Ashcroft Straddles Two Sides on Radio Merger Debate
“Former Attorney General John Ashcroft, who sent a letter this week to his successor Alberto Gonzales blasting the proposed merger of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., approached XM in the days after the merger was announced offering the firm his consulting services, a spokesman for XM said Saturday. The spokesman said XM declined Mr. Ashcroft’s offer to work as a lobbyist for the company. Mr. Ashcroft was subsequently hired by the National Association of Broadcasters, which is fiercely opposed to the merger.” (The Wall Street Journal, sub. req.)
Extra Week Likely for Libby Jurors
“Jurors in the perjury trial of ex-White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby still have work to do and expect to deliberate into next week. Earlier Thursday, it appeared the seven women and four men were handcrafting their own visual aids to help sort out the complicated case. Jurors asked for a large flip chart, masking tape, Post-it notes and pictures of the witnesses almost immediately after beginning deliberations last week. Late Wednesday afternoon, they emerged to ask the judge for large, easel-sized pages that can be stuck on walls. ” (Asssociated Press)
FDA Overrides New Drug Warnigs
“The government is on track to approve a new antibiotic to treat a pneumonia-like disease in cattle, despite warnings from health groups and a majority of the agency’s own expert advisers that the decision will be dangerous for people. The drug, called cefquinome, belongs to a class of highly potent antibiotics that are among medicine’s last defenses against several serious human infections.” (The Washington Post)
Court Tosses CIA Abuse Case
“A German citizen who says he was kidnapped and abused by the Central Intelligence Agency cannot seek redress in court because his lawsuit would expose state secrets, a United States Court of Appeals ruled yesterday in Richmond, Va. There is substantial evidence that the plaintiff in the suit, Khaled el-Masri, a German citizen of Lebanese descent, was subjected to the C.I.A.âs practice of extraordinary rendition, in which terrorism suspects are seized and sent for interrogation to other countries.” (The New York Times)
FBI: Clinton Donor Ilegally Funnelled Cash
“A Pakistani immigrant who hosted fundraisers in Southern California for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is being sought by the FBI on charges that he funneled illegal contributions to Clinton’s political action committee and Sen. Barbara Boxer’s 2004 reelection campaign. Authorities say Northridge businessman Abdul Rehman Jinnah, 56, fled the country after an indictment accused him of engineering more than $50,000 in illegal donations to the Democratic committees.” (The Los Angeles Times)
Firm Offers “Survival Guide” for Congresional Inquiries
A booklet issued by the law firm Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw offers clients tips to prepare for congressional oversight, ranging from “government contracting to pharmaceutical pricing to energy policy.” The guide includes various suggestions for dealing with prosecutors and lawmakers, including “Stay disciplined and stick to the script,” and “Spontaneity holds little upside.â (The Wall Street Journal)
House Looks to End Push-Polling
“In their rush to promote a variety of election reform measures, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers late last week introduced a bill designed to prevent push polls. But before the bill can advance, it may require some finessing between lawmakers and pollsters regarding the severity of the restrictions on the controversial polls â and a debate over whether the bill even goes far enough to curb the negative information that push polls disseminate.” (Roll Call)
Katrina a Focus For Jefferson
Under fire on all sides as he aims for a confirmation on the Homeland Security Panel, Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) has been absent in most policy debates since winning his re-election in November. In contrast to the the Democratic party’s broad movement towards setting a national agenda, Jefferson has focused extensively on the local issue of the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans. (Roll Call)
CEO: Congressman’s Associate Took My Job
“The former president and CEO of a West Virginia nonprofit organization has filed a suit that alleges, among other things, his job was given to ‘a close associate’ of Congressman Alan Mollohan. Nicholas Tomblin filed a complaint Feb. 22 in Ohio Circuit Court in which he names the Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization Inc., also known as OLETC, the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation and James Estep as defendants.” (The West Virginia Record)
Political Ejection Was White House Strategy
“A former White House official who ordered three activists expelled from a 2005 Denver public forum with President Bush says it was White House policy to exclude potentially disruptive guests from Bush’s appearances nationwide. The former official, Steve Atkiss, revealed the policy Friday in an interview after two volunteer bouncers identified him and a current White House staffer, Jamie O’Keefe, as the officials who ordered the so-called Denver Three activists sent away from the event.” (The Denver Post)
