Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US lawmakers on Friday "strongly condemned" what they called Beijing's harsh pre-Olympic crackdown in China's Muslim-populated far northwest Xinjiang region. The bipartisan leadership of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in a statement cited "credible" reports about a July 9 conviction in a closed trial of 15 minority Muslim Uighurs on terrorism charges that led to "the immediate execution of two" of them. Three others were given suspended death sentences and the remaining 10 received life imprisonment, it said. These are "abuses of due process and rule of law," said caucus co-chairmen Democrat Jim McGovern and Republican Frank...

(Here is the relevant passage. Other than Speaker Hastert, the Illinois Congressional delegation has been pretty quiet. Except for Evanston's Jan Schakowsky, a human-hangover from the 1960s.) REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D-9): "The Bush Administration and Republican leaders are engaged in a pathetic attempt to make Senator Dick Durbin's condemnation of the use of torture at Guantanamo Bay an issue. As a result of the revelations of conditions at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, and Bagram prison in Afghanistan, the Republicans owe the American people, our soldiers and veterans an apology for undermining American values such as the Rule of Law, putting our...

CHICAGO (AP) A federal judge agreed Tuesday to delay the fraud trial of political consultant Robert Creamer, the husband of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, because of a scheduling conflict with defense attorneys. Judge James B. Moran moved the trial from late February to May 16 for Creamer, who has pleaded innocent to charges alleging he operated check kiting schemes that led to bank fraud totaling at least $2.3 million. Defense attorney Theodore Poulos requested the delay, saying one attorney working on the case might not be able to participate because of medical issues and another had a scheduling conflict. Prosecutors...

At times, Rep. Jan Schakowsky sounds like she's running for re-election not against her Republican opponent, but against President Bush. The Evanston Democrat said the Bush administration "is squandering opportunities one after another and, I believe in almost every respect, leading our country in the wrong direction." Asked to elaborate, the three-term incumbent quickly knocks the president's record on the economy, national poverty rate, health insurance, the flu vaccine shortage, college tuition, veterans' benefits and combat deaths in Iraq. "And we're headed toward an expenditure of $200 billion in a war I thought from the beginning was unnecessary," she said....

CHICAGO (AP) A federal judge assigned to hear fraud charges against the husband of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky said Thursday he may have a potential conflict of interest and left open the possibility that had could turn the case over to another judge. The judge's announcement came as Robert Creamer appeared for arraignment and pleaded innocent to charges alleging he operated check kiting schemes that led to bank fraud totaling at least $2.3 million. Judge James B. Moran said he believes he may have met Creamer, a prominent Chicago political consultant, although he could not recall where or when. But...