Military's Iraq-Related Statistics Under Fire
Bush Administration officials claim that violence in Iraq has decreased but intelligence analysts and the GAO disagree, claiming the Administration cherry-picked data (Washington Post-1, GAO Report, WaPo-2, and BN-Politics).
Ex-CIA Officers: Bush Knew There Were No WMDs
Two newly outspoken former CIA officers said that President Bush had been told about Iraq's lack of WMDs but chose to ignore that intelligence -- which was reportedly hidden from Congress before the Iraq invasion. (Salon)
U.S. Jobs Down by 4,000
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week that our nation has a net loss of 4,000 jobs (BN-Politics and Washington Post).
Judge Strikes Down Parts of Patriot Act
Federal Judge Victor Marrero struck down portions of the U.S. Patriot Act that enabled the FBI to tap Americans' emails and phone calls without getting a warrant. (IHT , Washington Post, and MSNBC). Telecom companies that help the administration's domestic-spying efforts are nervous about privacy suits, though President Bush is seeking legislation that would make such companies immune from lawsuits. (BN-Politics)
Ex-Enron Exec to Appeal Conviction
Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling plans to appeal his convictions re: Enron's collapse (Washington Post). Skilling relocated to a prison in Minnesota to serve his 24-year sentence in December 2006 (CBS News).
Thompson is Running for President
Fred Thompson skipped the New Hampshire GOP debate to appear on Jay Leno, where he announced his candidacy (BN-Politics). GOP candidates John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Mike Huckabee took swipes at Thompson during the televised debate (CBS News).
Sen. Craig Might Resign, Might Not, Then Might Again
Nine days ago, Sen. Larry Craig announced that he would resign after the media discovered his questionable arrest and "disorderly conduct" plea. Days later, Craig about-faced, saying he might remain in the Senate through 2009. A day after that, an aide said that Craig likely will resign after all (BN-Politics, Washington Post, AP).
Republican Rep. Points out Hypocrisy of Senate GOP Leaders
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) criticized Senate Republican leaders for pushing Sen. Larry Craig to resign after other Republicans had done worse without facing GOP wrath (The Hill). Since June, for example, headlines featured Sen. David Vitter's (R-LA) apparent affinity for prostitution and the federal corruption probe targeting Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).
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