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Hillary Clinton skips NH in New England fundraising By DAVID SHARP The Associated Press News - October 29, 2005 U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., greets supporters at a fundraising event for Maine Gov. John Baldacci, in Portland, Maine, Friday, Oct. 28, 2005. Baldacci is seeking re-election in 2006. (AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach) PORTLAND, Maine — New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton came to New England yesterday to raise money for two governors and for herself at events in Maine and Massachusetts while avoiding setting foot in New Hampshire, the state with the first presidential primary. During a fundraising luncheon for Gov....

State wants more control of levee boards Jeremy Alford Daily Comet Capitol Correspondent October 28. 2005 12:00AM New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin testifies as Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (on screen) listens via video teleconference in front of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure joint hearing on rebuilding New Orleans while on Capitol Hill in Washington, October 18, 2005. REUTERS/Larry Downing BATON ROUGE — Administrative officials are expected to push a set of proposals during the special session that convenes next Sunday to grant the state greater oversight of local levee boards. Gov. Kathleen Blanco announced her intentions this week as...

La. Gov. Blamed for Slow Removal of Bodies By LARA JAKES JORDAN Associated Press Writer Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, left, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, background center, and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco leave a meeting where they addressed the immediate, post-hurricane priorities for the New Orleans hospitality industry, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2005, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber) WASHINGTON — Bodies of people killed by Hurricane Katrina went uncollected for more than a week in the New Orleans area as the federal government waited for Louisiana's governor to decide what to do with them, according to memos released Thursday...

Release of Cisneros Report Ordered Bloomberg News Tuesday, October 25, 2005; Page A11 A federal appeals court ordered the release of a final report yesterday in a decade-long investigation of former Housing and Urban Development secretary Henry G. Cisneros. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said in an order that the time has come for independent counsel David M. Barrett to end the inquiry, which has cost more than $21 million, government records show. **SNIP** The probe continued as Barrett sought to determine whether anyone in the Clinton administration obstructed his investigation of...

City officials grilled on recovery process Wednesday, October 26, 2005 By Bruce Eggler Staff writer New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin takes a bite of a beignet (pastry) during the re-opening of the 153-year old Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, October 19, 2005. Wednesday is the first day of business for the New Orleans landmark since it was closed down due to Hurricane Katrina. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson Members of a state legislative committee pressed New Orleans officials Tuesday for answers to a long list of questions about the status of post-Katrina recovery efforts and plans for...

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary October 25, 2005 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE DINNER Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium Washington, D.C. 6:55 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Please be seated. Thanks for the warm welcome. Mehlman didn't get the dress code. (Laughter.) And neither did I. (Laughter.) Thanks for having me. I'm proud to be here on the 30th birthday of the Eagles. For three decades, Eagles have given great parties, but more importantly, they've supported our party. And I'm grateful. I want to thank you for all your help...

Louisiana officials bristle at Washington's focus on corruption By MELINDA DESLATTE Associated Press Writer October 23. 2005 10:53AM New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, right, along with Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, left, and Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, answers questions from business leaders about the city's immediate priorities for the hospitality industry Thursday, Oct. 20, 2005, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber) Louisiana has been painted broadly and regularly as a state teeming with corruption, a place where politics is a sport that many unethical, roguish and thieving people like to play. Now, the reputation that many of Louisiana's own residents...

Prosecutors crack down on Katrina fraud By Kevin Krolicki NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors on Thursday announced a coordinated initiative to fight fraud related to Hurricane Katrina and said billions of dollars in hurricane relief funds were at risk of being wasted or stolen. The anti-fraud command center will include representatives from the FBI, tax authorities, Secret Service and state and local police. The storm-battered Gulf Coast region is preparing for an influx of federal money that could top $200 billion. "We all know why we are here," assistant FBI director Chris Swecker said at a meeting of officials...

Neighbors: Neo-Nazis Had No Right to March By JOHN SEEWER, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 10 minutes ago Lou Ratajski stands in front of his damaged club, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005, in Toledo, Ohio. Jim and Lou's Sportsmans Club was damged during an outbreak of violence in response to a white supremacist march in a North Toledo neighbothood. The riot broke out Saturday when protesters confronted members of the National Socialist Movement who had gathered at a city park. Rioters threw baseball-sized rocks at police, vandalized vehicles and stores, and set fire to a neighborhood bar, authorities said. (AP Photo/Daniel...

Protesters Gather at Clinton Fundraiser From Times Staff and Wire Reports This photo provided by the Women's Foundation of California Friday Oct. 14, 2005 shows Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, talking to actor Ted Danson at the Women's Foundation of California Gala Benefit in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Friday, Oct. 14, 2005. Clinton has nearly $14 million in the bank for her 2006 re-election campaign after raising more than $5 million in the three-month period that ended Sept. 30, aides said Friday. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Studio 838) About 30 antiwar protesters staged a demonstration Saturday outside a Hancock Park fundraiser...

'Help! Mom!' casts liberals as villains By Cheryl Wetzstein The Washington Times Published October 16, 2005 WASHINGTON -- Katharine DeBrecht, a married mother of three, wanted to make a point about the importance of conservative values. So, she penned a children's book -- "Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed!" -- to stand up to the "liberal agenda that's being thrown at our kids from the left." **SNIP** Liberals have lambasted the book as "brainwashing" and "Nazi propaganda." The Democratic Underground Web site listed Mrs. DeBrecht as one of its "Top 10 Conservative Idiots" last month. "If ever there...

Watchdog Group Accuses Sen. Florez of Extensive Election Law Violations Including Questionable Payments to Wife Thu Oct 13, 1:43 PM ET To: State Desk Contact: Ken Boehm of NLPC, 703-237-1970; Web: http://www.nlpc.org Dean Florez WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In a formal complaint filed Wednesday with the California Fair Political Practices Commission, a national ethics watchdog group detailed scores of violations of California's Political Reform Act by State Senator Dean Florez of Shafter. Ken Boehm, chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), which filed the complaint, said, "Sen. Florez has filed campaign reports riddled with errors and...

Democrat supports an inquiry on Rocky Expenditure probe should not fall along party lines, she says By Brady Snyder Deseret Morning News Wednesday, October 12, 2005 The chairwoman of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party is joining Republicans who want District Attorney David Yocom to investigate Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson for possible misuse of public funds. Rocky Anderson "I believe that if a public official has done something wrong they should be investigated," Megan Risbon told the Deseret Morning News on Monday, saying she is sending Yocom a letter today officially requesting an investigation. Investigations of wrongdoing should...

Fired New Orleans city workers get final paychecks 20 minutes ago Final paychecks were issued to thousands of New Orleans city workers laid off in the wake of ruinous hurricanes, according to city officials. A message posted on the city website provided further details of the layoffs from Mayor Ray Nagin, seen here 6 October(AFP/Getty Images/File) NEW ORLEANS, United States (AFP) - Final paychecks were issued to thousands of New Orleans city workers laid off in the wake of ruinous hurricanes, according to city officials. "In addition, all employees who are part of the layoff are asked to turn in...

Dell plant supporters oppose lawsuit 10/13/2005 9:21 AM By: Associated Press GREENSBORO, N.C. -- A motion filed in Wake County Superior Court asks for the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the roughly $300 million incentives deal with Dell Inc. The motion was filed Wednesday on behalf of the state, the city of Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, Dell and others. The North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law charges in its lawsuit filed in June that the incentives violate state constitutional prohibitions against the use of public resources for private benefit and fail to treat taxpayers equally. In exchange for creating at least...

Liberally-biased press ignores Democratic blunders October 12th, 2005 Dan Hemp, regular columnist Over the past weeks, the media’s judgment of what stories deserve front page news coverage has been controversial to say the least. One such story takes place in Austin, Texas. The district attorney for that area, a hopelessly partisan Democrat named Ronnie Earle, indicted House Majority Leader Tom Delay for conspiring to break Texas election laws with little or no evidence to make his case. Once he realized that he had no chance in court, he re-indicted Delay with the new and more serious charge of money laundering....

Return To New Orleans Is Urged Mayor Travels Louisiana to Tout Work, Housing By Peter Whoriskey and Spencer S. Hsu Washington Post Staff Writers Thursday, October 13, 2005; Page A01 ALEXANDRIA, La., Oct. 12 -- Amid fears that the effort to repopulate New Orleans is stalling, Mayor C. Ray Nagin hopscotched shelters across the state Wednesday to assure Hurricane Katrina evacuees that the city is beginning to operate again and urged them to "come on home." For the charismatic first-term politician, it was a novel kind of political campaign: not for votes necessarily, but for voters themselves. It is a...

Blanco gives cold shoulder to Nagin's hotel casino proposal Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco listens during hearings conducted by the US Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Blanco called on the US government to help pay local cops and other 'critical public safety' workers dealing with widespread hurricane-wrought ruin.(AFP/Luke Frazza) BATON ROUGE, La. Governor Kathleen Blanco delivered a decisive blow today to New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's proposal to revitalize his devastated city by placing casinos in large hotels, saying gambling shouldn't be the basis for economic development in New Orleans. Nagin said he hoped the governor would...

Hurricane-Felled Timber Worth Billions United Press International U.S. timber companies are scrambling to harvest tons of timber felled by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The companies are moving as quickly as possible to recover the millions of trees before they rot, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Industry analysts estimate that more than 20 billion board feet are down, enough to build 1 million houses. Timber down in Louisiana is worth $900 million; in Mississippi, the felled timber is worth $2.4 billion, experts estimate.

<p>Nine months before Hurricane Katrina made landfall, three emergency-preparedness officials from Louisiana were indicted, accused of obstruction and lying in connection with the mishandling of $30.4 million in disaster-relief money. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has tried unsuccessfully to recover the money following an investigation of a program to buy out homeowners in flood-prone areas.</p>

What about my boat? If you think it's bad enough that the Internal Revenue Service collects your hard-earned tax dollars, imagine if an IRS agent prepared your income-tax returns, too. No, we're not joking. The concept, called "Return-Free" — where the IRS automatically prepares income-tax returns of those taxpayers with the simplest returns and then sends taxpayers the bill — is being considered by the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform. One of several Republicans who opposes the concept calls it "flawed" and "dangerous to taxpayers." It "creates a conflict of interest by making the tax collector the tax...

Half-baked Barbara By John McCaslin October 7, 2005 It's not easy being the master of ceremonies for a roast when half of the roasters don't show up. Ask political commentator Mark Shields, who found himself in that uncomfortable position Wednesday evening as the Spina Bifida Association attempted to put TV personality Barbara Walters in the "hot seat" at the Hyatt Regency Washington. "This is more like a bake-off," a visibly embarrassed Mrs. Walters said after the roasting, expressing disappointment that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and fellow roaster Sen. Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana were no-shows. As it...

New Orleans criminal justice system facing severe money woes 10/7/2005, 5:34 p.m. CT By MELINDA DESLATTE The Associated Press ST. GABRIEL, La. (AP) — Struggling to restart New Orleans' crippled criminal justice system, the parish district attorney and chief criminal judge said money problems from Hurricane Katrina have forced layoffs and threaten to stymie court proceedings. The cash shortage compounds problems for a system that already was troubled with prosecutors trying to track down witnesses who scattered as evacuees, a clerk of court's office assessing whether flooding and mold damaged evidence and a criminal court temporarily holding limited proceedings at...

Senators accuse EPA of minimizing health hazards in New Orleans WASHINGTON The Bush administration was accused today by senators in both parties of minimizing health hazards from the toxic soup left by Hurricane Katrina, just as they said it did with air pollution in New York from the September eleventh attacks. More than a month after the storm, compounded by Hurricane Rita, Environmental Protection Agency officials said one (m) million people lack clean drinking water around New Orleans. Some 70 (m) million tons of hazardous waste remain on the Gulf Coast. While E-P-A officials have warned of serious health hazards...

Real Angry Over Real Estate Why a recent Supreme Court ruling has lots of homeowners hot under the collar By Silla Brush 10/10/05 Stan Dunn and his wife, Barbara, had just sold their home in California and were about to retire to the Buffalo suburb of Cheektowaga this spring when they heard the rumblings: A developer might tear down their new home--and more than 300 other nearby houses--in order to build a new complex of apartments, townhouses, and businesses to eliminate blight and boost the economy. And while town officials are excited at the prospect, the Dunns say they have...

War-Hawk Republicans and Anti-War Democrats: What's the Difference? by Cindy Sheehan http://www.opednews.com Tuesday 04 October 2005 The past week in DC found me in many offices of our elected officials: Senators, Congresspersons, pro-war, "anti-war," Democrat, Republican. With a few notable exceptions, all of our employees toed party lines. **MONSTER SNIP** The War-Hawk Dems I met with were equally, if not more, disheartening. Although my meeting with Senator Clinton (D-NY) went well, I don't believe she will do anything to alleviate the suffering of the Americans in Iraq or the Iraqi people. **ANOTHER MONSTER SNIP** In my meeting with Howard Dean,...

"Martial law on civil rights" in New Orleans: Jesse Jackson 10-04-2005, 21h49 NEW ORLEANS (AFP) Sonya Jones (L) and her cousin Mitchell Jones remove family photos from their grandmother's house in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, more than a month after Hurricane Katrina filled the home with more than five feet of water. US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson showed up unannounced in a hurricane-ravaged New Orleans neighborhood and condemned the latest developments in the US response to the storm as "marshal law on civil rights." (AFP) US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson showed up unannounced in a...

Nagin tired of traveling to BR for N.O. briefingsNew Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is tired of traveling to Baton Rouge to talk to his constituents. Nagin ended his latest weekly briefing on the status of his city Wednesday by saying he no longer wants to meet at the State Capitol. "If we're going to talk about New Orleans, let's do it in New Orleans," he said. State Sen. Ed Murray, D-New Orleans, who has been arranging the meetings, said he picked Baton Rouge because so many evacuees from New Orleans are staying here. Murray said he doesn't plan to move...

Orleans council meets for first time since storm By JOE GYAN JR. jgyan@theadvocate.com New Orleans bureau KENNER -- Several New Orleans levees that failed during Hurricane Katrina and caused catastrophic flooding in parts of the city will be back to their pre-Katrina heights by the start of next year's hurricane season, a top U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official promised City Council members who met as a group Tuesday for the first time since the hurricane. But several council members who lost their homes in the storm said having the same level of levee protection as before -- capacity to...

Enviro-Elitist Poses As Gas-Pump Populist By Jeffrey, Terence P Sen. Biliary Clinton (D.-N.Y.) sometimes talks as if she wants oil and gas to be cheap and abundant, but she never stops working to make them expensive and scarce. But there's a key to predicting when she will start gushing about America's need for inexpensive fossil fuels. Call it Hillary's hurricane rule: When a storm interrupts oil and gas supplies from the Gulf Coast, she becomes an instant gas-pump populist. Flash back to Sept. 28, 2004. A headline in that day's New York Times read: "Oil Nears $50 As Gulf Storms...

SCOTT PETERSON AND LACI`S MOM FIGHT OVER LIFE INSURANCE POLICY Wednesday, September 28, 2005 The case of Laci Peterson, the pregnant California woman who was murdered and whose body was dumped in San Francisco Bay, is once again making headlines. But this time, the issue is who will collect Laci`s $250,000 life insurance policy. Her husband Scott Peterson was convicted and sentenced to death last year in connection with her murder and that of their unborn child. He wants the money, but so does Laci`s mother. A hearing has been set for October 21st.

Bush Pardons Coal Mine Bomber, 13 Others 11 minutes ago President Bush smiles as Vice President Dick Cheney, left, arrives using a cane as Bush was preparing to make a statement on the war on terror, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2005, in the Rose Garden at the White House. Cheney move gingerly with a cane Wednesday as he returned to work at the White House after weekend surgery to repair aneurysms behind both knees. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds) WASHINGTON - President Bush granted pardons Wednesday to 14 people, including a member of the mineworkers union who was convicted for his role in...

Publisher says Bible textbook respects both facts and faith NEW VOLUME IS AIMED AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS By Richard N. Ostling Associated Press Posted on Fri, Sep. 23, 2005 An interfaith group released a new textbook Thursday aimed at teaching public high school students about the Bible while avoiding legal and religious disputes. The non-profit Bible Literacy Project of Fairfax, Va., spent five years and $2 million developing ``The Bible and Its Influence.'' The textbook, introduced at a Washington news conference, won initial endorsements from experts in literature, religion and church-state law. American Jewish Congress attorney Marc Stern, an adviser on...

UNDER THE COVERS, CONSERVATIVE-STYLE By Azi Paybarah Two new books for the kiddies are hitting stores—one that will help get them laid, and another to turn those one-night-stand spawn into good little conservatives. First up is the long-awaited The O'Reilly Factor for Kids. Those with strong visual imaginations will doubtless be pleased to learn that O'Reilly (as he frequently refers to himself) didn't get laid until he was twenty. But it's about the children, and O'Reilly gives spin-free lessons about teenage sex, drugs, and what kind of junior high school girls turns him on. The Long Island native spills the...

Is the Orleans Levee Board doing its job? Critics allege corruption, charge the board with wasteful spending By Lisa Myers & the NBC Investigative Unit NBC News Updated: 11:52 a.m. ET Sept. 15, 2005 Lisa Myers Senior investigative correspondent The unveiling of the Mardi Gras Fountain was celebrated this year in typical New Orleans style. The cost of $2.4 million was paid by the Orleans Levee Board, the state agency whose main job is to protect the levees surrounding New Orleans — the same levees that failed after Katrina hit. "They misspent the money," says Billy Nungesser, a former top...

Twice victimized September 3, 2005 GLOBE EDITORIAL IN DISASTER movies, people flee. In real disasters, thousands of people have nowhere to go. In the land of SUVs, they don't have cars or enough cash for a bus ticket. Just as the need for levee repairs was forgotten, the poor in New Orleans were long overlooked, ignored until Hurricane Katrina left them stranded in a drowned city and awash on national television. The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, knew that poverty would hinder the evacuation of the city's 445,000 people. He asked churches, relatives, and friends to help poorer residents...

Senate Committee FEMA Preparations and Response to Katrina Select Bipartisan Cmte. to Investigate Prep.&Response to Hurr. Katrina Washington, District of Columbia (United States) ID: 189060 - 09/27/2005 - 5:38 - $360.00 Davis, Thomas, U.S. Representative, R-VA Brown, Michael D., Director (2003-2005), Federal Emergency Management Agency Democratic senators are refusing to attend the hearing because they believe that investigation of Hurricane Katrina matters should be referred to an independent commission. Democratic representatives from affected areas will be among the witnesses.

Where were John Gosek’s friends? by Vincent R. Caravan Shades of Bill Clinton! Who would ever believe Oswego County would have a sexual scandal to equal — or surpass — the escapades of our recent president, whose extra-marital sexual experiences would be aired for the whole world to know. The recent arrest of Oswego Mayor John Gosek and his ultimate resignation — on a proportionate basis — received as much notoriety as Clinton’s indiscretions. Mr. Gosek’s accusers were not as forgiving, however. The most notable difference is in the outcome. Mr. Clinton was allowed to stay in office and outlast...

U.S. TV makes way for two White House dramas September 23, 2005 17:50:40 Actress Geena Davis poses at a premiere screening in Beverly HillsBy Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A new TV show starring Oscar-winner Geena Davis as America's first female president, juggling career and family while holding Republican enemies at bay, is drawing Internet fire from conservatives and feminists alike. But the big question among network executives is whether there is room enough in prime time for two White House dramas. "Commander In Chief" premieres on Tuesday on ABC following the return on Sunday of NBC's Emmy-winning White...

Top Dems leave as protest nears Party split between anti-war activists and prominent critics STEVEN THOMMA Knight Ridder Posted on Fri, Sep. 23, 2005 WASHINGTON - As the anti-war movement arrives in Washington this weekend, many Democrats are leaving. Nationally known Democratic war critics, including Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Russell Feingold of Wisconsin and John Kerry of Massachusetts, won't attend what sponsors say will be a big anti-war rally Saturday in Washington. **SNIP** En route to Washington for the rally, anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan protested outside Clinton's New...

Liberals Furious Over New Children's Book New kid’s book “Liberals Under My Bed” becomes lightning rod for controversy. Prominent liberals liken it to Nazi propaganda, but conservative author laughs off allegations. Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 20, 2005 –- Liberals all over the country are up in arms over a new children’s book that portrays cartoon versions of left-wing icons Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy taxing and regulating a lemonade stand. “Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed” (Kids Ahead; hardcover: $15.95; ISBN 0976726904) hits bookstore shelves today, but author Katharine DeBrecht has already found herself under fire from...

From the Maha - CLINTON: I think handling the aftermath of a natural disaster is different than preventing a terrorist attack. I actually believe that the federal government has been quite good about that, in spite of the breakdowns that led up to 9/11. There were any number of terrorist attacks prevented in the 1990s and there have been a lot of terrorist cells broken up -- CLINTON: Well, I would repeal the tax cuts for upper income people. I myself have gotten four tax cuts while young Americans have gone off to risk their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan,...

Schoolgirls riot at tourist spot By NIGEL ADLAM 17sep05 HUNDREDS of people watched in horror as a mob of schoolgirls rioted at Darwin's biggest tourist attraction. Most of the youngsters were in their teens. But several witnesses said a few were as young as six. About 20 girls threw sticks and stones, and even pulled out a street bollard, as they fought with security guards. Fighting between rival gangs of boys and girls has been escalating at Mindil Beach markets (pictured). Market manager Tim Robinson said four guards were beaten. Security and market managers are to hold a crisis meeting...

Confirmed: Sex minigame in PS2 San Andreas Cheat unlocks preexisting code in controversy-rocked Grand Theft Auto game, undermining Rockstar Games' claims of hacker mischief. This week saw a Grand Theft Auto game once again at the center of a nationwide controversy. The point of contention this time was the so-called "Hot Coffee" mod for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which had everyone from anti-game crusader Jack Thompson to US Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) percolating with outrage and/or calls for federal game regulation. The Hot Coffee mod first surfaced last month, when the PC version of San Andreas was released. The...

Roberts's performance in hearings leaves Democrats with 'dilemma' By Sheryl Gay Stolberg The New York Times FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2005 WASHINGTON U.S. Senate Democrats are deeply conflicted about how to vote on the nomination of Judge John Roberts Jr. to be the 17th chief justice of the United States, and appear divided about how, and whether, to use their vote to send a message to President George W. Bush as he selects a candidate to fill a second Supreme Court vacancy. "That's a critical part of this conversation," Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat and a...

On the flight home this morning, I was unfortunate enough to have a bleeder sit next to me. By bleeder, I mean he was invading my space because he was large and his body was spilling over into my seat. I've seen worse cases than what I had today but let's hear your experiences.

Jefferson downplays stop at his New Orleans house By WILL SENTELL wsentell@theadvocate.com Capitol news bureau During a National Guard-led tour of his hurricane-ravished district, U.S. Rep. William Jefferson asked to stop at his New Orleans home, a guard spokesman said Wednesday. Lt. Col. Pete Schneider, public affairs officer for the Louisiana National Guard, told news reporters that the guard was assisting Jefferson in his check of damage Sept. 2, four days after Hurricane Katrina struck. Guardsmen were getting around the Democrat's congressional district in a truck designed to navigate the high waters that crippled the New Orleans area for days...

Clinton vows to fight on, despite defeat of 'Katrina Commission' bill 2 hours, 23 minutes ago WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Senator Hillary Clinton vowed to continue to fight for a "Katrina Commission" probing the federal government's sluggish early response to last month's massive hurricane -- even after the defeat of a bill she authored to create such a panel. "I called for an independent Katrina Commission because it is simply not appropriate for government to investigate itself," said Clinton, whose bill was defeated by a party-line vote of 44 to 54. "If we are truly going to provide the people...

Children"s Author: Warn Kids About Liberals Tue Sep 13, 3:00 AM ET (PRWEB) - Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 13, 2005 - – The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina has exposed an ugly truth about liberals, and parents need to teach this to their kids, according to the author of a controversial upcoming children"s book. Katharine DeBrecht — the author of the soon-to-be-released "Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed" (Kids Ahead; hardcover: $15.95; ISBN 0976726904) — dismisses the notion that parents should not talk to their young kids about politics. If anything, she claims, the behavior of liberals following...

Louisiana governor's political future in doubt Associated Press Sept. 11, 2005, 5:33PM Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco acknowledges applause from worshipers after she was introduced during a mass at Saint Joseph's Cathedral in Baton Rouge, La., Sept. 4.SLIDELL, La. — "I've probably been to hell and back," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said as she traipsed back to a military helicopter that would lift her from this hurricane-ravaged city back to Baton Rouge. Her eyes were bleary but she looked fitter than she had in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina's Aug. 29 strike. Waylaid by one reporter after another, she granted interviews...