Category Archives: Politics: US

In Congressman Urges Vote-Buying Inquiry the Washington Post reports that,

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), the House majority whip, said the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct should open a probe into statements by Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) that GOP colleagues offered to funnel donations to his son's congressional campaign if Smith voted for the Medicare bill — and threatened to work against the son's bid if Smith voted against it

This is fairly nuclear, since,

His comments appear to undo an informal truce between Republicans and Democrats on ethics matters. Under a 1997 rule change, only members of Congress are allowed to make formal ethics complaints. On some occasions in recent years, the House ethics panel has acted only after criminal courts rendered judgments against members.

Of course, the Post really buried the leed, since the article contains the bombshell disclosure that the same government which can open a Breast Investigation in minutes, and promise to prosecute it quickly, can't find a Congressman to interview him even after six weeks have passed:

The Justice Department said in December that it was reviewing complaints filed by the Democratic National Committee and two independent groups about Smith's assertions. But Smith's chief of staff, Kurt Schmautz, said the congressman — who has promised to cooperate with any official inquiry — has not been interviewed by the Justice Department.

Lynn Nofziger, retired Republican hardball political operator, sits at home and frets:

Like father, like son, maybe. Is George W. Bush following in the footsteps of George H. W. Bush and kicking away his chances of being re-elect? It sure is possible.

True, the times are different and the issues are different, but the Bushes themselves are very much alike in that both have taken substantial leads in the polls and by their own decisions and misjudgments whittled them down to nothing.

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Who said it today and about what:

“I have instructed the commission to open an immediate investigation into [the event]. Our investigation will be thorough and swift.”

A) G.W. Bush about allegations that people in his employ illegally exposed CIA Agent Valerie Plame.

B) G.W. Bush about allegations that people in his employ pressured the CIA to exaggerate the Iraq WMD story.

C) Richard Cheney about allegations of war profiteering by Halliburton.

D) John Ashcoft about allegations of psychological torture at Guantanamo Bay detention camps.

E) FCC Chairman Michael Powell about something shown on TV.

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I think there is something wrong about these bonding rituals in which Presdients go to formal dinners and make off-the-record funny speeches to white house correspondents and others. It's not just the elitism, although that's part of it. It feeds the press's idea of its self-importance.

That said, who knew how much work it can take to get a President to be funny in the Washington-approved way.

This Bush Resume thing is really making the rounds of the Internet. In addition to getting it by email, a quick Google suggests that different versions are poppping up all over.

Update (2/3). Here's a version with hyperlinks to the sources.

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Administration Plan Would Alter Rules at Nuclear Sites (1/29):The Bush administration is moving to replace safety requirements at federal nuclear facilities with standards written by contractors, according to a draft regulation.

Critics contend that under the proposal government standards at more than two-dozen Energy Department nuclear weapons plants and research laboratories could become unenforceable. Department officials say the intent is to give contractors more flexibility without compromising safety.

The proposal comes in response to a directive by Congress to start fining contractors at the plants for safety violations. Senator Jim Bunning, Republican of Kentucky, who wrote the legislation, accused the administration this week of distorting Congress's intent with a plan that “will likely decrease worker protection.”

Assistant Secretary Beverly Cook said, “The department believes the proposed rule seeks to fully protect our workers.”

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U.S.: Nuclear Plant Cheated During Drill ( 1/27): Security guards at the nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge stunned inspectors in June by successfully repelling four simulated terrorist attacks — a feat computer programs predicted wouldn't be done.

That apparent success was tarnished, according to the Energy Department: Employees of an outside security contractor were tipped off about the impending simulations, making the tests a costly waste of time.

A broader investigation uncovered more evidence of cheating during mock attacks at the plant over the past two decades, including barricades being set up before the test to alter the outcome and guards deviating from the established response plan to improve their performance.

I suppose if people will play politics with national security, there's no particluar reason to expect them not to play politics with workers safety at nuclear power plants…