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Phone Jamming — Conspiracy Weed Edition

Phone jamming is now a felony in the state of New Hampshire — on Election Day, anyway. The state senate voted unanimously to make it that way, in response to the simmering scandal over GOP operatives’ dirty tricks in the 2002 election. Speaking of which, former NH GOP chair Jayne Millerick again insists she knew nozzing.

“These liberal groups are smoking too much conspiracy weed,” said attorney and GOP activist Charles Douglas, one of the lawyers who received some of Millerick’s Election Day calls, which have fueled speculation that GOP higher-ups knew of the scam. We assume Douglas and Millerick, by contrast, smoke just the right amount of conspiracy weed — which would explain Millerick’s repeated phone calls to the same people throughout Election Day 2002. “You high?” “Yeah.” (later) “You high?” “You just called me.” (later) “You high?” Repeat until polls close.

Elsewhere, the New York Times soberly muses on whether the New Hampshire phone jamming scandal is our generation’s Watergate. (NH Union Leader, NH Union Leader, NYTimes)

Iraq: “Free-Fraud Zone”

In yet another hopeful sign that Iraqis are embracing a shift to American-style democracy, it appears U.S. firms have bilked hundreds of millions of dollars from the country’s new government. And no laws exist that would allow Iraq to recover the money, making the country “a free-fraud zone,” in the words of Alan Grayson, a lawyer involved in the matter. Among the fraudsters? Halliburton’s said to be walking away with over $250 million. Again, Grayson: ‘”Like a colonial power, the Bush administration took Iraq’s oil money, and wasted it. The Iraqis well know that. That’s one reason why they’re shooting at US soldiers.” (Boston Globe)

Mollohan: What, Me Worry?

Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV), the ranking Dem on the House Ethics Committee, insists he’s got no problems, despite the Justice Department’s sudden interest in his financial dealings. Republicans insist otherwise, and push for Big Mo to relieve step down from his committee seat. (AP, Roll Call)

More Abramoff Checks Revealed

Two more Montana elected officials got money from Abramoff’s team: Democratic Sen. Max Baucus and GOP Rep. Denny Rehberg. It looks like small potatoes — Baucus got $1,000, Rehberg got $500 — but it’s still dirty. The money was to spur a $10 million appropriation to pave a stretch of state highway that was gravel. (Missoulian)

CA’s Pombo — Despite Lingering Ethics Questions, Donations Flowing

Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), who has been tarred by several scandals — from taking money from disgraced superlobbyist Jack Abramoff to spending federal funds to rent an RV for a family vacation — is raking in campaign donations. He’s raised $1.4 million so far this cycle, ahead of his primary challenger, Pete McCloskey, who’s raised less than $250,000.

Coburn: Seven Lawmakers Headed for Jail

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) thinks six House members and one senator are destined for the pokey as a result of the Abramoff scandal and others. He didn’t name names, but said the likely candidates for incarceration were guessable, “if you’ve been keeping up with things.” (KTEN-TV)

FL Democrats Raised $1 Million in Illegal Donations

Florida Democrats raised over $1 million in “questionable” donations in 2004-2005, according to the St. Petersburg Times. The state GOP says they’re over the line, and may file a formal complaint with the state. (St. Pete Times)

Covered Recently

Rep. Doolittle’s (R-CA) doing fine, taking 15 percent of his campaign donations via his wife. . . (link)

House probe of “Duke” Cunningham widens. . . (link)

Feds release more Abramoff e-mails. . . (link)

Norquist Shills for Democrat. . . (link)

More on the RNC’s immigration bamboozle. . . (link)

On top of legal bills, phone jammer Tobin landed job with RNC. . . (link)

Waas: Cheney authorized a second leak of classified info. . . (link)

RNC, Tobin and phone jamming: What does ‘innocent’ mean? (link)

Norquist’s K Street Project, All Rights Reserved. . . (link)

DHS Warns Companies of Lefty Flyer Brigades. . . (link)

In NH, scandal gives GOP governor hopeful a bad start. . . (link)

FL lawmaker: I didn’t know I was helping DeLay’s ex-aide. . . (link)

The secrecy charade. . . (link)

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