacekeepers and civilian workers.” (AP)
Ethics Committee Fines Weldon â But Will He Have To Pay?
“In what appears to be its final actions on the last day of the 109th Congress, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct released two statements that said Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.) must pay more than $5,600 to cover the costs of a golf trip to Scotland in 2003 with the imprisoned felonious lobbyist Abramoff, while outgoing Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) must repay more than $23,000 in costs for an undisclosed trip that he and several family members took.
“Itâs unclear what ability the panel will have to force Weldon to pay off the costs of his inappropriate trip, given that he lost his re-election bid in November and will not be in Congress as of noon tomorrow.” (Roll Call)
FBI Releases Rehnquist Files
“The FBI’s file on former Chief Justice William Rehnquist â made public more than a year after his death â indicates the Nixon and Reagan administrations enlisted its help in blunting criticism of him during confirmation hearings.
“The file also offers insight into the hallucinations and other symptoms of withdrawal that Rehnquist suffered when he was taken off a prescription painkiller in 1981. A doctor was cited as saying that Rehnquist, an associate justice of the Supreme Court at the time, tried to escape the hospital in his pajamas and imagined that the CIA was plotting against him.” (AP)
