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HavenWorks.com/virginia Virginia News |
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Virginia News, Virginia State News, Virginia capital: Richmond, VA News |
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Virginia capital: Richmond US
Capitals
VA: Virginia State
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Virginia state is bordered by the states of North Carolina, Tennessee (south), Kentucky, West Virginia (west), Maryland and the District of Columbia (north and northeast). 
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 Virginia
VIRGINIA News:
 Eric
Cantor -  Web
-  Video
-  Politics
-  Government
-  Jobs
-  Economic
- Crisis
-  Peoples
-  Health
Care -  Homes
- Virginia
"GOP [Republican] Rep. Cantor Attacked For Profanity-Laced Web Video." ... "As first reported by The Plum Line, Virginia Republican [Representative] Eric Cantor is in hot water after his office responded to critics by sending out a profane web video." ... "AFSCME [American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees] President Gerald McEntee isn't amused. "Eric Cantor may think the greatest economic crisis in seventy years is a joke, but we don't," he said in a statement. "He should talk to the people in Virginia who are losing their jobs, health care and homes."" ... "Brad Woodhouse, President of Americans United for Change, responded more forcefully:"
Eric
Cantor - Language
- Politics
- Video
-  History
- Union
- Ad
- Virginia
"Cantor’s Office Responds: Video Depicting AFSCME Members As Goons." ... "This isn’t going to make the big unions very happy. GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican Virginia Republican Representative and] House leader Eric Cantor’s office has come up with an intriguing response to the [American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees] AFSCME ad bllitz targeting GOP leaders: Sending over a video that portrays AFSCME union members as 1970s-era goons." ... "Update: Brad Woodhouse, the head of Americans United for Change, which is also funding the initial ad hitting the GOP leadership, sends over a statement demanding that Cantor apologize." ... "Update II: Now AFSCME chief Gerald McEntee is blasting Cantor, too." ... "Update III: And now AFL-CIO president John Sweeney is hitting Cantor and demanding an apology." -By Greg Sargent -WhoRunsGov.com 
 Barack
Obama - Eric
Cantor - Obscenity
- Video
-  Law
-  Enforcement
- Politics
- Workers
- Investment
- Advertising
- VA
"Anti-Obscenity Crusader Eric Cantor Sends Out Profanity-Laced Attack On Union." ... "Today, public-workers union AFSCME [American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees] launched a massive advertising campaign targeting [Republican] neo-Hooverite conservatives who are trying to block [Democratic] President Obama’s recovery and reinvestment plan. One target is [Virginia Republican Representative] Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA [Republican-Virginia]), whom the union faults for declaring he was proud that his party was “just saying no” to Obama. A Cantor spokesman responded by sending around a profanity-laced video portraying AFSCME as mob goons. The video uses the F-word six times in one minute and ends with the tagline: “AFSCME: We’re the f*cking union that works for you.”" ... [  Video.
Not Safe For Work.] "Cantor claimed the video was a “joke,” though
AFSCME didn’t
think it was very funny." ... "Yet it’s not just unions who could be
offended by the video; Cantor himself has railed against obscenity, voting
for the Broadcast Deceny Enforcement Act that allowed fines
of up to $500,000 on broadcasters for airing any “obscene, indecent,
or profane” material. Speaking on the House floor in support of the bill,
Cantor condemned “offensive television” that will “damage our society”
and “cannot
be tolerated“ [PDF]:"
"CANTOR: The use of obscenity…should not and cannot be tolerated. As a parent, I share the concerns of many regarding the level of offensive television and radio programs that are transmitted into our homes. The recent violations that have occurred disgusted not only me, but damage our society.""He added that “we will not be satisfied until those responsible” for disseminating obscenity “have been reprimanded.” The heads of Americans United for Change, the AFL-CIO, and AFSCME have already reprimanded Cantor." -ThinkProgress.org 
Corporate
- Government
-  Military
- Virginia
-  US
-  Iraq
-  Afghanistan
"Army Sends 'Dear John Doe' Letters to Families of Fallen Troops." ... "The Army mistakenly sent letters addressed "Dear John Doe" to 7,000 family members of soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, unleashing calls from troubled relatives and prompting a formal apology yesterday from the Army's top general." ... "The letters, mailed late last month by the Army's Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operation Center in Alexandria [Virginia], contained information about private organizations that assist families of the fallen. But in what the Army called a printing error by a contractor, the letters did not contain specific names and addresses; instead, they had the placeholder greeting "Dear John Doe."" -By Ann Scott Tyson -WashingtonPost 
Secret
- Military
- Law
- Politics
-  Terrorism
-  Intelligence
- Virginia
- US
-  World
-  Syria
-  Pakistan
"Secret Order Lets U.S. Raid Al Qaeda." ... "The United States military since 2004 has used broad, secret authority to carry out nearly a dozen previously undisclosed attacks against Al Qaeda and other militants in Syria, Pakistan and elsewhere, according to senior American officials." ... "These military raids, typically carried out by Special Operations forces, were authorized by a classified order that [Republican President Bush's] Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld signed in the spring of 2004 with the approval of President Bush, the officials said. The secret order gave the military new authority to attack the Qaeda terrorist network anywhere in the world, and a more sweeping mandate to conduct operations in countries not at war with the United States." ... "In 2006, for example, a Navy Seal team raided a suspected militants’ compound in the Bajaur region of Pakistan, according to a former top official of the Central Intelligence Agency. Officials watched the entire mission — captured by the video camera of a remotely piloted Predator aircraft — in real time in the C.I.A.’s [Central Intelligence Agency] Counterterrorist Center at the agency’s headquarters in Virginia 7,000 miles away." ... "Some of the military missions have been conducted in close coordination with the C.I.A., according to senior American officials, who said that in others, like the Special Operations raid in Syria on Oct. 26 of this year, the military commandos acted in support of C.I.A.-directed operations." ... "According to a senior administration official, the new authority was spelled out in a classified document called “Al Qaeda Network Exord,” or execute order, that streamlined the approval process for the military to act outside officially declared war zones." ... "It was issued after the Bush administration had already granted America’s intelligence agencies sweeping power to secretly detain and interrogate terrorism suspects in overseas prisons and to conduct warrantless eavesdropping on telephone and electronic communications." (1, 2) -By Eric Schmitt and Mark Mazzetti -NYTimes
 John
McCain - Barack
Obama - Military
- Politics
- 2008
Election -  AZ
-  Nevada
- VA
-  TX
- US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
-  Vietnam
- History
"McCain Lies Again, Repeats False Claim He ‘Received The Highest Honor And Awards’ From Every Vets Group." ... "Yesterday, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain (R-AZ [Republican-Arizona]) held a telephone town hall meeting, in which “thousands” of Nevadans — according to the McCain campaign — called to listen in. Among some of the hostile, pointed, and critical questions came one from a veteran, who challenged McCain on his voting record regarding funding for the Veterans Administration and veterans’ priorities:" "Q: I know you voted for lesser increases, and sometimes they were so much less, and our VA desperately needs the money. Can you tell me why you would vote for less money for the VA when there’s a war going on?""As ThinkProgress has repeatedly [-] documented, McCain is either willfully lying or he is delusional about his record — and the meaning of “highest awards.” In fact, McCain has recently stood on the opposite side of all three of the groups he mentioned:" "– Disabled American Veterans (DAV): In a list of 36 “key votes,” shows McCain “Voted Against Us” 16 times. ([2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama “Voted With Us” 17 times, and against only once.)""Just last week, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave McCain a grade of D for his record of voting against veterans. (Obama got a B.) The Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) have noted that in its “Key Votes,” McCain “Voted Against Us” 15 times and “Voted For Us” only 8. (Obama voted for VVA 12 times, and against only once.)" ... "Earlier this month, [Texas Democratic Representative] Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX [Democratic-Texas]), a leading veterans advocate, excoriated McCain in an interview with ThinkProgress: “If you look at John McCain’s record on veterans issues, it’s a failed one.” It’s a sentiment IAVA executive director Paul Rieckhoff agrees with. Noting McCain’s dismal voting record on VA funding, Rieckhoff told ThinkProgress, “If he says the VA’s not working, it’s in part because he hasn’t funded it properly.”" "Update In an interview with Richmond's [Virginia's capital] WTVR on Friday, McCain repeated his favorite lie: "I've been a friend of the veterans for a long time and I've received every award from every major veterans organization." He added, "I'm proud of my support for the veterans."" -By Ali Frick -ThinkProgress.org
John
McCain -  Rick
Davis - Corporate
- Politics
- Federal
- Housing
- Va
- Law
- 2008
Election
"Unsevered Ties? Regulatory filings indicate that [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain campaign chief Rick Davis remains an officer with his lobbying firm." ... "Rick Davis, John McCain's campaign manager, has remained the treasurer and a corporate director of his lobbying firm this year, despite repeated statements by campaign officials that he had ended his relationship with the firm in 2006, according to corporate records." ... "The McCain campaign this week criticized news stories disclosing that, since 2006, Davis's firm has been paid a $15,000-a-month consulting fee from Freddie Mac, the troubled [housing] mortgage giant recently put under federal conservatorship. The stories, published Tuesday by NEWSWEEK, The New York Times and Roll Call, reported that the consulting fees continued until last month even though, according to two sources familiar with the arrangement, neither Davis nor anybody else at his firm did any substantial work for the payments." ... "Filings made by "Davis Manafort Partners" with the Virginia Corporation Commission as recently as April 1, 2008, show that Davis was still listed as one of only two corporate officers and directors of the firm, according to records on the commission’s Web site [PDF] reviewed by NEWSWEEK. That filing records Davis as the "treas/clerk" of the firm; his business partner, Paul Manafort is listed as the president and chief executive officer." ... "Another filing by “Davis Manafort, Inc.” [PDF] (with the same Alexandria, Va. [Virginia] address, and recorded on Oct. 17, 2007) also lists Davis as an officer and director of the firm, reporting his position as "T/Clerk," a reference to his formal title as corporate treasurer and clerk." ... "Both filings are annual reports of basic corporate information that are required by Virginia state law." -By Michael Isikoff -Newsweek 
 Sarah
Palin - McCain
- Investigation
- Politics
- Law
-  Alaska
- Virginia
-  New
York - 2008
Election
"Alaskans angered that Palin is off-limits: Queries are directed through the [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain campaign machine. Her political capital at home is eroding." ... "Jerry McCutcheon went to [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate] Sarah Palin's office here last week to request information about the firing of former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, the scandal that for weeks has threatened to overshadow the governor's role as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate." ... "McCutcheon was given a phone number in Virginia to call: the national headquarters of the McCain-Palin campaign." ... "Why, he wanted to know, did he have to call a campaign office 4,300 miles away to find out what was going on in Alaska government?" ... ""Why did the McCain campaign take over the governor's office?" the Anchorage Daily News demanded in an editorial Saturday. "Is it too much to ask that Alaska's governor speak for herself, directly to Alaskans, about her actions as Alaska's governor?"" ... "The biggest controversy came Tuesday, when the McCain-Palin campaign called a news conference to dispute the claim that Monegan was dismissed for refusing to fire the trooper." ... "Edward O'Callaghan, who until recently was co-chief of the terrorism and national security unit of the U.S. [United States] attorney's office in New York, and a former Palin spokeswoman now working for the national campaign, accused Monegan of a "rogue mentality" and "outright insubordination." They said he had flown to Washington, D.C., without Palin's approval to lobby for more police funding." ... "Democratic leaders, incensed that outsiders were attacking a respected former state official, produced a travel document Friday showing that in fact Monegan had a signed authorization from the governor's chief of staff before making what the Palin camp had called an "unauthorized" lobbying trip." ... ""I don't know why they're trying to paint this [legislative investigation] as a Democratic partisan attack," said state Sen. Wielechowski. "The thing I constantly remind people of is: Democrats didn't push this. You know who pushed it? It was the Republicans. This is the thing people conveniently forget now. There were no Democrats out there screaming for an investigation."" (1, 2) -By Kim Murphy -LAtimes 
John
McCain - Housing
- Politics
- Arizona
-  California
- Virginia
- 2008
Election
"A housing issue: McCain not sure how many they own." ... "Days after he cracked that being rich in the U.S. [United States] meant earning at least $5 million a year, [2008 Election] Republican presidential candidate John McCain acknowledged that he wasn't sure how many houses he and his wealthy wife actually own." ... ""I think — I'll have my staff get to you," McCain responded to a question posed by Politico, according to a story Thursday on the publication's Web site. "It's condominiums where — I'll have them get to you."" ... "Later, the McCain campaign told Politico that McCain and his wife, Cindy, have at least four in three states, Arizona, California and Virginia. Newsweek recently estimated the two owned at least seven properties." ... "On the campaign trail, McCain doesn't refer to his wife's wealth, estimated by some at $100 million and based on her late father's Arizona beer distributorship." ... "According to her 2006 tax returns, Cindy McCain had a total income of $6 million." -By Douglass K. Daniel with contributions by Phil Elliott and Ann Sanner -AP via -Yahoo
 Don
Young -  Ted
Stevens -  Tom
DeLay - Federal
- Investigation
- Legislative
- Politics
- 2008
Election - Alaska
- Texas
- Virginia
-  Florida
-  Transportation
-  Construction
"When Alaska's Young needed help, lobbyists ponied up." ... "Facing bad publicity and a dwindling campaign account, [United States Alaska Republican Representative] U.S. Rep. Don Young last year turned to the "AK Wolfpack," a group of more than 20 lobbyists, including former Young staffers and retired former congressmen, with close ties to the Alaska Republican." ... "Young's chief of staff, Mike Anderson, sent the Wolfpack an e-mail to tell them that national Democrats planned aggressive fundraising and claims of misconduct by Young to topple the 35-year incumbent congressman and his fellow Alaska Republican [Senator], U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens." ... "If they succeed, Anderson warned, "you and your clients will be impacted."" ... "They include Rick Alcalde, the lobbyist at the heart of a Young earmark that is under federal investigation. They also include lobbyists Colin Chapman, Anderson's immediate predecessor as Young's chief of staff, and Randy DeLay, the brother of former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. Randy DeLay lobbied on a Virginia highway project before Young's transportation committee." ... "Anderson e-mailed his note a day after The New York Times ran a front-page story about Young's earmarking $10 million to study a Florida interchange that would benefit a developer who had raised money for an earlier Young campaign. The paper described the earmark as an "obvious" trade of campaign contributions for legislative favors." -By Sean Cockerham and Erika Bolstad -McClatchyDC.com 
 China
- Hackers
- US
- GOV
- Lawmakers
- Human
Rights - Politics
- Military
-Intelligence
- Investigation
- Va
-  NJ
-  Ill
"More congressional computers hacked from China." ... "More Members of Congress have had their computers infiltrated by hackers within China than initially suspected, a lawmaker has revealed." ... "[Representatives] Reps. Frank Wolf (R-Va. [Republican-Virginia), Chris Smith (R-N.J. [Republican-New Jersey), and Mark Kirk (R-Ill. [Republican-Illinois]) admitted to having data removed from their Capitol Hill computers last week, but Wolf says there are more." ... "“I would suspect that the Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Intelligence, (and) Appropriations committees would all be top targets,” Kirk said." ... "Wolf and Smith said they believe the hackers focused on them because of their continued objections to China’s human rights violations, and suspected that the hackers were looking for information on dissidents." ... "The FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] asked the lawmakers not to speak publicly, fearing that if they did, they would be unable to track the IP addresses of the hackers, Kirk said." ... "“When you’re in the middle of a criminal investigation, you try not to alert the criminal of what’s happened so you can track it down,” he said." -By Jordy Yager -TheHill.com
Barack
Obama - John
McCain -  Hillary
Clinton - 2008
Election -  North
Carolina -  Missouri
-  Montana
- Virginia
- Illinois
- Arizona
- New
York - Economy
- History
-  Gasoline
- Unemployment
"Obama Maps a Nationwide Push in G.O.P. Strongholds." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois] Senator Barack Obama’s general election plan calls for broadening the electoral map by challenging [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona] Senator John McCain in typically Republican states — from North Carolina to Missouri to Montana — as Mr. Obama seeks to take advantage of voter turnout operations built in nearly 50 states in the long Democratic nomination battle, aides said." ... "On Monday, Mr. Obama will travel to North Carolina — a state that has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 32 years — to start a two-week tour of speeches, town hall forums and other appearances intended to highlight differences with Mr. McCain on the economy. From there, he heads to Missouri, which last voted for a Democrat in 1996. His first campaign swing after securing the Democratic presidential nomination last week was to Virginia, which last voted Democratic in 1964." ... "With [New York] Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton now having formally bowed out of the race and thrown her backing to him, Mr. Obama wants to define the faltering economy as the paramount issue facing the country, a task probably made easier by ever-rising gasoline prices and the sharp rise in unemployment the government reported on Friday." (1, 2) -By Adam Nagourney and Jeff Zeleny with contributions by Jim Rutenberg -NYTimes 
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John
McCain - 
Chuck
Hagel - Military
- Money
- 
Account
- Law
- Politics
- Virginia
- 
Nebraska
- US
- Iraq
- Op-Ed
- 2008
Election - "McCain
Is AWOL On New GI Bill." ... "In November 2007, Sens.
[Virginia Democratic Senator] Jim Webb and [Nebraska Republican Senator]
Chuck Hagel penned an op-ed in the New York Times advocating a reformed
G.I. Bill that would provide Iraq war veterans with greater educational
opportunities." ... "The idea, which was first introduced in January 2007,
was at once ambitious and benign. Adjust the current landmark law -- which
requires members of the armed services to pay $1,200 in order to participate
-- to better account for spikes in tuition and living expenses. Not only
would there be a greater incentive for those considering enlistment, but
the American economy would be bolstered by an influx of educated veterans."
... ""We must put together the right formula that will demonstrate our
respect for those who have stepped forward to serve in these difficult
times," wrote Webb and Hagel. "First-class service to country deserves
first-class appreciation."" ... "Flash-forward several months and Webb
and Hagel's vision (after months of consideration) is on the cusp of codification.
The 21st Century G.I. Bill may be included in the language of the next
Iraq war supplemental. And while, if considered separately, it could require
60 votes for passage, more than 50 Senators -- including many Republicans
-- have already signed on as co-sponsors." ... "And yet, surprisingly,
one of those Senators who has not yet offered his support is [2008 Election
Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain." -By
Sam
Stein
-HuffingtonPost.com
John
McCain - 
Jet
- Vacation
- Homes
- Phoenix
- Arizona
- California
- Va
- Political
- 2008
Election - "Beer
heiress could be next first lady: [2008 Election
Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's
marriage has mixed business and politics from beginning." ... "As heiress
to her father's stake in Hensley & Co. of Phoenix [Arizona], Cindy
McCain is an executive whose worth may exceed $100 million. Her beer earnings
have afforded the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican 2008 Election] presidential
nominee [John McCain] a wealthy lifestyle with a private jet and vacation
homes at his disposal, and her connections helped him launch his political
career — even if the millions remain in her name alone." ... "Within a
few years of marrying Cindy Hensley, the daughter of a multimillionaire
Anheuser-Busch distributor, John McCain won his first election. He was
new to Arizona politics and fundraising in the 1982 House race, and his
campaign quickly fell into debt. Personal money -- tens of thousands of
dollars in loans to his campaign from McCain bank accounts -- helped him
survive." ... "Cindy McCain's father, James Hensley, and other Hensley
& Co. executives gave so much the Federal Election Commission ordered
McCain to give some of it back." ... "Beverage industry analysts estimate
Hensley's value at more than $250 million and its annual sales at $300
million or more." ... "Assets held by Cindy McCain alone or with her children
also include Anheuser-Busch stock; two condominiums along the California
coast worth a total of at least $3 million and Arizona investments in rental
medical offices and a parking lot, according to property records and John
McCain's latest financial disclosure reports." ... "Cindy McCain, through
a family trust, sold the family mansion in Phoenix for $3.2 million and
bought a $4.6 million Phoenix condo in 2006. The couple may also jointly
own a condo in Arlington, Va. [Virginia], assessed at $847,800." ... "John
McCain held a barbecue recently for reporters at a two-story cabin near
Sedona, Ariz. [Arizona], that sits on 15 acres owned by his wife's family
trust and a real estate partnership in her name. The property includes
four single-family homes and is worth nearly $1.8 million." (1, 2)
-AP via -MSNBC
John
McCain - Money
- 
Private
School - Virginia
- 
Press
- 2008
Election - ""I
Hope Attendance Here Was Not Compulsory"." ... "On
the second day of his week-long bio tour, [2008 Election Republican Presidential
Candidate] John McCain visited his alma mater, Episcopal High School
[a private school in Alexandria, Virginia], to speak today about the importance
of education in the formation of a person's character." ... "The boldest
inquiry came from junior Katelyn Halldorson, who asked what exactly
the senator was doing at her school." ... ""I think judging by the amount
of press representatives here and also by the integration of your previous
political endorsements in your earlier personal narrative, we can see that
this isn't completely absent – er political motivation isn't completely
absent," she said. "Yet we were told that this isn't a political event.
So what exactly is your purpose in being here – not that I don't appreciate
the opportunity, but I'd just like some clarification."" ... ""I knew I
should have cut this thing off. This meeting is over," McCain joked, before
launching into a long description of his biography tour...." ... "McCain
concluded the visit by saying, "I hope that attendance here was not compulsory…I
apologize if you were unwillingly in attendance here."" ... "According
to one EHS [Episcopal High School] staff member, attendance was required,
although it was unclear what the punishment would have been if a student
had refused to show." ... "The DNC [Democratic National Committee] noted
that McCain's alma mater now costs $38K [$38,000.00] annually. The Dems
also mention in a memo sent to reporters that McCain's voucher plan would
only cover $2K a year. “Apparently, John McCain’s biography tour includes
bragging about his own education, but not his 26 years as a Washington
Republican putting tax cuts for the rich ahead of efforts to ensure every
student a quality education,” says DNC spokesman Damien LaVera in
a statement." -By Adam Aigner-Treworgy
-NationalJournal
Financial
- Law
- Politics
- New
York
- 
Minnesota
- Virginia
- "Fed
May Rethink Greenspan's Hands-Off Approach Towards Bubbles."
... "Federal Reserve officials may be rethinking their aversion to acting
against asset-price bubbles, an article of faith during former Chairman
Alan Greenspan's 18 years at the helm." ... "After this month's near-collapse
of Bear Stearns Cos., Minneapolis [Minnesota] Fed Bank President Gary Stern
-- the longest-serving policy maker -- said in a speech yesterday that
it's possible ``to build support'' for practices ``designed to prevent
excesses.'' New York Fed President Timothy Geithner, whose district bank
took on almost $30 billion of Bear Stearns assets to rescue the firm, argued
two years ago for a larger role for asset prices in decision-making, and
there's no indication his views have changed." ... "For Fed policy makers,
``the consequences of their permissiveness have become so disastrous that
they simply can't keep singing the same old tune in public,'' said Tom
Schlesinger, executive director at the Financial Markets Center in Howardsville,
Virginia." ... "The collapse of the U.S. subprime-mortgage market has led
to $208 billion in writedowns and credit losses since the start of 2007,
pushing Bear to the brink of bankruptcy before its purchase by JPMorgan."
-By Craig Torres and Vivien Lou Chen
-Bloomberg
Dennis
Hastert - Money
- Accounting
- Oil
- Iraq
- Military
- US
- Ill
- 
Ark
- Va
- "Republicans
See Storm Clouds Gathering: Week of Bad News Highlights
Difficult Challenges for GOP in Fall Elections." ... "It started with the
loss last weekend of the seat held for two decades by [Illinois Republican
Representative and] former House speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill. [Republican-Illinois]).
It got worse when Republicans lost potentially strong challengers to Democratic
senators in South Dakota and New Jersey, and failed to field anyone to
oppose the reelection bid of [Arkansas Democratic Senator] Sen. Mark Pryor
(D-Ark. [Democratic-Arkansas])." ... "The latest blow came with the revelation
that the former treasurer of the National Republican Congressional Committee
(NRCC) had allegedly diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars -- and possibly
as much as $1 million -- from the organization's depleted coffers to his
own bank accounts." ... ""It's no mystery," said [Virginia Republican Representative]
Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va. [Republican-Virginia]). "You have a very
unhappy electorate, which is no surprise, with oil at $108 a barrel, stocks
down a few thousand points, a war in Iraq with no end in sight and a president
who is still very, very unpopular. He's just killed the Republican brand.""
(1, 2)
-By Jonathan Weisman with contributions by Paul Kane
-WashingtonPost
Barack
Obama
- Hillary
Clinton - 2008
Election - Lawmakers
- Illinois
- New
York
- 
South
Carolina - 
Mississippi
- 
Georgia
- Virginia
- North
Carolina - 
Tennessee
- 
Alabama
- 
North
Dakota - 
South
Dakota - 
Kentucky
- 
West
Virginia - "Eyeing
Obama coattails." ... "Democratic lawmakers are becoming
persuaded that [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois
Senator] Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.[Democratic-Illinois]) would have a more
positive impact on other Democrats on the November ballot than [2008 Election
Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York Senator] Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton (D-N.Y.[Democratic-New York])." ... "Obama’s advantage over Clinton
would be most pronounced in the Southern and Western states President Bush
carried in 2000 and 2004, say lawmakers interviewed by The Hill. In total,
32 members of Congress from these “red states” have endorsed Obama. Twenty-two
lawmakers from those states have backed Clinton." ... "Obama will “bring
new people into the process in Southern states, there’s no question about
it,” said Rep. James Clyburn, the House Democratic whip from South Carolina.
“In these Southern states he’s bringing out more people, young people,
African-Americans. They’re being energized by him.”" ... "Clyburn, who
has stayed neutral in the primary, said Obama at the top of the ticket
would “certainly” do more to help other Democratic candidates, citing South
Carolina and Mississippi specifically." ... "Obama has picked up congressional
endorsements from Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama,
North and South Dakota, Mississippi, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Clinton
has not collected congressional endorsements from any of these states,
according to a tally kept by The Hill." -By Alexander
Bolton with contributions by Sam Youngman -TheHill.com
John
McCain
- 
Vicki
Iseman - Corporate
- 
Telecommunications
- Broadcasting
- Media
- History
- Arizona
- Virginia
- 2008
Election - "McCain's
Ties To Lobbyist Worried Aides: Before 2000 Campaign,
Advisers Tried to Bar Her." ... "Aides to [2008 Election Republican Presidential
Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain confronted a telecommunications
lobbyist in late 1999 and asked her to distance herself from the senator
during the presidential campaign he was about to launch, according to one
of McCain's longest-serving political strategists." ... "John Weaver, who
was McCain's closest confidant until leaving his current campaign last
year, said he met with Vicki Iseman at the Center Cafe at Union Station
and urged her to stay away from McCain. Association with a lobbyist would
undermine his image as an opponent of special interests, aides had concluded."
... "Members of the senator's small circle of advisers also confronted
McCain directly, according to sources, warning him that his continued ties
to a lobbyist who had business before the powerful commerce committee he
chaired threatened to derail his presidential ambitions." ... "Iseman,
40, who joined the Arlington[Virginia]-based firm of Alcalde & Fay
as a secretary and rose to partner within a few years, often touted her
access to the chairman of the Senate commerce committee as she worked on
behalf of clients such as Cablevision, EchoStar and Tribune Broadcasting,
according to several other lobbyists who spoke on the condition of anonymity."
... "Three telecom lobbyists and a former McCain aide, all of whom spoke
on the condition of anonymity, said that Iseman spoke up regularly at meetings
of telecom lobbyists in Washington, extolling her connections to McCain
and his office. She would regularly volunteer at those meetings to be the
point person for the telecom industry in dealing with McCain's office."
... "Iseman clients have given nearly $85,000 to McCain campaigns since
2000, according to records at the Federal Election Commission." -By
Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Michael D Shear with contributions by James V.
Grimaldi and Alice Crites -WashingtonPost
John
McCain - Rick
Davis - 
Russian
- Crime
- Money
- Politics
- 
Switzerland
- 
Ukraine
- 
Canada
- 
Britain
- Lawsuits
- Ga
- 
NH
- Virginia
- Arizona
- 2008
Election - US
- International
- "Aide
Helped Controversial Russian Meet McCain: Davis,
Then a Lobbyist, Has Spurred Debate in Reform-Focused Campaign." ... "A
top political adviser in [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate
and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign helped
arrange an introduction in 2006 between McCain and a Russian billionaire
whose suspected links to anti-democratic and organized-crime figures are
so controversial that the U.S. [United States] government revoked his visa."
... "Rick Davis, who is now McCain's campaign manager, helped set up the
encounter between McCain and Russian aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska in
[World Economic Summit at Davos] Switzerland during an international economic
conference. At the time, Davis was working for a lobbying firm and seeking
to do business with the billionaire." ... "With a net worth of more than
$13 billion, Deripaska is one of the richest men in Russia and a close
ally of President Vladimir Putin." ... "When Deripaska met McCain, Davis
was part of Davis Manafort, a lobbying firm that was being paid to provide
political advice to pro-Russian and oligarch-funded candidates in Ukraine,
according to interviews and news accounts." ... "Davis, who has been a
political adviser to McCain on and off since 1999, was part of a lobbying
firm that worked not only for Ukrainian politicians but also for telecommunications
firms, a lottery services provider and freight companies." ... "Davis's
firm provided political advice to a pro-Russian party in Ukraine during
the parliamentary elections of 2006." ... "He [Oleg Deripaska] has been
accused of shady business practices in lawsuits in the United States and
Britain, and his multiple-entry U.S. visa was yanked by the State Department
in the summer of 2006." ... "The first gathering that brought McCain and
Deripaska together occurred in January 2006, when McCain was part of a
congressional delegation trip. He and a small group of senators, including
[Georgia Republican Senator] Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.[Republican-Georgia])
and [New Hampshire Republican Senator] John E. Sununu (R-N.H.[Republican-New
Hampshire]), met for a drink near Davos, Switzerland, at an apartment where
they were greeted by Davis and Deripaska. The group then went to a dinner
at the ski chalet of Peter Munk, founder of Barrick Gold, the world's largest
gold-mining company, based in Toronto [Canada]. Participants at the buffet
dinner said Munk complimented his sometime business partner Deripaska during
his brief remarks to the 40 or so guests." ... "Later that month, Deripaska
wrote to Davis and his partner, GOP political consultant Paul J. Manafort,
to thank them for arranging the meeting. "Thank you so much for setting
up everything in Klosters so spectacularly," he wrote. "It was very interesting
to meet Senators McCain, Chambliss and Sununu in such an intimate setting.""
... "The letter was sent to Davis at the Reform Institute, a Virginia-based
nonprofit group that McCain helped start to promote many of his trademark
reform efforts, including increasing the transparency of lobbying and campaign
financing." ... "Davis was the institute's president from January 2003
until December 2005. During that time, he was also a registered lobbyist
at Davis Manafort. The institute was located at the Davis Manafort offices
until January 2006." ... "Seven months later, in August 2006, Davis was
present again at a social gathering that was also attended by McCain and
Deripaska, this time in Montenegro, another Eastern European country in
which Davis's firm was working." (1,
2,
3)
-By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and John Solomon with contributions
by Peter Baker -WashingtonPost
John
Doolittle
- 
Jack
Abramoff
- Calif
- Lawmaker
- Investigated
- Va
- 2008
Election - "GOP
officials urging embattled Calif. Rep. Doolittle not to seek reele[ction]."
... "As speculation mounts about his future, [California Republican Representative]
Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) is being urged by friends and colleagues
not to seek reelection [2008 Election]." ... "Republican operatives fear
that if Doolittle does not retire at the end of this Congress and survives
what would be a bruising GOP [Grand Old Party=Republican] primary, they
will lose the nine-term lawmaker’s seat. Doolittle is under an ethics cloud,
having had his Virginia house investigated by the FBI [Federal Bureau of
Investigation] last year. Several prominent Republicans are seeking to
defeat him in the primary." ... "The FBI raided his Oakton, Va. [Virginia],
home in an attempt to gain information about Sierra Dominion, a fundraising
company operated by his wife, Julie, that received payments from Jack Abramoff."
-By Jackie Kucinich with contributions by Susan Crabtree
and Aaron Blake -TheHill.com
Secret
- Torture
- Terrorism
- Government
- Detainee
- Intelligence
- Law
- Virginia
- 
Christmas
- "Senate
meets briefly to block Bush." ... "The House was
quiet as a mouse the day after Christmas. But across the Capitol, the [Democratic
controlled] Senate was operating in an unusually efficient manner in its
ongoing power struggle with [Republican] President Bush." ... "A nine-second
session gaveled in and out by [Virginia Democratic Senator] Sen. Jim Webb,
D-Va.[Democratic-Virginia], prevented Bush from appointing as an assistant
attorney general a nominee roundly rejected by majority Democrats. Without
the pro forma session, the Senate would be technically adjourned, allowing
the president to install officials without Senate confirmation." ... "Democrats
wanted to block one such recess appointment in particular: Steven Bradbury,
acting chief of the Justice Department's Office of Legislative Counsel.
Bush nominated Bradbury for the job and asked the Senate to remove the
"acting" in his title." ... "Democrats would have none of it, complaining
Bradbury had signed two secret memos in 2005 saying it was OK for the CIA
[Central Intelligence Agency] to use harsh interrogation techniques — some
call it torture — on terrorism detainees." -By Laurie
Kellman -AP
via -Yahoo
Hillary
Rodham Clinton
- Virginia
- New
Hampshire - Police
- Mental
- 2008
Election - "Clinton
calm in hostage crisis." ... "When the hostages had
been released and their alleged captor arrested, a regal-looking [2008
Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Hillary Rodham Clinton strolled
out of her Washington home, the picture of calm in the face of crisis."
... "The image, broadcast just as the network news began, conveyed the
message a thousand town hall meetings and campaign commercials strive for
— namely, that the Democratic presidential contender can face disorder
in a most orderly manner." ... ""I am very grateful that this difficult
day has ended so well," she declared as she stood alone at the microphone."
... "Aides said Clinton was home Friday afternoon, getting ready to deliver
a partisan speech in Virginia to the Democratic National Committee, when
she was told three workers in her Rochester, N.H. [New Hampshire], headquarters
had been taken hostage by a man claiming to have a bomb." ... "Police later
arrested 47-year-old Leeland Eisenberg of Somersworth, N.H., and charged
him with kidnapping and reckless conduct. They said he walked into the
office, demanding to speak to Clinton and complaining about inadequate
access to mental care." -By Glen Johnson
-AP via -Yahoo
Mitt
Romney
- Religion
- 2008
Election - South
Carolina - Salt
Lake City - 
Utah
- North
Carolina - Virginia
- History
- "Romney
Shouldn't Equate Mormons, Christians, Evangelicals Say."
... "As [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] Mitt Romney scours
the South for endorsements from evangelical leaders, he is getting some
unusual advice on how to explain his Mormon faith: Don't try to be one
of us." ... "``I told him, you cannot equate Mormonism with Christianity;
you cannot say, `I am a Christian just like you,''' said [Republican] Representative
Bob Inglis of South Carolina, which is scheduled to hold the first primary
among the Southern states. ``If he does that, every Baptist preacher in
the South is going to have to go to the pulpit on Sunday and explain the
differences.''" ... "This advice, which reflects the views of many Southern
Baptists and other evangelicals, makes Romney's co-religionists bristle.
``The fact that we are Christians is non-negotiable,'' said Kim Farah,
a spokeswoman for the Salt Lake City[Utah]-based Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints." ... "Yet for [evangelical] conference-goers such
as Noah Crowe, a Southern Baptist pastor from Robbinsville, North Carolina,
there's nothing Romney can do to overcome their distrust of Mormonism.
``His faith is not the faith I believe in, teach and preach,'' said Crowe,
who added that he studied Mormonism at his Bible college in a course called
``Cults and False Religions.''" ... "Yet for conference-goers such as Noah
Crowe, a Southern Baptist pastor from Robbinsville, North Carolina, there's
nothing Romney can do to overcome their distrust of Mormonism. ``His faith
is not the faith I believe in, teach and preach,'' said Crowe, who added
that he studied Mormonism at his Bible college in a course called ``Cults
and False Religions.''" ... "For evangelicals, many of whom believe the
Bible is the literal word of God, the Mormons' founding text, the ``Book
of Mormon,'' makes it impossible for them to be considered Christians,
according to Fred Smith, associate professor of Theology at Liberty University
in Lynchburg, Virginia. " -By Hans Nichols and Christopher
Stern -Bloomberg
US
- Iraq
- 
Howard
Krongard
- Blackwater
- Money
- Employees
- Military
- Law
- Enforcement
- Politics
- North
Carolina - Virginia
- "Rules
of engagement are sketchy when private security firms are deployed in war."
... "The fog of war keeps getting thicker." ... "Iraq's decision to temporarily
ban Blackwater USA after a fatal shooting of civilians in Baghdad [Iraq's
capital] reveals a growing web of rules governing weapons-bearing private
contractors but few signs U.S. agencies are aggressively enforcing them."
... "Nearly a year after a law was passed holding contracted employees
to the same code of justice as military personnel, the [Republican President]
Bush administration has not published guidance on how military lawyers
should do that, according to Peter Singer, a security industry expert at
the Brookings Institution in Washington." ... "Blackwater, based in Moyock,
North Carolina, is one of three private security firms employed by the
State Department to protect its personnel in Iraq. The two others, both
of which are headquartered in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, are Dyncorp,
based in Falls Church, Virginia, and Triple Canopy of Herndon, Virginia."
... "In a letter to Howard Krongard, the State Department inspector general,
the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said Krongard impeded
a Justice Department probe into claims that a "large private security contractor
was smuggling weapons into Iraq."" ... "Although the security company is
not named in the letter, several senior administration officials confirmed
it is Blackwater." (1, 2)
-AP via -IHT.com
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Safety
- Politics
- Lawmakers
- Va
- "Senate
grills Petraeus on Iraq strategy." ... "GOP [Republican]
lawmakers including some of the party's most respected voices on foreign
policy demonstrated at the hearings that they are not quietly following
the [Republican President Bush] White House script. In some instances,
their criticism was almost as scathing as that of the most hostile Democrats."
... "And [Virginia Republican Senator] Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), the former
chairman of the Armed Services Committee and a former secretary of the
Navy, sharply dismissed [U.S. Ambassador Ryan] Crocker's talk of reaching
a national reconciliation in Iraq." ... ""That's what's been said at this
table for a long time, sir," Warner said. "And ... it hasn't happened.""
... "Warner, one of the Senate's most influential policymakers when it
comes to the military, urged [General David] Petraeus to tell the president
if he disagrees with him on his strategy." ... ""I hope in the recesses
of your heart," Warner said, "that you know that strategy will continue
the casualties, stress on our forces, stress on military families, stress
on all Americans."" ... "Finally, Warner concluded with a question: "Are
you able to say at this time, if we continue what you have laid before
the Congress here as a strategy, do you feel that that is making America
safer?"" ... "Petraeus said the strategy is the best course for achieving
U.S. objectives in Iraq." ... ""Does that make America safer?" pushed Warner."
... "Said Petraeus, "Sir, I don't know, actually. I have not sat down and
sorted it out in my own mind."" (1, 2)
-By Jill Zuckman -ChicagoTribune
Chuck
Hagel - US
- Iraq
- Military
- History
- Nebraska
- Virginia
- 2008
Election - "Senator
Hagel retiring, not running for president." ... "[Republican
Senator] Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, a harsh critic of the Iraq war,
plans to retire and will not seek the Republican [2008 election] presidential
nomination next year, a source said on Saturday." ... "Last week, Republican
U.S. [Republican Senator] Sen. John Warner of Virginia said he would not
run for re-election [in 2008]." ... "Hagel, who earned two Purple Hearts
as a combat soldier during the Vietnam War, has been a harsh critic of
the [Republican President] Bush administration's Iraq strategy. In January,
he denounced President George W. Bush's plan for a U.S. troop buildup in
Iraq as "the worst foreign policy blunder since Vietnam -- if it's carried
out."" ... "Hagel has been among a handful of Senate Republicans supporting
legislation that would set an April 30, 2008, deadline for U.S. troops
in Iraq to begin withdrawing." (1, 2)
-Reuters
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Intelligence
- Political
- Marketing
- Lawmakers
- Va
- Calif
- Nev
- "Lawmakers
Describe 'Being Slimed in the Green Zone'." ... "The
sheets of paper seemed to be everywhere the lawmakers went in the Green
Zone, distributed to Iraqi officials, U.S. officials and uniformed military
of no particular rank. So when [Virginia Democratic Representative] Rep.
James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.) asked a soldier last weekend just what he was
holding, the congressman was taken aback to find out." ... "In the soldier's
hand was a thumbnail biography, distributed before each of the congressmen's
meetings in Baghdad, which let meeting participants such as that soldier
know where each of the lawmakers stands on the war. "Moran on Iraq policy,"
read one section, going on to cite some the congressman's most incendiary
statements, such as, "This has been the worst foreign policy fiasco in
American history."" ... "The bio of [California Democratic Representative]
Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher (D-Calif.) -- "TAU (rhymes with 'now')-sher," the
bio helpfully relates -- was no less pointed, even if she once supported
the war and has taken heat from liberal Bay Area constituents who remain
wary of her position. "Our forces are caught in the middle of an escalating
sectarian conflict in Iraq, with no end in sight," the bio quotes." ...
""This is beyond parsing. This is being slimed in the Green Zone," Tauscher
said of her bio." ... "Brief, choreographed and carefully controlled, the
codels (short for congressional delegations) often have showed only what
the Pentagon and the [Republican President] Bush administration have wanted
the lawmakers to see. At one point, as Moran, Tauscher and [Nevada Republican
Representative] Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.) were heading to lunch in the fortified
Green Zone, an American urgently tried to get their attention, apparently
to voice concerns about the war effort, the participants said. Security
whisked the man away before he could make his point." ... "Tauscher called
it "the Green Zone fog."" ... ""Spin City," Moran grumbled. "The Iraqis
and the Americans were all singing from the same song sheet, and it was
deliberately manipulated."" -By Jonathan Weisman
-WashingtonPost
US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Military
- Education
- Money
- History
- Virginia
- "Administration
Fights Dem Plan to Boost School Aid for Vets." ...
"The [Republican President] Bush administration opposes a Democratic effort
to restore full educational benefits for returning veterans, according
to an official's comments last week." ... "Senate Democrats, led by Virginia's
[Democratic Senator] Jim Webb, want the government to pay every penny of
veterans' educational costs, from tuition at a public university to books,
housing and a monthly stipend." ... "Such a benefit was a major feature
of the historic 1944 G.I. Bill, which put more than eight million U.S.
soldiers through college and is now credited by historians as fueling the
expansion of America's middle class in the post-war era." ... "Patrick
Campbell of the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) endorsed
Webb's plan." -By Alexandra Bahou and Anna Schecter-ABCNEWS.com
Michael
J Elston
- 
Alberto
R Gonzales - 
Paul
J McNulty
- Government
- US
Attorneys - OxyContin
- 
Drug
- Manufacturer
- Money
- Politics
- Virginia
- "U.S.
Attorney Became Target After Rebuffing Justice Dept.."
... "The night before the government secured a guilty plea from the manufacturer
of the addictive painkiller OxyContin, a senior Justice Department official
called the U.S. attorney handling the case and, at the behest of an executive
for the drugmaker, urged him to slow down, the prosecutor told the Senate
Judiciary Committee yesterday." ... "John L. Brownlee, the U.S. attorney
in Roanoke [Virginia], testified that he was at home the evening of Oct.
24 when he received the call on his cellphone from Michael J. Elston, then
chief of staff to the deputy attorney general and one of the Justice aides
involved in the removal of nine U.S. attorneys last year." ... "Brownlee
settled the case anyway. Eight days later, his name appeared on a list
compiled by Elston of prosecutors that officials had suggested be fired."
... "Brownlee ultimately kept his job. But as Attorney General Alberto
R. Gonzales confronts withering criticism over the dismissals, the episode
in the OxyContin case provides fresh evidence of efforts by senior officials
in the department's headquarters to sway the work of U.S. attorneys' offices."
... " ... Elston's attorney, Robert N. Driscoll, said his client had telephoned
Brownlee at the direction of [Deputy Attorney General Paul J.] McNulty,
who that evening had received an appeal for more time by Mary Jo White,
a defense lawyer representing an executive for OxyContin's manufacturer,
Purdue Pharma." -By Amy Goldstein and Carrie Johnson
-WashingtonPost
US- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Government
- Military
- Accounting
- Politics
- Lawmakers
- History
- Missouri
- Virginia
- "Freshmen
Senate Democrats seek panel to probe Iraq contracting."
... "Summoning the ghost of Harry Truman, the Senate's freshman Democrats
on Wednesday called for the creation of an independent, bipartisan commission
to investigate wartime profiteering in Iraq." ... "Truman was a freshman
senator from Missouri in 1941 when he led an inquiry into waste and abuse
in government contracting during World War II." ... "Under the 2007 version
of his effort, spearheaded by [Democratic Senators] Sens. Claire McCaskill
of Missouri and Jim Webb of Virginia, the proposed commission would investigate
the mismanagement of private contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, which
has resulted in $9 billion in taxpayer dollars unaccounted for." ... "McCaskill,
a former state auditor who uses Truman's old Senate desk, said at a press
conference of freshmen lawmakers, "I realized we had the same problem in
this war that Harry Truman found in World War II, except that it's on steroids.
It's out of control."" -By David
Goldstein -McClatchyDC.com
US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Military
- 
Families
- Va
- Ill
- 2008
Election - "Senate
battles over time off for troops: Amendment to extend
leaves fails." ... "Democrats accused Republicans of talking about supporting
the troops but not actually doing it. Republicans accused Democrats of
looking for a back-door method to end the war." ... "The Senate failed
to cut off debate in order to vote on an amendment by [Virginia Democratic
Senator] Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) requiring the military to provide more time
off for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Seven Republicans -- including
six up for re-election next year [2008] -- joined 49 Democrats, but the
measure fell short of the 60-vote threshold needed to quash GOP [Republican]
objections." ... ""It was wrong that we didn't come to the aid of our warriors
who are fatigued and exhausted by the redeployment after redeployment,"
said [Illinois Democratic Senator] Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the assistant
Democratic leader." ... ""It was wrong that we didn't stand by the military
families who sit at home in anticipation, prayerful anticipation, of the
next phone call, the next e-mail. It was wrong that so many members of
the Senate who boast about supporting our troops wouldn't stand [up] for
our troops."" -By Jill Zuckman
-ChicagoTribune
US
- Iraq
- Military
- Legislation
- Va
- "Senate
GOP Blocks Longer Leave for Troops: Setback Comes
in First Test of Democratic War Proposals." ... "Legislation that would
have required longer troop rests between combat deployments fell today
to a Republican filibuster, but GOP [Republican] fissures over President
Bush's war policies continued to widen, with two more Republican senators
signing on to binding troop withdrawal dates." ... "The Senate voted 56-41
to cut off debate on an amendment to the annual defense policy bill by
[Virginia Democratic Senator] Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) that would have mandated
that troops be granted home leave between deployments of at least as long
as their previous combat tours. Already stretched National Guard and Reserve
units would have been granted three-year breaks between assignments." ...
"The vote was short of the 60 needed to break the [Republican] filibuster,
but it attracted seven Republican votes, a surprising number considering
a similar proposal in the House this spring had been denounced as a "slow
bleed strategy."" ... "Webb disputed the GOP claims, noting that he had
previously served in the Pentagon as Navy secretary." ... ""This amendment
sets out a bare minimum floor . . . that will protect the well-being of
our troops," said Webb, a Marine combat veteran." -By
Jonathan Weisman and Shailagh Murray -WashingtonPost
US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Military
- Mental
- Health
- Va
- 
Kansas
- "Senator
Webb calls for National Guard, Army Reserve support."
... "Concerned with the military’s continuing erratic deployment rotations,
freshman [Virginia Democratic Senator] Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) is planning
to introduce an amendment to the 2008 defense authorization bill that will
require the Pentagon to give troops at least as much time at home as they
spent on deployments." ... "“We’re seeing, in many cases, our ground troops
burned out,” Webb said at a press conference yesterday alongside Kansas
[Democratic Governor] Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D). “The current strategy
of this administration has not justified the deployment of troops in this
way.”" ... "Multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan are causing an
increase in mental-health issues among members of the military and are
prompting more troops to leave the armed forces, he said." -By
Patrick Fitzgerald with contributions by Roxana Tiron
-TheHill.com
AmericasLibrary.GOV - via America's Library GOV: Virginia History America England History
Jamestown Was Established May 14, 1607
The Virginia Company of England made a daring proposition: sail to the new, mysterious land, which they called Virginia in honor of Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, and begin a settlement. One hundred twenty people made the voyage across the Atlantic. They established Jamestown, Virginia, on May 14, 1607, the first permanent British settlement in North America. Though determined, these settlers didn't know what severe challenges they would face.
Half of the Jamestown settlers were artisans, craftsmen, soldiers, and laborers, including a tailor, a barber, and two surgeons among them. The other half were "gentlemen," men of wealth who did not have a profession, and who may have underestimated the rough work necessary to survive in the New World. After eight months, only 38 of the 120 pioneers were still alive. Among the survivors was Captain John Smith, adventurer and explorer. Despite the hardships, he kept the colony going with his solid leadership those first two years, as Jamestown grew to 500 with new arrivals from England. After he left in 1609, however, more trouble came.
Weather conditions were rough and supplies were low. Only 60 of the 500 colonists survived the harsh winter that followed Smith's departure. Jamestown, though it possessed a good harbor, was swampy, infested with mosquitoes, and lacked freshwater sources. The people fought against disease, famine, and the Algonquian Indians, whose land the British settlers now claimed. The Algonquian chief, Powhatan, at first allowed the visitors to settle, build, and farm in his territory, but as more and more came, he grew tired of the colonists' expansion on his land. Some of the tribe attacked settlers working in the fields.
But there were some years of peace and prosperity. Peace came when Pocahontas, daughter of chief Powhatan, married John Rolfe, a tobacco farmer in Jamestown. Also, new supplies and leadership eventually arrived from England.
An event of momentous consequence took place in 1619, when a Dutch slave trader exchanged a cargo of captive Africans for food. The Africans became indentured servants, trading labor for shelter and eventual freedom. They were among the first African Americans in the colonies. Racial slavery would not become a common occurrence until 1680. For all, the struggle for land and survival continued, but Jamestown was just the beginning. Virginia History
John Smith Became a Leader of Jamestown September 10, 1608
Did the Indian princess Pocahontas really save his life? Was he really captured and sold into slavery in Turkey, escaping with the love of a Turkish woman? John Smith may have been the first romantic of America; he certainly became an appreciated leader. Explorer, adventurer, writer, and cartographer, Smith assumed a leadership role at the Jamestown settlement on September 10, 1608. On the Atlantic coast of present-day Virginia, Jamestown was the first British settlement in North America, founded in 1607. At first, Smith wasn't even considered for the government.
The charismatic and controversial Smith was originally excluded from the government of the settlement on the grounds that he had conspired to mutiny during the voyage to Virginia. But because of his strength and ingenuity, the people of Jamestown needed him. He began to run things long before he officially received his post, leading the settlers through struggles against disease, starvation, and frequent raids upon the settlement by the Native American tribes. A brash figure with a bold self-confidence, Smith brought his soldiering experience to Virginia.
Smith claimed that, while fighting in Transylvania, Hungary, against the Turks in 1600, he had been wounded, captured, and sold into slavery in Turkey. Smith said that a Turkish woman had fallen in love with him and helped him escape. Whether that is a "tall tale" or not, his most famous Jamestown experience, equally as romantic and daring, has become a legendary story in American history. Captured and brought before Algonquin Chief Powhatan in December 1607, Pocahontas, the chief's young daughter, supposedly saved Smith's life by throwing herself between him and his would-be executioners.
In the summer of 1608, Jamestown prospered. Smith was injured in a gunpowder accident in 1609 and was forced to return to England. Returning in 1614, he dubbed the region to the north of Virginia, New England. Do you think Smith's stories are true? You might want to read more of Captain Smith's adventures in his book, Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles, published in 1624.
Richmond - TimesDispatch - Times-Dispatch - RichmondTimesDispatch - RichmondTimes-Dispatch - http://www.TimesDispatch.com -
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