Forget “Macaca”; What Does “Xybernaut” Mean? (Hint: Trouble)
Before his first Senate term began in 2000, George “Let’s Welcome Macaca” Allen (R-VA) sat on the board of a curious high-tech startup called Xybernaut. While Allen was on Capitol Hill, the company imploded — audits revealed the books were a mess, and the company was in the hole for many millions of dollars. Probes and/or suits have been launched by the SEC, the IRS, and Justice Department prosecutors; investors are suing. Its key execs, backers, even its financial underwriter have come under scrutiny, mostly for hijinks (including nonpayment of taxes) they committed while Allen was supposed to have been overseeing the operation — and while his law firm billed over $300,000 in work for the company. (American Prospect)
Plame Lawyer Plans to Force Cheney, Rove Testimony
“A lawyer plans to use a legal precedent that allowed President Bill Clinton to be sued while in office to force Vice President Dick Cheney and presidential adviser Karl Rove to testify in a lawsuit brought by former CIA operative Valerie Plame and her husband. California attorney Joseph Cotchett said he will ask a federal court to order Cheney, his ex-chief of staff Lewis “Scooter” Libby and Rove to testify in depositions about their role in disclosing her classified status.” (Reuters)
Under Scrutiny, Appropriations Chief Defends Earmarks
“Inland Rep. Jerry Lewis [(R-CA)] defended congressional earmarking Tuesday during a visit to Mt. San Jacinto Community College’s nursing program in Menifee. . .
“‘One of our jobs is to help California and my district get as much of their money back as possible,’ Lewis said.
“There is a misunderstanding, particularly in the media, that earmarks are “out of control,” said Lewis, who is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
“Earmarks total less than 1 percent of the $900 billion in federal funding that passes through the Appropriations Committee, Lewis said. It is not outrageous for Congress to ‘massage’ that tiny portion of the president’s budget, he said.” (Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise)
GOP Will Hold Sept. 14 Primary to Replace Ney on Ohio 18 Ballot
“A special primary election will be held Sept. 14 to determine which Republican will replace retiring Republican Rep. Bob Ney on the November ballot in Ohioâs 18th District.” (CQ Politics)
Ohio Voting Problems Deemed Severe
“Problems with elections in Ohio’s most populous county are so severe that it’s unlikely they can be completely fixed by November, or even by the 2008 presidential election, a report commissioned by Cuyahoga County and released Tuesday says.” (AP)
Harris and Opponent Meet, Quarrel in Newspaper Parking Lot
“A statewide brouhaha over Republican senatorial candidate Will McBride’s ethnicity and surname took on a local flavor Tuesday morning as McBride and his primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, met unexpectedly in the parking lot of the Charlotte (Fla.) Sun.
“As McBride left the Sun to board his red, white and blue campaign bus, Harris and an aide arrived for an interview. The two engaged in an animated conversation for more than five minutes about [a Harris aide planting a question at a public forum to suggest McBride changed his name to hide his ethnicity].
“‘It could have been resolved with a simple apology and she didn’t offer that apology once again today,’ said Jack St. Martin, McBride’s campaign manager.” (Charlotte (Fla.) Sun)
Pa. Sued over Electronic Voting Machines
“Voter advocates filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to stop Pennsylvania counties from using “paperless” electronic voting machines, saying that such systems leave no paper record that could be used in the event of a recount, audit or other problem.” (AP)
Salon’s Shameful Six
“There was Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004. Here are the six states where vote suppression could cost voters their voice — and Democrats the election — in 2006.” (Salon)
Ohio Democrat Ends Campaign after Arrest
“[Democratic congressional candidate Stephanie] Studebaker and her husband, Sam, were booked Sunday morning into the Montgomery County jail after police answered calls about a fight in their home. Each was charged with domestic violence and released on a $25,000 bond.” (AP)
Neil Bush’s Software Bought For Schools By Bushes, Taxpayers
“Critics complain that the Ignite computers and software are of questionable value, the contract was not competitively bid and the program was not adequately evaluated. Visitors to Ignite Learning’s Web site will tend to agree. The samples on display barely scrape the surface of the subject. Tariffs, for instance, are represented as a monster created by a mad scientist. The taxation of imports is never mentioned.” (Houston Chronicle)
Telecom, Cable Interests Channel Donations To Republican Incumbents
“Officials of dominant telephone and cable TV companies vying for an upper hand in pending telecommunications legislation are contributing heavily this election season to Republican incumbents who share those firms’ deregulatory outlook.” (Nat’l Journal)
Recruiting Abuses Revealed By GAO
“Grueling combat conditions in Iraq, a decent commercial job market and tough monthly recruiting goals have made recruiters’ jobs more difficult, the Government Accountability Office said Monday. This has probably prompted more recruiters to resort to strong-arm tactics, including harassment or criminal means such as falsifying documents, to satisfy demands, GAO states.” (AP)
Legal Group: Service Members Increasingly Use Internet to Out Other Gays in Military
“The [Servicemembers Legal Defense Network] has…seen an increase in the malicious use of the Internet and e-mail to disclose the sexual orientation of service members, Mr. Ralls said. Sites like MySpace.com are routinely visited by service members and military officials, and service members who identify themselves as gay or lesbian on the Internet risk expulsion. In one case, the orientation of a gay sergeant was disclosed to his superiors by anonymous e-mail messages. The sergeant was honorably discharged this year from the Army.” (NY Times)
Growth on K Street Slows
“Several lobbying firms reported this week midyear revenues that were flat or down from the records set in 2005. Lobbyists attributed the dip, which wasnât across-the-board, to a less ambitious legislative agenda more so than to any fallout from scandals surrounding Jack Abramoff or former Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-Calif.), although some claimed that prospective clients seemed a little wary of hiring Washington representation in light of the negative publicity.” (The Hill)
New Jersey Attorney General Resigns
“New Jersey’s attorney general resigned on Tuesday after a special prosecutor concluded that she violated state ethics laws in an incident involving her boyfriend and a traffic stop.” (WABC)
Reporters Are Ordered to Reveal Sources in Steroid Investigation
“A federal judge told two San Francisco Chronicle reporters they must comply with a subpoena and tell a grand jury who leaked to them secret testimony from Barry Bonds and other elite athletes ensnared in the government’s steroid probe.” (AP)
