Bad Deeds for 2-6-07

Former Republican Representative Katherine Harris (FL) is still parking her car in a Congressional building

Convicted terrorist serves in Iraq parliament – A member of the new Iraqi Parliament was convicted in 1984 by Kuwaiti authorities of having bombed the US Embassy in that country in 1983. The Kuwaiti government has sentenced him to death for the attack. Jamal Jaffar Mohammmed has also been accused by US authorities of being a “conduit” for Iranian influence and weapons smuggling in Iraq after serving in the Iranian military. His membership in the Parliament grants him immunity from prosecution for assisting Shi’a insurgents. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki says that there is little that his government can do, as it is a parliamentary matter.

Two reports on the same item; I report, you decide

The New York Times version: “Republicans on Monday blocked Senate debate on a bipartisan resolution opposing President Bush’s troop buildup in Iraq, leaving in doubt whether the Senate would render a judgment on what lawmakers of both parties described as the paramount issue of the day.”

The Fox News version: “The Senate’s Democratic majority failed Monday to shut off debate on a non-binding resolution that “disagrees” with President Bush’s troop surge in Iraq, throwing debate on the policy into limbo and depriving Democrats of a bipartisan rebuke of the White House.”

Bush signed an executive order making the papers in his future library more secret – Weeks after 9/11, President Bush signed an executive order giving presidents and former presidents much more control over their records — and extended that right to a family member when a former president dies. While there have been periodic disputes over how much control presidents should have over their papers, the Bush order goes beyond the control asserted by any president since Nixon (whose efforts to control his papers led to various laws to promote access). Also, a policy institute is to be affiliated with the library that would have as its mission promoting the Bush philosophy. Such an institute, with an explicitly ideological identity and reporting to the president’s foundation instead of to the university, runs counter to academic values

Bush Budget Doesn’t Include Escalation Cost – The Bush administration’s war budget for next year doesn’t allow for the cost of the planned troop buildup in Iraq, a decision clearly intended to bolster White House claims that the escalation is short-term. However, Defense officials conceded yesterday that the omission assumes Iraq’s security situation will improve drastically in the near future; referring to that assumption, the Pentagon’s budget director said, “I think we know that it will be wrong”.

Regards,

Jim