Pakistan, not Iraq, is Al-Qaeda’s Location of Choice
President Bush continues to claim that an Iraq free of U.S. forces would quickly become a haven for al-Qaeda. But according to an intelligence estimate given to Congress last week, Pakistan’s lawless border with Afghanistan is currently a much more hospitable place to al-Qaeda’s forces, and therefore a much graver threat â but our presence in Iraq is hampering our ability to respond to it. (McClatchy Newspapers)
Libby’s Attorneys Describe Him as a Victim
“I. Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby was ‘put through the meat grinder’ by the White House shortly after the Iraq war began, scapegoated to conceal the fact that Karl Rove, the president’s top political adviser, helped disclose an undercover CIA officer’s identity, a defense attorney contended yesterday as Libby’s perjury trial began.” (The Washington Post)
House Passes Pension-Stripping Measure
The House voted unanimously Tuesday to prohibit lawmakers convicted of certain crimes from receiving pensions. Since the bill can’t legally be applied retroactively, however, convicted former reps Randy “Duke” Cunningham and Bob Ney will continue to be eligible for taxpayer-funded pension payments. (Subs. Req.) (LA Times)
DeLay Trial to be⦠Delayed
The trial of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who is charged with felony conspiracy and money laundering, may be put off for weeks or months as prosecutors argue that DeLay should also face a charge of campaign finance conspiracy. The charge â part of the reason DeLay was driven from office â was originally dismissed, but prosecutors are looking to have it reinstated. DeLay’s attorneys, however, “contend a lower appellate court correctly ruled that the law was not in effect when the alleged conspiracy occurred in 2002.” (AP)
Doolittle Hoping His Wife Can Continue to Bring in the Green
“Republican Rep. John Doolittle [R-Cali.] on Tuesday said he wants his wife to continue raising money for his political action committee, less than two weeks after dropping her as his campaign fundraiser.” (AP)
Senators Introduce Anti-Sweatshop Bill
On Tuesday, six senators introduced a bill that would halt the import of goods manufactured in sweatshops, as defined by the exporting country’s labor laws. “Importers who violate the ban would face a $10,000 fine for each separate offense and could also be sued by their competitors for damages.” (Reuters)
Has Bush Forgotten About Katrina?
Seventeen months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and a large swath of the Gulf Coast, the disaster was not mentioned in President Bush’s State of the Union address (after garnering only 156 words out of more than 5,400 last year). (AP)
The Courts on Voter ID Laws: We’re Not Sure
In recent years, there has been a push in some circles for voter identification laws, the proponents of which claim will prevent fraud at polling places. The constitutionality of such laws, however, remains an open question. Laws in Georgia and Missouri have been knocked down by state courts, while a federal appeals court upheld a similar law in Indiana. (USA Today)
Correction: We originally wrote that Bush mentioned Katrina in this year’s State of the Union address. He did not.
