Government Actions/Notices

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3/20/10

Retired Army general to lead TSA President Obama on Monday nominated retired Army Major Gen. Robert A. Harding to lead the Transportation Security Administration.“I am confident that Bob’s talent and expertise will make him a tremendous asset in our ongoing efforts to bolster security and screening measures at our airports," President Obama said in a statement. "I can think of no one more qualified than Bob to take on this important job, and I look forward to working with him in the months and years ahead.”

But Harding is Obama's second choice for the post after Erroll Southers withdrew from consideration in January following reports that he may have misled Congress about an incident in the late 1980s involving a background check of the boyfriend of his ex-wife.

Harding retired from the Army in 2001 after 33 years of military service, according to the White House. He served as deputy to the Army's chief of intelligence and, previously, served as director for operations in the Defense Intelligence Agency. In 2003, he founded a defense and intelligence contracting firm, Harding Security Associates, which employs more than 400 people, according to the White House. Harding currently serves on the boards of directors of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. If confirmed, Harding will likely help settle the issue of whether TSA employees should earn collective bargaining rights, an issue that led Republican lawmakers to place a hold on Southers' nomination

New FBI Files Alleging AIPAC Theft of Government Property and Israeli Espionage Released WASHINGTON, March 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Declassified files detailing an FBI investigation targeting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee are now available on the Internet. AIPAC was investigated after it acquired and circulated classified government information provided in strict confidence by US industry and worker groups opposed to AIPAC sponsored economic legislation.

The 50 pages now available as portable document files (PDF) include:.....the rest of the story at the link

PELOSI’S TRAIL OF CORRUPTION (from AmericanFreePress.net) When Nancy Pelosi became speaker of the House in 2006, she vowed to “clean the swamp” of congressional corruption. But with the Eric Massa scandal and information that her staff was notified of his questionable behavior five months earlier in October, GOP critics are asking, “What did she know, and when did she know it?”

This brouhaha, however, is simply a distraction in a much darker string of controversies surrounding “the Madame Speaker.” To understand Mrs. Pelosi, we need to first examine her family—the D’Alessandros—who’ve been in control of Baltimore’s political machine for years. Her father, Thomas, is known by some as the most corrupt mayor in Baltimore’s history. ...the rest of the story at the link

3/11/10

Darrell Issa raises questions about Joe Sestak The top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee says the Obama administration may have broken the law by offering Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) a job in order to persuade him not to mount a primary challenge against Sen. Arlen Specter.
Sestak has said that the administration offered him a high-ranking government job if he’d stay out of the race. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has been asked repeatedly about the accusation in recent weeks but so far has neither confirmed nor denied that a job was offered. 
But in a letter to White House general counsel Robert Bauer Wednesday, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said that, if Sestak’s allegation is true, administration officials may have violated a federal statute which makes it a crime for a government employee to use his authority “for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate” for certain offices, including Senate seats.

Sen. Betzold: Pawlenty diverted veterans funding to faith-based office Sen. Don Betzold, DFL-Fridley, told City Pages’ Matt Snyders on Thursday that Gov. Tim Pawlenty has diverted $30,000 in funds from the “Support Our Troops” license plate program to his Governor’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, an office that works to connect religious organizations with state funds.

3/8/10
Harassed by the U.S. Census: A Friend Tells Her Frightening Story; Plus Important Video By Debbie Schlussel "A good friend of mine had the misfortune of experiencing an important–and scary–preview of what might face you, this year, as Census workers try to pry information from you beyond what is required by the U.S. Constitution."...the rest at the link

3/7/10

Democrats pull tax cheat bill Legislation that would force government and Hill staffers to pay back taxes or lose their jobs was pulled from House committee markup today after Democrats hit the brakes.

3/4/10
Poll Shows Americans Consider Government To Be Broken An overwhelming majority of Americans believe that the United States government system is broken, but most also say that there is some hope for it to improve, according to a recent CNN-Opinion Research Corporation poll. The study found that a staggering 86 percent of U.S. residents hold such negative opinion about their government, an increase from 77 percent three years ago

3/3/10

Anti-Washington message propels Perry in Texas DALLAS (Reuters) – Conservative incumbent Rick Perry rode strong anti-Washington rhetoric to a victory over a sitting U.S. senator for the Texas Republican gubernatorial nomination in a race that could be a model in this year's crucial U.S. mid-term congressional elections."We're taking our country back -- one vote at a time, one election at a time," Texas Governor Perry told supporters after handily defeating U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in a bruising primary election on Tuesday

Justices signal they're ready to make gun ownership a national right Reporting from Washington - The Supreme Court justices, hearing a 2nd Amendment challenge to Chicago's ban on handguns, signaled Tuesday that they were ready to extend gun rights nationwide, clearing the way for legal attacks on state and local gun restrictions.

Uncertainty raised over Justice Department's handling of detainees GOP senators question the integrity of the administration's policies after learning that nine appointees at the department worked on behalf of 'enemy combatants' confined at Guantanamo Bay. Reporting from Washington - Nine top political appointees at the Justice Department previously worked as lawyers or advocates for "enemy combatants" confined at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prompting new questions from Congress and conservative critics about the integrity of the administration's handling of detainees.

Charles Rangel temporarily steps down as Ways and Means chairman Reporting from Washington - Rep. Charles Rangel, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee who has been dogged by ethics questions, said today he would temporarily surrender his powerful post. Earlier in the week, the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct found that Rangel knowingly violated House rules by going on two corporate junkets to the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008. Rangel's move also is a blow to Pelosi, who has backed Rangel even as his ethics woes mounted.......the rest of the story at the link

Senate ends impasse, approves jobless aid extension Reporting from Washington - Senate leaders Tuesday night resolved an impasse over emergency aid to the jobless that had driven a wedge into Republican ranks and given Democrats a political weapon. The deal overcame the continued objections of a single senator, Republican Jim Bunning of Kentucky, who for days had held up short-term extensions of unemployment and COBRA benefits over concerns that the bill would increase the federal deficit. To pacify Bunning, Senate Democrats agreed to allow a floor vote on an amendment to offset the cost of the bill. The amendment did not survive a procedural objection.......the rest of the story at the link

3/2/10

Texas Gov. Rick Perry wins GOP primary His main rival, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, concedes. 'Tea party' favorite Debra Medina finishes third. Former Houston Mayor Bill White captures the Democratic primary. Reporting from Washington - Texas Gov. Rick Perry romped to an easy victory Tuesday night in a bitterly fought GOP primary that pitted him against the state's popular U.S. senator and an insurgent candidate favored by the "tea party" movement.......the rest of the story at the link

Jerry Brown announces bid for governor, citing his 'knowledge' of state government Jerry Brown, California's Democratic attorney general, announced his candidacy for governor this morning in a video on his website, saying he has the experience and "the knowledge" to put the state on track again. Brown, 71, a former two-term governor of California from 1975 to 1983, attempted to contrast himself with his Republican opponents, particularly Meg Whitman, the former EBay chief who has never held office before.......the rest of the story at the link

3/1/10
John Perez sworn in as Assembly speaker California's first openly gay Assembly speaker was sworn in to office in Sacramento early Monday afternoon.Democrat John A. Pérez, a first-term legislator representing parts of downtown L.A. and East Los Angeles, will face as one of his first tasks the challenge of preserving social programs for his political base as the state struggles with a roughly $20-billion budget deficit.

"He's someone who sends a signal to the nation that being gay is no longer a barrier to greatness," said an Assembly colleague, Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco).......the rest of the story at the link

2/27/10

AP source: RFK's grandson weighing US House run A top Massachusetts Democrat said Saturday that one of Robert F. Kennedy's grandsons is considering carrying on the family's vaunted political tradition by running for the U.S. House of Representatives.Joseph P. Kennedy III, one of the twin sons of former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, may run this fall if Democratic Rep. William Delahunt decides against seeking re-election in his South Shore and Cape Cod district.Kennedy, 29, "has been considering it but he hasn't made a decision," said the Democrat, who demanded anonymity to speak about private conversations with the father and son......the rest of the story at the link

White House social secretary is stepping down Desiree Rogers, who was criticized after a Virginia couple crashed a state dinner in November, has expressed a desire to return to the private sector. Reporting from Washington - Desiree Rogers, the White House's flamboyant social secretary who came under criticism after two uninvited guests crashed the Obamas' only state dinner, is stepping down, White House officials said Friday.......the rest of the story at the link

Republican senator holds up jobless benefits bill Reporting from Washington - Resorting to an old-fashioned one-man filibuster, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) is blocking an extension of unemployment benefits and health insurance payments for hundreds of thousands of out-of-work Americans because of his concerns over the federal budget deficit. The programs are set to expire at midnight Sunday, and the Senate's inaction could delay payments.

Democratic and Republican leaders had agreed to pass a one-month extension through a process known as unanimous consent, in which no formal vote was required. But Bunning's objection means the bill can't go forward. The extension had been passed by the House and was ready to be signed into law......the rest of the story at the link

2/24/10

Supreme Court weighs anti-terrorism law, free-speech rights Reporting from Washington - The Supreme Court struggled Tuesday to resolve a conflict between the free-speech rights of a Los Angeles-based advocate for international peace and a broad anti-terrorism law that makes it a crime to advise a foreign terrorist group, even if it means advising its members to seek peace.
The justices sounded narrowly split between those who saw the case as a terrorism issue and those who saw it as a free-speech issue. The case is being closely followed by human rights groups and international aid organizations. ......the rest of the story at the link

House passes 'Billy's Law' on missing persons Reporting from Washington - As the House on Tuesday approved "Billy's Law," a bill designed to aid families searching for missing loved ones, Janice Smolinski had more than a casual interest. Her son, Billy, for whom the legislation is named, disappeared more than five years ago. The measure, which seeks to expand online public information on missing people and unidentified remains, comes in the wake of missing-persons cases that have drawn national attention, including that of Mitrice Richardson, 24, who disappeared after being released from the Malibu-Lost Hills Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department......the rest of the story at the link

2/15/10
Democrat Evan Bayh of Ind. to retire from Senate Sen. Evan Bayh, a centrist Democrat from Indiana, announced Monday that he won't seek a third term in Congress, giving Republicans a chance to pick up a Senate seat."To put it in words I think most people can understand: I love working for the people of Indiana, I love helping our citizens make the most of their lives, but I do not love Congress," Bayh said at a news conference Indianapolis, where he was joined by his wife and two sons.......the rest of the story at the link

2/12/10
Dan Quayle's Son Running for Congress Former Vice President Dan Quayle announced Friday that his son, Ben, is running for Congress from Arizona. The younger Quayle, a lawyer, will file papers today to run for the 3rd District seat being vacated by retiring Republican John Shadegg. ......the rest of the story at the link

2/11/10
Daniel Alter Nominated For Federal Bench; Would Be First Openly Gay Male Judge  While his senate counterpart works to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Senator Chuck Schumer earned his own high praise from gay advocates today.Schumer declared that he would be nominating Daniel Alter, the National Director of the Civil Rights Division of the Anti-Defamation League to serve as a judge in the Southern District federal court. If President Obama were to appoint Alter he would become the first openly gay male federal judge.......the rest of the story at the link

2/7/10
The US Government has Lost its Reason for Being ...excerpt...

The whole government enterprise at this point is an ugly affront to the Preamble of the Constitution.We will all be better served if and when the whole thing is brought down.The way I see it, we’ve pretty much lost our government, and just voting in new politicians isn’t going to fix anything (we just demonstrated that!). Our best hope then is a popular groundswell for a new Constitutional Convention. Let’s roll the dice and try over, now that we’ve seen how our government can be stolen.......the rest of the story at the link

Campaign finance ruling impacts tribes Many tribes already have trouble getting their voices heard in the American political system. A controversial Supreme Court campaign finance ruling may amplify the problem, according to political observers. The ruling, handed down Jan. 21, throws out some major campaign finance rules, removing contribution limits on major corporations and unions.......the rest of the story at the link

The case, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission centered on whether key parts of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, better known as McCain-Feingold, were constitutional.
Passed in 2002, the legislation made it a federal felony for a corporation to use any of its funds to criticize a candidate for federal office within 30 days of a primary election or 60 days of a November general election.

In a 5-4 decision, the high court decided that the legislation amounted to the federal government censoring organizations, which is unconstitutional. The minority said the decision was flawed because it ended up treating the voices of corporations as similar to those of people.

Tribal observers largely said the outcome could negatively impact tribes, as few have the kinds of influence with lawmakers as corporations and unions have. By lessening restrictions on those groups, many said the court has made it all the more difficult for tribes to be heard in the American political system.

“Native American interests have already been largely ignored in Washington,” said Heather Dawn Thompson, past president of the National Native American Bar Association and partner at the D.C. law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal.

Former Chinese official sees 'dark clouds' Declaring "I see a lot of dark clouds on the horizon," a former top official in the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the U.S.-China relationship is at a critical moment and any further deterioration will not be good for world peace. Victor Gao, a director of the China National Association of International Studies, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that China views the recent U.S. arms sale to Taiwan "as a major kind of a step to upset China's national interest." Gao said U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to sell $6 billion dollars worth of weapons to Taiwan and to meet with the Dalai Lama in Washington this month are "miscalculations" based on a misreading of Chinese positions on what he called "these fundamental issues."......the rest of the story at the link

Early draft of the Constitution found in Phila. Researcher Lorianne Updike Toler was intrigued by the centuries-old document at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. On the back of a treasured draft of the U.S. Constitution was a truncated version of the same document, starting with the familiar words: "We The People. . . ."

Sen. Blanche Lincoln: Endangered in the political kingdom Sen. Blanche Lincoln is one of the most endangered Democrats on the political landscape this year.  The two-term Arkansas moderate is getting only 38% or 39% against any of her little-known Republican opponents, according to a recent Rasmussen poll. Politico is putting her "at thetop of the list of vulnerable Democrats."

And providing President Obama with his 60th vote for healthcare reform in the Senate hasn't helped in a state where public opinion is running strongly against it. To stretch a metaphor, she's more endangered than that infamous snail darter that delayed Tennessee's Tellico Dam. ......the rest of the story at the link

• Ron Paul slams Cheney: US ‘doing exactly what bin Laden planned’

• Olbermann: Cheney 'nothing more, nothing less' than traitor

• [Congressman] Grayson: Did Satan write Cheney's book introduction?

• Dick Cheney's Role in Al Qaeda's Yemeni Resurgence
  

Is Cheney really that bad?

U.S. diplomacy stumbles in Latin America Reporting from Washington - Just eight months ago, President Obama was calling Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva "my man" and suggesting that the South American country could become a leading U.S. partner in the region. Since then, Brazil has criticized the U.S. approach to the coup in Honduras and warned the United States over plans to expand its military presence in Colombia.
U.S. officials, for their part, have complained about Lula's increasing efforts to form economic and political ties with a leading American adversary, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. ......the rest of the story at the link

Sen. DeMint standing firm against TSA nominee A Republican senator who is blocking confirmation ofPresident Barack Obama's choice to head the Transportation Security Administration is accusing Democrats of trying to install Erroll Southers without debate.

Lieberman’s Wife Under Fire For Lobbying Activities Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) has emerged as one of the biggest obstacles for the Democrats on the road to a healthcare reform, a position that may have resulted in increased attacks on his wife Hadassah Lieberman. Mrs. Lieberman has worked as a consultant for pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer and ALCO, which critics claim creates a conflict of interest. Now they have begun calling for a major breast cancer alliance—the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation—to drop the senator’s wife as its ‘Global Ambassador.’ ......the rest of the story at the link

Six-Figure Federal Salary Gravy Train The number of federal workers earning six-figure salaries has exploded during the recession, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal salary data. Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession's first 18 months — and that's before overtime pay and bonuses are counted. The fiscal insanity does not stop with numbers of employees and their salaries. One also needs to factor in pension benefits that private sector employees do not receive. ......the rest of the story at the link