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Novak Recounts Grandy Jury Testimony
December 10, 2005 8:41:26 A.M. CST
Viveca Novak, a Time reporter currently on a leave of absence, recounts her grand jury testimony about conversations she had with Robert Luskin, Karl Rove's attorney.
To read the article, click here.
Fitzgerald has not decided whether or not to indict Kark Rove.
Note: Novak is not related to columnist Bob Novak, who originally identified Valerie Plame in a column.
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Bob Woodward Drops Bombshell
November 17, 2005 7:31:26 A.M. CST
Bob Woodward, the famous Washington Post reported during the Nixon era, dropped a bombshell yesterday by testifying under oath that he knew about Valerie Plame one month before her name was disclosed.
To read his statement, click here.
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Grand Jury Hammers Tom Delay
September 28, 2005 1:54:46 P.M. CST
U.S. Congressman Tom Delay has been indicted by a grand jury in Travis County, Texas.
To read the indictment, click here.
Congressman Tom Delay has temporarily stepped down from his position as GOP majority leader.
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Sandra Day O'Connor Retires
July 1, 2005 9:58:46 A.M. CST
Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, has retired.
She submitted the following three-sentence resignation letter this morning:
Dear President Bush:
"This is to inform you of my decision to retire from my position as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Untied States, effective upon the nomination and confirmation of my successor.
"It has been a great privilege, indeed, to have served as a member of the Court for 24 terms.
"I will leave it with enormous respect for the integiry of the Court and its role under our constitutional structure."
Sincerely,
Sandra Day O'Connor
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Can John John Pull It Off?
July 11, 2004 11:02:05 A.M. CST
SUMMARY
On President Bush's 58th Birthday, presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry unveiled his choice for Vice-President, Senator John Edwards. Edwards, an energetic, youthful, Diet Coke drinker, and wealthy trial lawyer, compliments and contrasts John Kerry, who has been perceived as a stone-faced, ivory tower elitist from the Northeast.
The Bush/Cheney Campaign was quick to react to the nomination with a television ad featuring John McCain, whom Kerry considered as a potential vice-presidential candidate to form the bi-partisan Dream Team. The purpose of the ad was to reinforce the "Kerry is so Contrary" image the Bush/Cheney has tried to convey to voters through its multi-million dollar ad campaign. Ironically, the campaign that has had little effect on Kerry's poll numbers. Significantly, the Bush/Cheney Campaign has yet to unveil a television commercial featuring Vice-President Dick Cheney, raising speculation among campaign insiders that Cheney will be replaced. President Bush denies that Cheney is on the way out.
The North-South team of John Kerry and John Edwards adds an interesting and energetic dynamic to an already close and unpredictable campaign. Poll numbers and fundraisers have been very favorable to Kerry and Edwards. Whether John John can pull off an embarrassing upset remains to be seen.
ANALYSIS
For loyal Democrats John Kerry's choice of John Edwards was what former CIA Director George Tenet would call a "slam dunk". While many voters still have doubts about Kerry, Edwards added one critical element to the campaign that could be key to winning: energy. Edwards youthfulness, energy,and ability to appeal to women and the "little guy" is what John Kerry needed.
The Bush/Cheney quickly attacked Edwards choice as "disingenuous". They criticized Edwards lack of experience in the U.S. Senate and for being a wealthy trial lawyer. Compared to Dick Cheney's gravitas, Edwards has levitas. However, the Kerry Campaign has noted that Edwards lack of experience in the U.S. Senate is no different than President Bush's experience in Texas government. President Bush was Texas Governor for six years before he decided to become Commander in Chief.
The themes of both campaigns are pretty clear.
The Bush/Cheney campaign wants to convey to voters that steady leadership is needed in times of change. They ask voters to consider whom they trust the most on the war on terror and not just Iraq. The war on terror is the campaign issue for victory in November. If voters base their vote only on the war on terror, the Bush/Cheney may have a chance to stay at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. If not, then President Bush may be given a one-way ticket back to Crawford, Texas.
The Kerry/Edwards Campaign has adopted a "We Can Do Better" theme to convince voters that they have optimistic policies on the economy, health care, and Iraq. Even though he has limited foreign policy experience, Edwards primary job will be to challenge the Bush/Cheney campaign on domestic issues such as jobs, education and healthcare.
The contrast between Edward and Cheney is clear. Edwards likes to campaign, Cheney doesn't. Edwards has hair, Cheney doesn't. Edwards has been described as youthful and sexy by the media, Cheney has not. Edwards smiles, Cheney snarls. Edwards is a trial lawyer, Cheney is a businessman. Edwards has levitas, Cheney has gravitas. Cheney uses the "F" word, Edwards doesn't. The only common thing between both candidates is that they are richer than President Bush!
The election is more than three and a half months away. Anything can happen. Unless there is a major terrorist attack or Usama Bin Laden is coincidentally found in October, the election is up for grabs.
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"Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US" Memo Declassified
April 10, 2004 7:02:56 P.M. CST
SUMMARY
Responding to a demand from the 9/11 Commission investigating the terrorist attacks, the White House released a previsously classified memorandum dated August 6, 2001, which warned President Bush of possible attacks by Osama Bin Laden in the United States. The memorandum is commonly referred to as a Presidential Daily Briefing or PDB.
The memorandum's title, "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US," was recently made public by National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice in sworn testimony after being asked by Richard Ben-Veniste, a Democratic member of the Commission. Rice referred to the document as "historical" and not indicative of any pending terrorist strikes against the U.S. In August 2002, the Washington Post wrote an article about the memo, which until now was for the President's Eyes Only.
The release of the memorandum during an election year is likely to raise controversy because it gives the American public the opportunity to read the memorandum and determine whether President Bush was aware that Al Qaeda was planning an attack. President Bush has made his record on terrorism a central part of his reelection campaign.
ANALYSIS
A PDF version of the August 6, 2001 can be obtained here.
Following is the text of the redacted memorandum released by the White House:
Declassified and Approved for Release, 10 April 2004
Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US
Clandestine, foreign government, and media reports indicate Bin Ladin since 1997 has wanted to conduct terrorist attacks in the US. Bin Ladin implied in US television interviews in 1997 and 1998 that his followers would follow the example of World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef and “bring the fighting to America.”
After US missile strikes on his base in Afghanistan in 1998, Bin Ladin told followers he wanted to retaliate in Washington, according to a ...(redacted portion) ... service.
An Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) operative told an ... (redacted portion) ... service at the same time that Bin Ladin was planning to exploit the operative’s access to the US to mount a terrorist strike.
The millennium plotting in Canada in 1999 may have been part of Bin Ladin’s first serious attempt to implement a terrorist strike in the US. Convicted plotter Ahmed Ressam has told the FBI that he conceived the idea to attack Los Angeles International Airport himself, but that Bin Ladin lieutenant Abu Zubaydah encouraged him and helped facilitate the operation. Ressam also said that in 1998 Abu Zubaydah was planning his own US attack.
Ressam says Bin Ladin was aware of the Los Angeles operation.
Although Bin Ladin has not succeeded, his attacks against the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 demonstrate that he prepares operations years in advance and is not deterred by setbacks. Bin Ladin associates surveilled our Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam as early as 1993, and some members of the Nairobi cell planning the bombings were arrested and deported in 1997.
Al-Qa’ida members -- including some who are US citizens --have resided in or traveled to the US for years, and the group apparently maintains a support structure that could aid attacks. Two al-Qa’ida members found guilty in the conspiracy to bomb our Embassies in East Africa were US citizens, and a senior EIJ member lived in California in the mid-1990s.
A clandestine source said in 1998 that a Bin Ladin cell in New York was recruiting Muslim-American youth for attacks.
We have not been able to corroborate some of the more sensational threat reporting, such as that from a ... (redacted portion) ... service in 1998 saying that Bin Ladin wanted to hijack a US aircraft to gain the release of “Blind Shaykh” ’Umar ’Abd al-Rahman and other US-held extremists.
Nevertheless, FBI information since that time indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York.
The FBI is conducting approximately 70 full field investigations throughout the US that it considers Bin Ladin-related. CIA and the FBI are investigating a call to our Embassy in the UAE in May saying that a group of Bin Ladin supporters was in the US planning attacks with explosives.
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Bush v. Kerry: Battle of the Bones
February 15, 2004 11:15:33 A.M. CST
 SUMMARY
For the first time in presidential campaign history, the two likely nominees of the Republican and Democratic parties will be members of the Order of Skulls & Bones, an ultra-secret society at Yale University. John Kerry, the likely Democratic nominee for president, was "tapped" to join in 1966. President George W. Bush joined the group in 1968. President Bush's father, former President George Herbert Walker Bush, and his grandfather, Senator Prescott Bush, also joined Skull & Bones in 1948 and 1917, respectively.
Bonesmen, the name given to the society's members, take a vow of silence and hold influential positions of power. They can neither confirm nor deny their membership or the society's existence. When recently asked by NBC's Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert about the group, President George Bush responded, "It's so secret. We can't talk about it."
ANALYSIS
Originally called the "Brotherhood of Death," the Order of Skulls & Bones was founded at Yale University in the late 1830s by William H. Russell. Since its inception, the organization has maintained an aura of secrecy that fuels the suspicions of conspiracy theorists. To believers of a "New World Order" secret government, Skulls & Bones is an organization within the pyramid of influence, which includes the infamous Illuminati, the Priory de Scion, the Alumbrados, the Freemasons, the Bilderbergers, the Trilateral Commission, and the Council of Foreign Relations.
In 2002, the veil of secrecy was slightly pierced when Alexandra Robbins courageously published Secrets of the Tomb. In her book, Robbins, a member of one of Yale's secret societies, provides a detailed glimpse of the rituals and traditions practiced by Bonesmen. Surprisingly, it was Bonesmen who provided Robbins with some of the information to dispel myths and misconceptions about the secret order.
Each year 15 juniors at Yale University have the privilege of being tapped to join the private organization. The organization meets in the "Tomb," a windowless, gothic-looking center of secrecy to initiate its members. After completing the Order's rites of passage, the "knights" adopt an alias which is used to communicate with others within the brotherhood. Robbins notes that President Bush adopted the name "Temporary," while his father and grandfather used the name "Barebones."
The lore of Skulls & Bones is extensive. Among the commonly held beliefs is that the secret order possesses the skulls of Geronimo and Pancho Villa. It is also believed that some governmental institutions and publications are attributed to the Order. For example, Robbins writes that the Central Intelligence Agency and Time and Newsweek were conceived in the Tomb.
Loyalty and silence are strictly adhered to by Bonesmen. They are expected to leave a room immediately whenever the name Skulls & Bones or the number 322 is mentioned by outsiders who are interested in their secret order. Interestingly, President Bush did not leave the Oval Office when NBC' Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert recently asked President Bush about the organization or its number. Instead, the President provided a short response: "It's so secret. We can't talk about it."
The vow of silence may pose a challenge to Bush and Kerry when the presidential debates are held. Because of its secrecy, it is highly likely that a question will be asked about Skulls & Bones. It will be interesting to see what the brothers will do to protect an organization whose influential members contributed to their political success.
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TEXAS REDISTRICTING BLOODFEUD
July 20, 2003 11:00:13 P.M. CST
SUMMARY
With less than two weeks left before the end of the special session, the Texas Senate has reached an impasse on congressional redistricting. Eleven Senate Democrats and one influential Senate Republican are inalterably opposed to suspending the current rules to allow the redistricting bill to be debated in the full Senate. Without their cooperation, a new congressional map will not be adopted by the Texas Legislature. However, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst has already indicated that he may change the Senate rules and remove the "blocker bill" if a second special session is called by Texas Governor Rick Perry. Dewhurst believes that a precedent set by former Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock in 1992 gives him the authority and legitimacy to proceed. If the "blocker bill" is removed, passage of a redistricting bill would be assured if a quorum is present to allow a vote on the bill.
ANALYSIS
The three judge panel that drew the current congressional map made a keen observation about the true nature of the redistricting process. In its opinion, the court said, "Even at the hands of a legislative body, political gerrymandering is much a bloodfeud, in which revenge is exacted by the majority against its rival." Redistricting is a divisive issue that at its core relates to the political power structure in Texas.
Democrats and Republicans in Texas differ on the purpose of the current attempt to redraw congressional districts. On the one had, Democrats believe that it is a "power grab" orchestrated by House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Sugarland), who has targeted Representative Martin Frost, the Democratic leader of the Texas congressional delegation. Democrats believe that the current congressional map should not be altered because it is a legal map that protects minority rights and complies with the Voting Rights Act. They believe that Republicans have the opportunity to gain a majority of seats under the current map.
Republicans, on the other hand, believe that the Texas Legislature, not federal judges, should draw a map that is fair, compact, and protects communities of interest. They contend that the current map, which has 20 Republican leaning districts, should more accurately reflect the voting trends in the state. They believe that the 17 Democrats and 15 Republicans in the Texas congressional delegation do not accurately represent the voters in Texas since all major statewide offices and both houses of the Texas Legislature are controlled by Republicans.
The current special session on redistricting was called by Texas Governor Rick Perry after Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives successfully prevented a vote on redistricting in May. After a majority of them took an unexpected spring break at a Holiday Inn and Denny's in Ardmore, OK, the Texas House of Representatives was unable to proceed because of a lack of a quorum. The quorum busting Democrats were labeled Killer Ds by their supporters and Chicken Ds by the Speaker of the House.
The dynamics of the special session are very different than the regular session. Without the element of surprise, Democrats did not try to bust a quorum during the recent debate on redistricting. Instead they tried to establish a legal record that could be used in court proceedings if a new congressional map is approved by the Texas Legislature. After contentious debate, the Texas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed HB 3, a plan which spells doom to several Anglo Democrats. Two Democrats voted with the Republican majority and five Republicans voted with the Democrats.
HB 3 is now in the Texas Senate where it is facing an imminent procedural death. Before any maps were presented to the Senate Jurisprudence Committee, ten Senate Democrats signed a letter expressing their opposition to redistricting. The uncertainty of redistricting was further complicated when former Republican Lieutenant Governor and Texas Senator Bill Ratliff (R-Mt. Pleasant) agreed to join the Democrats in their opposition. Ratliff believes that the theoretical marginal gains in a new map are not worth the costs redistricting will inflict on the bipartisan tradition in the Texas Senate. Senator Frank Madla (D-San Antonio), who had been praying for guidance since the beginning of the session, later agreed to join his Democratic colleagues in opposing redistricting. Under the current Senate rules, eleven members can block a motion to suspend the rules to allow redistricting from being considered by the full Senate.
Redistricting opponents are concerned that if they allow redistricting to be debated and voted by the full Senate, the Senate version of the congressional maps may not be the final map adopted by the conference committee. A map adopted by the conference committee would only require a simple majority in either house to be approved. Without any assurances of what the final map will contain, the opponents feel the risks are too high to even allow a debate.
The procedural move by the Democrats and Ratliff has irked the Republican leadership, including Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst. In media briefings, Dewhurst has said that Governor Perry may call a second special session to address redistricting if no bill is passed during the current session. He has also warned the Democrats that there may not be a "blocker bill" at the top of the calendar in another special session, thus only a simply majority (16 Senators) would be needed instead of the current 21 to consider and approve a redistricting map.
Dewhurst's warning that he may change tradition in the Texas Senate to pass redistricting has resulted in sharp reactions from Texas Senators. Senator Ratliff said that it would be a serious mistake to get rid of the "blocker bill" tradition, which has resulted in bipartisanship. Democrats have also said that they will consider all options open, including busting a quorum, if the tradition is abolished in a second special session.
Dewhurst has publicly said that the "Bullock Precedent" of 1992 gives him the authority and legitimacy to remove the blocker bill. In that year, the Texas Senate adopted a new redistricting plan after the court invalidated a previous Senate plan. There was no blocker bill at the top of the calendar. Opponents say that the circumstances are different in 2003. They argue that, unlike 1992, a court has already approved a legal congressional map. Thus, the blocker bill must stay.
Three proposals have already been offered as an alternative to HB 3, a plan opponents believe dilutes minority voting strength and destroys communities of interest. Even if a map passes out of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee, more than prayers will be needed to change the minds of the eleven Democrats and one Republican who currently oppose it.
Time is running out. A new map must be passed soon if it is to be used in next year's primary elections. Any map must still get the blessing of the U.S. Justice Department and a federal court before it is implemented.
The clock is ticking.
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