Harris Won’t Apologize for Question
Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) is refusing to apologize to a GOP challenger in her Senate race for a question posed to him by a woman he says was put up to the stunt by a Harris campaign worker.
A woman wearing a Harris sticker asked McBride if he had changed his name from Rodriguez to hide his Hispanic identity. McBride said he has never changed his name; he later recalled the woman also said he “didn’t look American.”
Harris admitted that one of her campaign aides has “said that he and the lady were were discussing how McBride got his last name,” but he never asked the woman to ask the question.
“I’m sorry that Mr. McBride was hurt by all that. I thought it was an appalling question but the campaign did not ask her to ask it, so you can’t issue an apology for that,” Harris told a reporter. (Palm Beach (Fla.) Post)
Law May Complicate Plans to Replace Ney
“The leading Republican candidate to replace scandal-scarred Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record) on the November ballot may be ineligible, party officials said Tuesday, complicating GOP efforts to assure a smooth transition for the fall campaign.” (AP, The Hill)
Pa. Dems Target Green Party Candidates
“The Pennsylvania Democratic Party objected Tuesday to signatures collected by three Green Party candidates, including a challenger in one of the nation’s most hotly contested U.S. Senate races. The Democrats asked a court to remove the candidates from the November ballot. The candidates have said they jointly collected at least 90,000 valid signatures â far more than the 67,070 needed to qualify for the ballot. But the Democrats alleged in a Commonwealth Court filing that more than 69,000 included fake names, names of unregistered voters and illegible signatures.” (AP)
Witness: CIA Worker Said He Hit Inmate
“A former CIA contract worker charged with beating an Afghan detainee who later died admitted he assaulted the prisoner during an interrogation, a fellow agency employee testifying in disguise said Tuesday.” (AP)
Did CA Lawmaker Break Rules with Loan from Supporter?
“Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) may have violated House ethics rules when he took out nearly $7.5 million in promissory notes in 2004 from a campaign contributor and business partner, Lewis Operating Corp., which he used to purchase real estate from the company.
“The House Rules explicitly state that before entering into loans from an entity other than a financial institution, members of Congress and staff must submit the terms of the loans for review and a determination from the ethics committee on whether the loan is acceptable under the gift rule.
Millerâs office has not responded to several calls seeking information about the terms of the loan or whether the congressman submitted the terms of the loan to the ethics committee for review. The congressman has denied any wrongdoing.” (The Hill)
Why the GOP May Not Gain from Lieberman’s Loss
“With the Connecticut Senator vowing to run as an independent, Republicans would be licking their chops – if only they had more confidence in their candidate.” (Time)
To Alaska’s Big Pork Dreamers, No Bridge Is Too Far
For decades, Alaskans have brought to fruition some of their most outlandish plans for the state, though many more remain in the planning stages. (LA Times)
