Ex-Detainees Seek to Sue U.S. Officials
“In a federal courtroom today, nine former prisoners at U.S. military prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan will seek through an unusual lawsuit to hold outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and top military commanders personally responsible for the torture they say they endured.
“Rumsfeld’s lawyers will argue that he cannot be held legally responsible because anything he may have done — including authorizing harsh interrogations at the Abu Ghraib and Bagram detention facilities — was within the scope of his job as defense secretary to combat terrorists and prevent future attacks.” (WaPo)
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Block Padilla’s Questioning of Pentagon
“Federal prosecutors asked a judge Thursday to prevent Jose Padilla’s defense attorneys from questioning Defense Department officials or obtaining documents about his treatment during 3 1/2 years in military custody as an “enemy combatant.”
“Defense attorneys have issued subpoenas for at least four military officials, including a security officer and technical official at the Navy brig in Charleston, S.C., where Padilla, 36, was jailed. They have also subpoenaed Maj. Gen. D.D. Thiessen, commander of U.S. Marine forces in Japan, about treatment of other enemy combatants, according to court documents.
“The subpoenas also seek records of ‘special procedures and communications’ related to Padilla, as well as medical records and visitation logs.” (WaPo)
Postcampaign Lobbying Thrives
“Postelection fund-raising and political repositioning are hardly new in Washington. Candidates routinely use the last months of an election cycle to clear campaign debt. Lobbyists use the time to target freshmen who haven’t staked out firm positions on the vast array of issues that come before Congress.
“But the cycle turns especially intense when a major power shift is under way — as is the case this year, for the first time since Republicans took Congress in 1994. For instance, receptions such as those being held this week, coinciding with the return of Congress for its lame-duck session, are prime networking opportunity for lobbying shops looking to hire Democrats, and aides looking to cash in on their new status.
“Moreover, this year’s packed schedule of fund-raisers and “debt reduction” events comes as incoming Democratic leaders tout a curb on the influence of lobbyists in Congress as a top priority when they take over next month.
“Democrats are pushing to change lobbying rules after a string of scandals that tarnished Republican leaders and contributed to the defeat of several incumbents. Among the most notorious was that involving former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who financed elaborate trips and provided free dinners to lawmakers and key aides to win help for his clients.” (WSJ)
Time to Party in the Capital. Just Bring the Checkbook.
“The Sonoma wine bar was particularly popular. No sooner had lobbyists left a reception there for Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, newly elected chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, than another platoon of them arrived at the same place to pay tribute to Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, chief deputy whip for House Republicans.
“Within a period of 12 hours, Mr. Cantor held two fund-raisers in one block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. For contributions of $2,500, lobbyists had coffee with him in a private room at Starbucks from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. For donations of $250 to $1,000, they attended his âholidazzleâ party at the wine bar from 6 to 8 p.m. . . .
“[A]t the Charlie Palmer steakhouse. . . lobbyists held âa special birthday reception in honor of Senator Max Baucus,â Democrat of Montana.
“Mr. Baucus turns 65 next week, becomes chairman of the Senate Finance Committee next month and is up for re-election in 2008.
“He knew what he wanted for his birthday. The invitation requested contributions of $1,000 from individuals, $2,500 from political action committees and $5,000 from big donors willing to sponsor the reception.” (NYTimes)
Panel May Be Near to Issue Foley Report
“The House ethics committee could be close to finishing its report on ex-Rep. Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record)’s improper conduct with former pages. Committee members would not comment on when they would issue their findings. Committee leaders said in early October the investigation would be finished in weeks, not months, and members have said privately they did not want to carry the matter over until next year.” (AP)
Changes Are Expected in Voting by 2008 Election
“By the 2008 presidential election, voters around the country are likely to see sweeping changes in how they cast their ballots and how those ballots are counted, including an end to the use of most electronic voting machines without a paper trail, federal voting officials and legislators say.
“New federal guidelines, along with legislation given a strong chance to pass in Congress next year, will probably combine to make the paperless voting machines obsolete, the officials say. States and counties that bought the machines will have to modify them to hook up printers, at federal expense, while others are planning to scrap the machines and buy new ones.” (NY Times)
New Orleans to Raze Public Housing
“Public housing officials decided Thursday to proceed with the demolition of more than 4,500 government apartments here, brushing aside an outcry from residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina who said the move was intended to reduce the ability of poor black people to repopulate the city….
“Previously, HUD [Housing and Urban Development] officials have said the old projects should be cleared out to make way for less dense, modern housing. But those new developments, to be constructed in partnership with private investors, would probably include far fewer apartments for low-income residents and would take years to complete. An unresolved lawsuit on behalf of residents charges that the demolition plan is racially discriminatory.” (WaPo)
Inhofe Hearing Accuses Media of âHyping Scientifically Unfounded Climate Alarmismâ
“Among scientists, there is no doubt humans are responsible for climate change. One of the few remaining doubters is Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK).
“In his last week as chair of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, Inhofe said goodbye ‘with a final hearing aimed at spanking the press for its coverage of climate change.’â (Think Progress)
Oil Lease Agency Found Inadequate
“The agency that collects royalties from oil and gas producers lacks the data, coordination and manpower to keep track of companies operating on federal land and in federal waters, a report by the Interior Department’s inspector general said….
“The report said record-keeping was so shoddy that a random selection of five supposedly completed audits found that one had never begun and two were unfinished. ‘MMS could not accurately count the number of audits and compliance reviews that were completed each fiscal year,’ the report said.
“The agency, which collected $12.8 billion in royalties this year, has been criticized by members of Congress for writing leases in 1998 and 1999 that allowed major oil companies drilling in the Gulf of Mexico to avoid billions of dollars of royalty payments. The MMS is negotiating with companies in an effort to correct that and collect some of the money.” (WaPo)
Hastert Adjusts to No Longer Being Boss
“Most House speakers don’t stick around on Capitol Hill once they leave the most powerful job in Congress, one that puts its occupant second in the line of succession to the presidency.
“[Rep. Dennis] Hastert [R-IL], however, will return to becoming just another House member â one of some 200 Republicans with no leadership titles in front of their names â in January, two days after his 65th birthday….
“There’s speculation Hastert won’t stick around long, that he will resign after laying the groundwork for a successor to keep the seat in GOP hands. [Spokesman Ron] Bonjean insists that Hastert is committed to serving both years of his 11th term.
“They certainly couldn’t be any worse than the past two years, when his image as a regular guy who never adopted the airs of high office plummeted following one scandal after another, and what Republicans took as a mandate from the 2004 election was squandered on an increasingly unpopular war and an ill-fated Social Security overhaul.” (AP)
FEC Fines Soar
“A multimillion-dollar settlement with mortgage giant Freddie Mac bolstered a record year for fines by the Federal Election Commission in fiscal 2006, with the agency levying nearly $6 million in penalties â more than tripling its enforcement haul from the year prior.
â’Weâre trying to focus on the more important cases, and sometimes those generate big fines,’ said Ellen Weintraub, a Democratic-nominated commissioner. ‘Itâs not âyour fatherâs Oldsmobileâ around here.’
“The agency, long criticized for ‘glacial’ processing times and lenient punishments for election law violators, processed 300 cases from Oct. 1 2005, to Sept. 30, 2006.
“Thatâs a nearly 20 percent decrease from 2005, but during that interval, fines handed down by the commission rose from $2 million to $5.9 million â a 200 percent jump.” (Roll Call)
Diversity of Opinion on Imams’ Dispute with Airline
“For years, the Minneapolis-St. Paul area has been known for its liberalism and tolerance, especially when it comes to religion. Many Muslims, including the largest population of Somalis outside of Mogadishu, make their home in the Twin Cities. The area just elected the nation’s first Muslim congressman, Keith Ellison (D)….
“So, last month’s removal of six imams from a Phoenix-bound US Airways flight at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has prompted hand-wringing, finger-pointing, calls for greater sensitivity to religious diversity and more communication between non-Muslims and Muslims.
“Police and airline officials say the imams, who attended a national conference of Muslim clerics, were removed after exhibiting suspicious behavior, including uttering anti-American statements, changing their seat assignments so that they would be scattered around the airplane and asking for seat-belt extenders, which could be used as weapons. Valerie Wunder, a spokeswoman for US Airways, said yesterday that the airline has completed its investigation of the incident and has concluded that the flight crew was justified in its actions.” (WaPo)
