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Controversial Georgian Wins Round in Bid for FEC
Georgia lawyer Hans von Spakovsky moved a step closer to confirmation to the Federal Election Commission Wednesday when a Senate committee voted to package his controversial nomination with three others for consideration by the full Senate. Kingston Praises Earmarks Controversy and suspicion have long overshadowed the congressional practice of inserting local projects into federal spending bills. Thompson's Late-Comer Candidacy Depends on Southern Roots, Backing Never mind that the other candidates have been stumping across the country, debating on TV and spending upwards of $25 million over the past six months. New Federally Funded Road Sensors Won't Feed Details to Georgia's 511 In traffic-clogged Atlanta, new solar-powered sensors are set for installation next week along 80 miles of roads as part of a $50 million federal program to help big cities guide rush-hour drivers and assist transportation planners. Ethics Reform Bill Passes Easily in Senate A top-to-bottom overhaul of congressional ethics and lobbying laws sailed through by an 83-14 vote Thursday in the Senate, where the only opposition came from those who said the measure wasn't tough enough. House Passes Lobbying Reforms Aimed at Regaining Public Trust Trying to win back public confidence in a scandal-tarnished Congress, the House Tuesday passed sweeping lobbying reforms that would require extensive disclosures of lobbying activities, including political fundraising. Army Corps to Seek Repayments from Norcross Firm The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has told federal auditors it will seek to recoup overpayments, estimated at $881,000, from a Norcross, Ga., company that is the sole supplier for emergency bottled water for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Democrats Consider Defunding Vice President Cheney's Office Vice President Dick Cheney's claim that he doesn't have to follow executive orders on safeguarding classified information because he is part of the legislative branch has prompted congressional Democrats to respond in kind. Cheney Won't Follow Executive Order; Says He's Part of Legislative Branch Dick Cheney, who has wielded extraordinary executive power as he transformed the image of the vice presidency, is asserting that his office is not actually part of the executive branch. FEC Nominee Comes under Fire for Voter Rights Actions at Justice Department Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department voting rights lawyer, defended controversial voter identification requirements Wednesday as he faced sharp questions at a Senate confirmation hearing on his nomination to the Federal Election Commission. Georgian Nominated to FEC to Face Questions on Voter 'Suppression' Allegations Former Justice Department official Hans von Spakovsky, set to appear before a Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday, is expected to face allegations that he tilted decisions to help Republicans and suppress minority votes when he was a federal lawyer overseeing voting rights. Auditors Say Government Should Recoup $8.2 Million from Georgia Water Contractor The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers paid a Norcross, Ga., company nearly $8.2 million too much for delivering bottled water to disaster areas going back to 2003, Pentagon auditors have concluded. Parties Plot to Win Growing Youth Vote After years in which millions of young Americans were no-shows at the polls, the youth vote is on the rise and political parties are taking notice. TB Traveler Reveals Security Problems, Critics Charge Atlanta attorney Andrew Speaker's ability to travel freely into and out of the United States despite orders to detain him because he is infected with incurable tuberculosis has exposed flaws in homeland security that could be exploited by terrorists, critics warned Friday. Doggett, Smith Steer Provisions as House Passes Lobbying and 'Bundling' Reform Bills Rep. Lloyd Doggett won a major victory Thursday in his five-year crusade to shine light on "stealth coalitions" that spend millions of dollars to lobby Congress without disclosing the identity of their membership. Republicans Use Floor Tactics to Tweak Democratic Majority Democrats, who took majority control of the House of Representatives this year with promises of open debates, are employing some of the restrictive tactics they once decried when Republicans held the majority. Former National Security Adviser Berger Agrees to Disbarment Sandy Berger, the Clinton White House national security adviser who was caught removing highly classified documents from the U.S. Archives, has consented to disbarment. Right-Wing Bloggers Take On Republican Leadership Citing corruption and cronyism, Erick Erickson of Macon, Ga., declared "war" against the Republican leadership on his RedState.com, one of the leading conservative blogs on the Internet. Thompson as Senator Left Conservative Record with Reformist Bent Former senator-turned-actor Fred Thompson will audition for the role of presidential contender when he speaks Saturday to a gathering of top conservative leaders. Campaign Law Enforcement Panel Runs Without Confirmed Officials With money already flowing at a record pace into the 2008 race for the White House, the federal agency charged with enforcing campaign laws is having trouble filling the top jobs. Gingrich Has a Pollster, Fundraiser, Speeches -- Is This a Campaign? He's not a presidential candidate, but Newt Gingrich is definitely running a national campaign. 'Law & Order' Star Urges Voters To Bypass Both Parties For 2008 Sam Waterston, who plays a tough prosecutor on TV's long-running drama "Law & Order," came to the nation's capital Wednesday to indict the bitter partisan fighting that he said is "tearing us apart" and paralyzing efforts to solve serious problems. Giuliani and Edwards Top Texas Donations, But Obama Strong in Austin Republican Rudy Giuliani raked in $2 million in the first quarter of the year to top presidential fundraising in Texas, followed by Democrat John Edwards in the already red-hot money chase for the 2008 presidential primaries. Democrats, Obama Win Race For Georgia Campaign Dollars Sen. Barack Obama got a big boost from Georgians on the way to raking in a jaw-dropping $25 million nationwide for his newcomer presidential campaign. Unfinished Ethics Agenda Comes To Fore As Lawmakers Return From Break More than three months since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised "the most honest, ethical and open" Congress in history, her new Democratic leadership returns from spring recess this week facing a growing urgency to complete ethics reforms. Obama's Online Organizing Far Outpaces Competitors Sen. Barack Obama stunned the 2008 presidential field with his announcement last week that he raked in nearly $7 million on the Internet in the first three months of the year. Obama Raises $25 Million, Close On the Heels Of Hillary Clinton Relative newcomer Sen. Barack Obama collected a stunning $25 million for his presidential campaign in the first three months of this year, bringing him almost even with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and tightening the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. Contenders Prep For First Big Reveal Of Cash Support Presidential campaigns are revving up last-minute fund-raising to scoop up as much cash as possible for their first financial reports — an early test of who's got momentum for 2008. GSA Chief Takes Heat For Politics In Agency, No-Bid Contract Democrats expressed outrage Wednesday at accounts that Scott Jennings, assistant to White House aide Karl Rove, briefed personnel at the General Services Administration on the top Republican "targets" for winning back Senate and House seats in the 2008 elections. Net Video Points To Bigger Role In Politics For Average Citizen Internet users and political bloggers have launched a feverish hunt for the creator of a video that has become a Web sensation by depicting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as a "1984" Big Brother figure lecturing to an audience of zombies. Amid Neglect Elsewhere, Congress Members Given VIP Treatment At Walter Reed Members of Congress decried the shabby outpatient treatment and squalid living conditions vividly described by wounded soldiers earlier this month at a hearing inside Walter Reed Army Medical Center. McCain Confronts War Resistance, Giuliani Surge Sen. John McCain, once the presumed front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, made a brief foray here last week, where his recent difficulties were on clear display. Bush Sets Review As Senators Grill Military On Soldier Care President Bush announced a bipartisan commission Tuesday to review the care given wounded war veterans, while senators called top Army officials to account for a medical system that has put the soldiers into squalid housing and bureaucratic limbo. Lawmakers Fault Army Brass For Scandal At Walter Reed The Army's top military leaders told a House panel Monday they were shocked when they learned two weeks ago of mold-and-rodent-infested living conditions for soldiers recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Giuliani Invokes Reagan, Enlists Wife To Woo Conservatives Rudy Giuliani went before a gathering of skeptical conservative leaders and activists Friday to pitch himself as the presidential contender who could make "tough decisions." Conservatives Looking For Champion To Re-Energize Flagging Right For '08 As many of the nation's top conservative leaders and activists gather here Thursday for their annual meeting, they will have something in common with the judges on the TV hit "American Idol." Obama An Online Sensation As Campaigns Reach Out On Internet When Sen. Barack Obama addresses an expected gathering of thousands Friday in Austin, Texas, he will have the Internet to thank for many of the volunteers who collect tickets, sell T-shirts and help with the clean-up. Second Blogger Quits Edwards' Campaign Over Web Remarks A second blogger quit the John Edwards presidential campaign this week, amid flashing warning signals for candidates who venture into the rough and tumble politics of the Internet. Backlog Of Prescription Drug Fraud Cases Could Net Billions Of Dollars Federal prosecutors admitted to having a backlog of more than 150 cases in which pharmaceutical companies are accused of defrauding federal and state health care programs, a Justice Department lawyer acknowledged to a Congressional panel Friday. Bid-Rigging Charges Filed As Private Contractors In Iraq Face Greater Scrutiny Three Army reserve officers and a civilian contractor were indicted Wednesday on charges of scheming to steer $8 million in Iraq reconstruction work to a company in exchange for luxury cars, a motorcycle, weapons and real estate. Former Top U.S. Official In Iraq Says Lack Of Security Blocked Rebuilding Effort Huge stacks of cash were shipped to Iraqi government agencies with little oversight, even as security problems undercut efforts to rebuild the war-torn country, past and current Bush administration officials told Congress Tuesday. House Oversight Panel Launches Barrage Of Hearings On 'Waste, Fraud, Abuse' After years of stockpiling findings and allegations, Rep. Henry Waxman this week will unleash four days of hearings aimed at exposing an array of "waste, fraud and abuse" in government. Money Primarily Could Speedily Thin The 2008 Crowd The field of 2008 presidential hopefuls has grown to nearly two dozen in what looks to be the most wide open race in decades. But looks can be deceiving. It's Not Just Oprah, As Many Join The Private Foreign Aid Effort Talk show superstar Oprah Winfrey has a new $40 million school for girls in South Africa. Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda oversee their $32 billion endowment for health clinics and scholarships in more than 100 countries. Democratic Leaders, White House Exchange Sharp Words Over Iraq Despite public promises to work together, the White House and the Democratic leaders of Congress escalated their political war of words over Iraq on Friday. House Democrats Wrap Up First 100 Hour Agenda Here are data on completion of the first 100 Hours of legislating in the new Democrat-led House of Representatives. The First 100 Hours Here are data on progress as of Tuesday on the first 100 Hours of legislating in the new Democrat-led House of Representatives. House Clock Ticks On 100-Hour Agenda With Two Items Remaining Here are data on progress as of Tuesday on the first 100 Hours of legislating in the new Democrat-led House of Representatives. Senate To Wrap Up Ethics As Reformers See New Mood On Hill For decades, Ted Stevens, the dean of the Republican senators, has fiercely defended the perks of office, including cut-rate rides on posh corporate jets. As 100 Hours Ticks Down, House Votes For Negotiations To Cut Prices For Medicare Drugs Here are data on the fourth day of the first 100 Hours of legislating in the new Democrat-led House of Representatives. On Day Three, House Votes To Expand Stem Cell Research, Draws Veto Threat Here are data on the third day of the first 100 Hours of legislating in the new Democrat-led House of Representatives. House Democrats' First 100 Hours: Day One Here are data on the first day of the first 100 Hours of legislating in the new Democrat-led House of Representatives House Passes Security Measure As First On Democratic Agenda The clock began ticking Tuesday on the Democrats' 100-hour agenda, as the House of Representatives passed legislation to enact many of the counter-terrorism recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission. Price Leads GOP 'Truth Squad' Tom Price may be only a back-bencher as a second-term member in a Congress where he and fellow Republicans have just been reduced to the minority. Congress Opens With Ethics Reforms, Uncertainty Over Iraq War The 110th Congress opened Thursday with a burst of ceremony, quick action on ethics reform and the historic election of California Rep. Nancy Pelosi as the first female speaker of the House. Pelosi Hails Breakthrough For Women In Historic Election As Speaker Nancy Pelosi smiled irrepressibly, bowed to her cheering colleagues and then clutched the gavel with both hands, as she became the first woman in more than 200 years of American history to become speaker of the House of Representatives. New Congress Opens On Historic Note As Democrats Launch High-Speed Agenda Democratic majorities take over both sides of Capitol Hill Thursday in a historic change-of-command that will install Rep. Nancy Pelosi as the first female speaker of the House of Representatives. Critics Say Border Enforcement Alone Won't Work Sending National Guard troops to the Mexican border will have little effect unless more is done to enforce laws inside the country, experts on both sides of the immigration debate predict. Georgia, Florida Firms Awarded Emergency Ice Contracts Lipsey Mountain Spring Water, a family-owned firm based in Norcross, Ga., has snagged a contract as one of two companies to supply emergency ice nationwide for the 2006 hurricane season. Old Border Security Problems Hang Over New Immigration Reform Effort A few weeks back, federal immigration agents in the Midwest rounded up 125 fugitives, including 46 convicted criminals, from 28 countries. Hundreds Of Facilities Shift To Safer Chemicals, Processes Atlanta's R.M. Clayton Wastewater Reclamation Center is a leader among the 284 industrial plants and utilities nationwide shifting from highly toxic chemicals to safer alternatives, a study released Tuesday found. Lipsey Renewed As Nation's Sole Supplier Of Emergency Water Defying its critics, a tiny company based in Norcross, Ga., has won a renewal of its contract as the nation's sole supplier of bottled water for major disasters. Federal Agencies Fail To Share Info On Terrorism, Investigators Say Nearly four years after the Sept. 11 attacks, federal agencies still lack a system for sharing terrorism-related information that is critical for protecting the country, government investigators said in a report released Monday. Feds Ask Private Industry To Plug Holes In U.S. Borders In the midst of a national debate over the status of millions of illegal immigrants already in the United States, the Bush administration last week quietly launched a new plan for stopping future illegal border crossings. Private Group Hunts Down Terrorists On Internet In the shadowy world of terrorism, al-Qaida has lost its training camps in Afghanistan and seen its leadership killed, jailed or dispersed. Growing Ranks Of Taxpayer-Funded Lobbyists Seek Federal Dollars For States, Localities For most Americans, the term "lobbying" conjures up images of expensively dressed lawyers walking the corridors of the U.S. Capitol on behalf of big corporations, trade associations or perhaps casino-owning Indian tribes. Chertoff Grilled By Senate As House Report Assails Katrina Response Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff drew bipartisan criticism from senators Wednesday for what he admitted were major shortcomings in his department's response to Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Emergency Meals Wound Up On eBay, Say Investigators Some of the emergency military rations intended for Hurricane Katrina victims or relief personnel ended up for sale on eBay, government investigators told Congress Monday. Ex-FEMA Chief Says White House Told Of Levee Breaks On Day Of Katrina Former Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael Brown said Friday that he told top White House officials of the catastrophic collapse of the New Orleans levees just hours after Hurricane Katrina hit last August 29th. Group Shows Dissidents How To Wield Nonviolent Weapons The 3-D aerial view on the computer screen shows the capital of "Infeliz," an imaginary country ruled by a dictatorship for 20 years. As leader of a citizen opposition group, you must choose from a list of actions to further the cause of freedom. Urban Areas To Share $765 Million In Homeland Security Grants Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced Tuesday that 35 urban areas designated as the most vulnerable to a terrorist attack will compete for $765 million to build up their defense and response capabilities. Feds Get Poor Grades From Former 9/11 Commission The former members of the 9/11 Commission said Monday that even though the federal government has spent billions of dollars and gone through a major reorganization, the nation remains vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Gov. Blanco Defends Pre-Hurricane Evacuation Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco told a congressional panel Wednesday that she was "proud" of the effort that evacuated more than 90 percent of the New Orleans population before Hurricane Katrina hit Aug. 29. Security Chief Sees FEMA Overhaul, More Border Enforcement Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Tuesday that the administration will soon be making "far-reaching" changes at the embattled Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Immigration Background Checks Fail Security Test In a week that saw President Bush renewing his push for a temporary foreign worker program, a federal report raised questions Wednesday about whether the government is capable of conducting the millions of background checks required for such a program. Passengers To See Changes In Airport Security Holiday travelers should expect the unexpected when they go through screening at U.S. airports starting Dec. 22, federal security officials warned Friday. U.S. Efforts To Block Terrorist Financing Faulted More than four years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the United States lacks a unified strategy to combat terrorist financing abroad, a congressional study released Monday concludes. FEMA Supplier Faces Federal Probe, Truckers' Ire This year's history-making hurricane season has pushed Lipsey Mountain Spring Water Company, a small family-owned operation, out of obscurity and into a swirl of controversy. Public-Private Partnership Tattered By Katrina Two months after Hurricane Katrina hit, many in the business community are quietly lamenting the failure of what had been touted as a growing public-private partnership for responding to disasters. Engineers See Continuing Risk For New Orleans A team of scientists told a Senate inquiry on Wednesday that the levees in New Orleans failed Hurricane Katrina because of fundamental design flaws and possible "malfeasance" in some of the construction work. Disaster Experts Urge Outside Review Post Katrina The faltering response to Hurricane Katrina prompted an internal review by the Bush administration and Republican-led probes in both houses of Congress. FEMA Worker Gives First-Hand Account Of Chaos The only Federal Emergency Management Agency official sent to New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina told a Senate panel Thursday that top officials brushed off his desperate warnings about broken levees and deteriorating conditions for evacuees at the Superdome. McKinney Joins Probe Of Katrina Response Rep. Cynthia McKinney, joining a House panel probing the response to Hurricane Katrina on Wednesday, lambasted the Bush administration for negligence in the relief response. Chertoff Blames Slow Katrina Response On Failure To Prepare Lack of preparation doomed the federal relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf region, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Wednesday in his first extended explanation to Congress. Most Of FEMA's Flood Maps Called 'Obsolete' Official maps that are supposed to guide homeowners and communities on areas prone to flooding are obsolete and unreliable, a federal investigation released Tuesday found. Leaker's Identity Remains Mystery Two years after a leak of classified information to columnist Bob Novak set off a major criminal investigation, the leaker's identity remains a mystery. FEMA To Put No-Bid Contracts Up For Rebidding Millions of dollars in controversial no-bid contracts issued after Hurricane Katrina will now be rebid, the acting chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency told Congress Thursday. Senators, White House At Odds Over Aid To Katrina Victims In a sign of growing disagreement among Republicans over Hurricane Katrina aid, a leading GOP senator Wednesday threatened to stall budget legislation until the Senate agrees to expand federal Medicaid health coverage for storm victims. Blanco Lobbies Hill For Katrina Aid Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco went to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to seek billions of dollars to rebuild businesses in the Gulf region after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Embattled Homeland Security Department Faces Second Test WASHINGTON — When Hurricane Rita was still churning through the Gulf of Mexico last week, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff sent a top U.S. Coast Guard official to Texas to oversee the federal response and work elbow-to-elbow with state officials. Senate Opens Probe Of Katrina Response, Rejects Independent Panel Senators launched the first congressional probe of the response to Hurricane Katrina Wednesday as Republicans fended off an attempt to set up an outside commission to examine what went wrong in the relief effort. 9/11 Panel Says Little Progress On Security Preparedness Recommendations The federal government has made only "minimal progress" toward enacting many of the 9/11 commission's recommendations for security and preparedness, leaders of the independent panel said Wednesday. Brown Steps Down As Embattled FEMA Director Michael Brown, the Bush administration official who took much of the blame for the slow response to Hurricane Katrina, stepped down on Monday as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Katrina Relief Arrives Amid A Torrent Of Criticism As a long-promised convoy of National Guard trucks brought desperately needed supplies and troops into chaotic New Orleans on Friday, the Bush administration fended off a torrent of criticism of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina. Failure Of Levees Long Predicted For New Orleans President Bush, acknowledging the "frustration" of New Orleans residents stranded in the flooded city, told ABC's "Good Morning America" Thursday, "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees." Federal Agencies Dispatch More Aid To Gulf Coast By land, by sea and by air, federal efforts accelerated Wednesday to bring emergency relief to the Gulf coast communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Federal Authorities Mobilize Massive Response Effort Hundreds of truckloads of ice, water and meals along with teams of rescue workers were rushed to the storm-hit region Monday as Hurricane Katrina cut a path of destruction through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Transit terror threat level is lowered Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff reduced the terrorist threat warning Friday from code orange, or "high," to yellow, or "elevated," for the nation's public transit systems. |
Julia Malone Julia Malone began her career at the Christian Science Monitor in Boston, where she held a number of positions ranging from New England news reporter to editor of a feature page. She transferred to Washington in 1980 and covered first the Supreme Court and then Congress. Malone left the Monitor in 1986 to become a national reporter for Cox, where she won a John Hancock award for a series on the private war on poverty. After a brief foray to the Monitor to assist with a television project, she returned to Cox in February 1989. Cox Newspapers Washington Bureau 400 North Capitol St., N.W., Suite 750 Washington, D.C. 20001-1536 Phone: 202-331-0900 |
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