Bowing to Pressure, Kean Asks ABC to Alter Pre-9/11 Docudrama
“ABC plans to make minor changes to its docudrama on the run-up to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in response to heated complaints from former Clinton administration officials that a number of scenes are fabricated, a network executive said yesterday.
“Thomas H. Kean, the Republican who chaired the 9/11 commission and is a co-executive producer of the film, said in an interview that he recently asked for changes that would address complaints raised by the former aides to President Bill Clinton and that ABC is considering his request.” (WaPo, NYTimes)
Judge Won’t Dismiss Eavesdropping Suit
“A federal judge Thursday rejected a Bush administration plea to throw out a lawsuit over the government’s warrantless surveillance program, saying he is not convinced going ahead with the case would harm national security.
“It is the latest of several differing rulings on a program the administration says is essential to fight terrorism, but that civil-liberties groups decry as an overreaching of presidential authority.” (AP)
Eavesdropping Bill Stalls in Committee
“President Bush’s support proved insufficient to push a bill authorizing his warrantless wiretapping program through the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday.
“Sen. Arlen Specter, the committee’s chairman, said the bill stalled because of election-year obstructionism.
“‘We have seen the incipient stage of filibuster by amendment,’ the Pennsylvania Republican testily declared as he called off a vote to move his bill to the Senate floor. ‘Filibuster by speech, filibuster by amendment. Obstructionism.’
“The target of his ire was Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., who spoke against the bill for about a quarter of the panel’s two-hour meeting and offered four amendments.” (AP)
Judge Orders Ohio Ballots Preserved
“A judge ordered Ohio’s county elections boards Thursday to preserve ballots from the 2004 presidential election — a move activists hope will help prove allegations of fraud.” (AP)
Legal Experts in Military Object to Bush Plan
“… the lawyers voiced concern about the fairness of preventing a defendant from hearing and confronting evidence against him.
“‘I’m not aware of any situation in the world where there is a system of jurisprudence that is recognized by civilized people, where an individual can be tried without, and convicted without seeing the evidence against him,’ Brig. Gen. James C. Walker, staff judge advocate of the U.S. Marine Corps, told the panel.” (McClatchy)
Senate Terrorism Bill Meeting Dissent
“Senate leaders are throwing their weight behind a White House plan to prosecute terrorism detainees despite dissent among some Republicans and the military’s top lawyers.” (AP)
Armitage Reveals That He Was Source of Plame Leak
“Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage acknowledged Thursday that he was a columnist’s primary source in the disclosure that retired U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson’s wife worked at the CIA. The revelation touched off a wide-ranging special counsel’s investigation and led to the indictment of Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff. . . .
“Armitage was rueful. . . and disclosed that he had written a letter of resignation as the State Department’s No. 2 official and closest adviser to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell.
“‘There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t feel that I let down the president, the secretary of state, the Department of State, my family and friends and for that matter, the Wilsons,’ he said.
“‘I consider myself someone who’s valued the ability to keep state secrets,’ he said. ‘This was bad.'” (McClatchy, NYTimes, USAToday)
A Newly Revealed Guide to the Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) Investigation
“Today, the Nigerian newspaper This Day published details of the request that the U.S. Justice Department sent to Nigerian authorities asking for âdocuments and information on some government officials/institutions, private companies and individuals in relation to the official acts of the congressman.â For those following the Jefferson affair, the list is an invaluable guide to where the feds are heading in their investigation.” (Harper’s)
Fight for DeLay’s Seat Expected to be Costly
“To hang onto former Rep. Tom DeLay’s seat, Republicans must teach voters to write in their candidate’s name. Democrats have to win over a heavily Republican district. For both parties, those challenges are going to take lots of money.” (AP)
