The Bush Coup
New Jersey Gov Corzine: We're in a recession
Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:45pm EDT
By Joseph A. Giannone
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, who once led Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs, on Wednesday told Reuters the U.S. economy already is in a recession that could persist, and that federal authorities have only taken the first steps toward turning things around.
"I certainly concur with the view that we are in a recession," Corzine said in an exclusive interview at Reuters' U.S. headquarters in New York. "We have pretty strong indications that we have seen a major, major downshift in the economy. I think we'll find we started in the last quarter of last year."
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN1220997020080312
Big candidate lineup set for Rep. Hunter's seat
By Michele Clock
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
March 13, 2008
A rare, open seat in Congress' 52nd District is drawing a crowded field of candidates, including one especially familiar name.
Republican Duncan D. Hunter will go after the seat his father, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, has held more than a quarter century.
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The elder Hunter declined to run for re-election to pursue an ill-fated presidential bid.
His absence creates the only vacant congressional seat in the county this year. Yesterday was the filing deadline for the district's June 3 primary election.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080313-9999-1m13file.html
Toll of toxic trailers
Anthony Lane
Published 13 March 2008
Two and a half years after Hurricane Katrina 114,000 people are still living in cramped trailers - now it seems many have been exposed to a cancer-causing chemical
Two and a half years after Hurricane Katrina, 38,000 families, or approximately 114,000 people, have yet to receive the compensation promised by the federal government and are still living in cramped trailers provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).
But just when it seemed that post-Katrina New Orleans could not bear witness to greater suffering or government incompetence, Fema made a stunning announcement. Families living in many of these trailers have been exposed to toxic levels of a cancer-causing chemical.
http://www.newstatesman.com/200803130016
Abramoff's former law firm comments on new indictment
Claiming to be one of many victims of former powerhouse lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the now convicted felon's former employer, the Greenberg Traurig law firm, has responded to criminal charges handed down in an indictment earlier this week. In a statement to KUAM News, director of communications Jill Perry wrote, "This indictment involves rogue conduct by Jack Abramoff. We strongly deny these charges and are confident we will prevail when all the facts are known."
Perry adds Abramoff's plea agreement acknowledged the law firm was a "victim" of their former employee's actions and his conduct. The organization adds they have cooperated with all investigation and, "Have worked to ensure that any former clients were fairly treated. We will address this matter with the same seriousness."
Greenberg Traurig was named in the indictment along with Abramoff and former Superior Court of Guam administrative director Tony Sanchez. They are accused of improperly using more than $300,000 from the Superior Court for lobbying services, as well as various expenses of Greenberg Traurig employees, including political assistance, research on Open Skies, travel, golf trips, and numerous dinners at Abramoff's restaurant, Signatures.
http://www.kuam.com/news/26871.aspx
US House passes resolution to create independent ethics panel
Mike Rosen-Molina at 11:00 AM ET
[JURIST] The US House of Representatives [official website] Tuesday voted 229-182 [roll call] to pass a resolution [HRES 895 materials] creating an independent ethics panel to investigate allegations of malfeasance against House lawmakers. The Office of Congressional Ethics will consist of six non-House members of "exceptional public standing." This represents the first time that the House has delegated the authority to investigate alleged ethics violations to non-House members. Supporters said that the independent panel would help restore public confidence, while opponents worried that it would encourage frivolous investigations. The New York Times has more.
Government watchdog groups praised the outcome of the vote, saying that it showed the House was serious about dealing with ethics violations. Common Cause [advocacy website] called the move a "tremendous improvement to the current system," and noted that the panel would help to improve the House's image [press release] after a series of corruption scandals, including those involving disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and former Rep. Randall "Duke" Cunningham [JURIST news archives].
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2008/03/us-house-passes-resolution-to-create.php
Sanchez, Abramoff indicted
By Stephanie Godlewski
Pacific Daily News
smgodlewski@guampdn.com
A second superseding indictment has been brought against former Superior Court of Guam Administrative Director Tony Sanchez. A few new names and charges have been added.
Sanchez was initially indicted along with California attorney Howard Hills in December 2006, and a superceding indictment came in against the pair in March of 2007, adding more charges to the case.
http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080313/NEWS01/803130301/1002
Condoleezza Rice to avoid Argentina during South American trip
By Alexei Barrionuevo
Published: March 12, 2008
RIO DE JANEIRO: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to arrive in Brazil on Thursday for a two-day visit to South America just days after Colombia's assassination of a top rebel leader enraged Ecuador's president and drew threats of military action by President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela.
Notably absent from Rice's previously scheduled visit to Brazil and Chile, however, will be Argentina, where the first elected female president in the country's history, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, was inaugurated in December. The omission underscores Washington's angst with the new Kirchner government, which has continued to strengthen ties with Chávez while accusing the United States of political motives in an investigation into an alleged $800,000 secret campaign contribution from Venezuela to Kirchner.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/12/africa/rice.php
Five years on, Rice admits mistakes in Iraqi reconstruction
20 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Almost five years after the start of the Iraq war, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledged Wednesday that US-led efforts to rebuild the country should have begun much earlier.
"I would have to admit, I think we've learned that, yes, it is really important to be able to help others build their states, to help others build their nations," she told US lawmakers.
She was replying to a question on whether the administration of President George W. Bush had changed its mind on the controversial issue of helping other countries with "nation-building."
"My view is, it is still something that we need to do with civilians," Rice, who was national security advisor at the time of the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, told a congressional committee.
She was defending the administration's 2008-2009 budget which has earmarked some 249 million dollars to create 351 diplomatic posts devoted to "nation-building."
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jh4gBeAoLnHACbhFfGs0MS7AViCw
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