McConnell Pushes for Earmarks for Donor Under Investigation
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is pushing for $25 million in earmarks for BAE, a contractor that donated $50,000+ to McConnell's campaigns and pledged to give $500,000 to a foundation that McConnell created -- the McConnel Institute at the University of Louisville. BAE is under a Justice Department investigation for bribery. (Lexington Herald Leader and BN-Politics)
Oversight Hearing: Rice Evasive, Republicans Don't want a Probe
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testified before the House Oversight Committee about corruption in Iraq, the $592 million U.S. embassy in Iraq, the State Department's failure to monitor contractors, Blackwater.... Rice answered many questions that weren't asked but failed to directly answer many that were. Some Republican Committee members seemed to want to stop the committee's investigation. (Truthout and BN-Politics)
State Dept. Head Abruptly Resigns (over Blackwater Scandal?)
Richard Griffin, the State Department official who oversaw Blackwater contracts, abruptly resigned the day before Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice testified before the House Oversight Committee. (New York Times and BN-Politics)
FEMA Fakes a Press Conference
FEMA administrator Harvey Johnson staged a fake press conference, at which FEMA employees posed as reporters and asked softball questions. The White House chalked it up to bad judgment. (BN-Politics-1, BN-Politics-2)
House Republicans Tried to Censure Free Speech
After Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) slammed the Bush Administration and Republicans for killing the children's healthcare bill, House Republicans (and a few Dems) tried to formally censure Stark for speaking out. The measure failed to get enough votes. (Associated Press , BN-Politics-1, BN-Politics-2)
House Passed New Children's-Healthcare Bill
After President Bush vetoed the popular S-CHIP bill, the House passed a revised version of it -- which Bush will likely veto. (BN-Politics)
Iran is the New Iraq, and Bush Wants to Bomb it?
President Bush seems to be moving closer to attacking Iran, despite opposition from China and Russia. (BN-Politics)
Contractor Awarded Huge Contract after Hiring ex-Bush Official
Logistics Health got a contract worth up to $750 million three months after hiring former assistant Secretary of Defense for health affairs William Winkenwerder Jr. Companies who'd bid on the contract and lost complained that the deck had been stacked against them. (L.A. times)
Intelligence Agencies to Release Less Info to Public
National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell has decided to stop declassifying and releasing national intelligence estimates summaries. (AP)
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