Republican Said Justice Dept. Prosecution Involved Politics
Sworn testimony from life-long Republican lawyer Dana Jill Simpson suggests that the prosecution of ex-Alabama Governor Don Siegelman was pursued partly to promote political agendas of Alabama Republicans -- with the U.S. Justice Department's help. (Testimony transcript & BN-Politics)
Republican Congressman's Aide Subpoenaed in Corruption Probe
A grand jury in Los Angeles investigating Rep. Jerry Lewis' (R-CA) ties to lobbyist Bill Lowery has subpoenaed Lewis' aide, Greg Lankler. While Lewis chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee (before Democrats took over Congress in January), Lowery's clients received earmarks (tax dollars) from Lewis' committee. (AP/Truthout)
Attack on U.S. Base in Iraq
A rocket attack on "Camp Victory" in Iraq killed two and injured 40. (AP/CBS)
Bush Administration Leaked Al Qaeda Intel, Destroyed Link
A small private firm that monitors terrorist groups received a new Osama bin Laden video ahead of its official release in September and offered it to the Bush administration under the condition that the Administration keep it under wraps until bin Laden officially released it. Within hours, Administration staffers leaked the video to Fox and other media outlets, essentially ruining the small firm's future access to terrorist networks (Washington Post & BN-Politics).
Gore Won Nobel Prize, Republicans Didn't Seem Happy for Him
Former Vice President Al Gore shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Republican presidential candidate John McCain said that Gore didn't deserve it, and multiple "right wing" commentators accused Gore of lying about global warming. (New York Times , BN-Politics-1, BN-Politics-2)
Laura Bush Spoke Out for Burmese Monks
First Lady Laura Bush wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal denouncing the Burmese Generals responsible for torturing monks. (UK Independent & BN-Politics)
Another School Shooting
While under suspension, a 14-year-old high school student in Cleveland, Ohio returned to campus and shot several children and adults. The young shooter was the only one who died. (BBC news, BN-Politics)
Aussie Contractors (Sort of) Accidentally Shot 2 Women in Iraq
Employees of an Australian-run security firm hired by RTI International (a nonprofit that does work in Iraq under a USAID contract) shot up a car containing two women going home from work and a young boy. Only the boy survived. (BN-Politics)
Fred Thompson Took Part in Candidate Debate
Last week, Thompson finally participated in Republican presidential candidate debate. Dan Bartlett, former adviser to President Bush, found Thompson's performance disappointing. (Washington Post & BN-Politics)
Comments